Botterbush, Kathleen

By Michael Hilleary | August 17, 2026

 

 

Kathleen Botterbush, MD

Dr. Kathleen Botterbush, Resident

Hometown:

Godfrey, Illinois

Undergraduate School:

Saint Louis University

Medical School:

Saint Louis University School of Medicine

Bio:

I grew up in Godfrey, Illinois, just outside St. Louis. I earned my degree in biomedical engineering from Saint Louis University before completing my medical education at Saint Louis University School of Medicine. I am interested in neurosurgery, spine surgery, and trauma/critical care. During residency, my goal is to continue building strong operative and clinical decision-making skills, contribute meaningfully to clinical research, and refine my interests within complex spine and trauma surgery. On the rare occasion I am free of clinical responsibilities, you may find me exploring Seattle and the Pacific Northwest, and spending time with my cat, Oreo!

Personal Interests:

Starbucks/Coffee, Reading Stephen King, Fishing, Building Gingerbread Houses, Trivia/Jeopardy!, Country Music

Clinical Interests:

Neurological Surgery, Spine Surgery, Trauma Surgery

Professional Activities:

American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS) Diversity Committee, Congress of Neurological Surgeons (CNS) Resident Committee, AANS/CNS Section on Women in Neurosurgery (WINS), Neurosurgery & Spine Surgery Research

Why UW?

The University of Washington offers an exceptional environment for surgical training, distinguished by clinical excellence and a strong emphasis on professional leadership. As a regional referral center for the five-state WWAMI region (Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana, and Idaho), UW provides unparalleled exposure to high-acuity pathology and a remarkable trauma volume spanning diverse populations. Its strengths in trauma, acute care, burn management, and other highly specialized surgical disciplines create a uniquely rigorous training experience. Beyond clinical training, UW holds a notable commitment to mentorship and academic development, building residents into technically skilled surgeons while cultivating intellectual curiosity, leadership, and professional growth, preparing residents to meaningfully advance academic surgery.

What advice do you have for incoming interns?

As an incoming intern myself, this is perhaps more for rotating students and sub-interns, though I think they are translational/longitudinal:
– Respect and gratitude, always and to everyone. You cannot say thank you too much.
– Take every opportunity for its maximum value. Show up every day with a great attitude, ready to learn and contribute to the team.
– Roll with the punches and take every day/week/rotation as a weighted average (i.e. do not let one challenge or hardship be what defines it for you).
– It is a treatment TEAM and educational TEAM. Communicate with and learn from the patients, nurses, APPs, device reps, etc.

What do you like best about living in Seattle?

I’m new to Seattle but already really enjoy the incredible coffee, shops/restaurants at the Public Market, and the views in the Pacific Northwest.

Publications:

