Congratulations to SpineLine’s 2025 20 Under 40 Class
Since its launch in 2018, SpineLine’s 20 Under 40 has honored young leaders in spine care who are making meaningful contributions to the field. Candidates may be nominated by colleagues or apply directly, but all complete the same application process that focuses on their background, accomplishments, and service to NASS and their home communities. Each year, the SpineLine Editorial Board carefully reviews dozens and dozens of candidates to identify whose professional accomplishments, innovation, scholarship, and service set them apart as the most deserving of this recognition.
The 2025 class reflects the global reach and multidisciplinary strength of today’s spine community. This year’s honorees include orthopedic surgeons, neurosurgeons, rehabilitation specialists, allied health professionals, and researchers working across a wide spectrum of focus areas – from complex deformity and degenerative disorders, to biologics, biomaterials, and patient recovery. Their collective expertise demonstrates the future direction of the field, and their individual profiles will be featured in the November/December issue. As the Annual Meeting issue, this edition of SpineLine will be open access, providing the entire spine community with the opportunity to read about and celebrate the achievements of all 20 honorees.
Ilyas Aleem, MD, MS, FRCSC
Orthopedic Surgeon
University of Michigan Medical Center Ann Arbor, MI
Zainab J. Al Lawati, MD
PM&R
University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine Miami, FL
Luca Ambrosio, MD
Orthopedic Surgeon
Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Campus Bio-Medico Rome, Italy
Joshua Bakhsheshian, MD, MHA
Neurosurgeon
Department of Neurological Surgery, Mayo Clinic Arizona Phoenix, AZ
Josephine Coury, MD
Orthopedic Surgeon
The Daniel and Jane Och Spine Hospital at New York-Presbyterian/Columbia New York, NY
Charlotte Dandurand, MD, MSc, FRCSC
Neurosurgeon
The University of British Columbia Vancouver, BC
Rafael Garcia de Oliveira, MD
Orthopedic Surgeon
Virginia Mason Medical Center Seattle, WA
Brian C. Goh, MD, PhD
Orthopedic Surgeon
Emory University School of Medicine Atlanta, GA
Sereen Halayqeh, MD
Orthopedic Surgeon
Hospital for Special Surgery New York, NY
Harish Kempegowda, MD
Orthopedic Surgeon
Horizon Health Paris Community Hospital Paris, IL
Ahmad Ozair, MD, MPH
Neurosurgeon
McGill University Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Prashant V. Rajan, MD
Orthopedic Surgeon
University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center Cleveland, OH
Andreas Remis, DPT
Physical Therapist
Duke University Durham, NC
Ahad M. Siddiqui, PhD
Researcher
Mayo Clinic Rochester, MN
Sung Huang Laurent Tsai, MD, MPH
Orthopedic Surgeon
Taipei Medical University Hospital Taipei, Taiwan
Dan Tobert, MD
Orthopedic Surgeon
Massachusetts General Hospital Boston, MA
Anne Versteeg, MD, PhD, MHSc, FRCSC
Orthopedic Surgeon
Mayo Clinic
Rochester, MN
Hao-Hua Wu, MD
Orthopedic Surgeon
UC Irvine Orange, CA
Charles Yu, MD, FAAOS
Orthopedic Surgeon
Ochsner Medical Center New Orleans, LA
Mohamed A. Zaazoue, MD, MSc, MBA
Neurosurgeon
Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Wisconsin Madison, WI
For more detailed profiles, stay tuned for the November/December issue of SpineLine. Visit SpineLine's 20 Under 40 page for more information.