The day before surgery, we met again with Dr. Patel. He explained there were a few actual risks to discuss, such as the chance of my being paralyzed, though this was rare. more
News and Announcements
Browse the articles below to learn more about our faculty’s latest achievements, awards and honors.
12.17.2019A new lipid nanoparticle drug helped make tumor cells more vulnerable to therapy, significantly prolonging survival in models of glioblastoma. more
11.22.2019Doctors made a startling discovery when performing a brain scan on a suburban woman in Sept. 2018. more
11.04.2019Made up of billions of neurons (or nerve cells) that communicate in trillions of connections called synapses, your brain is one of the most complex and fascinating organs in your body. Keeping your brain healthy and active is vital. Discover just how powerful it is with these interesting facts. more
10.10.2019After receiving a stage 4 brain cancer diagnosis, a young mother traveled from Mexico to Chicago for treatment. more
08.28.2019Functional neurosurgery is in the midst of an explosion of innovation and progress, with new devices and expanding indications that allow neurosurgeons to help more people than ever before. more
08.28.2019A risky, life-saving brain surgery calls for a novel plan. On February 4, at 3:02 p.m., cerebrovascular neurosurgeon Babak Jahromi, MD, PhD, sent an e-mail with an unusual request to cardiac electrophysiologist Bradley Knight, MD. He needed a “heart stopper.” more
08.27.2019Maciej “Matt” Lesniak, MD, the Michael J. Marchese Professor, chair of Neurological Surgery and member of the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University, was senior author of the study published in Oncogene.
08.12.2019On August 2, faculty and trainees in Northwestern’s Department of Neurological Surgery gathered for the inaugural Byong Uk Chung, MD Global Neurosurgical Lectureship in Neurosurgery, a unique learning opportunity made possible by generosity from the Chung family to commemorate their patriarch, Byong Uk Chung, MD, ’67 GME. more
07.31.2019
07.30.2019“We’re thrilled to be recognized as a top neurosurgery program in the nation. Our ranking reflects the international reputation of our physicians and highlights our ability to advance the science and care of neurosurgical patients,” said Maciej Lesniak, MD, chair of neurological surgery at Northwestern Memorial Hospital. “As we continue to innovate in the treatment of neurological diseases, our team of physicians and scientists is developing new standards and treatments which are adopted around the world.” more
07.29.2019For Shivani Baisiwala, medical school is much more than just classes and clerkships. As a rising fourth-year medical student, Baisiwala already has a wide array of experiences under her belt — from conducting basic science research into glioblastoma in the laboratory of Atique Ahmed, PhD, assistant professor of Neurological Surgery, to volunteering in free health clinics around Chicago and participating in Second Opinions, a student-run pro-bono healthcare consulting group. more
07.28.2019The doctor breezed in, glanced at the MRI and said I needed a C4-6 anterior cervical discectomy and fusion and C5 corpectomy — in English, cutting into the front of my throat, sawing open three vertebrae and replacing a couple of collapsed discs with wedges made of corpse bone. more
06.24.2019On June 24, Meg and Dan Kresach, founders of BrainUp, presented Derek Wainwright, PhD, assistant professor of Neurological Surgery, Medicine (Hematology and Oncology), and Microbiology-Immunology, and Rimas Lukas, MD, associate professor of Neurology (Neuro-oncology), with a $170,000 grant to support novel research on immunotherapy for glioblastoma patients at Northwestern. Wainwright and Lukas are both members of the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University. more
06.17.2019The Louis A. Simpson and Kimberly K. Querrey Biomedical Research Center – the largest new building solely dedicated to biomedical research at an American medical school* – officially opened June 17 at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.
Northwestern is the fastest-growing research enterprise among all U.S. medical schools – climbing from 39th to 15th in National Institutes of Health funding since 2002. The new center provides much-needed biomedical research space to continue Northwestern’s projected growth.
04.16.2019Alpesh A Patel, MD, Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery and Neurological Surgery, was quoted in an NBC News article on Tiger Woods' remarkable recovery from spinal fusion surgery. Read more.
02.15.2019Craig Horbinski, MD,PhD , associate professor of Pathology and Neurological Surgery, is not just a physician, scientistand expert on brain tumors. He’s also a minor Twitter celebrity. more
02.06.2019A Northwestern Medicine study has demonstrated the role of dopamine in the progression of glioblastoma and suggests that targeting the neurotransmitter may slow cancer growth.
02.01.2019Joshua Rosenow, MD, director of functional neurosurgery and epilepsy surgery at Northwestern Medicine in Chicago, discusses neuromodulation and exciting developments in the future. more