Neurological Surgery Residency Lectureships

In addition to the given annual lectures, the Department of Neurosurgery takes the opportunity to invite nationally and internationally known speakers to present at grand rounds on varying neurosurgical topics throughout the academic year. Dr. Peter Konrad, professor of neurosurgery at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, was an invited guest speaker who presented "Novel Technologies in Functional Neurosurgery."

Our residency program is enriched by didactic teaching from the program’s distinguished faculty at Baylor College of Medicine and MD Anderson Cancer Center. In addition, the department frequently hosts visiting neurosurgeon from other prominent programs in the United States and around the world. The department has five distinct annual endowed visiting professorships that enhance our program, which include the following:

Peter Nakaji, M.D., Professor of Neurosurgery at the University of Arizona College of Medicine and Director at Scottsdale Neurosurgery Specialists, was the 33rd Annual George Ehni Lecturer. Dr. Peter presented "One Step Back, Two Steps Forward: Innovation in Cranial Neurosurgery." The lecture was held on Friday, May 9 and the corresponding skullbase lab was held on Saturday, May 10.

George Ehni Lecture

This annual multi-day workshop has been taking place over 30 years, and honors the late Dr. George Ehni, a leading neurosurgical pioneer and scholar who founded the Baylor College of Medicine neurosurgery residency program and led it for over three decades. This visiting professorship combines a series of lectures with a hands-on workshop with microsurgical cadaver dissections in the Baylor anatomy lab. Ehni Lecturers have included:

• Duke Samson, M.D., Professor Emeritus, Department of Neurosurgery, The University of Texas Southwestern Medical School
• Theodore Schwartz, M.D., David and Ursel Barnes, Professor of Minimally Invasive Neurosurgery, Weill Cornell Medical College
• Harry Van Loveren, M.D., Professor and Chair, Department of Neurosurgery, University of South Florida College of Medicine
• Evandro de Oliveira, M.D., Ph.D., Professor of Neurosurgery, State University of Campinas
• Thomas P. Naidich, M.D., F.A.C.R., Director of Neuroradiology, Vice-Chair of Radiology for Academic Affairs, Professor of Radiology and Neurosurgery, Irving and Dorothy Regenstreif Research Professor of Neuroscience, Mount Sinai School of Medicine
• Ugur Ture, M.D., Professor and Chair, Department of Neurosurgery, Yeditepe University School of Medicine
• Robert J. Spinner, Burton M. Onofrio, M.D., Professor of Neurosurgery, Orthopedics and Anatomy, Mayo Clinic of Rochester
• Ricardo Hanel, M.D., Ph.D., Director of the Cerebrovascular and Stroke Program, Baptist Health System of Jacksonville
• Albert E. Telfeian, M.D., Ph.D., Professor and Director of the Center for Minimally Invasive Endoscopic Spine Surgery, Brown University
• Michael Lawton, M.D., President and CEO, Professor and Chair, Neurosurgery, Barrow Neurological Institute
• Juan Carlos Fernandez-Miranda, M.D., Professor of Neurosurgery and Medicine Chief, Skull Base and Pituitary Surgery Division, Surgical Director of Brain Tumor, Skull Base, and Pituitary Centers, Director, Neurosurgical Training and Innovation Center — NeuroTrain Center Stanford University Medical Center
• Ian Dunn, M.D., FACS, FAANS, Harry Wilkins, M.D. Chair in Neurosurgery, Professor, Department of Neurosurgery, University of Oklahoma College of Medicine
• Peter Nakaji, M.D., of University of Arizona College of Medicine and Scottsdale Neurosurgery Specialists

Richard Penn, M.D. Professor of Neurosurgery Rush University Medical College Adjunct Professor of Biomedical Engineering University of Illinois Chicago, served as the 15th Baylor College of Medicine Gildenberg Lecturer in Stereotactic and Functional Neurosurgery.  

