Duke neurosurgeon Ali Zomorodi, MD, doesn’t like to talk about himself, but with persistence, you can discover some of the most interesting things. Take for example the 30’ x 18’ train village that he is building in his attic. He started this project after his oldest child was born, crafting every feature himself. He says he’ll probably never be finished.
Clearly, Ali has an affinity for details, working with his hands, and solving difficult challenges. Regarding vascular and skull base surgery, he says the most challenging cases are the most interesting. He says he likes this patient population and pathology because it is typically benign, and a successful procedure means the patient is cured. He also strives to push the frontiers of what’s possible, especially with regard to technical challenges of skull base surgery – finding ways of accessing tumors that would otherwise be out of reach.
Recently, the grateful family of a Duke student treated by Ali established the Duke Brain Aneurysm Fund, with the stated mission of “saving and improving lives by providing practitioners and caregivers beyond Duke with the advanced training and education necessary to ensure the best brain aneurysm care for everyone, everywhere.” As a result, Duke Neurosurgery will host the first Brain Aneurysm Symposium this September.
Ali was born in Iran, and his family immigrated to Michigan when he was 10. He learned English by watching soap operas with his aunt during the summer, a method he says taught him to “master the dramatic pause.” Once he got to Duke he never left, completing his undergraduate degree, medical degree, and residency here before joining the faculty in 2008. He met his wife, Meg, at Duke, and they have two children, Ariana, 7, and Benjamin, 5. He serves on the board of North Carolina Opera and highly recommends Tosca, opening the first week of April.