Neurosurgery Blog
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Falling in Love With Science… and Boxing
I fell in love with science when I was a teenager, thanks to a wonderful teacher I had in high school. She taught genetics, chemistry, and astronomy, and she recognized something in me that she encouraged me to pursue. Up until then I thought I would have a career in business, but thanks to her I changed my mind and chose a career in science instead.
Anybody’s Child
My child started high school today, but my thoughts are with those whose children are frozen in time
Concussion 101: Children Versus Adults
As anyone who’s ever been a parent (or teacher, or pediatrician, or coach) can tell you, children are not just little adults – they are fundamentally different creatures in terms of emotional maturity and mental development. As any doctor can tell you, children are also very different from adults when it comes to risk factors, behavioral influences, and healing.
Neuroimaging and Brain Mapping in Neurosurgery: An Exciting Partnership
Advanced brain scans, and the art and science of brain mapping, improve the odds of success when it comes to removing difficult brain tumors
Perceptions of Creative Genius: Impetus for Innovation and Collaboration
An Antiguan artist under-appreciated and misunderstood during his lifetime has found an audience at last, and what his work suggests about the mind is fascinating.
An Imperfect Gauge of Concussion
The brain, our marvelously complex and mysterious command center, is simply too intricate and nuanced for any one test to pick up every sign of injury.
Improving on the Delivery of Stroke Care
Over the past couple of years there has been an explosion of new data proving the benefits of two things: early intervention for stroke, and mechanical embolectomy using endovascular techniques. We have long known that “time is brain,” but we finally have proof that the sooner stroke patients are evaluated by a team of physicians at a Comprehensive Stroke Center the better.
The Wonders of the Unknown Brain
The past few decades have seen a dramatic increase in our understanding of the brain and how it works – new findings about plasticity, for example, have allowed us to revise our expectations about recovery after traumatic injury or stroke — and advanced technologies have greatly expanded our ability to treat a wide range of disorders. We know so much more now than we did 20 or 30 years ago, and yet every so often I’m struck by how much we still don’t know.
A Visit to Babylon
Earlier this month I was honored to serve as international faculty for a two-day seminar in Najaf, Iraq, sponsored by AOSpine Middle East. This was my third visit to Iraq for an AOSpine course, but my first time in Najaf. Although these teaching trips bear some resemblance to the work I do each year in Tanzania, the circumstances are very different. This trip especially exposed me to a great deal of Middle East history, and to the effects of international conflict on the ability to serve local patients.
When the Tables Are Turned
I often talk with anxious parents about their child’s upcoming surgery, but I recently found myself counseling and caring not for a child but a mother.
