About the GNS

Board of Directors

President - 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.

President-Elect - 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.

Secretary/Treasurer - Khoi Nguyen, MD

Immediate Past 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.

Program Chair - Juanmarco Gutierrez, MD, MSc
Juanmarco Gutierrez, MD. MSc, is a neurosurgeon who specializes in complex spine surgery. Dr. Gutierrez's clinical interests in spine include degenerative conditions, tumors. deformity, trauma, and minimally invasive spine surgery. After graduating from the Anahuac University School of Medicine in Mexico City, he obtained a Master's Degree in Clinical Research and Global Health at the Emory Laney Graduate School. He completed his General Surgery Internship, Neurosurgery Residency, and Fellowship in complex spine surgery at Emory University. He has a research interest in neuroplasticity with a focus on restoration of the central and peripheral nervous systems in traumatic, oncological, and degenerative diseases. The bulk of his research work has been devoted to the translation of cell & gene based therapeutics for diseases affecting the spinal cord. He is also involved in clinical research and greatly enjoys teaching fellows, residents and medical students.