Research Summary

Professor of Clinical Neurological Surgery and Orthopaedic Surgery
Director of Spinal Deformity & Spine Tumor Surgery
Co-director, Spinal Surgery and UCSF Spine Center
Director, California Deformity Institute
Director, Spinal Biomechanics Laboratory
Founder International Spine Biomarker and Tissue Bank
Board Member Scoliosis Research Society

Dr. Ames is the director of spinal deformity and spine tumor surgery and co-director of the combined high risk spine service, the Neurospinal Disorders Program, and the UCSF Spine Center. He is board certified in neurosurgery. He was named to the 2015-2025 Top Doctors lists in San Francisco Magazine, and among America’s Top Doctors for both neurosurgery and cancer from 2010 to 2025. His tumor practice focuses on en bloc tumor resection for chordoma, chondrosarcoma, giant cell tumor, soft tissue sarcoma, sacral tumors, and other primary and metastatic tumors. While at UCSF, Dr. Ames developed and published the transpedicular approach to previously unresectable cervical and cervical thoracic tumors. He serves as Spine Section Lead editor for Operative Neurosurgery.

Dr. Ames serves on the board of the Scoliosis Research Society and on the steering committee of the AO Knowledge Forum for Adult Spinal Deformity. He is also the UCSF site director for the International Spinal Deformity Study Group and the AO Scoli-Risk Study. He also directs the neurosurgical spinal deformity service and tumor and deformity fellowship program, which performs over 200 cases per year for correction of scoliosis, kyphosis, flat back, and chin-on-chest deformity in ankylosing spondylitis. His research work in spinal deformity has won the prestigious Hibbs award 5 times, as well as the Moe award, the Goldstein award, and several Whitecloud awards from the Scoliosis Research Society. Dr Ames developed and published the first ever classification for cervical spine deformity and cervical osteotomy with the international spine study group. Furthermore he has published the largest series of three column spinal osteotomies for both the cervical spine and the thoracic and lumbar spine in the United States and Europe. He is known for developing many innovative concepts to allow safer treatment planning and risk characterization for complex spine surgery such as the adult deformity frailty index, the adult deformity invasiveness index and pioneering the use of Artificial Intelligence Decision Support Tools for Adult Scoliosis and Deformity Surgery. In 2019 Dr Ames published the first Machine Learning based Adult Scoliosis Classification. In 2021 Dr Ames won the Hibbs Award for the first ever use of telomeric aging to predict risk of spine surgery. In 2024 he won both the clinical and basic science Hibbs awards for his work on DNA methylation and surgical risk and for the 8 year long term outcomes of adult scoliosis surgery.

While at UCSF, Dr Ames founded the largest adult spinal deformity biomarker and tissue bank in the world to discover novel strategies for risk stratification and outcome optimization for spinal surgery in the aging population. In addition, Dr Ames has pioneered the use of custom implant technologies for spinal deformity surgery and has over 1000 cases utilizing custom patient specific rods and custom interbody devices which have substantially improved realignment accuracy rates and decreased the rates of reoperation.

He is internationally recognized for his work in spine tumor, deformity, scoliosis and cervical kyphosis and has published over 800 peer-reviewed publications with an H index of 98. He has been the honored international guest lecturer of the German Spine Society, Swiss Spine society, Dutch Spine Society, Australian Spine Society, the Argentine Spine Society, Berlin Spine Society, European Cervical Spine Research Society, Brazilian Spine Society, the Japanese Orthopedic Association and the Japanese Neurosurgical Society, the Korean Spine Society, Koren Orthopedic Association and the Asian Pacific Spine Society. He has served as chairman for over 300 national and international courses to teach advanced tumor and deformity techniques to neurosurgeons and orthopedic surgeons around the world and has been visiting professor at Hospital for Special Surgery, Cleveland Clinic, Mayo Clinic, UCLA, and Massachusetts General Hospital.

