Dr. Harvey Cushing: The Father of Modern Neurosurgery

Harvey Cushing, born in 1869, is most commonly known for conducting extensive studies on the brain and developing advanced neurosurgical procedures. These scientific breakthroughs gave him his name “the father of modern neurosurgery”, as it paved the way for how surgeons operate today. Born from a family with a long lineage of working in the medical field, Cushing graduated Harvard Medical School in 1895 and went on to make revolutionary research points in the field of neuroscience.

Cushing first started his career in John Hopkins Hospital and later took his research to Europe where he studied developing multiple improvements in cauterizing blood vessels and a safer way to access the brain through the protective outer layer inside the skull.  Later he specialized in tumor removal and researched ways to give patients different hormones. He soon became the chief neurosurgeon at Harvard and was the main professor of surgery. Cushing even found a way to get involved with the war effort in World War I.  He gathered a group of doctors, surgeons, and nurses to work overseas to support the injured soldiers in the allied forces. He used a magnetic force technique to remove bullet fragments lodged in soldiers' brains.

Cushing developed safer techniques for brain surgery leading to a drastic decrease in mortality rates for these surgeries. In 1925 he published two volumes of the biography on his recently passed away mentor William Osler whom he looked highly on called The life of Sir William Osler and went on to win the Pulitzer Prize in 1926 because of it. Also in 1926, he introduced the idea of using the electrosurgical cautery device developed by physicist William Bovie to control bleeding during surgery.

Cushing continued his research on brain tumors until 1931 where he removed his 2000th tumor in his career on video and received wide recognition.

One extremely notable achievement was his discovery of an endocrinological syndrome caused by the pituitary gland not functioning properly, known as Cushing syndrome. More specifically it is a disorder caused by excessive amounts of the hormone cortisol. Symptoms include weight gain in the face or trunk with thin arms and legs as well as bruising easily and developing a lump in between the shoulders. Without treatment Cushing syndrome can cause osteoporosis (bone loss), high blood pressure, and type two diabetes.

In 1939 Harvey Cushing suffered a heart attack and passed away. 2,500 people attended his funeral. His advancements in neurosurgery led him to become one of the most influential neurosurgeons pioneering new techniques beyond his time. Harvey Cushing’s work revolutionized brain surgery and left behind important aspects that are still considered today.

Written by Jada Gadoros at Incisionary

APA References

Mayo Clinic. (2023, June 7). Cushing syndrome. Mayo Clinic. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/cushing-syndrome/symptoms-causes/syc-20351310

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Doyle, N. M., Doyle, J. F., & Walter, E. J. (2017). The life and work of Harvey Cushing 1869–1939: A pioneer of neurosurgery. Journal of the Intensive Care Society, 18(2), 157–158. https://doi.org/10.1177/1751143716673076

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Harvey Cushing – Store norske leksikon. (2025, February 24). Store Norske Leksikon. https://snl.no/Harvey_Cushing

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(2025). Youtu.be. https://youtu.be/kce-dM51Y9k?si=kD33kdRtwU_UEOk4