Andrew F. Cannestra, MD, PhD, is a board eligible neurosurgeon, fellowship trained in spine surgery and spinal cord injury. He obtained his undergraduate degree in 1993 from the University of California, San Diego, graduating Summa Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Engineering (B.S.E.). Dr Cannestra completed both his medical school degree and neuroscience graduate degree simultaneously at UCLA, obtaining his doctorate of philosophy (Ph.D.) in Neuroscience in 1998, and his medical doctorate (M.D.) in 1999. He performed his general surgery internship at UCLA. After general surgery training he then completed his neurosurgery residency at the Division of Neurosurgery, UCLA Medical Center. Dr. Cannestra obtained his fellowship training in spine surgery and spinal cord injury from the University of Miami, Jackson Memorial Hospital. Dr. Cannestra's expertise is in spinal surgery (both fusion and dynamic technologies), minimally invasive neurosurgery (including minimally invasive cranial and spine procedures), neuroendoscopy (both cranial and spine), radiosurgery (Gamma Knife and LINAC), brain mapping (per-operative and intraoperative), functional neurosurgery ( movement disorders), complex tumors as well as cerebrovascular surgery (including extracranial to intracranial "brain" bypass procedures. He is a member of the American Association of Neurologic Surgeons (AANS), the Congress of Neurologic Surgeons (CNS), and the National Association of Spine Surgeons (NASS).