Beyond Borders: The Ripple Effect of Global Neurosurgery - Neurosurgical Training in Low Resourced Regions of the World

Monday, April 28, 2025

9:45 AM – 11:15 AM EDT

Moderator(s)

Roger Hartl, MD

Director of Spinal Surgery
Och Spine at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medicine
Sarah Woodrow, MD

Chair, Department of Neuroscience
Cleveland Clinic Akron General

This session will explore the impactful work of various individuals and organizations committed to delivering essential neurosurgical education in low-resource regions. Attendees will gain insight into strategic approaches that have been employed to overcome educational barriers in these areas, along with lessons learned from initiatives designed to support sustainable knowledge transfer. The session will also feature firsthand accounts from neurosurgeons working in low-resource countries, offering their perspectives on the challenges and successes of these critical educational efforts. Participants will leave with a deeper understanding of the global neurosurgical education landscape and ideas for how to contribute to these important initiatives.

Learning Objectives:

Identify key strategies employed by individuals and organizations to overcome educational barriers in low-resource regions.
Analyze lessons learned from global neurosurgical initiatives aimed at supporting sustainable knowledge transfer, and explore how these efforts have been adapted to meet the unique needs of low-resource countries.
Evaluate firsthand accounts from neurosurgeons working at policy level to gain insight into the challenges and successes faced in global public health practice of neurosurgery.

Presentations:

9:45 AM – 9:49 AM EDT

Introduction
Moderator: Roger Hartl, MD – Och Spine at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medicine
Moderator: Sarah Woodrow, MD – Cleveland Clinic Akron General
9:50 AM – 10:19 AM EDT

Panel 1: Advances in Neurosurgical Care in LMICs
Moderator: Roger Hartl, MD – Och Spine at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medicine
Moderator: Sarah Woodrow, MD – Cleveland Clinic Akron General
Panelist: Mohammad Ali Aziz-Sultan, MD, MBA – Brigham and Women's Hospital
Panelist: Magalie Cadieux, MD, MMSc – Washington University
Panelist: Robert Dempsey, MD – University of Wisconsin - Madison
Panelist: Brandon G. Rocque, MD, MS, FAANS, FAAP – UAB
10:20 AM – 10:29 AM EDT

Panel 1: Q/A session
Moderator: Roger Hartl, MD – Och Spine at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medicine
Moderator: Sarah Woodrow, MD – Cleveland Clinic Akron General
Panelist: Mohammad Ali Aziz-Sultan, MD, MBA – Brigham and Women's Hospital
Panelist: Magalie Cadieux, MD, MMSc – Washington University
Panelist: Robert Dempsey, MD – University of Wisconsin - Madison
Panelist: Tsegazeab Laeke, MD – Addis Ababa University
Panelist: Brandon G. Rocque, MD, MS, FAANS, FAAP – UAB
10:30 AM – 10:59 AM EDT

Panel 2: Advances in Global Public Health in Neurosurgery
Moderator: Sarah Woodrow, MD – Cleveland Clinic Akron General
Panelist: Jeffrey P. Blount, MD, MPH – University of Alabama at Birmingham
Speaker: Syed Ather Enam, MD, PhD, FRCS – Center of Oncological Research in Surgery, The Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan
Panelist: Tariq Khan, MD – Northwest School of Medicine
Panelist: Gail Rosseau, MD – George Washington University
Panelist: Kullapat Veerasarn, M. D. – Neurological institute of Thailand
11:00 AM – 11:09 AM EDT

Panel 2: Q/A session
Moderator: Sarah Woodrow, MD – Cleveland Clinic Akron General
Panelist: Jeffrey P. Blount, MD, MPH – University of Alabama at Birmingham
Speaker: Syed Enam, MD, PhD, FRCS – Center of Oncological Research in Surgery, The Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan
Panelist: Tariq Khan, MD – Northwest School of Medicine
Panelist: Gail Rosseau, MD – George Washington University
11:10 AM – 11:15 AM EDT

Closing Comments by Najia El Abbadi