UChicago Medicine names Mohamad Bydon, MD, as inaugural Chair of the Department of Neurological Surgery

The University of Chicago Medicine has appointed Mohamad Bydon, MD, as the inaugural Chair of the Department of Neurological Surgery and health system leader for Neurological Surgery, effective July 1, 2025. Bydon, a distinguished neurosurgeon-scientist, joins UChicago from the Mayo Clinic.

A leader in minimally invasive and robotic approaches to complex spinal conditions, Bydon has pioneered cutting-edge advancements in neurosurgical care, attracting patients nationally and globally. He launched the Minimally Invasive Spine Program at Mayo in 2015 and established one of the nation’s first robotic spine programs in any academic department in 2018.

Beyond his clinical expertise, Bydon has been at the forefront of integrating artificial intelligence into healthcare. As principal investigator of the Neuro-Informatics Laboratory, he has leveraged predictive and generative AI tools to assess the cost and value of medical and surgical interventions, shaping the future of data-driven decision-making in neurosurgery. He has led groundbreaking, first-in-human clinical trials for the regenerative treatment of spinal cord injury, making notable advancements in stem cell therapy for neurological disease.

A leader in academic neurosurgery, Bydon has published three books, 36 book chapters, and 598 peer-reviewed manuscripts, including in journals such as Nature Communications, Nature Spinal Cord and JAMA Surgery. An innovator, he has 12 medical device-related patents. He has had over 700 lectures and presentations nationally and internationally, has been visiting professor at 15 institutions, and has received 55 awards at national and international scientific meetings. He serves on the editorial board of the Journal of Neurosurgery and as editor-in-chief of the International Journal of Neuroscience.

Bydon is a national leader in surgical outcomes data and quality improvement. He is chair of NeuroPoint Alliance, the data and registry vehicle of national neurosurgery, for the American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS); vice chair of the American Spine Registry, the largest spine surgery database in North America; and chair of the newly inaugurated Innovation Institute for the Congress of Neurological Surgeons (CNS). He is a member of the Executive Committee of the AANS/CNS Joint Section on Disorders of the Spine and Peripheral Nerves and is the scientific program coordinator for the International Society for the Advancement of Spine Surgery.

His extensive leadership experience includes serving as executive medical director of Academic Affairs for Mayo Clinic International; Associate Medical Director of Development; vice chair for diversity and vice chair for innovation in Mayo’s Department of Neurologic Surgery; and assistant dean of Education Enrichment and Innovation at the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science. He is an endowed, full professor of neurosurgery and has appointments as a full professor of orthopedic surgery and health services research.

Bydon earned his B.A. at Dartmouth College. He completed a post-baccalaureate program at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine prior to a research fellowship at a Howard Hughes Medical Institute laboratory. He earned his M.D. at Yale University School of Medicine and continued his training at Johns Hopkins Hospital, completing residency and chief residency in neurosurgery, as well as a fellowship in Complex Spinal Surgery and Spinal Oncology.

A Strategic Vision for Growth

UChicago Medicine launched the Department of Neurological Surgery in January 2021 to strengthen its position as a premier center for neurosurgical excellence. The evolution from a section to a department reflects the increasing complexity of neurological conditions and the need and demand for specialized, high-quality care. The department’s creation underscores UChicago’s commitment to advancing neurosurgical treatments, research, and education while expanding its reach to underserved communities in the Chicago region and beyond.

At UChicago, Bydon will focus on a strategic vision of excellence and growth for the Department of Neurological Surgery. He will lead a program of clinical expansion, developing an aggressive recruiting plan to increase the number of clinical faculty within the next five years and expand services across the health system in spinal neurosurgery, neuro-oncology, vascular neurosurgery, pediatric neurosurgery, stereotactic radiosurgery, and international surgical care. This includes expansion in residency and fellowship programs as department faculty and volume grow.

He will also work closely with the chairs of Neurobiology, Neurology, Orthopedic Surgery and Rehabilitation Medicine, Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, and other schools and divisions to identify talent and co-recruitment opportunities that supplement and grow areas of scientific focus for the department.

Bydon succeeds Bakthiar Yamini, MD, who has been serving as Interim Chair since the department’s inception in 2021. Yamini has led efforts to build the foundation for the department’s patient care and research missions, assembling a highly skilled faculty of sub-specialized neurosurgeons, developing multidisciplinary collaborations with closely aligned service lines, and building a research portfolio with one of the highest amounts of per capita extramural funding among neurosurgical departments in the country. Yamini has been instrumental in expanding the department’s clinical footprint in the west and southwest suburbs and in Northwest Indiana, and led the growth of its educational mission, including expanding the residency program.

“We are deeply grateful to Dr. Yamini for his exceptional leadership in laying the foundation for this department,” said Mark Anderson, MD, PhD, Executive Vice President for Medical Affairs at the University of Chicago. “With Dr. Bydon’s appointment, we are poised to build on that foundation and position UChicago Medicine as a global leader in neurosurgical care, education and research.”