About the GNS

Board of Directors

President - Jay McCracken, MD
Dr. McCracken is a board-certified, fellowship trained Neurosurgical Oncologist who specializes in the surgical treatment of primary and metastatic tumors affecting the brain and skull-base. He specializes in functional mapping of the brain and stereotactic radiosurgery with both Gamma Knife and Linear Accelerator based technology. He currently serves as Director of the Stereotactic Radiosurgery Program at Piedmont Atlanta Hospital and is actively involved in multiple clinical trials. He supports the Southeastern Brain Tumor Foundation and the American Brain Tumor Association. He has been a member of the Georgia Neurosurgical Society since 2010.

President-ElectSecretary/Treasurer - Matthew Gary, MD
Matthew Gary, MD, FAANS is Associate Professor and Associate Program Director of Neurosurgery at Emory University where he specializes in complex and minimally invasive spine surgery. After graduating from the University of Florida School of Medicine, he completed his residency at Emory University and then went on to complete a fellowship in complex and minimally invasive spine surgery at the University of Miami. Dr. Gary helped to established the spine deformity care program and endoscopic spine surgery program at Emory University Hospital Midtown and has special research interests in patient outcomes and satisfaction with spine surgery procedures.

Secretary/Treasurer - Joshua Wewel, MD
Dr. Wewel is a board-certified, fellowship trained neurosurgeon. He earned his medical degree from the University of Nebraska Medical Center after completing his undergraduate studies at the University of Kansas. He completed his residency at Rush University Medical Center, followed by a fellowship at the Barrow Neurologic Institute in minimally invasive and complex spine. Dr. Wewel is a member and fellow of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons, Congress of Neurological Surgeons, and Joint Section on the Disorders of the Spine and Peripheral Nerves. He has published numerous book chapters and scientific articles in peer-reviewed medical journals.

Program Chair - Brian Howard, MD
Dr. Howard is an Associate Professor of Neurosurgery and Radiology at Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta, GA. Dr Howard’s practice is primarily in the comprehensive treatment of patients with neurovascular disease. He also serves as the Medical Director of the Neurology and Neurosurgery Hospital Service Line at Emory University Hospital, and as the director of the Cerebrovascular Surgery Fellowship. In addition, his academic interest is in determining safety, outcomes and best practices for the neurosurgical and interventional treatment of neurovascular disease, including both retrospective datasets and involvement in prospective registries and randomized trials. Dr Howard is actively involved in organized neurosurgery in various roles in the Congress of Neurological Surgeons and the American Association of Neurological Surgeons, including the Executive Council of the Cerebrovascular Section, as well as, the Editorial Boards of Operative Neurosurgery and The Journal of Neurosurgery.

Immediate Past President - Scott Rahimi, MD
Dr. Scott Rahimi graduated Cum Laude from the University of Georgia with a degree in Biochemistry and went on to complete medical school and neurosurgical residency training at the Medical College of Georgia. Following his residency, he pursued a 2-year endovascular and open cerebrovascular fellowship at Emory University. He then returned to Augusta and joined the faculty at MCG. Dr. Rahimi is currently a Professor of Neurosurgery and Neurosurgical Director of the Comprehensive Stroke Center at Augusta University Medical Center. He also serves as the program director for the neuroendovascular fellowship at Medical College of Georgia. His primary areas of interest include treating patients with cerebrovascular disease and tumors of the central nervous system.

Dr. Rahimi is married to Bric Rahimi who is an OB-GYN. They have three children.