USA
Sigurd Berven, MD, studied Human Biology and Economics at Stanford University, graduating in 1987. He then studied Philosophy, Politics and Economics as a graduate student at University College, Oxford. He studied at Harvard Medical School for his doctorate in medicine, followed by residency in the Harvard Combined Orthopaedic Program. He trained as a fellow at UC San Francisco, and he has been on the faculty at UC San Francisco since August, 2000. Dr. Berven is the Professor in Residence at UC San Francisco, and he serves as the Chief of the Spine Service and Director of the Spine Surgical Home Program. His clinical interests include complex spinal deformity in the adult and pediatric patient. His research interests include studies on the value of interventions including non-operative management, operative strategies and new technologies. He serves on the Board of Directors of the Scoliosis Research Society, the Evaluation Committee of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgery, the executive committee of the US Bone and Joint Decade Initiative, and he has been Chairman of the Value Council of the North American Spine Society.
Dr. Berven has been a leader in developing an evidence-based approach to disorders of the spine, including degenerative and deformity pathologies. Through systematic study of clinical outcomes and complications of care, his research has contributed importantly to optimal management of spinal disorders. He served as the co-principal investigator at UC San Francisco for the NIH- funded SPORT study, and he has been the principal investigator on many prospective trials including IDE studies on disc arthroplasty, and multicenter studies on clinical outcomes and complications. His present research includes development of criteria for appropriateness of surgery for adult scoliosis and predictive modelling in spine surgery to empower informed choice regarding expected outcomes and risks of surgery.
USA
Dr. Branch is the Professor and Chairman, Department of Neurological Surgery at Wake Forest University School of Medicine. Born in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, he received his B.A. degree from Oklahoma Christian College in 1977 and his medical degree from University of Texas Southwestern Medical School in 1981. He completed his neurosurgical training at Wake Forest University in 1987. He completed a Clinical Fellowship in the Department of Neurological Surgery at the University of California in San Francisco. In 1987, he returned to Wake Forest as a faculty member in the Department of Neurosurgery. In June, 2000, Dr. Branch was appointed to the position of the Eben Alexander, Jr. Professor and Chairman of the Department of Neurological Surgery, a position that he currently holds.
A renowned international lecturer, Branch has also published 20 book chapters and over 50 journal articles. He has served as a visiting professor in the US and Canada. Dr. Branch has served as the Chair of the American Board of Neurological Surgery, the President of the North American Spine Society and Chair of the AANS/CNS Joint Section on Disorders of the Spine and Peripheral Nerves. He served as Editor-in-Chief of The Spine Journal, the official journal of the North American Spine Society, from 2004-2009 and is currently on the Editorial Board of the Journal of Neurosurgery-Spine. In addition, Dr. Branch has served as the Chair of Wake Forest University Physicians practice group and as a member of Governing Board of the School of Biomedical Engineering of Wake Forest University and Virginia Polytechnic University and the Board of Regents of Pepperdine University.
Dr. Branch’s practice and research interests have focused upon the treatment of spinal diseases and injuries, and brain tumors. Earlier in his career, Dr. Branch initiated and the developed the stereotactic brain tumor treatment program at Wake Forest. In addition, he was responsible for bringing Stereotactic Radiosurgery to Wake Forest in 1990 and along with Dr. Ed Shaw, he co-founded the Brain Tumor Center of Excellence of Wake Forest University in order to further develop a major research initiative to cure brain cancer.
He is also a pioneer in the development of spinal fusion techniques that are recognized and used by spinal surgeons worldwide. Based upon work his father, Charles L. Branch began in the 1980’s modifying the Cloward Posterior Lumbar Interbody Fusion (PLIF) technique, Dr. Branch has dedicated much of his career to the enhancement and education of minimally invasive PLIF techniques. He has been granted over 40 patents recognizing unique fusion and minimally invasive spine technology. His current research effort centers on the development of minimally invasive lumbar fusion technology.
Dr. Branch and his wife Lesa have five children and live on their farm and wildlife preserve in Advance, NC. Their son Byron, is currently practicing neurosurgery in Charlotte, NC. Another son, Daniel is currently in his third year of Neurosurgery training at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, and their daughter Leslie is the Plastic Surgery Chief Resident at Wake Forest Baptist Health. Two daughters, Courtney and Emily have completed studies at Pepperdine University and are devoted to careers using their artistic talents.
In addition to his land and wildlife conservation interests, Dr. Branch is active in his church as an Elder and as the director of medical mission programs in Haiti, Guyana, Nigeria, and most recently Guatemala. He also serves on the Governance Board of Eastern European Missions facilitating bible distribution and faith based humanitarian relief efforts in the Ukraine and Russia.
Germany
Prof. Dr. Hans-Joachim Wilke, Ph.D. is the Co-Director of the Institute for Orthopaedic Research and Biomechanis at the University of Ulm and head of spine research.
Since 2001 he is Deputy Editor of the European Spine Journal responsible for basic research. He has been president of the German Spine Society and president of the Spine Society of Europe and head of the Science Committee of the German Spine Society. He was also the scientific representative of the International Society of the Study of the Lumbar Spine. Currently he is Vice-President of the German Spine Foundation. Last year he was the host of the Eurospine 2016 in Berlin.
He authored and coauthored more than 240 peer-reviewed publications, ca. 57 book-chapters, and he has been editor of 5 books and several special issues in well-respected Spine journals. Prof. Wilke is mechanical engineer, has received his Ph.D. in biomechanics and has become lecturer and professor for experimental surgery.