The Leonard I. Malis, MD Memorial Lecture was established by Ruth Malis to foster the memory of her husband, Dr. Leonard I. Malis, a celebrated neurosurgeon, Mount Sinai Neurosurgery Resident Alumni, and former Chair of the Department of Neurosurgery at Mount Sinai.  

After serving as captain in the Medical Corps in WW II, Dr. Malis completed his neurosurgical training at The Mount Sinai Hospital in New York. He completed a fellowship at Yale University and returned to Mount Sinai as an assistant attending neurosurgeon, assuming the chairmanship of the Department of Neurosurgery in 1970. 

Dr. Malis was a pioneer in microneurosurgery, introducing the operating microscope to neurosurgery in New York. With his brother Jerry, he developed some of the earliest state-of-the-art surgical instruments and techniques which are still in use today. 

Dr. Malis retired as Chairman of the Mount Sinai Department of Neurosurgery in 1991 but continued as Professor of Neurosurgery until 1994 and as Professor Emeritus until his death. His clinical and academic legacy will enrich the practice of neurosurgery for generations to come. 

Analiz Rodriguez MD, PhD, MBA, FAANS is this years guest lecturer.  The title of her presentation "Developing a Precision Medicine Program for Brain Tumors in a Rural State."

Analiz Rodriguez, MD, PhD, MBA, FAANS
Associate Professor
Director of Neurosurgical Oncology
Vice Chair of Research
Department of Neurosurgery
University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences

Dr. Analiz Rodriguez is an Associate Professor of Neurosurgery, Director of Neurosurgical Oncology, and Vice Chair of Research at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. She is a neurosurgeon scientist recognized for her work in precision medicine and for building innovative brain tumor programs in resource constrained and rural settings. Dr. Rodriguez earned her Bachelor of Arts in Chemistry from New College of Florida, the honors college of the State University System of Florida. She entered the NIH sponsored Medical Scientist Training Program at Case Western Reserve University at the age of 19 and completed her combined MD PhD training in six years. She completed her neurosurgery residency at Wake Forest University Medical Center, followed by fellowship training in neurosurgical oncology at the City of Hope National Medical Center. Her clinical practice focuses on the care of patients with benign and malignant brain tumors and incorporates advanced minimally invasive techniques, including endoscopy, laser thermal therapy, transsulcal parafascicular approaches, and cranial robotics. Dr. Rodriguez is an independent National Cancer Institute funded principal investigator, and her research laboratory is based in the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute. Her research integrates translational genomics and advanced preclinical models to develop and implement new precision medicine strategies for brain tumors.

If interested in attending via Zoom webinar, please contact Maggie.Hanley@mountsinai.org.