Neurosurgeon | Complex Spine Surgeon | Minimally Invasive Spine Surgeon

St. Louis • St. Peters

  • Board Certified Neurosurgeon, the highest level of neurosurgical qualification in the country achieved by only 25% of neurosurgeons.
  • Spine Fellowship-Trained Neurosurgeon at Washington University Physicians, Saint Louis, MO.
  • Assistant Professor of Neurosurgery and Orthopedic Surgery and Biomedical Engineering and Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion for the Department of Neurosurgery at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.
  • Completed a post-residency fellowship in complex spinal reconstruction and minimally invasive spine surgery under the guidance of both neurosurgeons and orthopedic spine surgeons.
  • Completed a fellowship in Predictive Analytics/Machine Learning and is an expert in utilizing artificial intelligence, advanced machine learning, and causal inference to analyze patient-outcome data.
  • His research endeavors to extensively understand the nuances of spinal disease, develop personalized patient treatment regimens, and build novel clinical support tools.

Education and Training

Dr. Pennicooke’s diverse training gives him a unique insight into treating a wide range of spinal diseases from significant spinal deformity/malalignment to herniated discs as well as emergency surgeries for brain injuries. He is an expert in utilizing artificial intelligence, advanced machine learning, and causal inference to analyze patient-outcome data.

Dr. Pennicooke completed his undergraduate studies in biology and graduate studies in molecular/cellular biology at The Johns Hopkins University prior to earning his Doctorate of Medicine from Harvard Medical School in 2012. He subsequently completed an internship in Neurological Surgery at New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center and residency in Neurological Surgery at New York Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center & Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, where he served as Chief Resident. During this time, he completed fellowships in Spine, Tissue Engineering, and Predictive Analytics/Machine Learning.

Dr. Pennicooke then completed a post-residency fellowships in complex spinal reconstruction and minimally invasive spine surgery at University of California-San Francisco under the guidance of both neurosurgeons and orthopedic spine surgeons.

Clinical and Research Interests

Dr. Pennicooke has published over 30 peer-reviewed scientific manuscripts and 5 book chapters. His research endeavors to extensively understand the nuances of spinal disease, develop personalized patient treatment regimens, and build novel clinical support tools. He has been an invited speaker at numerous conferences, and his research has been recognized throughout his career. He was a recipient of North American Spine Society SpineLine’s 20 under 40 Award in 2021 based on clinical and research accomplishments to date, community service and philosophy of care.

Professional Societies

Congress of Neurological Surgeons
American Association of Neurological Surgeons Society of Black Academic Surgeons
North American Spine Society
AO Spine North America
Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.

Honors & Awards

2008 Office of Multicultural Student Affairs Director’s Award
2008 Dean of Student Life Achievement Award
2008 Johns Hopkins University Diversity Leadership Award
2009 American Association of Neurological Surgeons Medical Student Summer Research Fellow 2016 Best Oral Presentation at World Forum for Spine Research
2016 Bronson Ray Resident Research Day Award
2016 Charlie Kuntz Scholar Award Recipient
2017 Michael Apuzzo Outstanding Research Writing Award
2020 AO Spine Foundation Spine Fellowship Best Posters Distinction
2021 North American Spine Society SpineLine’s 20 under 40 Award