Samuel Wakelin, B.S.

Samuel's research journey began during high school when he worked with Dr. William Curry at Massachusetts General Hospital, studying immunotherapeutic approaches to treating glioblastoma. This early exposure to cutting-edge cancer research ignited his passion for both neurosurgery and research, providing him with foundational experience in one of the most challenging areas of neurosurgical oncology.

Dr. Curry, a nationally recognized leader in neurosurgical oncology and co-director of Mass General Neuroscience, has pioneered innovative immunotherapy approaches including CAR-T cell therapy for brain tumors. Working in Dr. Curry's lab provided Samuel with exposure to groundbreaking research that has since led to dramatic clinical results in glioblastoma treatment. This early research experience sparked Samuel's broader interests in computational approaches to neurosurgical problems, including his current work in Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) biomechanics and Finite Element Analysis (FEA) modeling for understanding complex neurological conditions.

Samuel brings sophisticated technical skills to SCOLI's research initiatives, with particular expertise in:

• Spine Segmentation Algorithms: Developing and implementing computational methods for automated spinal structure identification and analysis

• Radiomic Data Processing: Advanced analysis of medical imaging data to extract quantitative features for predictive modeling

• AI Detection in Radiology: Machine learning applications for automated detection and classification of radiological findings

At Georgetown University, Samuel has continued to pursue his passion for neuroscience research by studying novel treatments that promote remyelination in secondary progressive multiple sclerosis. This work demonstrates his commitment to understanding and treating complex neurological disorders through innovative therapeutic approaches.

He has also worked closely with neurosurgery residents at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital, supporting ongoing research projects across multiple neurosurgical disciplines. This collaborative approach has provided him with broad exposure to the full spectrum of neurosurgical research and clinical applications.

Samuel is actively engaged in professional development within the neurosurgical community and has expressed strong interest in contributing to major academic conferences, including the American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS) annual meeting.

His multidisciplinary approach combines clinical training, advanced computational skills, and research experience, positioning him to make significant contributions to the evolving field of AI-enhanced neurosurgery and spine care.