Rochester- May 2024- Gelareh Zadeh, M.D., Ph.D., has been named the new Mayo Clinic Department of Neurosurgery chair in Rochester, beginning in the fall of 2024.

Dr. Zadeh joins Mayo Clinic from the University of Toronto, where she is the University of Health Network’s division head of Neurosurgery, the medical director of the Krembil Neuroscience Program, the co-director of the Krembil Brain Institute, a senior scientist at the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, and the Dan Family Chair and professor of Neurosurgery.

“Dr. Zadeh is an excellent neurosurgeon-scientist with deep experience leading high-performing surgical teams,” says Gianrico Farrugia, M.D., Mayo Clinic president and CEO. “We’re honored to have her join Mayo Clinic to lead the Department of Neurosurgery in Rochester as we continue our work to transform healthcare.”

Dr. Zadeh has a dedicated skull-base and neuro-oncology practice with several multidisciplinary specialized programs, including brain metastases, pituitary and neurofibromatosis clinics. She has a research laboratory focused on molecular analysis of brain tumors and understanding the molecular response to targeted therapies.

Dr. Zadeh’s extensive and influential research has advanced clinical care and has been published in several journals, including Nature, Nature Medicine, Nature Genetics, Nature Communications, and Cancer Cell, among others. She has consistent, peer-reviewed funding from the National Institutes of Health, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, the Department of Defense, the Brain Tumour Charity, the V Foundation for Cancer Research, the Canadian Cancer Society, the Brain Canada Foundation, the Terry Fox Research Institute and more.

Her academic, clinical and research contributions have been recognized through many awards, such as the prestigious Canada Gairdner Momentum Award, the William E. Rawls Prize from the Canadian Cancer Society, and the American Brain Tumor Translational Research Award, as well as through her leadership in multiple international organizations, including the Society of Neuro-Oncology, the World Federation of Neurological Societies and the International Consortium on Meningiomas, which she co-founded.

Dr. Gelareh Zadeh succeeds Robert Spinner, M.D., who has been chair of the Department of Neurosurgery at Mayo Clinic since 2015. During his tenure, Dr. Spinner led the department with a clear vision to improve the care of neurosurgery patients worldwide and fostered a culture that empowered creativity and innovation.