Speaker Topics: Neurosurgery

Speaker Topics: Neurosurgery

Edward Ahn, M.D.
Assistant Professor of Neurological Surgery

Dr. Edward Ahn completed his undergraduate studies at Harvard University and received his medical degree with honors from the New York University School of Medicine. He then completed an internship in general surgery and residency in neurosurgery at the University of Maryland Medical Center. Dr. Ahn also completed a fellowship in pediatric neurosurgery as the Shillito Staff Associate at the Childrens Hospital Boston, Harvard Medical School.

Now an Assistant Professor of Neurosurgery at Johns Hopkins, Dr. Ahn focuses on the surgical treatment of neurological disorders in children. He has particular interests in minimally invasive endoscopic surgery for the treatment of hydrocephalus, brain tumors, and craniosynostosis. He has also gained expertise in surgical revascularization for patients with moyamoya syndrome.

Dr. Ahn’s laboratory research focuses the pathophysiology of germinal matrix hemorrhage and treatment of the associated hydrocephalus in premature infants.

William S. Anderson, Ph.D., M.D.
Assistant Professor of Neurosurgery

Dr. Anderson received his medical degree from the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, and completed his residency and fellowship at the Johns Hopkins Department of Neurosurgery. As Assistant Professor of Neurosurgery, Dr. Anderson offers comprehensive treatments for Parkinson’s disease, essential tremor and dystonia, including deep brain stimulation (DBS) therapies. He is also a member of the adult epilepsy surgery team, and performs both resectional procedures such as temporal lobectomy, diagnostic procedures such as implantation of monitoring grids and depth electrodes, and therapeutic neuromodulation using vagal nerve and cortical stimulation. Treatments for chronic pain are also offered, including spinal cord stimulation and intrathecal baclofen pump therapy.

Through his research, Dr. Anderson focuses on the computational modeling of epilepsy as a method to understand the time and spatial evolutionary properties of seizures. The Anderson laboratory also explores the effects on memory encoding of theta phase specific stimulation during working memory tasks. Additionally, recordings derived from deep brain stimulation procedures are used to learn more about motor imagery and motor planning.

Alexander L. Coon
Assistant Professor of Neurosurgery, Neurology and Radiology
Director of Endovascular Neurosurgery

Dr. Alexander L. Coon received his medical degree from Columbia University’s College of Physicians Surgeons in New York where he graduated with AOA Honors. He completed a general surgery internship at the Johns Hopkins Hospital. He then completed a neurosurgery residency at the Johns Hopkins University/Johns Hopkins Hospital. During this time he completed a dedicated 2-year fellowship in interventional neuroradiology making him one of the few neurosurgeons in the country with this dual training.

Now an Assistant Professor of Neurosurgery, Radiology, and Neurology, Dr. Coon serves as the Director of Endovascular Neurosurgery for the Johns Hopkins Hospital. His practice focuses on the surgical and endovascular treatment of aneurysms, arteriovenous malformations (AVMs), cavernous malformations, and dural arteriovenous fistulas (dAVFs) of the brain and spinal cord. Dr. Coon utilizes the latest surgical and endovascular techniques to treat patients with carotid artery stenosis, acute stroke, intracerberal hemorrhage (ICH), subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH), and moyamoya disease. He also focuses on the specialized treatment of epilepsy, spinal disorders, neurological trauma, and hydrocephalus.

Additionally, Dr. Coon possesses expertise in the pre-operative embolization of tumors of the brain and spine. He works closely with members of the division of neurosurgical oncology and spine to decrease blood flow to solid tumors before surgical resection. 

Dr. Coon’s research interests are in the development of endovascular devices and the techniques and outcomes associated with their usage for cerebrovascular pathology. He has published extensively in the field of stroke and subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH).

Dr. Coon has received numerous honors and awards including recognition from the American College of Surgeons for Clinical Teaching, as well as, the Johns Hopkins Neurosurgery Chairman’s Award for Excellence in Teaching.

