So, you are looking for the best neurosurgeons in the world. Join us, as we list the top 10 neurosurgeons you can find today.
Neurosurgeons are highly skilled medical doctors who specialize in the diagnosis and treatment of disorders of the central nervous system. However, not all neurosurgeons are the same. Some people have more knowledge and experience than others. Duniya Ka Gyan honors such neurosurgeons by compiling a thorough list of the world’s best neurosurgeons. Continue reading to learn more.
10 Best Neurosurgeons in the World
| Rank | Neurosurgeon | Expertise |
| 1 | Dr. Gregory Kent Bergey, M.D. | Epileptic seizures, epilepsy research |
| 2 | Dr. Chetan Bettegowda, M.D. | CNS malignancies, brain tumor research |
| 3 | Dr. Ali Bydon, M.D. | Spinal disorders, spinal tumors |
| 4 | Dr. Rafael H Llinas, M.D. | Stroke treatment, neurovascular imaging |
| 5 | Dr. Ellen Mahar Mowry, M.D. | Multiple sclerosis specialist |
| 6 | Dr. Jon David Weingart, M.D. | Brain tumors, spinal disorders |
| 7 | Dr. Bartolomé Oliver, Ph.D. | Brain tumors, spinal surgeries |
| 8 | Dr. Adib A. Abla, M.D. | Cerebral and neurological diseases |
| 9 | Dr. Richard Gullan | Spinal injuries, Chiari Malformations |
| 10 | Mr. John Yeh, M.D. | Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery |
| 11 | Dr. Ralf Buhl, M.D. | Brain conditions, epilepsy treatment |
| 12 | Dr. Pietro Mortini, M.D. | Glioblastoma, complex neurological surgeries |
1. Gregory Kent Bergey, M.D.
- Nationality: The US
- Age: 72 (as of 2022)
- Present Practice: Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, USA
- Address: Sheikh Zayed Tower, 1800 Orleans St., Baltimore, MD, 21287
- Phone: (410) 955-7338
With multi-board certifications and a prolific 40+-year-long career, Dr. Bergey qualifies to top the list of the top neurosurgeons in the world. After serving several institutes in several capacities, he presently renders his services as Co-Director of the Epilepsy Research Laboratory at John Hopkins.
Education & Career:
Dr. Gregory pursued his M.D. at the University of Pennsylvania. He served as a trainee resident at the John Hopkins University School of Medicine in the Department of Neurology from 1980 to 1983. Also, he was a resident trainee at Yale-New Haven Hospital for Internal Medicine in 1977. Dr. Gregory attended the Laboratory of Developmental Neurobiology at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for his postdoctoral training in neurophysiology.
Expertise:
Dr. Gregory specializes in epileptic seizures, pre-surgical evaluations of intractable epilepsy, cavernous malformations, and primary generalized epilepsy. His focus is on the diagnosis and treatment of epileptic seizures in both adults and adolescents.
Research:
He is also currently researching computer-simulated neural networks for insights into mechanisms of seizure activity. The research aims to develop response strategies to counter epilepsy.
Board Certifications:
- American Board of Internal Medicine (Internal Medicine) (1978)
- American Board of Psychiatry And Neurology (Neurology) (1984)
- American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology (Epilepsy) (2013)
Fellowships
- National Institutes of Health (1979)
- Neurology; National Institute of Drug Abuse (1982)
2. Chetan Bettegowda, M.D., Ph.D.
- Nationality: The US
- Present Practice: Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, USA
- Website: https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/profiles/details/chetan-bettegowda
Dr. Bettegowda has a solid track record in clinical practice and research, which earns him a place on our list. His research digs into the genetic causes of CNS malignancies. He shares the credit with his research team for identifying genes that lead to the pathogenesis of multiple brain malignancies. In a career spanning 2 decades, awards and honors have also come thick and fast for him.
Education
Dr. Chetan graduated from John Hopkins University School of Medicine with a doctorate in medicine in 2005. In 2012, he joined the same university’s Neurological Surgery department as a resident.
Expertise
Dr. Bettegowda sees adults with cancerous and non-cancerous brain tumors, such as glioma, meningioma, and pituitary tumors. He also does stereotactic radiosurgery and open procedures and treats neurological conditions like spinal tumors, trigeminal neuralgia, and skull-base tumors.
Research
One of the best neurosurgeons in the world, Dr. Bettegowda is busy researching how brain malignancies change vital genetic pathways and coming up with therapies to prevent the change. He also aims to create blood tests to identify and evaluate the impact of CNS malignancies.