  1. Benedict B, Frumkin M, Botterbush K, Javeed S, Zhang JK, Yakdan S, Neuman BJ, Steinmetz MP, Ghogawala Z, Kelly MP, Goodin BR, Piccirillo JF, Ray WZ, Rodebaugh TL, Greenberg JK. Using multimodal assessments to reevaluate depression designations. J Bone Joint Surg Am. 2024;106(18):1704-1712. doi:10.2106/JBJS.23.01195
  2. Benedict B, Javeed S, Kaleem M, Zhang JK, Yakdan S, Botterbush K, Wen H, Chen Y, Belzberg A, Tuffaha S, Burks SS, Levi AD, Zager EL, Faraji AH, Mahan MA, Midha R, Wilson TJ, Juknis N, Greenberg JK, Ray WZ. Sex-related differences in outcomes of spinal cord injury. Neurosurgery. 2026;98(1):246-255. doi:10.1227/neu.0000000000003615
  3. Botterbush KS, Chaudhry M, Mattei TA. The importance of accurate, reliable and reproducible radiological standards for evaluating interbody cage subsidence in spine surgery studies. North Am Spine Soc J. 2024;100332. doi:10.1016/j.xnsj.2024.100332
  4. Botterbush KS, Chaudhry M, Zhang JK, Mercier P, Mattei TA. A detailed account of Christopher Reeve’s spinal cord injury, its treatment, and its impact upon research 30 years later. J Neurosurg Spine. 2025;43(6):760-766. doi:10.3171/2025.4.SPINE241302
  5. Botterbush KS, Crawford NC, Hatch B. Nick C. Crawford collection. Veteran’s Heritage Project – Since You Asked XIII.2017.
  6. Botterbush KS, Delano F, Hatch B. Fred Delano collection. Veteran’s Heritage Project – Since You Asked XIV. 2018.
  7. Botterbush KS, Mattei TA. The case for completely abolishing non-compete agreements in healthcare. World Neurosurg.2026;209:124885. doi:10.1016/j.wneu.2026.124885
  8. Botterbush KS, Muzyka L, Koenig JK, Cox MF, Shanahan RM, Mustroph M, Kimata AR, Malacon K, Moor RSF, Weiss H, Kim N, Rahman M, Ben-Haim S. Assessing family planning policies for surgical residency programs. Ann Surg.Published online September 2025. doi:10.1097/SLA.0000000000006937
  9. Botterbush KS, Taul T, Hatch B. Tom Taul collection. Veteran’s Heritage Project – Since You Asked XIV. 2018.
  10. Botterbush KS, Vanfossen WD, Hatch B. William D. Vanfossen collection. Veteran’s Heritage Project – Since You Asked XII. 2016.
  11. Botterbush KS, Vachon F, Hatch B. Francois Vachon collection. Veteran’s Heritage Project – Since You Asked XIV. 2018.
  12. Botterbush KS, Zhang JK, Chimakurty PS, Mercier P, Mattei TA. The life and legacy of John Robert Cobb: the man behind the angle. J Neurosurg Spine. 2023;39(6):839-846. doi:10.3171/2023.7.SPINE23146
  13. Chaudhry M, Botterbush K, Zhang JK, Coppens J. Spontaneous and asymptomatic rupture of an RCC with resolution of symptoms. BMJ Case Rep. 2024;17(3):e258534. doi:10.1136/bcr-2023-258534
  14. Frumkin MR, Zhang J, Xu Z, Yakdan S, Benedict B, Javeed S, Zhang J, Botterbush K, Goodin BR, Lu C, Ray WZ, Greenberg JK. Rethinking measurement of movement-evoked pain with digital technology. J Pain. 2026;40:105643. doi:10.1016/j.jpain.2025.105643
  15. Frumkin M, Greenberg J, Zhang J, Javeed S, Zhang J, Xu Z, Benedict B, Botterbush K, Ray W, Lu C. In-vivo assessment of movement-evoked pain using digital technology in patients with chronic back pain. ResearchSquare. Published online February 2024. doi:10.21203/rs.3.rs-3892271/v1
  16. Greenberg JK, Frumkin M, Xu Z, Zhang J, Javeed S, Zhang JK, Benedict B, Botterbush K, Yakdan S, Molina CA, Pennicooke BH, Hafez D, Ogunlade JI, Pallotta N, Gupta MC, Buchowski JM, Neuman B, Steinmetz M, Ghogawala Z, Kelly MP, Goodin BR, Piccirillo JF, Rodebaugh TL, Lu C, Ray WZ. Preoperative mobile health data improve predictions of recovery from lumbar spine surgery. Neurosurgery. 2024;95(3):617-626. doi:10.1227/neu.0000000000002911
  17. Hey GE, DeYoung CL, Botterbush KS, Walker EN, Rahman M. Women in neurosurgical oncology: mapping the milestones and shaping the future. Neurooncol Adv. 2026. doi:10.1093/noajnl/vdaf039
