Faculty

Bio

Dr. Chen is an internationally recognized brain tumor researcher and surgeon, with a dedicated interest in understanding how glioblastomas acquire resistance to radiation and chemotherapy. He is an NIH RO1-funded investigator whose research focuses on developing novel diagnostic and therapeutic approaches for brain tumor patients. He is also a leader in the study of DNA repair and gene therapy in brain tumors. His laboratory is housed in the University of Minnesota Masonic Cancer Center.

The recipient of several highly competitive research awards, Dr. Chen has won the:

• Damon Runyon Fellowship Award
• Sidney Kimmel Scholar Award
• Burroughs Wellcome Foundation Career Award in Medical Sciences
• Sontag Foundation Distinguished Scientist Award, the Doris Duke Foundation Clinical Scientist Award
• Forbeck Scholar Award.

In 2016, Dr. Chen received the Presidential Award of Achievement from the President of Taiwan, Ma Ying-jeou. The award is given annually by the Taiwanese government to individuals of Taiwanese heritage who have made exceptional contributions to their profession.

Education

• MD, Harvard Medical School, 2001
• Neurosurgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, 2002-2007
• Post-doctoral Fellow, Department of Radiation Oncology, Dana Farber Cancer Institute, 2006
• Clinical Fellow, Radiosurgery, Department of Radiation Oncology, Massachusetts General Hospital, 2009
• Clinical Fellow, Stereotactic Neurosurgery, Division of Neurosurgery, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, 2009
• PhD, Genetics, Harvard Medical School, 1999
• MS, Epidemiology, Columbia University, 1993
• BS, Stanford University, 1992

Professional Associations

• American Association of Neurological Surgeons
• Congress of Neurological Surgeons
• American Association for Cancer Research
• American Association for the Advancement of Science
• Society of Neuro-Oncology
• International Brain Mapping and Intraoperative Surgical Planning Society
• American Society for Radiation Oncology

Board Certifications

American Board of Neurological Surgeons

In the Media

2-2020: Minnesota Physician: Glioblastoma: Activating an immune response
12-4-19: Minnesota Daily: New campus MRI machine to expand surgery capability
11-20-19:

• KARE11: U of M pioneers new 'T-suite' surgical room
• M Health Fairview: State-of-the-art Neurosurgery Suite a "Giant Leap Forward" for Brain Cancer, Movement Disorder Treatment

10-4-19: The "Goldilocks" Principle for Curing Brain Cancer
7-24-19:

• KARE11: 7.2-Ton Magnet Lifted to U of M Hospital
• KSTP: First in the World Intraoperative MRI Surgical Suite at U of M Medical Center
• FOX9: New MRI Machine at U of M to Help with Surgeries of Tomorrow

6-27-19: New drug helps surgeons spot brain tumors by turning them pink
1-27-19: Minnesota-developed NeuroBlate device saves brain cancer patients. But what's next?
12-3-18: U Doctor Examining How Laser Brain Surgery Affects Peoples' Lives
11-7-18: U of M begins trial for new brain cancer treatment
8-24-18: University of Minnesota Dr. on why McCain likely stopped his cancer treatment
8-24-18: High-profile glioblastoma deaths may be no coincidence
5-29-18: Doctor, patient reunited years after lifesaving surgery
1-8-18: Breakthrough Surgery Uses Laser To Remove Minnesota Man's Brain Tumor.
 

Executive Assistant:

Sally Sawyer
Administrative Phone: 612-624-6666 (hit 4 for the Academic Office)
Administrative Email: sallyann@umn.edu
Administrative Fax Number: 612-624-0644

Research Summary

Dr. Chen is a nationally recognized brain tumor researcher and surgeon, with a dedicated interest in understanding how glioblastomas acquire resistance to radiation and chemotherapy. He is an NIH RO1-funded investigator with research focused on developing novel diagnostic and therapeutic approaches for brain tumor patients. He is also a leader in the study of DNA repair and gene therapy in brain tumors.

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Clinical Summary

Brain tumors; minimally invasive cranial surgery; laser thermal ablation; endoscopy; oncolytic virus delivery; tractography-guided surgery; awake craniotomy

Bio

Dr. David Darrow is an award-winning neurosurgeon/researcher who joined the department as an Assistant Professor after completing his residency at the University of Minnesota. He earned his MD and MPH (Master's in Public Health) from the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston; and a BS in physics and mathematics from Texas A&M University in College Station. As a clinician, Dr. Darrow treats patients with pain (trigeminal neuralgia, facial pain, chronic pain), movement disorders (Parkinson's disease, essential tremor, dystonia), neuropsychiatric disease, and epilepsy. Thanks to support from MnDRIVE (Minnesota's Discovery, Research, and InnoVation Economy) and the Institute of Translational Neuroscience, most of Dr. Darrow's time will be devoted to research and continuing the work he is doing with in the Herman Darrow Lab with Dr. Alex Herman of the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences. "Alex and I are focused on the main systems of the brain – reward, cognitive, and mood," he said. "We want to know how all these systems affect one another to better understand how we can treat chronic pain, epilepsy, Parkinson's disease, and mental health conditions such as depression, anxiety, and addiction."

Education

• MD, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX
• Residency in Neurosurgery, University of Minnesota
• MPH, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX
• BS, Texas A & M University, College Station, TX

Professional Associations

• Alpha Omega Alpha
• American Association of Neurological Surgeons
• American Medical Association
• American Society for Stereotactic and Functional Neurosurgery
• Congress of Neurological Surgeons
• Society for Neuroscience

Executive Assistant

Sally Sawyer
Administrative Phone: 612-624-6666 (hit 4 for the Academic Office)
Administrative Email: sallyann@umn.edu
Administrative Fax Number: 612-624-0644

Research Summary

Dr. Darrow's research in epilepsy and neuroscience started in Austin, TX, where he began applying his background in analysis on cognitive research in patients undergoing surgery for seizures.

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View Herman Darrow Human Neuroscience Lab Website

Bio

Andrew Grande, MD, is from the Twin Cities. He grew up in the Minneapolis lakes area and then later moved to St. Paul where he attended high school at St. Thomas Academy. He graduated from St. Olaf College (Northfield, MN) with a BA in chemistry and then attended the University of Minnesota Medical School. During college and medical school, Dr. Grande was active in research, working in the laboratories of Drs Esam El Fakahany, Virginia Seybold, and Walter Low. These experiences later culminated in a burning curiosity in and passion for using stem cells to treat stroke.