Board Certifications
- American Board of Neurological Surgery (Neurological Surgery) (2017)
Recognitions
- Grant, American Association of Neurological Surgeons
- Sanford Larson Award for Best Peripheral Nerve/Spine Paper, AANS
- Burroughs Wellcome Career Award for Medical Scientists
- Grant, Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation
- Clinician Scientist Award, Johns Hopkins
3. Ali Bydon, M.D.
Dr. Bydon is an authority on degenerative conditions of the spine and spinal tumors.
a professor of neurosurgery at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. His busy clinical practice focuses on degenerative disorders of the spine, spinal tumors, and complex reconstruction and restoration of the spine. Dr. Bydon is certified by the American Board of Neurological Surgeons and is a member of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons and the Congress of Neurological Surgeons.
Education:
Dr. Bydon pursued his Doctorate in Medicine from the University of Michigan in 1999 and was a resident in the Neurosurgery department of Henry Ford Hospital in 2006.
Expertise:
Dr. Ali Bydon specializes in multiple neurosurgical fields. This includes cervical degeneration and reconstruction surgeries, back pain, aneurysmal bone cysts, lumbar and basilar degenerative diseases, scoliosis, lumbar disc herniation and radiculopathy, and other spinal deformities and disorders. He can be the go-to surgeon for any spinal issue like fixation, fusion, dural fistula, tumors, metastases, stenosis, etc.
Research
Dr. Bydon has authored or co-authored about 140 seminal papers with fellow researchers and his students. His research encompasses spinal biomechanics, disparities, and surgical outcomes.
Present Practice
Presently, Dr. Bydon is the director of the Spinal Outcomes Laboratory, which supervises projects related to patients with cervical myelopathy and radiculopathy, ossified posterior longitudinal ligament, minimally invasive discectomy, and lumbar fusion techniques, and degenerative scoliosis.
Board Certifications
- American Board of Neurological Surgery (Neurological Surgery) (2010)
4. Rafael H Llinas, M.D.
Education:
Dr. Rafael Llinas finished his M.D. from the New York School of Medicine in 1994 and was a resident at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, as a resident in 1998. Since then, he has evolved into one of the top neurosurgeons in the world.
Expertise:
Dr. Llinas’ area of expertise is stroke and cerebrovascular disease treatment. He uses neurovascular imaging to treat patients who have had strokes or migraine headaches. His principal research interests include stroke diffusion-perfusion imaging and intravenous and intra-arterial thrombolysis. He also studies the education of physicians and nurses in the detection and treatment of strokes.
5. Ellen Mahar Mowry, M.D.
Education:
Dr. Mowry finished her Doctorate in Medicine from the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry in 2003. She was also a Neurology resident at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania in 2007.
Expertise:
Dr. Ellen Mowry is a neurology and multiple sclerosis specialist. She studied multiple sclerosis as part of her undergraduate biology studies. As a neurology resident, he initiated clinical research on visual dysfunction and quality of life in multiple sclerosis patients. She also looked into elements in multiple sclerosis that could aid with the disease’s prognosis.
Research:
Dr. Ellen is also credited with exploring the health-related quality of life in persons with multiple sclerosis during her fellowship at UCSF. Her research focused on the epidemiology of multiple sclerosis (MS), as well as its risk and predictive factors. Her most important finding, however, was the discovery of the link between vitamin D levels and the risk of recurrence and brain lesions in MS patients.
6. Jon David Weingart, M.D.
Education:
When it comes to the top neurosurgeons in the world, Dr. Jon David is right there among them. Dr. Jon pursued M.D. from Duke University School of Medicine and finished in 1987. He was also a neurosurgery resident at John Hopkins University School of Medicine in 1993.
Expertise:
Dr. Jon David Weingart specializes in Cervical and Lumbar Degenerative Disease, Pituitary and Primary Brain Tumors, Spina Bifida, Spondylolisthesis, Spinal Stenosis, and Stereotactic Biopsy. His expertise also includes stereotactic functional surgery, neuro-oncology, and pediatric neurosurgery, as well as Chiari Malformations, gliomas, and glioblastomas.
Dr. Weingart primarily works on the surgical treatment of brain tumors, both benign and malignant. He also specializes in spinal disorders like cervical and lumbar disc disease, as well as congenital and developmental abnormalities like the tethered spinal cord, spina bifida, and Chiari malformation.
7. Bartolomé Oliver, Ph.D.
Education:
Dr. Oliver pursued his Doctorate in Philosophy from an Autonomous University in Barcelona and has more than 35 years of experience in the field of Neurosurgery.
Expertise:
Dr. Oliver specializes in treating brain-related diseases like brain tumors, brain cysts, glioblastoma, meningioma, glioma, and brain cancer. He also deals with conditions like epilepsy, Parkinson’s Disease, Astrocytoma, spinal cord abscess, and cerebral artery aneurysm.
