Nicholas Theodore, MD, MS, Joins the College as Chair of Neurosurgery at Banner – University Medical Center Phoenix

Nicholas Theodore, MD, MS, a nationally recognized expert in brain and spinal cord injury has joined the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Phoenix as chair of the Department of Neurosurgery at Banner – University Medical Center Phoenix.

Dr. Theodore, who also serves as physician executive of the Neurosciences Service Line at Banner, assumed the role Oct. 1.

Also acknowledged as a leader in minimally invasive spine surgeries and robotics, Dr. Theodore arrives in Phoenix after serving as the director of the Johns Hopkins Neurosurgical Spine Center in Baltimore.

“Dr. Theodore has led a long and distinguished career. His appointment as chair of the Department of Neurosurgery at Banner – University Medical Center Phoenix will propel the college’s research mission and further establish our campus as a premier institution in the field of neurosciences,” said Fred Wondisford, MD, MS, MBA, dean of the U of A College of Medicine – Phoenix.

A graduate of Georgetown University School of Medicine in Washington, D.C., Dr. Theodore completed both a residency in neurosurgery and a fellowship in spinal surgery at Barrow Neurological Institute in Phoenix in 2001. Following his fellowship training, he served in the U.S. Navy. He returned to Barrow and ultimately became director of the neurotrauma and spine programs. He left Phoenix after being recruited to Johns Hopkins in 2016 as a professor of neurosurgery, orthopedic surgery and biomedical engineering.

"We are delighted to welcome Dr. Theodore back to the Valley and as chair of our Department of Neurosurgery,” said Daniel Post, chief executive officer of Banner – University Medical Center Phoenix. “His leadership and experience will be instrumental in our delivery of world-class neuroscience care at Banner – University Medical Center Phoenix.”

Dr. Theodore has treated patients with a variety of spinal disorders — including trauma, Chiari malformations, spinal deformities, degenerative spine conditions, and spinal cord tumors. He has written or co-authored 75 book chapters and more than 400 peer-reviewed journal articles and is a co-holder of over 30 patents for medical devices and procedures.

He has served in numerous capacities at Johns Hopkins, including as director of the Neurosurgical Spine Center and founder of the HEPIUS Innovation Lab, which was funded by DARPA. In addition, he has worked with several professional sports teams and leagues, including serving as chairman of the National Football League’s Head, Neck & Spine Committee. He has also served as a neurosurgeon for both the Arizona Cardinals and the Phoenix Coyotes.

Media Contacts

Thomas Kelly
Interim Director, Marketing and Communications
U of A College of Medicine – Phoenix

Al Bravo
Associate Director, Earned Media
Banner Health