• by Karl Greenberg , June 8, 2012

Neurosurgeons, in a sense, play softball for a living. So it kind of makes sense that they should hit the diamond to bat around a more durable sphere than the one they're used to. The voyagers into the cerebral cortex are are doing just that under the aegis of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS) to support the Neurosurgery Research Education Foundation (NREF).  

It's the 9th Annual Neurosurgery Charity Softball Tournament, supported by the New York Yankees and hosted by Columbia University to benefit brain tumor research.  Neurosurgeons, faculty, fellows and residents from universities all over the U.S. and Canada are set to play ball on June 9, 2012 in Central Park from 9am to 5pm.

“The event shows a real commitment to research. It is a tribute that these teams are willing to spend so much time and money to come out for this event,” says Dr. Ricardo Komotar, founder of the event and Professor of Neurosurgery at the University of Miami.  “It reflects the competition, camaraderie, and dedication of participating programs, particularly the traveling teams.”

Komotar is a former Duke University baseball player, who got the idea for the tournament almost a decade ago when he was at resident at Columbia University in an effort to raise awareness about brain tumors.  “Brain tumors are a devastating disease.  We hope to communicate the magnitude of their impact and improve the diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment of brain tumors.”