Dr. Oliver is a spine neurosurgeon, neuro-oncologist, and pediatric neurosurgeon with more than 45 years of experience. His primary work focuses on skull base surgeries, brain tumors, and spinal surgeries, OCD surgeries, as well as transnasal endoscopic surgeries. Currently, he is the co-director of Teknon Medical Center units, which are working on the implementation of robotic technologies as a minimally invasive technique for improving patients’ safety.
8. Dr. Adib A. Abla, M.D.
Education:
Dr. Abla completed his Doctorate in Medicine from the University of Pittsburgh (School of Medicine) and was a Neurosurgical resident at UCSF.
Expertise:
He specializes in neurosurgery and also treats patients with cerebral and neurological diseases. Dr. Adib Abla is a neurosurgeon affiliated with various reputed medical institutes in San Francisco, California, primarily the UCSF Medical Center. He has been in practice for more than 15 years and primarily works on meninges, vertebral column surgeries, and cerebral vascular surgeries.
9. Dr. Richard Gullan
Education:
Dr. Gullan pursued a Bachelor of Science from the Medical College of St. Bartholomew’s. He graduated in 1978 and did his Neurosurgical training at the University of Cambridge in 1988. Later, he went on to emerge as one of the top neurosurgeons in the world.
Expertise:
Dr. Richard Gullan specializes in treating back and neck spinal injuries, as well as brain and spinal tumors. He is also a specialist in the treatment of Chiari Malformations.
Dr. Richard Gullan is a consultant neurological surgeon in London, UK, who teaches surgical procedures and assists trainees in becoming consultant neurosurgeons. He is currently working in many London clinics and hospitals. For the first time, he presented the use of posterior instrumented stabilization for malignant illnesses of the spinal column.
10. Mr. John Yeh, M.D.
Education:
Dr. John Yeh pursued his M.A. and M.B. from Cambridge University from 1990-to 1991. He also graduated with BA (Hons) and B.Chir. from the same university prior to his M.A. and M.B. in 1987-1989. Later on, he continued his Doctorate of Medicine from Birmingham University in 2001.
Expertise:
Dr. Yeh specializes in various types of surgical practices like Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery, Laserdisc Surgery, Spinal Microsurgery, Spinal Disc Surgery, Spinal Decompression Surgery, Spinal Stabilization Surgery, etc. He also specializes in treating other conditions like neck pain, back pain, kyphoplasty, spinal fractures, vertebroplasty, and sciatica.
Dr. John Yeh is a consultant neurosurgeon and a renowned spinal surgeon. He specializes in spinal surgeries and also in spinal cord regeneration. Dr. Yeh is currently employed by the London Independent Hospital, the Highgate Private Hospital, and the Holly Private Hospital.
He is an authority on using minimally invasive surgical techniques and believes in curing spinal conditions without resorting to surgical procedures. His research focuses on biomaterials, spinal biomechanics, and minimally invasive spinal surgery.
Here’re a few honorary mentions.
11. Ralf Buhl, M.D.
Education:
Dr. Buhl did his Doctorate in Medicine in the field of Neurosurgery.
Expertise:
Dr. Ralf specializes in treating various brain conditions like meningioma, brain cysts, brain cancer, glioblastoma, glioma, cavernoma, medulloblastoma, astrocyte, etc. Treating epilepsy, herniated discs, West syndrome, and acoustic neuromas are also his core competency.
The internationally acclaimed neurosurgeon mostly treats brain tumors and cancers, epileptic seizures, meningioma, and other disorders of the brain, spine, and peripheral nervous system. In his 20+ years of working, he has performed more than 4,000 successful neurosurgeries.
Dr. Ralf also performs computer-aided navigation microsurgeries and is an expert in craniotomy, micro neurosurgery, and endoscopic neurosurgery. His research focuses on surgical treatment of brain metastases and intracranial cavernous treatment. His credentials make him one of the world’s top neurosurgeons.
12. Dr Pietro Mortini, M.D.
Education:
Dr. Pietro Mortini did his M.D. from the University of Parma in 1986 as summa cum laude and then received a degree in Neurological Surgery from the University of Verona in 1991.
Expertise:
Dr. Mortini specializes in curing Glioblastoma, Brain Cancer, Medulloblastoma, and Arnold Chiari Syndrome. He is a specialist in neurosurgery as well as ENT surgery. In fact, he has successfully performed approximately 7000+ complex neurological surgeries for various skull base, brain, and spine tumors, as well as cerebrovascular disorders. His research focuses on the clinical study of neuro-oncology and multimodal treatment of complex skull base and central nervous system tumors.
Conclusion
With that, we come to the end of our list of the best neurosurgeons in the world. Whether you’re looking for inspiration as a medical student or just want to know more about the field, these stalwarts should be your go-to source of information!
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