Columbia Neurosurgery Faculty to Participate in Leadership and Scientific Sessions at AANS 2026
The 94th American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS) Annual Scientific Meeting will bring together the field’s leading surgeons, scientists, and trainees in San Antonio, Texas, May 1–4, 2026. As one of the premier gatherings in neurosurgery, the annual meeting serves as a national forum for scientific innovation, surgical education, and professional leadership.
This year, several Columbia Neurosurgery faculty members and trainees will contribute across key sessions, leadership roles, and national recognition events throughout the meeting.
The meeting’s Opening Session, taking place on Friday, May 1 from 4:30–6:00 PM CT, will include Dr. E. Sander Connolly, Jr., Chair of Neurological Surgery at Columbia and President of AANS, who will introduce the Plante Lecture as part of the opening program.
Also featured during the Opening Session are Dr. Dean Chou and Dr. Guy M. McKhann, both serving as plenary speakers. In addition to their presentations, Drs. Chou and McKhann are also helping lead the meeting’s academic content as co-chairs of the Scientific Program, shaping the educational framework for this year’s conference. Their involvement reflects their continued contributions to the evolving conversations in spine surgery, cranial surgery, and academic neurosurgical education.
Dr. McKhann will also participate in the World Brain Mapping course on Friday, contributing to discussions focused on advancing surgical precision, technology, and the future of brain mapping in neurosurgery.
Later in the meeting, Dr. Brian Gill will moderate Top Scoring Scientific Abstracts on Sunday, May 3 from 4:00–5:30 PM CT. This session highlights some of the most highly ranked research presentations at AANS 2026 and offers attendees an opportunity to engage with emerging advances across the field.
In addition, PGY-1 resident Nicholas Dadario, MD, alongside faculty mentor Dr. Brian Gill, has been named the recipient of the 2026 Emerging Innovator Award. The award will be formally presented during the Connectomics Circle Summit at the AANS Annual Meeting, recognizing innovative work and rising leadership in the field of neurosurgery.
Together, these sessions and recognitions reflect Columbia faculty participation across society leadership, plenary programming, scientific research discussions, and resident achievement throughout the meeting.
The 2026 meeting also offers an opportunity to continue the conversations that will carry into Brainwaves 2026, where many of these same faculty will join colleagues in New York City this fall to explore the latest advances in brain and spine care.
