The Department of Neurosurgery was established in 1914, during a major reorganization of the Surgery Department at The Mount Sinai Hospital, by Dr. Charles A. Elsberg—Mount Sinai’s "Father of Neurosurgery.” Since our inception in 1914, our department has been leading the way in neurological research and surgical care.
History
1929
Harold Neuhof, MD, is appointed Director of the Neurosurgical Service at The Mount Sinai Hospital.
1932
The Neurosurgery service becomes a separate department, and Ira Cohen, MD, is named the Department’s first Director
1946
Ira S. Cohen, MD, establishes the first formal neurosurgery residency program at Mount Sinai.
1950
Aron J. Beller, MD, becomes Mount Sinai’s first Neurosurgery resident. He later becomes Chairman of the Department of Neurosurgery at the Hadassah Hospital in Jerusalem, Israel.
1951
Leo Davidoff, MD, is appointed Director of the Department of Neurosurgery at The Mount Sinai Hospital
1956
Sidney Gross, MD, is named Director of the Department of Neurosurgery at The Mount Sinai Hospital. At the start of Dr. Gross's tenure, the AMA approved The Mount Sinai Hospital for a three-year residency training program, and in 1958 expanded the training to four years.
1965
Leonard Malis, MD, performs the first microneurosurgical operation at The Mount Sinai Hospital.
1970
Leonard Malis, MD, becomes Chairman of the Department of Neurosurgery at The Mount Sinai Hospital.
1974
Alejandro Berenstein, MD, and Harold A. Mitty, MD, perform the world’s first catheter based therapeutic embolization for a GI bleeder following a gastrectomy.
Learn More1991
Kalmon D. Post, MD, becomes Chairman of the Department of Neurosurgery at The Mount Sinai Hospital. During his tenure, Dr. Post significantly expanded the Department, in personnel, areas of clinical, academic and research expertise, resources and physical space.
Learn More1998
Isabelle Germano, MD, performs the first GPi Deep Brain Stimulation for dystonia in the United States.
Learn More2002
Arthur L. Jenkins, III, MD, becomes the first surgeon in the tri-state area to use Brainlab Neuronavigation merged with intraoperative CT scan (Siemens ISO-C unit) for intraoperative navigation in spinal surgery.
Learn More2005
Isabelle M. Germano, MD, performs the first gene delivery in the mouse brain by embryonic stem cell derived astrocytes in the United States.
2008
Joshua B. Bederson, MD, becomes Chairman of the Department of Neurosurgery at Mount Sinai. Dr. Bederson developed one of the first interdisciplinary clinical programs with the Department of Neurology Stroke Program.
Learn More2012
Brian H. Kopell, MD, establishes Mount Sinai’s Center for Neuromodulation, the first tri-state area comprehensive neuromodulation center.
Learn More2013
The Department of Neurosurgery becomes the largest program in New York City after Mount Sinai merges with Continuum Health Partners.
2014
Stephan A. Mayer, MD, is the first to monitor the physiology of the human brain in real time––allowing for the detection of secondary injury before irreversible tissue damage occurs.
Learn More2014
Joshua B. Bederson, MD, and Anthony B. Costa, PhD, establish one of the first academic neurosurgery simulation research center, the Neurosurgery Simulation Core.
Learn More2015
Raj K. Shrivastava, MD, and Priti Balchandani, PhD, are the first team in the world to develop and begin clinical trials for the application and use of High Field 7T MRI imaging in the planning and operative guidance in complex endoscopic skull base surgery.
Learn More2015
Johanna T. Fifi, MD, becomes first woman physician and first neurologist in the United States to use WEB Aneurysm Embolization System to treat aneurysm
Learn More2015
J Mocco, MD, MS, completes the world’s first prospective randomized trial demonstrating the value of aspiration thrombectomy in treating patients suffering acute stroke from large vessel occlusion
Learn More2015
Arthur L. Jenkins, III, MD, becomes the second surgeon in United States, first in the Northeast, to perform a stem cell transplant for chronic spinal cord injury.