Over the past 30 years, the Johns Hopkins Department of Neurosurgery has produced 18 chairpersons at departments across the country, an incredible achievement that speaks to the excellence of the Hopkins neurosurgery program and its alumni, including school of medicine graduates, and former department residents, fellows, and faculty.

“My experience at Hopkins could be rightfully described as a pivotal moment in my experience, opening my eyes to the power and promise of academic medicine,” said Bob Carter, M.D., Ph.D. ’92, chief of neurosurgery service at Mass General and 2022 recipient of the Johns Hopkins Medicine Alumni Association Distinguished Medical Alumnus Award. “When I came to Hopkins, I wanted to learn how to be a great doctor. When I left, my vision had been expanded by exposure to incredible mentors, and I wanted to be part of the future of medicine, through a career infused with discovery and education of the next generation of physicians.”

Henry Brem, M.D., director of the Department of Neurosurgery at Hopkins, remarked:

“John Hopkins Medicine has a storied history of educating exceptional young minds across all disciplines and it has been a great privilege to work with many of those associated with the Department of Neurosurgery – from medical students to residents, fellows to faculty. The fact that an impressive 18 have gone on to become Department Chairs of their own institutions is a source of great pride both as colleague, teacher and mentor to many, but also to Johns Hopkins Medicine who provided the foundation for their success. Congratulations to this exceptional and growing group.”

Henry Brem, M.D.
Director, Department of Neurosurgery, Johns Hopkins Medicine

Bob Carter, M.D., Ph.D.
Chief of Neurosurgery Service, Mass General

Francesco DiMeco, M.D.
Director of the Department of Neurosurgery, C. Besta Neurological Institute

Matthew G. Ewend, M.D., F.A.C.S.
President of UNC Physicians; Former Chair of the Department of Neurosurgery, UNC

Ziya Gokaslan, M.D., F.A.A.N.S., F.A.C.P.
Chair of the Department of Neurosurgery, Brown University

George Jallo, M.D.
Vice Dean and Physician-In-Chief, Johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital.

Alexander Khalessi, M.D., M.B.A.
Chair of the Department of Neurological Surgery, UC San Diego Health

Michael Lawton, M.D.
President and CEO, and Chair of the Department of Neurosurgery, Barrow Neurological Institute

Maciej “Matt” Lesniak, M.D.
Chair, Department of Neurological Surgery, Northwestern U. 

Cameron McDougall, M.D.
Department Chair, Swedish Neurosciences Institute

Alessandro Olivi, M.D.
Professor and Director of Neurosurgery, Catholic University of Rome; Professor Emeritus of Neurosurgery and Oncology, Johns Hopkins

Alfredo Quinones-Hinojosa, M.D.
Chair of the Department of Neurologic Surgery, Mayo Clinic (Florida)

Michael Lim, M.D.
Chair of the Department of Neurosurgery, Stanford Medicine

Dan Sciubba, M.D., M.B.A
Chair of Neurosurgery, Zucker School of Medicine at Hofsta, Northwell

Phillip “Jay” Storm, M.D.
Chief of the Division of Neurosurgery and Co-Director of the Neuroscience Center, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia

Ulrich Thomale, M.D
Head of the Department of Neurosurgery, Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin

Reid C. Thompson, M.D.
Chair of the Department of Neurological Surgery, Vanderbilt 

Graeme Woodworth, M.D., F.A.C.S.
Chair of the Department of Neurosurgery, University of Maryland Medical System