Dr. Grande completed his neurosurgical training at the Mayfield Clinic and University of Cincinnati. During his training, he worked very closely with Dr. John Tew, learning the nuances of trigeminal neuralgia treatment, including both microvascular decompression and radiofrequency ablation. He then went on to complete a fellowship with Mario Zuccarello, Andrew Ringer, and Todd Abruzzo at the University of Cincinnati in both endovascular and cerebrovascular neurosurgery. During this time, Dr. Grande was exposed to intracranial bypass surgery for treating moyamoya disease and to cutting-edge endovascular treatments such as the use of Onyx glue for treating cerebral aneurysms.

During his residency and then continuing into his fellowship, Dr. Grande was involved in stem cell research with Dr. Masato Nakafuku at Cincinnati Children's Hospital. Professor Nakafuku was one of the world's first to demonstrate neurogenesis in the hippocampus following stroke and he remains internationally recognized for his work with adult neurogenesis. In Nakafuku's laboratory, Grande's research focused primarily on reprogramming cells within the cerebral cortex to form neurons following stroke.

In 2010, Grande was the recipient of the William P. Van Wagenen Fellowship from the American Association of Neurological Surgeons. As a Van Wagenen Fellow, he traveled to Munich, Germany, where he completed a post-doctoral fellowship in the laboratory of Dr. Magdalena Gotz at Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitat. There he focused his research on identifying afferent connections to new neurons generated in the rodent cortex following a cortical layer specific injury.

Following his post-doctoral fellowship, Dr. Grande spent one month as a visiting neurosurgeon with Dr. Juha Hernesniemi in Helsinki, Finland.

Dr. Grande joined the University of Minnesota Department of Neurosurgery in 2011. His clinical interests are in treating cerebral vascular diseases, using either open vascular or endovascular techniques. He has specific interests in treating complex aneurysms, moyamoya disease, and trigeminal neuralgia.

Dr. Grande also directs the Stroke, Brain Injury, and Stem Cell Lab at the University of Minnesota. His research is focused on translating stem cell therapies for stroke from the bench to the bedside. Ongoing studies include exogenous cord blood stem cell transplantation for neuroprotection, reprogramming reactive astrocytes to form neurons, and characterizing normal adult neural stem cells found in the brains of humans and other large animals.

"It has always been a dream of mine to be a neurosurgeon in Minnesota, in particular at the University of Minnesota. I was born and raised here, my entire family is here and there is nothing I enjoy more than interacting with Minnesota patients. When contemplating places to work, I only considered Minnesota; I just knew I could be a better neurosurgeon here. I think there is something comforting in having a neurosurgeon with whom you have some connection.

Philosophy of Care:
My philosophy is to care for others as I would my mother, father, wife or child. I ask my patients to call me "Andy" because it's important to be on a first name basis with those who entrust their lives with me. While neurosurgery is a world of unpredictable fates, I am committed to each patient to do my absolute best all the time.

Education

• MD, University of Minnesota
• Residency in Neurosurgery, University of Cincinnati
• Fellowship in Vascular/Endovascular Neurosurgery, University of Cincinnati
• Fellowship in Neural Stem Cells and Neurogenesis, Ludwig-Maximilians University, Germany
• BA, St. Olaf College
• Emerging Physicians Leadership Program, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, 2014-2017

Professional Associations

• American Association of Neurological Surgeons
• American Heart/American Stroke Association
• Congress of Neurological Surgeons
• Congress of State Neurosurgical Societies
• European Society for Gene and Cell Therapy
• Facial Pain Association
• Frank H. Mayfield Society
• International Society for Stem Cell Research
• Minnesota State Neurological Society
• Minnesota Stroke Association
• Society of Neurointervention

Board Certifications

American Board of Neurological Surgeons Diplomate

Executive Assistant

Deborah Fellows
Administrative Phone: 612-624-6666 (hit 4 for the Academic Office)
Administrative Email: fello062@umn.edu
Administrative Fax Number: 612-624-0644

Research Summary

Dr. Grande co-directs the Stroke, Brain Injury, and Stem Cell Lab at the University of Minnesota. His research interest is focused on translating stem cell therapies for stroke from "the bench to the bedside." Ongoing studies include exogenous cord blood stem cell transplantation for neuroprotection, reprogramming reactive astrocytes to form neurons, and characterization of normal adult neural stem cells found in the brains of humans and other large animals.

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Experts@Minnesota Profile

Service Summary

Minnesota Brain Injury Alliance 2011-present

• Board Member, elected 2013-present
• Advocacy Committee, appointed 2012-present

Minnesota Stroke Association 2011-present

• Partnership Committee, appointed 2011-present
• Conference Planning Committee, appointed 2011-present

Clinical Summary

Cerebral aneurysms, arteriovenous malformations (AVMs); carotid artery disease; trigeminal neuralgia; hemifacial spasm; intracranial/extracranial stenosis; moya moya disease; skull-base surgery; and stroke treatment.

Bio

After completing his neurosurgery residency at the University of Iowa Hospital and Clinics, Dr. Guillaume completed two clinical fellowships at the:

• University of Iowa, working with Dr. Arnold Menezes, a pediatric neurosurgeon and world expert in development and pathologies of the cranial base and craniovertebral junction
• Centre for Minimally Invasive Neurosurgery, Prince of Wales Hospital and Sydney Children's Hospital in Sydney, Australia, working with Dr. Charles Teo, a pediatric neurosurgeon and pioneer in minimally invasive approaches to the brain. These approaches allow treatment of problems, including hydrocephalus and brain tumors, through a tiny incision, often leading to less pain and a shorter hospital stay after surgery. In many cases, these approaches can successfully treat hydrocephalus, for instance, with avoidance or removal of shunt catheters, and some brain tumors can be removed through the nose or eyebrow avoiding the need for large scalp incisions.

Through his unique training, Dr. Guillaume has developed expertise for managing conditions such as pediatric brain tumors and hydrocephalus, Chiari malformation, and pediatric skull base surgery. He joined the University of Minnesota in 2012 after practicing pediatric neurosurgery for almost six years as a faculty member at Oregon Health & Science University in Portland. Over the years, he has become deeply experienced in caring for children with all types of congenital and acquired neurosurgical problems.

