Core Faculty
Location: 
PARIS, FRANCE
Dr. Sébastien Froelich
Lariboisière Hospital – APHP
Honorable Guest and Faculty
Dr. Sébastien Froelich is a Professor of Neurosurgery at University Paris Cité and Chairman of the Department of Neurosurgery at Lariboisière Hospital, part of Assistance Publique – Hôpitaux de Paris. He trained in medicine and neurosurgery at the University of Strasbourg and completed advanced skull base training at the University of Cincinnati. Dr. Froelich is internationally recognized for his work in skull base and endoscopic neurosurgery, vascular neurosurgery, and complex brain tumors. He serves as an international course director for IRCAD training programs and previously chaired the Skull Base Committee of the World Federation of Neurosurgical Societies (2016–2021). His research focuses on skull base techniques, chordomas, and neurosurgical innovation, with more than 200 peer-reviewed publications.
Location: 
MANILA, PHILIPPINES
Dr. Jerold Justo
The Medical City
Course Director
Dr. Jerold Justo is a neurosurgeon at The Medical City, where he completed his neurosurgical training and continues his practice with a focus on minimally invasive neurosurgery, neuroendoscopy, and skull base surgery. He further trained in skull base neurosurgery at Assistance Publique–Hôpitaux de Paris, Lariboisière Hospital in France under Dr. Sébastien Froelich. His work includes the management of complex cranial and skull base tumors, with participation in international courses and conferences, including as faculty at the 360° Skull Base Course at IRCAD in Strasbourg. In addition, he is involved in developing neurosurgical services in Aklan Province through Panay Health Care, contributing to the establishment of a Brain and Spine Center aimed at improving access to specialized neurological care in the region.
Location: MANILA, PHILIPPINES
Dr. Michael Sabalza
The Medical City
Skull Base Committee Chair AACNS 2026
Dr. Michael N. Sabalza is the Chair of Neurosurgery Departeent at Quirino Memorial Medical Center, and serves as Consultant Neurosurgeon and Faculty Instructor at The Medical City. He has advanced expertise in skull base, spinal, and minimally invasive neurosurgery, and has played a key role in training residents and mentoring fellows across multiple institutions.
Location: MANILA, PHILIPPINES
Dr. Jose Carlos Alcazaren
The Medical City
Course Co-Director
Dr. Jose Carlos S. Alcazaren, MD, FAFN completed a Skull Base and Microneurosurgery Fellowship at Weill Cornell Medicine Brain and Spine Center and neurosurgical training at Jose R. Reyes Memorial Medical Center. He is the current Training Officer of the Neurosurgery Residency Program at The Medical City and serves as a faculty instructor at Ateneo School of Medicine and Public Health.
INTERNATIONAL FACULTY
Location: 
MIBU, JAPAN
Dr. Shunsuke Shibao
Dokkyo Medical University Hospital
Dr. Shibao Shunsuke, MD, PhD, is a neurosurgeon affiliated with the Department of Neurosurgery at Dokkyo Medical University Hospital, Japan. He graduated from the Keio University School of Medicine in 2006 and underwent neurosurgical training at Ashikaga Red Cross Hospital before joining Dokkyo Medical University Hospital.
His clinical expertise includes skull base surgery, brain tumor surgery, cerebrovascular surgery, endoscopic endonasal surgery, and microvascular decompression for trigeminal neuralgia and hemifacial spasm. Dr. Shibao has authored several peer-reviewed publications focusing on skull base approaches, endoscopic neurosurgery, cerebrospinal fluid leak prevention, and cranial nerve disorders.
He continues to contribute actively to the advancement of microsurgical and minimally invasive neurosurgical techniques.
Location: 
KOWLOON, HONGKONG
Dr. Calvin Mak
Queen Elizabeth Hospital
Dr. Mak is the Vice President of Hong Kong Neurosurgical Society and Hong Kong Neuro-oncology Society, specializing in endoscopic, complex skull base surgery and minimally invasive neurosurgery. He currently works as Team Head and Consultant neurosurgeon at Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Hong Kong, and Clinical Associate Professor (Honorary) of the Chinese University of Hong Kong. He is the first in Hong Kong and China to perform endoscopic transorbital surgery, and has published a multidisciplinary textbook as well as various publications on new indications on transorbital surgery. He hosted the International Endoscopic Transorbital Society Congress 2025 in Hong Kong, and currently holds different positions in international neurosurgical societies including ACNS, AASNS, IFNE, ETOS, ISMINS, ASEN and Chinese neurosurgical societies. He is founder of Minimally Invasive Neurosurgery Training Academy.
He leads smart hospital development and digital transformation of hospitals in Hong Kong, chairing different committees in Kowloon Central Cluster, including Smart Hospital Management Committee, Innovation Committee, as well as chairman of the Digital Health Committee of Smart City Consortium, providing advice to policy makers in Hong Kong. Dr Mak was awarded the Ten Outstanding Young Persons in Hong Kong in 2022 for his achievement, and currently served on different government boards and University advisory committees.
