Texas Back Institute Co-Founder Director, Spine Surgery Fellowship Program Co-Director, Center for Disc Replacement Plano, Texas Richard Guyer MD, completed medical school at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine in Philadelphia. He completed two spine fellowships, one at Case Western Reserve University with Henry Bohlman, MD in Cleveland, Ohio and the other with Leon Wiltse, MD in Long Beach, California. Since 1982, Dr. Guyer, as one of the founders, has been in practice with the Texas Back Institute based in Plano. He holds over a dozen patents in spine surgery and has published approximately 150 peer-reviewed articles, co-authored over 50 book chapters, and has given over 600 national and international presentations. The majority of his research work has dealt with the diagnosis and treatment of painful degenerative spinal conditions. He has been actively involved with spine research for more than 35 years, including serving as principal investigator or sub-investigator on multiple Food and Drug Administration Investigation Device Exemption. He is also one of the pioneers in lumbar and cervical disc replacement and participated in a dozen FDA trials starting in 2000 as a participant as well as a Principal Investigator. Results of these studies as well as numerous internally derived studies, have created the opportunity to present extensively at national and international conferences as well as publish the results in spine specialty journals. He serves as the Chairman of the Board of Directors for the Texas Back Institute Research Foundation and has been Director of the Spine Surgery Fellowship program since its inception in 1986. He is Co-Director of the Center for Disc Replacement at TBI and is Associate Clinical Professor of Orthopedics at UT Southwestern Medical School. Dr. Guyer has been very active with various spine societies and was the recipient of the David Selby Award from the North American Spine Society (NASS) for his service to that organization. He served as President of NASS during the 2006-2007 year. He also reviewed the Volvo Research Award from the International Society for the Study of the Lumbar Spine. He was recently appointed to the board of directors of the American Board of Spinal Surgery. In 2020 was awarded the NASS Leon Wiltse Award for Clinical Leadership and Research. He serves on the Advisory Board for National Spine Health Foundation. He also received the Alumni Award from Ursinus College