Dr. Guillaume is currently Chief of Pediatric Neurosurgery at the University of Minnesota Masonic Children's Hospital, and Director of the Division of Pediatric Neurosurgery. His interests include advanced treatments of pediatric brain and spinal tumors, minimally invasive surgical approaches, complex hydrocephalus, and Chiari malformation. He has published in numerous journals and books, directed courses on minimally invasive and endoscopic surgical approaches, served as reviewer and co-editor for major neurosurgery and stem cell journals and served as a moderator and scientific program committee member for national pediatric neurosurgical meetings.

Dr. Guillaume was attracted to pediatric neurosurgery because he enjoys caring for children and their families, and is committed to improving the lives of children suffering from neurological problems.

Education

• MD, University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine
• Residency in Neurosurgery, University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics
• Fellowship in Pediatric and Minimally Invasive Neurosurgery, Prince of Wales Hospital and Sydney Children's Hospital
• Fellowship in Neurosurgery, University of Iowa
• Fellowship in Stem Cell Research, University of Wisconsin
• MS, Neurology/Neurosurgery, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
• BS, University of Iowa

Professional Associations

• Pituitary Society, 2016 to present
• American Society of Pediatric Neurosurgeons, 2013 to present
• Minnesota Neurosurgical Society, 2012 to present
• American Academy of Pediatrics, 2012 to present
• International Society for Pediatric Neurosurgery, 2011 to present
• International Brain Barriers Society, 2008 to present
• Society for Neuro-oncology, 2008 to present
• Hydrocephalus Association, 2008 to present
• AANS/CNS Section of Pediatric Neurosurgery, 2007 to present
• Children’s Oncology Group, 2007 to present
• American Association of Neurological Surgeons, 1999 to present
• Congress of Neurological Surgeons, 1999 to present

Board Certifications

• National Board of Medical Examiners; Minnesota, 2017
• Certified Diplomat of the American Board of Pediatric Neurosurgery, 2016
• Certified Diplomat of the American Board of Neurological Surgery, 2010

Executive Assistant

Nicole Falk
Administrative Phone: 612-624-6666 (hit 4 for the Academic Office)
Administrative Email: falkx188@umn.edu
Administrative Fax Number: 612-624-0644

Research Summary

Dr. Guillaume's research is focused on improving diagnosis and therapy for pediatric brain tumors by use of advanced imaging, and efforts to improve delivery of anti-tumor agents by manipulation of the blood-brain barrier. His other ongoing research studies evaluate methods to improve treatment of hydrocephalus using image guidance, and investigate the association of hearing loss in treatments for hydrocephalus.

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Clinical Summary

Pediatric neurosurgery, including conditions such as hydrocephalus, spina bifida, craniosynostosis, brain tumors, and spinal deformities and trauma.

Bio

Dr. Logan Helland is a fellowship-trained complex and reconstructive spine surgeon. He earned both his MD and a BS in chemistry from Creighton University School of Medicine in Omaha, NE. He completed his residency in neurological surgery at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics in Iowa City; and a fellowship in complex and reconstructive spine surgery at Loyola University Medical Center in Chicago, IL. Although his initial emphasis will be on treating general neurosurgery patients, Dr. Helland will eventually focus more on treating spine conditions like scoliosis and performing complex spine revisions and spine surgery. He is also an active researcher who will start his work on the clinical side and then move back into basic research. Dr. Helland has published 13 medical journal articles and made several oral presentations during professional meetings. When he and his family have spare time, they like to watch movies, go on walks with their dog, and do things with their extended family. Dr. Helland is a big sports fan and enjoys taking the family to Minnesota sporting events.

Professional Associations

• Alpha Omega Alpha

Executive Assistant

Deb Fellows
Administrative Phone: 612-624-6666 (hit 4 for the Academic Office)
Administrative Email: fello062@umn.edu
Administrative Fax Number: 612-624-0644

Research Summary

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Bio

Dr. Jones received her MD from Tulane University School of Medicine in New Orleans and completed her neurosurgery residency at the University of Minnesota. She then completed a unique year-long Complex Spine Fellowship in spinal deformity surgery, working at the U under internationally-renowned spinal deformity surgeon, David Polly, MD, in the Departments of Orthopaedic Surgery and Neurosurgery.Her training in both orthopaedic and neurosurgical spine surgery enables her to treat every issue dealing with the spine in both children and adults. Jones specializes in minimally invasive spine surgery, scoliosis, complex spinal deformity, spine tumors, and trauma. "I am grateful for my unique training that enables me to take care of the most difficult, complex spine problems in an environment that's well equipped to give our patients the best outcomes," she said.In addition, Jones is conducting an ongoing clinical trial. "My research focuses on developing a nationwide simulator curriculum for training residents and interns on placement of spine instrumentation prior to performing a procedure," she explained. Jones is working with Orthopaedic Surgery colleagues, David Polly, MD, and Jonathan Sembrano, MD, on the study.A downtown Minneapolis resident, when Jones has spare time you can find her outdoors, biking or hiking. She is an experienced triathlete and a longtime equestrian who enjoys showing her horse in national jumping competitions.

Research Summary

Dr. Jones is currently focusing her research on creating a national simulator-based curriculum for residents and interns on placement of surgical instrumentation prior to performing a procedure. Dr. Jones also focuses on clinical research in adult spinal deformity, including participating in prominent national randomized controlled trials regarding pelvic fixation in spinal deformity and the surgical treatment of lumbar spondylolisthesis. She serves as the Co-Chair for the Spine Research and Awards Committee for organized neurosurgery's largest combined associations, the Congress of Neurological Surgeons and the American Association of Neurological Surgeons.

Clinical Summary

Complex spinal deformity; scoliosis; spine tumors; spine trauma; minimally invasive spine surgery

Bio

Dr. Stefan Kim joined the department following two years of serving as a neurosurgery consultant at Kijabe Hospital in Kenya, Africa. "I truly believe life has greater meaning when you devote yourself to serving others, especially those who are poor and desperate," he said. "There is about one neurosurgeon for about two to three million people in Sub-Saharan Africa, so it is not hard to imagine that many people, especially the poor, have virtually no access to surgical care and many perish as a result."

Prior to his work in Africa, Dr. Kim spent 10 years on the neurosurgery staff at Lahey Clinic in Burlington, MA, and as a Clinical Assistant Professor at Tufts University School of Medicine, in Boston, MA. He is excited about being back in an academic setting. "I really enjoy interacting with residents and look forward to learning and growing with them," he said. "I also hope to have opportunities to expose some of the residents to neurosurgical work in Africa."

Dr. Kim specializes in neurosurgical treatment of the spine, including degenerative disk disease, spine tumors, trauma, and deformities. His research interests focus on spine oncology and deformities. "The U of M has an excellent orthopedic and neurosurgery spine program and I look forward to participating in their collaborative research efforts," he said.

