Precision. Experience. Diligence.

A summa cum laude graduate of Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia, Dr. Blackburn received his medical degree at The University of Texas Southwestern Medical School in Dallas. After concluding his residency at Washington University in St. Louis, he completed a cerebrovascular fellowship at Emory University in Atlanta and a neuro-endovascular fellowship at Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology at Washington University. Prior to joining Mischer Neuroscience Institute, he held a faculty appointment as assistant professor of neurosurgery at the University of Florida in Gainesville.

The recipient of numerous academic awards, Dr. Blackburn has lectured nationally on the management of cerebral aneurysms, surgical anatomy, arteriovenous malformations and stroke. His research has been published in peer-reviewed journals including PNAS, Neurosurgery, World Neurosurgery, Journal of NeuroInterventional Surgery, British Journal of Neurosurgery, Journal of Neurosurgery, Stroke and Journal of Neuro-Oncology, among others. His clinical research interests include biomarkers for cerebral vasospasm and translational research for patients with subarachnoid hemorrhage, as well as a number of clinical trials for the treatment of brain aneurysms.

Dr. Blackburn is committed to providing superior care at Mischer Neuroscience Institute in the Texas Medical Center and at Mischer Neuroscience Associates-Memorial City.

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 and Tumors

• Multidisciplinary Approaches for Skull Base Tumors

Clinical Service Responsibilities

Clinical duties as neurological surgeon including inpatient and outpatient clinical care.  Surgical breadth includes cerebrovascular disease, skull base tumors, pituitary tumors, Endovascular treatment of aneurysms and cerebrovascular disease, treatment of acute stroke. 

As part of these duties, Dr. Blackburn covers hospital calls in the following categories at the TMC: General Neurosurgical Call, Open Vascular Call, Endovascular/Stroke Call, Tumor Call. 

Dr. Blackburn is the Associate Chief of Service at Memorial Memorial Hospital where he takes General Neurosurgical Call and Endovascular/Stroke Call.

Current Teaching Responsibilities

• Associate Program Director, Department of Neurological Surgery

• 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

• Faculty teaching to Neurosurgical Residents

Present Title

• Associate Professor

• Associate Program Director

• Associate Chief of Service Memorial Hermann, TMC

• 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