Neurosurgeon Bhuvic Patel, MD, has been appointed surgical director of the Pituitary Center at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.
The center, part of The Brain Tumor Center at Siteman Cancer Center at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and WashU Medicine, provides multidisciplinary care for patients with tumors and other diseases that affect the pituitary gland and nearby structures.
A pea-sized organ at the base of the brain, the pituitary controls many of the body’s functions, including growth, fertility and hormone levels.
As director of pituitary surgery, Patel will guide efforts to:
- Introduce and utilize innovative, minimally invasive surgical techniques to patients treated at The Brain Tumor Center.
- Lead multidisciplinary anterior skull base and pituitary tumor boards to discuss patient management.
- Educate trainees, perform Pituitary Center-specific outreach and pursue new lines of research to improve patient outcomes.
He assumes a role previously held by Albert H. Kim, MD, PhD, who is now director of The Brain Tumor Center at Siteman. Patel will co-lead the Pituitary Center with medical director Julie Silverstein, MD.
Patel, an assistant professor of neurosurgery at WashU Medicine, earned his medical degree at WashU Medicine and completed his residency at Barnes-Jewish Hospital. He was awarded the William P. Van Wagenen Fellowship, which is given to only one neurosurgeon in North America each year to study overseas. Patel studied the molecular pathogenesis of pituitary tumors and meningiomas under the supervision of Felix Sahm, MD, PhD, in Heidelberg, Germany. Patel then underwent a year of advanced skull base tumor training at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.
“As a WashU medical student and neurosurgery resident, Dr. Bhuvic Patel was an exceptional researcher and clinician,” said Gregory J. Zipfel, MD, head of the Department of Neurosurgery and the Ralph G. Dacey Distinguished Professor of Neurosurgery at WashU Medicine. “I have no doubt he will continue the innovative work established by Dr. Albert Kim and will be a collaborative and thoughtful co-director with Dr. Julie Silverstein.”
Kim said Patel, who joined the WashU Medicine faculty in July, is an exceptionally talented brain tumor researcher and neurosurgeon.
“His extensive clinical and scientific knowledge of anterior skull base tumors, in particular, makes him an ideal co-director and collaborator with Dr. Silverstein,” Kim said. “Dr. Patel is joining a fantastic multidisciplinary team that is dedicated to improving the care and outcomes for patients with pituitary tumors.”
In addition to Patel adding his surgical expertise to the Pituitary Center, Silverstein noted that, given his diverse training experiences, he brings a fresh perspective to treating complex pituitary cases.
“I am excited for him to join our multidisciplinary team as we work together to continue to grow the Pituitary Center,” said Silverstein, the lead pituitary endocrinologist at WashU Medicine.
To make an appointment at the Pituitary Center, call 314-747-7222 or 800-600-3606, or visit www.siteman.wustl.edu.