Education

• MD, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston Salem, NC
• Residency, neurosurgery, Department of Neurosurgery, Medical College of Virginia, Richmond
• Fellowship, neurosurgical oncology/spine oncology, Neurosurgery Department, University of Texas at MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
• BS, Electrical engineering, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA

Professional Associations

• American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS)
• Congress of Neurological Surgeons (CNS)

Executive Assistant

Deborah Fellows
Administrative Phone: 612-624-6666 (then hit 4 for the Academic Office)
Administrative Email: fello062@umn.edu

Research Summary

Dr. Kim's research interests focus on spinal oncology and deformities.

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Bio

Prior to joining the University of Minnesota, Dr. Tomoyuki Koga was a postdoctoral researcher at Ludwig Cancer Research in La Jolla, CA. Before that, he was an Assistant Professor of Neuro-Oncology at Saitama Medical University in Saitama, Japan (2011 to 2013); and an Assistant Professor of Neurosurgery at the University of Tokyo in Japan (2007 to 2011).

Education

• MD, Graduate School of Medicine and Faculty of Medicine, University of Tokyo, Japan
• Residency in Neurosurgery, University of Tokyo Hospital and Saitama Medical University Hospital, both in Japan
• Fellowships in Neurosurgery, Toranomon Hospital, and at University of Tokyo Hospital, both in Tokyo, Japan
• PhD, Graduate School of Medicine and Faculty of Medicine, University of Tokyo, Japan

Professional Associations

• Society for Neuro-Oncology
• The Japan Neurosurgical Society
• The Japanese Congress of Neurological Surgeons
• Japan Society for Neuro-Oncology
• International Stereotactic Radiosurgery Society
• The Japan Society for Hypothalamic and Pituitary Tumors
• Epilepsy Surgery Society of Japan
• The Japan Stroke Society

Research Summary

View PubMed List

Experts@Minnesota Profile

Bio

Professor of Neurosurgery at the University of Minnesota, Dr. Lam received his undergraduate degree from the University of Denver and his MD from the University of Colorado. Following two years of surgery at Beth Israel Hospital of Boston, he completed his neurosurgical residency at McGill University's Montreal Neurological Institute. During his training, Dr. Lam was the Preston Robb Fellow and performed research on excitatory amino acids and basal ganglia development. He went on to Montreal Children's Hospital for his pediatric neurosurgery fellowship before coming to the University of Minnesota.

Dr. Lam joined the university in 1998. He is a versatile neurosurgeon who works in several areas, including pediatrics, functional neurosurgery, and spine. Most of his time is spent at the Minneapolis Veteran's Administration Hospital where he works with patients and runs the VA-funded Neuro-transport Lab. "I'm interested in the movement of substances in and out of the brain," he said.

Having received his PhD from the University of Minnesota's Department of Biomedical Engineering in the area of fluid transport, Dr. Lam likens this type of fluid movement to building a dam or to draining sewage. "For instance, hydrocephalus is a buildup of water in the head," he noted. "We want to know how that water can be removed."

Dr. Lam's research at the VA focuses on removing by-products of trauma from the brain such as debris, blood by-products, or dead tissue. "Military trauma motivates the VA's interest in this work," he noted. To do his research, Dr. Lam works closely with other departments at the U, such as Mechanical Engineering. In addition to partnering with Dr. Walter Low of the Neurosurgery Department, Dr. Lam is currently working with Allison Hubel, Mechanical Engineering; Ching Yuan, Ophthalmology and Neurosciences, and Greg Vercelloti, Hematology and Oncology. Together, they are designing instruments that will allow them to quantify fluid movement – or substance kinetics – in a single cell. "When you isolate a cell, you reduce or remove any influences on fluid movement," he said. "Then you can observe that movement from one side of the cell to another."

Why is this important? According to Dr. Lam, if you have a blood clot in the brain it contains toxins and oxidants that should be removed before they can do any damage. Dr. Lam and his research associates want to figure out how to help the body do that. "Any sort of toxins, drugs, or poisons can be studied by the same paradigms that we use," he added. "Our research is rather broad."

Education

• MD, University of Colorado
• Residency in Neurosurgery, McGill University's Montreal Neurological Institute, Montreal, Canada
• Fellowship in Pediatric Neurosurgery, McGill University's Montreal Children's Hospital, Montreal, Canada
• PhD, Transport Phenomenon/Biomedical Engineering, University of Minnesota
• BS, University of Denver

Professional Associations

• Society of Neuroscience
• American Association of Advancement of Science
• Minnesota Medical Association Committee on Accreditation and
• Pediatric section, American Association of Neurological
• Surgeons and Congress of Neurological Surgeons
• American Association of Neurological Surgeons
• Minnesota Neurosurgical Society
• Congress of Neurological Surgeons
• Minnesota Medical Association
• Hennepin Medical Society

Executive Assistant

Deborah Fellows
Administrative Phone: 612-624-6666 (then hit 4 for the Academic Office)
Administrative Email: fello062@umn.edu

Research Summary

View PubMed List

View Experts@Minnesota Profile

Clinical Summary

Pediatric neurosurgery, Epilepsy, Hydrocephalus, Spina bifida, Tethered spinal cord, Craniofacial disorders, Brain tumors, Cysts in children

Bio

Dr. Ming Li earned his BS in Biological Science from Henan Normal University in China, his MS in Neurotoxicology from the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing, and his PhD in Molecular Biology from the University of Hong Kong. He did postdoctoral training with Webster Cavenee, PhD; and Frank Furnari, PhD, at the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research of the University of California San Diego.

Most recently, Dr. Li was an Associate Professor and PI at the Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University in China, where he was the Director of the Laboratory of Brain Tumor Biology. Prior to that, he taught in the Department of Human and Molecular Genetics at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond.

Education

• Fellowship, Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, University of California San Diego
• PhD in Molecular Biology, University of Hong Kong
• MS in Neurotoxicology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
• BS in Biology Science, Department of Biology, Henan Normal University, China

Research Summary

As a member of the University of Minnesota Masonic Cancer Center, Dr. Li’s research team focuses on the immune microenvironment’s role in the initiation, progression, and therapeutic resistance of glioblastoma, the most common and lethal brain tumor. Their long-term goal is to develop novel therapies for this brain cancer.

