Medical Advisors

Dr James T. Rutka

Medical Advisor

Born in Toronto, and educated at Princeton University (1975-1977), and Queen’s University Medical School (1977-1981), Dr. Rutka did an internship at McGill University (1981-1982) before entering the University of Toronto Neurosurgery Training Program in 1982. His training included a research fellowship at the Brain Tumor Research Centre, the University of California San Francisco where he obtained his PhD in Experimental Pathology (1984-1987). Dr. Rutka assumed his appointment in the Department of Surgery, Division of Neurosurgery in 1990, and has been on the surgical staff at the Hospital for Sick Children in the Division of Pediatric Neurosurgery since that time. Dr. Rutka’s primary research and clinical interests relate to the science and surgery of human brain tumors. He has over 450 peer reviewed publications. In 1999, Dr. Rutka was promoted to Professor in the Department of Surgery, and was appointed Chairman of the Division of Neurosurgery at the University of Toronto. From 1999-2011, Dr Rutka held the Dan Family Chair in Neurosurgery. In 2009, he was the Honored Guest at the Congress of Neurological Surgeons’ Annual Meeting. In 2010-11, Dr Rutka served as President of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons. In 2011, he became President of the World Academy of Neurological Surgery, and the American Academy of Neurological Surgery. In 2013, he became the first Canadian to be appointed as Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Neurosurgery. In 2015, he was made an Officer of the Order of Canada.