Join Dr. Theodore Schwartz, professor at Weill Cornell Medical School and one of America’s preeminent neurosurgeons, in conversation with Dr. Sanjay Gupta on the complexity and wonder of the human brain — and his new book, Gray Matters. Your support helps us continue creating online content for our community. Donate now: http://www.92NY.org/Donate Facebook: http://facebook.com/92ndStreetY Instagram: http://Instagram.com/92ndStreetY Twitter: https://twitter.com/92ndStreetY Archives: http://www.92ny.org/archives

On a special episode of the Walker Webcast, Willy sat down with Dr. Theodore Schwartz—one of the nation’s leading neurosurgeons and author of Gray Matters: A Biography of Brain Surgery—at the Sun Valley Writers’ Conference. Together, they discussed Dr. Schwartz’s approach to patient care and balancing transparency with compassion, making the decision to become a neurosurgeon, the power of the human brain, cutting edge technologies like Deep Brain Stimulation and Brain Computer Interface, and so much more. Key Points In The Webcast: 00:00 Introduction 02:17 Willy introduces Dr. Theodore Schwartz 05:37 What Dr. Schwartz does after a biopsy 11:36 Leading patients with hope 13:56 Determining tumor aggression and quality of life 16:22 How does brain mapping work? 19:30 Dr. Harvey Cushing, the founder of neurosurgery 20:32 Dr. Cushing’s education and early discoveries 23:46 What Dr. Schwartz does after a patient passes 25:01 How to be reliable: Personal and professional 29:31 Practicing transparency and honesty 31:35 The history of Dr. Schwartz’ parents 36:58 Celebrating Dr. Schwartz’ mother’s 90th birthday 37:18 Why “Gray Matters”? 38:44 How Dr. Schwartz would respond to a diagnosis 40:44 Dr. Wilfeld Penfield’s discoveries on language and the brain 42:43 New technologies for Parkinson’s 49:26 AI and brain-computer interface 49:32 Leo Davidoff and Tracy Putnam 54:13 Cochlear implant vs. brain-computer interface 54:56 A non-invasive brain surgery success story GET NOTIFIED about upcoming shows: » Subscribe to our YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5jhzGBWOTvQku2kLbucGcw » See upcoming guests on the #WalkerWebcast here: https://www.walkerdunlop.com/webcasts Related webcasts: Tune in on Wednesdays for fresh perspectives about leadership, business, the economy, commercial real estate, and more! #WillyWalker hosts a diverse network of leaders as they share the wisdom that cuts across industry lines. Check out our previous videos: » Full playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL_QkMqEzOkzNmWUe9kpfRJ4213jIh6LNk Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/driven-by-insight/id1540843402 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1z3wDGMAjtscNhKWJfXs7L Follow us: » LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/walker-&-dunlop/ » Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WalkerDunlop » Twitter: https://twitter.com/WalkerDunlop » Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/walkerdunlop/ POSTING POLICY: Please bear in mind that this is a public and professional platform. We’ll do our best to ensure that our postings on this page comply with our standards, which prohibit content that: • is abusive, defamatory, threatening, or obscene • is fraudulent, deceptive, or misleading • violates the copyright, trademark, patent, trade secret, right of privacy, right of publicity, or other intellectual property right of another • contains or links to any virus, worm, Trojan horse, or other forms of malware or harmful code • contains the personal information of others, such as names, addresses, and telephone numbers • violates any law or regulation • is otherwise offensive. We expect users not to post content that violates our standards. We cannot monitor postings or discussions in advance, but we reserve the right to remove any posting that does not meet our standards.

One of America’s preeminent neurosurgeons and the author of Gray Matters: A Biography of Brain Surgery, DR. THEODORE H. SCHWARTZ has spent his career investigating some of the most complex and perplexing questions about the three- and-a-half pounds of tissue that determines the very nature of ourselves and our lives. Perhaps no question in neuroscience—or, for that matter, in philosophy and psychology—is more mysterious than that of identity, how it is that we know and feel ourselves to be who we are. Perhaps the only thing that can be said for certain is that whatever identity is or isn’t, it originates, somehow, in the brain. In conversation with Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright and novelist AYAD AKHTAR, Dr. Schwartz will shine a light for us into the darkness.