View Experts@Minnesota Profile

Bio

Dr. Walter Low is a Professor in the Department of Neurosurgery and serves as the Associate Head for Research. He earned his PhD in Bioengineering from the University of Michigan, and was a National Science Foundation/NATO Fellow in Neurophysiology/Neuroscience at the University of Cambridge in England. He is currently Director of the Research Laboratories in the Department of Neurosurgery.

Dr. Low was formerly on the faculty at Indiana University School of Medicine where he was the Director of the Graduate Program in Physiology and Biophysics. He has served as a member of numerous grant review study sections for the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation, and the Veterans Administration Medical Centers.

The h-index for the scientific impact of Dr. Low's research publications is ranked above the 95th percentile among faculty in neurosurgery departments in the United States.

Executive Assistant:

Sally Sawyer
Administrative Phone: 612-624-6666 (then hit 4 for the Academic Office)
Administrative Email: sallyann@umn.edu
Administrative Fax Number: 612-624-0644

Research Summary

Dr. Low's research is focused on translating neuroscience developments from the laboratory to the clinic. He has been involved in a number of technologies that include neural progenitor/stem cell therapies, gene therapies, neuroprotective therapies, and medical devices for treating a variety of neurological conditions. Neural disorders of interest include ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke, Parkinson's disease, brain tumors, Alzheimer's disease, lysosomal storage disorders of the brain, Huntington's disease, spinal cord injury, and traumatic brain injury.

Dr. Low's group was the first to: Demonstrate that the transplantation of cholinergic neurons into the hippocampal formation could restore learning and memory function in a rat model of Alzheimer's disease Demonstrate the efficacy of immunotherapy for eradicating intracranial tumors in rodents Receive FDA approval for clinical trials in the United States to study the efficacy of deep brain stimulation for the treatment of Parkinson's disease. Read more.

Brain and tumor immunology and development of cancer vaccines

Dr. Low's laboratory is focused on the study of brain tumors. Primary tumors that originate in the brain represent some of the most malignant types of cancers. Patients diagnosed with grade IV glioblastoma multiforme have a mean survival time of 11 months after diagnosis. Our studies of brain tumors have emphasized the development of immunotherapeutic approaches for the treatment of these tumors. Cancer vaccines consisting of cytokines and tumor antigens are used to stimulate cells of the immune system to recognize and destroy tumors within the brain.

• View Experts@Minnesota profile
• View PubMed article list
• Visit Walter Low Laboratory

Bio

A native of Rhode Island, Dr. McGovern received his MD from Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons in New York City and his undergraduate degree (with honors) in neuroscience from Trinity College in Hartford, CT. Following medical school, he completed his neurosurgical residency at Columbia University Medical Center/New York-Presbyterian Hospital in New York, NY, and a year-long fellowship in epilepsy surgery at Cleveland Clinic in Ohio.

Dr. McGovern is a functional/stereotactical neurosurgeon who specializes in treating patients with epilepsy and in providing deep brain stimulation surgery for relieving symptoms in patients with movement disorders such as Parkinson's disease and essential tremor. He is splitting his time between the university (two days) and Minneapolis Veterans Affairs Medical Center (three days).

Between college and medical school, Dr. McGovern spent two years working in a lab in Boston, MA. "It was an incredibly productive lab, but I discovered it wasn't what I wanted to do with my life," he said. "I wanted something more patient-centered."

Neurosurgery attracted Dr. McGovern because, "I felt like I could have the most immediate impact on patients through the specialty," he said. "I would always be at the cutting edge as we keep learning new things and applying them to whatever disease we're interested in."

He believes there are three important aspects to practicing neurosurgery in an academic setting: patient care, teaching and research. "When it comes to patient care, I try to be as honest and transparent as I can about what goes into a surgery," he explained. "It's a journey you take together with your patient, so no one is surprised on either end."

From a teaching standpoint, Dr. McGovern believes that, "educating patients, residents and medical students is one of the most important things we do in an academic practice. What's especially nice at the VA is that there is only one resident for each six-month rotation, which gives you an opportunity to develop an intimate relationship. It's a great way to teach."

Dr. McGovern and his family live in the Edina/Richfield, MN, area. When he has spare time, he likes to play with his son, find new restaurants to eat at with his wife, stay active and run the marathons. He also is a passionate sports fan who loves all sports, but particularly baseball and his "beloved" Red Sox.

Education

• MD, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY
• Neurosurgery, Columbia University Medical Center/New York-Presbyterian Hospital, New York, NY
• Epilepsy Surgery, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio
• BS, Trinity College, Hartford, CT

Professional Associations

• American Epilepsy Society, trainee member
• American Society for Stereotactic and Functional Neurosurgery, resident member
• Congress of Neurological Surgeons, resident member
• American Association of Neurological Surgeons, candidate member

Executive Assistant

Deborah Fellows
Administrative Phone: 612-624-6666 (then hit 4 for the Academic Office)
Administrative Email: fello062@umn.edu

Research Summary

Dr. McGovern lab studies refractory (untreatable) gait and balance problems in patients with Parkinson's disease. "I did some work in this area when I was a resident at Columbia University," he said. "Working with Parkinson's patients who have DBS systems, we now have the technology to record brain signals as patients perform certain tasks. I'm interested in trying to figure out which brain signals are important in this context and how they might be related to gait and balance issues."

On the clinical side, Dr. McGovern wants to determine why there aren't more epilepsy surgery referrals. "It was amazing how many epilepsy patients I saw in Cleveland who initiated the visit themselves or accidentally ended up with us," he explained. "They were so clearly good surgical candidates. It's seems to be acceptable for a patient to have seizures. If someone sees a brain tumor on an MRI, most people feel it needs to be urgently removed. Because it seems like a chronic condition, epilepsy is seen as something patients must simply live with. But if you help someone become seizure-free, it changes their lives. They can get off disability, they can get a job, they can drive. It's such a massive thing for people. I'm interested in figuring out how to overcome existing biases against referring patients for this potentially life-changing surgery."

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Bio

Dr. Ning received her undergraduate degree in biological science from Central China Normal University, her PhD in microbiology from China's Wuhan University, and completed a fellowship in neurosurgical research at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. She is a member of the editorial board of the Journal of Neurology and Experimental Neural Science.

Dr. Ning has made several presentations at professional association meetings and is the first or contributing author of numerous peer-reviewed articles published in professional journals. As a member of the Brain Tumor Research Center of Massachusetts General Hospital team, Dr. Ning contributed to discoveries that could potentially lead to more effective treatments for brain tumor patients.

