About us

Ann Liu, MD is a fellowship-trained neurosurgeon specializing in the surgical treatment of spinal disease and brain tumors. She has expertise in spinal degenerative disease and deformity, spine tumors, and surgical navigation and innovation. She also treats brain tumors, such as gliomas, meningiomas; and pain disorders, such as trigeminal neuralgia and Chiari malformation. Dr. Liu has a focus on patient-centered care with a priority on effective communication and multidisciplinary collaboration to create an individualized approach for each patient and their unique clinical situation. Dr. Liu earned her undergraduate degree at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She obtained her medical degree at the Wake Forest School of Medicine and performed a year of brain tumor research in the Hunterian Neurosurgical as a Howard Hughes Medical Institute fellow. She completed her residency in neurosurgery and fellowship in complex spine surgery and robotics at the Johns Hopkins Hospital. During her training, Dr. Liu has been active in clinical research and has published numerous clinical outcomes research papers and book chapters. She was awarded the NEUROSURGERY Publications Resident Fellowship and has served as a section editor and reviewer for several neurosurgical journals. She received the Walter Dandy Award for Clinical Research as well as the Frank L. Coulson, Jr. Award for Clinical Excellence. Dr. Liu is a committed educator, creating and directing several education initiatives and cadaver training courses during her training. Most recently, she co-edited The Neurosurgical Consult Book, a case-based handbook focusing on the initial care and treatment of the neurosurgical consult patient. She currently serves as the Director of the Advanced Clinical Provider Fellowship Program for the Department of Neurosurgery. Research Interests: Optimization of surgical outcomes and patient quality of life after surgery; exploration of novel navigation techniques in spine surgery Selected Publications: 1. Liu A*, Jin Y*, Cottrill E, et al. Clinical accuracy and initial experience with augmented reality-assisted pedicle screw placement: the first 205 screws [published online ahead of print, 2021 Oct 8]. J Neurosurg Spine. 2021;1-7. doi:10.3171/2021.2.SPINE202097. *Co-first author 2. Judy BF, Liu A, Jin Y, et al. In-Human Report of S2 Alar-Iliac Screw Placement Using Augmented Reality Assistance. Oper Neurosurg (Hagerstown). 2023;24(1):68-73. doi:10.1227/ons.0000000000000439 3. Jin Y*, Liu A*, Overbey JR, et al. Risk factors for surgical intervention in patients with primary spinal infection on initial presentation [published online ahead of print, 2022 Feb 4]. J Neurosurg Spine. 2022;1-9. doi:10.3171/2021.12.SPINE21811 *Co-first author 4. Liu A, Jiang B, Theodore B. Use of Robotics and Novel Technologies in Spine Surgery in Elderly Patients. Seminars in Spine Surgery. 2020; 32:100833. doi:10.1016/j.semss.2020.100833. 5. Jin Y, Liu A, Medikonda R, Witham TF. Spondylolisthesis In Neuroscience for Neurosurgeons, 1st ed. Berger M, Akter F (eds). Cambridge University Press, in press. 6. Kedda J, Liu A, Jiang B, Theodore N. Traumatic Spinal Injury and Robotic Reconstruction. In: Robotic and Navigated Spine Surgery, 1st ed. Veeravagu A, Wang MY (eds). Elsevier, 2021. 7. Liu C, Liu A, Bettegowda C. Molecular Morphogenesis and Genetic Mechanisms of Spinal Chordoma. In: Chordoma of the Spine: A Comprehensive Review, 1st ed. Sciubba DM, Schwab J (eds). Springer, 2021. 8. Brem H, Sankey EW, Liu A, Mangraviti A, Tyler BM. Developing Therapies for Brain Tumors: The Impact of the Johns Hopkins Hunterian Neurosurgical Research Laboratory. Trans Am Clin Climatol Assoc. 2017;128:55-74. PMID: 28790487 9. Tyler BM, Liu A, Sankey EW, Mangraviti A, Barone MA, Brem H. The Johns Hopkins Hunterian Laboratory Philosophy - Mentoring Students in a Scientific Neurosurgical Research Laboratory. Acad Med. 2016 Jun;91(6):778-84. PMID:26934692