CaMSIGN was delighted to host Dr. Idara Edem of Michigan State University for the 6th session of its Women in Neurosurgery Lecture Series. In this episode, Dr. Edem shared her path to neurosurgery and training within Canada, as well as some information on global neurosurgery.

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About Dr. Edem:

Dr. Idara Edem is a Canadian-trained neurosurgeon. She graduated from the University of Toronto with an Honours BSc in Neuroscience with double minors in Psychiatry and African Studies. She attended medical school at Queen’s University and completed her neurosurgery residency at The Ottawa Hospital, University of Ottawa. During her residency, she also earned an MSc in Global Health and Global Surgery from King’s College London, UK while performing research in South Africa. Following residency, she completed a Neurosurgical Oncology/Skull Base fellowship at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center.

She has conducted research and published manuscripts related to general neurosurgery and skull base neurosurgery, especially regarding minimal-access approaches and including papers on quality of life. She also has avid clinical and research interests in the provision of neurosurgical care in low and middle income countries (LMICs) and the policy changes needed to improve access to surgical care worldwide.

Dr. Edem is an Assistant Professor at Michigan State University. She serves as Director of Skull base and Neurosurgical Oncology at the Insight Institute of Neurosurgery and Neuroscience, which she joined in October 2020. Her specialties include: general neurosurgery, neurosurgical oncology and skull base neurosurgery. She is affiliated with the Karmanos Cancer Institute, McLaren Flint Regional Medical Centre and Ascension Genesys Hospital in Michigan.