Alumni
Fernando G. Diaz, MD, PhD, 1973-1978

As Dr. Diaz recalls the time he spent as a resident in the Neurosurgery Department, he describes several principles he learned at the U that helped support the foundation of his distinguished career.
Mentorship
“When I came to the University of Minnesota, I had the great fortune to be mentored by three people who made my life very strong,” he said. “First, Dr. Lyle French, who was then the vice president of the University and was a phenomenal individual and role model. Second, Dr. Shelley Chou who was a brilliant teacher and taught me surgical technique and how to be curious and untiring. The person I worked with most closely, however, was Dr. James Ausman, who taught me cerebrovascular surgery. I specialized in that for the first 20 years of my career.”
The notion of mentorship was carried into his own career. “At the end of my ten years as Neurosurgery Department Chair at Wayne State University in Detroit, I had trained many younger neurosurgeons, one of whom became an endovascular neurosurgeon,” Dr. Diaz said. “I knew it was only a matter of time – the cerebrovascular surgery I was doing was a dying thing. I wanted one of my guys to become the leader, and now, he has the best group of endovascular neurosurgeons in Michigan.”

Dr. Diaz (pictured here working with students in Manila) attributes his ability to evolve to Dr. Chou’s mentorship. “When I became program chairman at Wayne State and then began running the residency program, I moved more into spine surgery, which was something I learned from Dr. Chou,” he said. “He had a great deal of interest in tuberculosis of the spine, and I worked with him on spinal reconstructions for Pott’s Disease.” That condition is also known as tuberculosis spondylitis, a rare disease of the spine that is typically caused by an extraspinal infection.
Mentorship isn’t just a principle in Dr. Diaz’s professional life. “Right now, my youngest son is 16 so I’m his Uber driver,” he said, laughing. “What I enjoy most is the time I spend with him in the car, talking and bonding. I listen to what matters to him and promote areas of interest he doesn’t quite see he has.”
Aspiration
Although aspiring to great things probably came naturally to Dr. Diaz, he credits Dr. French with instilling that in him during his residency. As a result, Dr. Diaz has chaired two neurosurgery departments, not only at Wayne State University but also at Oakland University School of Medicine and William Beaumont Hospitals, both in Detroit. He built up both of their residency programs and the program at Oakland University is now fully accredited and will accept one resident a year.
Making another aspirational career move, Dr. Diaz founded the Michigan Head and Spine Institute in 1990, which he describes as a mixture of academic and private practice. “I’m restless and have to burn all the time, so I have more degrees than a thermometer,” he quipped. One of those degrees helped him put together the business infrastructure for the Institute. “We cover the southeast portion of Detroit,” he said. “We have 25 providers at several hospitals, including Beaumont.”
Little by little, Dr. Diaz has whittled his responsibilities at the Institute down to almost nothing. “I have ended up becoming a robotic spine, minimally invasive surgeon,” he said.
Excellence and compassion
Another principle that Dr. Diaz learned at the University of Minnesota was to always push for excellence. “I got my PhD with that idea in mind and transferred that philosophy to Wayne State,” he said. “I had 10 residents graduate with PhDs – it was mandatory. We will eventually require that at Oakland.”

Dr. Diaz (pictured here working in a military hospital) has excelled in a completely different part of his many lives. He spent 20 years in the U.S. Air Force Reserves and rose to the rank of Lt. Colonel. “I ended up going to the Iraq War, which gave me an opportunity to meet many fascinating people,” he said.
His experience in the Air Force broadened Dr. Diaz’s world view and was part of what inspired him to participate in multiple neurosurgical missions around the globe. “I’ve taught in all of Latin America, speak five languages, and have done surgery in Spain, France, Italy, China, Indonesia, Cyprus, and most of Latin America, including Brazil and Argentina,” he said. “I love teaching and helping people.”
Former Residents
2021

Adam Khan, MD
2014–2021

Jack Leschke, MD
2014-2021
2020

David Darrow, MD, MPH
2013–2020

Coridon Quinn, MD
2013-2020
2019

Molly Hubbard, MD
2012–2019
(deceased 1-9-2020)

