Jenna’s Journey: A Lesson in Resilience and the Benefits of Patient-Centered Care
In the summer of 2021, Jenna was on the precipice of major life changes. Jenna, then 24, had recently moved from Jacksonville to Gainesville, Florida, for a…

My name is Steven Roper, MD, and I am the director of the UF Health Comprehensive Epilepsy Program and surgical director of the UF Neuroendocrine Program. I’ve performed more than 1,500 surgeries for the treatment of epilepsy, and I frequently perform surgeries for pituitary tumors using minimally invasive approaches.
I joined the UF Department of Neurosurgery in 1992. I graduated from Texas A&M University with a bachelor’s degree in biology, and I received my medical degree from the University of Texas Medical Branch. I completed my internship and neurosurgical residency at the UCLA School of Medicine.
In addition to taking care of patients, I conduct clinical research focused on improving care for patients with pituitary tumors and intractable epilepsy, via surgery. I also investigate the neurophysiological basis of epilepsy.
I serve on the board of directors for the American Epilepsy Society and the editorial board for the Journal of Neuropathology and Experimental Neurology.
In my free time, I enjoy spending time with my family and long-distance running. I’m also an amateur musician, and play the guitar and bass.
In the summer of 2021, Jenna was on the precipice of major life changes. Jenna, then 24, had recently moved from Jacksonville to Gainesville, Florida, for a…
Robyn Nelson called louder and louder for her 4-year-old daughter, who was somehow drifting away despite lying right by her mother’s side. “Mommy, where are…