Gary Gallia, M.D.
Assistant Professor of Neurosurgery and Oncology
Director of Endoscopic and Minimally Invasive Neurosurgery

Gary L. Gallia graduated summa cum laude from the Gibbons Scholar MD/PhD program at Jefferson Medical College and Thomas Jefferson University. He completed his general surgery internship at The Johns Hopkins Hospital where he was awarded surgical intern of the year. He then completed his neurological surgery residency and a postdoctoral fellowship in neuro-oncology at The Johns Hopkins Hospital. Following residency, he completed a minimally invasive and endoscopic neurosurgery fellowship with Dr. Charles Teo at the Prince of Wales Private Hospital and Sydney Children’s Hospital in Sydney, Australia.

Now an assistant professor of Neurosurgery and Oncology and the director of Endoscopic and Minimally Invasive Neurosurgery at Johns Hopkins, Dr. Gallia focuses on neurosurgical oncology. He utilizes the latest techniques in preoperative imaging, computer guided surgical navigation, intraoperative monitoring and minimally invasive and neuroendoscopic approaches in the management of patients with benign and malignant brain tumors, metastatic tumors to the brain, skull base neoplasms and pituitary tumors.

Dr. Gallia’s primary research interests are in the development of novel therapeutics against malignant brain tumors and glioblastoma stem cells.

Judy Huang, M.D.
Assistant Professor of Neurosurgery

Dr. Judy Huang received her medical degree from the Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons in New York. She completed residency training in Neurological Surgery at the same institution, and also pursued specialized training as a neurovascular research fellow.

Now an Assistant Professor of Neurosurgery at Johns Hopkins, Dr. Huang specializes in the treatment of cerebrovascular disorders such as cerebral aneurysms, carotid artery stenosis, and arteriovenous malformations (AVMs). She also focuses on the specialized treatment of spinal disorders and primary and metastatic brain tumors.

Dr. Huang's research concentrates on the inflammatory mechanisms of stroke. She is further investigating gender differences in stroke and other cerebrovascular diseases. She has published extensively on experimental studies of stroke and on carotid endarterectomy. She is also a co-author of a widely used handbook of operative neurosurgery.

Dr. Huang currently sees patients at The Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center on Mondays and Tuesdays.

George Jallo, M.D.
Associate Professor of Neurological Surgery, Pediatrics and Oncology

Dr. George Jallo received his medical degree from the University of Virginia. He then completed his residency in neurosurgery at NYU Medical Center and his fellowship in pediatric neurosurgery at Beth Israel Medical Center in New York.

Now an Associate Professor of Neurosurgery, Pediatrics and Oncology at Johns Hopkins, Dr. Jallo focuses on the surgical treatment of neurological diseases and disorders in children, with emphasis on minimally invasive endoscopic procedures. Dr. Jallo is particularly expert in treating intradural spinal tumors, brainstem and eloquent brain tumors in both children and adults. He also has expertise based on his extensive clinical experience in intraoperative neurophysiological monitoring. Dr. Jallo’s other clinical interests are epilepsy, craniofacial and defects of the neural tube.  Dr. Jallo is board-certified in neurological surgery and pediatric neurosurgery.

Michael Lim, M.D.
Assistant Professor of Neurosurgery and Oncology

Dr. Lim is an assistant professor of Neurosurgery and Oncology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.  After earning his medical degree from the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, he completed his general surgery internship and neurosurgery residency at Stanford Hospital. Dr. Lim also completed a postdoctoral fellowship in novel therapies to treat brain tumors.

Dr. Lim’s surgical interest is in the treatment of primary and metastatic brain tumors as well as pituitary and skull base tumors. He utilizes the most advanced techniques in neurosurgery including image guided surgery, microsurgery, minimally invasive techniques, and endoscopic surgery. Dr. Lim also has expertise in radiosurgery for brain tumors, arterio-venous malformations, trigeminal neuralgia, and spine lesions.

Alessandro Olivi, M.D.
Professor of Neurosurgery and Oncology

Dr. Alessandro Olivi received his medical degree from the famous University of Padova, Italy.  He completed his residency at the University of Cincinnati –Good Samaritan Hospital in 1988.  He then completed a fellowship in neurosurgical oncology at the Johns Hopkins Hospital.  He has been in the Faculty at the Johns Hopkins University Department of Neurosurgery since 1991.  He is currently Professor of Neurosurgery and Oncology and the Director of the Division of Neurosurgical Oncology.  He is also the Chairman for the Department of Neurosurgery at the Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center.

