Dr. Burns is an Assistant Professor of Neurologic Surgery and Neuroscience at Mayo Clinic Rochester and is a member of the Neuro-Oncology Program within the Mayo Clinic Cancer Center.  Originally from Australia, he completed MD and PhD training at the University of Minnesota focused on neuroscience and stem cell biology. He then completed neurosurgery residency and post-doctoral fellowship training at Stanford University, elucidating alterations in the microenvironment following brain radiation. Dr. Burns’s neurosurgical practice at the Mayo Clinic is focused on treatment of malignant brain tumors. His research laboratory bridges neuroscience, individualized medicine and regenerative medicine with a strong focus on translation. Current interdisciplinary efforts are focused on preservation of cognitive function and quality of life for patients undergoing treatment for brain tumors, whilst developing novel strategies to target glioma stem cells and the tumor microenvironment.