The Department of Neurological Surgery in the OHSU School of Medicine is proud to recognize the accomplishments of John Raaf, M.D., (1905 – 2000), widely regarded as the father of neurosurgery in Oregon. Raaf advanced the profession during his years as chairman of neurosurgery at Good Samaritan Hospital by creating an outstanding resource for the neurosciences community in the Pacific Northwest.

Richard W. Byrne, MD, completed his undergraduate studies at the University of Illinois in 1987 and received his medical doctorate at Northwestern University Medical School in 1991. Byrne graduated from the neurosurgical residency training program at Rush University Medical Center in 1997 and joined the faculty after additional training in epilepsy and brain tumor surgery. Dr. Byrne is a board-certified neurosurgeon who specializes in surgical treatment for epilepsy, skull base and brain tumor surgery, pituitary surgery, trigeminal neuralgia and radiosurgery. He has been actively involved in many epilepsy and brain tumor surgery trials, and has authored more than 150 manuscripts, book chapters and two textbooks on these subjects. He is co-PI on an FDA approved and NIH-funded, intracortical visual prosthesis phase 1 clinical trial for the treatment of blindness.

Dr. Byrne is an active member of many professional societies and has served as:

•President, Neurosurgical Society of America
•Chairman, Board of Directors of the Interurban Neurosurgical Society
•Board of Directors, Congress of Neurological Surgeons
•Director, American Board of Neurological Surgeons
•Treasurer, Society of Neurological Surgeons