Stanford Spine Team
Jon Park, MD
Director, Comprehensive Spine NeurosurgeryDirector, Spine Neurosurgery Fellowship/Spine Research Laboratory
Dr. Park has extensive clinical practice at Stanford in outpatient minimally invasive spine surgery involving spine disc disease, degenerative spinal disorders and compression fractures. He also has special clinical interest in reconstruction of complex spine traumas and treatment of spinal tumors using Cyberknife Radiosurgery.
Dr. Jon Park's research interest includes non-fusion dynamic spinal stabilization, artificial disc technologies, and regenerative spinal technologies.
Dr. Park completed his neurosurgical residency from the world renown Montreal Neurological Institute. After completing a spine fellowship at UCLA, he was an Assistant Professor of Neurosurgery at the University of Washington prior to joining Stanford faculty.
Stefan A. Mindea, MD
Assistant Professor, Neurosurgery
Director, Minimally Invasive Spinal Surgery
Stefan A. Mindea, M.D., received his undergraduate education at the University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana, where he studied biochemistry. Dr. Mindea went on to receive his Doctorate of Medicine degree from the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in 2002. He completed his surgical internship and neurological surgery residency at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in 2008 where, in addition, he also completed a fellowship in minimally invasive spinal surgery and served as a Clinical Instructor. This fellowship also included training in non-fusion/dynamic spinal surgery, utilizing cutting-edge articificial disc technologies, and outpatient/same-day surgery.
Dr. Mindea specializes in applying minimally invasive techniques to treat common spinal conditions such as disc herniation, lumbar stenosis, degenerative spondylolisthesis, and spinal deformity. In addition, Dr. Mindea also treats osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures with percutaneous techniques (kyphoplasty) and offers comprehensive, minimally invasive-based, treatment for spinal cord tumors and metastases, including using the Cyberknife radiosurgery system.
Dr. Mindea joined the Department of Neurosurgery at Stanford University Medical Center in 2008 and serves as the Director of Minimally Invasive Spinal Surgery. He is currently board eligible and is a member of the North American Spine Society, American Association of Neurological Surgeons, Congress of Neurological Surgeons, and the Society for Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery. His research interests include non-fusion spinal surgery, chronic back pain, spinal radiosurgery/oncology, and minimally invasive technologies and devices.
John K. Ratliff, MD
Associate Professor, Neurosurgery
Co-Director, Division of Spine and Peripheral Nerve Surgery
Dr. Ratliff received his medical degree from Tulane University. He is fellowship trained in complex spinal reconstructive surgery and completed a research fellowship in neural regeneration and peripheral nerve repair at the National Institutes of Neurological Disorders and Stroke at the National Institutes of Health.
Dr. Ratliff treats degenerative diseases of the cervical, thoracic and lumbar spine as well as primary and metastatic spinal tumors, spinal infections and chronic pain disorders. He is experienced in minimally invasive spine surgery, revision surgeries and spinal reconstruction, including the use of instrumentation and implants, and artificial disc replacements. Dr. Ratliff is well versed in the evaluation and treatment of nerve compression syndromes and peripheral nerve trauma. His current research focsues on preventing complications in spine surgery, assessing patient outcomes, and developing population-based metrics for assessing surgical outcomes.
Larry Shuer, MD
Professor of Neurosurgery
Chief of Staff, Stanford Hospital & Clinics
Dr. Shuer received his BA and MD from the University of Michigan. He completed his residency in neurosurgery at Stanford University before joining the faculty.
He is the Chief of Staff of Stanford University Hospital and a past president of the California Association of Neurological Surgeons. His research interests include syringomyelia, pediatric disorders, and degenerative spine disease.
Nurse Practitioners
Candice Osuga Lin, NP
Candice earned her BS in Biological Sciences from the University of California, Davis. She received her Master of Science in Nursing from Vanderbilt University.
She has been active in the care of adult and pediatric neurosurgery patients. Her interests include neuro-oncology and degenerative spine disease.