Theresa L. Williamson, MD

Theresa Williamson, MD, a neurosurgeon and bioethicist, specializes in spine disorders and brain and spinal trauma. She is director of both the Center for Minimally Invasive and Endoscopic Spinal Surgery, and the Center for Innovative Neurotechnology for Neural Repair (CINNR). Throughout her professional career, Dr. Williamson has prioritized clinical excellence, ethical leadership, and a commitment to advancing patient care.

As director of the CINNR, Dr. Williamson leads a collaborative initiative between Brown University Health, Brown University, and both commercial and government partners. Their shared mission is to develop technologies that help individuals with spinal cord injuries regain movement in their lower limbs and restore bladder function.

Prior to joining Brown University Health, Dr. Williamson held several leadership roles. She served as chair of the Surgical Ethics Working Group at the Harvard Medical School Center for Bioethics and was director of the Minimally Invasive Spine Service at Massachusetts General Hospital. At Mass General Brigham, she led the Neurotech Justice Accelerator, a Dana Center initiative. She continues to direct this program as part of a joint effort between Brown Health and Massachusetts General Hospital.

After earning a medical degree at Yale University School of Medicine, Dr. Williamson directed her postdoctoral training to further refine her expertise in complex spine surgery with an emphasis on surgical ethics and advanced neurological procedures. At Duke University, Dr. Williams completed her residency in neurological surgery and was an Enfolded CAST fellow in complex spine surgery, while also obtaining a fellowship in surgical ethics from American College of Surgeons/University of Chicago MacLean Center of Ethics.

To deepen her abilities to address public health challenges and raise the level of care and experience for diverse communities, she obtained a master of public health in biostatistics and epidemiology from Harvard Chan School of Public Health.

Dr. Williamson’s research focuses on how patients from diverse communities make decisions about neurosurgical care. Her goal is to create precise, affordable technologies that support the best possible outcomes for each individual. She has mentored more than 50 undergraduate and medical students in research that bridges neuroscience and society. 

Dr. Williamson is an active member of several professional organizations including the American Association of Neurological Surgeons, Women in Neurosurgery (WINs), the Society for Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery, the AANS/CNS Spine Section executive committee, and the Congress of Neurosurgeons where she has served on the executive committee since 2021.