RAÚL A. ECHEVARRI G.
Full Biography
NEUROSURGEON, SPINE SURGEON, PROFESSOR, AND RESEARCHER
Born in Venezuela to Colombian parents, Dr. Raúl A. Echeverri is a neurosurgeon whose education and professional career have taken him across Latin America, North America, and Europe. He has devoted much of his life and work to serving vulnerable communities and people living in low- and middle-income settings around the world.
His professional profile combines neurosurgery, spine surgery, neurotrauma, neurocritical care, teaching, scientific research, and international cooperation. He currently works in the Spine Unit at Centro Médico de Asturias in Spain. He is also a university professor, researcher, scientist, and the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Humankindness Organization, an academic and scientific organization established in 2021.
Education and Medical Training
Dr. Echeverri earned his medical degree at the Latin American School of Medicine in Havana, Cuba, where he studied from 2000 to 2006. Between 2007 and 2009, he completed a dual academic program at the University of Medical Sciences of Havana, Cuba, and the Arnoldo Gabaldón Institute of Advanced Studies in Maracay, Venezuela, qualifying as a specialist in Comprehensive General Medicine.
From 2009 to 2013, he trained as a specialist in Neurosurgery at the Latin American School of Medicine and the Faculty of Medical Sciences of Hermanos Ameijeiras Hospital in Havana. His academic training also includes a Diploma in Medical Education from Rómulo Gallegos University in Venezuela, completed in 2008, and a Diploma in Public Health and Health Management from the National School of Public Health at the University of Medical Sciences of Havana, completed in 2011.
In 2015 and 2016, he undertook an International Fellowship in Neurotrauma and Critical Care through the Barrow Neurological Institute at Phoenix Children’s Hospital in the United States and the MEDITECH Foundation for Medical Education and Research in Colombia. In 2016, he also completed a Diploma in Critical Care at the MEDITECH Foundation in Bogotá.
In 2021, Dr. Echeverri completed a Fellowship in Spine Surgery at Centro Hospitalar Vila Nova de Gaia in Porto, Portugal. Since 2024, he has been pursuing a Master’s Degree in Comprehensive Pain Management at the University of Seville in Spain.
Advanced Neurosurgical and Spine Training
Dr. Echeverri has continued his professional development through extensive specialist training in neurosurgery, neurotrauma, neurocritical care, and spine surgery.
In 2011, he attended an update course on the treatment of herniated discs, a World Federation of Neurosurgical Societies continuing education course, a spine surgery course, and the AO Spine seminar “Spine Surgery: A New Vision,” all held in Havana.
In 2012, he completed the first Halifax-Havana Temporal Lobe Epilepsy Surgery Course. During 2013, he received theoretical and practical training in neuronavigation, stereotaxy, radiofrequency, and neurostimulation systems in São Paulo. He also trained in the microanatomy of the ventricles, sulci, and gyri, white matter fiber dissection, and glioma surgery. That same year, he attended a pre-congress course in neuroendoscopy at NEUROCUBA 2013, training in endoscopic endonasal surgery of the sellar region and skull base, a course on applications of nuclear medicine, and the Annual Science and Technology Forum on the extended endoscopic endonasal approach to the skull base.
In 2015, Dr. Echeverri was a clinical observer at Barrow Neurological Institute in Phoenix, Arizona. His training there included microscopic and endoscopic approaches to the skull base and participation in the Barrow Neuro-Oncology Symposium. He also attended the international FLANC-AANS Symposium in Bogotá, completed Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support and Basic Life Support training in Neiva, and participated in the AONeuro Neurotrauma Course in Cartagena.
In 2016, he completed neurocritical care training at Santa Casa da Misericórdia in São João del-Rei, Minas Gerais, Brazil. He subsequently completed Emergency Neurological Life Support training in Medellín in 2017 and Fundamental Critical Care Support training in Cali in 2018.