Education

• Fellowship in Neurosurgery Research, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston
• PhD, Microbiology, Wuhan University, China
• BSc, Biological science, Central China Normal University, China

Professional Associations

• American Association for Cancer Research

Research Summary

"My research goal is to develop novel therapeutic approaches for cancer by using virotherapy (oncolytic virus, OV), molecular-targeted therapeutics and chemotherapy through targeting DNA damage responses (DDR) in cancer cells and the immune system. For postdoc training, I joined the lab of the Brain Tumor Research Center (BTRC) at Massachusetts General Hospital supervised by Robert Martuza, MD, and Samuel David Rabkin, PhD, who have been developing oncolytic herpes simplex virus (oHSV) therapies for cancer with a particular emphasis on brain tumors, represented by glioblastoma, a fatal brain tumor with median survival of 15 months. Cancer stem cell is one of the primary reasons causing the poor diagnosis. I have had an opportunity to use a panel of patient-derived glioblastoma stem cells (GSCs) as a lab resource that recapitulate the characteristics of patient tumors and generate orthotopic mouse models for therapeutic testing."

In 2013, my colleagues and I found that an oHSV armed with an immunomodulatory cytokine, interleukin 12, significantly inhibited the growth of murine GSC-generated intracerebral tumors in syngeneic mice. The survival benefit resulted from not only direct oHSV oncolysis of GSCs, but also increased IFN-Y release, inhibition of angiogenesis and reduction of the number of regulatory T cells in the tumor. This work demonstrated multifaceted oncolytic virus therapy for glioblastoma-targeting tumor cells, tumor microenvironment and the immune system."

My major research interest is to explore DDR in cancer to gain selective therapeutic effects. I led the recently published study that combined oHSV and poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase inhibitor (PARPi) for the treatment of GSCs. I found the combination treatment synergistically killed GSCs, irrespective of their PARPi sensitivity, and significantly increased DNA damage and apoptosis in vitro and in vivo. The synergy is caused by oHSV manipulation of DDR by degrading the key homologous recombination repair (HR) protein Rad51 and inhibiting HR. This was the first report of PARPi + oHSV combination therapy in cancer stem cells. OHSV antagonism of DDR provides a novel strategy for combination therapy with drugs inhibiting DDR pathways, like PARPi, in GBM and other tumors. This work establishes oHSV as a unique PARPi partner to overcome the current clinical limitations of PARPi such as resistance. To further expand the use of PARPi in cancers, I screened a variety of DDR targeting agents in combination with PARPi. I discovered that ATR inhibitor sensitized GSCs to PARPi and the combination therapy prolonged survival of mice bearing brain tumors derived from PARPi-sensitive and -resistant GSCs. Furthermore, my investigation identified the specific mechanisms that underlie the cancer-selective cytotoxicity of this approach and new biomarkers for PARPi-response in cancer cells."

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Bio

Dr. Park is the Neurosurgery Department's residency program director, helping train the next generation of neurosurgical leaders. He is also director of Stereotactic and Functional Neurosurgery.

From a research standpoint, Dr. Park focuses primarily on neuromodulation (deep brain stimulation) and he is a collaborator, Principal Investigator or Co-Principal Investigator in numerous active, ongoing projects in that area. In addition, he is a Clinical Core Co-Investigator for the U of M's Udall Center of Excellence for Parkinson's Disease Research.

Listed as first author for 7 of the 25 articles he's had published in peer-reviewed journals, Dr. Park is also first author of three book chapters. He has spoken to numerous national and international audiences and is currently working closely with Seoul National University in Korea to revitalize a long-term collaborative relationship the department has had with that organization.

Dr. Park received his MD and PhD from the Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology at the University of Kansas (KU) in Kansas City, KS, and received a Bachelors in Biology from KU in Lawrence, KS, and dual Bachelors in Electrical Engineering and Economics from Cornell University in Ithaca, NY. He was a 2009 recipient of the William P. Van Wagenen Fellowship and studied at the Assistance Publique L'Hopital d'Adulte de la Timone, Marseille, France.

Executive Assistant:

Sally Sawyer
Administrative Phone: 612-624-6666 (hit 4 for the Academic Office)
Administrative Email: sallyann@umn.edu
Administrative Fax Number: 612-624-0644

Research Summary

Dr. Park's research interests include brain structure, neuromodulation, deep brain stimulation, medical device innovation.

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Clinical Summary

Stereotactic and functional neurosurgery; neuromodulation; deep brain stimulation.

Bio

Dr. Parr is interested in finding new therapies for spinal cord injury. As such, she is Principal Investigator in the Parr Laboratory and at the U of M's Stem Cell Institute (SCI) She is also a faculty member in the Graduate Program in Neuroscience and SCI and has several active, ongoing research projects funded by organizations such as the Minnesota Spinal Cord Injury and Traumatic Brain Injury Research Grant Program, the Morton Cure Paralysis Foundation, the University of Minnesota Foundation and Vertex Pharmaceuticals. She is also site leader for several business and industry clinical trials.

Regenerative Medicine Minnesota Grant Video

Dr. Parr is listed as the first author for 8 of the 15 articles she's had published in peer-reviewed journals and 7 of the 9 articles in non-peer reviewed publications. She authored two books chapters and is named in two provisional patents.

She earned her BSc in Life Sciences with Honours and her MD from Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario. Dr. Parr participated in the Neurosurgical Residency Program at the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg. She then went on to complete a Neurosurgical Research Fellowship as a PhD candidate in the Institute of Medical Science's Clinical Investigator Program at the University of Toronto, Ontario. She completed her Neurosurgical Residency Program at the University of Toronto and a Complex Neurosurgical Spine Fellowship in the Department of Neurosurgery of the University of Miami and Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami, FL.

Dr. Parr is board-certified in both the United States and Canada and has been a faculty member since 2010. She has been the Medical Director for Spinal Neurosurgery at the U of M since 2017.

As a committed leader in neurosurgery, Dr. Parr has held numerous leadership positions in professional organizations, including as a board member of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons, Chair of the Northwest Quadrant for the Council of State Neurological Societies, and president of the Minnesota Neurological Society. She is particularly committed to bringing more women into neurosurgery and has held several leadership positions in the American Association of Neurological Surgeons/Congress of Neurological Surgeons Joint Section on Women in Neurosurgery.

As a sought-after speaker, Dr. Parr has served as visiting professor or presenter for numerous organizations and during national/international meetings.

