Albert L. Rhoton Jr., M.D., professor of Neurosurgery; chairman emeritus of the department of Neurosurgery retires

Internationally recognized as the father of microscopic neurosurgery, Albert Rhoton Jr., M.D., retired from his UF professorship on June 30 but is returning in August as an adjunct professor of neurosurgery. He plans to continue studying brain anatomy, writing scholarly articles and performing surgery on patients with trigeminal neuralgia, a painful disorder of the fifth cranial nerve.

Rhoton entered the field of neurosurgery in the mid-1960s, when the brain was mapped by little more than the naked eye. His microscopic studies of the brain, where millimeters can mean the difference between the success or failure of surgery, have had a major impact on his peers worldwide. The journal Neurosurgery recently devoted nearly 1,000 pages to Rhoton’s work in two special editions, creating perhaps the most comprehensive source on brain anatomy to date.

His 40-plus-year effort to define the anatomy and intricacies of the brain remains focused on “improving the safety, gentleness and accuracy of my operations on my patients,” Rhoton said.

As the R.D. Keene Family professor of neurological surgery at the College of Medicine and the McKnight Brain Institute, Rhoton has received the highest honors given by neurological organizations, including the 2001 Medal of Honor from the World Federation of Neurological Societies and the 1998 Cushing Medal, the highest honor granted by the American Association of Neurological Surgeons. He joined UF in 1972 when he became the professor and chairman of the neurosurgery department. He and his wife, Joyce, have four children, all pursuing medical careers, and 12 grandchildren.