We're so proud of Sabrina M. Heman-Ackah, MD, DPhil, MSE, Maria A. Punchak, MD MSc, and Connor A. Wathen, MD! We can't wait to see what each of you accomplish in the next phase of your neurosurgery careers.

Everyone in our department plays a valuable role in making this the best place to receive neurosurgical care, to train, and to conduct research. Check out our new team photo for this year!

For the first time, researchers used lab-grown organoids created from tumors of individuals with glioblastoma to accurately model a patient’s response to CAR T cell therapy in real time. The organoid’s response to therapy mirrored the response of the actual tumor in the patient’s brain.

We held a ribbon cutting at Penn Presbyterian Medical Center to open a newly renovated wing for patients. Staff members were able to explore the space and see all the updates before we began to move patients in.

In this new video, Dr. Iahn Cajigas, MD, PhD, and his colleagues reveal how brain mapping could enable thought-based control of prosthetic limbs. This research is hope for those paralyzed, aiming to restore independence and revolutionize our understanding of the brain.

Congratulations to Dr. Jan-Karl Burkhardt who was named the inaugural chairholder of the James and Agnes Kim Associate Professorship in Neurosurgery! A ceremony was held honoring both Dr. Burkhardt for this achievement and the Kim Family for making it possible.

Our residents we're able to take part in a great skull base lab led by Drs. Christina Jackson and John Lee over the weekend! We are grateful as always to the noble volunteers who donated their bodies to science and medical education.