Pittsburgh, October 14, 2025 -- Martina Stippler, MD, director of neurotrauma at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) in Boston and a 2009 graduate of the University of Pittsburgh neurosurgery residency program, has been named president of the Congress of Neurological Surgeons for the 2025-26 term. Dr. Stippler’s selection is historic as she becomes the first woman to lead the 12,000-member, 75-year-old organization.
CNS is a global leader in neurosurgical education promoting health by advancing neurosurgery through innovation and excellence in education. It serves as a vital resource for research, training, and professional development for neurosurgeons at all stages of their careers.
Dr. Stippler has been a member of the CNS executive committee since 2016 including a three-year term as CNS secretary. In addition to her role as CNS president-elect, she also serves as chair of the AANS/CNS Joint Section on Women in Neurosurgery; is editor of the CNS journal Congress Quarterly; and is chair of the ad hoc CNS Wellness Committee.
“When I joined the executive committee a decade ago, I was the only woman serving at that time,” Dr. Stippler is quoted on the CNS website. “Since then, the committee and neurosurgery has become more diverse, and I am proud to now serve as the CNS’s first woman president—a milestone that reflects the change we are starting to see in neurosurgery.”
Dr. Stippler is the fourth Pitt neurosurgery residency graduate to serve as head of the CNS within the last 12 years. Elad Levy, MD, (2004 grad) led CNS in 2022-23; Alan Scarrow, MD, (2003 grad) in 2016-17, and Daniel Resnick, MD, (1998 grad) in 2013-14.
[Watch Dr. Stippler give the inaugural Dorothy Klenke Nash Lecture in 2022, presenting on the current state—and future direction—of women in neurosurgery.]