Research Funding

Education

Dartmouth College, BA, 1989
University of California, Los Angeles, MD, 1994
University of California, San Diego, 1994-1995, Surgical Internship
University of California, San Diego, 1995-2000, Resident, Neurological Surgery
Barrow Neurological Institute, Phoenix, Arizona, 2001-2002, Spine Fellow

Honors & Awards

  • 2017
    Scoliosis Research Society GOLDSTEIN Award
  • 2015 - 2017
    Top Doctors in Neurosurgery - San Francisco Magazine
  • 2015
    North American Spine Society Value Award
  • 2010 -2016
    Americaʻs Top Surgeons, Castle Connolly
  • 2010 -2016
    Americaʻs Top Doctors for Cancer, Castle Connolly
  • 2011 -2012
    US News and World Report Top 1% Neurosurgeons in Country
  • 2001
    University of California, San Diego, Chairmanʻs Prize
  • 1994
    University of California, Los Angeles, CAAlpha Omega Alpha Medical Honor Society
  • 1989
    Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, Cum Laude

Selected Publications

  1. Azad TD, Li MW, Ping-Yeh C, Jones KE, Lord EL, Molina CA, Walker CT, Osorio JA, Pizones J, Theologis A, van Hooff M, Yagi M, Kelly MP, de Kleuver M, Hu SS, Shah SA, Pellisé F, Walston JD, Eastlack RK, Ames CP, Scoliosis Research Society Adult Spinal Deformity Task Force on Senescence Musculoskeletal biomarkers in health and disease: implications for the aging spine-a review for spinal surgeons by the SRS adult spinal deformity task force on senescence.  View on PubMed
  2. Passias PG, Mir JM, Schoenfeld AJ, Yung A, Smith JS, Lafage V, Lafage R, Diebo B, Daniels AH, Line BG, Eastlack RK, Mundis GM, Kebaish KM, Mullin JP, Fessler RG, Mummaneni PV, Chou D, Hamilton DK, Lee SH, Soroceanu A, Scheer JK, Protopsaltis T, Kim HJ, Buell TJ, Hostin RA, Gupta MC, Klineberg EO, Riew KD, Burton DC, Schwab FJ, Bess S, Shaffrey CI, Ames CP, International Spine Study Group Quantifying the Importance of Upper Cervical Extension Reserve in Adult Cervical Deformity Surgery and Its Impact on Baseline Presentation and Outcomes.  View on PubMed
  3. Mir JM, Smith JS, Yung A, Onafowokan OO, Lafage R, Gum J, Line BG, Diebo B, Daniels AH, Hamilton DK, Agarwal N, Buell TJ, Scheer JK, Eastlack RK, Mullin JP, Mundis GM, Hosogane N, Yagi M, Anand N, Mummaneni PV, Chou D, Klineberg EO, Kebaish KM, Gupta MC, Kim HJ, Lenke LG, Ames CP, Schwab FJ, Lafage V, Hostin RA, Bess S, Burton DC, Shaffrey CI, Passias PG Impact of thoracolumbar inflection point on outcomes and complications in adult spinal deformity.  View on PubMed
  4. Smith JS, Kelly MP, Yanik EL, Baldus CR, Pham V, Ben-Israel D, Lurie JD, Edwards C, Glassman SD, Lenke LG, Buchowski JM, Carreon LY, Crawford CH, Lewis SJ, Koski T, Lafage V, Gupta MC, Kim HJ, Ames CP, Bess S, Schwab FJ, Shaffrey CI, Bridwell KH Operative vs Nonoperative Treatment for Adult Symptomatic Lumbar Scoliosis at 8-Year Follow-Up: A Nonrandomized Clinical Trial.  View on PubMed
  5. Semonche A, Scheer JK, Lui A, Burke JF, Jedwood C, Wang A, Wang EJ, Catalan T, Chang D, Belfield B, Thapar I, Safaee MM, Lau D, Fury M, Wozny T, Mikula AL, Mazur-Hart D, Theologis AA, Clark AJ, Ames CP Pain catastrophizing and frailty in adult spinal deformity patients with cognitive impairment.  View on PubMed
