Overview
My clinical areas of expertise include spinal surgery, especially cervical spine surgery where I have performed almost 8,300 cervical spine procedures and recently was ranked the top cervical spine surgeon in the country by MPIRICA (an analytical company that reviews surgical outcomes). I believe the whole patient is important and we emphasize time with the patient and careful discussions regarding possible surgery. Our excellent results are due to a great team of physicians, nurses, CRNAs, and anesthesiologists. I also believe in the spiritual side in taking care of my patients. As a design surgeon we are developing better ways to treat cervical spine disease through innovative approaches to the cervical spine.
Through my Masters in Academic Medicine degree, I developed the Surgical Autonomy Program which is now used in 7 Neurosurgery Programs across the country and is an innovative way to teach, assess, and provide feedback to residents in the intraoperative environment. Over the last twelve years we have developed the first ever Division of Global Neurosurgery and Neurology (launched in 2014), where I serve as the Division Chief and the Division boasts over 100 members including faculty, graduate and medical students, undergraduate students and an outstanding staff of researchers, most located in the Duke Global Health Institute. The Division has published over 120 manuscripts between 2014 and 2023. We have primarily worked in building capacity, teaching, and collaborative research projects in Uganda. In 2019 I was invited to join the faculty at the Duke-Singapore Global Health Institute and we are working with the Singapore Neuroscience Department to develop outreach and increase capacity in Jaffna, Sri Lanka.
Current Appointments & Affiliations
Recent Publications
The Role of Minimally Invasive Surgery in Spinal Trauma: A Review of Techniques, Outcomes, and Limitations.
Journal Article Neurosurgery · March 1, 2025 Minimally invasive surgery (MIS) has significantly revolutionized spine surgery by reducing morbidity, minimizing tissue damage, and improving postoperative outcomes compared with traditional open surgeries. Although MIS is well-documented for degenerative ... Full text Link to item CiteBuilding sustainable neurosurgical capacity: lessons from the Duke Division of Global Neurosurgery and Neurology.
Journal Article Neurosurg Focus · March 1, 2025 Neurosurgery has long faced significant disparities in access to care in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), where millions lack access to timely, lifesaving neurosurgical interventions. The Duke Division of Global Neurosurgery and Neurology (DGNN) w ... Full text Link to item CiteSurgery for Medication Refractory Epilepsy in Africa: A Review of Seizure Freedom Outcomes.
Journal Article World Neurosurg · January 2025 BACKGROUND: Epilepsy is a chronic condition that confers social stigma, reduced engagement in work and social activities, increased risks of comorbidities, and premature death. It is often treated with medications, but in about a third of patients, epileps ... Full text Link to item CiteRecent Grants
Building Brain Health Research Capacity in Rwanda: Neurocognition and Neurobehavior Across the Lifespan
Inst. Training Prgm or CMEAdvisor · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 2024 - 2029Building and implementing a TBI prognostic model featuring real-time analysis of brain CT images
ResearchCo Investigator · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 2022 - 2027Epilepsy in Uganda: Clinical characterization and co-morbidities, their relation to stigma among adolescents and impact of a community-based intervention
ResearchCo Investigator · Awarded by Makerere University · 2021 - 2026View All Grants