UChicago Medicine expands neurosurgery expertise with four new physicians

The University of Chicago Medicine has hired four distinguished neurosurgeons, enhancing the health system’s clinical and research capabilities.

Youssef Comair, MD; Ryan Naylor, MD, PhD; P.B. Raksin, MD; and Timothy Witham, MD, bring extensive experience and dedication to advancing patient care and neurosurgical innovation.

“We are thrilled to welcome these outstanding physicians as we continue to provide world-class care for our patients,” said Mohamad Bydon, MD, Chair of the Department of Neurological Surgery.

Comair leads neuro-oncology efforts

Comair is recognized internationally for expertise in complex brain tumors such as falcotentorial meningiomas, gliomas and glioblastomas in critical brain regions.

A “rare and compelling convergence” of opportunities attracted Comair to UChicago Medicine, where he is Section Chief of Neuro-Oncology in the Department of Neurological Surgery, seeing patients in Hyde Park and at River East.

The benefits, Comair said, include “a world-renowned cancer biology program that drives fundamental discovery, a leading Department of Neurobiology that enables transformative insights into brain function, and the development of a new freestanding cancer pavilion dedicated to advanced, integrated cancer care.”

Comair’s clinical skills include awake craniotomy, advanced brain mapping, management of complex brain tumors, epilepsy surgery, pituitary and parasellar surgery, treatment of trigeminal neuralgia, radiosurgery, and the surgical management of hydrocephalus. He has authored more than 120 peer-reviewed publications and contributed to over 40 textbooks.

A member of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS), Comair previously held faculty positions at Johns Hopkins University, Baylor College of Medicine, UCLA, Cleveland Clinic and the American University of Beirut.

Witham brings spine surgery leadership

Witham specializes in degenerative cervical and lumbar spine conditions, spinal tumors, trauma and spinal deformities. As Section Chief of Spine Surgery in the Department of Neurological Surgery, he works in Hyde Park and also sees patients in Orland Park.

His primary research interests include spinal fusion techniques and advancements for the aging spine. Witham is a leader in using augmented reality in spinal procedures and he lectures internationally on this topic. He has produced more than 300 peer-reviewed publications.

Witham joined Johns Hopkins University in 2005, serving as professor of neurological surgery, director of the Spinal Fusion Laboratory, director of the Bayview Medical Center Spine Program and associate program director of the neurosurgery residency.

The former U.S. Air Force major received the Meritorious Service Medal and previously served as chief neurosurgeon at Keesler Medical Center at Keesler Air Force Base in Biloxi, Mississippi. He is a member of the American College of Surgeons and the AANS.

Raksin focuses on neurotrauma and neurocritical care

Raksin specializes in neurotrauma (brain and spinal cord injury), neurocritical care and evidence-based practice.

With more than two decades of experience, Raksin has served on multiple interdisciplinary guideline-writing panels, collaborating with experts in physical medicine and rehabilitation, infectious diseases, orthopaedics and critical care medicine.

She has published extensively on neurotrauma and neurocritical care topics. Raksin is editor of two textbooks — “Atlas of Emergency Neurosurgery” and “Acute Care Neurosurgery by Case Management” — as well as a recent volume of Neurosurgery Clinics dedicated to neurocritical care in trauma. She also coauthored the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines for diagnosing and managing mild traumatic brain injuries in children.

Raksin is an immediate past chair of the AANS/CNS Section on Neurotrauma and Critical Care and the Joint Guidelines Review Committee. Before joining UChicago Medicine, Raksin was associate professor of neurosurgery at Rush University Medical Center. She served for two decades as a senior attending neurosurgeon and director of the neurosurgery intensive care unit at John H. Stroger, Jr. Hospital of Cook County.

Board-certified in neurosurgery and neurocritical care, Raksin is helping to create the role of neurosurgical hospitalist at UChicago Medicine.

Naylor offers comprehensive cerebrovascular, skull base expertise

Naylor is a fellowship-trained vascular and endovascular neurosurgeon who joins UChicago Medicine from Mayo Clinic.

He specializes in treating complex cerebrovascular disorders, including brain aneurysms, arteriovenous malformations (AVMs), cavernous malformations, stroke and brain hemorrhage, as well as brain tumors, hydrocephalus, neurovascular compression syndromes and spontaneous intracranial hypotension.

With advanced fellowship training in open microsurgical and minimally invasive endovascular neurosurgery, Naylor also has specialized training in skull base neuro-oncology. He performs surgery for a range of brain tumors, including meningiomas, schwannomas and gliomas, with an emphasis on preserving neurological function and quality of life.

“My goal is to partner with patients and their families to develop individualized treatment plans while contributing to the department’s strong tradition of clinical excellence, research and innovation," Naylor said.

Naylor’s research focuses on the molecular biology of brain AVMs and the development of targeted therapies for complex cerebrovascular disease. He is also among the few neurosurgeons nationwide with expertise in treating spontaneous intracranial hypotension and performs minimally invasive embolization of cerebrospinal fluid-venous fistulas, as well as microsurgical repair of spinal cerebrospinal fluid leaks.

He sees patients in Hyde Park and Crown Point.

Commitment to growth and innovation

The recent arrivals of Comair, Naylor, Raksin and Witham are part of UChicago Medicine’s investment in the Department of Neurological Surgery, which became a standalone department in 2021 (previously, neurosurgery was a section in the Department of Medicine).

Since Bydon’s appointment as department chair in 2025, eight more faculty have joined the neurosurgery department, bringing the department to 18. The expansion strengthens services in spinal, pediatric and vascular neurosurgery, as well as neuro-oncology, stereotactic radiosurgery and international surgical care.

Recently, the department launched an advanced robotic spine program and intraoperative MRI, enhancing the safety of brain tumor and epilepsy surgeries with real-time imaging.

“Our case volume has grown dramatically, and we have grown as a national and international destination,” Bydon said. “We are proud to showcase some of the world’s leading experts in neurosurgical diseases for the benefit of patients who seek our care and for the advancement of our specialty.”