Dr. Nir Lipsman appointed as Dan Family Chair, Division of Neurosurgery, University of Toronto
Dear colleagues,
I am very pleased to announce that after a competitive international search, Dr. Nir Lipsman has been appointed as our new Dan Family Chair of the Division of Neurosurgery at the University of Toronto.
Dr. Lipsman is an outstanding and internationally recognized neurosurgeon at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre and an Associate Professor in the Department of Surgery at the University of Toronto. He is the Program Chief of the Hurvitz Brain Sciences Program at Sunnybrook, as well as the Director of the Harquail Centre for Neuromodulation where he holds the Harquail Chair and is a Senior Scientist at Sunnybrook Research Institute. He is also Director of the Neurosurgery Residency Program at the University of Toronto, one of the world's largest training programs, where he has led enhancements in program design with a focus on resident experience, wellness and global leadership.
A world leader in image-guided therapeutics, Dr. Lipsman’s research focuses on advancing deep brain stimulation and MR-guided focused ultrasound for a wide range of neurological and psychiatric disorders. He has pioneered several first-in-Canada and world-first clinical trials, helping to affirm Toronto's position as a global hub for neuromodulation innovation. His work has led to landmark regulatory approvals, major philanthropic gifts, high-impact publications and international grants. He has been widely recognized for his excellence in mentorship, surgical education, and interdisciplinary collaboration.
I would like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude to Dr. James Rutka for his remarkable leadership as Interim Chair since December of 2024.
On behalf of the Department of Surgery, I congratulate Dr. Lipsman on this appointment, and I invite our community members to collaborate with him as he leads our internationally acclaimed Division of Neurosurgery into its next chapter.
Sincerely,
Carol Swallow
R.S. McLaughlin Professor and Chair
Department of Surgery, Temerty Faculty of Medicine
