Specialties
- NeurosurgerySpine
- Surgery
Appointment Information
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.
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
Videos
Meet Joseph Osorio, MD, PhD: Neurosurgeon and Director, Spinal Oncology and Deformity Surgery
More videosNews
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.
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.
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.
