Board Member Spotlight

Stephen I. Ryu, MD, MS, FACS, FAANS,

Chair of Neurosurgery,
Palo Alto Medical Foundation,
Adjunct Professor of Electrical Engineering,
Stanford University
Stephen Ryu is the Chair of Neurosurgery at the Palo Alto Medical Foundation and Adjunct Professor of Electrical Engineering at Stanford University. Formerly, he was an Assistant Professor of Neurosurgery at Stanford University. He has a busy clinical practice covering the breadth of spine surgery with a focus on minimally invasive techniques.
Stephen Ryu’s main clinical interest has been minimally invasive spine surgery which he has published and lectured extensively over the years. He has trained many residents and fellows and hosts observers. He is particularly interested in the biomechanics of MIS spine constructs, cervical arthroplasty, and technology in spine surgery to promote safety, efficiency and better outcomes. Stephen Ryu has given over 100 invited lectures around the world on his clinical and research interests. He has also authored over 100 articles, book chapters, and reviews. He authored the first paper on frameless stereotactic radiosurgery for spinal lesions. He especially enjoys teaching residents and fellows on socioeconomic issues and happiness.
Stephen Ryu has been involved in brain machine interfacing research for two decades as one of the first members of the Stanford Neuroprosthetics Laboratory. He has facilitated translation of this technology to convert paralyzed patient’s thoughts into usable information/action as well as advancing the basic science of motor neurophysiology. He has the world’s largest experience of non-human primate BCI electrode array brain implantation surgery.
Stephen Ryu completed his undergraduate and masters degree in electrical engineering at Stanford University focusing on VLSI/ASIC microprocessor design. He then received his MD from UC San Diego. He then completed his internship and neurosurgery residency at Stanford University. During residency, he also completed a post-doc in neurosciences and electrical engineering at Stanford University. He then completed a fellowship in minimally invasive spine surgery which included international observation and training. Stephen Ryu is a member and has served on the Board of several national spine societies. He is a founding member of SMISS.

Contact Us