L A Watts Times The Brilliance of Neurosurgeon Keith Black—A Profile in Excellence Skip to main content Close Select your preferred language English عربى 简体中文 繁體中文 فارسي עִברִית 日本語 한국어 Русский Español Tagalog Menu Close Call 1-800-CEDARS-1 toggle search form Close Los Angeles, 07 July 2022 09:00 AM America/Los_Angeles L A Watts Times The Brilliance of Neurosurgeon Keith Black—A Profile in Excellence Keith Black, MD, is chair of the Department of Neurosurgery at Cedars-Sinai, a professor of Neurosurgery and the Ruth and Lawrence Harvey Chair in Neuroscience. Photo by Cedars-Sinai. The L.A. Watts Times recently interviewed Keith L. Black, MD, chair of the Department of Neurosurgery at Cedars-Sinai, about his path to a career as one of the world's leading neurosurgeons. Science was Black's passion from an early age, he told the L.A. Watts Times. During his childhood, Black spent time searching through streams in his neighborhood for tadpoles, and he eventually dissected frogs he had caught. His father, who was an educator, encouraged his interest in science by buying him a chemistry set. During high school, with the guidance of Frederick Cross and Richard Jones—inventors of the Cross-Jones artificial heart valve—Black learned to perform transplant surgeries and heart valve replacements on laboratory dogs. Black published his first scientific paper at 17, which led him to win the national Westinghouse Science Talent Search competition. Black later enrolled at the University of Michigan, completing his undergraduate degree and medical school in six years. He told the L.A. Watts Times about a challenging meeting with the chair of neurosurgery at his medical school, whom he met with after deciding he wanted to become a neurosurgeon. “When he looked at me and said, ‘What makes you think you can be a neurosurgeon? You must be smart to be a neurosurgeon, you must be able to think on your feet,’ I didn’t let his words discourage me,” Black told the L.A. Watts Times. “I took that negative energy and let it fuel me to become more prepared.” After completing his residency at the University of Michigan Medical Center, Black moved to Los Angeles, where he eventually joined Cedars-Sinai in 1997. Among Black’s many significant roles at Cedars-Sinai, he is a professor of Neurosurgery and the Ruth and Lawrence Harvey Chair in Neuroscience. Black trains the next generation of neurosurgeons and encourages grade school students to pursue a career in neurosurgery through an immersive, daylong experience called Brainworks. He told the L.A. Watts Times that he hopes he can show kids that a career in science and medicine can be exciting, fun and financially rewarding. Click here to read the complete article from the L.A. Watts Times. Related Stories RSS feed - Related Stories (opens in new window) View all headlines - Related Stories HealthDay Black Women Less Likely to Get Laparoscopic Fibroid Surgeries October 07, 2022 09:00 AM America/Los_Angeles HealthDay recently interviewed Rebecca J. Schneyer, MD, a resident in the Obstetrics and Gynecology Residency Program at Cedars-Sinai, about a study she led that found Black and Hispanic women were less likely than white women to receive minimally … Read more KCRW Want New Omicron Booster Wait at Least 2 Months After Last Shot October 06, 2022 09:00 AM America/Los_Angeles KCRW program Press Play recently featured Rita Shane, PharmD, vice president and chief pharmacy officer at Cedars-Sinai, discussing who qualifies for the updated COVID-19 booster and how long patients must wait before getting the shot.The Centers … Read more ABC 7 Spider-Man Swings by 4-Year-Old Leukemia Patient s Birthday Party at Cedars-Sinai September 30, 2022 09:00 AM America/Los_Angeles ABC 7 recently profiled Cedars-Sinai patient Jabari Henley, who celebrated his fourth birthday with a special superhero at Guerin Children's newly opened inpatient facility.The Lifedriven Foundation helped throw Henley a surprise party in the Guerin … Read more Show previous items Show next items Contact the Media Team Email: [email protected] Share this release L A Watts Times The Brilliance of Neurosurgeon Keith Black—A Profile in Excellence Share on: Twitter Share on: Facebook Share on: LinkedIn Search Our Newsroom Social media Follow us on Twitter (opens in new window) Visit our Facebook page (opens in new window) (opens in new window) Visit our Youtube profile (opens in new window) Latest news 07 Oct 2022 - HealthDay Black Women Less Likely to Get Laparoscopic Fibroid Surgeries 07 Oct 2022 - Faculty Publications: Sept. 29-Oct. 6 07 Oct 2022 - Fine-Tuning Organ-Chip Technology 06 Oct 2022 - KCRW Want New Omicron Booster Wait at Least 2 Months After Last Shot 05 Oct 2022 - Cedars-Sinai Schedules Free Flu Vaccine Clinics 04 Oct 2022 - Cedars-Sinai Showcases Hispanic and Latinx Art Newsroom Home