Dr. John Ragheb Continues Serving as Chief of Nicklaus Children's Department of Surgery and as Neurosurgeon.
Dr. Toba N. Niazi has been appointed Chief of the Section of Neurosurgery for Nicklaus Children's Pediatric Specialists (NCPS) and assumes a leadership position within the Nicklaus Children's Brain Institute as Director of the hospital's Division of Neurosurgery. She will lead the Brain Institute in collaboration with Dr. Paula Schleifer, Director of the Division of Neurology.
Dr. Niazi, who has been with Nicklaus Children's since 2013 and has served as Director of Surgical Neuro-Oncology, will build on the longstanding leadership of Dr. John Ragheb who has headed the Division of Neurosurgery since 2003 and also served as Chief of the NCPS Section of Neurosurgery. Dr. Ragheb has been instrumental in leading the Nicklaus Children's Brain Institute to national and international prominence and now seeks to reduce organizational leadership duties, as part of succession planning. Dr. Ragheb will continue to serve as the elected chair of the hospital's Department of Surgery.
"We are grateful to these two amazing neurosurgeons for their remarkable leadership within our organization," said Dr. Chad Perlyn, President of NCPS, the employed clinical practice of Nicklaus Children's Health System. "We honor Dr. Ragheb for his years of leadership and contributions to the Brain Institute and welcome Dr. Niazi to her new role. Her outstanding technical skill, deep commitment to the patients and families we serve, and her understanding of our organization make her uniquely qualified for her new role."
Nicklaus Children's has been ranked among the nation's best programs for pediatric neurology and neurosurgery by U.S. News and World Report since 2008 – the first year the publication conducted rankings in this combined specialty. The national accolades earned by the Nicklaus Children's Brain Institute reaffirms that Nicklaus Children's is the hospital where children matter most.
Prior to joining the team in 2013, Dr. Niazi was with Inova Fairfax Children's Hospital in Falls Church, Virginia, as a pediatric neurosurgeon. She received her medical degree from the University of Maryland School of Medicine in Baltimore. Dr. Niazi completed her internship and residency at the Department of Neurological Surgery at the University of Utah School of Medicine, and a fellowship in pediatric neurosurgery at the University of Washington/Seattle Children's Medical Center.
Dr. Niazi is board certified by the American Board of Neurological Surgery and the American Board of Pediatric Neurological Surgery. During her time in training, Dr. Niazi focused on translational research in a transgenic mouse model with medulloblastoma. This work led her to earn the prestigious Kenneth Shulman Award through the American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS) and Congress of Neurological Surgeons (CNS). She participates extensively in clinical research, is published extensively and has written numerous invited book chapters. She currently serves on the editorial board of the Journal of Neurosurgery Pediatrics.