the vision
appropriate Spine care
In Arizona, there are many spine surgeons. But how many of them recommend surgery only when it is truly indicated? How many of them actually put the patient’s interests first when deciding how large of a surgery to do?
Meet Dr. Vira at Banner University Medical Center / University of Arizona School of Medicine. He brings the latest techniques and best thinking from his extensive training to provide appropriate and comprehensive spine care the Arizona community.
Shaleen Vira, M.D.
Vice Chairman, Business Development
Associate Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery
Associate Professor of Neurosurgery
Director, Spine Surgery Research
Banner University Medical Center (BUMC) / University of Arizona School of Medicine
Appointments:
Phoenix: (602) 521-3250
Scottsdale: (480) 733-7400
Address:
Clinical Training
15 years at the best institutions in America
Dual Neurosurgical and orthopaedic Training
Cleveland Clinic
Dr. Vira was the only orthopaedic surgeon in the country in his graduating class to be selected for the Combined Neurosurgical and Orthopaedic Spine Surgery Fellowship at the Cleveland Clinic (US News Ranked #2 Hospital).
This unique fellowship focuses on educating the future leaders in spine surgery and provides extensive training in the diagnosis and management of adult and pediatric spinal disorders.
Dr. Vira was trained on degenerative cervical, thoracic and lumbar disease, spinal deformity, intradural and extradural spinal tumors, spinal trauma, spinal infections, congenital spinal abnormalities, and complex reconstruction/revision cervical and lumbar pathology. Additionally, he gained experience with a multitude of surgical techniques including image guidance, minimally invasive surgery, and microsurgery.
Offering the widest range of spinal techniques, Dr. Vira brings the best of both neurosurgical and orthopaedic philosophies and can select the best surgery for your individual spinal condition.
The Foundation of Orthopaedics in America
NYC Hospital for Joint Diseases & Bellevue Hospital
Bellevue Hospital (founded in 1736, the oldest hospital in America) started the profession of orthopaedic surgery. In 1853, Dr. Lewis Sayer became the first professor of orthopaedic surgery and started what is now the oldest and most rigorous training program for orthopaedics in the United States. Today, the New York University Langone Medical Center and Bellevue Hospitals have combined resources to offer the best of elective and traumatic orthopaedic specialty care in NYC through the prestigious Hospital for Joint Diseases residency program.
Dr. Vira was one of two medical students in the nation to be selected into the highly competitive Clinician Scientist Training Program at the Hospital for Joint Diseases (top 5 Orthopaedic Hospital, US News & World Report). He developed skills in a wide range of surgeries on the entire musculoskeletal system including fracture care at Bellevue Hospital. His postdoctoral reserach fellowship year was on adult and pediatric spinal deformity surgery that led to numerous publications. He also acquired numerous innovative techniques to perform minimally invasive and motion preservation surgery from the best surgeons in New York City. For his compassionate care to the diverse NYC population, he was inducted into the Gold Humanism Honors Society.
As chief resident, Dr. Vira provided fracture care to the underserved at both Bellevue Hospital and Jamaica Hospital in Queens. There, he developed an interest in spinal traumatology and continues the legacy of Dr. Lewis Sayre in his current activities in providing spinal trauma care at Parkland Memorial Hospital.
Admitted to medical school at age 17
New york University Combined BA/MD Program
Dr. Vira grew up in Silver Spring, Maryland and graduated valedictorian of Rockville High School. He was admitted to medical school at age 17 and attended the combined BA/MD program at New York University. He graduated Phi Beta Kappa with degrees in Biology and Economics with Honors and was president of the Economics Honors Society. He received his medical degree from New York University Medical School (ranked #3 by US News & World Report) where he received the orthopaedic surgery award.
Social Entrepreneurship
Expanding healthcare access to the underserved
Global Health Delivery
Harvard Medical School / Harvard Business School
As a Catherine Reynolds Scholar in Social Entrepreneurship, Dr. Vira conducted research on global health delivery at Harvard University. A combined effort between Harvard’s Medical School and Business School, the Global Health Delivery project seeked to incorporate best business practices into providing healthcare for the underserved in low resource settings around the world.
Improving Policy
United States Congress
As a Congressional Intern for Representative Ed Royce, Dr. Vira served our nation’s legislature. He developed the concept of and wrote a draft of a bill on World bank reform. He also wrote several speeches that were delivered on the floor of the United States House of Representatives and recorded in the US Congressional Record.
innovating in Patient Specific medicine
National Institutes of Health
As Director of Spine Surgery Research at UT Southwestern, Dr. Vira brings a vast repertoire of experiences in scientific investigation that started when he was in high school. He first conducted biomedical research at the National Institutes of Health in molecular biophysics as a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Research Scholar. This sparked his interest in biomedical sciences that would then later blossom into a career of spine surgical research. In total, he has over 200 publications, conference presentations, and book chapters.
Recently, Dr. Vira completed a postdoctoral fellowship in adult spinal deformity under Drs. Frank Schwab and Thomas Errico at the Hospital for Joint Diseases. He focuses on utilizing the latest technology in preoperative planning and deformity evaluation to optimize the procedure he offers to each patient based on his or her unique anatomy.
Society for Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery 2019 Young Surgeon Educational Grant
Scoliosis Research Society (SRS) Resident/Fellow Educational Scholarship
AO Spine Fellows Forum Best Poster Award
Gold Humanism Honors Society, NYU Langone Medical Center Chapter
Musculoskeletal Research Award, NYU School of Medicine
NYU Founders Day Award
NYU University Honors Scholar
NYU Presidential Honors Scholar
Senator Robert C. Byrd Scholar
National Merit Scholar
National AP Scholar
Intel Science and Talent Search Semifinalist
Catherine Reynolds Scholar in Social Entrepreneurship
Howard Hughes Medical Institute Research Scholar at National Institutes of Health
Cecil Rhodes Scholarship Finalist
Texas Medical Association (TMA)
Dallas County Medical Society (DCMS)
Society for Minimally Invasive Surgery (SMISS)
North American Spine Society (NASS)
American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS)
AO Spine North America (AONA)
International Society for the Advancement of Spine Surgery (ISASS)
Alvin Ailey Dance Troupe, New York City, New York (2014-2018)
New York City Public Schools Athletic League, High school football (2013-2016)