Elon Musk Delivers Annual Apuzzo Lecture at CNS 2024

Speaking to a rapt audience at the annual CNS meeting in Houston on Sunday, tech entrepreneur Elon Musk delivered the annual Michael L.J. Apuzzo Lecture on Creativity and Innovation on the subject of neurorestoration. Through his company Neuralink, Musk is pushing the boundaries on functional restoration through machine-brain interfaces — innovations that have their roots in ideas introduced by Dr. Apuzzo more than 30 years ago.

“This annual lecture pays homage to ‘the idea’ and provides inspiration for continued innovation,” says Dr. Apuzzo, the pioneering neurosurgeon who now serves as an advisor to our faculty, residents, and medical students. “We invite individuals who embody the spirit of originality and creativity, which transcends specific fields and inspires innovation.”

CNS President Alexander Khalessi, MD (right), connects with Elon Musk during the 2024 Apuzzo Lecture

CNS President Alexander Khalessi, MD (right), connects with Elon Musk during the 2024 Apuzzo Lecture

 The lecture was established in 2006 to celebrate originality and creativity as catalysts for progress, and it is presented each year by non-neurosurgeons who have been visionaries in their own fields. Previous lecturers have included filmmaker George Lucas; music legends Phillip Glass, Herbie Hancock, Michael Tilson Thomas, and Itzhak Perlman; and chess master Gary Kasparov. Along with the Walter Dandy Lecture, the Apuzzo Lecture is considered one of the highlights of the CNS meeting, which is one of the largest international conferences of neurosurgeons.

Michael L.J. Apuzzo Lecture commemorative award

The inaugural Michael L.J. Apuzzo Lecture was presented in 2006 by filmmaker George Lucas.

Musk spoke about innovations in high-bandwidth interfaces to the brain, including development and testing of devices that hold promise for treating paralysis and blindness. Dr. Apuzzo traces the concept back to his own pioneering work (he is credited with helping develop the field of imaging-directed stereotactic neurosurgery, and he performed the first stereotactic cerebral auto-grafting procedure in North America).

“Along with the introduction of modulation and nanotechnology in electrode development, the concept of neurorestoration has been a game-changer in clinical neuroscience,” says Dr. Apuzzo. “The founding of the USC Center for Neurorestoration in 2013 was a major step forward. Watching this field unfold and develop, thanks so much to forward-thinking innovators like Elon Musk, has been incredibly gratifying to me."

“The Apuzzo Lecture is one of the high points of the CNS meeting each year,” says Dr. Philip E. Stieg, the Margaret and Robert J. Hariri, MD ’87, PhD ’87, Professor of Neurological Surgery at Weill Cornell Medicine, and chair of neurological surgery and Neurosurgeon-in-Chief of NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center. “The focus on creativity  not necessarily in neuroscience, but in the mind, where it all begins  is a refreshing way to remind ourselves of the importance of thinking outside the box and finding new paths forward.”

Hear Dr. Khalessi's tribute to Dr. Apuzzo, for whom the annual lecture is named.



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