August 3, 2017 | Chris DeFrancesco '94 (CLAS) - UConn Health

Pioneers in Neurosurgery Sharing Expertise With UConn Health

They've performed groundbreaking procedures and trained neurosurgeons around the world. Now, three of the biggest names in neurosurgery are joining UConn Health as consulting faculty.

Dr. Ketan Bulsara (center), chief of the Division of Neurosurgery is an internationally-renowned neurosurgeon with unparalleled expertise in both minimally invasive and standard treatment of neurological disorders affecting the brain and spine. (Photo by Ethan Giorgetti)

Three of the world’s biggest names in neurosurgery are joining UConn Health as consulting faculty.

Internationally recognized for their technical excellence and for advancing the field of neurosurgery, Drs. Takanori Fukushima, Juha Hernesniemi, and Ali F. Krisht are among the many pioneers who have mentored the chief of the UConn Health Division of Neurosurgery, Dr. Ketan Bulsara.

Himself a world-renowned neurosurgeon and frequently invited international lecturer, Bulsara joined UConn Health in late spring with expertise in an uncommonly broad range of neurosurgical techniques acquired through years of training with experts all over the world. He arrived with a vision of making UConn Health a world-class destination for neurosurgical care.

“These are among the most decorated, experienced, and respected neurosurgeons in the world,” Bulsara says. “I am fortunate that I get to build on the foundation of neurosurgical excellence created by Dr. Hilary Onyiuke and Dr. Richard Simon. The excellence permeates every part of UConn Health. The environment and the people are what make UConn Health ideal to be a destination center.”

Dr. Takanori Fukushima

Fukushima, who holds academic appointments on three continents, has performed more than 24,000 neurosurgery cases in the United States and Japan over five decades.

Dr. Juha Hernesniemi

Hernesniemi, professor emeritus of neurosurgery at the Helsinki University Hospital, has performed more than 14,000 neurosurgery cases and is a prolific publisher of scientific journal articles on cerebrovascular diseases, brain tumors, and neurosurgical techniques.

Dr. Ali F. Krisht

Krisht, co-founder and director of the Arkansas Neuroscience Institute at CHI St. Vincent, is a widely recognized leading advocate of excellence in technical neurosurgery. He serves on the editorial boards of several medical journals and has been chief editor of the journal Contemporary Neurosurgery since 1999.

“Adding Drs. Fukushima, Hernesniemi, and Krisht to our team further enhances our efforts as we continue to build a world-class destination for neurosurgical care,” Bulsara says. “By continuing to focus on providing the best clinical care available anywhere in the world in a compassionate fashion to patients and their families, we continue to fulfill the core missions of UConn Health of healing, teaching, and advancing patient care treatments.”