Joshua Lim, MD
2012-2019
2018

Amit Goyal, MD
2011–2018

Akshay Gupte, MD
2011-2018
2017

Paramita Das, MD
2011–2017

Catherine Miller, MD
2011-2017
2016

Ciro Vasquez, MD
2010–2016

Zoe Zhang, MD
2010–2016
2015

Daraspreet Kainth, MD
2009–2015

Dino Terzic, MD
2009-2015
2014

Kristin Jones, MD
2012-2014

Farhan Siddiq, MD
2008-2014
2013

Rabia Qaiser, MD
2008-2013

Haejoe Park, MD
2008-2013
2012

Fotis Souslian, MD
2007-2012

Efkan Colpan, MD
2009-2012
2011

Christopher Roark, MD
2006-2011
2010

Greg Sher, MD, MPH
2005-2010

Kyle Uittenbogaard, MD
2005-2010

Praveen Baimeedi, MD
2006-2010
2009

Joel Ulloth, MD
2004-2009
2008

Hart P. Garner, MD
2003-2008
2007

John Drygas, MD, MS
2002-2007

Eun Kyung (Michelle) Won, MD
2002-2007
2006

Adam O. Hebb, MD
2001-2006

Charles R. Watts, MD, PhD
2001-2006
2005

Edward Rustamzadeh, MD, PhD
2000-2005
2004

Ray M. Chu, MD
1999-2004

Ramachandra P. Tummala, MD
1999-2004

Sabrina M. Walski-Easton, MD
1999-2004
2003

Patrick C. Graupman, MD
1998-2003
2002

Lars Anker, MD
1997-2002

Khalid Sethi, MD
1997-2002
2001

Darren S. Lovick, MD
1996-2001

Margaret
Wallen-
friedman,
MD, PhD
1995-2001
2000

Walter C. Jean, MD
1994-2000

Michael P. McCue, MD, ScD
1994-2000

Alejandro Mendez, MD
1994-1999
1998

Walter E. Galicich, MD
1993-1998

Joel D. Seigel, MD
1993-1998

Bradley E. Weprin, MD
1993-1998
1997

Jerone D. Kennedy, MD
1991-1997

Eric S. Nussbaum, MD
1992-1997

Abhay Sanan, MD
1992-1997
1996

Jeffrey P. Blount, MD
1990-1996

Eric P. Flores, MD
1992-1996

Edison P. McDaniels, MD
1991-1996
1995

Todd Y. Nida, MD
1989-1995
1994

John C. Mullan, MD
1988-1994

Leslie A. Sebring, MD, PhD
1991-1994
1993

Paul J. Camarata, MD
1987-1993

Jacques J. Morcos, MD
1990-1993

Mitesh V. Shah, MD
1988-1993
1992

Young Chung, MD
1987-1992

Dennis Y.K. Wen, MD
1987-1992
1991

William F. Ganz, MD
1986-1991

Frank L. Genovese, MD
1986-1991
1990

Christine M. Cox, MD
1985-1990 (deceased 2/24/2019)
1989

Anthony G. Bottini, MD
1984-1989
1988

Thomas A. Bergman, MD
1983-1988

Mary E. Dunn, MD
1983-1988
1987

H. Dennis Mollman, MD, PhD
1982-1987

S. David Moss, MD
1982-1987

Aizik L. Wolf, MD
1982-1987
1986

Edward G. Hames III, MD, PhD
1981-1986
1985

J. Bob Blacklock, MD
1980-1985

Gary L. Rea, MD, PhD
1979-1985
1983

Voravut Chanyavanich, MD
1978-1983

Terry W. Hood, MD
1978-1983

Petr O. Ruzicka, MD
1978-1983
1982

John C. Godersky, MD
1977-1982

Richard P. Moser, MD
1977-1982

Mahmoud G. Nagib, MD
1977-1982
1981

Alexa I. Canady, MD
1976-1981

Dennis L. Shubert, MD, PhD
1977-1981
1980

John R. Mawk, MD
1975-1980
1979

W. H. Druckemiller, Jr., MD
1974-1979

Robert D. Harris, MD, PhD
1974-1979
1978

Daniel B. Ahlberg, MD
