Dr. John H. Shin is an internationally recognized leader in the surgical treatment of complex spinal disorders. He specializes in spinal reconstruction surgery for deformities of the spine and tumors. He is renowned for his expertise in the treatment of cervical, thoracic, and lumbar deformities as well as tumors such as chordoma, sarcoma, schwannoma, and metastatic cancer. Dr. Shin is known for successfully developing and launching clinical and research programs, fostering multi-disciplinary collaborations, and pioneering surgical innovations. In 2021, Dr. Shin launched the augmented reality spine surgery program at the Massachusetts General Hospital, the first program of its kind in New England. Dr. Shin oversees a diverse portfolio of comprehensive spine research endeavors focused on improving surgical outcomes. His team consists of students, residents, fellows, engineers, and scientists who incorporate data science, artificial intelligence, biomechanical engineering, and laboratory investigation towards spine research.
Dr. Shin graduated from Brown University and the Chicago Medical School before completing his residency in Neurosurgery at the University of Illinois at Chicago. He then completed a combined fellowship in Neurosurgery and Orthopaedic spine surgery at the Cleveland Clinic. Prior to his appointment at Penn Medicine, Dr. Shin was the Chief of Spine Neurosurgery at the Massachusetts General Hospital and Associate Professor of Neurosurgery at the Harvard Medical School. He served as the Director of Spine Oncology and Spinal Deformity Surgery, and Director of the Mass General Brigham Neurosurgery Spine Network. He was honored as the inaugural Kingdon-Saylor Family Endowed Chair in Neurosurgery for his exemplary contributions to spine surgery at the Massachusetts General Hospital.
Dr. Shin serves on the editorial boards of the prestigious professional journals, Journal of Neurosurgery: Spine, Neurosurgery, and Spine. He is frequently invited to teach and train spine surgeons around the world at various meetings and universities. He has directed spine courses for professional societies including the North American Spine Society, Congress of Neurological Surgeons, AO Spine, American Association of Neurological Surgeons, and the AANS/CNS Division of Spine and Peripheral Nerves. He currently serves on the Executive and Scientific Planning Committees and is Chair of the Exhibits Committee for the AANS/CNS Division of Spine and Peripheral Nerves. He is the 2025 Scientific Program Co-Chair for the North American Spine Society, the largest multi-disciplinary spine society.
Dr. Shin is certified by the American Board of Neurological Surgery and is Director of the Penn Spine Center.
Location
Penn Spine Center Pennsylvania Hospital
801 Spruce St., 3rd Floor
Philadelphia, PA
Penn Neuroscience Center
Perelman Center for Advanced Medicine
3400 Civic Center Blvd.
South Pavilion, 2nd Floor
Philadelphia, PA