MJ Clarke

Dr. MJ Clarke is a Professor of Neurosurgery and Orthopedics at Mayo Clinic College of Medicine. She specializes in complex spine surgery, spinal oncology, and biomedical ethics. Her primary research focuses on spinal column and spinal cord tumors, degenerative spine disease, and optimizing patient outcomes through innovative surgical techniques and multidisciplinary collaboration.

Education:

• PhD in Health Professions Education (MGH Institute of Health Professions, 2025)
• MD (Georgetown University School of Medicine, 2002)
• BSE in Aerospace Engineering (Princeton University, 1998)

Research Interests:

• Primary spinal tumors and metastatic spine disease
• Development of novel surgical techniques
• Quality-of-life metrics in spine care
• Biomedical ethics in clinical practice

Awards:

• 2021 Top International Spine Paper Award
• 2016 Best Clinical Paper (AOSpine)
• 2015 Depuy Synthes Resident Research Award

Professional Activities:

• Leadership roles in the Minnesota Neurosurgical Society
• Committee member of the Society of Neurological Surgeons
• Founder of the National Neurosurgery Quality Outcomes Database

Labs/Teams: Active in Mayo Clinic’s Neurologic Surgery Department, Bioethics Program, and Spine Fellowship Program.