Groff Family Memorial Fund
Fund Purpose: To provide support to students interested in attending the AANS Annual Scientific Meeting and other programs in honor of the family’s long-standing commitment to education, research, innovation and collaboration.
The American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS) and the entire neurosurgical community mourn the untimely passing of Michael W. Groff, MD, FAANS, a distinguished spine neurosurgeon, beloved colleague and dedicated leader. Dr. Groff passed away tragically in a plane crash on April 12, 2025, leaving behind a profound legacy of clinical excellence, academic contribution, and selfless service to the field of neurosurgery. Even more tragically, Dr. Groff’s family members — including his wife Dr. Joy Saini, son Jared and oldest daughter Karenna, and Jared’s and Karenna’s girlfriend and boyfriend, respectively — were also victims of the tragic accident.
Dr. Groff received his medical degree from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine in 1993. He completed his neurosurgical residency at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and went on to specialize in spinal surgery with a fellowship at the Medical College of Wisconsin. Certified by the American Board of Neurological Surgery in 2005, Dr. Groff quickly established himself as a leading authority in spine surgery, known for his compassionate patient care, surgical skill and deep intellectual curiosity.
From 2011 to 2024, Dr. Groff served as Chief of the Division of Neurosurgical Spine and Vice Chair of Neurosurgery at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. He was also an Associate Professor of Neurosurgery at Harvard Medical School. During his time at the Brigham, Dr. Groff was instrumental in the growth of the Division, establishing excellence in spine care for the Boston and New England area, mentoring and recruiting younger faculty, and working with colleagues to develop a Spine Service Line.
Ennio Antonio Chiocca, MD, PhD, FAANS, chair of Mass General Brigham’s Department of Neurosurgery, commented: “Mike was an indefatigable and charismatic leader, working often behind the scenes to mitigate concerns and solve problems between colleagues in different departments and divisions to work towards the common goals of patient access, satisfaction and quality outcomes.”
In 2024, he became Executive Director of the Neuroscience Institute at Rochester Regional Health, where he brought vision and leadership to a growing clinical program.
Beyond his impressive clinical career, Dr. Groff was a devoted steward of organized neurosurgery. Within the AANS, he served in numerous influential roles, including as a member of the Board of Directors and Executive Committee (2020–23), the Advisory Council (2021–23), and the Finance and Strategic Planning Committees. He was instrumental in shaping educational and organizational priorities, always with an eye toward improving care and strengthening the neurosurgical profession.
Dr. Groff’s passion for research and education was evident through his long-standing service to the Neurosurgery Research & Education Foundation, where he chaired the Board of Directors from 2020 to 2023, and previously led the Development Committee. He was also an active contributor to the Journal of Neurosurgery: Spine, serving as a member and later co-chair of the editorial board, where he championed scientific rigor and innovation in spinal surgery.
His leadership extended to the NeuroPoint Alliance, most recently serving as Secretary of the Board of Directors, and to the AANS/CNS Section on Disorders of the Spine and Peripheral Nerves, which he chaired from 2013 to 2014.
Dr. Groff was a thoughtful mentor, generous colleague and dedicated friend. He approached every endeavor with humility, integrity and purpose. His influence will live on in the many lives he touched — through the patients he healed, the trainees he guided and the profession he helped shape. We are forever grateful for his remarkable contributions and honored to have walked beside him in advancing the field he so dearly loved.
Dr. Joy Saini was born in Punjab, India and immigrated with her parents Kuljit and Gurdev Singh (deceased). Dr. Saini was an accomplished pelvic surgeon and the founder of Boston Pelvic Health and Wellness, where she advanced her dedication to women’s health. She trained in medicine at the University of Pittsburgh, where she met her classmate and future husband, Dr. Michael Groff.
Jared Groff graduated from Swarthmore College in 2022, where he studied economics and political science. Jared worked as a paralegal at DW Partners in New York and was weighing law school acceptances for the fall.
Karenna Groff was a medical student at NYU Langone in the Department of Neurosurgery and a 2024 NREF Medical Student Summer Research Fellowship Grant awardee. A 2022 graduate of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Karenna was a star soccer player, named NCAA Woman of the Year her senior year. Karenna embodied brilliance, humor and an indomitable spirit.
According to John G. Golfinos, MD, FAANS, Chair of Neurosurgery at NYU, “Karenna lit up every room she entered, and was a source of inspiration to everyone around her — students, teammates and staff alike. Even as one of the youngest members of our team, she demonstrated exceptional talent and unwavering passion towards the care of her patients and the mission of our department. Karenna epitomized Wordsworth’s lines from Tintern Abbey, ‘…that best portion of a good person’s lifetime, their little, nameless, unremembered, acts of kindness and love.’”
The neurosurgical community offers its deepest condolences to the Groff family, friends and colleagues.
May their memories be a blessing and their legacy a guidepost for future generations.
To view a list of all donors to this fund, click here.