David Sandberg with Sheryl Sandberg

Join us to hear from internationally renowned pediatric neurosurgeon Dr David Sandberg whose new book Brain and Heart is a warm and brilliant memoir that captures the medical and emotional intensity of pediatric neurosurgery. In this moving, unflinching, and inspiring book, Sandberg combines his deep scientific and medical knowledge with raw emotion and unforgettably powerful stories of courage and love. The brain is the most complicated and perplexing of our organs, and it is also the one that makes us human. When it comes to a child's brain, the hearts of those who love them become inextricably linked to that story.
In Brain and Heart, Dr. Sandberg describes the joy, heartbreak, uncertainty, and physical and emotional challenges that come with performing brain surgery on children. What makes this book different from previously published medical memoirs is Dr. Sandberg’s unique honesty about what goes through his mind when he makes the most complex choices with life-changing consequences. While most medical memoirs focus largely on the patient perspective, Dr. Sandberg allows readers access to his private thoughts when making agonizing decisions—from giving the worst news imaginable to facing very scary surgical complications.
A father himself, Dr. Sandberg understands deeply how every one of his patients is an entire world, and his devotion to his patients and his work shines through on every page. We follow him as he finds his way to neurosurgery as a young doctor through to his most heartbreaking cases and greatest triumphs. We also travel with him to underserved countries, where lifesaving surgeries that are common here are almost nonexistent, and Dr. Sandberg shares the stories of the dedicated doctors and surgeons trying to enact change. Brain and Heart is an unforgettable book that will strengthen our sense of compassion and hope.

About the Author

David I. Sandberg, MD, FACS, FAAP, is a fellowship-trained pediatric neurosurgeon who is the director of pediatric neurosurgery at McGovern Medical School at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth). He has a special clinical and research interest in pediatric brain tumors, and specializes in minimally invasive endoscopic approaches to brain tumors, hydrocephalus and arachnoid cysts, as well as surgical management of arteriovenous malformations of the brain, congenital spinal anomalies, spasticity and craniofacial anomalies. The recipient of numerous research grants, he has pioneered novel treatment approaches for pediatric brain tumors, and he is principal investigator of several clinical trials. A graduate of Harvard University, Dr. Sandberg received his medical degree at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

About the Moderator

Sheryl Sandberg is the founder and chair of the Sandberg Goldberg Bernthal Family Foundation, a nonprofit organization that works to build a more equal and resilient world through three key initiatives: Lean In, Option B, and the Dave Goldberg Scholarship Program. Launched in 2013, LeanIn.org supports a global community of over 100,000 Lean In Circles in 183 countries. Sheryl is also the co-founder of Sandberg Bernthal Venture Partners (SBVP), an early stage venture fund deploying private capital to fund innovation across consumer, enterprise, climate, and healthcare technology. Sheryl previously served as chief operating officer at Meta for fourteen years, during which the company grew from $150 million to over $110 billion in annual revenue and implemented industry-defining benefits and programs to make the workplace more inclusive. Before joining the company then called Facebook, Sheryl was vice president of global online sales and operations at Google, chief of staff for the U.S. Treasury Department under President Clinton, a consultant with McKinsey & Company, and an economist with the World Bank. She serves on the boards of the Bay Football Club and Terradot. Sheryl is the best-selling author of three books: Lean In, Lean In for Graduates, and Option B: Facing Adversity, Building Resilience, and Finding Joy, which she co-authored with Wharton professor Adam Grant. She received a BA summa cum laude from Harvard University and an MBA with highest distinction from Harvard Business School. Sheryl lives in Menlo Park, California, with her husband and their five children.

COVID SAFETY PROTOCOLS: We strongly encourage attendees to wear masks at our events, although they will NOT be required. We will have masks available for attendees who want them. Do NOT attend the event if you, or any member of your family, have any respiratory symptoms (e.g. cough, runny nose, and/or sore throat), or have had a significant exposure to someone who has tested positive for COVID-19. We have virtual options available, or we can refund your ticket(s).

ACCESSIBILITY: To request an accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) for this event, please email events [at] keplers [dot] org at least one week prior to the event.

Host or Publisher Kepler's Literary Foundation