About Us

Brain and Spine Group, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that exists to create education and training programs that prepare students for entering fields related to brain and spine healthcare.

Our organization was founded in 2019 after two successful years running Medical Student Neurosurgery Training Camp, a one-day, intensive hands-on training course hosted at multiple sites nationwide. Through our Medical Student Neurosurgery Training Center, we offer continually growing  hands-on and virtual neurosurgery training experiences. Brain and Spine Group continues to work toward expanding education in neurology, psychiatry, ABA therapy, and other clinical neuroscience fields.
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Our team is committed to training the future providers of brain and spine healthcare.

Board of Directors

Ryan E. Radwanski, MD
​​Chairman, Board of Directors
Chief Executive Officer
ABOUT RYAN
Ryan is a U.S. Marine who served with 1st Battalion, 11th Marines in Helmand Province, Afghanistan. During four years of active, enlisted service Ryan was meritoriously promoted three times, was awarded the Naval Achievement Medal, and earned a combat action ribbon in theater. Ryan was honorably discharged from the U.S. Marine Corps in 2012.

Ryan completed his undergraduate studies in Neurobiology and Behavior at Cornell University and received his MD degree with Honors in Service from Weill Cornell Medical College.  Ryan founded the first planning committee for Medical Student Neurosurgery Training Camps in 2017 - a multi-site national training program that has since grown into the Medical Student Neurosurgery Training Center.  As the Chairman and CEO of Brain and Spine Group, Ryan is at the forefront of our mission to pioneer new training opportunities the clinical neurosciences.
Susan C. Pannullo, MD
​Director At Large
Secretary
ABOUT SUSAN
Dr. Susan C. Pannullo is the Director of Neuro-oncology and the Director of Neurosurgical Radiosurgery at New York Presbyterian - Weill Cornell Medical Center. Dr. Pannullo is board-certified in both neurology and neurological surgery and has served as the faculty adviser for the Weill Cornell Medicine AANS Medical Student Chapter since its inception. She has mentored countless students through the AANS Medical Student Chapter and played a critical role helping medical students launch the flagship Medical Student Neurosurgery Training Camp at Cornell.
 Mark Corey, JD
​Director At Large
Chief Financial Officer
ABOUT MARK
Mark Corey founded and runs 45 Capital Management, an investment advisory firm specializing in building an assortment of hedged portfolios through the use of derivatives.  He founded the firm in 2015 after putting aside his law career in order to follow his dream of running his own investment fund. 

Prior to running his own firm, Mark worked at a patent law firm where he focused on intellectual property, specifically in patent prosecution.  While attending law school, he worked at Arizona Technology Enterprises (AzTE), the technology transfer office of Arizona State University, under their Life Science Department. 

Mark received his Juris Doctor from Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law at Arizona State University.  He also received a Law, Science, and Technology Certificate specializing in Intellectual Property. He earned his bachelor’s degree in Biology from Arizona State University. 
Philip E. Stieg, PhD, MD
​Director At Large
ABOUT PHILIP
Dr. Philip Stieg is Chairman and Neurosurgeon-in-Chief of NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center and Professor of Neurological Surgery at Weill Cornell Medicine. Dr. Stieg, a world-renowned neurosurgeon with expertise in cerebrovascular disorders, skull base surgery, and traumatic brain injury, has a longstanding commitment to mentorship; he has not only personally mentored dozens of students and residents over his career, he has also developed a culture of mentorship within the department of neurological surgery and established formal mentoring programs that match residents and junior faculty with senior neurosurgeons. He has also nurtured the department’s programs that seek increased diversity in medicine in general and neurological surgery in particular, including relationships with Mentoring in Medicine and the new PrIMES mentoring program.   
 
Dr. Stieg is a widely published author and internationally known lecturer, and has been consistently named one of the nation’s Top Doctors by Castle Connolly. He is the host of the weekly podcast This Is Your Brain With Dr. Phil Stieg, and is one of the editors of the definitive textbook on AVMs, Intracranial Arteriovenous Malformations.
 
Under Dr. Stieg’s leadership, the Weill Cornell Medicine Brain and Spine Center created the Surgical Innovations Lab, the first multimedia neurosurgical teaching facility enabling real-time global collaboration. He also launched New York’s first multidisciplinary Concussion and Brain Injury Clinic and the Weill Cornell Medicine Center for Comprehensive Spine Care, where patients receive multidisciplinary services under one roof.  

​Dr. Stieg received his B.S. degree from the University of Wisconsin, his Ph.D. from Union University, and his M.D. from the Medical College of Wisconsin. He trained at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School after completing a fellowship in cell transplantation for restorative neurological function at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden, then joined the faculty of the Harvard Medical School. He was recruited from the Harvard Brigham and Women’s/Children’s Hospital in 2000 to build the new Department of Neurological Surgery at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center.
Iyan Younus, MD
​Director At Large
ABOUT IYAN
Iyan Younus, MD received his medical degree from Weill Cornell Medicine in 2020 with Honors in Research. He obtained his undergraduate degree from Texas A&M University graduating summa cum laude. At Cornell, Iyan conducted epilepsy research with funding from the American Association of Neurosurgeons (AANS) research fellowship. His work investigated the network theory of focal seizure propagation. He also had multiple publications and national presentations on outcomes, complications, new approaches, and the surgical learning curve in endoscopic skull base surgery. Iyan is co-founder of the medical student neurosurgery training camp and involved in multiple projects for improving and facilitating career preparation for future neurosurgeons. Iyan will begin his Neurological Surgery residency at Vanderbilt University in July 2020. Iyan is an avid sports fan, especially football and basketball.
Graham Winston, MD
​Director At Large
ABOUT GRAHAM
Graham Winston is a fourth year medical student at Weill Cornell Medicine, where he is an active member of the Cornell AANS Medical Student Chapter. He helped spearhead the 2018 and 2019 Medical Student Neurosurgery Training Camps. Graham works in the laboratory of Dr. Michael Kaplitt investigating use of MR-guided focused ultrasound to deliver gene therapy to the brain. He has worked on research in the fields of cerebrovascular surgery, spine surgery, functional neurosurgery as well as numerous projects pertaining to medical student education.

