Nathan B. Han

Dr. Nathan Han is a neurosurgeon and a member of the Hoag Spine Institute, specializing in complex and minimally invasive spine surgery. He graduated from Rice University with Magna Cum Laude in Bioengineering and furthered his medical education at the New York University School of Medicine. During medical school, he received the Alpha Omega Alpha Research Fellowship and researched abnormal eye-tracking algorithms in traumatic brain injury and hydrocephalus, resulting in a publication in the Journal of Neurosurgery and a first-place award at the AANS national meeting. 

Dr. Han then continued his training at the University of Maryland in neurosurgical residency, including an enfolded spine fellowship focused on open complex deformity surgery under the guidance of Drs. Charles Sansur, Steven Ludwig, and Kenneth Crandall. He authored multiple papers during his residency on topics such as posterior techniques in anterior ligament release for deformity correction, the use of intraoperative ultrasound in pedicle subtraction osteotomies, and the management of cervical spinal cord injury. He received the Ibrahimi Neurosurgery Spine Research Award. 

To further his training, Dr. Han completed an additional postgraduate spine fellowship at the University of California, San Francisco, under the renowned Drs. Praveen Mummaneni and Lee Tan, focusing on complex spinal oncology, cervical deformity, and minimally invasive spine surgery. During this time, Dr. Han pursued additional interest and training in endoscopic spine surgery in South Korea, as he believes this to be the frontier of minimally invasive spine surgery that can push the boundaries in clinical care and research.

Dr. Han aims to provide comprehensive surgical spine care at Hoag Spine Institute using the latest technology and tools to ensure excellence in clinical care and patient satisfaction. His current research interests include sacroiliac joint dysfunction and prognostic markers in spinal cord injuries.  He is also fluent in Korean, making patients feel comfortable speaking their native language.