Dr. John Chiu received his MD from the Baylor University College of Medicine. He subsequently completed multiple residencies in neurosurgery and neuroradiology and holds active certification through the American Board of Neurological Surgery. In addition to serving as president of the California Spine Institute Medical Center in Santa Barbara, California, Dr. John Chiu is the founding chairman of the American Academy of Minimally Invasive Spinal Surgery and Medicine and both a clinical professor and a neurospinal surgery professor with the Hunan University of Traditional Chinese Medicine.

Dr. John Chiu has also contributed extensively to publications in the field. He coedited the textbook Practice of Minimally Invasive Spinal Technique and serves as the editor-in-chief of the Internet Journal of Minimally Invasive Spinal Technology.

In his personal life, Dr. Chiu is an avid practitioner of kung fu, ninjitsu, and jujitsu. Over the years, he has received multiple awards for his dedication to these disciplines, including a Martial Arts Pioneer Award and an International Martial Arts Living Legend Award.