Pittsburgh, July 8, 2008 -- Walter Dandy Professor of Neurological Surgery and chief of pediatric neurosurgery at Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, Ian Pollack, MD, has been named vice chairman for academic affairs for the University of Pittsburgh Department of Neurological Surgery. Dr. Pollack is also co-director of the department's neurosurgical oncology program.

In making the announcement, department chairman Amin Kassam, MD, said, "Dr. Pollack has been the mainstay of our neuro-oncology program. His efforts are legendary nationally and internationally and in my opinion represents one of the true triple threats."

Dr. Pollack has been with the University of Pittsburgh since 1992. He earned his medical degree from Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, and served a residency and research fellowship at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. In addition, Dr. Pollack served a Van Wagenen Traveling Fellowship at the Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada; the University of Lausanne, Switzerland; and the University of Uppsala, Sweden.

He was named chief of pediatric neurosurgery at Children's Hospital in June of 2004, succeeding longtime chief A. Leland Albright, MD.