Skip Navigation

OU Dean Delivers Keynote at Global Neurosurgery Symposium Hosted by Harvard-Affiliated Mass General Brigham

NEWS
Ian Dunn delivering a keynote address.
Photo provided.

OU Dean Delivers Keynote at Global Neurosurgery Symposium Hosted by Harvard-Affiliated Mass General Brigham


By

Megan Louk

Date

April 30, 2025

Media Contact

April Wilkerson
april-j-wilkerson@ouhsc.edu


OKLAHOMA CITY – Ian F. Dunn, M.D., FACS, FAANS, executive dean of the University of Oklahoma College of Medicine and chief academic officer at OU Health, recently delivered the keynote address at the prestigious Mass General Brigham Neurogsurgery Symposium and 2nd Annual Yasargil Microneurosurgery Congress. The event brought together the foremost minds in neurosurgery from around the world to address the evolving challenges and breakthroughs in cerebrovascular and skull base surgery.

Dunn’s selection as keynote speaker underscores his status as a pioneering figure in the field of neurosurgery and thought leader in academic medicine. With a background that includes leadership roles at Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Dunn has built a distinguished career advancing care for complex brain tumors and mentoring the next generation of neurosurgical talent.

“It was an honor to contribute to such a high-level dialogue among global leaders in neurosurgery,” said Dunn. “This congress exemplifies the spirit of innovation and collaboration we aim to foster at the University of Oklahoma and OU Health.”

Organized by Harvard-affiliated Mass General Brigham in collaboration with the Yaşargil Microneurosurgical Academy, the symposium fostered open debate, collaborative learning, and thoughtful reflection on the evolving standards of care in neurosurgery. As cerebrovascular and skull base diseases undergo a revolution in management options, participants examined how these advancements are reshaping the field and intensifying the complexity of clinical decision-making.

Dunn’s address also reflected the significant strides being made at OU in the field of neuroscience. Under his leadership, OU has renewed its commitment to serving the health care needs of the state as Oklahoma’s only academic health system. These unique and powerful resource that connects education, research, and patient care. Additionally, the university’s newly updated strategic plan includes the creation of a formal neuroscience center. Dunn’s participation on the global stage not only highlights OU’s growing prominence in academic medicine but also reinforces its commitment to building a lasting impact in the communities it serves.

“As we continue to grow our academic, research and clinical missions, moments like this are more than recognition—they are a rallying point for the future we are building at OU,” said Dunn.

About the University of Oklahoma

Founded in 1890, the University of Oklahoma is a public research university located in Norman, Oklahoma. As the state’s flagship university, OU serves the educational, cultural, economic and health care needs of the state, region and nation. For more information about the university, visit www.ou.edu.


Recent News

Impact
July 22, 2026

OU Students Partner with Oklahoma Veterans’ Homes

Over the course of a year, 64 students from OU’s architecture, interior design, planning and sustainable energy programs worked alongside faculty to develop planning and design recommendations for veterans’ homes in Ardmore, Claremore and Sulphur. The work could help guide future renovations, improve residents’ quality of life and support future funding requests.


Research
July 21, 2026

Human Study Links Reduced Inflammation to Later Myopia Onset

University of Oklahoma College of Medicine researcher Jody Summers, Ph.D., has long hypothesized that inflammation plays a role in the development of myopia, or nearsightedness, in which close-up vision is clear but distance vision is blurry. Her laboratory experiments have been convincing, and now she has preliminary human data to support the theory.


Campus & Community
July 20, 2026

OU Hudson College of Public Health Names New Department Chair

Mulugeta Gebregziabher, Ph.D., a nationally and internationally recognized public health leader, researcher and educator, has been named a professor and the endowed chair of the Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology at the University of Oklahoma Hudson College of Public Health.