Harvey W. Cushing (1869-1939) is the only surgeon represented in Surgical Research IV and one of the most accomplished American contributors to surgical research in general and to neurological and endocrine surgery research in particular. Other surgical research leaders of the 19th and 20th centuries who preceded Harvey Cushing have been introduced before. First, we highlighted the "importance of medical and surgical research" as the basic elements in the advancement of medicine and surgery could be considered as Surgical Research I. Second, in Surgical Research II, we presented William Beaumont, Samuel Gross, and William Halsted as the most important participants of the first wave of American surgical researchers. Next, in Surgical Research III, we considered surgeon researchers who moved ahead in the field of surgery with their research initiatives at the time, including John B. Murphy, the Mayo Brothers William J. and Charles H. Mayo, and George W. Crile. With Harvey Cushing, we enter an era of surgical research associated with neurosurgery and endocrine surgery as part of Surgical Research IV.