Associate Professor James van Gelder

“A career shaped by complex care, teaching and evidence.”

Associate Professor van Gelder has held senior leadership positions within both the public and private healthcare systems, including serving as Head of Neurosurgery at Concord Repatriation General Hospital and Sydney Adventist Hospital.

His ongoing service within major public teaching hospitals has provided continued exposure to the most complex and challenging spinal and neurosurgical cases referred from across New South Wales. Through these appointments, he has also played an active role in the supervision and training of neurosurgical trainees, contributing to the development of the next generation of specialists.

In addition to his public hospital teaching responsibilities, Associate Professor van Gelder has served as a Faculty Member and member of the Teaching Staff of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons, supporting surgical education and professional development within the broader neurosurgical community.

Alongside his clinical appointments, he maintains active academic and research interests in Evidence-Based Medicine, Clinical Epidemiology, and Biomedical Engineering. He is widely published in peer-reviewed journals and has served as Chief Investigator on several projects funded by the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC).

His research focuses on improving outcomes for patients with spinal and neurosurgical conditions, evaluating evidence-based treatment approaches, and developing innovative technologies for musculoskeletal and spinal disorders.