The Stuart Rowe Society Lectureship and Resident Research Day showcases research activities in the field of neurological surgery and provides a forum for discussion.

During this day, a series of talks are presented by department residents, each spotlighting a topical research issue relevant in the field. These talks are followed by discussion moderated by a special honored guest prominent in the field of neurosurgery. This visiting professor will select a "Best Presentation" award and provide a talk at a dinner and reception later in the evening.

Stuart Niles Rowe, MD, (left) working with student.

This spotlight on research was a principle first emphasized by Stuart Niles Rowe, MD, the first formally-trained neurosurgeon to practice in Pittsburgh. Rowe is widely considered the founding figure of neurosurgery training in the city establishing the base of what would later become the University of Pittsburgh Department of Neurological Surgery.

Rowe believed that neurosurgery training should not only teach exceptional technique, but also the critical clinical decision-making skills necessary to succeed. He preached the underlying need for thorough literature review and independent research as a means for broadening clinical knowledge.

Past honored guests and resident award winners:

2007:

Honored Guest:
John A. Jane, Sr, MD, PhD, Professor of Neurological Surgery, University of Virginia Health System.

Resident Award Winner:
Nestor D. Tomycz, MD, "MRI Fails to Identify Unstable Cervical Spine Injury Misses By CT in Obtunded or Comatose Trauma Patients: The Four-Year Experience of a Level I Trauma Center."

2006:

Honored Guest:
M. Sean Grady, MD, Charles Harrison Frazier Professor and Chairman of Neurological Surgery at the University of Pennsylvania Health System

Resident Award Winner:
Dave Atteberry, MD, "A Comparison of Outcomes Between CyberKnife Radiosurgery and Conventional XRT for Spinal Metastases."

2005:

Honored Guest:
Gary Steinberg, MD, PhD, Professor and Chairman of Neurological Surgery at Stanford University.

Resident Award Winner:
Costas Hadjipanayis, MD, PhD, "DNA Repair."