Spine neurosurgeon Dr. Corey Walker has been selected to join the faculty of the Department of Neurosurgery at Cedars-Sinai. He comes to Cedars-Sinai from the Barrow Neurological Institute in Phoenix, where he distinguished himself in the surgical treatment of spinal disorders.

“Dr. Walker joins our expert team of spine faculty neurosurgeons – Drs. Tiffany Perry, Alex Tuchman and Lindsey Ross – who have collaborated with their orthopedic colleagues to elevate the Cedars-Sinai Spine Center to international prominence,” said Dr. Keith Black, chair of the Department of Neurosurgery and holder of the Ruth and Lawrence Harvey Chair in Neuroscience at Cedars-Sinai. “He is a leader in the minimally invasive correction of complex spinal deformities using next-generation robotics and navigation technologies.”

The spine center’s team is focused on the evaluation and management of surgical and nonsurgical patients with spinal disorders and other orthopedic conditions. Along with the surgical team, pain specialists provide diagnostic and therapeutic interventions that can be attempted prior to surgical procedures.

Walker specializes in the surgical correction of multiple spinal disorders, including complex spinal deformities, scoliosis, spinal cord injury and fractures, spinal tumors, sciatica and back and neck pain. Using minimally invasive techniques, he is able to preserve muscle function, enhance recovery and reduce opioid consumption.

He has published more than 50 papers in peer-reviewed journals, written 10 textbook chapters and received several major awards, including the 2018 North American Spine Society Resident and Fellow Research Award.

Walker attended medical school at the University of Rochester School of Medicine and graduated with a distinction in research. At the Barrow Neurological Institute, where he completed his residency, he also completed fellowships in complex and minimally invasive spine pathologies. He completed orthopedic spinal fellowship training at Scripps Clinic in San Diego through the San Diego Spine Foundation.

He is currently conducting a multi-institutional study looking at approaches for performing minimally invasive fusions.