Russell R. Lonser graduated with a B.A. in economics from Andrews University in 1990 and received his M.D. from Loma Linda University in 1994. He completed his neurosurgical training at the University of Utah in 2001. During his residency, he performed a 2-year research fellowship under the mentorship of Edward H. Oldfield, M.D., in the Surgical Neurology Branch at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Upon completion of his residency, he joined the staff of the Surgical Neurology Branch at the NIH. He was Chief of the Surgical Neurology Branch at NIH before becoming Professor and Chair of the Department of Neurological Surgery at Ohio State University in 2012. He holds the Dardinger Family Chair in Neurosurgical Oncology.

Dr. Lonser's research interests include development of drug delivery paradigms for the central nervous system pathology, as well as investigation of tumor pathogenesis and biology. Specifically, his scientific efforts are directed toward studying convective delivery and neoplasia pathogenesis/propagation in familial tumor suppressor syndromes, including von Hippel-Lindau disease. His clinical and surgical interests are centered on the treatment of brain, temporal bone and spinal cord tumors.

He is an author on over 300 scientific and clinical publications. He received the Tumor Young Investigator Award from the American Association of Neurological Surgeons/Congress of Neurological Surgeons Section on Tumors in 2001 and Mahaley Clinical Research Award from the American Association of Neurological Surgeons/Congress of Neurological Surgeons Section on Tumors in 2013. He was the 2017 American Association of Neurological Surgeons/Congress of Neurological Surgeons Section on Tumors Bittner Lecturer and the 2018 American Academy of Neurological Surgery Edward H. Oldfield Lecturer. He is a co-inventor on a patent for methods for convection-enhanced delivery of therapeutic agents. His contributions to organized neurosurgery include membership on the Executive Committee of the Congress of Neurological Surgeons. He was the Treasurer of the Congress of Neurological Surgeons and is President of the Congress of Neurological Surgeons. He also served on the Executive Committee for the American Association of Neurological Surgeons/Congress of Neurological Surgeons Section on Tumors.

He is a Director on the American Board of Neurological Surgeons. He has served on a number national committees for organizations involved in neurosurgical research. He was the head of the Research Subcommittee in Head, Neck and Spine Injury Committee for the National Football League. He has been actively involved in the mentoring and training of over 40 neurosurgical fellows. He is on the Editorial Boards for NEUROSURGERY, World Neurosurgery and Journal of Neurosurgery. He is an Academic Editor for PLoS One and Science Reports. He is Consulting Editor for Neurosurgery Clinics of North America. Dr. Lonser is married to Carolyn. They have 3 daughters, Hannah (born 2001), Sarah (2004) and Alicia (2007).