University of Chicago - Department of Neurosurgery

09/29/2026

We are proud to share that Dr. Omar Choudhri MD, MHCI, FACS, FAANS, FCNS, and Dr. Omer Doron, MD PhD, Clinical Associates at the Department of Neurological Surgery at UChicago Medicine, represented our team at the 1st International Endovascular Neurosurgical Oncology Summit in Rome.

This invitation-only meeting brought together a select group of experts from around the world to discuss the frontiers of endovascular neurosurgery and its evolving role in the treatment of brain tumors.

During the summit, Dr. Choudhri presented, “Applications of Advanced Imaging and O.C.T. for Mapping Tumor Microvasculature,” while Dr. Doron presented, “Wavelet Cardiac-Frequency Weighted Cerebral DSA: A Novel Imaging Tool in Neuro-Oncology.”

The meeting provided an opportunity to share emerging research and innovative approaches, including tumor embolization, intra-arterial therapies, targeted drug delivery, liquid biopsy, and blood-brain barrier modulation.

Congratulations to Dr. Choudhri and Dr. Doron for representing our department on the international stage and contributing to important discussions that are helping shape the future of neurosurgical care.

09/28/2026

We are proud to celebrate Antonio R. Porras, PhD, Associate Professor and Scientific Director of the Section of Computational Neurosurgery, and his upcoming presentations at the 76th Congress of Neurological Surgeons (CNS) Annual Meeting, the MICCAI Workshop on Shape in Medical Imaging, and the MICCAI Deep Breast Workshop on AI and Imaging for Diagnostic and Treatment Challenges in Breast Care.

Notably, Dr. Porras' contributions accepted at both MICCAI workshops underwent peer review and will be published in the official proceedings, reflecting the strength and impact of his research.

His work highlights innovative applications of artificial intelligence and computational methods in medical imaging, including longitudinal pediatric cranial CT image evaluation and synthesis, geometric modeling of pediatric anatomical development, and novel approaches to predicting patient response to cancer treatment.

Congratulations to Dr. Porras on these outstanding achievements and his continued contributions to advancing computational medicine and patient care.

09/25/2026

The Safadi Program of Excellence in Clinical and Translational Neuroscience is pleased to present the 2026 Safadi Lecture featuring David J. Anderson, PhD, one of the world's leading authorities in neuroscience.

Dr. Anderson's groundbreaking work has illuminated the neural circuitry underlying innate social and emotional behaviors and has significantly advanced contemporary understanding of brain function. During the lecture, "Neural Circuits and Population Dynamics Controlling Innate Social Behaviors and Their Underlying Internal States," Dr. Anderson will share insights from decades of research examining how neural networks shape behavior and internal states.

As Director of the TianQiao and Chrissy Chen Institute for Neuroscience at Caltech and an Investigator of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Dr. Anderson has made enduring contributions to neuroscience through scientific discovery, mentorship, and national leadership.

📅 Wednesday, October 7, 2026
⏰ 10:00 AM-12:00 PM CST
📍 The Rubenstein Forum, The University of Chicago
💻 In Person and via Zoom
Registration is now open: https://us19.list-manage.com/survey?u=87b9f29c3d8b6468be82a44c5&id=204a8272f3&e=9a0a541a92

09/24/2026

Congratulations to Ines A. Cruz-Guerrero, PhD, Postdoctoral Scholar in Antonio R. Porras' Neural Image Computing Lab, on her new publication in Medical Image Analysis, a premier scientific journal in the field.

The paper, "Unsupervised Adaptive Sampling Graph Autoencoder for 3D Surface Encoding and Mesh Representation Transfer," presents a novel computational neural network architecture that can standardize heterogeneous anatomical representations across diverse patient populations in large medical imaging repositories, without the need for manual annotations or prior expert knowledge.

This innovative work marks an important advancement toward accurate, robust, and reproducible data-driven computational human models and highlights the growing impact of artificial intelligence in biomedical research.

Read the paper here: https://lnkd.in/g2S_CN94

09/22/2026

Thank you to everyone who joined us at the Chicago Brain Up 5K!

Rain or shine, our community showed up in a big way. We are incredibly grateful to all who ran, walked, volunteered, donated, and supported this event. Your enthusiasm and dedication helped make the day a tremendous success. Together, we celebrated the power of community while raising awareness for brain health and supporting the future of neurological research and patient care.

Thank you for making a difference. We look forward to seeing you next year! 🧠💜

09/21/2026

This APP Week, we are proud to celebrate the incredible Advanced Practice Providers of our Neurosurgery team!

Our APPs play an invaluable role in the care we provide every day - from managing complex patient cases and coordinating care across the department to ensuring our patients feel supported every step of the way.

Their dedication, clinical expertise, and compassion do not go unnoticed, and we are so grateful for everything they do.

Thank you for being an essential part of our team!

Happy APP Week! 🎉

09/09/2026

Congratulations to Dr. Peter C. Warnke, Chief of the Section of Stereotactic and Functional Neurosurgery, on reaching the significant milestone of 550 laser fiber procedures.
This achievement reflects Dr. Warnke’s expertise and , as well as the and of the entire Stereotactic and Functional Neurosurgery team. UChicago Medicine

08/24/2026

The Section of Neurovascular Surgery celebrated its 16th Annual Research Retreat with 60 researchers, collaborators, and guests. 🧠🔬

Mr. and Mrs. Peter and Betty Bell, philanthropists and program friends, co-moderated the retreat around the theme of “Thriving in Times of Change,”bringing perspectives from the business world.

Mohamad Bydon, MD and Dr. Issam Awad shared leadership perspectives and recognized individual scientists’ contributions. The retreat also celebrated team successes and exciting advances in imaging AI, aneurysm biology, neurovascular radiation injury, clinical trial innovations, gene therapy, somatic mutations, and quantum sensing.

A wonderful celebration of collaboration, innovation, and the future of neurovascular research! 🧠✨

07/21/2026

07/08/2026

Shaped at UChicago Medicine. Shared everywhere! Mohamad Bydon, MD UChicago Medicine