Overview: Comprehensive Spine Program
Fellowship in Spine Surgery
The Neurosurgery Spine Fellowship Program at the University of Utah, a Committee on Advanced Subspecialty Training (CAST)–approved fellowship program, provides a complete experience in spine and spinal cord surgery to prepare the fellow for an academic career as a Spine Neurosurgeon. We emphasize clinical experience with complex spinal cases complemented by high-level research and teaching of residents and medical students. Subspecialty program exposure includes complex cervical spine disorders, spinal deformity surgery (including scoliosis), spinal oncology (including radiosurgery), and degenerative spine disease.
The University of Utah Level 1 Trauma Center and the affiliated Huntsman Cancer Institute at the University of Utah see a high volume of spinal fracture and tumor cases. Image-guided spinal surgery, complex instrumentation, microsurgery, minimally invasive surgery, and endoscopic spinal surgery at all levels of the spinal column are performed.
Fellowship Information
Currently Accepting Applications: We are currently accepting applications for the 2027-2028 Spine Surgery Fellowship position and will conduct interviews on a rolling basis until the position is filled.
Application Process: Contact the Academic Program Manager, Joanne Kamahele (Joanne.Kamahele@hsc.utah.edu), 1-3 years in advance, with your CV and completed Spine Surgery Fellowship Application.
Other Details:
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Clinical Lectures & Didactics: Fellows are encouraged to engage in original scientific research. This research experience teaches the scientific method and critical scientific reasoning, preparing graduates to evaluate advances in the specialty. The fellow also collaborates with and supervises research and publications of residents and medical students.
There are several ongoing research efforts within the Spine Division, including original biomechanical research as well as clinical outcomes and comparative effectiveness research. Faculty members currently have institutional as well as Patient Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) and Neurosurgery Research and Education Foundation (NREF) grants funding several ongoing projects. In addition, the University of Utah is a lead enrolling site for Quality Outcomes Dates (QOD), the national neurosurgical registry, and collects up to 2-year follow-up data on all patients undergoing cervical and lumbar surgery at our center.
Weekly spine indications conferences are held to discuss surgical planning and operative techniques for the upcoming week’s cases. In addition, a monthly journal club is held with the Neurosurgery Spine Division. Weekly Neurosurgery Grand Rounds and a formal monthly M&M Conference are also held.
Contact Us
Academic Program Manager
Joanne Kamahele
Email: Joanne.Kamahele@hsc.utah.edu
Phone: 801-581-5584
Fax: 801-581-4385
Department of Neurosurgery
Phone: 801-581-6908
University of Utah Health Care
Clinical Neurosciences Center
175 North Medical Drive East
Salt Lake City, UT 84132
PAST SPINE SURGERY FELLOWS:
- 2023-2024 Ken Porche, MD (Enfolded Fellow)
- 2022-2023 Sheela Vivekanandan, MD
- 2021-2022 Christopher Wilkerson, MD (Enfolded Fellow)
- 2020-2021 Davide Croci, MD
- 2020-2021 Ilyas Eli, MD (Enfolded Fellow)
- 2018-2019 Michael Karsy, MD, PhD, MS (Enfolded Fellow)
- 2017-2018 Jian Guan, MD (Enfolded Fellow)
- 2016-2017 Chester K. Yarbrough, MD
- 2016-2018 Juneyoung L. Chavez, MD, MSPH
- 2016-2017 Vijay Ravindra, MD (Enfolded Fellow)
- 2015-2016 Christopher Holland, MD
- 2015-2016 Ricky Kalra, MD
- 2011-2012 Wilson Z. Ray, MD
- 2010-2011 Gregory Jost, MD
- 2007-2008 Erica Bisson, MD, MPH
- 2006-2007 Florian Zentz, MD
- 2005-2006 Virany Huynh Hillard, MD
- 2003 Michael Payer, Dr. med.
- 2002-2003 David Hart, MD
- 1994–1995 J. Michael Alvis, MD