Dan Heffez

Dr. Dan Heffez is a Professor of Neurosurgery at the Medical College of Wisconsin and holds academic appointments as former Assistant/Associate Professor at Johns Hopkins and Rush Medical Colleges. He specializes in cerebrovascular surgery, Chiari malformations, and complex spinal disorders. His clinical practice focuses on neurological surgery with expertise in cervical spine disease, cerebrovascular pathology, and brain tumors.

Education: MD/Master of Surgery from McGill University (1979), Neurosurgery residency at Johns Hopkins (1980–1983), and Fogarty Research Fellowship at NIH (1983–1985).
Research Interests: Chiari malformation pathophysiology, fibromyalgia-neurological overlap, cervical myelopathy, and surgical techniques for spinal disorders.

Publications: Over 30 peer-reviewed articles and book chapters, focusing on Chiari malformation clinical outcomes, fibromyalgia-surgery correlations, and cervical spine interventions. Key studies include analyzing tonsillar ectopia severity and symptom correlation (2020 Acta Neurochirurgica).

Awards: 2000 FACES Achievement Award for research on fibromyalgia, Johns Hopkins Clinician Scientist Award (1989/1990), and Upjohn Resident of the Year (1984).

Professional Roles: Medical Director of Wisconsin Chiari Clinic, former Director of Cerebrovascular Surgery at Chicago Institute of Neurosurgery, and affiliated with Froedtert Hospital. Active in professional societies including Congress of Neurological Surgeons.