Dr. Antonio Bernardo has been awarded the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic for his remarkable achievements in the fields of neurosurgery and neuroscience. This knighthood is the highest ranking honor in Italy, awarded for merit in the fields of literature, art, economics and public service as well as social, philanthropic and humanitarian activities. Dr. Bernardo’ investiture took place at the Italian Consulate in New York on June 2, 2017 – the anniversary of the founding of the Italian Republic.
Dr. Bernardo has enjoyed a long and distinguished career as a neurosurgeon. He directs the Weill Cornell Medicine Surgical Innovations Laboratory for Skull Base Microneurosurgery in New York, where his courses attract an international following of neurosurgeons and fellows interested in training with the advanced equipment the lab has to offer. Dr. Bernardo pioneered the use of 3D technology for neurosurgery and the Surgical Innovations Lab combines cadaveric dissection, virtual reality and computer simulation to develop the visuospatial skills of neurosurgeons who train there. Dr. Bernardo also performs complex skull base surgery and serves as a neurosurgical consultant in countries around the world.