What happens when one of the world's leading neurosurgeons steps away from the operating room to become a first-time founder? Dr. Theodore Schwartz pioneered minimally invasive brain surgery—going through the nose and eyelid instead of opening the skull. He's published over 200 papers, written a bestselling book on neurosurgery history, and now he's building a MedTech startup to solve a problem that's plagued him for decades: there's no way to continuously monitor a patient's pupils during surgery. This conversation goes deep. We talk about the psychological weight of knowing you might paralyze 3-4% of patients no matter how good you are. Why it took him 20 years to truly master neurosurgery. The physics problems that keep him up at night. And why he thinks AI will struggle with surgery for a long time—not because of intelligence, but because of how differently humans and computers evolved. We also get into the future of brain-computer interfaces. Ted sits on the scientific advisory board of Precision Neuroscience, and he breaks down exactly how their approach differs from Neuralink and Synchron. Spoiler: it's about electrodes on the surface of the brain, not inside it, and why that might actually be better for getting high-bandwidth data out. Plus: focused ultrasound opening the blood-brain barrier, targeted immunotherapies for glioblastoma, the doorman who changed his perspective on hard work, and what it's really like to transition from 40 years of clinical practice to writing FDA guidelines and pitching to VCs. - Why continuous pupillary monitoring through closed eyelids could revolutionize neurosurgery and ICU care - The three competing BCI approaches: Synchron (in blood vessels), Neuralink (penetrating electrodes), Precision (surface electrodes) - Why neurosurgery took 25 years for even the best hospitals to adopt transorbital approaches - The decision algorithm surgeons use when removing a tumor might blind someone—and why AI can't make that call yet - How Harvey Cushing reduced brain surgery mortality from 50% to 8% and essentially founded the field - Why grit and curiosity matter more than raw intelligence in neurosurgery - The transition from practicing clinician to founder: patents, FDA meetings, grant writing, and learning to create value before raising VC money - Why infrared light passes through eyelids better than visible light (it's the melanin) - How focused ultrasound might eliminate the need for opening skulls entirely This is one of those conversations where you realize how much frontier work is still happening in medicine, and how the people pushing those boundaries think about risk, responsibility, and what it means to literally hold someone's brain in your hands. 🔔 SUBSCRIBE so you don't miss our next conversation! GUEST INFORMATION: - Theodore Schwartz, MD - Neurosurgeon, Author, Entrepreneur - Book: Gray Matters: A Biography of Brain Surgery - Website: https://www.theodorehschwartzmd.com/ - X (Twitter): https://x.com/tedschwartz13 CONNECT WITH US: Website: https://frameshifts.org/ Substack: https://frameshifts.bio/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Frameshifts X (Twitter): https://x.com/frameshiftspod LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/frameshifts/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@frameshiftspod

Theodore H. Schwartz, MD in conversation with Mitch Elkind, MD

Stop us if you’ve heard this one: A chief marketing officer and a neurosurgeon walk into a bar...Well, not really, but in the latest Building Blocks from Quad, CMO Josh Golden picks the brain (so-to-speak) of Dr. Theodore Schwartz, the David and Ursel Barnes Professor of Minimally Invasive Neurosurgery at Weill Cornell Medical Center in New York. What brings these two diverse professionals together? They talk about Dr. Schwartz’s new book, “Gray Matters: A Biography of Surgery,” how surgeons share traits with performing, the nature of what is real and whether “The Matrix” is truly science-fiction.

Explore the evolution of brain surgery and implications for proactive brain health with international speaker and one of the nation’s leading neurological surgeons, Dr. Theodore H. Schwartz, professor of neurological surgery in otolaryngology at Weill Cornell Medicine. Dr. Schwartz shares a surgeon’s perspective on major advances in the history of brain health science, as well as the cultural and philosophical significance of popular brain-related topics in a fireside chat with neurologist and longtime friend Mitch Elkind, MD, chief clinical science officer at the American Heart Association. Dr. Schwartz is the author of the highly-anticipated new book Gray Matters: A Biography of Brain Surgery. Are you new to Center for BrainHealth? Help us celebrate our 25th anniversary and the launch of the Great Brain Gain movement. Join our 7-day text challenge – take simple steps toward better brain health by learning and applying daily brain-healthy tips. Text 'GAIN' to 888-844-8991. Find out more: https://centerforbrainhealth.org/great-brain-gain At Center for BrainHealth, we can show you how to transform your mind to work stronger and faster. We have easy-to-use, scientifically proven tools to provide you with a proactive path to improve quality of life through brain health. Our research shows that better brain health helps people thrive within the context of their personal life. New to The Center for BrainHealth®? The Center for BrainHealth, part of The University of Texas at Dallas, is a research institute committed to enhancing, preserving, and restoring brain health across the lifespan. Major research areas include the use of functional and structural neuroimaging techniques to better understand the neurobiology supporting cognition and emotion in health and disease. This leading-edge scientific exploration is translated quickly into practical innovations to improve how people think, work, and live, empowering people of all ages to unlock their brain potential. To learn more about us, visit our website: centerforbrainhealth.org Follow our socials: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/centerforbrainhealth/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/BrainHealth/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/centerforbrainhealth LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/centerforbrainhealth © 2024 Center for BrainHealth (UTD). All rights reserved.

Dr. Aaron Cohen-Gadol of the The Neurosurgical Atlas interviews Dr. Theodore H. Schwartz.