Famed neurosurgeon to speak at UC Irvine on Friday

James Goodrich, a neurosurgeon who won international fame in 2004 when he helped to separate 2-year-old conjoined twins, is scheduled to speak Friday at UC Irvine.

The UCI Center for the Neurobiology of Learning and Memory will host the lecture, which begins at noon in the Dale Melbourne Herklotz Conference Center. The talk is free and open to the public.

Goodrich received a bachelor’s degree in biological sciences from UCI in 1974 and serves as the director of pediatric neurosurgery at Montefiore Medical Center in New York.

He made headlines three years ago when he led a team of doctors in separating Carl and Clarence Aguirre, a pair of twins who were conjoined at the tops of their heads.

The university plans to give Goodrich its distinguished alumnus award during his visit this week.

— Michael Miller