From left to right: Dr. Kaiser, Dr. Ogden, Dr. Anderson, Dr. Mao Ying (VP Hua Shan Hospital), Dr. Sisti, Dr. Bruce, Dr. Lavine, Dr. Connolly

A bunch of Columbia neurosurgeons just got back from China. They traveled to this year’s SUN (Society of University Neurosurgeons) Conference in Beijing and Shanghai.

SUN has more than a hundred members worldwide, and the conferences are a chance for university neurosurgery professionals to interact and share information, as well as see neurosurgical practices in other cultures.  The annual conference is geared towards global leaders in the field of neurological surgery, and it is held at different medical universities around the world every year. There are lectures, scientific presentations, academic discussions, and a bit of sight-seeing too.

Columbia’s Dr. Jeffrey N. Bruce, Dr. E. Sander Connolly, and Dr. Michael G. Kaiser are on the Society’s Executive committee. Dr. Richard C. E. Anderson and Dr. Michael B. Sisti gave talks at this year’s conference, and Dr. Kaiser moderated one of the scientific presentations. Dr. Sean Lavine and Dr. Alfred Ogden also attended the conference. They are all shown in the photo above.

In addition to the scientific gains in knowledge for neurosurgeons who attend the conference, there are several cultural benefits as well. The group was able to see neurosurgery in practice at Huashan Hospital, but also visited places like a silk embroidery museum, Tiananmen Square, and the Temple of Heaven. After one of the sessions, musician Ma Xiaohui performed for the group on the erhu, a traditional Chinese instrument with two strings, played with a bow.

The combination of sharing both medical information and cultural experiences between countries is one of the elements that makes the SUN conference such a special event for neurosurgery professionals.

Past presidents and officers of SUN have included Dr. Robert Solomon (President, 2008), Dr. Jeffrey Bruce  (President, 2009), and Dr. E. Sander Connolly (President, 2014).