Odette Harris

Odette Harris serves as Professor of Neurosurgery at Stanford University School of Medicine and Director of the Brain Injury Program, making history as America's second Black female professor of neurosurgery. Born in Jamaica and educated at Dartmouth College before earning her MD from Stanford and MPH from UC Berkeley, she has established herself as a leading expert in traumatic brain injury care and research. As Director of Brain Injury at Stanford Medical Center and Deputy Chief of Staff for Rehabilitation at the VA Palo Alto Health Care System, she manages complex trauma cases while implementing innovative treatment protocols to improve patient outcomes. Her leadership extends beyond clinical care through her role as Vice Chair of Diversity for Stanford's Department of Neurosurgery and her appointment to the National Football League Head, Neck and Spine Committee. Despite facing significant barriers in a field where Black women represent just 0.585% of neurosurgeons nationwide, Harris has earned numerous honors including recognition on Forbes' and Ebony Magazine's Power 100 List and the National Medical Fellowships Award for Excellence in Academic Medicine. Through her work at Stanford, she continues to advance neurosurgical care while mentoring the next generation of medical professionals and advocating for greater diversity in medicine.