Dr. Olivi specializes in the surgical treatment of tumors and vascular lesions of the brain and spinal cord.  His recent interests are directed to the development of new treatments for brain tumors, such as, local delivery systems for the treatment of brain tumors.  He has a vast experience in treating the most complex lesions of the brain, skull base and spinal cord. 

Alfredo Quinones-Hinojosa, M.D.
Assistant Professor of Neurosurgery and Oncology

Dr. Alfredo Quiñones-Hinojosa received his medical degree from Harvard, where he graduated with honors.  He then completed his residency in neurosurgery at the University of California, San Francisco, where he also completed a postdoctoral fellowship in developmental and stem cell biology. 

Now an assistant professor of Neurosurgery and Oncology at Johns Hopkins, Dr. Quiñones serves as the Director of the brain tumor program at the Johns Hopkins Bayview campus.  He focuses on the surgical treatment of primary and metastatic brain tumors, with an emphasis on motor and speech mapping during surgery.  He is expert in treating intradural spinal tumors as well as brainstem and eloquent brain tumors in adults with the use of neurophysiological monitoring during surgery.  He further specializes in the treatment of patients with pituitary tumors using a transphenoidal endonasal approach with surgical navigation and/or endoscopic techniques.  He has a strong interest in treating patients with skull base tumors and the use of radiosurgery as an adjunct to the treatment of these lesions.

Dr. Quinones conducts numerous research efforts on elucidating the role of stem cells in the origin of brain tumors and the potential role stem cells can play in fighting brain cancer and regaining neurological function.

His most recent accolade was being honored with the American Association of Neurological Surgeons Ronald Bittner Award.  He has also received multiple teaching awards.

Daniel Sciubba, M.D. 
Assistant Professor of Neurosurgery, Orthopedic Surgery and Oncology

Director of Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery
Director of Spine Research

Dr. Daniel Sciubba, Assistant Professor of Neurosurgery at Johns Hopkins, treats all aspects of spine disease with a focus on surgical treatment of complex spinal reconstructions and spinal tumors. His goal is to treat all categories of spine pathology (degenerative, trauma, tumor, deformity) with the most minimally invasive approaches possible, techniques in which he specializes.

Dr. Sciubba received his medical degree from Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons (P&S). He completed an internship in general surgery and a residency in neurological surgery at The Johns Hopkins Hospital. During his residency training, Dr. Sciubba completed an infolded complex spine fellowship under Dr. Ziya Gokaslan. He also conducted a traveling orthopaedic spine fellowship in pediatric spine deformity under Drs. Randall Betz and Amer Samdani.

Timothy Witham, M.D.
Assistant Professor of Neurosurgery

After completing his B.S. with honors from the Pennsylvania State University, Dr. Witham received his medical degree from The Johns Hopkins University. He completed an internship in general surgery and a residency in neurological surgery at the University of Pittsburgh. He recently completed a military commitment as Chief of the Neurosurgery Element at Keesler Air Force Base in Biloxi Mississippi.

Now an instructor in Neurosurgery at Johns Hopkins, Dr. Witham focuses on the surgical treatment of low back pain and spinal tumors.

Jean-Paul Wolinsky, M.D.
Associate Professor of Neurosurgery and Oncology

Dr. Wolinsky's primary interests lie in neurosurgical oncology, pathology of the occipital-cervical junction and complex spinal reconstruction.  He has been actively developing new approaches to spinal surgery and concepts for spinal reconstruction.  He received his medical degree from Baylor College of Medicine in Houston and subsequently completed neurosurgery training at the same institution.  In addition to general neurosurgical training, he gained extensive trauma experience at Ben Taub Hospital, one of the world's largest trauma hospitals.  He also received specialized training in neurosurgical oncology at M.D. Anderson Cancer Hospital during his residency.  After his neurosurgical residency, he completed an AO Spine fellowship in complex reconstruction spine surgery and spinal oncology at The Johns Hopkins Hospital.