I was deeply saddened late last week to hear of the passing of our fellow Section member, my friend and mentor, Dr. David Jimenez.  He was a kind, friendly and generous man.  His colleagues, patients and families admired and adored him.  As most of you already know, he was best known for introducing the novel technique of minimally invasive endoscopic-assisted craniosynostosis surgery to our field 25 years ago.  He was a masterful surgeon and educator, who spent his career tirelessly and humbly advocating for less invasive techniques to reduce morbidity and improve outcomes in infants with synostosis.  Most neurosurgeons impact thousands of patients during their career, but in Dr. Jimenez’ career, the effect was exponential.  His pioneering and advocacy for these techniques, despite early resistance, led to a true paradigm shift in how most craniofacial centers manage synostosis in this century.  By offering an alternative to larger vault reconstructions, his contributions have impacted the care of countless patients and families with synostosis in the US and around the world.  He was a giant in our field, and I will miss his friendship and advice.

Matthew D. Smyth, MD

Chair, AANS/CNS Joint Section on Pediatric Neurosurgery