Dr. Witham is a pioneer in augmented reality spine surgery — he led one of the first teams to use an AR head-mounted display for navigation during human spine surgery, published in Operative Neurosurgery (2021). At Johns Hopkins, he served as Director of the Spinal Fusion Laboratory, Director of the Bayview Spine Program, and Co-Program Director of the neurosurgery residency. He also served as a Lt. Colonel and Chief Neurosurgeon in the U.S. Air Force at Keesler Medical Center, earning the Air Force Meritorious Service Medal. His lab at Hopkins developed bioactive biodegradable polymer scaffolds to enhance spinal fusion. He has authored over 170 peer-reviewed publications.
Molina CA, et al. Clinical accuracy, technical precision, and workflow of the first in human use of an AR head-mounted display for spine surgery. Operative Neurosurgery. 2021. PMID: 33377137
Azad TD, et al. Augmented reality in spine surgery — past, present, and future. The Spine Journal. 2024. PMID: 37660893
