Vincent C. Traynelis, MD, Professor, is the Program Director for the Neurosurgery Residency Training Program and for the Spine Fellowship Program. He received his undergraduate from West Virginia University and his medical degree from West Virginia University School of Medicine in Morgantown, WV. He completed his internship in general surgery and a residency in neurosurgery training in 1989 also at West Virginia University School of Medicine. Dr. Traynelis joined the Division of Neurosurgery at the University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA in 1989 and remained there until he joined Rush University Medical Center in April 2009.

Dr. Traynelis is a board-certified neurosurgeon who specializes in spine surgery with a particular focus on the cervical spine and craniovertebral junction. His research interests include interaction between glioma cell cultures and fatty acids, the metabolism of malignant gliomas, and cervical spine biomechanics. His research has been funded through grants from the National Institute of Health and the United States Army. He is currently engaged in the study of spinal infections, the treatments of cervical deformities, and health care economics.

Dr. Traynelis has over 100 peer-reviewed paper, more than 50 published chapters and four published books. He also serves on the editorial boards of the Journal of Neurosurgery, Neurosurgery, Spine, and Journal of Spinal Disorders and Operative Techniques. He is the past president of the Congress of Neurological Surgeons and the Cervical Spine Research Society, and the past Chairman of the Joint Section of Disorders of the Spine and Peripheral Nerves.