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About Joseph Osorio, MD, PhD

Joseph Osorio, MD, PhD, is a board-certified neurosurgeon and the director of spinal oncology and deformity surgery in the Department of Neurological Surgery at UC San Diego. He is part of comprehensive spine care at UC San Diego Health, recognized by the Joint Commission's Gold Seal of Approval for Advanced Certification in Spine Surgery (ACSS), an honor that is based on a health care organization's commitment to providing safe and excellent care, and advancing patient outcomes.

Dr. Osorio specializes in complex spine surgery and treats spinal conditions such as scoliosis, kyphosis, kyphoscoliosis and flatback syndrome. He also treats spinal tumors, cervical spinal problems, and degenerative conditions of the spine such as spondylolisthesis and stenosis.

Because Dr. Osorio received both neurosurgical and orthopedic spine surgery training, he can assess spine conditions from an interdisciplinary perspective and recommend the most appropriate treatment for each patient. With individual patient goals in mind, if surgery is necessary, he will perform spine surgery utilizing the safest possible techniques tailored for each person.

Dr. Osorio completed a post-graduate spine fellowship in adult and pediatric spinal deformity and scoliosis surgery at Columbia University in New York City. He completed his neurosurgery residency at University of California San Francisco (UCSF), where he also earned his medical degree. He holds a PhD in bioengineering from the UC Berkeley – UCSF Joint Graduate Program in Bioengineering.

While at UCSF, Dr. Osorio received the Harold Rosegay Resident Teaching Award. He is a member of the Congress of Neurological Surgeons and the Scoliosis Research Society. His work has been published in many peer-reviewed journals and he presents widely at professional conferences.

Dr. Osorio's personal interests include photography, golfing, deep sea and freshwater fishing and traveling. He enjoys spending time with his wife, three children and his extended family who live in San Diego, where he was born and raised. Dr. Osorio is fluent in Spanish.

UC San Diego Health Link
For more information, see Neurosurgery.

Insurance Information
UC San Diego Health accepts most major health insurance plans, but you should verify that your plan covers this provider and all services and locations. The information in the link below does not apply to affiliate providers, who are not employed by UC San Diego Health.
Health Insurance Plans Accepted

Medical Degree

  • UC San Francisco, School of Medicine, San Francisco, CA

Residency

  • UC San Francisco, School of Medicine, San Francisco, CA

Fellowship

  • Columbia University, New York, NY

Gender

  • Male

Languages

  • Spanish

Date Joined Staff

  • 2019-08-26

Board Certifications

  • American Board of Neurological Surgery

Conditions and Treatments

  • Scoliosis
  • Revision Spine Surgery
  • Complex Adult Spinal Deformity
  • Spinal Tumors
  • Complex Disorders of the Cervical Spine
  • Cervical Disc Replacement
Insurance Information
UC San Diego Health accepts most major health insurance plans, but you should verify that your plan covers this provider and all services and locations. The information in the link below does not apply to affiliate providers, who are not employed by UC San Diego Health.
Health Insurance Plans Accepted
  • Neurosurgery

News

  • Image of spine surgery specialists at UC San Diego Health

    Video: UC San Diego Health Awarded Advanced Certification in Spine Surgery

    UC San Diego Health has earned The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval for Advanced Certification in Spine Surgery (ACSS) by meeting or exceeding the highest level of national performance standards. The Gold Seal represents a symbol of quality that reflects a health care organization’s demonstrated ability to implement result-driven processes and advance patient outcomes. UC San Diego Health is the first health organization in California to receive the advanced certification.
  • Image: Spinal procedure by Dr. Osorio helps life-long swimmer Michele Pease-Downey get back to the pool.

    San Diego Surgeon Pioneers Procedure for Scoliosis

    In 1980, Michele Pease-Downey’s dream was to qualify for the U.S. Olympic swimming team. At 60, her dream was to continue walking. Now, thanks to a new spine surgery—performed for the first time in Southern California by UC San Diego Health—Pease-Downey is not only walking without pain again, she‘s back in the pool doing flip-turns—and even training for the 2022 U.S. Masters Swimming Spring National Championship.
  • spine x-ray

    Leaders in Neurological Spine Care

    UC San Diego Health is a national leader in minimally invasive spine surgery as well as other surgical and non-surgical treatments for spinal disorders. We are the regional referral center for complex spine reconstructions and specialize in all spine conditions with a special emphasis on minimally invasive treatment approaches. Thinking about spine surgery? Join us for an upcoming spine class, taught via Zoom, to learn more about what to expect.