Executive Board
Linda M. Liau, MD, PhD, MBA, FAANS Professor and Interim Chair 
Dr. Linda Liau's clinical expertise is in intra-operative functional brain mapping and use of intra-operative imaging for resection of brain tumors (gliomas, meningiomas, and metastatic tumors). Her research efforts are focused on the molecular biology of brain tumors, gene therapy, immunotherapy, and brain cancer vaccines. Dr. Liau is the current Editor-in-Chief of the the Journal of Neuro-Oncology.
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Nader Pouratian, MD, PhD, FAANS Associate Professor and Co-Vice Chair of Clinical Affairs Dr. Nader Pouratian specializes in surgeries to restore and preserve brain function, including deep brain stimulation for movement disorders (and other emerging indications) and surgeries that require brain mapping. In addition, he treats peripheral nerve and brachial plexus injuries and tumors. His research focuses on developing novel interventions and technologies for neurological restoration.
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Physicians
James I. Ausman, MD, PhD
Clinical Professor
Dr. James Ausman is a Clinical Professor and former Chairman of Neurosurgery at Henry Ford Hospital and University of Illinois at Chicago and Editor of the new Open Access Internet journal Surgical Neurology International and former Editor of Surgical Neurology from 1994-2009. He is known for his expertise in cerebrovascular diseases, complex neurosurgical problems and microsurgery.
Ausaf Bari, MD, PhDAssistant Professor Dr. Ausaf Bari specializes in the neurosurgical repair and restoration of brain and nerve function. He has extensive clinical and research experience in the use of deep brain stimulation (DBS) in the treatment of both movement and psychiatric disorders. Dr. Bari's clinical practice includes DBS surgery for Parkinson's disease, tremor, dystonia, depression and OCD. Dr. Bari's research focuses on an interdisciplinary approach to studying the neurobiology underlying movement and psychiatric disorders and expanding the frontiers of neurosurgery to treat those disorders.
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Manuel M. Buitrago Blanco, MD, PhD, FAANS Assistant Professor of Neurosurgery and Neurology Dr. Buitrago Blanco holds a doctoral degree in Neurosciences. As a board certified Neurologist, with training in
Neurocritical Care, he specializes in the treatment of patients with brain related emergencies that require intensive care such as trauma, brain hemorrhages, seizures and stroke. Dr. Buitrago Blanco has conducted research to understand the mechanisms of synaptic plasticity that occur during recovery after neuronal injury, utilizing electrophysiology, proteomics and genomics techniques.
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Melvin Cheatham, MD, FAANS
Clinical Professor in the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA
Dr. Melvin Cheatham is a Clinical Professor in the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, member of the UCLA Department of Neurosurgery Advisory Board, member of the Editorial Board of the Journal of Surgical Neurology International, and assistant in Neurosurgical Development Planning at UCLA.
Duc H. Duong, MD, FAANS
Clinical Professor
Dr. Duc Duongs interests are in Skull Base approaches to complex intracranial pathology, neurotrauma and epilepsy surgery.
Aria Fallah, MD, M.Sc., FRCSC Assistant Professor Dr. Aria Fallah is a fellowship trained pediatric neurosurgeon experienced in the surgical management of neurological disorders affecting infants and children. These include medically intractable epilepsy, brain tumors, vascular malformations, spinal dysraphism, neuro-endoscopic management of hydrocephalus and intracranial arachnoid cysts and other congenital malformations of the central nervous system. He has an advanced degree and expertise in Clinical Epidemiology with an active research interest in surgical outcome studies and advanced decision-making models in pediatric neurosurgery.
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John G. Frazee, MD, FAANS Professor Clinical Professor and Director of the
Neuroendoscopy Program. Dr. John Frazee specializes in neurovascular and endoscopic procedures, including minimally-invasive spinal surgery, disc replacement, spinal fusion, and the treatment of such diseases as Meniere's, Hemifacial Spasm, Intracranial Tumors, Aneurysms, and Chiari Malformations.
Won Kim, MD Assistant ProfessorDr. Kim completed his neurosurgical residency training at UCLA with a fellowship in stereotactic and functional neurosurgery. His clinical interests include the treatment of primary and metastatic brain tumors deep within the brain using a wide variety of surgical modalities to best suit each individual patient and tumor type. Using technologies including the laser ablation of tumors (Visualase), white matter preserving corridor surgery (BrainPath), and stereotactic radiosurgery, he is able to treat many tumors traditionally deemed “inoperable.”
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Jean-Philippe Langevin, MD, FAANS Assistant Professor Dr. Jean-Philippe Langevin specializes in the use of neuromodulation to treat movement disorders and in laser-assisted neurosurgical ablations. His research is focused on the use of neuromodulation to optimize recovery after traumatic brain injury and post-traumatic stress disorder.