Philip Gildenberg Lecture

Named to honor Dr. Philip Gildenberg, a pioneering leader in stereotactic and functional neurosurgery, past president of the World Society of Stereotactic and Functional Neurosurgery, and emeritus clinical professor of neurosurgery at Baylor College of Medicine, this lecture annually hosts a leader in the field of functional and stereotactic neurosurgery. Gildenberg lecturers have included:

• Matthew Howard III, M.D., professor and chairman for the Department of Neurosurgery at the University of Iowa
• Andres Lozano, M.D., Ph.D., Dan Family Chair in Neurosurgery, Ron Tasker Chair in Stereotactic and Functional Neurosurgery, University of Toronto
• Alim-Louis Benabid, M.D., Ph.D., Emeritus Professor of Neurosurgery, Institut Universitaire de France
• Kim Burchiel, M.D., F.A.C.S., John Raaf Professor and Chair of the Department of Neurological Surgery, Oregon Health and Science University
• David W. Roberts, M.D., Section Chief of Neurosurgery, Professor of Surgery, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth
• G. Rees Cosgrove, M.D., F.R.C.S.C., Professor of Neurosurgery, Warren Alpert School of Medicine at Brown University
• Tipu Z. Aziz, Ph.D., F.Med.Sci., Professor of Neurosurgery, University of Oxford
• Philip A. Starr, M.D., Ph.D., Professor of Neurosurgery, Dolores Cakebread Chair in Neurosurgery, University of California- San Francisco
• Edward F. Chang, M.D., Associate Professor in Residence of Neurological Surgery and Physiology, Co-Director, Center for Neural Engineering at UC Berkeley and San Francisco, University of California San Francisco School of Medicine
• Aviva Abosch, M.D., Ph.D., Professor, University of Colorado
• Andre Machado, M.D., Ph.D.
• Andre Machado, M.D., Ph.D., Cleveland Clinic
• Nader Pouratian, M.D. Ph.D., Professor and Chair of the Department of Neurological Surgery at UT Southwestern Medical Center
• Julie Pilitsis, M.D., Ph.D., Chair Department of Neuroscience & Experimental Therapeutics Professor of Neurosurgery, Albany Medical College
• Matthew Howard III, M.D., Professor and Chair of the Department of Neurosurgery, University of Iowa 

24th Annual Milam Leavens Lectureship

James Markert, M.D., M.P.H. was the guest speaker at the 24th Annual Milam Leavens Distinguished Lectureship on Jan. 10, 2020. Professor and James Garber Galbraith Endowed chair of neurosurgery at the University of Alabama, Birmingham, presented “Oncolytic HSV-1 for the Treatment of Glioma: Clinical Trials and the Road Ahead.”

Milam Leavens Lecture

The Leavens Lecture honors Dr. Milam Leavens, the founding chief of neurosurgery at MD Anderson Cancer Center and a mentor to generations of Baylor College of Medicine neurosurgery residents. This lecture features a distinguished leader in neurosurgical-oncology. Leavens Lecturers have included:

• Keith L. Black, M.D., Chair, Department of Neurosurgery Cedars-Sinai Medical Center Director, Maxine Dunitz Neurosurgical Institute Director, Johnnie L. Cochran, Jr. Brain Tumor Center at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
• Edward Oldfield, M.D., Professor of Neurosurgery and Internal Medicine, Director of Neuro-Endocrinology, University of Virginia School of Medicine
• David G. Kline, M.D., Boyd Professor of Neurosurgery, Professor and Department Chair Emeritus, Louisiana State University University Health and Science Center of New Orleans School of Medicine
• Mitchel Berger, M.D., F.A.C.S., F.A.A.N.S., Berthold and Belle N. Guggenhime Professor, Chair of the Department of Neurological Surgery School of Medicine, Director of the Brain Tumor Research Center, University of California at San Francisco
• Manfred Westphal, M.D., Professor, Director of Neurosurgery, University Clinic Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE)
• Henry Brem, M.D., Harvey Cushing Professor, Director, Department of Neurosurgery, Professor of Neurosurgery, Oncology, Ophthalmology, and Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
• James T. Rutka, OC, O Ont, M.D., Ph.D., FRCSC, FRSC, FACS, FAANS was the guest speaker at the 23rd Annual Milam Leavens Distinguished Lectureship on Jan. 18, 2019. Dr. Rutka, R.S. McLaughlin Professor and chairman of the Department of Surgery at the University of Toronto

Russell Lonser, M.D., Professor and Chairman, Department of Neurological Surgery, The Ohio State University and Director, The Ohio State University Gene Therapy Institute, joined BCM Neurosurgery as the 2026 Raymond Sawaya Lectureship visiting professor. The 12th annual lecture was held on Wednesday, March 25. Dr. Lonser presented "Directive and convective delivery for nervous system gene therapy."

