Daniel Refai, MD
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RoleNeurosurgery, Spine Surgery
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Specialty
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Research Program
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Practicing Since2009
Background
Daniel Refai is the director of spinal oncology at the Emory Spine Center. Dr. Refai focuses on both intradural and extradural spinal tumors as well as metastatic and primary tumors of the spine. He performs complex spine tumor surgery and spine reconstruction surgery. He also directs the stereotactic radiosurgery division of the Emory Spine Center for spine tumor treatment. Dr. Refai's research interests include outcome analysis following surgery and radiosurgery for spine tumors. He has published extensively on the treatment of spinal disorders and has developed innovative multidisciplinary approaches for treatment. He is a member of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons, Congress of Neurological Surgeons, and the North American Spine Society.
Dr. Refai completed neurosurgical residency at Washington University in Saint Louis under the tutelage of Ralph Dacey MD. He spent six months as a specialist registrar in neurosurgery at Beaumont Hospital in Dublin, Ireland. He completed a combined orthopaedic and neurosurgery spine fellowship at the Cleveland Clinic under Edward Benzel MD, Iain Kalfas MD, Gordon Bell MD, and others. He specializes in all aspects of complex spine surgery and is actively involved in clinical research. Dr. Refai enjoys teaching and has received numerous patient and medical education distinctions throughout his training.
Titles & Roles
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Professor, Department of NeurosurgeryEmory University School of Medicine
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Professor, Department of OrthopaedicsEmory University School of Medicine
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Director of Spinal OncologyEmory Spine Center
Education & Training
Education
- Residency, Neurosurgery, 2009Barnes - Jewish Hospital
- Internship, Neurosurgery, 2004Barnes - Jewish Hospital
- Medical Education, MD, 2003University of Chicago
Board Certifications
- Neurological SurgeryAmerican Board of Neurological Surgery, 2013
Research
Publications
Title/Journal Authors Publication Date JAMA surgery
S Patel, SA Nischal, KM Kale, A Dubb, SK Prasad, D Refai 08/19/2026 Neural regeneration research
H Saad, B El Baba, A Tfaily, F Kobeissy, JG Gonzalez, D Refai, GR Rodts, C Mustroph, D Gimbel, J Grossberg, DL Barrow, MF Gary, AM Alawieh 05/01/2025 Advanced healthcare materials
SW Linderman, GF Barber, SA DeVeaux, EA Botchwey, D Refai, AM Klein, AJ García 03/01/2025 Neuropathology : official journal of the Japanese Society of Neuropathology
B Morales-Vargas, H Saad, D Refai, M Schniederjan, Z Abdullaev, K Aldape, M Abedalthagafi 02/01/2025 Cureus
J Gutierrez, AM Erwood, JG Malcolm, DP Grogan, AC Greven, MF Gary, GE Rodts, GP Stricsek, D Refai 08/01/2023 World neurosurgery
ACM Greven, BM McGinley, AS Nakirikanti, JD Couceyro, JG Malcolm, GE Rodts, D Refai, MF Gary 05/01/2022 Journal of neurology
IC Hostettler, D Wilson, CA Fiebelkorn, D Aum, SF Ameriso, F Eberbach, M Beitzke, T Kleinig, T Phan, S Marchina, R Schneckenburger, M Carmona-Iragui, A Charidimou, I Mourand, S Parreira, G Ambler, HR Jäger, S Singhal, J Ly, H Ma, E Touzé, R Geraldes, AC Fonseca, T Melo, P Labauge, PH Lefèvre, A Viswanathan, SM Greenberg, J Fortea, M Apoil, M Boulanger, F Viader, S Kumar, V Srikanth, A Khurram, F Fazekas, V Bruno, GJ Zipfel, D Refai, A Rabinstein, J Graff-Radford, DJ Werring 03/01/2022 Thoracic Hemangiopericytoma With Intramedullary Invasion: 2-Dimensional Operative Video.
Operative neurosurgery (Hagerstown, Md.)
G Stricsek, DP Bray, PR Mendoza, SG Neill, D Refai 02/01/2022 Spinal Arachnoid Webs: Presentation, Natural History, and Outcomes in 38 Patients.
Neurosurgery
N Laxpati, JG Malcolm, GB Tsemo, C Mustroph, AM Saindane, F Ahmad, D Refai, MF Gary 10/13/2021 Spine
ACM Greven, BM McGinley, NF Guisse, LJ McGee, S Pirkle, JG Malcolm, GE Rodts, D Refai, MF Gary 04/01/2021 Spine
GR Baum, G Stricsek, MA Kumarasamy, V Thirunavu, GJ Esper, SD Boden, D Refai 03/15/2021 Cureus
O Kashlan, JM Frerich, JG Malcolm, MF Gary, GE Rodts, D Refai 11/24/2020 Letter: Maintaining Neurosurgical Resident Education and Safety During the COVID-19 Pandemic.
Neurosurgery
DP Bray, GP Stricsek, J Malcolm, J Gutierrez, A Greven, DL Barrow, GE Rodts, MF Gary, D Refai 08/01/2020 Neurosurgery
ACM Greven, CW Rich, JG Malcolm, DP Bray, GE Rodts, D Refai, MF Gary 08/01/2020 Open forum infectious diseases
N Beydoun, S Tandon, S Krengel, E Johnson, F Palacio Bedoya, M Moore, D Refai, N Rouphael 07/01/2020 Operative neurosurgery (Hagerstown, Md.)
ON Kashlan, DK Monson, D Refai 10/01/2019 Atlantoaxial pseudoarticulation as a cause of neck pain: case illustration.
Journal of neurosurgery. Spine
AB Boucher, ON Kashlan, MF Gary, D Refai 02/01/2019 Neurosurgery
JG Malcolm, MK Moore, FH Choksh, FU Ahmad, D Refai 12/01/2018 World neurosurgery
BP Lovasik, CM Holland, BM Howard, GR Baum, GE Rodts, D Refai 01/01/2017 World neurosurgery
RS Rindler, BA Miller, SR Eshraghi, G Pradilla, D Refai, G Rodts, FU Ahmad 11/01/2016 Esophageal perforation after anterior cervical spine surgery: a systematic review of the literature.
Journal of neurosurgery. Spine
SH Halani, GR Baum, JP Riley, G Pradilla, D Refai, GE Rodts, FU Ahmad 09/01/2016 Clinical neurology and neurosurgery
CM Holland, DI Bass, MF Gary, BM Howard, D Refai 02/01/2015 Clinical neurology and neurosurgery
BM Howard, SR Eshraghi, CM Holland, D Refai 10/01/2014 Ratings & Reviews
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