  6. Mikula AL, Pennington Z, Lakomkin N, Martini ML, Hamouda AM, Nassr A, Freedman B, Sebastian AS, Cross WW, Ames CP, Elder BD, Fogelson JL Removal of painful pelvic screws following spine fusion surgery: outcomes and complications.  View on PubMed
  7. Ghauri MS, Rajkumar S, Stone LE, Kelly MP, Iyer RR, Bauer J, Ames CP, Newton PO, Gonda DD, Levy ML, Ravindra VM Towards a Definition of Physiologic Vulnerability in Pediatric Spine Surgery: Identification of Key Risk Factors in a Cohort Study of Children With Neuromuscular Disease Undergoing Spinal Fusion.  View on PubMed
  8. Yagi M, Hosogane N, Ames CP, Kelly MP, Smith JS, Shaffrey CI, Schwab FJ, Lafage V, Bess S, International Spine Study Group (ISSG) Comparative Analysis of Biological Aging and Inflammatory Profiles in Adult Spinal Deformity Patients Between Japan and the United States: A Correlative Study.  View on PubMed
  9. Mikula AL, Choy W, Pennington Z, Semonche AM, Wozny TA, Mazur-Hart DJ, Kim J, Nguyen TH, Clark AJ, Deviren V, Ames CP Risk factors for distal junctional failure following three-column osteotomy for cervical deformity correction.  View on PubMed
  10. Passias PG, Krol O, Williamson TK, Bennett-Caso C, Smith JS, Diebo B, Lafage V, Lafage R, Line B, Daniels AH, Gum JL, Protopsaltis TS, Hamilton DK, Soroceanu A, Scheer JK, Eastlack R, Mundis GM, Kebaish KM, Hostin RA, Gupta MC, Kim HJ, Klineberg EO, Ames CP, Hart RA, Burton DC, Schwab FJ, Shaffrey CI, Bess S, International Spine Study Group Proximal Junctional Kyphosis and Failure Prophylaxis Improves Cost Efficacy, While Maintaining Optimal Alignment, in Adult Spinal Deformity Surgery.  View on PubMed
  11. Azad TD, Burke JF, Warman A, Scheer JK, Safaee MM, Nguyen T, Kim J, Fury M, Lee J, Deviren V, Ames CP Neurocognitive outcomes following adult spinal deformity surgery: a prospective study with 12-month follow-up.  View on PubMed
  12. Diebo BG, Balmaceno-Criss M, Lafage R, Singh M, Daher M, Hamilton DK, Smith JS, Eastlack RK, Fessler R, Gum JL, Gupta MC, Hostin R, Kebaish KM, Kim HJ, Klineberg EO, Lewis S, Line BG, Nunley PD, Mundis GM, Passias PG, Protopsaltis TS, Buell T, Scheer JK, Mullin J, Soroceanu A, Ames CP, Lenke LG, Bess S, Shaffrey CI, Schwab FJ, Burton DC, Lafage V, Daniels AH, ISSG. Iatrogenic posterior translation of the construct at the uppermost instrumented vertebrae is associated with proximal junctional kyphosis. Eur Spine J. 2025 Feb 17.  View on PubMed
  13. Cerpa M, Zuckerman SL, Lenke LG, Carreon LY, Cheung KMC, Kelly MP, Fehlings MG, Ames CP, Boachie-Adjei O, Dekutoski MB, Kebaish KM, Lewis SJ, Matsuyama Y, Pellisé F, Qiu Y, Schwab FJ, Smith JS, Shaffrey CI. Long-term follow-up of non‑neurologic and neurologic complications after complex adult spinal deformity surgery: results from the Scoli-RISK-1 study. Eur Spine J. 2025 Feb 12.  View on PubMed
  14. Mullin JP, Quiceno E, Soliman MAR, Daniels AH, Smith JS, Kelly MP, Ames CP, Bess S, Burton D, Diebo B, Eastlack RK, Hostin R, Kebaish K, Kim HJ, Klineberg E, Lafage V, Lenke LG, Lewis SJ, Mundis G, Passias PG, Protopsaltis TS, Schwab FJ, Gum JL, Buell TJ, Shaffrey CI, Gupta MC, International Spine Study Group. Comparison of Clinical and Radiological Outcomes of Three-Column Lumbar Osteotomies with and without Interbody Cages for Adult Spinal Deformity. Spine J. 2025 Jan 10.  View on PubMed
