Ralph G. Dacey Jr., MD

Ralph G. Dacey Jr., MD


Professor of Neurosurgery

Former Chair of Neurosurgery

Specialties

  • Aneurysms
  • Vascular malformations of the brain
  • Pituitary Tumors
  • Brain Tumors

Call 314-362-3577 for Patient Appointments

Dr. Ralph Dacey specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of brain tumors and also gamma-knife radiosurgery.

Practicing neurosurgery at Washington University is wonderful because of the resources we have—a great team of experts and outstanding technology and facilities.

Dr. Dacey

Education

BA, Harvard University
Boston Massachusetts 
1967-1970

MD, University of Virginia
Charlottesville, Virginia 
1970-1974

Residency

Resident, Medicine 
Strong Memorial Hospital, 
Rochester, New York
1974-1976

Registrar, Surgical Neurology 
Freedom Fields, Plymouth General Hospital 
Plymouth, England
1981-1982

Resident, Surgery and Neurosurgery
University of Virginia 
Charlottesville, Virginia 
1976-1983

Research focus

Mechanisms of control of the intracerebral microcirculation focusing on the unique properties of smooth muscle and endothelial cells in intracerebral arterioles; natural history and management of colloid cysts of the third ventricle; 3-D shape analysis of intracranial aneurysms and its impact on surgical management; intra-operative imaging in neurosurgery.

View research, publications and collaborations »

Honors & leadership roles

  • Trained more than 60 neurosurgery residents at Washington University School of Medicine
  • Former secretary and chairman of the American Board of Neurological Surgery
  • Former chairman of the ACGME’s Residency Review Committee for Neurological Surgery
  • Past president of the Congress of Neurological Surgeons, the American Academy of Neurological Surgeons and the Society of Neurological Surgeons
  • Former member of the Advisory Council of the NIH’s National Institute for Neurological Diseases and Stroke
  • Recipient of the International Grass Foundation Award of the Society of Neurological Surgeons for outstanding research, the 2011 Founder’s Laurel Award from the Congress of Neurological Surgeons (CNS), and the Walter Reed Award Distinguished Service Award from the University of Virginia
  • Elected to the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences (NAM)
  • Served as Honored Guest for the Congress of Neurological Surgeons’ annual meeting
  • Conferred as an Honorary Fellow off the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland
  • Received the Distinguished Service Award and the Harvey Cushing Medal, the organization’s highest honor, from the American Assocation of Neurological Surgeons (AANS)
  • Recognized with the creation of the Ralph G. Dacey, Jr., MD, Medal for Outstanding Cerebrovascular Research by the Joint Cerebrovascular Section (AANS/CNS) to recognize neurological surgeons who have made outstanding contributions to research on cerebrovascular disease.

Board certification

American Board of Neurological Surgery (1985)
American Board of Internal Medicine (1978)

Hospital appointments

Barnes-Jewish Hospital 
Barnes-Jewish West County Hospital
St. Louis Children’s Hospital