UCSF Department of Neurological Surgery

UCSF Department of Neurological Surgery The Neurosurgery Department at UCSF is home to leading physicians and scientists dedicated to treati

Our mission is to provide the best clinical care to our patients, investigate the most promising advances in neuroscience research, and train tomorrow's leaders in neurosurgery.

A big thank you to everyone who joined us for this year’s Adam Clar Neuro-Oncology Nursing Lecture!The lectureship, whic...
01/22/2026

A big thank you to everyone who joined us for this year’s Adam Clar Neuro-Oncology Nursing Lecture!

The lectureship, which educates nurses and allied health professionals on the latest in caring for patients with brain tumors and their families, focused this year on the role of molecular testing. UCSF Health neuropathologist Melike Pekmezci, MD, discussed how molecular tests are changing the way brain tumors are diagnosed and guiding treatment decisions.

And congratulations to Mary Lovely, PhD, this year’s Adam Clar Neuro-Oncology Nursing Award winner! This award, presented annually at the lecture, recognizes the exemplary hard work and dedication of a neuro-oncology nurse.

Contribute to the fund that supports this lecture, which was established in Adam’s honor: https://givingtogether.ucsf.edu/fundraiser/2035329

📸: Todd Dubnicoff

We’re proud of the contributions that Mitchel Berger, MD, a UCSF Health neurosurgeon and the director of the UCSF Brain ...
01/21/2026

We’re proud of the contributions that Mitchel Berger, MD, a UCSF Health neurosurgeon and the director of the UCSF Brain Tumor Center, has made to the national effort towards reducing the burden of cancer! As a member of the President's Cancer Panel, he co-authored a new report out today with recommendations for building a stronger cancer workforce that is ready to meet the current and future needs of people affected by cancer.

Read more about the Panel’s recommendations: https://prescancerpanel.cancer.gov/reports-meetings/cancer-workforce-2026.

Congratulations to UCSF physician-scientist David Raleigh, MD, PhD, on his appointment as Translational Science Co-Vice ...
01/21/2026

Congratulations to UCSF physician-scientist David Raleigh, MD, PhD, on his appointment as Translational Science Co-Vice Chair of the NRG Brain Tumor Committee! 🎉 This NRG Oncology leadership position recognizes his work to improve outcomes for patients by integrating new insights about the biology of brain tumors and their therapeutic vulnerabilities into national clinical trials: https://www.nrgoncology.org/Home/News/Post/nrg-oncology-adds-new-leadership-members-to-brain-tumor-breast-cancer-genitourinary-cancer-lung-cancer-medical-oncology-medical-physics-protocol-operations-monitoring-publications-and-translat/

Congratulations to UCSF Health neurosurgeon scientist Shawn Hervey-Jumper, MD, on being elected to the American Society ...
01/15/2026

Congratulations to UCSF Health neurosurgeon scientist Shawn Hervey-Jumper, MD, on being elected to the American Society for Clinical Investigation! 🎉 His election recognizes the significant research contributions he has made towards our understanding of glioblastoma.

Join John de Groot, MD, the chief of the UCSF Health Division of Neuro-Oncology, next month for an educational webinar h...
01/08/2026

Join John de Groot, MD, the chief of the UCSF Health Division of Neuro-Oncology, next month for an educational webinar highlighting the biggest takeaways from the 2025 Society of Neuro-Oncology (SNO) meeting. Thousands of researchers and clinicians from around the world gathered at this conference to present their latest research findings in the field of neuro-oncology.

Register now: https://calendar.ucsf.edu/event/updates-from-the-2025-society-for-neuro-oncology-meeting

01/06/2026

Please join us in congratulating Cronutt the sea lion! In 2020, he was suffering the effects of domoic acid poisoning from oceanic algal blooms. This neurotoxin damages the hippocampus, leading to seizures like those in human temporal lobe epilepsy.

With Cronutt’s seizures becoming more severe, his veterinarian Claire Simeone, DVM, reached out to UCSF researcher Scott Baraban, PhD. His NIH-funded lab had shown in preclinical studies that transplanting inhibitory progenitor cells could stop seizures in mice by restoring the appropriate balance between excitatory and inhibitory electrical activity. Thanks to a team of veterinarians and UCSF neurosurgeons and scientists, Cronutt became the first pinniped patient to receive this experimental therapy.

More than five years later, he remains seizure-free and is living his best life Six Flags Discovery Kingdom.

Watch the full video of Cronutt’s remarkable story: https://youtu.be/hZpFH5J5lbo

🎥: Rapt Productions.

