Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC)
Sport-Related Structural Brain and Spine Injury: Management and Return to Play
Dr. Zuckerman is faculty member in the Department of Neurological Surgery as Professor and Co-Director of the Vanderbilt Sports Concussion Center at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. His clinical interests include the surgical treatment of all spinal disorders, including degenerative spine disease, primary and metastatic spinal tumors, spinal trauma, sport-related spine injuries and adult spinal deformity. His practice also includes the treatment of sport-related concussion, traumatic brain injury and peripheral nerve pathology. Dr. Zuckerman’s research has focused on clinical spine outcomes, sport-related concussion, traumatic brain injury, global neurosurgery, and neurosurgical education. Dr. Zuckerman has authored over 200 peer-reviewed publications and given over 70 national podium presentations.
Dr. Zuckerman earned his BS degree from Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, graduating magna cum laude. He received his MD from Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, where he served as Class President for four years and was awarded the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine Award of Distinction. He completed his Neurological Surgery residency training at VUMC, during which he also obtained an MPH in Epidemiology from the T.H. Chan Harvard School of Public Health and completed enfolded rotations in Spinal Oncology at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas and Peripheral Nerve Surgery at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. Following residency, he served as the Cornell University Global Neurosurgery Fellow at the Muhimbili Orthopaedic Institute, Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania, where he spent six months implementing a Spine Trauma Protocol. Dr. Zuckerman currently serves in the United States Navy Reserves and received the 2020 Alfred Award for Military Distinction from Officer Training Command in Newport, Rhode Island.