Brandon Carlson, MD

Dr. Brandon B. Carlson is a spine surgeon who specializes in comprehensive spine care. As an academic spine surgeon, he treats patients with degenerative conditions, spinal deformity, scoliosis, cervical spine disorders, traumatic injuries, tumors, infections, and revision spinal surgery. Dr. Carlson completed his undergraduate degree at University of Kansas in Lawrence KS, followed by his

Sheryl Miller

I was diagnosed as a young teen with scoliosis for which I was referred to an orthopedic surgeon who took an x-ray. I remember my spine looking like a spiral staircase, and I was referred to a top scoliosis doctor in Manhattan. Surgery was an option, but I would miss a year of high school and

Peter Newton, M.D.

Dr. Peter Newton is chief of the Division of Orthopedics & Scoliosis as well as surgeon-in-chief at Rady Children’s Hospital-San Diego and a clinical professor at UC San Diego School of Medicine. After earning his degree in bioengineering, Dr. Newton attended the University of Texas, Southwestern Medical School. He completed his residency at UC San

Bruce Darden, MD

Dr. Bruce V. Darden II, a retired spine surgeon and partner at OrthoCarolina, has dedicated his career to the field of spine surgery. As Fellowship Director at the OrthoCarolina Spine Center, he significantly influenced the training of new surgeons. An Emeritus member, Dr. Darden continues to utilize AAOS’s online resources to support his educational roles.

Suken Shah, MD

Get to Know Me Dr. Suken A. Shah is a pediatric orthopedic surgeon, clinical fellowship director and division chief of the Nemours Spine and Scoliosis Center. He’s an innovator, researcher and key opinion leader in the field of spinal deformity surgery. In 2014, he was named one of the Top 17 Pediatric Orthopedic Surgeons in

Michelle Marks, PT, MA

Michelle is the Executive Director of the Setting Scoliosis Straight Foundation and a member of the Executive Committee of the Harms Study Group. Her participation in the group began in 1999 as the San Diego Site Coordinator for Peter Newton. She is now the Research Director of the HSG research organization and the Executive Director

Eric Major

A veteran entrepreneur, chief executive and chairman, Eric is an accomplished leader who brings deep experience in starting and scaling private and public companies. Eric’s experience includes startup development, early-stage angel and private placement funding, venture capital, private equity, IPO, public company management, public and private board leadership, global operations, M&A, and integration strategy and

Ava M.

I am a 17 year old spinal champion and a devoted Girl Scout, who was diagnosed with scoliosis 4 years ago at my annual check-up. My doctor asked me to do a ‘forward bend’ test which concerned him enough to order an x-ray. I had the x-ray done and my doctor called my parents that

Ray Pugsley

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When I joined my high school track team, I discovered my love of running and it has been an important part of my life ever since. During my time at Dartmouth College, I raced competitively on both track and cross country. After college, I continued competitive running with Reebok’s elite running group. At that time,

Laurence Rhines, MD

Laurence D. Rhines, M.D., is a professor and director of the Spine Tumor Program in the Department of Neurosurgery at MD Anderson. He is also adjunct professor of neurosurgery at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. Dr. Rhines received his medical degree from Harvard Medical School in Boston, Massachusetts. He completed a residency in neurosurgery at

Bobbi Giudicelli

I have had back pain my whole life. When I was younger, I thought everyone’s back hurt after being on their feet for some time or hiking or exercising. I’ve always been very active. When I started playing tennis in my early 30s, I noticed the back pain increasing especially after being on the court

Suzanne Wurster

I had scoliosis my entire life, but the pain and discomfort was always manageable. In my 20’s, I did physical therapy a few times, and I was then able to return to normal activities. I am a registered nurse, and I knew that over time working, my back was getting worse. I would end up