Operations Team

Jill Davis, ​CSW, M.Ed., BCBA

Director of Program Development
ABOUT JILL
Jill is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) and owner of Take Flight ABA, LLC. She earned her master’s in Special Education from the University of Phoenix and enjoyed a career as a special education teacher for 12 years. Jill went on to study behavior analysis at Florida Institute of Technology to become a BCBA. She specializes in empirical training techniques based upon the principles of learning to change behavior of social significance. Jill has worked with individuals of varying ages and disabilities in different settings such as schools, clinics, and residential programs. She currently provides intensive in-home services to families of children with autism as well as provides advocacy for parents of children with various disabilities. Jill also provides supervision and mentorship to students seeking certification as a behavior analyst as well as offers trainings to individuals desiring a career as a behavior technician.   
Amy Brotherton
​​Director of Fundraising
ABOUT AMY
Amy Brotherton is an events and marketing specialist from Columbus, OH. She is a promotions assistant at an independent non-profit radio station, 104.9 the River focusing on engaging the Columbus community in unique ways with each of their partnerships and appearances.

Amy has a BA in Broadcasting Communication and Journalism from Cedarville University. She is dedicated to creating connection points between organizations and the people who love and need them which is what she  brings to our donor relationships at Brain and Spine Group.

Amy spends her free time indulging in experimental baking projects, Taco Tuesdays as well as time with family, friends and her puppy. She says Bon Appetit and enjoys the Great British Baking Show - she hopes to one day master the art of bread-baking.
Sergio W. Guadix
​​Director of Grant Acquisition
ABOUT SERGIO
Sergio W. Guadix is a medical student and President of the AANS student chapter at Weill Cornell Medical College. He is passionate about creating opportunities for students to engage with the field of neurosurgery and works closely with faculty to achieve this goal. His position as Director of Grant Acquisition for Brain and Spine Group allows him to further this passion, expanding opportunities for students to gain exposure to the field of neurosurgery and the behavioral sciences on a national scale.

Sergio earned a B.A. in cognitive science and graduated magma cum laude from the University of Pennsylvania in 2017. He has diverse research experience, spanning the areas of psychology, consumer behavior, neuroscience, and neurosurgery. His grant writing acumen has been integral to the infrastructure and organization of Medical Student Neurosurgery Training Camps.

Michael Rothbaum

Director of Volunteers
ABOUT MICHAEL

Jacob Strouse

Special Projects Manager
ABOUT JACOB
Jacob Strouse is a senior premedical student at Cornell University and is expected to graduate with a degree from CALS in Interdisciplinary Studies in May of 2020, with a focus in neurobiology. After graduation he plans to earn a Masters in Biological and Environmental Engineering from Cornell prior to attending medical school.

​The mission Brain & Spine Group aligns with his current research interest, and life-long goal to bring a more holistic approach to medicine through his learning and knowledge of South American Alternative Medicine.

As E-mail Correspondence Manager and Special Projects Manager, Jacob ensures Brain & Spine Group Programs are accessible to students throughout the world and executed with the utmost quality.

Matt Rosenthal

Special Projects Manager
ABOUT MATT
Matt Rosenthal is a Sophomore at Cornell University studying Neurobiology and Behavior and Health Policy. On campus, he is on the Emergency Medical Services Squad and conducts Evolutionary Biology Research. In his free time he enjoys listening to podcasts, reading, and staying in shape! Matt is excited about helping medical students across the country better their skills on their way to becoming world class in their field!

​As Special Project Manager, Matt works closely with every Brain and Spine group member to ensure operations are seamless.

Christopher Yuan

Web Development Manager
ABOUT CHRISTOPHER
​Christopher Yuan is a Senior pre-medical student at Cornell University studying Neurobiology and Behavior with a minor in Human Development. He is a research assistant in the Affect & Cognition Lab, looking at traumatic memory formation with fMRI data. In his free time, he volunteers at the local mental health service center and nursing home. He hopes to make meaningful contributions to the expanding field of mental health research  before applying to medical school.

As Web Development Manager, Christopher ensures the ease of web access for the brain and spine community.

Felisha Li

Graphic Design Editor
ABOUT FELISHA
Felisha Li is a sophomore majoring in the Biological Sciences with a Neurobiology and Behavior concentration at Cornell University. On campus, she investigates how acetylcholine shapes neural activity in rats during learning and memory tasks as well as organizes events for the Alzheimer’s Help and Awareness Club. Aside from her neuro-interests, Felisha works at the Asian American Resource Center, serves as a peer counselor, and jams out with the Ukulele Club. She is excited to be volunteering with the Brain and Spine Group toward creating more opportunities that prepare medical students for such a highly specialized and important field. 

As Graphic Design Manager, Felisha creates visual content such as logos and publicity materials for the Brain and Spine Group.