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Dr. Wang's research focuses on pediatric brain tumor immunology and genetics. His post-doctoral work on the exosomal expression of microRNA's in glioblastoma was supported by an NRSA F-32 fellowship. He is currently developing immunotherapy trials targeting specific genetic features of the brain tumor types found primarily in children and young adults. In addition, he is currently examining the effects of RAF mutations on the developing nervous system, and the mechanisms by which pediatric brain tumors arise through this pathway.

Selected laboratory publications

1. Wang AC*, Jones DTW, Abecassis IJ, Cole BL, Leary SES, Lockwood C, Chavez L, Capper D, Korshunov A, Fallah A, Wang S, Ene C, Olson JA, Geyer JR, Holland EC, Lee A, Ellenbogen RG, Ojemann JG. Desmoplastic Infantile Ganglioglioma/Astrocytoma—A Distinct Entity with Frequent BRAFV600 Mutations. Mol Cancer Res. 2018 Jul 13. PMID: 30006355
2. Mochizuki AY, Frost IM, Mastrodimos MB, Plant AS, Wang AC, Moore TB, Prins RM, Weiss PS, Jonas SJ. Precision Medicine in Pediatric Neurooncology: A Review. ACS Chem Neurosci. 2017 Dec 27. PMID: 29199818 (Editor’s Choice Award)
3. Ji M, Lewis S, Camelo-Piragua S, Ramkissoon S, Snuderl M, Venneti S, Garrard M, Wang AC, Heth JA, Maher CO, Sanai N, Johnson T, Sagher O, Xie XS, Orringer DA. Quantified stimulated Raman scattering microscopy to detect human brain tumor infiltration. Sci Transl Med. 2015 Oct 14;7(309):309ra163. PMID: 26468325
4. Wang AC*, Owen JH, Abuzeid W, Hervey-Jumper SL, He X, Gurrea M, Lin M, Altshulter DB, Keep RF, Prince ME, Carey TE, Fan X, McKean EL, Sullivan SE. STAT3 inhibition as a therapeutic strategy for chordoma. J Neurol Surg B Skull Base. 2016 Dec;77(6):510-520. PMID: 27857879
5. Weil AG, Wang AC, Westwick HJ, Ibrahim GM, Ariani RT, Crevier L, Perreault S, Davidson T, Tseng CH, Fallah A. Survival in pediatric medulloblastoma: a population-based observational study to improve prognostication. J Neurooncol. 2016 Dec 15. PMID: 27981412
6. Antonios JP, Soto H, Everson RG, Moughon DL, Wang AC, Orpilla J, Radu C, Ellingson BM, Lee JT, Cloughesy T, Phelps ME, Czernin J, Liau LM, Prins RM. Detection of immune responses after immunotherapy in glioblastoma using PET and MRI. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 2017 Sep 5. PMID: 28874539
7. Hervey-Jumper SL, Altshuler DB, Wang AC, He X, Maher CO, Robertson PL, Garton HJL, Fan X, Muraszko KM, Camelo-Piragua S. The Role of CD133+ Cells in a Recurrent Embryonal Tumor with Abundant Neuropil and True Rosettes (ETANTR). Brain Pathol. 2014 Jan;24(1):45-51. PMID: 23865520
8. Thawani JP, Wang AC, Than KD, Lin CY, LaMarca F, Park P. Bone morphogenetic proteins and cancer: review of the literature. Neurosurgery 66:233-246, 2010. PMID: 20042986

Selected clinical publications

1. Wang AC, Chinn S, Than KD, Telian SA, Arts HA, Hussam E, Thompson BG. Durability of hearing preservation after microsurgical treatment of vestibular schwannoma using the middle cranial fossa approach. J Neurosurg. 2013 Jul;119(1):131-8. PMID: 23413947
2. Wang AC, Ibrahim GM, Poliakov AV, Wang PI, Fallah A, Mathern GW, Buckley RT, Collins K, Weil AG, Shurtleff HA, Warner MH, Perez FA, Shaw DW, Wright JN, Saneto RP, Novotny EJ, Lee A, Browd SR, Ojemann JG. Corticospinal tract atrophy and motor fMRI predict motor preservation after functional cerebral hemispherectomy. J Neurosurg Pediatr. 2018 Jan;21(1):81-89. PMID: 29099351
3. Kuo CH, McGrath LB, Carnevale JA, Marupudi NI, Ojemann JG, Ellenbogen RG, Wang AC*. Atypical presentation of a giant aneurysm in a pediatric patient with Duane Syndrome. World Neurosurg. 2018 May 16. PMID: 29777883
4. Hong CS, Wang AC, Bonow RH, Abecassis IJ, Amlie-Lefond C, Ellenbogen RG. Moyamoya disease in a patient with VACTERL association. World Neurosurg. 2016 May;89:729.e7-729.e10. PMID: 26844876
5. Al-Holou WN, Park P, Wang AC, Than KD, Marentette LJ. Modified trans-oral approach with an inferiorly based flap. J Clin Neurosci 2010; 17 (4):464-8. PMID: 20167496
6. Wang AC, Niknafs YS, Than KD, Etame AB, Thompson BG, Sullivan SE. Hemorrhagic Vestibular Schwannoma: Review of the Literature. World Neurosurg. 2013 Feb 27. PMID: 23454397
7. Wang AC, Gemmette JG, Keegan CE, Witt CE, Muraszko KM, Than KD, Maher CO. Spontaneous intracranial hemorrhage and multiple intracranial aneurysms in a patient with Roberts/SC phocomelia syndrome: a case report and historical review. J Neurosurg Pediatrics 8:460–463, 2011. PMID: 22044369
8. Wang AC, Than KD, Ramnath S, Pandey AS. Anterior clinoid mucocele presenting with orbital apex syndrome. Surg Neurol Int. 2013 May 9;4:63. PMID: 23772333
9. Witt CE, Wang AC, Maher CO, Than KD, Garton HJ, Muraszko KM. Patient with Chiari malformation Type I presenting with inducible hemifacial weakness. J Neurosurg Pediatrics 8:620–624, 2011. PMID: 22132921
10. Buckley RT, Wang AC, Miller JW, Novotny EJ, Ojemann JG. Stereotactic laser ablation for hypothalamic and deep intraventricular lesions. Neurosurg Focus. 2016 Oct;41(4):E10. PMID: 27690656

