Here are 10 early career spine surgeons making news:
Note: If you'd like to nominate a spine surgeon, please contact phaeffele@beckershealthcare.com.
1. Kaku Barkoh, MD, spine surgeon at Orthopaedic Associates (Kingwood, Texas). Dr. Barkoh serves as medical director of spine surgery at HCA Houston Healthcare in Kingwood, Texas. He mentors black high school and college students who are interested in medicine. He was featured on the North American Spine Society's "20 under 40" list in 2021.
2. Bassel Diebo, MD, adult and pediatric spine surgery fellow at Brown University (Providence, R.I.) Dr. Diebo is a former chief orthopedic surgery resident at SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University in New York City. He immigrated to the U.S. from Syria in 2012. Dr. Diebo is the first International Spine Study Group Travelling Fellow, an active member of the Scoliosis Research Society, and was inducted to the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society and named an American Orthopaedic Association emerging leader and included in the North American Spine Society's "20 under 40" list in 2020.
3. Raymond Hah, MD, assistant professor of clinical orthopedic surgery, University of Southern California's Keck School of Medicine (Los Angeles). Dr. Hah specializes in neck and back disorders, with a focus on minimally invasive surgery. He earned his medical degree at Northwestern University in Evanston, Ill., and was a spine surgery fellow at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He was named on the North American Spine Society's "20 under 40" list in 2021.
4. Deeptee Jain, MD, assistant professor of orthopedic, neurological surgery at Washington University Orthopedics (St. Louis). Dr. Jain specializes in minimally invasive spinal procedures and treating spinal deformities and traumatic spinal injuries. She was an orthopedic surgery resident at the University of California-San Francisco and a spine surgery fellow at New York University Langone's hospital for joint disease in New York City. She was featured on the North American Spine Society's "20 under 40" list in 2020.
5. Simone Maybin, MD, medical director at Conway (S.C.) Medical Center orthopedics. Dr. Maybin specializes in treating acute and chronic pain in the spine, extremities and face. She was a physical medicine and rehabilitation resident at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tenn. She then completed a fellowship in interventional spine and musculoskeletal medicine at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore. She was featured on the North American Spine Society's "20 under 40" list in 2021.
6. Lindsey Ross, MD, assistant professor of neurosurgery and spine specialist at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center (Los Angeles). Dr. Ross serves on the Cedars-Sinai house staff executive committee, chairs the committee on diversity, equity and inclusion for graduate medical education and founded the Doctors for Diversity committee. She has served on medical missions in Uganda, South Africa, Thailand, Mexico and Guatemala. She was featured on the North American Spine Society's "20 under 40" list in 2021.
7. Aditya Raghunandan, MD, spine and sports physiatrist at University of Texas Health San Antonio's rehabilitation medicine department. Dr. Raghunandan is an associate residency program director of education at UT Health San Antonio. He served as a Navy flight surgeon for eight years and was named the first president of the sports medicine resident council. He was featured on the North American Spine Society's "20 under 40" list in 2021.
8. Danielle Sarno, MD, director of interventional pain management, neurosurgery department, at Brigham and Women's Hospital (Boston). Dr. Sarno is an instructor of physical medicine and rehabilitation at Harvard Medical School In Boston. She is a co-director and founder of Harvard's interventional pain simulation center, where she is creating spine simulation-based education curriculums. She was featured on the North American Spine Society's "20 under 40" list in 2020.
9. Venita Simpson, MD, neurosurgeon at Naval Medical Center (Portsmouth, Va). Dr. Simpson was a neurosurgery resident and spine deformity and oncology fellow at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. She was the first African American woman to complete a neurosurgery residency at Baylor and was featured on the North American Spine Society's "20 under 40" list in 2020.
10. Khoi Than, MD, associate professor of neurosurgery and orthopedic surgery, Duke Health(Raleigh, N.C.). Dr. Than specializes in treatment of spine disorders and the use of minimally invasive treatment techniques. His research on surgical techniques and devices has won numerous awards. He was featured on the North American Spine Society's "20 under 40" list in 2020.