In the News

• U of M, Hennepin Healthcare study gives hope to those told they would never walk again
• University of Minnesota Researchers Created 3D-printed Implant that Restores Function in Spinal Cord
• U of M may have spinal injury breakthrough with 3D printing
• University of Minnesota reports breakthrough in 3-D printing for spinal cord repair
• New 3D-printed device could help treat spinal cord injuries
• Spine surgeon leader to know: Dr. Ann Parr of UMN Medical School

Executive Assistant:

Nicole Falk
Administrative Phone: 612-624-6666 (then hit 4 for the Academic Office)
Administrative Email: falkx188@umn.edu

Research Summary

Dr. Parr's research currently centers around transplanting neural stem cells grown from a patient's own skin into the injured spinal cord. She has an active translational research laboratory at the Stem Cell Institute. She is interested in examining mechanisms of functional recovery using techniques such as histology and immunohistochemistry, cell tracking through magnetic resonance imaging, and animal modeling.

In the Media

• U Researchers 3-D Print Device for Spinal Cord Repair (10-17-2018 U of M Medical School Medical Bulletin)
• A look at the "bag of tricks" the U of M is creating to help patients with spinal cord injury (9-24-2018 Neurosurgery Department News)
• U of M may have spinal injury breakthrough with 3D printing (8-9-2018 KARE 11 TV News Story)
• University of Minnesota Medical School researchers collaborate in cutting-edge cell bioengineering and unique 3D-printing techniques (8-9-2018 Neurosurgery Department News)

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Clinical Summary

Spine; General neurosurgery; Complex spinal surgery; Minimally invasive spinal surgery

Bio

Dr. Sandoval is a pediatric neurosurgeon whose clinical interests include hydrocephalus, brain and spinal cord tumors, cerebrovascular abnormalities, craniofacial disorders/craniosynostosis, spina bifida and developmental abnormalities, and pediatric epilepsy.

A native of Colombia, Dr. Sandoval received her Academic Baccalaureate from Trinidad del Monte School and her MD from University Colegio Mayor de Nuestra Senora del Rosario, both in Bogotá. Following medical school, she completed her neurological surgery residency at the University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics in Madison, and a year-long fellowship in pediatric neurosurgery at University of Miami – Nicklaus Children's Hospital in Miami, FL.

Pediatric neurosurgery was especially attractive to Dr. Sandoval because caring for children when she was in training was "particularly gratifying. They are the most resilient patient population," she said. "Their unique strength and determination to get better gave me extra motivation to push myself further as I cared for them."

While she was a resident, Dr. Sandoval spent a month at the AIC Kijabe Medical Center in Kenya under the mentorship of former instructor Leland Albright, MD. The experience taught her to be resourceful and "to think outside the box" to find solutions for her patients. It also gave her teaching experience as she helped train local neurosurgical residents.

When Dr. Sandoval has time away from work, she enjoys traveling and spending time with her husband and cats. She also enjoys reading, running, playing basketball and tennis, watching movies and listening to music.

Education

• MD, University Colegio Mayor de Nuestra Senora del Rosario, Bogotá, Colombia
• Neurological Surgery, University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics, Madison
• Pediatric Neurosurgery, University of Miami – Nicklaus Children’s Hospital, Miami, FL
• AB, Academic Baccalaureate, Trinidad del Monte School, Bogotá, Colombia

Professional Associations

• American Academy of Pediatrics – Section of Neurological Surgery
• Florida Medical Association
• AANS/CNS Joint Cerebrovascular Section
• AANS/CNS Section of Pediatric Neurosurgery
• American Association of Neurological Surgeons
• American Society of Neuroradiology
• Congress of Neurological Surgeons
• International Headache Society
• North American Spine Society
• Wisconsin Medical Society

Executive Assistant

Nicole Falk
Administrative Phone: 612-624-6666 (hit 4 for the Academic Office)
Administrative Email: falkx188@umn.edu
Administrative Fax Number: 612-624-0644

Research Summary

Dr. Sandoval is excited about being able to combine a busy clinical practice with research initiatives. Her research will emphasize her clinical interests in conditions such as epilepsy, vascular pathology, and hydrocephalus. "My previous work focused on image-based initiatives," she said. To extend and add to that work, particularly in field of epilepsy surgery, she aims to establish multidisciplinary collaborations with other departments, primarily neurology, radiology, and the Center for Magnetic Resonance Research.

Experts@Minnesota Profile

PubMed List

Clinical Summary

Pediatric neurosurgery, Epilepsy, Hydrocephalus, Spina bifida, Tethered spinal cord, Craniofacial disorders, Brain tumors

Bio

Dr. Sharma is splitting his time between Southdale Hospital (Edina, MN) and St. John’s (Maplewood, MN) where he will have a general neurosurgery and brain tumor practice. At the U of M, he will dedicate his clinical efforts to awake craniotomies for brain tumors, intraoperative MRI-guided resections, laser interstitial thermal therapy for brain tumors, Gamma knife radiosurgery, complex skull base tumors/pathologies, and spine tumors (intradural and extradural). “I’m looking forward to offering the best possible care to the Minneapolis community and to Minnesota as a whole,” he said.

The U of M is attractive to Dr. Sharma for several reasons. “I always wanted to come back to an academic setting, where there are so many opportunities to focus on innovation,” he said. “The U’s Medical Device Innovation Program and close collaboration among specialties makes it unique. I also had the opportunity to work with Department Head Dr. Clark Chen on a few projects when I was at the Cleveland Clinic. His unparalleled leadership and unbridled enthusiasm inspired me to want to work with him.”

Education

• MBBS, Seth GSMC & KEM Hospital, Mumbai, India
• General Surgery, MS, Seth GSMC & KEM Hospital, Mumbai, India
• Neurosurgery, MCh, GMC and Sir JJ Hospital, Mumbai, India
• Fellowship, Skull base/Cerebrovascular Neurosurgery, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, Shreveport
• Fellowship, Stereotactic and Functional neurosurgery, Ohio State University, Columbus
• Fellowship, Neurosurgical Oncology, Cleveland Clinic, Ohio
• Fellowship, Degenerative, Minimally Invasive, and Spine Oncology, University of Louisville, Kentucky
• Neurosurgery, University of Louisville, Kentucky

Professional Associations

• American Association of Neurological Surgeons
• Society of Neuro-oncology
• Associate Fellow of American College of Surgeons
• Congress of Neurological Surgeons (CNS)
• CNS Resident committee
• Board Certifications
• American Board of Neurological Surgeons

Research Summary

With an extensive background in research, Dr. Sharma’s efforts at the U will focus on defining best practices in clinical practice and on health economics using administrative databases. “I will also work on brain tumor and outcome-based research,” he said. “My goal is to make surgery safer and faster.” Dr. Sharma has made dozens of oral and poster presentations throughout the world, as well as authoring more than 160 journal articles and providing editorial support for several medical journals. He has also contributed to several book chapters.