Location: 
QUEBEC, CANADA
Dr. Pierre-Olivier Champagne
Laval University
Dr Champagne is a neurosurgeon working at CHU de Québec – Université Laval in Québec, Canada. Most of his clinical practice is focused on the treatment of skull base lesions and meningiomas. He is a proponent of the expanded endoscopic endonasal approach, endoscopic transorbital approach and microsurgical approaches to the skull base. He is a full professor at Université Laval where he founded his laboratory, the Université Laval Neurosurgical Innovation Laboratory. He is the director of the Université Laval hands-on skull base course, a yearly hands-on international course dedicated to skull base approaches and techniques and the director of the skull base fellowship program at Université Laval.
Location: 
PARIS, FRANCE
Dr. Thibault Passeri
Hôpital Lariboisière
Dr. Thibault Passeri, MD, holds a senior clinical appointment at Hôpital Lariboisière – AP‑HP, Paris, and was awarded the Edmond de Rothschild Medical Fellowship for research on chordoma biomarkers and targeted therapies at the University of Pittsburgh. He has contributed to international neurosurgical publications and research projects, advancing knowledge in skull base and neuro-oncologic surgery.
Location: 
SALVADOR, BRAZIL
Dr. Tancredo Alcântara Ferreira Júnior
Hospital Mater Dei
Dr. Tancredo Alcântara Ferreira Júnior is a Brazilian neurosurgeon at Hospital Mater Dei, Salvador, Brazil, trained at Santa Casa de Belo Horizonte (SCBH). He holds a Master’s degree in Molecular Medicine from the Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG) and is currently a PhD candidate in Neurology at the University of São Paulo (USP).
He completed a Skull Base Surgery Fellowship at Lariboisière Hospital, Paris, France, and served as a Visiting Fellow in Pediatric Neurosurgery at Necker–Enfants Malades Hospital, Paris, France. His clinical and academic interests focus on skull base surgery, microsurgical anatomy, and pediatric neurosurgery, with emphasis on complex skull base approaches and surgical innovation.
Location: 
SINGAPORE
Dr. Lim Jia Xu
National Neuroscience Institute
Dr. Lim Jia Xu is a Consultant Neurosurgeon at the National Neuroscience Institute, Singapore. He is also a Clinical Assistant Professor at Duke-NUS Medical School and a Clinical Teacher at the Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine. He completed his medical degree at the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, followed by specialist neurosurgical training at the National Neuroscience Institute, and obtained membership and fellowship qualifications from the Royal College of Surgeons.
His clinical practice focuses on skull base and craniofacial neurosurgery, neurotrauma, and the management of complex intracranial pathologies including brain tumors, cranial nerve disorders such as trigeminal neuralgia and hemifacial spasm, and traumatic brain injury. He is actively involved in academic neurosurgery, with research interests spanning neuro-oncology, cerebrovascular surgery, intracranial pressure dynamics, and minimally invasive neurosurgical approaches.
Location: 
SEOUL, KOREA
Dr. Won Jae Lee
Samsung Medical University
Dr. Won-Jae Lee is an Associate Professor in the Department of Neurosurgery at Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine in Seoul, Korea. He specializes in brain tumors, skull base surgery, and stereotactic radiosurgery. His clinical and research interests focus on minimally invasive neurosurgical techniques, skull base tumors, and the radiosurgical management of brain tumors. Dr. Lee completed his neurosurgical training and fellowship at Samsung Medical Center and has published widely in peer-reviewed journals in the fields of skull base surgery and radiosurgery. He actively participates in international academic collaborations and is involved in surgical education and training in neurosurgery.
Location: SHUENG WAN, HONGKONG
Dr Caspar Sai Lok Chu
Tung Wah Memorial Hospital (TMH)
Dr Caspar Sai Lok Chu is a consultant neurosurgeon in the Department of
Neurosurgery, Tuen Mun Hospital Neuroscience Centre, Tuen Mun Hospital, Hong Kong. His special interests include skull base surgery, cerebrovascular surgery and endovascular surgery. He received research fellowship training under Prof. Sébastien Froelich in Lariboisière Hospital in 2024. He has also assisted in various skull base dissection courses. He currently serves as a council member of the Hong Kong Society of Interventional and Therapeutic Neuroradiology and as a co-opted member of the Hong Kong Stroke Society.
Location: TOKYO, JAPAN
Dr. Norio Ichimasu
Tokyo Medical University
Dr. Norio Ichimasu is a neurosurgeon at Tokyo Medical University, specializing in complex skull base surgery and neurovascular pathology. His clinical and research focus centers on the refinement of microsurgical approaches to the cerebellopontine angle (CPA) and the jugular foramen.
Dr. Ichimasu has contributed significantly to the literature on hearing preservation and the functional outcomes of cranial nerves during tumor resection. His notable work includes the development and evaluation of the retrosigmoid intradural suprajugular approach, designed to optimize access to tumors with intraforaminal extension while minimizing morbidity.
