Dr. Chibuikem A. Ikwuegbuenyi, a Research Fellow in the Department of Neurological Surgery at Weill Cornell Medicine and New York-Presbyterian, has been honored with the Charles Tator Spinal Cord Injury Resident Research Award at the 2025 American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS) Annual Scientific Meeting in Boston. His work was recognized as the highest-rated abstract in spinal cord injury (SCI) research submitted by a trainee.
Dr. Ikwuegbuenyi’s presentation, “Patients with Traumatic Spinal Injuries Treated in a Low-Middle Income Country: What Happens After Discharge?”, provides the first systematic evaluation of long-term post-discharge outcomes for spinal trauma patients in a low-and middle-income country (LMIC). The study revealed critical challenges faced by patients after hospital discharge, including limited access to rehabilitation, lack of follow-up care, and poor long-term outcomes.
“This research highlights the urgent need for sustainable follow-up protocols to ensure continuity of care for patients in underserved regions,” said Dr. Ikwuegbuenyi. “It’s an honor to receive this recognition for work that aims to improve global neurosurgical outcomes.”
Dr. Chibuikem A. Ikwuegbu and Dr. Roger Härtl
The research was conducted during Dr. Ikwuegbu’s yearlong neurosurgical research fellowship in Tanzania, one of the core components of the Tanzania Neurosurgery Project — a 15-year collaboration between Weill Cornell Medicine and Muhimbili Orthopaedic Institute in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Initiated by Dr. Roger Härtl, Professor of Neurological Surgery at Weill Cornell, the project has built one of sub-Saharan Africa’s largest prospective spine trauma databases since 2016 — enabling large-scale investigations such as this.
“Dr. Ikwuegbuenyi’s work is an outstanding example of how global partnerships and local infrastructure can produce impactful, data-driven research,” said Dr. Härtl. “This kind of study is exactly what we envisioned when we began the Tanzania Neurosurgery Project — research that identifies critical challenges and helps us address them.”
Dr. Ikwuegbu extended his gratitude to his co-authors, Dr. Ibrahim Hussain and Dr. Scott Zuckerman, for their invaluable support. Dr. Zuckerman, now a faculty member at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, previously served as a research fellow for the Tanzania Neurosurgery Project and has been instrumental in building its clinical and research foundation.
Named in honor of Dr. Charles Tator, a pioneering neurosurgeon and global leader in spinal cord injury research, the award recognizes excellence in trainee-led SCI research. Dr. Ikwuegbuenyi’s achievement reflects his dedication and Weill Cornell’s ongoing commitment to advancing equitable neurosurgical care worldwide.
The full paper is available in Neurosurgical Focus:
