.jpg)
.jpg "Yerkebulan Serikkanov photo")
Research fellow
University of Wisconsin Madison, US
My Story: The Journey into Neurosurgery
I was born on August 24, 1992, in the small village of Taskesken, in eastern Kazakhstan. I was the second and youngest child in the family—my father, Serikkan Nurtaliev, was a farmer, and my mother, Laila Uzbayeva, was a primary school teacher. My older brother, Nurzhan, is just a year older than me, so we ended up studying in the same class. To make things even more interesting, our mother was our teacher in primary school—so there was no chance of skipping homework!
I always enjoyed learning and problem-solving, which helped me graduate from high school with a gold medal. After that, I enrolled at Semey State Medical University, where I graduated in 2016 with honors. It was during my studies that I realized my true passion—neurosurgery. For me, it wasn’t just about medicine; it was about precision, deep knowledge, and the ability to make a real difference in people’s lives.
From 2016 to 2020, I completed my residency in neurosurgery at the National Center for Neurosurgery in Astana, working with both adult and pediatric patients. After that, I became a neurosurgeon at the National Scientific Medical Center, where I perform complex brain and spine surgeries, including endovascular procedures. In 2023, I had the incredible opportunity to join a research fellowship at the University of Wisconsin (USA), diving deeper into neurosurgical innovations and advanced techniques.
Outside of medicine, I stay connected to my nomadic roots through one of my greatest passions—horseback riding. There’s something truly special about galloping across the open steppe, feeling the same freedom my ancestors once did. I also enjoy tennis, swimming, and playing "Togyz Kumalak", a traditional Kazakh strategy game where I’ve won several city-level competitions.
I speak Kazakh, Russian, and English, and I’m always open to new connections, collaborations, and knowledge exchange.