Professor Hans Jörg Meisel, M.D., PhD
Professor, Dr. Hans Jörg Meisel has more than 25 years of experience in Neurosurgery. His group works in experience on clinical implantation of fusion devices for stabilization of the cervical and lumbar spine, promotion of bone fusion between vertebra during the normal healing process following surgical correction of disorders of the spine with biological implants and autologous disc chondrocyte, as well as mesenchymal stem cell transplantation as a means of obtaining functional restoration for disc collapse.
In 1998 Prof. Dr. Hans Jörg Meisel was appointed to the Berufsgenossenschaftliche Clinic in Bergmannstrost Halle/Saale as Director of the Clinic for Neurosurgery. Each year his team of 10 surgeons carries out a minimum of 1,800 surgeries in the area of cerebral and spinal diseases. Since 2007 Prof. Dr. Hans Jörg Meisel serves as visiting professor at the Department of Orthopedic the VUmc Amsterdam. In September 2008, Prof. Dr. Hans Jörg Meisel was appointed to the position of Director of the Center of Neurosciences of the BG-Clinic Bergmannstrost Halle.
Nitin Bhatia, M.D.
Nitin N. Bhatia, MD, is Chief of Spinal Surgery and Residency Program Director in the department of Orthopaedic Surgery at the University of California, Irvine.
Dr. Bhatia graduated with honors from Stanford University, after which he attended Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas. During medical school, Dr. Bhatia won numerous research awards and was the valedictorian of his graduating class. Following his orthopaedic surgery residency at UCLA, Dr. Bhatia completed a spine surgery fellowship at the University of Miami/Jackson Memorial Hospital, after which he completed a second spine surgery fellowship at Miami Children’s Hospital.
Dr. Bhatia is active in multiple research projects including federally funded spinal cord injury research, spinal biomechanics, and the evaluation and treatment of spinal infections. His research has been nominated for the prestigious Russell Hibbs research award from the Scoliosis Research Society. Dr. Bhatia’s work has also received awards from the Western Orthopaedic Association, the Cervical Spine Research Society, and the American College of Spine Surgery.
Dr. Bhatia has been featured in Sports Illustrated, Time, PBS, The Learning Channel, Fox Sports, and numerous other media services. Dr. Bhatia is the only academic surgeon in Orange County to be selected for the exclusive Cervical Spine Research Society which has granted admission to less than 20 physicians in the state of California, and is one of a less than 50 surgeons in the world to be selected as active members of both the Cervical Spine Research Society as well as the Scoliosis Research Society.
Robert Eastlack, M.D.
Dr. Eastlack is a fellowship-trained spine surgeon and a member of the Scripps Clinic Division of Orthopedic Surgery in La Jolla, California. He received his undergraduate and medical degrees from Stanford University and Baylor College of Medicine, respectively. He underwent Orthopaedic Surgery training at the University of California San Diego, which included a research fellowship during which he worked with on projects for UCSD, NASA, and Honeywell. Currently, he serves as co-Director of the San Diego Spine Fellowship training program, and as Director of Spine Research at Scripps Clinic.
Peter Whang, M.D.
Dr. Whang is an Associate Professor in the Yale Department of Orthopaedics and Rehabilitation. He is a fellowship-trained surgeon who specializes in treating diseases of the cervical, thoracic and lumbar regions of the spine. Dr. Whang received his undergraduate degree in biochemistry from Harvard University and his medical degree from the Duke University School of Medicine. He completed his residency in orthopaedic surgery at the University of California, Los Angeles and received specialized fellowship training in orthopaedic and neurosurgical spinal surgery at the Rothman Institute at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia, PA.
Dr. Whang is particularly interested in novel spinal technologies including minimally invasive surgeries and motion-sparing/nonfusion procedures. He is actively involved in clinical and basic science research with a focus on the biology of spinal fusion and bone healing, bone grafting substitutes, and evidence-based medicine. He is also involved in the development of new spinal implants and techniques. He is currently an investigator for various clinical trials. Dr. Whang is on the editorial staff of several publications and serves on multiple committees for the National Association of Spine Surgeons (NASS). In addition to his research pursuits, Dr. Whang devotes much of his time to the teaching of residents and medical students in the Yale School of Medicine.
Sigurd H. Berven, M.D.
Sigurd H. Berven, MD has a strong clinical interest in spinal disorders of children and adults. He is interested in pediatric and adult deformity, degenerative conditions of the spine, spinal tumors and spinal trauma. His research interests include assessment of clinical outcomes of surgery, and minimally invasive techniques in spine surgery. Dr. Berven is also studying cellular and molecular techniques for the biological regeneration of components of the spine including the intervertebral disc. He has been an invited speaker at national and international conferences, speaking on topics including measurement of outcomes in spine surgery, evaluation and management of spinal disorders, and advanced techniques in spine surgery.
Dr. Berven is a graduate of the Harvard Combined Orthopedic Residency. After completing his residency, he had further clinical training in spine surgery as a clinical fellow at UCSF and in pediatric orthopedic surgery as the chief resident at Boston Children’s Hospital. He studied Human Biology as an undergraduate at Stanford University. He was a graduate student at Oxford University in philosophy, politics and economics, and he received his medical degree from Harvard Medical School.
Paul Kraemer, M.D.
Paul E. Kraemer, MD is a board-certified orthopaedic surgeon with Indiana Spine Group specializing in spine surgery. Additionally, he is an assistant professor of orthopaedic surgery at Indiana University Medical School, and the fellowship director for spine surgery with Indiana Spine Group and IU Orthopaedics. Dr. Kraemer performs all types of spine surgery, and specializes in redo, or revision surgery, treatment of previous failed spine surgery, and complex disorders including scoliosis and deformity. Additionally, he performs minimally invasive procedures when indicated. Dr. Kraemer has spoken nationally on differentiation of shoulder versus neck problems and young surgeon education topics. His research interests focus on long term outcomes of spinal fusion and prevention of failed surgeries.
He received his medical degree at the University of Iowa College of Medicine, and completed his residency in orthopaedic surgery at the University of Wisconsin. Additionally, he served a fellowship at Harborview Medical Center at the University of Washington where he gained advanced clinical experience and focused on spine surgery.
Andrew Park, M.D.
Andrew Park, MD graduated with his medical degree from Northwestern University in 1997 and completed his residency at Rush – Presbyterian St. Luke’s Medical Center Chicago, IL in 2002. Dr. Park’s spine fellowship was completed in 2003 at Emory University Spine Center. He is board certified by the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery. Dr. Park founded the only spine fellowship program in Dallas recognized by the North American Spine Society, and he serves as Fellowship Director for the Dallas Spine Fellowship Program. In addition to teaching other surgeons at various seminars and symposiums, he has also published original research in numerous peer- reviewed journals with regard to orthopaedic surgery and spine surgery. Dr. Park was honored to be named one of the top 100 spine surgeons in the United States in 2011. He is also one of the founding surgeons for the state of the art Methodist Hospital for Surgery in Addison, TX. Dr. Park also practices at Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas, TX.
