Dr. Muraszko

As a resident, Dr. Karin Muraszko was interested in many aspects of medicine, including psychiatry and anatomy; however, during her first rotation in neurology, she found her life’s passion.

“I witnessed an operation on a 40-year-old man who was losing his neurological functions — he couldn’t even pick up his baby,” she explained. “When the surgeons opened him up, I was blown away. The brain and spinal cord were the most beautiful things I’d ever seen in my life.”

The combination of the thrill of surgery and the rewards of seeing the patient come through the procedure better than before had her hooked. And she still finds neurosurgery fascinating today. “Just recently, I was so engrossed during a procedure, I didn’t look up until four hours had passed. I thought to myself, ‘wow — I still get a buzz out of this 20 years later!’ ”

The Power of Teamwork

Dr. Muraszko has a long list of accomplishments, including being the first woman in the U.S. to chair an academic neurosurgery department. But she is always quick to credit her colleagues and the power of teamwork for the department’s success. “I work with a lot of individuals who are stars in their own right, but everyone keeps their egos under control.”

Collaboration is an important part of the process at U-M, whether it takes place during casual conversations at lunch or at weekly meetings with multidisciplinary boards — the brain tumor board, cranial facial clinic, skull base clinic, and the spine conference. At these meetings, every patient is discussed, and his or her best course of treatment is debated.

“The brain and spinal cord are very unforgiving and important structures. We spend a good amount of time deciding how to care for the patient, discussing a variety of techniques. It’s not uncommon to have several surgeons for long operations. It makes it a lot safer for patients.”

The Power of Research and Technology

Dr. Muraszko says the power of combining clinical trials, lab work, individual patient care, research and teaching is what drives the professionals at the University of Michigan Health System. “I am always impressed by what the whole core group is working on. If one individual can’t think of an answer, there are probably five others who can.”

In her lifetime, she has seen many patients reap the benefits of emerging technologies and discoveries in clinical trials. In fact, during her career thus far, she has seen the survival rate of some childhood brain tumors rise from 25 to 85 percent.

“There are wonderful discoveries being made right here, and we can bring those discoveries to the bedside very quickly."