  18. Javeed S, Benedict B, Yakdan S, Saleem S, Zhang JK, Botterbush K, Frumkin MR, Hardi A, Neuman B, Kelly MP, Steinmetz MP, Piccirillo JF, Goodin BR, Rodebaugh TL, Ray WZ, Greenberg JK. Implications of preoperative depression for lumbar spine surgery outcomes. JAMA Netw Open. 2024;7(1):e2348565. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.48565
  19. Javeed S, Greenberg JK, Zhang JK, Plog B, Dibble CF, Benedict B, Botterbush K, Khalifeh JM, Wen H, Chen Y, Park Y, Belzberg AJ, Tuffaha S, Burks SS, Levi AD, Zager EL, Faraji AH, Mahan MA, Midha R, Wilson TJ, Juknis N, Ray WZ. Association of upper-limb neurological recovery with functional outcomes in high cervical spinal cord injury. J Neurosurg Spine. 2023;39(3):355-362. doi:10.3171/2023.4.SPINE2382
  20. Javeed S, Yakdan S, Zhang JK, Botterbush K, Benedict B, Arkam F, Molina CA, Neuman B, Steinmetz M, Kelly MP, Goodin BR, Piccirillo JF, Ray WZ, Rodebaugh TL, Frumkin MR, Greenberg JK. Reliability and validity of momentary pain and disability assessments for lumbar spine surgery patients. medRxiv. Published online September 2025. doi:10.1101/2025.09.27.25336802
  21. Javeed S, Zhang JK, Greenberg JK, Botterbush K, Benedict B, Plog B, Gupta VP, Dibble CF, Khalifeh JM, Wen H, Chen Y, Park Y, Belzberg A, Tuffaha S, Burks SS, Levi AD, Zager EL, Faraji AH, Mahan MA, Midha R, Wilson TJ, Juknis N, Ray WZ. Impact of upper limb motor recovery on functional independence after traumatic low cervical spinal cord injury. J Neurotrauma. 2024;41(9-10):1211-1222. doi:10.1089/neu.2023.0140
  22. Lackland TN, Patel M, Botterbush KS, Platz JJ, Avila MJ. Delayed presentation of esophageal perforation from anterior cervical discectomy and fusion hardware failure in a patient presenting with non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction. Surg Neurol Int. 2025;16:299. doi:10.25259/SNI_242_2025
  23. Patel MS, Botterbush KS, Lackland TN, Prim M, Al-Hammadi N, Shorey M, Mattei TA, Mercier PA. Intraoperative neuromonitoring is not a useful adjunct for Chiari malformation decompressive surgery. Childs Nerv Syst. 2025;41(1):96. doi:10.1007/s00381-024-06738-5
  24. Patel MS, Carfora A, Botterbush KS, Urquiaga JF, Coppens JR. Optimization and economic impact of expedited minimally invasive parafascicular surgery protocol for spontaneous intraparenchymal hemorrhage. Cureus.2025;17(3):e81234. doi:10.7759/cureus.81234
  25. Patel MS, Carfora AD, Botterbush K, Franceschelli D, Zhang J, Grossbach A, Mercier P, Mattei TA. Litigation involving delay of spinal care during the COVID-19 pandemic. World Neurosurg. 2025;197:123910. doi:10.1016/j.wneu.2025.123910
  26. Quadri N, Chaudhry M, Botterbush K, Zhang JK, Bucholz R, Mercier P, Coppens J, Mattei TA. Technological advancements in cranial and spinal navigation in the past 30 years. World Neurosurg. 2026;206:124779. doi:10.1016/j.wneu.2025.124779
  27. Sankhyan M, Amin S, Botterbush KS, Urquiaga JF, Dwyer E, Place HM, Mercier PJ, El Tecle N, Mattei TA. Spinal gunshot wounds: a systematic review of the literature. North Am Spine Soc J. 2025;23:100755. doi:10.1016/j.xnsj.2025.100755
  28. Sarva L, Botterbush KS, Sarva S, Zhang JK, Spence L, Mercier P, Mattei TA. The enforceability of non-compete agreements against neurosurgeons and spine surgeons in the United States. Neurosurgery. Published online December 2025. doi:10.1227/neu.0000000000003877
  29. Schwetschenau L, Botterbush KS, Maglasang N, Spence LE, Zhang JK, Mercier P, Mattei TA. Wrong-side procedures in neurosurgery. World Neurosurg. 2025;202:124398. doi:10.1016/j.wneu.2025.124398
  30. Spence LE, Botterbush KS, Zhang JK, Berger TA, Mercier PA, Mattei TA. Neglect, recklessness, and deliberate indifference in the face of a serious neurosurgical pathology. Ann Surg Open. 2025;6(1):e554. doi:10.1097/AS9.0000000000000554
