Saman Shabani

Dr. Saman Shabani is an Assistant Professor of Neurosurgery at the Medical College of Wisconsin (MCW), serving as Director of Spinal Oncology Surgery, Adult Spinal Deformity Surgery, and the Spine Fellowship Program. He completed his MD at Stony Brook University (2014), Neurosurgery Residency at MCW (2021), and a Complex & Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery Fellowship at UCSF (2022). Specializing in spinal oncology, adult spinal deformity, and acute/chronic spinal cord injury, he has published over 50 peer-reviewed articles and secured multiple grants. Notable awards include the Charlie Kuntz Scholar Award (2022) and Golden Key Honor Society (2010).

Education:

• BS in Psychobiology, UCLA (2010)
• MD, Stony Brook University School of Medicine (2014)
• Neurological Surgery Residency, MCW (2014–2021)
• Fellowship in Complex Spine Surgery, UCSF (2021–2022)

Research Interests: Dr. Shabani focuses on advancing surgical techniques for spinal deformities and tumors, optimizing patient outcomes through machine learning, and improving diagnostic imaging practices. His work emphasizes minimally invasive approaches, awake spinal surgery protocols, and MRI-based spinal research.

Publications: His articles span topics like BMI’s impact on surgical outcomes, minimally invasive thoracic disc management, and spinal oncology case studies. Recent work explores racial disparities in postoperative opioid prescriptions and sleep disturbances in cervical myelopathy patients.

Awards & Grants:

• Charlie Kuntz Scholar Award (2022)
• Young Surgeon Grant (2022)
• Mayfield Based Science Research Award (2017)
• Golden Key Honor Society (2010)

Labs/Teams: Leads the spinal oncology and deformity teams at MCW, collaborating on AO Spine surveys and multicenter studies. Active in developing educational algorithms for awake spinal surgery and robotic-assisted techniques.