Founded as the first Department of Neurosurgery in the Shandong Province in 1959, The Department of Neurosurgery at Qilu Hospital of Shandong University has been providing comprehensive care to the patients and was approved to be the institution to grant medical master’s and doctoral degrees in 1978 and 1995, respectively. The Department of Neurosurgery is a national key clinical specialty department and a Shandong provincial key specialty department that hosts the Shandong Provincial Neurosurgery Medical Quality Control Center. The Department of Neurosurgery has three affiliated research institutes including the Shandong Key Laboratory of Brain Function Remodeling, the ChiNor (China-Norway) Brain Science Research Center, and the Shandong University Institute of Brain and Brain-Inspired Science.

Ranking the 9^th nationwide in terms of comprehensive strength among the national Departments of Neurosurgery, the Department of Neurosurgery of Qilu Hospital offers the most advanced and comprehensive treatment and surgical care in a wide range of neurosurgical disorders including brain tumors, intracranial and spinal vascular diseases, functional neurosurgery, spinal and spinal cord surgery, mild and severe traumatic brain injuries, and pediatric neurosurgery. The Department of Neurosurgery comprises an outpatient clinic, a cerebrovascular ward, a brain tumors ward, a spine cord disorders ward, a neurosurgical ICU, the Qingdao Branch Hospital ward, as well as the Brain Research Institute of Shandong University, a neuroendoscopy training center, and neuroanatomy and microsurgery training center, with 260 beds, the capacity of treating 5,800 patients and more than 5,000 operations annually. In addition, the Department of neurosurgery is one of China’s first few facilities to perform hybrid surgical procedures in patients with complicated cerebrovascular diseases and offers a standard neuroendoscopy training program with more than 500 trainees across the country who have completed the courses since then.
 
The national class care of the department is made by a renowned team including 85 neurosurgeons (64 in the Centre, and 21 in the Qingdao Branch Hospital), 11 researchers, 4 Mount Tai Scholars, 3 Mount Tai Young Scholars, 8 doctoral supervisors, 11 master’s supervisors, 19 chief physicians, 1 research fellow, 11 associate chief physicians, and 1 associate research fellow. Many experts have won the National Labor Medal, the Outstanding Mid-Aged Expert of the Ministry of Public Health, the Mount Tai Scholar, the Provincial Top Technical Talent, the Outstanding Physician of Shandong Province, the Excellent Science Worker of Shandong Province and other titles. Besides, numerous experts hold offices in the Chinese Medical Association of Neurosurgery, World Association of Chinese Doctors of Neurosurgery, Chinese Medical Doctor Association of Neurosurgery, Chinese Journal of Neurosurgery, Neurosurgery (in Chinese), Chinese Journal of Organ Transplantation and other over 30 associations and journals. Particularly, the academic leader, Prof. Xingang Li, holds concurrent posts in the Chinese Medical Association of Neurosurgery and the Chinese Medical Doctor Association of Neurosurgery as vice-chairman. The director of the department, Prof. Gang Li, holds concurrent a post in Shandong Provincial Medical Association of Neurosurgery as chairman.
 
Members of the department have successively undertaken more than 100 research projects at various levels, such as the Natural Science Foundation of China, and the Key Research and Development Program of Shandong Province. They have won more than 80 scientific and technological awards, such as the Shandong Science and Technology Progress Award, and publish approximately 50 papers each year, of which more than 30 are in SCI journals with an average IF＞3. The department has established a long-term partnership with neurosurgical centers in seven countries including the United States and Norway.

The Brain Research Institute of Shandong University which is based on the Department of Neurosurgery was founded in 2007 and initiated the “Qilu Brain Project” in 2015. In 2017, the Institute of Brain and Brain-Inspired Science, Shandong University was established and has embarked on in-depth research and development based on the five-layer theory system (brain interpretation, brain protection, brain simulation, brain control, and brain reconstruction).

The Department of Neurosurgery follows the Qilu medical spirit to the 21st century as one of the largest departments of its kind in the nation. The impact of its bold innovation, research, and standard of care continues to reach far beyond its birthplace in Shandong Province, inspiring neurosurgeons and scientists nationwide and offering hope for more and more patients.