RESEARCH · UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI SPINE RESEARCH PROGRAM
Research That Makes Spine Surgery Safer
As Director of the Spine Research Program at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Dr. Micheal Raad studies how to make spine surgery safer, more durable and more cost-effective. Much of this work is done with the International Spine Study Group, a collaboration of leading spine centers across North America.
3× Best Paper
North American Spine Society Annual Meeting (2017, 2024, 2026)
20 Under 40
North American Spine Society, 2024 class
Presenter’s Choice
OREF Mid-Atlantic Resident Research Symposium, 2024
SELECTED RESEARCH
Research Highlights
A selection of studies Dr. Raad has led or co-authored, and what they mean for patients.
BEST RESEARCH PAPER, NASS 2017
Opioid use before surgery
A multicenter study of 819 adult spinal deformity patients showed that using opioids before surgery independently predicts a longer hospital stay, drawing attention to pain management before spine surgery.
BEST RESEARCH PAPER, NASS 2024
Neurologic safety in complex deformity surgery
A prospective multicenter study of neurologic complications after three-column osteotomy, one of the most demanding procedures in spinal deformity surgery.
PRESENTER’S CHOICE AWARD, OREF 2024
Predicting failure above long fusions
A new classification of proximal junctional kyphosis after long fusions to the pelvis that predicts which patients will need revision surgery or develop neurologic complications.
PUBLISHED IN SPINE, 2022
Strengthening bone before surgery
A cost-utility analysis showing the value of treating weak bones (osteopenia) with teriparatide before adult spinal deformity surgery.
MULTICENTER STUDY, NASS 2017
Safer pelvic fixation
A study of 418 adult spinal deformity patients found the S2AI pelvic screw technique has a lower complication rate than traditional iliac screws.
PODIUM PRESENTATION, NASS 2026
Helping fusions heal
A multi-institutional study found that aspirin use is associated with a lower risk of non-healing (pseudarthrosis) after lumbar fusion.
WATCH
Award-Winning Research Presentation
Dr. Raad presents his Presenter’s Choice Award–winning study, a new way to classify proximal junctional kyphosis that predicts revision surgery and neurologic complications. This is a scientific talk intended for physicians and researchers.
Awards & Recognition
- 2026 · Best Research Paper Award, North American Spine Society Annual Meeting
- 2026 · Sama Research Award for Best Research Projects, Second Place
- 2025 · Young Surgeon Grant, 10th Annual International Spinal Deformity Symposium
- 2024 · North American Spine Society 20 Under 40, 2024 Class
- 2024 · Best Research Paper Award, North American Spine Society Annual Meeting
- 2024 · Presenter’s Choice Award, OREF Mid-Atlantic Resident Research Symposium
- 2023 · Cervical Spine Research Society Resident Scholarship Award
- 2023 · Frank Miller Coulson Award for Clinical Excellence, Johns Hopkins
- 2023 · Orthopaedic Research Society Clinician Scientist Career Development Program Scholarship
- 2023 · Albert Scholar Research Award for Best Paper, Spine Section, AANS Annual Meeting
- 2022, 2023 · Luis A. Goldstein Award Nominee, Best Clinical Research E-Poster, Scoliosis Research Society
- 2022 · Resident Scholarship Award, Orthopedic Value-Based Healthcare Conference
- 2017 · Best Research Paper Award, North American Spine Society Annual Meeting
- 2016 · Murex Research Grant Award
Publications
Dr. Raad has published widely in leading journals including Spine, Neurosurgery, European Spine Journal and The Journal of Arthroplasty.
Service to the Field
Peer reviewer for Spine, The Spine Journal, Journal of Neurosurgery: Spine and the Journal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. Invited Guest Editor, Journal of Clinical Medicine. Member of the North American Spine Society, Scoliosis Research Society, Cervical Spine Research Society and International Spine Study Group.
Research-driven care for your spine
The same focus on evidence and safety guides every treatment plan.