R. Shane Tubbs, MS, PA-C, PhD is a native of Birmingham, Alabama, USA and a is a clinical anatomist, author, editor, educator, and researcher. He is Professor of Neurosurgery, Neurology, Surgery, and Structural & Cellular Biology, Director of Surgical Anatomy at Tulane School of Medicine and Program Director of Anatomical Research in the Clinical Neuroscience Research Center at Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, Louisiana and Department of Neurosurgery and Ochsner Neuroscience Institute Ochsner Health System, New Orleans, LA. He has multiple honorary professorships/faculty positions both in the US and abroad. Dr. Tubbs is President-elect of the American Association of Clinical Anatomists (AACA) and serves as its Journal's (Clinical Anatomy) Editor-in-Chief. Dr. Tubbs' research interests are centered around what has been termed "reverse translational anatomy research" where clinical/surgical problems are identified and solved/explained with anatomical studies.

This investigative paradigm in anatomy has resulted in over 1,800 peer reviewed publications from his laboratory. Dr. Tubbs' laboratory has made novel discoveries in human anatomy and in 2018, he was listed as a "hyperprolific author" in the journal Nature. Dr. Tubbs sits on the editorial board of over 10 anatomical journals and over 30 clinical journals and has reviewed for over 150 various scientific journals. He has authored/edited over 50 books and over 80 book chapters primarily in anatomical and neurosurgical textbooks. Lastly, Dr. Tubbs is Chair of the Federative International Programme on Anatomical Terminologies (FIPAT) and oversees six working groups dedicated to this topic.

Under his leadership, the second edition of Terminologia Anatomica was just published.