Chair of Neurosurgery
University of Miami
Miami, FL, US
Allan D. Levi, MD, PhD, FACS is Professor and Chairman, Department of Neurological Surgery; Professor, Departments of Orthopedics and Rehabilitation Medicine; Chief of Neurosurgery, Jackson Memorial Hospital; and Robert M. Buck Distinguished Chair in Neurological Surgery at University of Miami Miller School of Medicine/Jackson Memorial Hospital. Dr. Levi graduated from the University of Ottawa Medical School. He completed his residency at the University of Toronto Hospitals, as well as a spine fellowship at the Barrow Neurological Institute in Phoenix, AZ. In addition, he received a PhD in neurosciences at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. Dr. Levi, holding both a MD and PhD, leverages both his time spent in the laboratory as a researcher obtaining his Ph.D. and his extensive experience as a neurosurgeon to create and direct his research staff to conduct studies that apply to humans in real world situations. Dr. Levi's research interests include cellular transplantation strategies after spinal cord and peripheral nerve injury. Dr. Levi's research interests have focused on developing cellular transplantation strategies to repair injuries within both the human central and peripheral nervous system. Schwann cells are the principal support cells with the peripheral nervous system and have the capacity to promote regeneration of central nervous system neurons as well as remyelinate central axons which have lost their insulation. Dr. Levi has focused much of his previous research efforts in furthering our understanding of the biology of human Schwann cells which have been isolated using cell culture techniques. The results of these studies have demonstrated that human Schwann cells have the capacity to form myelin after transplantation within immune deficient rodent models and that their numbers can be significantly increased with addition of growth factors. Dr. Levi's current research interests involve serving as (1) PI on intravascular hypothermia after human cervical spinal cord injury (2) co-PI on the FDA approved trial of "The Safety of Autologous Human Schwann Cells in Subjects with Sub-acute Spinal Cord Injury (SCI)" and (3) the clinical development and characterization of the use of autologous human Schwann cells for peripheral nerve injuries with a lengthy gap to promote peripheral nerve regeneration. Dr. Levi is an extraordinarily skilled surgeon and maintains a very active laboratory in the Miami Project where several of residents have obtained their research training. Dr. Levi maintains a very busy surgical clinical practice which includes the treatment of numerous spinal disorders including but not limited to degenerative spine diseases, spinal trauma, rheumatoid arthritis, tumors, Chiari malformations, syrinxes, etc. Since 2007, Dr. Levi has been the Course Director of the Goodman Oral Board Preparation Course.
Saturday, March 18, 2023
9:53 AM – 10:00 AM EST