Syed Abdullah Al-Haddad Author

Vivian A. Elwell BA Hons., MA (Cantab.), MBBS, MRCS, FRCS (Neuro. Surg)

Having completed her specialist registrar neurosurgery run-through training and Post-CCT Senior Spinal Fellow in London, Miss Elwell is currently working as a Consultant Neurosurgeon and Spinal Surgeon at University Hospital Sussex NHS Foundation Trust. During her training, she has held posts in Accident and Emergency, Orthopaedics, Neurosurgery, and General Surgery within the Surgical Rotation at St Mary’s Hospital, Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, London. Miss Elwell’s awards include the Swinford Edward Silver Medal Prize for her OSCE Examination; the Columbia University Research Fellowship at Columbia College of Physicians and Surgeons in New York City, USA; the Columbia University King’s Crown Gold and Silver Medal Awards; the Kathrine Dulin Folger Cancer Research Fellowship and the ‘Who’s Who Young Scientists Award’. In 2010, Miss Elwell was a finalist for the BMA’s Junior Doctor of the Year Award. Miss Elwell earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Biological Sciences at Columbia College, Columbia University, and a Master of Arts degree from the University of Cambridge. She earned a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery from the Imperial College School of Medicine. She is a Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons.

Ramez Kirollos MBChB, MD, FRCS (Ed), FRCS (Eng), FRCS (Neuro.Surg), European Certificate of Neurosurgery

In 1984, Mr Kirollos graduated from the Medical School at the University of Alexandria, Egypt. In 1987, he pursued his post-graduate medical education in the UK. He was awarded the Hallett prize by the Royal College of Surgeons of England for the results of his primary FRCS examination. Mr Kirollos trained in neurosurgery at the Atkinson Morley Hospital in London, the Frenchay Hospital in Bristol, the Leeds General Infirmary, and the Walton Centre for Neurology and Neurosurgery in Liverpool. He obtained a Doctor of Medicine higher degree for his research into photodynamic therapy of pituitary adenomas. Mr Kirollos completed a skull base fellowship under Dr Gentili at the Toronto Western Hospital. In 2001, he was appointed Consultant Neurosurgeon at Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge. In June 2018, Dr Kirollos moved to Singapore. His main clinical interests include anterior and middle skull base, pituitary and pineal surgery, and surgical treatment of arteriovenous malformations. A passion for neurosurgical technique based on the thorough understanding of anatomy has accompanied Mr Kirollos’ neurosurgical training and forms the basis of his surgical practice. He keenly shares this philosophy and knowledge with his trainees. Mr Kirollos has been actively involved in day-to-day teaching of medical students and junior and middle-grade neurosurgical trainees. Mr Kirollos serves on the faculty for Neuroanatomy of Operative Approaches and the British Neurosurgical Trainee courses since their conception in 2005 and 2010, respectively. In 2006, Mr Kirollos was elected as a member of the Court of Examiners of the Royal College of Surgeons of England. In 2010, for his commitment to surgical education, he received the prestigious Silver Scalpel Award. He was in the past chairman of the British Neurovascular Group (2013–2015), President and co-founder of the British-Irish Meningioma Society, member of the postgraduate educational committee of the EANS, ex officio member of the SBNS council as representative for the SBNS to the EANS and WFNS and currently is a member of the neuro-oncology committee of the WFNS. Dr Kirollos has over 100 publications, 100 presentations, 50 invited lectures and is the co-editor of the Oxford Textbook of Neurosurgery.

Syed Abdullah Al-Haddad MB BCh BAO (NUI), MSc (Trauma), MRCS, FRCS (Neuro. Surg)

Mr Al-Haddad is originally from Malaysia, where he studied and won the Most Outstanding Student Award from the Royal Military College. Subsequently, he was awarded a full scholarship to study medicine in the UK. During his under-graduate years, he excelled in both academic and extracurricular activities. He represented his college at the intervarsity level in rugby, hockey and volleyball. He was nominated as the sportsman of the year and won the Barker Anatomy Prize. He graduated from the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland in 1996. In 2000, he went on to complete a Master’s degree at the University of Birmingham in the study of surgical outcome of depressed skull fractures. He commenced his neurosurgical training at the Walton Centre in Liverpool, where he developed his interest in neuro-oncology research. He undertook further training in neurosurgery in Manchester, Leeds, Aberdeen and Edinburgh before being appointed a Consultant Neurosurgeon in Aberdeen, Scotland. Throughout, he has been actively involved in teaching both undergraduate and post-graduate students. He is a faculty member for Leeds and Edinburgh operative neuroanatomy courses. He has published numerous articles in peer-reviewed journals and also contributed a section on the online neuroscience module (www.ebrainjnc.com).Mr Al-Haddad is the founder and director of the highly successful Aberdeen FRCS (SN) viva course. The course has run twice a year since 2010, with the emphasis on giving practical advice to produce outstanding neurosurgeons who are well prepared for the challenge of the neurosurgical exam.

Peter Alwyn Bodkin BSc Hons (Anatomical Sci), MBChB, FRCS (Neuro. Surg)

Mr Bodkin grew up in Belfast and moved to Manchester for his medical degree. Whilst there, he took the opportunity of doing an Intercalated BSc in Anatomical Sciences. He reconstructed the facial features of ancient Egyptian mummies for his BSc project and has remained keenly interested in anatomy ever since. After graduating from Manchester he went on to work in a number of neurosurgical units including Cambridge and Edinburgh. He was lecturer and spine fellow at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland before embarking on his consultant post in Aberdeen. He maintains a wide breadth of surgical interests particularly complex spine and facial pain. He was instrumental in setting up the Scottish National Teaching programme for Neurosurgery, he is chairman of the Scottish Neurosurgical Training Committee, question writer for Section One FRCS (NS) exam, member of the Surgical Specialty Board in Neurosurgery at RCSEd,, and clinical lead for neurosurgery in Aberdeen. He teaches widely including the Surgical Approaches to the Spine Course in Edinburgh as well as his own course, the Aberdeen White Matter Tract Dissection Course. In addition, Mr Bodkin is responsible for the running of the Aberdeen FRCS (Neuro Surg) Viva Preparation course.