Mission and History

	Dr. French Dedication Letter from the Chair National Awards Past Peyton Society Meetings

Neurosurgery at the University of Minnesota Medical School became a separate discipline as a Division of the Department of Surgery in 1937 with Dr. William T. Peyton appointed as its Director. Dr. Peyton served as Director of the Division of Neurosurgery until his retirement in 1960. The Peyton era was characterized by its excellence in clinical training and research on cerebral edema, trauma, and brain tumor localization using radioisotopes. In celebration of Dr. Peyton's retirement a special issue of the journal Lancet was dedicated in his honor in 1961.

In 1960 Dr. Lyle A. French was appointed as the Director of the Division of Neurosurgery. At the time of his appointment Dr. French was nationally recognized for his work on cerebral aneurysms, arteriovenous malformations, and seizure disorders. The French era was characterized by significant increases in both clinical and research activities. Notable during this period was the development of dexamethasone for the treatment of cerebral edema. By 1968 the expansion of Neurosurgery at the Medical Schoollead to its establishment as a Department with Dr. French as its first Head. At this time the Neurosurgery Research
Laboratories were also formally established to focus on basic neuroscience research. 

In 1970 Dr. French was appointed Vice President for Health Sciences at the University and Dr. Shelley N. Chou assumed the position of Head of the Department. Dr. Chou continued to emphasize a commitment to research and excellence in clinical neurosurgery. During the Chou era a Division of Pediatric Neurosurgery was established as well as a comprehensive Epilepsy Program. In addition a SpineCenterwas established as a collaborative effort by the Departments of Neurosurgery, Orthopaedic Surgery, Urology, and Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. 

Upon Dr. Chou's retirement in 1989, Dr. Roberto C. Heros became Head of the Department. Dr. Heros continued the traditions and standards of academic excellence established by his predecessors and developed new programs in neuro-oncology, skull base surgery, and spinal surgery with a full range of spinal instrumentation as well as further strengthening cerebrovascular surgery. With Dr. Heros' departure in 1995, he was succeeded by Dr. Robert E. Maxwell who served as Head of the Department until 2003. In December of 2003, Dr. Stephen J. Haines accepted the position of Department Head and Lyle A. French Chair.

The Neurosurgery Research Laboratories were established in 1974 when Lyle French appointed Dr. James Bloedel as the first Director of Research to provide research opportunities for neurosurgery residents during their laboratory rotations. The primary focus of the Research Laboratories at that time was on the neurophysiology of the cerebellum. In 1984 Dr. Timothy J. Ebner took over as Director of the Laboratories and expanded the research base to included studies of motor control in the cerebellum and motor cortex. In 1998 Dr. Walter C. Low was appointed as Director and further expanded the research activities of the Laboratories to include the development of stem cells for the treatment of neurological disorders, and the development of cancer vaccines for treating brain tumors. 

Throughout its history the Department has strived to achieve a balance between clinical and academic excellence. Approximately 50% of its graduates have pursued academic careers. The Department has consistently ranked among the "10 best programs" in the country for neurosurgical training as cited by the journal Surgical Neurology.