Shay Bess, MD, is an internationally recognized spine surgeon, clinical researcher, educator, and healthcare leader specializing in complex spinal reconstruction. He is Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery and Professor of Neurosurgery at the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Phoenix and serves as Spine Medical Director for Banner Health’s Phoenix market.

Bret has been working with the ISSG since 2008 and has been involved in every aspect of the research performed by the group. Bret also works...

Dr. Burton attended Kansas State University in Manhattan, Kansas and received his medical degree from the University of Texas Southwestern School of Medicine in Dallas. He completed his orthopedic residency at the University of Kansas Medical Center, in Kansas City and his spine fellowships at Texas Back Institute in Plano, Texas and Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia.

Dr. Justin Smith completed the MD, PhD program at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN. He subsequently completed his neurosurgery residency at the University of California San Francisco and spine surgery fellowships in the areas of spinal deformity and minimally invasive spine surgery. He is currently Harrison Distinguished Professor in the Department of Neurological Surgery at the University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA and serves as Chief of the Spine Division, Vice Chair for Research, and Director of the Spine Fellowship.

Dr. Christopher I. Shaffrey graduated magna cum laude from The Citadel in Charleston, SC with B.S. degree in biology. He played varsity basketball and was the co-captain his senior year. In 1986, Dr. Shaffrey received his medical degree from the University of Virginia. He completed his general surgical internship at Naval Hospital San Diego in 1987 where he was named the surgical intern of the year. He then completed both neurosurgical and orthopaedics residencies at the University of Virginia, followed by a spine fellowship in pediatric and adult reconstructive spine surgery in 1995.

Frank Schwab MD is the System Chief of Orthopaedic Spine Surgery at Northwell Health and the Chair of Orthopaedic surgery at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City. His clinical practice, research, education, and teaching efforts focus on complex spinal pathology, adult spinal deformity, and revision reconstruction procedures. He has pioneered many aspects of spinal deformity care, especially for patients with extensive surgical histories.

Dr. Eric O. Klineberg is a Professor and Vice Chair in the Department of Orthopedic Surgery at UTHealth Houston, serving as Chief of Orthopedic Spine Surgery and holds the Milton “Chip” Routt Endowed Chair of Spinal Surgery.

After obtaining her mechanical engineering degree in France, Dr. Virginie Lafage pursued a PhD in Biomechanics with a focus on finite element analysis and biomechanical simulations for scoliosis surgery. Her journey led to extensive clinical training in spine surgery under the mentorship of Jean Dubousset, MD, and Frank Schwab, MD, in Paris and New York respectively, with a specific focus on sagittal spinopelvic alignment, adult spinal deformity, cervical deformity, and soft tissue analysis.

Dr. Robert Hart retired from clinical practice and Medical Director of Spinal Deformity at Swedish Neuroscience Institute in Seattle as of September 2023. He served 7 years at Swedish following 18 years at OHSU in Portland, where he earned the position of Tenured Professor of Orthopedics and served as Residency and Spine Fellowship Program Director.

Dr. Christopher Ames is director of spinal tumor and spinal deformity surgery at UCSF Medical Center in San Francisco as well as co-director of the Neurospinal Disorders Program and the UCSF Spine Center. He is a specialist in spinal reconstructive surgery for trauma, tumors, and degenerative disease, particularly en bloc tumor resection for chordoma, chondrosarcoma, soft tissue sarcoma, sacral tumors, and other primary and metastatic tumors.