Diplomas in hand. Program Director @pascalzinn presents our graduating residents with their official residency diplomas, marking the completion of their training here at Pitt Neurosurgery. Learn more about all resident awards here: neurosurgery.pitt.edu/news/2…

Our incoming PGY-1 residents got an early look inside the new UPMC Kamin Tower, where paired neurosurgery ORs built around a shared rail-mounted intraoperative MRI will let surgeons image the brain mid-procedure without ever moving the patient. A new home for the next generation of image-guided care, and these residents will help shape it. Learn more about what's coming to Kamin Tower here: neurosurgery.pitt.edu/news/u…

A rapid blood test for traumatic brain injury is now part of routine care at UPMC Presbyterian, thanks to faculty from Pitt Neurosurgery. A small blood sample, two brain-specific biomarkers (GFAP and UCH-L1), and lab-quality results in about 15 minutes at the bedside. The test helps clinicians decide who actually needs a CT scan, reducing time in the ED, radiation exposure, and unnecessary cost. Pitt was the central biorepository for the research that validated the test for FDA clearance through TRACK-TBI, with Drs. David Okonkwo and Ava Puccio leading the department's neurotrauma biomarker work for nearly two decades. Read more: neurosurgery.pitt.edu/news/r…

Congratulations to Regan Shanahan, MD, (@reganmshanahan) on receiving the Theodore Kurze, MD, Senior Prize for Excellence in Neurological Surgery and Clinical Neurosciences from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. The Kurze Prize is awarded each year to a graduating Pitt Med student entering neurosurgical residency training. It honors Dr. Kurze, who pioneered the use of the operating microscope in neurosurgery in 1957 and was a mentor to former Pitt Neurosurgery chair Peter Jannetta, MD. Dr. Shanahan begins her training at Pitt Neurosurgery this summer as an incoming PGY-1 resident. Welcome to the team! @dtfernandesc

Congratulations Dr. Jacobs!

Before neurosurgery, Thomas Buell, MD, was an electrical engineer. And that data-driven mindset shapes everything he does today. Now specializing in adult spinal deformity at @PittHealthSci and @UPMC, Dr. Buell combines technical surgical skill with a deep commitment to evidence-based patient care. As a member of the International Spine Study Group (ISSG), he's part of one of the field's most impactful research collaboratives, advancing how we understand outcomes & complications in spinal deformity surgery.

Thank you to Gail Rosseau, MD (@grosseaumd), for an incredible visit as our 2026 Dorothy Klenke Nash Lecturer! A global leader in neurosurgery and Chairman of @theG4Alliance, Dr. Rosseau shared her expertise not only through her talks but also by spending meaningful time with our residents and joining us for dinner. Our @PittTweet and @UPMC nursing staff also had the pleasure of meeting and speaking with Dr. Rosseau throughout her visit. We're grateful for her generosity and inspiring vision for the future of neurosurgical care worldwide.

Study evaluates 30-day readmission rates following craniotomies for brain tumor resection, focusing on causes, predictors, and their impact on overall survival. @pascalzinn @UPMCHillmanCC link.springer.com/article/10…

Upfront stereotactic body radiotherapy alone for spinal metastases provides durable long-term local tumor control and sustained pain relief with minimal toxicity. link.springer.com/article/10… @SuchetTaori @SamuelAdida @pascalzinn @UPMCPhysicianEd

Spine stereotactic body radiation therapy confers low rates of local failure and toxicity for patients with multilevel disease, which was previously considered a relative contraindication. link.springer.com/article/10… @SamuelAdida @pascalzinn @UPMCPhysicianEd @SuchetTaori