Location: PARIS, FRANCE
Dr. Nobuyuki Watanabe
Hôpital Lariboisière
Dr. Nobuyuki Watanabe is a neurosurgeon and clinical fellow at Hôpital Lariboisière in Paris, specializing in advanced microsurgical and endoscopic skull base techniques. His extensive research background underpins his clinical practice, notably through his pioneering development of multi-material 3D-printed simulation models that replicate real tissue stiffness and vividness, significantly enhancing surgical training for complex procedures. Dr. Watanabe is dedicated to refining minimally invasive approaches, particularly the endoscopic endonasal ‘Chopstick Technique’ and transmastoid infralabyrinthine corridors, and has published critical work on intraoperative neuromonitoring for functional nerve preservation during tumor resections.
Location: PARIS, FRANCE
Dr. Jiang Tingting
Hôpital Lariboisière
Dr. Tingting Jiang is a neurosurgeon currently working at the Department of Neurosurgery of Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Maggiore della Carità, Novara, Italy. She completed her residency training in Neurosurgery at Sapienza University of Rome and subsequently pursued a clinical fellowship in Skull Base Surgery at Lariboisière Hospital, Paris. She is currently pursuing a PhD in Translational Medicine at the University of Barcelona, focusing on transorbital approaches to the mesial temporal lobe. Her clinical and research interests include skull base surgery, minimally invasive and transorbital approaches, epilepsy surgery, and surgical neuroanatomy. She has authored several peer-reviewed publications in the field of skull base surgery and actively participates as faculty member and instructor in international skull base courses and cadaveric dissection laboratories.
Location: MONTREAL, CANADA
Dr. Jonathan Chainey
Université de Montréal
Dr. Jonathan Chainey is a fellowship-trained neurosurgeon specializing in skull base surgery, with additional subspecialty training in Canada and France. He currently serves as a Clinical Assistant Professor in Neurosurgery at Université de Montréal. Dr. Chainey holds a Master of Science in Surgical Education from the University of Alberta and is pursuing a PhD in Health Policy, Management and Evaluation at the University of Toronto. His work focuses on surgical education, simulation, and the integration of machine intelligence in neurosurgery, alongside an active role in teaching and international academic collaboration.
Location: QUEBEC, CANADA
Dr. Guilherme Gago
Université Laval
Dr. Guilherme Gago is a neurosurgeon, fellowship-trained in skull base surgery, with a practice focused on complex cranial procedures integrating microsurgical and endoscopic techniques. He is an associated researcher at Université Laval(Canada), affiliated with the Skull Base Laboratory, and is currently pursuing a PhD in Surgical Sciences at Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (Brazil). His work centers on advanced skull base approaches, with a particular focus on endoscopic and minimally invasive techniques and their anatomical and technical refinement. He maintains an active surgical practice in southern Brazil and is among the pioneers of endoscopic transorbital surgery in the country. He is a director of an international skull base course in Brazil and actively participates in multiple international neurosurgical societies, with ongoing involvement in teaching and collaborative research initiatives.
LOCAL FACULTY
Location: MANILA, PHILIPPINES
Dr. Kenny Seng
The Philippine General Hospital (PGH)
Dr. Kenny S. Seng specializes in spine surgery, with subspecialty training through a Clinical Fellowship at Tan Tock Seng Hospital, National Neuroscience Institute in Singapore. He completed his Neurosurgery Residency at the Philippine General Hospital and earned his Doctor of Medicine degree from the University of Santo Tomas. Dr. Seng currently serves as Associate Professor at the University of the Philippines College of Medicine and as Training Officer of the Neurosurgery Residency Program at Jose R. Reyes Memorial Medical Center. He is affiliated with multiple tertiary hospitals, including PGH, JRMMMC, TMC, ManilaMed, Manila Doctors Hospital, De Los Santos Medical Center, PCMC, and CGHMC.
Location: MANILA, PHILIPPINES
Dr. Kevin Ivan P. Chan
Philippine General Hospital
Dr. Kevin Ivan P. Chan is a board-certified neurosurgeon from the Philippines. He completed his Neurosurgery residency at the Philippine General Hospital in 2022, where he served as Chief Resident and President of the Philippine Association of Neurosurgical Residents.
In 2023, he was awarded the Bassett–FIENS Global Neurosurgery Fellowship from the Foundation for International Education in Neurological Surgery and trained as a Visiting Instructor and Scholar in Skull Base Neurosurgery at Stanford University School of Medicine under the mentorship of Juan Carlos Fernandez-Miranda. In 2026, he completed the Comprehensive Advanced Skull Base Dissection Course in Bristol, United Kingdom.
He later helped establish an annual dissection-based skull base course at the University of the Philippines–PGH, where he continues to serve as both lecturer and dissector for neurosurgeons and ENT specialists nationwide.
Location: MANILA, PHILIPPINES
Dr. Byron Hontiveros
Makati Medical Center (MMC)
Dr. Byron Hontiveros, MD, DPBNS, completed his neurosurgery residency training at Makati Medical Center and East Avenue Medical Center. He subsequently pursued fellowship training in Endoscopic and Minimally Invasive Skull Base Neurosurgery at the Pacific Neuroscience Institute, as well as further fellowship training in Skull Base Surgery and Neuroanatomy through the Stanford Neurotrain Program.