  31. Xu Z, Zhang J, Greenberg JK, Frumkin M, Javeed S, Zhang JK, Benedict B, Botterbush K, Rodebaugh TL, Ray WZ, Lu C. Predicting multidimensional surgical outcomes with multimodal mobile sensing. Proc ACM Interact Mob Wearable Ubiquitous Technol. 2024;8(2):1-30. doi:10.1145/3659628
  32. Yakdan S, Benedict B, Botterbush K, Lagisetty A, Kaleem MI, Alessio R, Hardi A, Javeed S, Ruiz-Cardozo MA, Yahanda AT, Wang J, Bydon M, Ray WZ, Greenberg JK. Randomized controlled trials comparing cervical disc arthroplasty and anterior cervical discectomy and fusion outcomes. J Neurosurg Spine. 2025;43(6):703-716. doi:10.3171/2025.4.SPINE241277
  33. Yakdan S, Botterbush K, Xu Z, Lu C, Ray WZ, Greenberg JK. Machine learning and lumbar spondylolisthesis. Semin Spine Surg. 2023;35(3):101048. doi:10.1016/j.semss.2023.101048
  34. Yakdan S, Frumkin MR, Javeed S, Plog BA, Zhang JK, Benedict B, Botterbush K, Goodin BR, Piccirillo JF, Buchowski JM, Rodebaugh TL, Ray WZ, Kelly MP, Greenberg JK. Defining substantial clinical benefits of PROMIS pain interference and physical function. Spine. Published online January 2025. doi:10.1097/BRS.0000000000005276
  35. Yakdan S, Zhang J, Benedict B, Xu Z, Javeed S, Zhang JK, Steel BA, Gupta VP, Botterbush K, Piccirillo JF, Rodebaugh TL, Goodin BR, Buchowski JM, Neuman B, Hafez D, Kelly M, Ray WZ, Lu C, Frumkin M, Greenberg JK. Multidomain postoperative recovery trajectories. Spine J. 2025;25(12):2739-2752. doi:10.1016/j.spinee.2025.05.017
  36. Yakdan S, Zhang J, Botterbush K, Kaleem MI, Benedict B, Xu Z, Frumkin M, Javeed S, Zhang JK, Ogunlade J, Lu C, Neuman B, Steinmetz M, Ray WZ, Gupta M, Greenberg JK. Sleep physiology in spine disease. Clin Spine Surg.Published online September 2025. doi:10.1097/BSD.0000000000001926
  37. Zhang JK, Botterbush KS, Bagdady K, Lei CH, Mercier P, Mattei TA. Blast-related traumatic brain injuries secondary to thermobaric explosives. World Neurosurg. 2022;167:e176-e183. doi:10.1016/j.wneu.2022.08.073
  38. Zhang JK, Botterbush KS, Del Valle AJ, Mattei TA. Political rivalry during America’s founding fathers era and the bullet that ended up in Alexander Hamilton’s upper lumbar spine. World Neurosurg. 2022;163:e123-e131. doi:10.1016/j.wneu.2022.03.071
  39. Zhang JK, Botterbush KS, Gerling J, Spence LE, O’Malley DS, Mercier P, Mahan MA, Dailey AT, Mazur MD, Mattei TA. Healthcare fraud and abuse in spine surgery. J Neurosurg Spine. Published online February 2026:1-11. doi:10.3171/2025.10.SPINE25148
  40. Zhang JK, Botterbush KS, Mercier P, Mattei TA. Expert witness testimony in spine surgery. Neurosurgery.2023;92(3):441-449. doi:10.1227/neu.0000000000002226
  41. Zhang JK, Greenberg JK, Javeed S, Benedict B, Botterbush KS, Dibble CF, Khalifeh JM, Brehm S, Jain D, Dorward I, Santiago P, Molina C, Pennicooke BH, Ray WZ. Predictors of postoperative segmental and overall lumbar lordosis. Global Spine J. 2025;15(2):425-437. doi:10.1177/21925682231193610
  42. Zhang JK, Javeed S, Greenberg JK, Botterbush KS, Benedict B, Blum J, Dibble CF, Sun P, Song SK, Ray WZ. Feasibility of postoperative diffusion-weighted imaging. Neurosurg Focus. 2023;55(3):E7. doi:10.3171/2023.6.FOCUS23273
  43. Zhang JK, Javeed S, Greenberg JK, Yakdan S, Kaleem MI, Botterbush KS, Benedict B, Dibble CF, Sun P, Sherrod B, Dailey AT, Bisson EF, Mahan M, Mazur M, Song SK, Ray WZ. Diffusion MRI metrics characterize postoperative outcomes. Neurosurgery. 2025;96(1):69-77. doi:10.1227/neu.0000000000003037
  44. Zhang JK, Yakdan S, Kaleem MI, Javeed S, Greenberg JK, Botterbush KS, Benedict B, Reis M, Hongsermeier-Graves N, Twitchell S, Sherrod B, Mazur MS, Mahan MA, Dailey AT, Bisson EF, Song SK, Ray WZ. Spinal cord metrics derived from diffusion MRI. J Neurosurg Spine. 2024;41(5):639-647. doi:10.3171/2024.4.SPINE24107

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