Clockwise from top: A Lecture, Dr. Quest, Dr. Lavine, Dr. Sisti, Drs. Solomon and Bruce
Center: Evening Event

A group of Columbia neurosurgeons were recently in sunny Arizona, where they met to collaborate with and learn from neurosurgeons from all over the globe.

Each year a group of Columbia neurosurgeons attends the conference of The Society of University Neurosurgeons (SUN). The SUN conference brings more than 100 members together from countries around the world to share information and foster high standards of neurosurgical care worldwide.

Meeting locations are rotated to reflect the international membership. Last year’s conference was held in China. Next year’s will be in South Africa. This year the meeting took a turn in the United States and was held in Phoenix, Arizona.

Columbia neurosurgeons Dr. Robert Solomon, Dr. Richard Anderson, Dr. Jeffrey Bruce, Dr. E. Sander Connolly, Dr. Michael Kaiser, Dr. Sean Lavine, Dr. Alfred Ogden, Dr. Michael B. Sisti and Dr. Donald Quest all attended the meeting.

The three-day conference was packed full of scientific lectures and discussions, as attendees shared a wide range of information on neurosurgery around the world.

One highlight of the meeting was when Dr. Michael Levy, President of the Society, presented Columbia’s Dr. Jeffrey Bruce with the Distinguished Service Award. Dr. Bruce was honored for his research and his many publications, as well as his service to the neurosurgical community.

As busy as the conference was, the attendees managed to squeeze in some time to catch a Major League Baseball game and even explore the desert. Phoenix seems like an appropriate place for SUN conference attendees to have a little time in the sun—all in the name of fostering international collaboration!

Photo Credit: © Roberto Suazo, 2016