Jay Riva-Cambrin, MD MSc. FRCSC

Professor of Neurosurgery, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary
Director, Neurosurgery Residency Program
Kinsmen Chair in Pediatric Neurosciences, Alberta Children’s Hospital Research Institute

Lecture Title: Collaboration through a Multicentered Approach: The Hydrocephalus Clinical Research Network as a Case Study

Dr. Jay Riva-Cambrin is Professor of Neurosurgery at the University of Calgary and holds the Kinsmen Chair in Pediatric Neurosciences at the Alberta Children’s Hospital Research Institute. He serves as Director of the Neurosurgery Residency Training Program and is Education Director for Clinical Research. Dr. Riva-Cambrin is internationally recognized for his clinical and investigative work in pediatric hydrocephalus, integrating expertise in neurosurgery and clinical epidemiology to advance evidence-based care.

Dr. Riva-Cambrin received his medical degree and undergraduate training in pharmacology from the University of Alberta. He completed neurosurgery residency and a Master’s degree in Clinical Epidemiology at the University of Toronto, followed by a fellowship in pediatric neurosurgery at The Hospital for Sick Children. Prior to his current appointment in Calgary, he served as a faculty member at the University of Utah.

A core investigator with the Hydrocephalus Clinical Research Network (HCRN), Dr. Riva-Cambrin leads several multi-center studies, including the VINOH study, which examines the relationship between ventricle size and neuropsychological outcomes in children treated for hydrocephalus. He also serves as Principal Investigator of a prospective trial evaluating predictors of success in endoscopic third ventriculostomy with choroid plexus cauterization (ETV+CPC) in infants, and a PCORI-funded randomized trial comparing anterior versus posterior shunt placement.

Through these efforts, Dr. Riva-Cambrin has helped shape the modern clinical research infrastructure for pediatric hydrocephalus. His work combines rigorous clinical trial methodology with practical surgical insight, ultimately aiming to optimize long-term outcomes and reduce surgical burden for children with CSF disorders.