First-Ever Fellowship Reunion Celebrates Renowned Miller School Spine Program
Former and current fellows and faculty gathered as spine researchers shared their latest research and clinical updates.
The University of Miami Miller School of Medicine neurological surgery program’s inaugural UM Spine Fellowship reunion brought together past and present fellows to connect and strengthen the spine care community.
Fellows and faculty gathered as spine researchers shared their latest research and clinical updates. The reunion highlighted clinical topics including:
• Robotics in spine surgery
• Minimally invasive spine surgery
• Endoscopic spine surgery
• Business practices in spine surgery
“The last several days have been beyond invigorating,” said Barth Green, M.D., professor of neurological surgery at the Miller Schoool and chairman of the Miami Project to Cure Paralysis. “Our trainees are going to academic institutions all over the nation and they’re making a difference in the lives of so many people, because of their integrity, because of their education and because of their scientific thirst for creating new knowledge through research.”
Attendees celebrated the achievements of the spine fellowship program and enjoyed opportunities to share their professional journeys and strengthen ties with their fellow spine surgeons. More than 80 fellows have completed the program since the late 1990s.
Spine Surgery Research
The spine fellowship program provides training in advanced techniques in spinal surgery. The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis, a Center of Excellence within the Miller School, offers research opportunities in clinical and basic sciences and is considered one of the country’s premiere research programs, conducting cutting-edge discovery, translational and clinical investigations.
Researchers are developing new treatments for traumatic spinal cord and brain injury, peripheral nerve injury and neurodegenerative disorders including Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, ALS and Alzheimer’s disease. Spine fellowship trainees work closely with Michael Wang, M.D., fellowship director and professor of neurological surgery at the Miller School, and Allan Levi, M.D., Ph.D., professor and chair of neurological surgery at the Miller School, and their team of physicians.
“It’s been great to get back together with a lot of old partner and friends,” Dr. Wang said. “We’re all dealing with those big problems we face in spine today. This is an amazing tradition we hope to continue every year.”
Advancing the Spine Surgery Field
The vision for the reunion was an opportunity to gather all of the spine fellows together for both camaraderie and to provide connection and knowledge to further advance the field.
“Our spine division is one of the most robust and well-recognized in the nation,” shared Dr. Levi. “The ability to interface with both older and newer generations of fellows is invaluable and supports advancement in the field, because our fellows are nationally recognized as some of the best spine surgeons in the country. They have advanced the field in their own institutions and they came back to share the information they have gained.”
Tags: Department of Neurological Surgery, Dr. Allan Levi, neurosurgery, spinal cord injuries, Spine Fellowship Program