Nelson M. Oyesiku, MD, PhD, FACS, has been appointed Chair of the UNC School of Medicine Department of Neurosurgery. He will officially join the UNC faculty on April 1, 2021. Oyesiku comes to UNC from Emory University where he serves as the Inaugural Daniel Louis Barrow Chair in Neurosurgery, Vice-Chairman, Department of Neurological Surgery, and Director of the Neurosurgical Residency Program.
Nelson M. Oyesiku, MD, PhD, FACS, has been appointed Chair of the UNC School of Medicine Department of Neurosurgery, effective March 15, 2021. Oyesiku comes to UNC from Emory University where he serves as the Inaugural Daniel Louis Barrow Chair in Neurosurgery, Vice-Chairman, Department of Neurological Surgery, and Director of the Neurosurgical Residency Program.
“I am delighted with the opportunity to join the UNC School of Medicine given its excellent academic traditions and storied legacy of discovery and clinical care,” said Oyesiku. “It will be a pleasure to work with other leaders to advance the Department of Neurosurgery and all of UNC Health.”
Oyesiku’s clinical expertise is the surgical treatment and molecular biology of pituitary tumors. He serves as Co-Director of the Emory Pituitary Center and has performed over 3,000 pituitary tumor operations, one the nation’s largest and most active practices devoted to the care of patients with pituitary tumors.
A nationally recognized authority, Oyesiku is sought out for care and uniformly receives positive reviews and feedback from patients.
“I came 200 miles to Emory due to the excellent reputation of Dr. Oyesiku,” wrote one patient in a review posted to Emory’s website. “I am very glad and could not have asked for a better outcome.”
Oyesiku’s research work has led to the discovery and development of a new imaging technique and potential targeted therapy for patients with pituitary tumors.
He currently serves as Editor-in-Chief of Neurosurgery, Operative Neurosurgery and Neurosurgery Open. Throughout his career, he has authored more than 180 journal articles and book chapters.
Oyesiku’s leadership in his field spans all major neurosurgical organizations, including terms as Chairman of the American Board of Neurological Surgery, President of the Congress of Neurological Surgeons, President of the Society of University Neurosurgeons, Vice-President of the American Academy of Neurological Surgeons, Governor, American College of Surgeons, and the ACGME-RRC Neurosurgery. He currently serves as President of the International Society of Pituitary Surgeons and as President-Elect of the World Federation of Neurological Surgeons.
Born in Nigeria, Oyesiku received his MD training at the University of Ibadan. He obtained an MSc in Occupational Medicine from the University of London and completed surgical training at the University of Connecticut-Hartford Hospital before arriving at Emory for his residency in neurological surgery. In addition, he completed his PhD in Neuroscience at Emory.
“Dr. Oyesiku is an international authority in his field and we could not be more excited to welcome him to Chapel Hill. We look forward to the great impact he will make across all our missions as a leader of our Department of Neurosurgery,” said Cristy Page, MD, MPH, Executive Dean of the UNC School of Medicine. “In his new position, he will be succeeding outstanding leaders including Matt Ewend who now guides our health system’s clinical operations and Eldad Hadar who has provided tremendous leadership in his time as Interim Chair.”
In the fall of 2019, Matt Ewend, MD, FACS, who led the Department of Neurosurgery since its establishment in 2010, announced he would step down from his position as Chair to focus on his leadership responsibilities as UNC Health’s Chief Clinical Officer. He remains active in patient care. Eldad Hadar, MD, has served as the Department’s Interim Chair for more than a year and will continue in that role until Oyesiku begins in March.