After many dedicated years of service to his patients, fellow faculty, and trainees, Barton L. Guthrie, M.D., is retiring from the UAB Department of Neurosurgery. Guthrie has either been a student or a faculty member at UAB for over 40 years.
His Legacy
Guthrie received a bachelor of science in psychology, followed by a medical degree from UAB in 1980. He then pursued post-doctoral studies in the Department of Physiology and Biophysics, at UAB.
He completed his neurosurgery residency at the Mayo Clinic, followed by a fellowship at Stanford University. Between 1988-1992, Guthrie was an assistant professor at the George Washington University, before arriving to the former UAB Division of Neurosurgery in 1992.
Guthrie has led the way in innovation, fostering collaboration between neurosurgery, computer science, and engineering. His early career was devoted to developing Stereotactic and Functional Neurosurgery at UAB. As part of this, he started the Deep Brain Stimulator (DBS) program in 1998. It has matured into the multispecialty UAB Neuromodulation Program which has treed more than 1,400 patients to date, making it one of the busiest and most recognized in the country.
Guthrie and colleagues developed several patented technologies in support of neurosurgical patient care. One early such development related to medical image management resides in a permanent collection at the Smithsonian Museum of American History, in Washington D.C. Guthrie has served on several editorial boards, coordinated clinical trials in support of advancing the field of DBS surgery and has published extensively in the field.
Upon reflection, his most memorable experience has been the opportunity to train, and learn from, an extraordinary group of neurosurgery residents. An equally gratifying experience has been to be of service to thousands of patients who continually reminded him of the most important goal of any medical career.
A Word From His Colleagues
“Dr. Guthrie was a major reason I was drawn towards UAB as I embarked upon my neurosurgical practice. He is and will remain a vital mentor throughout my neurosurgical career. Words cannot express the gratitude I have towards him for his clinical and personal mentorship. His thoughtful manner, clear-mindedness, and purposeful process will be missed.” – Marshall Holland, M.D.
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“It is hard to convey the impact that Dr. Guthrie has had on me since I began my career at UAB. He is a rare talent, effortlessly combining clinical acumen, surgical skill, scientific insight, and ability to communicate. I count him as one of my greatest mentors and deeply appreciate his guidance and generosity.”– Nicole Bentley M.D.
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"Bart Guthrie has inspired me and countless others as both a colleague and mentor. His leadership qualities and vision have advanced functional neurosurgery clinical care and research at UAB and worldwide." – Harrison Walker, M.D.
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“I want to thank Bart for his years of patience and thoughtful mentorship during my training but especially throughout my faculty years. As a new graduate, I sought out his opinions frequently and valued his advice. To this day he is my “go to” for difficult cranial case discussions and guidance. I will sincerely miss having the opportunity to discuss cases and seek advice from him. I wish him only the best in retirement.” – Kristen Riley, M.D.
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“Dr. Guthrie has had a wonderful career contributing to science. His postdoctoral work leading to a Science paper and other well-cited, successful papers has been a part of the foundation in the field of oculomotor neuroscience research. He has set-up a top-notch DBS research program at UAB, together with colleagues here, that has led to important translational and basic science advances that will improve the lives of DBS patients everywhere.
Dr. Guthrie has been a big help to me in my career, from the recruiting process to getting my lab going once I started at UAB and collaborating together on ongoing research. He is a good person that is well-liked by those that he works with and interacts with personally.
He will be missed here on the DBS research team- no one on the team wants him to retire and everyone agrees he could go on to do 20 more great years of neurosurgery and neuroscience research if he wanted to. But he has a wide range of interests and I’m sure he will have other interests calling him during his retirement. We all warmly wish him the best in whatever he elects to do from here.” – Matthew Nelson, M.D.
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“Dr. Guthrie is the consummate gentleman and neurosurgeon. It has been an absolute pleasure to practice with him as a partner. His take on neurosurgery and on life is always thoughtful and illuminating.” – Brandon Rocque
If you would like to submit well wishes to Dr. Guthrie in his retirement, please send them to nsgycomm@uabmc.edu.
Celebrate With Us
Family and friends of Dr. Guthrie along with Department of Neurosurgery faculty, staff, trainees, or alumni are invited to join us for his retirement celebration on Friday, May 20 from 3-6 p.m. in Faculty Office Tower, room 1001. RSVP to Dana Belmont.