Professor and Director of Neurosurgery
Johns Hopkins University SOM
Dr. Henry Brem has served as the Harvey Cushing Professor of Neurosurgery, Director of the Department of Neurosurgery, and Neurosurgeon-in-Chief at Johns Hopkins from 2000–2025. He is also Professor of Oncology, Ophthalmology, and Biomedical Engineering, Director of the Neurosurgery Translational Research Center and the Hunterian Laboratory, and Director of Clinical Innovation, NIH NeuroTech Harbor.
Dr. Brem received his undergraduate degree from New York University, his medical degree from Harvard, and his neurosurgical training at Columbia. He joined the Hopkins faculty in 1984 and has since built one of the largest brain tumor research and treatment centers in the world. He reinstituted the historic Hunterian Neurosurgical Laboratory, originally founded by Harvey Cushing, and has trained numerous researchers who have revolutionized the fields of intraoperative imaging, angiogenesis, immunotherapy, and controlled-release polymers for drug delivery to the brain.
His academic work has been continuously funded by the NIH since 1985. He has published over 400 research papers, authored 61 book chapters, holds 11 patents, and has an hindex of 107 with more than 50,000 citations. He has an active brain tumor practice.
Dr. Brem’s teaching was recognized with the Hopkins Professors Award for Excellence in Teaching in 1996. He was elected to the National Academy of Medicine in 1998. In 2000, the Society of Neurological Surgeons awarded him the Grass Award for meritorious research, and in 2021 he received the Medical Student Teaching Award. In 2014, Johns Hopkins University established the Henry Brem Endowed Chair in Neurosurgery. In 2015, Dr. Brem was selected for the Castle Connolly National Physician of the Year Award for Clinical Excellence. He received the Johns Hopkins University Provost’s Award for Excellence in Faculty Mentoring in 2017, and the Sixth Annual Dean’s Distinguished Mentoring Award in 2021. In 2024, he was a recipient of the Honored Guest Award of the Congress of Neurological Surgeons, and in 2025, the Honored Guest Award of the Israeli Neurosurgical Society.
During Dr. Brem’s 25 years as Director, the Department of Neurosurgery raised more than $360 million, including support for 20 endowed professorships to advance innovation and excellence. The department’s global impact is reflected in the 23 neurosurgery department chairs worldwide who trained at Johns Hopkins between 2000 and 2025.
Dr. Brem has introduced novel therapeutic approaches to neurosurgery. His devotion to patient care, clinical excellence, and translational science has brought together a unique community of neurosurgeons, investigators, and trainees who have helped reshape the field.
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Friday, May 1, 2026
12:57 PM - 1:17 PM CT