Welcome to the AO Spine Research leadership 2025 cohort

We are delighted to introduce the new members of AO Spine Research leadership who started in 2025: the regional research officers and the chairpersons, steering committee and associate members of the AO Spine Knowledge Forums (KF).

Vision statements from new appointments

Marcin Czyz is the new Research Officer for the AO Spine Europe and Southern Africa region: “I'm honored to serve in this role, building upon my predecessors' excellent foundation. My mission is to cultivate spine researchers at all career stages by expanding our Study Groups network, fostering mentorship opportunities, and creating clearer pathways to Knowledge Forums. Innovation happens when we invest in people, not just projects.”

As Research Officer for Europe & Southern Africa, Czyz will liaise with local and international study groups, help integrate regional efforts with global AO Spine research priorities, and mentor emerging investigators in the region. The regional roles align with AO Spine’s mission of “driving spine research, discovery, and innovation to promote excellence in patient care and outcomes.”

The new Knowledge Forum (KF) Degenerative Chairperson Samuel Cho shares the enthusiasm: “I am honored and delighted to serve Knowledge Forum Degenerative as the chair of this talented group. Following the AO tradition of excellence in research and education, our group will continue to be an international leader in studying degenerative conditions of the spine and provide much needed insight and guidance to our spine community.”

As Chair of KF Degenerative, Cho will lead strategic direction, oversight of ongoing and new studies in degenerative spine conditions, and foster collaborations both within and across KFs. The Degenerative forum continues its work on registries, biologics, classification, and evidence synthesis.

Please join us in congratulating the following new regional officers and KF leadership members of 2025:

• Jeremy Reynolds, Chairperson-elect KF Tumor
• Sebastian Bigdon, KF T&I Steering Committee member
• C. Rory Goodwin, KF Tumor Steering Committee member
• Saumyajit Basu, KF Deformity Steering Committee member
• Kenny Kwan, Asia Pacific Research Officer
• Marcin Czyz, Europe & Southern Africa Research Officer
• Samuel K. Cho, KF Degenerative Chairperson
• Michael Kelly, KF Deformity Co-chairperson and Representative on the AO Research Commission (AO SRC)
• Justin Smith, KF Deformity Co-chairperson

We also extend a warm welcome to the nine new KF Associate Members who have joined in 2025.

The AO Spine Research structure and the role of the Knowledge Forums

On the organizational side, AO Spine operates under a governance structure including five regional boards and three global commissions for Education, Research, and Community Development. The Research Commission is comprised of the chairpersons of the Regional Boards and the KFs, and it coordinates AO Spine’s research policy, resource allocation, and integration across regions and KFs. This ensures diversity by geography and spine pathologies.Each AO Spine Knowledge Forum is led by a Steering Committee comprising internationally recognized experts in their field, supported by a broader membership base of 30+ members. The KFs were established in 2010 to conduct evidence-based research across spine pathologies—tumor, deformity, trauma & infection, spinal cord injury, and degenerative disease—and to disseminate knowledge globally through publications, guidelines, and collaborative studies.

These new appointees will play a key role in furthering AO Spine’s vision of advancing spine care by connecting regional efforts with global priorities, mentoring new investigators, and ensuring rigorous, clinically relevant research continues to drive impact. We look forward to the innovations, collaborations, and leadership that this new cohort will bring in 2025 and beyond.