Dr. Kevin T. Foley Chairs Board of Esteemed Surgeons which include Doctors Paul Camarata, Fady Charbel, David Langer, Peter Nakaji and Alan Siu
Goleta, CA (December 21, 2020) – Six of the country’s most respected and experienced neurosurgeons have been brought together to establish a Development Advisory Board to
provide insight, guidance and a voice of medical professionals in helping True Digital Surgery’s (TDS) technological research and development efforts in building its robotic digital microscope
platform.
Renowned microsurgeon and TDS Board Member, Dr. Kevin Foley, is serving as Chairman of the Advisory Board. The five additional Board members represent a geographical cross section of some of the most respected surgeons in their field (listed alphabetically):
Dr. Paul Camarata – Vascular & Skull Base Neurosurgery at The University of Kansas Medical Center; Dr. Fady Charbel – The Richard L. and Gertrude W. Fruin Professor and Head of Neurosurgery in the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Medicine; Dr. David Langer – Chair, Department of Neurosurgery at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City and Vice President, Neurosurgery, Western Region, Northwell Health; Dr. Peter Nakaji – Physician Executive Director of the Banner – University Medicine Neuroscience Institute and
Chair of the Department of Neurosurgery at Banner for the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Phoenix; and Dr. Alan Siu – Neurosurgeon Specialist in Minimally Invasive
Neurosurgery at Ventura County Neuroscience Center, Ventura County Medical Center, Ventura, CA.
“We are honored that these tremendously accomplished neurosurgeons, each known for their interest in exploring and engaging next generation technology to improve patient outcomes,
have agreed to provide their insights and expertise to True Digital Surgery,” said Chairman and CEO Aidan Foley. “The have already provided our R&D team with valuable insights that will
help guide the development of the latest iteration of our RDM’s (robotic digital microscopes).” Full bios of all six TDS Development Advisory Board members follow.
Kevin T. Foley, M.D. (TDS Development Advisory Board Chair)
He serves as chairman of Semmes Murphey Clinic, director of complex spine surgery at Semmes Murphey, director of the spine fellowship program for the University of Tennessee Department
of Neurosurgery, and medical director for the Medical Education & Research Institute. Dr. Foley received his Doctor of Medicine degree from the University of California, Los Angeles
in 1979. After an internship at Letterman Army Medical Center in San Francisco, he returned to UCLA in 1980 to complete his neurosurgery residency.
Following residency, Dr. Foley served in the United States Army Medical Corps as assistant chief of neurosurgery at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, Texas, chief of
neurosurgery at Tripler Army Medical Center in Honolulu, Hawaii, and chief of neurosurgery as well as chairman of the neurosurgical residency program at Walter Reed Medical Center in
Washington, D.C. In 1992, Dr. Foley left the military and joined the Semmes Murphey Clinic and the Department of Neurosurgery at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center.
In addition to a full-time surgery practice, Dr. Foley is actively involved in research in minimally invasive spine surgery, disc regeneration, image-guided spinal surgery, robotics, spinal
biomechanics, and neurosurgical outcomes. He has authored more than 35 book chapters and more than 125 scientific journal publications. He is the inventor of many medical devices and
biologic products and has been issued more than 150 patents by the US Patent and Trademark Office. He serves on the board of directors for several medical device and biologics companies
to include Discgenics, LaunchPad Medical, and Triad Life Sciences. In recognition of his achievements, Dr. Foley was honored with the American Association of Neurological Surgeons
(AANS) Cushing Award for Technical Excellence and Innovation in Neurosurgery in 2019.
Paul J. Camarata, M.D.
Professor & Chairman
Vascular & Skull Base Neurosurgery
KU Medical Center – The University of Kansas
A graduate of Stanford University, Dr. Camarata completed his medical training at the University of Kansas School of Medicine. He completed his residency in neurosurgery and his fellowship in cerebrovascular and skull base surgery at the University of Minnesota. He has been in practice in Kansas City for 25 years, specializing in the treatment of brain tumors and the expert treatment of stroke and cerebrovascular diseases. He serves on the board for the American
Board of Neurological Surgery.
Fady T. Charbel, M.D.
The Richard L. and Gertrude W. Fruin Professor and Head of Neurosurgery in the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Medicine.
Dr. Charbel is an internationally recognized clinical expert, researcher, and educator in the areas of stroke, cerebrovascular diseases (brain aneurysm), cerebral blood flow metabolism, and
complex cerebral tumors. Active in developing new technology, his work has led to innovations in medical devices as well as surgical simulators. He is the developer and co-inventor of the
“Charbel Micro-flowprobe®” Transonic systems Inc. and of the NOVA® system, Vassol, Inc.