His more recent spine training has included cadaveric workshops in endoscopic spine surgery in Budapest and Essen in 2021; Bogotá in 2022 and 2023; Frankfurt in 2023 and 2024; and the MaxMoreSpine Experience in Bogotá in 2024. In 2021, he also completed the European Course in Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery, including its hands-on component, in Madrid, and participated in an AO Spine Principles webinar on degenerative lumbar spine pathology.
In 2023, he attended the Stryker Spine Course in Amsterdam and a NEO Medical Iberica virtual reality training activity in Valencia. His continuing education has also included online courses on COVID-19 for neurosurgeons and cerebral oxygen neuromonitoring through the Global Neuro Foundation.
International Scientific and Academic Activity
Dr. Echeverri has participated extensively in scientific congresses, specialist courses, clinical meetings, and educational programs as a lecturer, instructor, director, collaborator, and attendee.
Recent International Activity
In 2024, he participated in the Latin American Congress of Neurosurgery in Santiago, Chile, and spoke at the European Association of Neurosurgical Societies Meeting in Sofia, Bulgaria. He attended the SEPA-TRAUMA Simulation Course for Experts in Acute Traumatic Pathology in Madrid and the North American Spine Society Annual Meeting in Chicago. He also lectured at the International Symposium on Neurology and Neurosurgery in Varadero, Cuba, and at an update meeting on the treatment of spinal disorders in Segovia, Spain.
During 2023, he attended the first SEMISS-SECPEC Congress and the SENEC Congress in Spain, as well as a further SEPA-TRAUMA simulation course. He lectured at the EANS Young Neurosurgeons Meeting and at the GEER/NASSi/SILACO meeting on advances in the treatment of spinal disorders, both held in Madrid.
In 2022, he presented “Leadership in Neurosurgery” at EXPOSALUD in Caracas and spoke about new trends in spinal cord trauma management at the First Regional Symposium on Internal Medicine in Sincelejo, Colombia. He delivered a scientific session and webinar for the Peruvian Society of Neurosurgery on the learning curve in endoscopic spine surgery.
That year, he also participated in neurosurgical meetings at Ciudad Hospitalaria Dr. Enrique Tejera in Valencia, Venezuela; a theoretical and practical pediatric neurotrauma course at J. M. de los Ríos Children’s Hospital in Caracas; and an update meeting on neurotrauma management in San Cristóbal. He served as director and lead instructor of the UpSurgeOn Psychomotor Skills Training Course within the Global Training Project 2022 in Caracas. He attended the International Neurotrauma Symposium in Cali and spoke again on leadership at the Venezuelan Congress of Neurosurgery. At the XVII World Congress of Neurosurgery in Bogotá, he presented a Phase I study analyzing the resources available for neurotrauma management in Venezuela.
In 2021, Dr. Echeverri participated in the Global Spine Congress in Paris.
Neurotrauma and Global Neurosurgery
In 2020, he lectured virtually for the Neurosurgery Department of Miguel Couto Hospital in Rio de Janeiro on prehospital and in-hospital care in severe traumatic brain injury and the importance of the golden hour. He presented the same subject during Neurotrauma Week, an initiative involving the Brazilian Society of Neurosurgery, the Mexican Society of Neurosurgery, and the Latin American Federation of Neurosurgical Societies.
In 2019, he was a speaker at the Third International Symposium on Neurotrauma and Neurocritical Care in Cali; the Neurosurgery Alumni Conference at Antonio María Pineda Hospital in Barquisimeto; the Global Neuro and British Neurosurgical Trainee Course in Cambridge; the Latin American Congress of Pediatric Neurosurgery in San José; the First Congress on Emergency Medical Systems in Bogotá; the Colombian Congress of Neurosurgery in Cartagena; and the Global Neuro Advanced Neurotrauma Management Course. He also participated in “Global Neurosurgery 2019: A Practical Symposium” in New York.
His intensive international activity in 2018 included several presentations at the XXXVIII Latin American Congress of Neurosurgery in Santa Cruz de la Sierra. His subjects included updated traumatic brain injury protocols, traumatic brain injury in the proteomic era, and cerebral multimodal monitoring in neurotrauma.