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Linda M. Liau, MD, PhD, MBA, FAANS Professor and Vice Chair of Research Dr. Linda Liau's clinical expertise is in intra-operative functional brain mapping and use of intra-operative imaging for resection of brain tumors (gliomas, meningiomas, and metastatic tumors). Her research efforts are focused on the molecular biology of brain tumors, gene therapy, immunotherapy, and brain cancer vaccines. Dr. Liau is the current Editor-in-Chief of the the Journal of Neuro-Oncology.
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Luke Macyszyn, MD, MA Assistant Professor Dr. Luke Macyszyn is a fellowship trained neurosurgeon that is known for his expertise in the surgical treatment of scoliosis, spinal deformities, and spine tumors in children as well as adults. He has vast experience treating complex spinal disorders using traditional as well as cutting edge minimally invasive techniques. Dr. Macyszyn’s research focus is on the development of imaging markers that predict patient outcome after surgery.
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Dennis R. Malkasian, MD, PhD
Clinical Professor
Dr. Dennis Malkasian is the Director for the Skull Base and Microneurosurgical Laboratory. His focus is on training residents in the operative techniques and CNS/PNS anatomy as it applies to neurosurgical procedures. Also, correlated with developmental morphogenesis where clinically indicated.
Gary W. Mathern, MD, FAANS Professor Dr. Gary Mathern works in conjunction with the
Epilepsy Program to provide research for children with epilepsy.
Duncan Q. McBride, MD, FAANS Associate Professor Chief of Neurosurgery at Harbor-Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center Dr. Duncan McBride concentrates his efforts on spinal surgery, with a special interest in spinal fusion, degenerative traumatic disorders and tumors.
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Nader Pouratian, MD, PhD, FAANS Associate Professor and Co-Vice Chair of Clinical Affairs Dr. Nader Pouratian specializes in surgeries to restore and preserve brain function, including deep brain stimulation for movement disorders (and other emerging indications) and surgeries that require brain mapping. In addition, he treats peripheral nerve and brachial plexus injuries and tumors. His research focuses on developing novel interventions and technologies for neurological restoration.
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Paul M. Vespa, MD, FCCM, FAANS Professor of Neurosurgery and Neurology As a neurologist working within Neurosurgery, Dr. Paul Vespa focuses on critical care for the treatment of neurosurgical and stroke patients.
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Anthony Wang, MD Assistant Professor Dr. Wang specializes in pediatric, cerebrovascular, and complex cranial base surgeries, having had the unique experience of fellowship training in each of these subspecialties. Dr. Wang's clinical specialties include pediatric brain tumors, moyamoya disease, aneurysms, skull base tumors, and Chiari malformations. He has also received additional training in scoliosis surgery and brachial plexus surgery. His research focuses on refining immunotherapy for pediatric brain tumors.
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Isaac Yang, MD, FAANS Associate Professor Dr. Isaac Yang is experienced in the surgical treatment for patients with skull base tumors, acoustic neuromas, meningiomas, astrocytomas, oligodendrogliomas, anaplastic astrocytomas, and glioblastomas. As a principal investigator at the UCLA Brain Tumor Program, his extensive research interests include optimizing brain tumor clinical outcomes, novel nanoparticles against brain tumors, and experimental glioblastoma therapies like brain tumor vaccines.
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Research Scientists
Thomas C. Glenn, PhD Associate Professor, Co-Director Cerebral Blood Flow Laboratory Dr. Thomas Glenns research and clinical work is dedicated to the treatment of traumatic brain injuries.
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Fernando Gomez-Pinilla, PhD Professor and Director of the Neurotrophic Research Laboratory with secondary appointment in Physiological Science Dr. Fernando Gomez-Pinilla conducts research on mechanisms of repair following traumatic injury to the brain and spinal cord.
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Neil G. Harris, PhD Professor Dr. Neil Harris is co-scientific director of the new 7 Tesla magnetic resonance imaging and spectroscopy facility and his research is focused on recovery of function after traumatic brain injury.
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Mayumi Prins, PhD Professor, Director BIRC Education Program The research of Dr. Mayumi Prins focuses on the pediatric response to traumatic brain injury.
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Robert M. Prins, PhD Associate Professor Dr. Robert Prins conducts pre-clinical brain tumor immunotherapy research and Phase I clinical trials for malignant brain tumor patients.
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Nanthia Suthana, PhD Assistant Professor-in-Residence Dr. Suthana’s research program aims to develop therapeutic cognitive treatments and tools through the characterization of neuronal mechanisms underlying successful human learning and memory.
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Joint Appointments
Scott Krahl, PhD
Associate Professor and Neurophysiologist
Department of Neurosurgery
Joseph Lasky, MD
Assistant Professor
Department of Pediatrics
Martin M. Monti, PhD Assistant Professor
Primary Area: Cognitive Psychology, Secondary Area: Behavioral Neuroscience. Research and Teaching Interests: My research focuses on two of the most fundamental aspects of being human: (1) The interplay between language and thought (2) Consciousness and cognition in coma, vegetative and minimally conscious state
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Fernando Vinuela, MD
Professor
Professor of Interventional Neuroradiology and Neurosurgery
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