Nicholas Theodore, MD, MS, has been named chair of the neurosurgery department at the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Phoenix, located at Banner – University Medical Center Phoenix. He also takes on the role of physician executive for the neurosciences service line at Banner Health as of October 1.
Dr. Theodore is recognized nationally for his work in brain and spinal cord injury, as well as minimally invasive spine surgeries and robotics. Before this appointment, he was 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.
Dr. Theodore earned his medical degree from Georgetown University School of Medicine and completed both his neurosurgery residency and a spinal surgery fellowship at Barrow Neurological Institute in Phoenix in 2001. After his fellowship training, he served with the U.S. Navy before returning to Barrow to direct neurotrauma and spine programs. In 2016, he joined Johns Hopkins as professor in several departments including neurosurgery 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’s clinical expertise covers various spinal disorders such as trauma, Chiari malformations, spinal deformities, degenerative spine conditions, and spinal cord tumors. He has authored or co-authored 75 book chapters and over 400 peer-reviewed journal articles and holds more than 30 patents related to medical devices and procedures.
At Johns Hopkins, Dr. Theodore served not only as director but also founded the HEPIUS Innovation Lab with funding from DARPA. His experience extends to sports medicine; he chaired the National Football League’s Head, Neck and Spine Committee and served as neurosurgeon for teams including the Arizona Cardinals and Phoenix Coyotes.
Banner Health operates across six states with 33 hospitals and more than 450 additional care sites providing services such as health insurance coverage for over 1.2 million members through its Medicare, Medicaid, and commercial plans division (more details available at https://www.bannerhealth.com/). The organization delivered $1 billion worth of community benefits in 2024 through various support programs.
The University of Arizona College of Medicine – Phoenix has trained more than 800 physicians since its founding in 2007 (further information can be found at https://phoenixmed.arizona.edu/). It is based on a campus projected to have a $3.1 billion economic impact by 2025.
