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Youssef G. Comair, M.D., FRCSC

Section Chief, Neurosurgical Oncology
Professor of Surgery (Neurological Surgery)
Schedule: (773) 702-2123

About Dr. Comair

Dr. Comair pioneered the use of awake craniotomy for brain tumors near areas that control speech, movement, and cognition — a technique now considered standard of care worldwide. Trained at the Montreal Neurological Institute under the legacy of Wilder Penfield, he has held leadership positions at five major institutions across three continents: UCLA, Cleveland Clinic, the American University of Beirut (where he founded the first epilepsy surgery program in the Middle East), Baylor College of Medicine, and Johns Hopkins. He has authored over 120 publications and two neurosurgery textbooks, with chapters in more than 40 others. A recent meta-analysis he co-authored confirmed that awake craniotomy improves tumor removal, survival, and neurological outcomes compared to surgery under general anesthesia.

Education & Training

  • M.D., St. Joseph University, Beirut, Lebanon
  • Residency, Neurosurgery, Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill
  • Fellowship, Brain Tumor & Functional Neurosurgery, MNI

National Leadership

  • Board of Directors, World Society for Stereotactic & Functional Neurosurgery
  • Pediatric Epilepsy Surgery Committee, International League Against Epilepsy
  • Leadership at UCLA, Cleveland Clinic, AUB, Baylor, Johns Hopkins

Selected Publications

Awake Versus Asleep Craniotomy for Patients With Eloquent Glioma: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Neurosurgery. 2024;94(1):38-52. PMID: 37489887
Khajavi K, Comair YG, et al. Surgical management of pediatric tumor-associated epilepsy. J Child Neurol. 1999. PMID: 10025536

Areas of Expertise

Awake Craniotomy Brain Tumors Epilepsy Surgery Pituitary Tumors Skull Base Deep Brain Stimulation

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