Dr. Shaun D. Rodgers is a member of the Division of Pediatric Neurosurgery at the Steven & Alexandra Cohen Children’s Medical Center of New York, serving as the Director of Pediatric Surgical Epilepsy. With over 17 years of experience in an incredibly nuanced area of the medical field, Dr. Rodgers pays homage to his time at West Morris Central as an “intellectually stimulating” environment that helped kickstart his eventual career as a pediatric neurosurgeon.
A proud graduate of the West Morris Central Class of 1999, Dr. Rodgers speaks very fondly of his time as a Wolfpack student, recalling his experience as being very “nurturing and inviting.” Given his extensive involvement in a multitude of sports (football, wrestling, and lacrosse), and extracurricular activities, he certainly made the most of his high school years. Dr. Rodgers and some of his peers from his graduating class even founded the existing REACH program, along with designing WMC’s current Project Adventure course. “I think that the environment that the teachers and administrators at the time created was one that was very welcoming,” says Rodgers. “There’s always cliques in high school, but they did a great job at breaking those down and making sure that everybody was involved in different aspects of the school.”
Dr. Rodgers’ interest in the sciences also flourished at WMC, with courses such as AP Biology and Chemistry serving to solidify his love for the subject area and desire to pursue a pre-medical track on the collegiate level. He went on to receive his undergraduate education from Franklin & Marshall College in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, where his passion for neuroscience and neurosurgery specifically began. “Neurosurgery combined both my love for neuroscience and desire to work physically, as well as my intellectual curiosity,” expresses Rodgers. “Upon first doing that, I knew that that was definitely what I wanted to pursue.”
Following his time at Franklin & Marshall, Dr. Rodgers attended Georgetown University Medical School, where he graduated cum laude. He then completed his residency at NYU Langone Medical Center, and spent a chief residency year at the Manhattan Veterans Hospital and Bellevue Hospital. While at NYU, he centered his focus on skull base surgery and pediatric spinal deformity in addition to his overarching neurosurgical training. He also received extensive training in neuro-modulation that included vagal nerve stimulation and auditory brainstem implantation. “West Morris Central was a very fostering environment to learn how to think critically and manage my time,” says Rodgers. “It sort of simulated a liberal arts style of instruction, and really set me up to be a better learner once I reached places of higher level education.”
As the Director of Pediatric Surgical Epilepsy, Dr. Rodgers performs a vast array of operations, ranging from fast-paced trauma surgeries, to advanced, “marathon-like” brain tumor procedures. Those, he describes as being a bit more “technical and advanced,” given the need for his strategic utilization of cutting-edge technology like robots and Responsive Neurostimulators to remove and essentially burn tumors. “In kids, we are able to cure about 75% of all brain tumors,” explains Rodgers. “It is incredibly rewarding to not only be able to help children that suffer in some regard everyday, but also to imagine curing a family’s worst nightmare.”
In addition to his expertise inside of the operating room, Dr. Rodgers has also made a multitude of contributions to neurosurgery literature, with a research focus on pediatric brain tumors, epilepsy, and pediatric spine surgery. He is one of the few pediatric neurosurgeons in the country that utilizes state of the art technology to provide minimally invasive care for patients, and therefore centers a majority of his pieces on his findings in this area. Dr. Rodgers also serves as an associate professor at the Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra University where he guides both students and residents in research and subsequent operations. “As a neurosurgeon, a big portion of what I do is pass knowledge onto future generations,” explains Rodgers. “I first began publishing work when I was a resident and medical student, and love that I am now able to do so as a mentor.”
While primarily stationed in New York City, Dr. Rodgers’ profound expertise in the field of neuroscience has taken him around the world, and even onto the big screen! He has previously lectured in Australia, Chile, Japan, and in various locations across the United States, and he will even be heading to Panama in the coming weeks. There, he will participate in an annual volunteer mission to perform epilepsy surgeries on members of the country’s indigenous populations. He has also appeared on various news broadcasts, and he is even featured in Episode 5 of the Netflix series Emergency NYC.
West Morris Central is currently home to many aspiring healthcare professionals, all of whom view the story and successes of Dr. Rodgers as highly inspirational in their foundational medical pursuits. While strong academics are undeniably at the core of the medical field, Dr. Rodgers ultimately believes empathy to be what makes a strong healthcare worker. “You need to be able to put yourself in your patient’s shoes and to not just deliver scientific care, but most importantly, empathetic care,” says Rodgers. “I think that West Morris does an excellent job at fostering that very humanistic element of the field.”
The Paw would like to formally congratulate Dr. Shaun D. Rodgers on what continues to be a remarkably successful career, reminding the entirety of the Wolfpack community that their time at WMC will truly “make [their] lives extraordinary.”
