University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center names Nicholas C. Bambakidis MD, Chair of the Department of Neurosurgery

University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center has announced the appointment of Nicholas C. Bambakidis, MD, as Chair of the Department of Neurosurgery, effective Jan. 1, 2022. He has served as Vice President and Director of the UH Neurological Institute since 2016, roles he will continue.

Nicholas C. Bambakidis, MD

Dr. Bambakidis holds the Warren R. Selman Endowed Chair in Neurological Surgery, a chair named in honor of the current Chairman who is stepping down from the role. Dr. Bambakidis will assume The Harvey Huntington Brown, Jr. Chair in Neurosurgery. His selection followed a search process including numerous highly qualified candidates.

“Dr. Bambakidis is an outstanding neurosurgeon, educator and leader in his field,” said Daniel Simon, MD, President of Academic & External Affairs and Chief Scientific Officer at UH Cleveland Medical Center. “It is a noteworthy honor and a testament to the Department of Neurosurgery’s leadership strengths that he will assume the Chair mantel from his current endowed position’s namesake.”

Current Chairman Warren R. Selman, MD, who has served in the role since 2005, will step down at the end of this year.

An internationally recognized leader in the management of cerebrovascular and skull base surgery, Dr. Bambakidis is UH’s Director of Cerebrovascular and Skull Base Surgery.  He also was Program Director of the Neurosurgery Residency Program from 2011 to 2021. He has edited three major textbooks and has published extensively in prestigious medical journals on an array of topics.

Dr. Bambakidis recently became President of the Congress of Neurological Surgeons (CNS), the largest neurosurgical organization in the world, with more than 10,000 members.  CNS is dedicated to advancing neurosurgery through education and innovation, and to inspiring and facilitating scientific discovery and its translation to the clinical practice of neurosurgery.

He earned his medical degree from Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, where he also completed his residency. UH recruited him following fellowship training at the renowned Barrow Neurological Institute in Phoenix.

Christopher N. Miller, MD, President, UH Clinical Network, said, “We are grateful for Dr. Selman, a gifted surgeon and respected mentor, for his leadership and appreciate his continued dedication to the clinical, educational and research missions of the department.”

Dr. Selman helped establish the UH Neurological Institute and was its inaugural Director.

Warren R. Selman, MD

“Throughout Dr. Selman’s tenure, the Department of Neurosurgery has tripled in size and expanded its capabilities with a breadth of subspecialty expertise,” said Dr. Miller. “The department’s academic strengths have excelled in parallel to include multiple fellowship positions.”

Dr. Selman has held numerous leadership positions in his field, including Vice President of the American Academy of Neurological Surgery and the CNS, as well as Chair of the American Board of Neurological Surgery. He is currently President of the Society of Neurological Surgeons, the American society of leaders in neurosurgical residency education, the oldest neurosurgical society in the world.

Dr. Selman’s research has focused on protection from cerebral ischemia, improving the outcome from the microsurgical management of cerebrovascular disorders and tumors of the pituitary gland, and the use of virtual and augmented reality in neurosurgical practice and training. A passionate teacher who has mentored many students and residents, he received the Golden Apple Teaching Award from the neurosurgery residents in 2017 and the Scholarship in Teaching Award from Case Western Reserve School of Medicine in 2019.

“We are grateful to Dr. Selman for his legacy of leadership, stewardship and service to University Hospitals and the communities we serve. Dr. Bambakidis will advance this tradition of outstanding patient care, innovative scholarly activity, and service to Northeast Ohio,” Dr. Miller said.

Originally posted on the UH Newsroom.