About Us

MBBS MD PhD FRACS FRCS (Neuro Surg.) FRCP FCSHK

Ian studied Medicine at Adelaide University, and spent three years as a surgical resident in Adelaide before undergoing neurosurgical training at the Royal Prince Alfred and Royal Hospital for Sick Children, Sydney.

He passed the FRACS Neurosurgery exam in 1984 and then accepted a Lectureship at Edinburgh University. There he was appointed Senior Lecturer and Consultant Neurosurgeon in 1987 after gaining an MD (Adelaide) and FRCS in Surgical Neurology.

Thereafter he led a busy research program, funded by national and international grant giving bodies, in both experimental and clinical neurosurgery. He was appointed Forbes Professor of Surgical Neurology in 1996. He has extensive research experience in basic science, applied neurosciences, translational neuroscience, and clinical trials. He has supervised a large number of Post Docs, PhD, MD and MSc students. This work resulted in over 295 papers.

He held senior positions with the Royal College of Surgeons Edinburgh, the Scottish Government, the MRC, the Hong Kong College of Surgeons, the Society of British Neurological Surgeons and was deputy editor of several journals and on the editorial boards of many others as well as being a Visiting Professor and Lecturer at numerous European, American, Canadian, Asian and Australian Universities and Societal Meetings . Throughout this period he sustained a very busy NHS clinical practice in neuro-oncology, movement disorder surgery and orbital surgery.

He retired early from clinical practice in 2012 and then spent several years enjoying life and culture in both Sweden and Malta before returning to Australia and The International Spine Centre®.