Allan D. Levi, M.D., Ph.D., F.A.C.S.

Allan D. Levi, MD, PhD, FAANS is a tenured Professor and Chairman in the Department of Neurological Surgery at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine; Professor, Departments of Orthopedics and Rehabilitation Medicine; Chief of Neurosurgery, Jackson Memorial Hospital; and Robert M. Buck Distinguished Chair in Neurological Surgery. Dr. Levi graduated from the University of Ottawa Medical School. He completed his residency at the University of Toronto, as well as a spine fellowship at the Barrow Neurological Institute in Phoenix, AZ. In addition, he received a PhD in neurosciences at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine.

Dr. Levi, holding both a MD and PhD, leverages both his time spent in the laboratory as a researcher obtaining his Ph.D. and his extensive experience as a spine and peripheral nerve neurosurgeon to create and direct his research staff to conduct studies that apply to humans in real world situations. Dr. Levi’s research interests include cellular transplantation strategies after spinal cord and peripheral nerve injury. He has focused on developing cellular transplantation strategies to repair injuries within both the human central and peripheral nervous system. Dr. Levi has focused much of his previous research efforts in furthering our understanding of the biology of human Schwann cells which have been isolated using cell culture techniques. The results of these studies have demonstrated that human Schwann cells have the capacity to form myelin after transplantation within immune deficient rodent models and that their numbers can be significantly increased with addition of growth factors.

One of Dr. Levi’s current clinical research trials involving the clinical development and characterization of the use of autologous human Schwann cells for peripheral nerve injuries with a lengthy gap to promote peripheral nerve regeneration as well as a multi-center trial in the use of hypothermia after acute SCI. Dr. Levi has been the Course Director of the AANS Goodman Oral Board Preparation Course since 2007. He is also a member of the Senior Society and the American Academy of Neurosurgery.