Dr. Charbel received the “Wall Street Journal Technology Innovation Awards: Medical Devices, Runner-up” in 2006 and “Inventor of the Year, The University of Illinois at Chicago” in 2002.
He has been named one of America’s Top Surgeons, Consumers’ Research Council of America; Best Doctor, Best Doctors in America; Top Doctor, Castle Connolly Medical Limited.
Dr. Charbel has been invited worldwide to lecture, teach, and demonstrate complex surgical procedures. He currently holds eight patents and has produced over 200 scientific presentations
and over 150 publications. He is the Professor and Head of the Department of Neurosurgery at UI Health. Dr. Charbel has also received the Dr. Richard L. and Gertrude W. Fruin Professorship
in 2014.
David Langer, M.D.
Chair, Department of Neurosurgery, Lenox Hill Hospital
Vice President, Neurosurgery, Western Region Northwell Health
Professor, Neurosurgery and Radiology, Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell
David Langer, MD, is the chair of neurosurgery at Lenox Hill Hospital and Vice President of neurosurgery for Northwell Health’s Western Region. He is Professor of Neurosurgery and
Radiology at the Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell. Internationally recognized as an expert in cerebral revascularization and cerebral aneurysms, his
work focuses on diseases of the brain vessels. Dr. Langer’s work has been featured in numerous peer-reviewed publications and he has spoken nationally and internationally on vascular
disorders such as aneurysms and arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) of the brain. He is one of the few cerebral bypass surgeons in the country.
Peter Nakaji, M.D.
Physician Executive of Neurosurgery at Banner Health
Physician Executive Director of the Banner – University Medicine Neuroscience Institute
Chair of the Department of Neurosurgery at Banner for the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Phoenix.
Peter Nakaji, MD, is an internationally known neurosurgeon, who has published more than 200 peer-reviewed papers and holds more than two dozen patents.
Dr. Nakaji has received a number of teaching awards and has served for nearly a decade as the program director for the Neurosurgery residency at Barrow Neurological Institute. In his role as
department chair at Banner Health, Dr. Nakaji extends neuroscience training for medical students, residents and fellows.
In addition to treating complex diseases of the brain, Dr. Nakaji is a pioneer in the area of neuroendoscopy for “keyhole” treatment of conditions such as trigeminal neuralgia and colloid cysts. He has a passion for technically demanding brain surgery and is a respected authority in the treatment of aneurysms, arteriovenous malformations, cavernous malformations, moyamoya disease, extracranial-intracranial bypass, carotid artery disease, as well as brain and skull base tumors.
Dr. Nakaji completed his residency at the University of California – San Diego. He received additional fellowship training in endoscopic neurosurgery at the Centre for Minimally Invasive
Neurosurgery in Sydney, Australia, under the direction of Charles Teo, MD. He completed a second fellowship in cerebrovascular and skull base surgery at Barrow Neurological Institute at
Dignity Health St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center in Phoenix under Robert Spetzler, MD, before joining the staff as an attending neurosurgeon in 2004.
Alan Siu, M.D., ANS, CNS
Neurosurgeon, Specialist in Minimally Invasive Neurosurgery
Medical Licensure & Board Certification
American Association of Neurological Surgeons (ANS)
The Congress of Neurological Surgeons (CNS)
State of California Medical License
Pennsylvania State Medical License
Tennessee State Medical License
Education & Post Doctoral Training
Medical Doctorate, Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine, Cleveland, OH, 2009
Masters of Science, Clinical/Translational Research, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH
Bachelors of Arts, Neuroscience, Pitzer College, Claremont Colleges, Claremont, CA
Fellowship, Minimally Invasive Spine, University of Tennessee, Memphis, TN
Fellowship, Minimally Invasive Skull Base Surgery, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA
Resident, Neurological Surgery, George Washington University Hospital, Washington, DC
Professional Appointments
Anacapa Surgical Associates, Ventura, CA
Ventura County Neuroscience Center, Ventura County Medical Center, Ventura, CA
Clinical Researcher, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, George Washington,
University, Washington, DC
Researcher, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, George Washington
University, Washington, DC
Researcher, Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, George Washington
University, Washington, DC
Research Assistant, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH
Research Assistant, Digestive Disease Research Center, VA West Los Angeles, CA
Research Assistant, Pitzer College
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About True Digital Surgery
With a nearly two-decade legacy of creating cutting-edge medical devices, True Digital Surgery is advancing its
innovative 3D surgery digital platform through the integration of optics and robotics with augmented reality and
machine learning that result in life-extending outcomes for both surgeons and patients.
To learn more, visit: https://www.truedigitalsurgery.com/solutions/
Contact:
True Digital Surgery, Inc.
Barry Stagg
Director, Marketing
(310) 880-3193
bstagg@truedigitalsurgery.com