1971-1972; 1974-1978

Fernando G. Diaz, MD, PhD
1973-1978
1977

Robert G. Clubb, MD
1972-1977

Kenneth J. Murray, MD, PhD
1973-1979

Andrew J.K. Smith, MD, PhD
1972-1977
1976

Richard S. Gregory, MD
1967-1970; 1973-1977
1975

George S. Allen, MD, PhD
1970-1975

Phudhiphorn Thienprasit, MD, PhD
1970-1975
1974

Harry O. Cole, MD
1969-1974

Humberto Ortiz-Suarez, MD, PhD
1969-1974

Gaylan L. Rockswold, MD, PhD
1969-1974
1973

Willis E. Brown, MD
1968-1973

Norval M. Simms, MD
1968-1973
Deceased 7/24/1975
1972

James I. Ausman, MD, PhD
1964-1965; 1969-1972

Kil Soo Choi, MD
1970-1972

Harry M. Rogers, MD
1967-1972
1971

Robert E. Maxwell, MD, PhD
1966-1971
Deceased 7-28-22

Anavankot Mohandas, MD
1966-1971
1970

David Danoff, MD
1965-1970
1969

John L. Seymour, MD
1965-1969

Donald L. Erickson, MD
1964-1969
1968

Edward L. Seljeskog, MD, PhD
1963-1968 (deceased 3/16/22)

John P. Wissinger, MD
1963-1968
1967

Michael E. Carey, MD
1962-1967
1965

John Cleary, MD, PhD
1965

Fernando Ruiz Garcia, MD
1964-1965

Donlin M. Long, MD, PhD
1960-1965
1964

Warren Boop, MD
1960-1964

August W. Geise, MD
1960-1964
Deceased 1/14/1997
1963

Joseph H. Galicich, MD
1958-1963

John Serbu, MD
1959-1963
Deceased 12/17/1999
1962

Erich S. Wisiol, MD
1958-1962
Deceased 11/21/2004
1961

Jim L. Story, MD
1956-1961

Jeong Wha Chu, MD
1959-1961

Max E. Zarling, MD
1957-1961
1960

Lucien R. Hodges, MD
1956-1960
Deceased 6/19/2000
1959

Richard H. Strassburger, MD
1956-1959
1957

Bo Sung Sim, MD
1955-1957

Ralph L. Suechtin, MD
1953-1957

James E. McIntosch, MD
1953-1957
1956

Howard Chandler, MD
1952-1956

Purdue L. Gould, MD
1952-1956
Deceased 8/24/2011
1955

Shelley N. Chou, MD, PhD
1950-1955
Deceased 7/21/2001

William S. Ogle, MD
1954-1955
1954

David R. Johnson, MD
1948-1954
Deceased 11/4/2005
1953

Carrel M. Caudill, MD
1949-1953
Deceased 1/1/2006

Gerald L. Haines, MD, PhD
1949-1953
Deceased 2/11/2015
1952

Martin E. Feferman, MD
1948-1952
Deceased 5/21/2011
1951

Paul S. Blake, MD
1947-1951
Deceased 5/23/1997
1950

Robert L. Merrick, MD
1949-1950
Deceased 10/16/2004

C. Kent Olson, MD
1946-1950
Deceased 9/6/2000
1949

Jules D. Levin, MD
1942-1949
Deceased 2/16/2002
1947

Lyle A. French, MD, PhD
1940-1947
Deceased 10/19/2004
1946

Leonard A. Titrud, MD, PhD
1939-1946
Deceased 10/18/2004
1938

Harold Buchstein, MD
1935-1938
Deceased 10/29/1987
William T. Peyton Society
Established in honor of William T. Peyton, founding head of the University of Minnesota's Department of Neurosurgery, the William T. Peyton Society meets in Minneapolis approximately every five years. All graduates and current and former faculty of the Neurosurgery Residency Training Program are members of the Society.