Douglas Kondziolka, MD

I joined NYU Langone’s neurosurgery faculty as a professor and vice chair of clinical research in 2012. In addition to performing research and training neurosurgeons, I treat patients who have neurological conditions, such as metastatic brain tumors, acoustic neuroma (also known as vestibular schwannoma), meningioma, primary brain tumors, brain vascular malformations, movement and behavioral disorders, and trigeminal neuralgia. I am also director of the Center for Advanced Radiosurgery, where we treat patients with Gamma Knife radiosurgery. I am currently the most experienced active neurosurgeon in the world in this area.

Prior to coming to NYU Langone, I was chief of stereotactic and functional neurosurgery and director of the Center for Brain Function and Behavior at the University of Pittsburgh. I also served as the vice chair for education and the neuroscience task force leader for the McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine. I worked with the National Hockey League’s Pittsburgh Penguins from 2002 to 2012 as their neurosurgeon.

My current laboratory and clinical research into stereotactic radiosurgery spans many conditions, including benign and malignant tumors, vascular malformations, and functional disorders. We collect patient outcomes daily and use analytical platforms to enhance knowledge. We have built some of the most innovative artificial intelligence (AI) tools in medicine, and in 2022 launched the world’s largest brain tumor dataset for research use by the public. I am one of the few neurosurgeons to have conducted research on the informed consent process for surgery. Safety, information, and data, as well as patient education, are key elements of my practice.

Previously, I served as the principal investigator of the first two clinical neurotransplant trials for patients who had experienced strokes. I was the co-principal investigator of a third clinical trial on bone marrow–derived neuroprogenitor cell implantation for stroke. I have also completed two clinical trials in neurostimulation research for major depression and launched the first global registry platform for neurosurgery, which focuses on a range of conditions managed with radiosurgery.

In addition to conducting research and treating patients, I have published 685 medical journal articles and 280 book chapters, and have edited 8 books. In 2022, I became editor in chief of the medical journals Neurosurgery, Operative Neurosurgery, and Neurosurgery Practice. Neurosurgery is the highest-rated journal in the specialty.

I am honored to have received a variety of research awards. I twice received the Mahaley Clinical Award for brain tumor clinical research from the Joint Section on Tumors of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons and the Congress of Neurological Surgeons. I have also received the Lars Leksell Award from the World Federation of Neurosurgical Societies, the Penfield Lecturer of the Canadian Neurosurgical Society, the Robert Florin Award and the Integra Foundation Award from the American Association of Neurological Surgeons, the Jacob I. Fabrikant Award from the International Stereotactic Radiosurgery Society, and the Bernard Sanberg Memorial Award for significant research contributions from the American Society for Neural Therapy and Repair. In 2023, I was humbled to be the Honored Guest of the Congress of Neurological Surgeons, one of the highest honors in neurosurgery.

I have been past president of the American Society for Stereotactic and Functional Neurosurgery, the International Stereotactic Radiosurgery Society, the Congress of Neurological Surgeons, and the American Academy of Neurological Surgery. I am a former director of the American Board of Neurological Surgery, having led the oral examinations in neurosurgery, and am now vice-chair of the Residency Review Committee of the American Council of Graduate Medical Education, which oversees residency training.