Majid Samii
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Majid Samii born in Tehran on June 19, 1937, graduated in medicine and biology from the University of Mainz, Federal Republic of Germany, in 1963. Under Professor Dr. Kurt Schurmann, he completed his training at the Neurosurgical Clinic of the University of Mainz and was nominated Associate Professor and Vice Director of the Neurosurgical Clinic of the University of Mainz, also in charge of pediatric neurosurgery in 1970. In 1972 he became Professor of Neurosurgery.
During his residency period, his scientific work resulted in a monograph on pneumoencephal-otomography, experimental work on brain edema and experimental research on surgical reconstruction of peripheral nerve lesions. In 1971 he started an annual continuing course to teach his experiences in microsurgery. In 1977 he established the first microneurosurgical training laboratory in Germany with support of Volkswagen Foundation. Since 1977 he is the Director of the Neurosurgical Clinic, Nordstadt Hospital in Hannover. However, he accepted the call for the Chair of Neurosurgery at the Medical School of Hannover in 1988.
In 1979 he was co-founder of the Skull Base Study Group and was President from 1988-1992. In 1992 he was elected as President of the International Skull Base Society as well as the 1st President of the World Federation of Skull Base Societies. Some of his experience is reflected in 11 books and more than 300 publications. He was awarded the "Order of Merit First Class of the Federal Republic of Germany" by the practical development of neurosurgery and special efforts for the international scientific cooperation in this field, as well as the "Lower Saxony Prize 1988 for Science" for the dedication, work, achievement and research in the field of neurosurgery.
He has been guest of honour in numerous national and international congresses. He was invited to give honorary lectures: Olivecrona Lecture (Stockholm) 1987; Keith Professorship (Toronto) 1988; Obrador Lecture (Madrid) 1989; Penfield Lecture (Banff) 1990; Sano Lecture (Tokyo) 1991; Jamieson Memorial Lecture (Hobart) 1991; Lars Leksell Lecture (Charlottesville) 1992; the first Edward Laws Jr. M.D. Lecture (Washington, D.C.); and Sir Charles Balance Memorial Lecture (London) 1997. He is Honorary Professor of the Medical School of Military Academy in Beijing, Honorary Professor of the Medical School of University of Uruguay, and Honorary Professor of Neurosurgery at the University of Alexandria, Egypt. He is Doctor Honoris Causa of the Catholic University do Rio Grande de Sul in Porto Alegre, Brazil, and Doctor Honoris Cause of the University of Antioquia, Medellin, Colombia. In 1990 he initiated the International Course on Clinical Neurosurgery in Hannover as a Continuing Education Project of the World Federation of Neurosurgical Societies twice a year, which is being continued successfully.
In 1993 he was appointed Honorary Member of the Academia Nacional de Medicina of Brazil. In 1994 he was nominated as President-elect of the German Society of Neurosurgery, and he became President from 1996-1998. In 1996 he was awarded Honorary Professor by the Peruvian University Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru. He was the President of the World Federation of Neurosurgical Societies from 1997-2001. In July 2000, with the inauguration of the International Neuroscience Institute (INI) - in a unique building in the shape of a brain - Madjid Samii realized his dream to create a center of excellence with worldwide connections.
