Jacob R Joseph, MD

Dr. Jacob R. Joseph is a neurosurgeon specializing in the treatment and management of traumatic brain and spine injuries. He grew up in Plano, Texas and attended the University of Texas at Austin, where he graduated with Highest Honors. He then earned his Doctor of Medicine from Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas. He went on to complete a seven-year residency in Neurological Surgery at the University of Michigan. Dr. Joseph then accepted an additional fellowship in Neurotrauma and Complex Spine Surgery at the University of Pittsburgh under the tutelage of Dr. David Okonkwo and Dr. Adam Kanter.

Dr. Joseph’s clinical interests are in the treatment of complex spinal disorders including scoliosis, spinal deformity, and revision spine surgery. His surgical expertise is in complex spinal reconstruction procedures, minimally invasive spine surgery, and motion preservation surgery, including cervical artificial disc placement, lumbar artificial disc placement, and lumbar facet replacement (TOPS system). He is involved in device development to bring new technologies to patients in order to achieve better long-term outcomes.

He is also dedicated to the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of traumatic brain injury (TBI), concussion, and spinal cord injury. His research focuses on understanding the biomechanics of traumatic brain injury in sports, diagnosing concussion using novel biomarkers and imaging techniques, and developing new therapeutics for victims of TBI and spinal cord injury. Dr. Joseph serves as an Unaffiliated Neurotrauma Consultant for the National Football League and is committed to the prevention of brain and spine injuries in athletes.

Dr. Joseph has extensively published in peer-reviewed journals and has written multiple books chapters on spinal disorders as well as TBI. He is an active member of the Congress of Neurological Surgeons, American Association of Neurological Surgeons, AANS/CNS Section on Disorders of the Spine and Peripheral Nerves, and AANS/CNS Section on Neurotrauma and Critical Care. At the University of Michigan, he is a member of the UM Concussion Center, UM Injury Prevention Center, and UM Center for Integrative Research in Critical Care (MCIRCC).

My current research portfolio focuses on the treatment of traumatic brain injury, as well as the management of patients with complex spinal disorders. Much of my traumatic brain injury research has focused on sports-related concussion and mild traumatic brain injury. I am also part of a national consortium of sports neurosurgery physicians within which we are seeking to answer questions of best practices in this unique patient population. My research within spine surgery has focused on improving postoperative pain, resident education techniques, and using new methods both pre-operatively and intra-operatively to improve patient outcomes. I have also participated in surgical innovation research, looking to create devices and other technologies that improve patient care.