Stephen Ryu, MD, is a neurosurgeon who serves as the Chair of Neurosurgery at the Palo Alto Medical Foundation and as an Adjunct Professor of Electrical Engineering and Neurosurgery at Stanford University. He has a BS and MS in Electrical Engineering from Stanford University and an MD from the University of California, San Diego. He completed neurosurgical training at Stanford University. During his residency, he completed a postdoctoral fellowship in Electrical Engineering and Neurosciences at Stanford University and is a world authority on brain-machine interfacing prosthetics that convert a paralyzed patient’s thoughts into usable information. His main clinical interest has been minimally invasive spine surgery and technology. He has given over 100 invited lectures around the world on his clinical and research interests. He has also authored over 100 articles, book chapters, and reviews. He has been involved with early-stage and well-established companies in the design, development, and implementation of spine surgery devices for over a decade. He also enjoys teaching courses on happiness and personal finance, especially for those early in their careers.