At the Global Neuro Course on Essentials in Neurotrauma, also held in Santa Cruz de la Sierra, he led sessions on bifrontal contusions, traumatic brain injury in austere environments, and decompressive craniectomy and reconstruction. At the XXXII Brazilian Congress of Neurosurgery in Porto Alegre, he lectured on prehospital care in severe traumatic brain injury, biomarkers in traumatic brain injury, and the treatment of cerebral hypoxia.
He also presented on ultrasound in neurotrauma and damage control in spinal trauma at the International Neurotrauma Symposium in Barranquilla. At the First Neurotrauma Conference of the Neurosurgery Residency Program at the University of the Andes in Mérida, Venezuela, he lectured on updated traumatic brain injury management guidelines, changes and opportunities in neurotrauma training and research, and the multimodal management of severe traumatic brain injury. He additionally spoke on neurocritical care approaches and decision-making at the Second International Symposium on Neurotrauma and Neurocritical Care in Cali.
In 2017, Dr. Echeverri collaborated in the development of Colombia’s national protocol for the comprehensive management of neurotrauma patients across Levels I, II, III, and IV of medical care. He was also a collaborator and member of the development team at the Trauma Surgery Informatics Data Symposium organized by the Office of Global Surgery at the University of Pittsburgh in Cartagena.
Earlier Lectures and Scientific Contributions
In 2016, Dr. Echeverri spoke at the International Conference on Recent Advances in Neurotraumatology in Bogotá about mechanisms of injury related to neurotrauma, goal-directed fluid therapy, osmotherapy, and traumatic brain injury.
At the XXXVII Latin American Congress of Neurosurgery in Cancún, he contributed to an interactive symposium on the immediate management of trauma patients and lectured on cerebral perfusion, cerebral blood flow, pathophysiology, monitoring, and the diagnosis and management of vasospasm in subarachnoid hemorrhage. The source CV records the vasospasm lecture twice, and both records form part of his documented scientific activity.
He also spoke at the XIV National Trauma Congress in Bogotá. At the 34th National Neurotrauma Society Symposium in Lexington, United States, he presented a comparative study of severe traumatic brain injury management in pediatric patients at two hospitals located in cities with different economic settings.
At the XVIII Venezuelan Congress of Neurosurgery in Maturín, he addressed updates in the neurocritical management of severe traumatic brain injury and changes and opportunities in neurotrauma training and research. He lectured on cervical spinal cord trauma management guidelines at the First Regional Trauma Update Symposium for prehospital and emergency medicine personnel in Pereira.
At the XXVII Colombian Congress of Neurosurgery in Medellín, he presented on the impact of near-infrared spectroscopy on decision-making in the neurocritical management of subarachnoid hemorrhage. He also discussed severe traumatic brain injury in pediatric patients through a comparative study involving hospitals in middle- and high-income countries and presented a clinical study protocol.
In 2015, he spoke about common diagnoses in pediatric neurosurgery during a continuing medical education conference at Phoenix Children’s Hospital.
At the XVI Venezuelan Congress of Neurosurgery in Valencia in 2012, Dr. Echeverri presented on the extended endoscopic endonasal approach to the skull base, the endoscopic endonasal approach to pituitary adenomas, multimodal treatment of intracranial malignant gliomas, and immunotherapy in brain tumors.
Scientific Affiliations and Leadership
Dr. Echeverri’s scientific and professional affiliations reflect his international commitment to neurosurgery, education, and research. He is a former President of the Neurotrauma Chapter of the Colombian Association of Neurosurgery, a position recorded for 2021.
He is an individual member of the European Association of Neurosurgical Societies and is affiliated with the Spanish Society of Percutaneous and Endoscopic Spine Surgery, the American Association of Neurological Surgeons, the Latin American Federation of Neurosurgical Societies, the World Federation of Neurosurgical Societies, and the Venezuelan Medical Federation.