  15. Smith JS, Ben-Israel D, Kelly MP, Lafage V, Lafage R, Klineberg EO, Kim HJ, Line B, Protopsaltis TS, Passias P, Eastlack RK, Mundis GM, Riew KD, Kebaish K, Park P, Gupta MC, Gum JL, Daniels AH, Diebo BG, Hostin R, Scheer JK, Soroceanu A, Hamilton DK, Buell TJ, Lewis SJ, Lenke LG, Mullin JP, Schwab FJ, Burton D, Shaffrey CI, Ames CP, Bess S. The gap between surgeon goal and achieved sagittal alignment in adult cervical spine deformity surgery. J Neurosurg Spine. 2025 Jan 03; 1-11.  View on PubMed
  16. Daher M, Xu A, Singh M, Lafage R, Line BG, Lenke LG, Ames CP, Burton DC, Lewis SM, Eastlack RK, Gupta MC, Mundis GM, Gum JL, Hamilton KD, Hostin R, Lafage V, Passias PG, Protopsaltis TS, Kebaish KM, Schwab FJ, Shaffrey CI, Smith JS, Bess S, Klineberg EO, Diebo BG, Daniels AH, International Spine Study Group (ISSG). Redefining Clinically Significant Blood Loss in Complex Adult Spine Deformity Surgery. Spine (Phila Pa 1976). 2024 Dec 25.  View on PubMed
  17. Passias PG, Dave P, Smith JS, Lafage R, Onafowokan OO, Tretiakov P, Mir J, Line B, Diebo B, Daniels AH, Gum JL, Eastlack R, Hamilton DK, Chou D, Klineberg EO, Kebaish KM, Lewis S, Gupta MC, Kim HJ, Lenke LG, Ames CP, Shaffrey CI, Schwab FJ, Lafage V, Bess S, Hostin R, Burton DC. Cause and Effect of Revisions in Adult Spinal Deformity Surgery: A Multicenter Study on Outcomes Based on Etiology. Spine J. 2024 Dec 18.  View on PubMed
  18. Onafowokan OO, Lafage R, Tretiakov P, Smith JS, Line BG, Diebo BG, Daniels AH, Gum JL, Protopsaltis TS, Hamilton DK, Buell T, Soroceanu A, Scheer J, Eastlack RK, Mullin JP, Mundis G, Hosogane N, Yagi M, Anand N, Okonkwo DO, Wang MY, Klineberg EO, Kebaish KM, Lewis S, Hostin R, Gupta MC, Lenke LG, Kim HJ, Ames CP, Shaffrey CI, Bess S, Schwab FJ, Lafage V, Burton D, Passias PG, International Spine Study Group. Comparative Analysis of Outcomes in Adult Spinal Deformity Patients with Proximal Junctional Kyphosis or Failure Initially Fused to Upper Versus Lower Thoracic Spine. J Clin Med. 2024 Dec 18; 13(24).  View on PubMed
  19. Lafage R, Sheehan C, Smith JS, Daniels A, Diebo B, Ames C, Bess S, Eastlack R, Gupta M, Hostin R, Kim HJ, Klineberg E, Mundis G, Hamilton K, Shaffrey C, Schwab F, Lafage V, Burton D, International Spine Study Group (ISSG). Letter re: Incremental Increase in Hospital Length of Stay Due to Complications of Surgery for Adult Spinal Deformity. Global Spine J. 2024 Dec 06; 21925682241302073.  View on PubMed
  20. Passias PG, Tretiakov P, Onafowokan OO, Das A, Lafage R, Smith JS, Line BG, Nayak P, Diebo B, Daniels AH, Gum JL, Hamilton DK, Buell TJ, Soroceanu A, Scheer JK, Eastlack RK, Mullin JP, Schoenfeld AJ, Mundis GM, Hosogane N, Yagi M, Mummaneni PV, Chou D, Fu KM, Than KD, Anand N, Okonkwo DO, Wang MY, Klineberg E, Kebaish KM, Lewis S, Hostin R, Gupta M, Lenke L, Kim HJ, Ames CP, Shaffrey CI, Bess S, Schwab F, Lafage V, Burton D. When is staging complex adult spinal deformity advantageous? Identifying subsets of patients who benefit from staged interventions. J Neurosurg Spine. 2024 Nov 22; 1-8.  View on PubMed

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