Columbia Neurosurgery Shines and Earns Top Honors at Spine Summit 2026

From serving as Annual Meeting Chair to delivering award-winning research presentations, Columbia faculty, researchers, residents, and medical students demonstrated national leadership in spine surgery innovation, outcomes research, and minimally invasive techniques at Spine Summit 2026, the annual meeting of the AANS/CNS Section on Disorders of the Spine and Peripheral Nerves, held February 26–March 1 in Phoenix, Arizona.

Dr. Dean Chou Serves as 2026 Annual Meeting Chair

This year’s meeting was chaired by Dean Chou, MD, Professor, Spine Chief, and Vice Chair of Neurological Surgery at Columbia. As Annual Meeting Chair, Dr. Chou helped shape the scientific programming and collaborative discussions at one of the premier spine surgery conferences in the country.

Reflecting on the meeting’s impact, Dr. Chou shared:

The 2026 Spine Summit had an incredible turnout and excitement. Spine Summit has become the premier spine surgery meeting in the country, with partnerships with industry and our orthopedic colleagues. The discussions, debates, education, and science are second to none.

Dr. Chou also contributed academically, moderating sessions on spine deformity research and presenting in a featured debate:

• Evolution of Appropriate Indications for MIS Treatment of Adult Spinal Deformity
• Pro Rebuttal: Primary Spine Tumors — Separation Surgery Is the 21st Century Answer vs. En Bloc Resection Is Still the Way to Go

Columbia leadership was further represented by E. Sander Connolly, MD, and Andrew K. Chan, MD, alongside many from the Columbia spine research team.

Meeting leadership also included CNS President Martina Stippler, MD, AANS CEO Katie Orrico, CNS CEO Regina Shupak, and Spine Section Chair Erica Bisson, MD, who will also serve as a keynote speaker at Brainwaves 2026.

Strong Research Presence: 14 Podium Presentations

Columbia’s spine research team delivered 14 podium presentations, reflecting the department’s depth in outcomes research, health economics, artificial intelligence, and minimally invasive spine surgery.

Farhan Khan, MD — Three Kuntz Scholar Awards

Colubia Neurosurgery resident, Farhan Khan, MD achieved an extraordinary milestone, earning three 2026 Kuntz Scholar Awards — an unprecedented accomplishment at a single meeting.

His award-winning presentations examined long-term outcomes and cost-effectiveness of minimally invasive versus open surgery for degenerative lumbar spondylolisthesis using five-year Quality Outcomes Database (QOD) data:

• Cost-effectiveness of minimally invasive surgery 
• Five-year comparative outcomes: MIS vs open surgery 
• Disability domain improvement analysis

These studies reinforce Columbia’s leadership in value-based spine care and long-term outcomes research.

Additional Columbia Research Highlights

Columbia faculty and trainees presented across a wide range of high-impact topics, including:

• Peter Chabot — 60-month QOD outcomes comparing minimally invasive and open approaches for Grade I spondylolisthesis
• Eunice Yang — Early surgery and 5-year outcomes in cervical spondylotic myelopathy
• Shailen Sampath —
  • AI-based natural language processing to improve patient understanding of imaging reports
  • Robotic vs CT-guided vs freehand pedicle screw placement accuracy
• Chi Izima — Machine learning analysis of social determinants of health and 30-day readmissions after lumbar fusion
• Andrew K. Chan, MD — CT Junction Debate: Posterior Fusion LIV: C7

Together, these presentations spanned minimally invasive surgery, artificial intelligence in spine care, robotic navigation, social determinants of health, and long-term outcomes analysis — underscoring the breadth of Columbia’s spine research program.

Best Presentation Award

Columbia medical student Roland Scott earned Best Presentation honors during the Minimally Invasive Surgery session — highlighting the department’s strong academic mentorship and commitment to developing future leaders in spine surgery.

Looking Ahead: AANS 2026 and Spine Summit 2027

With the momentum from Spine Summit 2026, Columbia Neurosurgery now looks ahead to continued national engagement at the American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS) Annual Scientific Meeting this May.

The department also looks forward to Spine Summit 2027 in Orlando, where Columbia faculty will again contribute to scientific programming and leadership in spine surgery education.