He is also affiliated with the MEDITECH Foundation; the MEDITECH Foundation-University of El Bosque Research Group; the Global Neuro Foundation; and AO Spine Latin America. He serves as an affiliated professor at the University Foundation of Health Sciences, a faculty mentor at Mission Brain, and a faculty member of MaxMoreSpine Academy.
In addition to these roles, he is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Humankindness Organization.
Scientific Publications
Dr. Echeverri’s scientific work includes contributions to publications concerning scientific writing, research ethics, traumatic brain injury, neurotrauma training, biomarkers, and international cooperation.
In 2016, Andrés M. Rubiano, Raúl A. Echeverri, Erica D. Johnson, Juan Carlos Puyana, and Rao R. Ivatury published “Foundations for Preparing Scientific Manuscripts in Trauma and Acute Emergency Care, Part 2: Ethics and Responsibility in Manuscript Authorship; Recommendations for Mentors and Trainees” in the Panamerican Journal of Trauma, Critical Care & Emergency Surgery.
In 2018, Andrés M. Rubiano, Raúl A. Echeverri, Erica D. Johnson, Sandra Ximena Olaya, and Laura Hernández published “Foundations for Preparing Scientific Articles in Trauma and Acute Emergency Care, Part 4: Recommendations for Organizing and Publishing Scientific Writing in a Non-Native Language” in the same journal.
His documented publication record also includes “Recommendations of the Colombian Consensus Committee for the Management of Traumatic Brain Injury in Prehospital, Emergency Department, Surgery, and Intensive Care (Beyond One Option for Treatment of Traumatic Brain Injury: A Stratified Protocol [BOOTStraP]),” published in the Journal of Neurosciences in Rural Practice in 2020.
It further includes “Utility of Biomarkers in Traumatic Brain Injury: A Narrative Review,” published in the Colombian Journal of Anesthesiology in 2020, and “International Neurotrauma Training Based on North-South Collaborations: Results of an Inter-Institutional Program in the Era of Global Neurosurgery,” published in Frontiers in Surgery in 2021.
Books and Editorial Work
Dr. Echeverri served as scientific editor and clinical reviewer of the first Spanish translation of Youmans and Winn Neurological Surgery, published by AMOLCA.
He is also a co-author of Chapter 6, “Follow-up and Complications of Spinal Infections,” in the book Spinal Infections, published by Grupo Ferpuser in 2024, pages 69-81.
Current Professional Focus
Dr. Echeverri currently works in the Spine Unit at Centro Médico de Asturias in Spain. Alongside his clinical practice, he continues his work as a university professor, researcher, scientist, international lecturer, and mentor.
Through his medical, academic, and humanitarian work, he continues to promote specialist education, stronger neurotrauma and spine-care systems, international scientific cooperation, and access to care for vulnerable communities around the world.
Our mission
We aim to raise awareness of brain tumors and give visibility and voice to brain tumor patients and survivors through media, the arts, and our network of artists, public figures, and brands.
We also aim to build an emotional and logistical support network for brain tumor patients and survivors, helping them access free tests, doctors, experts, therapy, and legal advice in cases of late or incorrect diagnoses. Additionally, we support medical and scientific research related to brain tumors, including through donations, as well as other charities whose causes we support.
Our activities
• Raise awareness in the public eye and across society about brain tumors, brain injuries, and their side effects.
• Raise funds through media activities, special events, and sponsors to help fulfill our mission and commitments.
• Collaborate with global leaders and institutions to encourage greater efforts and resources in support of brain tumor and brain injury patients, and to help combat these illnesses through global campaigns.
• Guide those affected by brain tumors and brain injuries in understanding these diseases and accessing the support they need throughout their journeys.
• Establish a wide network of doctors, experts, hospitals, clinics, and specialized centers in brain tumors and brain injuries to help patients.
• Support biomedical and clinical research, focusing on its application in diagnosis and treatment, and encouraging cooperation among global scientific research entities.
Who we are
We are a global nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting patients and survivors of brain tumors and brain injuries, using art to give visibility and voice to this community.
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