Alexander Khalessi, MD, MBA, is the chair of the Department of Neurological Surgery, professor of neurological surgery, radiology and neurosciences at UC San Diego and the inaugural Don and Karen Cohn Chancellor’s Endowed Chair in Neurosurgery. He is the current president of the Congress of Neurological Surgeons (CNS), the leading academic society for neurosurgical professionals worldwide. A board-certified neurosurgeon, he specializes in complex cranial surgery, endovascular neurosurgery, stroke care, and neurological oncology. Under Dr. Khalessi’s leadership the Department of Neurological Surgery has experienced significant growth. The Department performs an average of 4,000 major cases annually and is one of few health systems in the nation to have two comprehensive stroke centers. The program is consistently ranked in the top 25 best neurology and neurosurgery services in the nation by U.S. News and World Report and—combined with its sister Department of Neurosciences—is perennially ranked #1 nationally in National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding. In addition to his role as president of the CNS, Dr. Khalessi champions neurosurgical innovation through several national leadership roles. Dr. Khalessi is in his fourth term on the AANS/CNS’ Washington Committee and sits on the Board of Governors for the American College of Surgeons (ACS). He is a founding member of the Medical Device Innovation Consortium (MDIC) and advises the FDA on early clinical feasibility for emerging neurovascular devices. He further served as a charter member of the NIH Interventional Advisory Panel for StrokeNet, which provides scientific oversight for federally funded research in neurovascular disease. Dr. Khalessi has been selected by his UC peer to serve as ascending vice chair of the UC Health Stroke and Cerebrovascular Consortium which unites experts across all six UC campuses.