Reynolds Named Gibbons Chair in Neurosurgery

On May 27, a ceremony was held to recognize this appointment and to acknowledge the generosity of Kevin J. Gibbons, MD, and Janet Gibbons, who supported the endowed chair, along with UBMD Neurosurgery. The event took place in the Jacobs School’s Ronald I. Dozoretz, MD ’62, Auditorium.

While welcoming the audience, Allison Brashear, MD, MBA, UB’s vice president for health sciences and dean of the Jacobs School, thanked the donors for their generosity and spoke to the opportunities that this endowed chair enables.

“This endowed chair represents more than just a prestigious title. It is a powerful investment in our future. And we thank you so much for that investment,” she said. “This endowed chair is a testament to our commitment to research innovation, inclusive excellence, and global impact.”

Brashear also praised Reynolds’ research and teaching acumen, reflecting on the broad impact the endowed chair will have on her work. “Her growth will not only advance scientific discovery and advance clinical care and medical education, but her work also directly benefits patients, students and families in Western New York and beyond.”

Elad I. Levy, MD, MBA, the L. Nelson Hopkins III, MD, Professor and chair of neurosurgery, spoke about the Gibbons family’s generosity, dedication, and lasting impact.

“It is with humility and gratitude that we acknowledge the support of Kevin, Janet and the Gibbons family, and our UBNS partners,” he said. “You’ve given us the gift of this chair, which will continue to inspire and shape the future of neurosurgery education for generations to come.”

“Dr. Gibbons isn’t one to seek the spotlight,” Levy added. “But when I think about his legacy, it’s inescapable.”

Gibbons served as senior associate dean for clinical affairs and executive director of UBMD Physicians’ Group. He joined the Jacobs School’s neurosurgery faculty after completing his residency at UB in 1993 and would later serve as vice chair and program director. 

Levy shared some of Gibbons’ research achievements, including development of the Gibbons classification, used to evaluate motor function in patients with spinal cord injuries. In 2017, Gibbons authored a widely read and cited paper in Neurosurgery assessing surgical headwear and its effects on infection rates.

Levy also praised Gibbons’ role as an educator, recalling how, years later, so many surgeons continue to thank him for his dedication and teaching.

In acknowledging the endowed chair’s importance, Levy commended Reynolds and her leadership and expertise as a neurosurgeon and training program director. 

“As our program director and chief pediatric neurosurgeon, she has taken our residency program to new heights,” he said. “Her work and influence have helped raise the profile of pediatric neurosurgery, and she’s a driving force in both the practice and education of pediatric neurosurgery.” 

While addressing the audience, Gibbons discussed the importance of being involved with something bigger than one's self. For him, that something was the practice of medicine and being a part of neurosurgery at UB.

While navigating his future after medical school, Gibbons was told that things “might work out” if he would stay in Buffalo and train in neurosurgery under the new chair, the late L. Nelson “Nick” Hopkins III, MD, the world-renowned neurosurgeon who pioneered endovascular neurosurgery.

“I would say, in the end, it seems to have worked out,” Gibbons ribbed. 

“The offer to stay here after residency was a gift,” he added, remarking on how much the field of neurosurgery has changed in 40 years.

“Training our next generation is now more difficult,” he said, noting the expanse of new techniques and technologies. “But in the right settings and with the right teachers, the journey should be rewarding and, dare I say it, even fun.”

“Here in Buffalo, our future is in really great hands under Renée’s guidance. This endowment is an investment in that future.”

While speaking about the future of surgical residency training, Reynolds first thanked and acknowledged the Gibbons family and many who’ve supported her, including her family and neurosurgery colleagues. 

She reflected on her journey through medicine and neurosurgery and now as an endowed chair recipient.

“Many of the accolades necessary to be considered for such a recognition can be counted — research papers, grants, selected abstracts, visiting professorships,” she said, but was reminded of a favorite quote, that “not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted.”

Having spent 12 years with the Department of Neurosurgery, Reynolds shared some of the behind-the-scenes roles that program directors fulfill, work that is extensive but meaningful.

“There is no greater full-circle moment than watching a resident you have trained move on to independent practice, start to ascend the ranks of our national organizations, become APDs or program directors themselves or, most meaningfully, picking up the phone just to tell you thank you for everything you’ve done to help them get there.” 

Reynolds also discussed the need for new surgical training models and less linear methods that can accommodate more learning styles.

But first, she explored the long history of medical and surgical education in the U.S. “To know where we’re going, we need to know where we’ve been,” she said.

Initially, physicians learned through apprenticeships, with no formal medical education systems in place. Medical schools and programs that formed were of dubious quality, and the harm of unqualified physicians became a concern by the late 1800s. 

“The practice of medicine was open to anyone who called themselves a doctor,” Reynolds said.

In the early 20th century, state governing bodies and medical boards began to regulate medical education, although there was still no delineation between physicians and surgeons, Reynolds said.

Modern surgical training has developed over the decades. Sub-specialty training didn’t occur until the ’90s, Reynolds noted, and milestone assessments to determine residency graduation were established as recently as 2013.

Looking ahead, Reynolds described the need for more holistic, individualized training that emphasizes competency-based education and assessments, transition to independent practice, and use of AI and augmented reality tools.

“We talk about precision medicine for our patients — why aren’t we doing it in education? Everybody has different learning styles, different paces, different strengths and weaknesses,” she said.

An AI-driven systematic approach can look at patterns and data from board assessments, OR video evaluations, and other metrics to enable precise, individualized approaches, Reynolds added.

“So, is medical education ready? It must be, and we must harness the power of AI to ensure patients receive quality care and residents receive quality education.”