The Foundation for International Education in Neurological Surgery (FIENS) is pleased to welcome three new members to its Board of Directors: Kerry Vaughan, MD, Roxanna Garcia, MD, MS, MPH, and Hamid Shah, MD.
All three bring outstanding experience in academic neurosurgery and a shared commitment to expanding sustainable neurosurgical capacity worldwide.
Dr. Kerry Vaughan
Dr. Kerry Vaughan is a pediatric and global neurosurgeon and Assistant Professor in the Barrow Global Division at the Barrow Neurological Institute in Phoenix, Arizona. She has served as the inaugural Franke Global Neurosurgery Fellow, working both in the United States and at Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Centre in Tanzania to expand access to neurosurgical education and care through long-term partnership and training.
Her work focuses on building sustainable neurosurgical systems by training local providers, strengthening clinical workflows, and supporting the development of regional training programs. Dr. Vaughan has been active in the global surgery movement for nearly a decade and collaborates with multinational teams to improve care for children and adults with neurosurgical disease.
Dr. Roxanna Garcia
Dr. Roxanna Garcia is a board-certified neurosurgeon and Assistant Professor of Neurological Surgery at Northwestern University, whose academic and clinical work centers on global neurosurgery, neurotrauma, and equitable access to care. She completed neurosurgical training at Northwestern University, and a neurocritical care fellowship at University of Chicago. As a resident trainee she participated in the NIH Fogarty Global Health Training Program, including research and health-system collaboration in Peru focused on neurosurgical capacity and traumatic brain injury care. She was recently awarded a career development award (K01) through the Fogarty International Center to continue research within traumatic brain injury in Peru, serving as the first young neurosurgeon from the USA to participate in this NIH program.
Dr. Garcia’s research and advocacy address disparities in neurosurgical workforce distribution and emphasize sustainable training models rather than short-term mission approaches. She works to advance neurosurgical and neuro-critical care capacity internationally through education, collaboration, and health-systems research.
Dr. Hamid Shah
Hamid Shah is a board-certified neurosurgeon, currently serving as a Neurosurgeon at Thomas Hospital in Charleston, West Virginia, and Associate Professor of Neurosurgery at the West Virginia University School of Medicine. His career has included leadership roles at the Nashville VA and Vanderbilt University, where he served as Assistant Professor of Neurosurgery and contributed to clinical, educational, and institutional initiatives across spine, functional neurosurgery, and pain care. A committed leader in organized neurosurgery, he served as President of the Tennessee Neurosurgical Society, as CSNS Delegate for both Tennessee and West Virginia. Since 2023, he has also served as FIENS Volunteer Services assistant coordinator, working closely with leadership to coordinate volunteer placement in support of global neurosurgical education.
FIENS is honored to welcome Drs. Vaughan, Garcia and Shah to the Board. Their experience in training, research, and global partnership strengthens FIENS’ mission to develop the next generation of neurosurgeons and improve access to safe neurosurgical care around the world.
