Welcoming the new members to the AO Spine Research leadership 

We are delighted to introduce the new members of AO Spine Research leadership: 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 Knowledge Forum (KF) Degenerative’s new 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 KF Degenerative  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, KF Tumor Chairperson-elect
• 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 Spine Research Commission (AO SRC)
• Justin Smith, KF Deformity Co-chairperson

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