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Clinical Summary

Brain tumor surgeries (glioma and complex skull base), awake craniotomies, laser interstitial thermal therapy, Gamma knife, spinal tumors, general spine and neurosurgery.

Bio

I am addressing a long-standing unanswered question and developing a research project around HIV-induced glioblastoma to identify the role of the virus in inducing the brain cancer. I am also establishing the role that non-coding RNA plays in the development of resistance to radiation treatment for glioblastoma. I use my knowledge of RNA biology and molecular virology to identify drug targets and targeted therapeutics for conditions such as brain cancer related to HIV-AIDS.

Understanding the mechanisms of host pathogen interaction and antiviral response forms the basis of my research. I have characterized mechanisms of antiviral RNA interference and identified anti-viral targets for developing small molecule drugs/inhibitors. I developed the protocols for high-throughput, small molecule drug screening and identified small molecule inhibitors for HIV-AIDS treatment.

My research has identified and characterized novel host RNA-binding protein complexes required for viral protein translation and nucleation of virion ribonucleoproteins (RNPs). Recently, we addressed the long-standing gap in knowledge about how ribosomes are attracted to microRNAs (mRNAs), encoding tumor suppressor and HIV structural proteins. For the first time, we discovered molecular "chaperones" to control the access of ribosomes to tumor suppressor mRNAs. They unveiled nuclear proteins that remain secured for life to these select mRNAs and permit the timely synthesis of tumor suppressor proteins for healthy cell growth.

Our research identified that the nuclear RNA helicase and nuclear cap-binding protein 3 are repurposed to take the place of cytoplasmic regulators that need to be shut down in properly growing cells. I am extending the knowledge to use the RNP complex for drug targets to develop RNA-targeted therapy to control brain cancer and HIV-AIDS.

Education

• PhD, RNA Biology and Molecular Virology, International Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, New Delhi, India
• MSc, Biotechnology, Utkal University, Bhubaneswar, India
• BSc Honors, Botany, Fakir Mohan University, Balasore, India

Patents

• U.S. provisional patent applications (US 62/852,459): “GA-motifs and uses thereof,” Kathleen Boris-Lawrie and Gatikrushna Singh. Sponsor: University of Minnesota
• Invention Disclosure (2019), “Novel translation control mechanism and uses thereof,” University of Minnesota Tech Commercialization Office, Kathleen Boris-Lawrie and Gatikrushna Singh 

Research Summary

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Bio

Dr. Tummala is the Program Director of the Endovascular Surgical Neuroradiology Fellowship at the University of Minnesota Medical School. He is listed as first author for 13 of 57 research articles he's had published in peer-reviewed journals and in 4 of 8 articles submitted to non-peer reviewed journals. He is also listed as first author on 6 of 11 book chapters or monographs.

Dr. Tummala has been invited to speak during numerous national and international meetings. In addition, he is an ad hoc manuscript reviewer for the journals, Neurosurgery and World Neurosurgery.

Dr. Tummala earned his medical degree from the University of Alabama at Birmingham and completed his residency in neurosurgery at the University of Minnesota. He finished two fellowships, one in Cerebrovascular/Skull Base Surgery at the University of Miami/Jackson Memorial Hospital and another in Neuroendovascular Surgery at the University of Buffalo, NY. He has been a faculty member since 2014.

Executive Assistant:

Deborah Fellows
Administrative Phone: 612-624-6666 (then hit 4 for the Academic Office)
Administrative Email: fello062@umn.edu

Research Summary

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Clinical Summary

Cerebrovascular surgery; skull base surgery; endovascular neurosurgery; stroke intervention

Bio

Dr. Andrew Venteicher specializes in minimally invasive, endoscopic endonasal, and traditional open microsurgical approaches to cranial base tumors and cerebrovascular diseases. He is the neurosurgical director of the Center for Cranial Base Surgery, which focuses on diagnosis and comprehensive treatment for patients with tumors along the base of the brain, pituitary gland, and brainstem.

Dr. Venteicher earned his BA from the University of Pennsylvania in Mathematics, Biochemistry and Economics, as well as an MS in Chemistry. He attended Stanford for both his MD and PhD in Biophysics, trained at Harvard Medical School for his residency, and was selected for the prestigious cerebrovascular and cranial base fellowship at the University of Pittsburgh.

Professional Associations

• American Association of Neurological Surgeons
• Congress of Neurological Surgeons
• North American Skull Base Society
• Society of Neuro-Oncology

Executive Assistant

Sally Sawyer
Administrative Phone: 612-624-6666 (hit 4 to get to the Academic Office)
Administrative Email: sallyann@umn.edu
Administrative Fax Number: 612-624-0644

Research Summary

On the research side, Dr. Venteicher is part of a new translational research initiative between the U's Medical School and the Masonic Cancer Center that is exploring the genomics of brain tumors. His laboratory focuses on using new molecular techniques to understand how and why brain tumors develop and resist chemotherapy and radiation treatment. Translational research efforts such as these are of particular importance to identify new treatment options for patients with these diseases. He will one of the first to move into the new multidisciplinary consortium located at the Masonic Cancer Center Discovery Labs in the Malcolm Moos Health Sciences Tower on campus.

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Venteicher Lab

Bio

Dr. Zhu earned her PhD in epidemiology, biostatistics, and cancer from the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, and her MD and Master of Medicine in epidemiology and health statistics from Fudan University in Shanghai, China. Prior to coming to the U, she was a biostatistician at the University of Texas Health Science Center.

Dr. Zhu has a comprehensive background and specific expertise in epidemiology and biostatistics with more than 10 years of research experience, including study design (cross-sectional, cohort, and clinical trial), data management/data cleanup, statistical analysis, and manuscript writing. She has developed more than 11 population-based studies using 6 national-scale datasets as a co-PI and statistician and has collaborated with a multidisciplinary team that included neuro-oncology, neurosurgery, radiology, and pathology in more than 10 clinical research projects.

Research Summary

Dr. Zhu's research interest is to explore the contributors and related impacts on the outcomes of primary brain/central nervous system tumors and brain cancer metastases.