David Okonkwo

David Okonkwo, MD, PhD is Professor of Neurological Surgery at UPMC and the University of Pittsburgh.
Dr. Okonkwo is also Team Neurosurgeon for the Pittsburgh Steelers Football Club.
He joined UPMC Enterprises in 2018 as a Senior Medical Advisor, with focus on med-tech and the neurosciences.
Dr. Okonkwo completed his undergraduate studies and the University of Virginia and earned both his MD and his PhD from Virginia Commonwealth University.
He completed his residency in Neurological Surgery at the University of Virginia and a fellowship at Auckland Public Hospital in New Zealand.
He joined UPMC and the University of Pittsburgh in 2006.
Dr. Okonkwo’s clinical interests are sports medicine, traumatic injuries to the brain and spine as well as scoliosis and spinal deformity surgery.
Through his patents, creativity, and advice, Dr. Okonkwo has spent two decades developing technologies and treatments to transform management of concussions, traumatic brain injuries, and complex spinal disorders.
Dr. Okonkwo’s innovation and commercialization efforts have yielded several medical devices now in global distribution.