Takanori Fukushima Fund
Takanori Fukushima Excellence in Microsurgery Lecture Fund
Fund Purpose: To support a lecturer (neurosurgeon) from the United States or abroad with significant contributions in skull base surgery, cerebrovascular microsurgery, or microsurgical anatomy/technical innovations for an annual lecture at the American Association of Neurological Surgeons Meeting.
Takanori Fukushima, MD, was born on October 15, 1942 in Tokyo, Japan. He graduated from the University of Tokyo School of Medicine in 1968 and began his neurosurgical training at the University of Tokyo Hospital. Dr. Fukushima had a profound impact in many arenas in the microsurgical management of cerebrovascular and skull base pathologies. His innovative and pioneering drive combined with his microsurgical mastery profoundly influenced many areas of cerebrovascular and skull base surgery. This was evident even in his first year of residency when he developed the first neuroendoscope.
He was an associate of the University of Berlin Steglitz Clinic Neurosurgery Research of Germany and did clinical research at the Mayo Clinic. He served as an assistant professor at the University of Tokyo Hospital in Neurosurgery from 1978 to 1980. In 1980, he became the director at Mitsui Memorial Hospital Neurosurgery
Continuing his clinical practice in the United States, he performed an unparalleled number of surgeries. Throughout his lifetime, he committed himself to microsurgical excellence and advancement. Dr. Fukushima participated in establishing the skull base surgery program at the UCLA Department of Neurosurgery from 1989-1990. He was appointed to the University of Southern California Medical Center, Professor of Neurosurgery in 1991.
In 1994, he served at the Pennsylvania Medical College Allegheny General Hospital as a Neurosurgery Professor and the director of the Institute of Neurological Surgery at Allegheny Skull Base Surgery Center. While touring all around the world doing surgery and giving lectures, he held skull base and cerebrovascular training seminars. He was a visiting professor at countless universities around the world, including the Karolinska Institute in Sweden, University of Marseille, France, and the University of Rome, Italy.
He became a Professor at Duke University Neurosurgery and started the Carolina Skull Base Surgery Center in 1998. Dr. Fukushima also founded the Carolina Neuroscience Institute. He was an adjunct Professor at the University of Connecticut Neurosurgery where he established the annual Takanori Fukushima Excellence in Technical Neurosurgery lectureship in 2019.
During his career, Dr. Fukushima was described by many as “the nation’s top influence” in microneurosurgery.
With the passing of Dr. Fukushima at the beginning of 2024, the world lost a luminary and pioneering leader in microneurosurgery whose enthusiasm and passion contributed to driving the technical aspects of microneurosurgery to even greater heights.
To view a list of all donors to this fund, click here.
To support neurosurgery resident and fellow education in Africa.
To support the maintenance and future development of The Rhoton Collection® .....
To provide grants to international medical students and trainees seeking research, training and educational opportunities in neurosurgery in the U.S.
To provide tuition support for Neurosurgery Chief Residents to take the Goodman Oral Boards Course