Start out the new year with a commitment to improving cognitive brain health through exercise! Join us every Wednesday n...
01/06/2026

Start out the new year with a commitment to improving cognitive brain health through exercise! Join us every Wednesday next month as UCSF Health physical therapist Jordan LaBrec leads exercise classes for UCSF neuro-oncology patients and caregivers. These free virtual sessions will focus on balance, strength, aerobic training,and flexibility training specific for brain tumor patients.

Register here: https://calendar.ucsf.edu/event/workout-for-wellness-headstrong-exercise-classes-4871

We got a visit from the Grinch! At his last appointment, Errol and his wife Jessica spread holiday cheer and delivered s...
12/20/2025

We got a visit from the Grinch! At his last appointment, Errol and his wife Jessica spread holiday cheer and delivered some homemade Grinch sugar cookies to our clinic staff. Under the care of UCSF Health neuro-oncologist Nancy Ann Oberheim Bush, MD, PhD, Errol was part of a clinical trial with an immunotherapy and is doing great after more eight and a half years since his diagnosis. He says he’s so grateful to his care team at UCSF.

A big congratulations to UCSF physician scientist S John Liu, MD, PhD, for receiving one of this year's Distinguished Sc...
12/19/2025

A big congratulations to UCSF physician scientist S John Liu, MD, PhD, for receiving one of this year's Distinguished Scientist Awards from The Sontag Foundation! 🎉 This prestigious award for early-career scientists supports his lab's research using functional genomics to study treatment resistance in glioblastoma.

“This DSA-funded research project will uniquely reveal how gene disruptions in tumor and immune cells reprogram how the cells interact with each other, offering new avenues to intervene for next-generation glioblastoma therapeutics,” he said.

Read more about his work here: https://neurosurgery.ucsf.edu/news/ucsf-physician-scientist-receives-sontag-distinguished-scientist-award

Grateful to our entire team at UCSF for our department's amazing year! From personalized deep brain stimulation for chro...
12/18/2025

Grateful to our entire team at UCSF for our department's amazing year! From personalized deep brain stimulation for chronic pain and Parkinson’s gait to new immunotherapy targets for brain tumors, check out the top stories of 2025: https://neurosurgery.ucsf.edu/news/year-in-review-2025

🎉 Welcome to UCSF, Dr. Francesca Galbiati!Dr. Galbiati joins us as a neuroendocrinologist in the California Center for P...
12/15/2025

🎉 Welcome to UCSF, Dr. Francesca Galbiati!

Dr. Galbiati joins us as a neuroendocrinologist in the California Center for Pituitary Disorders at UCSF. She cares for patients with pituitary adenomas, acromegaly, Cushing’s disease, prolactinomas, vasopressin deficiency, and other complex hormonal disorders.

Her approach to patient care is deeply collaborative and believes that "managing pituitary disorders closely depends on patients understanding complex physiology and being active partners in their care."

Her research focuses on how neuropeptides—such as oxytocin, vasopressin, and apelin—affect appetite, metabolism, and even cognitive function and aging.

📘 Read our full interview with her here:
https://neurosurgery.ucsf.edu/news/qa-dr-francesca-galbiati-brings-expertise-on-pituitary-disorders

🧠 2026 Monterey County Neuroscience Symposium (CME credit available!)We're partnering with Montage Health & Community Ho...
12/10/2025

🧠 2026 Monterey County Neuroscience Symposium (CME credit available!)

We're partnering with Montage Health & Community Hospital of Monterey Peninsula (CHOMP) for an evening of neuroscience innovation & community care in Monterey!

📅 Thursday, Jan 15, 2026 — 4:00–8:00 PM
📍 Pasadera Country Club, Monterey

We’re bringing together leading neurologists, neurosurgeons, and spine care specialists to highlight breakthroughs in:

• Stroke treatment & cerebral thrombectomy ⚡️

• Expanded neuro-interventional & vascular care

• Next-gen movement-disorder therapies

• Spine care — from non-operative rehab to surgical advances

• Brain tumor clinical trials

Dinner + reception included 🍽️ Network with experts. Bring questions. Build skills.

👉 Clinicians and allied-health professionals — register now at: montagehealth.org/neurosurgerysymposium

Address

400 Parnassus Avenue, 8th Floor
San Francisco, CA
94143

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when UCSF Department of Neurological Surgery posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Practice

Send a message to UCSF Department of Neurological Surgery:

Shortcuts

Share

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on LinkedIn
Share on Pinterest Share on Reddit Share via Email
Share on WhatsApp Share on Instagram Share on Telegram

Category