Over the last two decades, James Miller’s roles within the Department of Neurological Surgery at the Indiana School of Medicine have evolved, but throughout all those changes, one thing remained constant: his commitment to education.
Miller, MD, earned his medical degree from the University of Iowa and completed his neurosurgery residency training at the IU School of Medicine in 2007. He then traveled to Germany for a one-year fellowship at the University of Tübingen, supported by the American Association of Neurological Surgeons’ prestigious William P. Van Wagenen Fellowship program.
Since joining faculty in 2008 with the initial interest of developing his neuro-oncology practice, the associate professor of clinical neurological surgery has taken on multiple leadership positions including serving as chief of neurosurgical services at the Richard L. Roudebush Veterans’ Administration Medical Center and as the department’s residency program director.
Mitesh Shah, MD, chair of the Department of Neurological Surgery, noted that Miller stepped into the program director role in 2022 during a period of significant transition for the residency program.
“He guided the program through a full accreditation review and strengthened its standing with the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME), while expanding its approved complement from 18 residents to 21 — growth that reflects both the department’s clinical volume and the strength of its training environment.” Shah said.
“I have a strong place in my heart for this program and have always cared deeply about teaching residents and medical students. That has been a consistent part of my career, from my time as chief resident through my years as faculty,” said Miller, who was recently honored by the IU Foundation as the Indiana University Bicentennial Education Scholar in Neurological Surgery in recognition of his academic excellence in teaching and clinical training.
Miller recently discussed his neurosurgical career and how the department is preparing the next generation of neurosurgeons for a rapidly evolving field.
Question: After finishing your fellowship training, what drew you back to the IU School of Medicine and eventually made you want to lead the department’s education programs?
Miller: I enjoy watching residents grow, gain knowledge and experience over the years, and eventually become independent neurosurgeons. I realized that, in addition to helping my own patients, I could make a broader impact by training future surgeons who would go on to help many more people.
Q: In what ways has the program stayed the same and changed since you were a resident?
Miller: The program has stayed the same in the expectation to be continuously learning and gradually increasing responsibility. Residents are expected to acquire knowledge and skills from their faculty and by treating patients. It is absolutely critical to read and continually build their knowledge and skills. They need to learn surgical techniques and understand biology, imaging, diagnostics and other areas necessary to become well-rounded physicians. While certain technologies have developed and improved techniques on how to treat certain pathologies have changed over the years, the fundamental expectation that residents continue learning and developing has remained the same.
Q: What does it mean to you to be named the Indiana University Bicentennial Education Scholar in Neurological Surgery?
Miller: It’s a great honor and privilege to have that recognition and responsibility to oversee neurosurgical education at the IU School of Medicine. As the residency program director, I am involved in resident training, this endowed position gives my departmental role in education more weight and responsibility. I feel it an important part of the role is continuing to support an environment of inquiry and education — one where everybody is learning and our faculty are engaged in teaching.
Q: Eight IU medical students successfully matched into neurosurgery residency programs in 2026. What does that say about IU's reputation in preparing trainees for a highly competitive field?
Miller: The impressive thing is how many students are interested in neurosurgery. That alone makes me happy that our faculty and residents are welcoming to the students. If somebody is going to choose a specialty, they have to be able to imagine themselves doing it. So, being good role models and providing mentorship for those students is important. I think all of our faculty participate in that and show them, ‘Yes, you can do this.’ Neurosurgery is a difficult residency to get into, and our faculty has been very helpful in getting students involved in research projects and preparing them for interviews and rotations. Those kinds of experiences are valuable because they help students prepare for the next step.
Q: What kind of opportunities does the Neurological Surgery program offer that helps set IU trainees apart?
Miller: Our department is full of bright investigators like Dr. Jignesh Tailor, Dr. Angela Richardson, Dr. David Purger, and Dr. Matthew Pease — just to name a few — so there are plenty of opportunities for students and residents to get involved in both basic and clinical research. Research is an important part of training because it helps us think differently and advance the specialty forward rather than staying on the same path.
We also encourage residents to get broad clinical and operative experience across subspecialties. What’s unique about our program is the opportunity to pursue multiple enfolded fellowships in their PGY 7 year in areas such as vascular, spine, neuro-oncology, skull base and functional neurosurgery. We have the volume and clinical experience to support those opportunities, which makes IU a special place to train. Additionally, we have post-graduate pediatric neurosurgery fellowship opportunities.
During their fifth year, residents may pursue basic science or clinical research, and they also have some alternative options. They can also pursue an MBA through the Kelley School of Business or a Master’s of Public Health through the Richard M. Fairbanks School of Public Health, both at IU Indianapolis. We’ve had several residents take advantage of those opportunities, and I think it gives them some flexibility to tailor their education to their individual interests and career goals.
Q: What are your goals for the department, and where do you see opportunities for these education programs to grow and improve?
Miller: There are some immediate goals and longer-term goals that I’ve been thinking about. We’ll be developing our neurotrauma program, and I’d really like to see us become involved even more in traumatic brain injury and spinal cord injury trials. We currently have opportunities in learning anatomy and surgical skills in cadaver labs, but I’d also like to continue adapting residency education with new technology, including virtual and augmented reality.
Long term, I’d like to see us continue to build our fellowships, from pediatrics to functional to spine, and fill those positions consistently with internal and external candidates to the department. I’d also like to see residents gain experience at some of our satellite hospitals. Eventually, in the future we may be able to add another resident per year — we’re currently at 21. As the department continues to grow and we have the clinical volume, faculty and resources in place to maintain the quality of the training experience, it is definitely a possibility. We’re very fortunate to have a great medical school and strong support from the GME (Office of Graduate Medical Education) and IU Health.