Selected education and QA publications

1. Wang AC and Morcos JJ. “Vascular and microsurgical instrumentation and equipment” in Neurosurgical Operative Atlas: Vascular Neurosurgery, 3rd edition. MacDonald RL (ed).
2. Shah AH, Wang AC*, Morcos JJ. Lateral parietal arteriovenous malformation with feeding artery aneurysm. Neurosurg Focus. 2017 Jul;43(VideoSuppl1):V8. PMID: 28669271
3. Buttrick S, Morcos JJ, Elhammady MS, Wang AC*. Extradural clinoidectomy for resection of clinoidal meningioma. Neurosurg Focus. 2017 Oct;43(VideoSuppl2):V10. PMID: 28967317
4. Tai BL, Wang AC, Joseph JRR, Wang PI, Sullivan SE, McKean EL, Shih AJ, Rooney DM. A physical simulator for endoscopic endonasal drilling techniques: a technical note. J Neurosurg. 2016 Mar;124(3):811-6. PMID: 26339850
5. Srinivasan D, Than KD, Wang AC, LaMarca F, Wang PI, Schermerhorn TC, Park P. Radiation safety and spine surgery: Systematic review of exposure limits and methods to minimize radiation exposure. World Neurosurg. 2014 Dec;82(6):1337-43. PMID: 25088230
6. Siljander BR, Wang AC, Zhang L, Shih AJ, Sullivan SE, Tai BL. Cool mist irrigation improves heat dissipation during surgical bone drilling. J Neurol Surg B Skull Base. 2014 Aug;75(4):243-6. PMID: 25093147
7. Wang PI, Wang AC, Naidu JO, Dipietro MA, Sundgren PC, Quint DJ, Parmar HA, Shah GV, Muraszko KM, Srinivasan A. Sonographically guided lumbar puncture in pediatric patients. J Ultrasound Med. 2013 Dec;32(12):2191-7. PMID: 24277903
8. Than KD, Sangala JR, Wang AC, Ghandi D, LaMarca FL, Park P. The current status and recent advances in high-resolution imaging of spinal vascular malformations. J Clin Neurosci. 2013 Jan;20(1):66-71. PMID: 23117143
9. Wang AC, Than KD, Etame AB, LaMarca F, Park P. Impact of anesthesia on trans-cranial electric motor evoked potential monitoring during spine surgery: a review of the literature. Neurosurg Focus. 2009 Oct;27(4):E7. PMID: 19795956
10. Wang AC, Charters ME, Thawani JP, Than KD, Sullivan SE, Graziano GP. Evaluating the use and utility of digital angiography in diagnosing blunt cerebrovascular injury: a cost-effectiveness analysis. J Trauma Acute Care Surg. 2012 Jun;72(6):1601-10. PMID: 22695428

After two brain surgeries, a loss of language and a breakup, beat producer Tokimonsta reflects on a tough few years - (latimes.com)
Their daughter was diagnosed with an aggressive brain tumor. Two weeks later, their son was too - (latimes.com)
Tumor News - AANS/CNS Section on Tumors - (tumorsection.org)

Note: News website links may expire without notice.

• Super Doctors® Southern California Rising Stars 2019
• United States Presidential Scholar Award, Congress
• Phi Beta Kappa nominee, Vanderbilt University
• Chancellor's Scholar Award, Vanderbilt University
• Sigma Xi International Research Society nominee, Duke University
• Neuroscience Studies Award, Duke School of Medicine
• Golden Beeper Best Resident Teacher Award, University of Michigan Medical School
• Resident Award for Exemplary Teaching Nominee, American College of Surgeons
• Edgar Kahn Excellence in Teaching Award, University of Michigan Medical School
• Max Peet Resident Teaching Award, University of Michigan Department of Neurosurgery
• Neurosurgical Top Gun Award for Bone Scalpel, American Association of Neurological Surgeons
• Best Basic Science Paper, North American Skull Base Society
• Public Service Citation, American Association of Neurological Surgeons
• Skull Base Jeopardy Champion, North American Skull Base Society
• Best Fellow Teaching Award, University of Miami Department of Neurosurgery
• Young Investigator Award, American Brain Tumor Association
• Emerging Investigator Program, American Academy of Neurological Surgeons
• Emerging Leaders, Accelerate Brain Cancer Cure

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