UNC Neurosurgery organized the first Innovation Summit in Chapel Hill featuring keynote speaker, Dr. Ricardo Komotar from the University of Miami.

 The Department of Neurosurgery at UNC Chapel Hill hosted the Inaugural Innovation Summit in the Skull Base & Spine Dissection Simulation Center on campus led by Dr Dominique Higgins.

The keynote speaker at the event was Dr. Ricardo Komotar, a Professor of Clinical Neurological Surgery, Director of the Brain Tumor Institute, and Director of both the Neurosurgery Residency Program and the Surgical Neuro-Oncology and Fellowship Program at the University of Miami. He is considered a leader in the field of neurosurgical oncology and has effectively targeted and treated over 7,000 brain tumors. Dr. Komotar presented on building a successful brain tumor program.

The Innovation Summit also featured presentations from UNC Neurosurgery faculty members, including Dr. Dominique Higgins, Dr. Carlos David, Dr. Vibhor Krishna, and Dr. Michael Galgano. “I wanted to showcase technologic advances implemented by the UNC Chapel Hill neurosurgery department,” said Dr. Higgins.

The event was sponsored by Medtronic, GammaTile (GT Med), Stryker (NICO), QuickTome (Omniscient), and TeDan Surgical.

The event was held in the Skull Base & Spine Dissection Simulation Center located on campus. The facility supports over 1,000 hours of educational activities each year. Neurosurgery residents attend a monthly skills lab with cadaver dissection and discussion of surgical approaches. There are also endoscopic simulators for developing flexible endoscopy skills. Each station is equipped with a microscope and surgical instruments similar to what is used in the operating room. The skills lab is directed by Dr. Carlos David, Vice Chair of Education in the Department of Neurosurgery and Director of the residency program.

Written by Makenzie Hardy, Marketing Coordinator, Department of Neurosurgery