Our Surgeons
 Dr Michael Thomas Biggs
MBBS, FRACS
Dr Biggs is a neurosurgeon specialising in peripheral nerve surgery, microvascular decompression for trigeminal neuralgia/hemifacial spasm, and base of skull surgery. Dr Biggs graduated MBBS in January 1985. He underwent advanced neurosurgical training at St Vincents, Royal North Shore and Prince of Wales Hospitals in Sydney. At the completion of his training he undertook overseas fellowships in Toronto, Pittsburgh, Phoenix and New Orleans, where he refined his skills in Base of Skull Surgery, Microvascular Decompression and Peripheral Nerve Surgery, working with household names in world Neurosurgery (Professors Sekhar, Janetta, Spetzler and Kline)
On returning to Sydney he took up a consultant Neurosurgical appointment at Sydney’s Royal North Shore Hospital in September 1993.
Dr Biggs operates at Royal North Shore Hospital, North Shore Private Hospital and does minor procedures at Berkeley Vale Private Hospital. He is a founding member and Director of Sydney Neuro Oncology Group and continues to undertake research projects and publish in Australian and International Journals.
Dr Biggs has been Head of Department of Neurosurgery at North Shore Private Hospital since it opened in 1998, and is currently chairman of the Medical Advisory Committee.
 Dr Raymond Cook
MBBS, FRACS
Dr Cook’s subspecialty interests in neurosurgery include surgery for brain tumours, pituitary surgery, hydrocephalus, functional neurosurgery and minimally invasive procedures of the spine. Dr Cook has been a practising neurosurgeon in northern Sydney for the past 15 years. He is currently Head of the Department of Neurosurgery at Royal North Shore Hospital having gained his medical degree at the University of Sydney, graduating with Honours in 1982. His internship and residency was at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital and Westmead Hospital. He became a Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons in Neurosurgery in 1992 having trained at Westmead Hospital, Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital in Perth with Senior Registrar and Fellowship positions at Atkinson’s Morley Hospital in London and the University of Alabama at Birmingham in the US.
Dr Cook is the current chairman of the Sydney Neuro-Oncology Group which is a registered charity dedicated to all aspects including management of the overall care of brain tumours.
 Dr Jonathan Curtis
MBBS, FRACS
Dr Curtis is trained not only in conventional neurosurgery, but also in the newer, less invasive, endovascular techniques now being applied to treat neurosurgical conditions. His specialty interests include aneurysm and AVM treatment, cerebral ischaemia and acute stroke, carotid surgery, complex spine and skull base work.
Dr Curtis’ early post-graduate training was at major NSW teaching hospitals including Royal North Shore, St Vincents and John Hunter Hospitals. Following completion of the Australasian Neurosurgical Fellowship, Dr Curtis was selected for an Advanced Cerebrovascular and Endovascular Fellowship at the Swedish Neuroscience Institute and Swedish Science Foundation in Seattle USA, where he was mentored by internationally renowned neurosurgeons and interventional radiologists: Dr Marc Mayberg, Dr David Newell and Dr Joseph Eskridge. The fellowship covered the full range of adult neurosurgical conditions including complex spinal and tumour work, carotid surgery, open vascular and endovascular techniques, and CSF circulation disorders.
 Dr Martin Forer
MBBS & FRACS
Dr Forer is an ENT surgeon with a special interest in endoscopic sinus surgery and endoscopic anterior skull base surgery. He is the Head of Department for ENT & head and neck surgery at Royal North Shore Hospital and has appointments at North Shore and Mater Private Hospitals. Dr Forer has extensive experience in advanced techniques of endoscopic nasal and sinus surgery and has been an invited speaker on advanced endoscopic sinus surgery at both national and international meetings. He is an active member of the endoscopic skull base team.
 Dr Nicholas Little
MBBS, FRACS
Dr Little has special interests in minimally invasive spine and cranial surgery, brain and pituitary tumour surgery and vascular neurosurgery. He graduated MBBS from the University of New South Wales with Honours and spent the early years of his clinical training at Royal North Shore Hospital. He undertook neurosurgical training at several sites in Sydney and the USA, including a fellowship at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester USA. He has been Head of Department at Royal North Shore and Dalcross Hospitals. He is currently a member of the Board of the Neurosurgical Society of Australasia and Director of Neurosurgical Training at Royal North Shore Hospital.
He was also the NSW/ACT representative on the Federal AMA. During his time at the AMA he served on the medico legal taskforce and received the President’s award for services through this Committee.
 Dr Nirmal Patel
MBBS (Hons)(Usyd) FRACS (OHNS) MS (UNSW)
Advanced Ear and Lateral Skull Base Surgeon
Dr Patel graduated with Honours from the University of Sydney Medical Programme. Following his graduation, Dr Patel completed his Otolaryngology/ Head and Neck Surgery training in Sydney, Australia before deciding to pursue advanced ear and lateral skull base surgery as a super speciality.
Dr Patel completed a dual fellowship in the USA in Hearing and Balance Surgery over 30 months. He completed a Master of Surgery Thesis in Gene and Stem Cell Restoration Therapy of the Inner Ear at New York University mentored by Professor Anil Lalwani and Professor Peter Schofield (from the Garvan Institute). After his research year, Dr Patel undertook a clinical fellowship in Ear and Lateral Skull Base Surgery at the University of Utah mentored by the past president of the American Otologic (Ear Surgery) Society Dr Clough Shelton. Dr Patel currently practices advanced ear and lateral skull base surgery at North Shore Private and Royal North Shore Hospitals as a member of the SANAMI.
Dr Patel has presented at over 45 local and international meetings, published 15 articles, written two book chapters in major international Ear Surgery textbooks and published a research thesis in gene and stem cell therapy of the inner ear, to achieve his Master of Surgery degree.
Dr Patel is the director of the Sydney Deafness Research Centre, based at the Kolling Building, Northern Clinical School Campus, University of Sydney. He was awarded the prestigious Kolling Foundation Hearing Impairment grant of $150 000 and currently supervises a University of Sydney, Master of Surgery student. His current research interests include hearing preservation cochlear implantation and minimally invasive access to the lateral skull base.
Dr Patel is currently a Clinical Senior Lecturer at the University of Sydney and teaches on a weekly basis to medical students, residents, registrars and fellows.
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