Raymond Sawaya Lecture

This lecture honors Dr. Raymond Sawaya and his 10 years of service as Department of Neurosurgery chair at Baylor College of Medicine. Following his tenure in 2015, the Raymond Sawaya Inaugural Lectureship was instituted, hosting distinguished alumnus, Dr. Ziya Gokaslan, as the honored guest speaker.

• Ziya Gokaslan, M.D., Donlin M. Long Professor of Neurosurgery, Johns Hopkins University, Distinguished Alumnus of the Baylor Neurosurgery Residency Program, Class of ‘93
• Jacques J. Morcos, M.D., F.R.C.S., F.A.A.N.S., Professor of Clinical Neurosurgery and Otolaryngology Director, Cerebrovascular Surgery Director, Skull Base, Pituitary and Endoscopic Tumor Surgery Director, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine
• Anil Nanda, M.D., M.P.H., F.A.C.S., Professor and Chair, Department of Neurosurgery, LSU Health Sciences Center at Shreveport
• Robert E. Harbaugh, M.D., F.A.A.N.S, F.A.C.S., F.A.H.A., PennState Health
• Raj Narayan, M.D., Chairman Emeritus, Professor of Neurosurgery, Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell
• John Golfinos, M.D., NYU Langone Health
• Laligam N. Sekhar, M.D., F.A.C.S.,F.A.A.N.S., University of Washington, William Joseph Leedom and Bennett Bigelow & Leedom Endowed Professorship, Vice-Chairman and Professor of Neurological Surgery
• Steven Kalkanis, M.D., CEO of the Henry Ford Medical Group (HFMG) and Senior Vice President and Chief Academic Officer of Henry Ford Health System
• Fady Charbel, M.D., Professor and Head, Richard L. and Gertrude W. Fruin Professor, Chief of Neurovascular Section at the University of Illinois at Chicago
• Daniel Yoshor, M.D., Charles Harrison Frazier Professor and Chair of the Department of Neurosurgery at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and Vice President for Clinical Integration and Innovation at theUniversity of Pennsylvania Health System
• Shenandoah Robinson, M.D., Professor, Neurological Surgery, Neurology and Pediatrics, Johns Hopkins University, Director, Pediatric Pain Research, Neurosurgery Pain Institute
• Russell Lonser, M.D., Professor and Chairman, Department of Neurological Surgery, The Ohio State University and Director, The Ohio State University Gene Therapy Institute

Michael Steinmetz, M.D., Professor and Chairman, Department of Neurosurgery, Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine of Case Western Reserve University, was the invited guest for the third annual Spinal Neurosurgery Lecture on Friday, August 22, 2025. Dr. Steinmetz presented "Lumbar Facet Arthroplasty: A viable alternative to fusion in degenerative spondylolisthesis?"

Spinal Neurosurgery Lectureship

In 2023, the inaugural Spinal Neurosurgery Lectureship was held and featured world-renowned physician-scientist Dr. Christopher Shaffrey, as the honored guest speaker.

• Christopher Shaffrey, M.D., chief of the Duke Spine Division, Duke University
• Nicholas Theodore, M.D., Donlin M. Long Professor, Professor of Neurosurgery, Orthopaedics & Biomedical Engineering, Director, Neurosurgical Spine Program Co-Director, Carnegie Center for Surgical Innovation, Co-Director & Founder, HEPIUS Lab, Johns Hopins University
• Michael Steinmetz, M.D., Professor and Chairman, Department of Neurosurgery, Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine of Case Western Reserve University