James I. Ausman MD, PhD

Dr. James I. Ausman, MD, PhD, is a neurosurgeon, researcher, science editor, television broadcaster, and medical entrepreneur whose career spans multiple continents and disciplines. Ausman graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Tufts University and earned his MD from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, completing the degree in three years. During his neurosurgical training at the University of Minnesota, he was one of five recipients of the National Institutes of Health Teacher-Investigator five-year scholarship awards and earned a PhD in pharmacology from George Washington University while serving at the NIH.

Ausman's clinical and academic career includes leadership roles such as chairman of the Department of Neurosurgery at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit and head of the Department of Neurosurgery at the University of Illinois at Chicago. His work has focused on microsurgery and cerebrovascular surgery, including aneurysms, arteriovenous malformations, and bypassing cerebral ischemia. Under his leadership, both academic medical centers achieved international recognition in neurosurgery, treating patients from around the world. He serves as clinical professor of neurosurgery at the University of California, Los Angeles.

Ausman has authored more than 300 books, chapters, and scientific publications, and has pioneered treatments for diseases of the nervous system used globally. He developed surgical treatments for stroke and brain tumors, founded the first brain tumor support group for cancer patients and their families, and designed surgical and microsurgical instruments used internationally. Throughout his career, Ausman has operated on government officials and heads of Fortune 500 companies, and has educated 400 neurosurgeons from over 90 countries, with the majority returning to their home countries and many assuming leadership positions.

In medical publishing and media, Ausman is the founder and emeritus editor-in-chief of "Surgical Neurology International," a leading free-access internet journal in neurosurgery. The journal has been accessed by millions of users in more than 200 countries and territories. He is also the creator and co-producer of the television series "The Leading Gen — What Will You Do with the Rest of Your Life?," which has aired on public television stations throughout the United States, Canada, and the Virgin Islands, featuring interviews on topics such as retirement, aging, illness, and loss.

Ausman's influence extends into healthcare consulting, business strategy, and global humanitarian work. He is a nationally recognized consultant on strategic planning in healthcare and, through his company Future Healthcare Strategies, has advised nearly 100 hospitals, practices, and academic centers. Ausman is the co-author of "The China Virus — What Is The Truth?," a chronological analysis of the events surrounding the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic. Internationally, he is an honorary member of the Brazilian, Argentinean, Chilean, and Peruvian Societies of Neurosurgery, as well as a corresponding member of the German Society of Neurosurgery. He has been recognized on five continents and received an award from the French Society of Arts, Sciences, and Letters. Ausman continues to contribute to neurosurgery, medical education, and public health on a global scale.