Ian Dunn, MD

Neurosurgeon

Accepting New Patients

4.7 out of 5

(147 Ratings) , 44 Comments

Position: Neurosurgeon
Primary Specialty: Neurosurgery
Languages Spoken: English
Gender: Male

About Ian Dunn

Ian F. Dunn, M.D., FACS, FAANS, is professor and Executive Dean of the University of Oklahoma College of Medicine and Chief Physician Executive for OU Health. He is a nationally renowned physician-scientist and member of the American Academy of Neurologic Surgery. An accomplished neurosurgeon, Dr. Dunn formerly served as chair of the Department of Neurosurgery at the OU College of Medicine. He is particularly noted for his expertise in skull base surgery and neuro-oncology, with advanced training in minimally invasive approaches to complex tumors of the brain and skull base.

He completed his clinical fellowship in skull base neurosurgery at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences/St. Vincent Infirmary Medical Center in Little Rock, following a postdoctoral fellowship in cancer genomics at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute/Broad Institute in Boston. His neurosurgery residency and chief residency were completed at Children’s Hospital/Brigham and Women’s Hospital, where he also completed a general surgery internship. He earned his medical degree from Harvard Medical School.

Before joining OU Health, Dr. Dunn served for eight years as an associate professor in the Department of Neurosurgery at Harvard Medical School and as director of the Center for Pituitary and Skull Base Surgery at Brigham and Women’s Hospital.

Dr. Dunn is a member of numerous national professional societies and presents nationally and internationally on complex brain tumors at the skull base, including those in the pituitary region. He has authored more than 200 peer-reviewed journal publications and 40 book chapters in neurosurgery.

Dr. Dunn is known for his compassionate approach, clear communication, and commitment to advancing care through innovation. His leadership at OU Health has helped expand access to specialized neurosurgical care across Oklahoma, and he continues to champion a “Patients First” philosophy that guides clinical decision-making and system-wide improvements.

Health Education

Medical School
Doctor of Medicine Harvard Medical School
Boston, MA

Residency
Neurosurgery Children's Hospital/Brigham and Women's Hospital
Boston, MA

Fellowship
Skull Base Neurosurgery University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences/St. Vincent Infirmary Medical Center
Little Rock, AR
Post-Doctoral Fellowship in Cancer Genomics Dana-Farber Cancer Institute/Broad Institute
Boston, MA

Board Certification
Certification American Board of Neurological Surgery

Medical Interests Areas of Interest:

Complex brain tumors
Skull base tumors
Meningioma Acoustic neuroma (vestibular schwannoma)
Pituitary tumors
Craniopharyngioma Chordoma
Endoscopic surgery
Glioma
Metastatic tumors
Trigeminal Neuralgia
Hydrocephalus
Chiari malformation

Reviews

11/24/2025

Dr. Dunn could not have been more pleasant. Very, kind, caring and informative physician. Highly recommend him and his staff
10/28/2025

Dr. Was the best !
10/10/2025

The video call with Dr Dunn went very well but he did not have the images he needed to complete our conversation. He stated once he received all the MRI images he would set up another call with us. I later had another call from an ARNP and her first comment was," I understand you have some questions ". I asked her if she had all the images and if she or Dr Dunn had reviewed them. She then reviewed them but said she didn't know if Dr Dunn had reviewed them. As the meeting continued, I asked if a full MRI of my spine and a head Angio were needed and she replied no. Two days later I received a request from OU to have a MRI of my spine but still haven't talked with Dr Dunn again and get answers to question the RN was unable to answer. It seems there was confusion between your in house communication.
09/25/2025

I believe Dr. Dunn and the resident cared deeply. They had a couple of ideas of what my tumor could be, but did not have a definite answer. I didn't get any more answers about the lesion that I hadn't already gained from my own research before the appointment. I am thankful for how they listened to my concerns and were willing to run blood labs. The PA tried to take my blood. I, typically, do not have any issues. I showed her where I usually get drawn from. She lightly checked one vein and not the other same location on the other side. She tried to take it from a location where I never give blood. It was painful, yielded very little blood, and she eventually had to stop trying after I almost fainted. That was the only time I felt that I wasn't listened to during the appointment.