Neurosurgery

Head: Dzung H. Dinh, M.D., M.B.A.

The Neurosurgery Department is responsible for teaching concerning the diagnosis and surgical care of illnesses involving the nervous system, including the brain, spinal cord, peripheral nerves, and the vasculature supplying the brain.  The Neurosurgery Department participates in the undergraduate education in the M2 year, the required Neurology Clerkship, and provides elective rotations to medical students from the University of Illinois and other medical schools in the M4 year.

A six-year residency training program in neurological surgery is provided by the department.  Dr. William Olivero is the Program Director of the Residency in Neurological Surgery.

The Department consists of subspecialized sections, with a responsible section head:
    Cerebrovascular - Dr. Giussepe Lanzino
    Brain Tumor - Dr. William C. Olivero
    Epilepsy - Dr. W. Olivero
    Pain and Functional Neurosurgery - Dr. P. Tracy
    Pediatric Neurosurgery - Dr. Julian J. Lin
    Peripheral Nerve - Dr. Olivero
    Spine - Dr. Dzung H. Dinh
    Trauma - Dr. Julian J. Lin
    Gamma Knife/Trilogy - Dr. Patrick W. Elwood

An active research program is established in a number of the neurosurgical subspecialties, particularly gene therapy and brain tumor, epidemiology and management of cerebrovascular disease, complex instrumentation and endoscopic management of spinal disease.  There is an extensive program for radiosurgery in neoplastic and vascular disease, and in cooperation with the Department of Neurology, an active program for the investigation and surgical treatment of complex epilepsy disorders.  The Department of neurosurgery, with the Department of Neurology, supports a large intensive care for neurological disease that is an important research area in both the cerebrovascular disease and trauma.  The department offers research programs to medical students who are interested in pursuing a career in neurological sciences.

Last Update: Wednesday, January 25, 2006