Obituary—Professor Tipu Aziz (1956–2024)

Professor Tipu Aziz, Emeritus Professor of Neurosurgery, University of Oxford, and Editorial Board Member for the journal Brain Sciences passed away on 25 October 2024, at the age of 67.  He received his M.D. while studying with Professor Alan Crossman in Manchester, where he elucidated pathways in the basal ganglia. Professor Aziz then went on to become a highly respected member of the Department of Neurosurgery at the Oxford University Hospitals and in the Nuffield Department of Surgical Sciences at the University of Oxford.

Professor Aziz was well known for his impactful contributions to neurological surgery, including over 400 peer-reviewed publications. He was instrumental in promoting functional neurosurgery internationally—providing the first robust evidence that the subthalamic nucleus was a potential target for such work. His research was focused on the subthalamic nucleus and its role in Parkinson’s disease, he was instrumental in optimizing and demonstrating the value of deep brain stimulation for the management of movement disorders, and he pioneered clinical treatments for chronic pain. He was recognized for these contributions with the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Society of British Neurological Surgeons in 2019.

Over more than three decades of work, Professor Aziz mentored hundreds of undergraduates, Ph.D. students, clinical fellows, and postdoctoral scholars.  He was also known as a strong patient advocate managing their care with comfort, humor, and enthusiasm.

His impact on the neurological community was considerable, and he will be greatly missed.

Stephen D. Meriney, Ph.D.
Editor-in-Chief of Brain Sciences