John H. Kanter, MD

John H. Kanter, MD, is a fellowship-trained neurosurgeon with subspecialty expertise in neurocritical care and neurotrauma. He will join the University of Pittsburgh Department of Neurological Surgery as an assistant professor in August 2025.

A native of Bradford Woods, Pa., Dr. Kanter earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Pittsburgh and his medical degree from Florida State University, where he developed a focused interest in the care of patients with traumatic brain injury and spinal cord injuries. He completed his neurosurgical residency at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, where he also undertook enfolded fellowship training in neurocritical care. Following residency, he pursued additional fellowship training in traumatic brain injury (TBI) and spinal cord injury (SCI), and neurorehabilitation with Geoffrey Manley, MD, at the University of California San Francisco.

He brings a patient-centered, evidence-based approach to care, with a focus on precision medicine, optimizing long-term functional recovery through comprehensive coordinated care pathways, and intensive care management strategies.

In parallel with his clinical work, Dr. Kanter is an active clinician-scientist. His research aims to improve outcomes after TBI and SCI by integrating point-of-care biomarkers, advanced imaging techniques, and clinical algorithms into decision-making frameworks. He is a co-investigator on several multicenter initiatives, including TRACK-TBI and TRACK-SCI, and contributes to national collaborative efforts exploring ICU prognostication, ventilator weaning protocols, and the impact of loss to follow-up in longitudinal trauma studies. He has authored numerous peer-reviewed publications and is a frequent contributor to national meetings in neurotrauma and critical care.

Dr. Kanter is also deeply engaged in medical education and academic leadership. He serves as a mentor in the National Neurotrauma Society’s TEAM Mentor-Mentee Program and is a member of the Neurocritical Care Society’s Accreditation, Credentialing, and Training Committee. Through these roles, he is committed to advancing the training of future clinician-scientists and promoting high-quality systems of care for patients with life-threatening neurological injuries.