Brett Rocos
Assistant Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery

I joined the team at Duke University Health from London, UK, where I was an Adult and Paediatric Spine Surgeon at Barts Health NHS Trust and Queen Mary University of London. I completed my surgical training in in the South West of the UK and at the University of Toronto, and am fellowship trained in adult spine surgery, paediatric spine surgery, orthopaedic trauma surgery, research and healthcare management.

I am driven to support patients at every stage of their care, from clinic assessment, through surgery to discharge. Making sure that every person, adult, child, family or friend understands what’s wrong, helping them to choose the right treatment for them, and what the recovery will be like is an important priority.

My research activity focusses on finding effective new treatments for spinal disorders and bringing them to patients. Focusing on spinal deformity, I have led investigations in the UK, Canada and the USA, and I sit on the Global AO Knowledge Forum for Deformity and the Research Grants Committee at the Scoliosis Research Society. I have lectured in North America and Europe about the treatment of spine disorders for the Scoliosis Research Society, Global Spine Congress, AO Spine and Eurospine, and I have worked hard to produce research that improves the care for spine patients wherever they live. Lastly, I review for several orthopaedic journals and I am Deputy Editor of the Bone and Joint 360, a leading publication with a global readership.

Current Research Interests

My clinical research portfolio has focussed upon clinical outcomes in spinal surgery, particularly in paediatric and adult deformity, and in major trauma. I have led interventional trials, retrospective cohort studies and international study groups that have established and delivered studies which have been presented, published, and influenced practice within their respective fields. As a newly appointed Senior Lecturer in Orthopaedic Spine surgery (the first appointment of its kind in London), I am now employed by Queen Mary University of London specifically to develop research infrastructure within orthopaedic and trauma surgery, with a target of GBP 2,000,000 grant funding by Q1 of 2025.

 

I have established BartSpine at Barts Health NHS Trust in collaboration with the regional Clinical Research Network. This is the first dedicated spinal research unit to exist in London with the purpose of unifying spinal research across the city through centralising data, methodological expertise, and funding to drive research which has the highest potential for transforming into clinically applicable techniques and treatment improvement.

 

I continue to run my own research group, spanning the UK, Canada, USA, Turkey and Japan, investigating paediatric spine surgery; specifically, techniques which bring about superior outcomes in deformity within the growing spine. This has been recognised by being invited to join the AO Spine Knowledge Forum and by being asked to assume senior editorships within peer reviewed journals.

I have published in peer reviewed journals, and I am regularly asked to contribute editorial opinion pieces. I present at international conferences and have been invited to present specific work outside of these at selected prestigious institutions including University Health Network in Toronto, Canada, Great Ormond Street Hospital in London, UK and the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital in London, UK.

Office Hours

0900- 1700 Monday- Friday

Current Appointments & Affiliations

Contact Information

  • 200 Trent Drive 5th Floor, Orange Zone Room 5316, Durham, NC 27710
  • Box 3077, Durham, NC 27710

Some information on this profile has been compiled automatically from Duke databases and external sources. (Our About page explains how this works.) If you see a problem with the information, please write to Scholars@Duke and let us know. We will reply promptly.