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    Allan H. Friedman, MD

    Guy L. Odom Distinguished Professor of Neurosurgery
    Duke University

    Dr. Allan H. Friedman was born in Chicago, Ill., on February 15, 1949. He graduated with honors from Purdue University in 1970 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Physics, and earned his medical degree with honors as a James Scholar of Medicine at the University of Illinois, Chicago in 1974. Dr. Friedman spent his internship year in general surgical training under Dr. David C. Sabiston, Jr. at Duke University and completed five years of neurosurgical training under Drs. Goy Odom and Robert Wilkins. Upon completion of residency, he trained as Chief Resident and Neurovascular Fellow for Dr. Charles Drake and Dr. Sydney Peerless at the University Hospital in London, Ontario, before studying for three months with Dr. M. Gazi Yasargil, a pioneer in microneurosurgical techniques.
    In 1981, Dr. Friedman joined the faculty at Duke University in 1981 advancing to the rank of Professor. In 2001 he was named the first Guy L. Odom Distinguished Professor of Neurosurgery. He was Chief of the Division of Neurosurgery from 1996 – 2014 and Director of the Neurosurgical Residency Program from 1996 – 2008. He holds numerous honors and awards including the Duke University School of Medicine Master Clinician/Teacher Award (2010), the Leonard Palumbo Jr., MD Faculty Achievement Award (2016), and the Department of Surgery’s Master Surgeon Award (2017). In 2010, he was honored by a grateful patient who provided 2.5 million dollars for establishment of the Allan H. Friedman Neurosurgical-Oncology Professorship.
    At Duke, he serves as Deputy Director of the Preston Robert Tisch Brain Tumor Center. He co-directed the Collegiate Athlete Premedical Experience and was Director of the Brain School, a bi-weekly ad hoc seminar offered to students and residents. Both programs offered him the opportunity to mentor students as they embark on their own careers in medicine.
    He represents commitment to advancing the field of neurosurgery, having served on numerous committees and organizations throughout his career, including President of the Southern Neurosurgical Society, the North Carolina Neurosurgical Society, and the Society of Neurological Surgeons. From the Society of Neurological Surgeons, he was awarded their distinguished Service and Medical School Teaching Award. Dr. Friedman served the NSA as President, Vice-President, Treasurer, Chairman of the Program Committee, Chairman of the Long Range Planning Committee, and Historian.
    His clinical and research interests include the surgical treatment of cerebrovascular disease, peripheral nerve dissection, and brain tumors. Dr. Friedman represents excellence in research, having authored or co-authored more than 390 peer-reviewed articles, 65 book chapters, and seven books and manuals.
    He has been happily married for 40 years to the lovely and talented Dr. Elizabeth Bullitt, a member of the Neurosurgical Society of America and prior Chair of the By-Laws Committee. They have three children; James, an orthopedic surgeon in California, Sarah, a special education teacher in Detroit, and Marshall, an investment banker.


    Disclosure(s): No financial relationships to disclose

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