Nelson Oyesiku, MD, PhD, has been named System Chief of Neurosciences for Piedmont Healthcare in Atlanta. In his new role, he will provide strategic leadership, vision, and performance focused on system-wide coordination to achieve positive outcomes for neuroscience patients and ensuring the quality, consistency, and comprehensiveness of the neurosciences service line.
Dr. Oyesiku joined the UNC Department of Neurosurgery as chair in 2021. He also served in the department as Van L. Weatherspoon, Jr., Eminent Distinguished Professor.
In his time as chair, he led work toward recruiting eight new neurosurgical faculty, including surgeon scientists, master clinicians and a multimedia medical illustration team. Under his leadership, the department generated $2.52M in grant funding and received $2.95M in philanthropic support. He also launched the new neurosurgical outpatient center at the ACC. Under his watch, UNC Health acquired new technology including the LITT, Robot, and high/low-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU/LIFU). He introduced the intraresidency master’s degree in research to the neurosurgical program and established a new peripheral nerve and spinal oncology program. The department also improved its standing in Blue Ridge and US News & World Report rankings.
Dr. Oyesiku came to Carolina from Emory University, where he served as the inaugural Daniel Louis Barrow Chair in Neurosurgery, Al Lerner Chair in Neurosurgery, Vice Chairman of the Department of Neurosurgery and Director of the Neurosurgical Residency Program.
Dr. Oyesiku’s clinical expertise is pituitary medicine and surgery. He was co-director of the Emory Pituitary Center and has developed one of the largest practices entirely devoted to the care of patients with pituitary tumors in the country.
He has performed more than 4,700 pituitary tumor operations.
Dr. Oyesiku earned his MD from the University of Ibadan, Nigeria. He earned an MSc in occupational medicine from the University of London and completed a PhD in neuroscience at Emory University. He is a fellow of the American College of Surgeons.
We would like to thank Dr. Oyesiku for his service to the UNC School of Medicine, and congratulate him on his new role. Details of a search for the next chair of the UNC Department of Neurosurgery will be announced soon.