Stanford Neurosurgery

07/22/2025

🌟 Exciting Journey Alert! 🌟 Join Maxine Umeh Garcia, MS, PhD, as she shares her inspiring path to Stanford and her next big adventure at UC Davis! 🚀 Starting her own lab, Maxine is diving deep into groundbreaking research on how triple negative breast cancer spreads to the brain. 🧠💔 We can't wait to see the impact of her work!

07/18/2025

Meet our exceptional Stanford Spine team! With 13 dedicated spine surgeons across multiple Bay Area locations including Redwood City, Palo Alto, Pleasanton, Emeryville, and Los Gatos, world-class spine care is more accessible than ever.

Our comprehensive services include cutting-edge spine procedures that offer minimally invasive solutions with faster recovery times and fewer complications. Whether you're dealing with complex spinal conditions or seeking preventative care, our team combines Stanford's pioneering research with personalized treatment plans.

For more information visit https://stanfordhealthcare.org/medical-clinics/spine-center.html

07/17/2025

Exciting breakthrough! Dr. Brad Zuchero, assistant professor of Neurosurgery, has received the prestigious 2025 McKnight Award to investigate myelin's role in Alzheimer's disease. With over 6 million Americans affected by Alzheimer's, this research explores how myelin—the brain's protective insulation—might be key to understanding and treating this devastating condition.

Collaborating with Dr. Ethan Hughes, associate professor of Cell and Developmental Biology at the University of Colorado, their team will use cutting-edge techniques to study how myelin dysfunction might be an early, potentially causative factor in Alzheimer's.

"Myelin has been vastly overlooked in the Alzheimer's field," says Dr. Zuchero. "This support from the McKnight Foundation is critical to our mission of doing fundamental research that will ultimately improve patients' lives."

Read the full story at: https://ow.ly/vbKp50Wrol1

Brad Zuchero, PhD, assistant professor of neurosurgery, is a recipient of the 2025 McKnight Neurobiology of Brain Disorders (NBD) Award for his research project “Does myelin dysfunction drive Alzheimer's disease?”.

07/16/2025

July 16, 2025, marks the seventh annual Glioblastoma Awareness Day. Please help us in raising nationwide awareness about Glioblastoma (GBM), the most common, complex, treatment-resistant, and deadliest type of brain cancer.

07/14/2025

Nearly a decade after his passing, Stanford neurosurgeon and author Paul Kalanithi's legacy continues to inspire through his bestselling memoir "When Breath Becomes Air." His wife Lucy shares how the book—written during his battle with lung cancer—has touched countless lives worldwide and sparked a storytelling movement at Stanford Medicine. The Paul Kalanithi Writing Award, now entering its 10th year, carries forward his belief in the power of narrative to connect us to our shared humanity.

"Paul wanted to build a life of meaning; he wanted to make a difference in the world," Lucy Kalanithi said. "He was able to do that." Dr. Paul Kalanithi, completed his neurosurgery residency at Stanford and was an instructor in the Department of Neurosurgery and fellow at the Stanford Neurosciences Institute.

Learn more:
https://med.stanford.edu/news/insights/2025/07/paul-kalanithi-book-legacy-when-breath-becomes-air.html

His gift to the world was a poignant telling of a promising young life taken by cancer a decade ago. Still today, the Stanford Medicine neurosurgeon's wife Lucy receives notes of gratitude weekly.

07/10/2025

A warm welcome to our incoming PGY-1 residents: Jay Gill, PhD, Astrid Hengartner, Maria Bederson, MS, and Pavan Shah, who started their neurosurgical training this month!

07/08/2025

Courtney Scurto's journey with debilitating anesthesia dolorosa led her to Stanford Neurosurgery, where Drs. Buch, McGeoch, and Deisseroth pioneered an innovative deep brain stimulation approach through our human neural circuitry program.

"The minute they turned it on, it works," says Courtney, who can now return to enjoying Hawaii's beautiful outdoors after years of living in darkness.

This collaboration between clinical care, compassion, and cutting-edge science demonstrates what's possible when Stanford's multidisciplinary expertise comes together to transform lives.

Patient Courtney Scurto recounts her journey at Stanford. Scurto was diagnosed with anesthesia dolorosa (AD), a severe facial pain syndrome that occurs as a ...

06/30/2025

From competitive swimming to clipping aneurysms, Dr. Silvia Vaca's journey from Colombia to Chief Resident at Stanford Neurosurgery exemplifies the power of tenacity and education. Her global health initiatives across Uganda, Colombia, Bolivia, Paraguay, and Sierra Leone showcase her commitment to expanding neurosurgical care worldwide. With endurance, both in and out of the operating room, Dr. Vaca embodies our department's values through her humility and patient-first approach.

Learn more:
https://med.stanford.edu/neurosurgery/news/2025/silvia-vaca

06/23/2025

On Saturday, we celebrated our residency graduation, honoring our outstanding chief residents: Dr. Dan Herrick, Dr. Ryan Jamiolkowski, Dr. Adela Wu, and Dr. Silvia Vaca! Congratulations and best wishes as you embark on your next adventures! 🎓✨

06/17/2025

Dr. H. Westley Phillips was a co-first author on the recently published “Analysis of DNA from brain tissue on stereo-EEG electrodes reveals mosaic epilepsy-related variants” in Brain Communications. This study highlights a novel technique for performing genetic analysis on microscopic samples of epileptic brain tissue adherent to stereo-EEG depth electrodes following intracranial neuromonitoring. In this study, electrodes from 10 patients with drug-resistant epilepsy were collected enabling the discovery of brain-limited somatic variants from an otherwise discarded source of DNA. This innovative approach expands our ability to provide molecular genetic diagnoses to children with drug-resistant epilepsy beyond those that undergo open surgical resection while providing insights on the distribution of somatic variants across the epileptic brain.

Learn more:
https://academic.oup.com/braincomms/article/7/2/fcaf113/8081543?searchresult=1

06/16/2025

The Stanford Brain Tumor Center community participated in the Northern California Brain Tumor Walk! Our patients, staff, and supporters gathered at the San Francisco Zoo to raise awareness for brain tumors and unite in the search for a cure.

Thanks to the National Brain Tumor Society for putting together this fantastic event!

06/05/2025

Congratulations to PGY-3 resident Dr. Yi Zhang on receiving the 2025 Arnold P. Gold Foundation’s Humanism and Excellence in Teaching Award. Selected by Stanford medical students, this honor recognizes six residents for their clinical excellence, compassionate care, dedication to service, and outstanding commitment to teaching. An outstanding achievement! 👏