Education

As one of the nation's leading academic centers in neurosurgery, the Department of Neurosurgery at the University of Minnesota is committed to training the neurosurgeons of tomorrow.  This highly-specialized program includes comprehensive clinical training and training in research.

The Neurosurgery Residency Program was established in 1937 and has trained 116 neurosurgeons, including 17 who went on to become chairs of neurosurgery departments around the world. On average, two new residents are accepted into the Neurosurgery Residency Program each year.

Clinical Programs

   Neuro-Oncology

• Primary and Metastatic Tumors
  
  • Blood Brain Barrier Disruption
  • Immunotherapy
• Spinal Tumors
• Skull Base Tumors
  
  • Conventional
  • Endoscopic
• Pituitary Tumors

   Image-Guided Neurosurgery

• Integrated Image Guidance and Endoscopy
• Intraoperative MRI

   Spinal Neurosurgery

   Neurosurgical Trauma and Critical Care

   Stereotactic & Functional Neurosurgery

• Deep Brain Stimulation
• Epilepsy Surgery
• Gamma Knife Radiosurgery

   Cerebrovascular Surgery

• Conventional
• Endovascular

   Pediatric Neurosurgery

• Craniofacial Disorders
• Brain Tumors
   

Sites for Clinical Training

• University of Minnesota Medical Center
• Hennepin County Medical Center
• Minneapolis VA Medical Center
• Children's Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota

Research Program

• Research in the Department of Neurosurgery encompasses a wide spectrum of projects including:
• Stem cells for the treatment of neurological disorders such as ischemic brain injury, Parkinson's disease and spinal cord injury.
• Gene therapies, including development of vector systems for treating lysosomal storage disorders of the brain such as MPS I (Hurler Syndrome) and MSP II (Hunter's Syndrome).
• Neuro-oncology projects, including a collaboration with the Department of Pediatrics and College of Veterinary Medicine to create vaccines to fight brain tumors in humans and their canine companions as well as multicenter trials for treatments of brain tumors using blood brain barrier disruption.
• Projects on neuro-protective compounds include the study of anti-apoptotic agents such as tauro-ursodeoxycholic acid (TUDCA) to prevent neuronal loss in conditions such as stroke, Alzheimer's disease and spinal cord injury.
• Projects on neuro-transport include the study of water movement for hydrocephalus and debris/blood from trauma out of the intracranial cavity.
• Investigating the neuroanatomical pathways and psychological mechanisms in depression and movement disorders, and novel applications of deep brain stimulation.