Julie G. Pilitsis

Julie G. Pilitsis is an American neurosurgeon and academic administrator. She is the chair of the neurosurgery department at the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Tucson. Pilitsis served as the dean of the Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine at Florida Atlantic University from 2022 to 2023.

Pilitsis was born to Dorothy Wrazin and John Pilitsis.^[1] She earned a B.S. in biology, magna cum laude from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in 1996. She received a M.D. with distinction from the Albany Medical College (AMC) in 1998.^[2] She completed a Ph.D. in physiology from Wayne State University (WSU) in 2002.^[2] Her dissertation was titled, The Effect of Stroke and Other Cerebral Insults on the Release of Free Fatty Acids.^[1] John W. Phillis was her doctoral advisor.^[1] Pilitsis conducted a residency and internship in the WSU department of neurosurgery from 1998 to 2006.^[2] From 2006 to 2007, she completed a functional neurosurgery fellowship at the Rush University Medical Center. Pilitsis earned a M.B.A. with a concentration in health informatics from Fayetteville State University in 2021.^[2]

For five years, Pilitisis was a division chief of functional neurosurgery and chair and professor of the basic neuroscience department at AMC.^[3] Vincent Verdile was one of her mentors at AMC.^[3] From 2013 to 2014, she chaired the Women in Neurosurgery section of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons/Congress of Neurological Surgeons.^[4] From February 2022 to July 2023, Pilitisis was the dean of the Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine at Florida Atlantic University (FAU).^[3] She was succeeded by interim dean Curtis Whitehair.^[5] She was the first female neurosurgeon to serve as the dean of a medical school.^[6] From July to December 2023, Pilitsis was the FAU vice president for medical and strategic initiatives.^[7] On January 8, 2024, Pilitsis joined the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Tucson as the chair of the department of neurosurgery and physician executive for functional neurosurgery for the Banner Neurosciences service line.^[7] She is the president-elect of the American Society for Stereotactic and Functional Neurosurgery.^[7]