Excellence in Neurosurgical Care

Dr. Spiros Blackburn brings elite surgical expertise and innovative treatment approaches to complex neurological conditions. His distinguished academic background, extensive specialized training, and active clinical research place him at the forefront of modern neurosurgery.

Educational Excellence & Advanced Training

Driven by a passion for neuroscience excellence, Dr. Blackburn's journey began at Old Dominion University, where he graduated summa cum laude. He earned his medical degree from The University of Texas Southwestern Medical School, followed by residency training at Washington University in St. Louis. His expertise was further refined through fellowships in cerebrovascular surgery at Emory University and neuro-endovascular procedures at the prestigious Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology.

Pioneering Research & Clinical Innovation

Dr. Blackburn's commitment to advancing neurosurgical care is evident in his extensive research portfolio. His groundbreaking work on cerebral aneurysms, stroke treatment, and surgical techniques has been published in leading medical journals, including:

• Lancet

• JAMA Neurology

• Journal of Neurosurgery

• Neurosurgery

• PNAS

• Stroke

His current research focuses on developing innovative treatments for brain aneurysms and identifying new biomarkers for improved patient care, particularly for cerebral vasospasm and subarachnoid hemorrhage. He travels frequently to provide national lectures on brain aneurysms and skull base tumors. He has been received funding from the NIH, the Brain Aneurysm Foundation, and the Joe Niekro Foundation for research on subarachnoid hemorrhage. He has more than 100 publications in peer reviewed journals.

Patient-Centered Care

At UT Houston Health Science Center and Mischer Neuroscience Institute in the Texas Medical Center and Mischer Neuroscience Associates-Memorial City, Dr. Blackburn combines surgical excellence with compassionate care. His approach emphasizes personalized treatment strategies, leveraging cutting-edge techniques to achieve optimal outcomes for each patient.

Beyond the Operating Room

Born in Houston in a military family to David and Asimina Blackburn, Dr. Blackburn moved around as a child living in Arkansas, Japan, and Greece. He moved to North Texas during Elementary School, graduating high school in Denton, Texas. An accomplished soccer player, Dr. Blackburn balanced academic excellence with athletic achievement and received an athletic scholarship to attend college. At Old Dominion University, he earned GTE Academic All-American honors while playing Division I soccer, all while completing a degree in Mechanical Engineering.

Today, Dr. Blackburn lives in Houston with his wife Kristen, an accomplished author and speaker, and his daughter Evie. His engineering background provides a unique perspective to his surgical approach, combining technical precision with innovative problem-solving.

When not in the operating room, Dr. Blackburn continues to stay active playing soccer, boxing, running, and riding motorcycles. He enjoys travel to Europe, and continues to travel to Greece to visit his extended family.

Your brain deserves world-class care. Schedule a consultation with Dr. Blackburn to discuss your treatment options.

Areas of Practice

• Cerebral aneurysms and arteriovenous malformations

• Meningiomas and other tumors involving the skull base

• Pituitary tumors

• Moya Moya disease

• Carotid artery - stenosis and endarterectomy

• Cavernous malformations

Special Expertise

• Endovascular neurosurgery (also called interventional neuroradiology) – coil embolization of aneurysms

• Endoscopic approaches to pituitary tumors, meningiomas, and other mass lesions

• Cerebral Bypass for Complex Aneurysms, Tumors, and Moya Moya

• Multidisciplinary Approaches for Skull Base Tumors

Clinical Service Responsibilities

• Dr. Blackburn provides comprehensive neurological surgery services, including both inpatient and outpatient clinical care. His surgical expertise encompasses complex procedures for cerebrovascular disease, skull base tumors, and pituitary tumors, as well as specialized endovascular treatments for aneurysms and acute stroke management.

• At the Texas Medical Center (TMC), Dr. Blackburn maintains an active on-call rotation covering multiple specialties:

  • General Neurosurgical Care

  • Open Vascular Procedures

  • Endovascular and Stroke Treatment

  • Tumor Management

Current Teaching Responsibilities

• Dr. Blackburn is the Residency Program Director for the University of Texas Houston Department of Neurosurgery and oversees the education of neurosurgical residents over their 7-year training.

• Resident didactic lessons in the Skull Base cadaver lab including dissection and lecture presentations on a monthly basis.

• Faculty teaching to Endovascular fellowship trainees

• Faculty teaching to Skull base fellowship trainees

Present Title

• Associate Professor

• Residency Program Director

• Co-Director, Skull-Base & Cerebrovascular Fellowship

• Dept. of Neurosurgery

• McGovern Medical School at UTHealth

Affiliated Centers

• Memorial Hermann Memorial City Hospital

• Memorial Hermann Southwest Hospital

• Memorial Hermann Texas Medical Center

• Memorial Hermann The Woodlands Hospital

Cities Served

• Houston Area, Southeast Texas

Clinical Interests

• Aneurysms

• Brain Arteriovenous Malformation

• Cerebral Bypass

• Chordoma

• Endoscopic Neurosurgery

• Meningioma

• Pituitary Tumors

• Skull Base Surgery

Licensure

• Texas

Languages Spoken

• English

• Greek