At the UCLA Brain Tumor Center, we use a team approach in everything we do. Our team includes the best and brightest minds in brain tumor care. Working together, we seamlessly deliver innovative and personalized care for complex tumors.
UCLA Brain Tumor Center: Meet Our Team
When it comes to treating brain tumors, our team of physicians represents the best in the country, if not the world. From diagnosis and imaging to chemotherapy (neuro oncology) and neurosurgery, each member of our team is solely focused on caring for patients with brain tumors. This approach helps us provide the best possible care and treatments to more than 800 patients a year.
Part of what makes our program so successful is that our specialists are always conferring. In fact, we are one of the few fully integrated brain tumor programs in the country. Working together as a group and not as individual departments allows us to deliver care more efficiently and effectively:
- As a new patient, you (or your referring physician) do not need to determine which of our specialists to see. Dedicated brain tumor nurse and patient navigators anticipate your needs, coordinate specialist care and provide a seamless care experience.
- When you receive treatment, you can have peace of mind knowing your treatment plan is informed by some of the country’s foremost brain tumor experts.
- If the tumor comes back, we are able to offer alternate or more aggressive therapies without delay. Our experience working together helps us make important decisions quickly, which helps you receive treatments faster.
UCLA’s Brain Tumor Integrated Practice Unit
At the core of the Brain Tumor Center team is our Integrated Practice Unit (IPU). One of the few units of its kind, the strength of this group derives from our experts’ individual brain tumor expertise as well as their years of experience working together.
Specialties represented on our IPU include:
Neurosurgery | Pediatric Neurosurgery | Neuro-Oncology | Pediatric Neuro-Oncology | Radiation Oncology | Neuropathology | Neuroradiology
Neurosurgery
Linda M. Liau, MD, PhD, MBA, FAANS Chair, 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 Journal of Neuro-Oncology.
More > Nader Pouratian, MD, PhD, FAANS Associate Professor 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.
More > 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.
More > Luke Macyszyn, MD Assistant Professor, Neurosurgery Dr. Luke Macyszyn is an Assistant Professor in UCLA and a member of the Comprehensive Spine Center in Santa Monica. He is a neurosurgeon that specializes in the surgical treatment of complex spinal disorders with an emphasis on the correction of spinal deformities in adolescents and adults. Dr. Macyszyn uses state of the art technologies to improve patient outcome and maximize the safety of surgery.
More > Emma Billingslea-Yoon, NP UCLA Department of Neurosurgery Medical Board Certification: Nurse Practitioner-Acute Care American Nurses Credentialing Center, 2012. Education, Degree - MSN, California State University, Los Angeles School of Nursing, 2012 .
More > For Department of Neurosurgery specific questions, please contact us at: (310) 825-5111.
back to top »
Pediatric Neurosurgery
Anthony Wang, MD Professor, Pediatric Neurosurgery
Dr. Anthony Wang specializes in pediatric, cerebrovascular, and complex cranial base surgeries, having had the unique experience of fellowship training in each of these subspecialties. His clinical specialties include pediatric brain tumors, moyamoya disease, intracranial aneurysms, skull base tumors, and Chiari malformations.
More > Aria Fallah, MD, MSc, FRCSC, FAANS Assistant Professor, Pediatric Neurosurgery
Dr. Aria Fallah is a fellowship trained pediatric neurosurgeon who practices at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center and Mattel Children’s Hospital at UCLA. He is an assistant professor of surgery at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA.
More > Neuro-Oncology
Nanette Fong, NP Division of Neuro-Oncology Nanette Fong is a Nurse Practitioner in Neuro-Oncology and has received advance nursing training at a Master level. She collaborates with the Neuro-Oncology physicians in managing the care of patients with brain tumors.
More > Stacey Green, NP Division of Neuro-Oncology Stacey Green is a Nurse Practitioner in Neuro-Oncology and has received advance nursing training at a Master level. She collaborates with the Neuro-Oncology physicians in managing the care of patients with brain tumors. Stacey is primarily involved in the care of patients in clinical trials with the Neuro-Oncology program.
More > Lauren Michelson, NP
Division of Neuro-oncology
Lauren Michelson is a Nurse Practitioner in Neuro-Oncology and has received advance nursing training at a Master level. She collaborates with the Neuro-Oncology physicians in managing the care of patients with brain tumors.
For Division of Neuro-Oncology specific questions, please contact us at: (310) 825-5321.
back to top »
Pediatric Neuro-Oncology
back to top »
Radiation Oncology
For Department of Radiation Oncology specific questions, please call us at: (310) 825-9775.
back to top »
Neuropathology
For Division of Neuropathology specific questions, please contact us at: (310) 825-7230.
back to top »
Neuroradiology
For Division of Neuroradiology specific questions, please contact us at: (310) 301-6800.
Other specialties on the team include:
- Neuroanesthesiology
- Neuropsychology
- Nursing
- Social work
Our team meets on a regular basis to discuss complex cases during tumor boards. During these discussions, we combine the latest clinical advances from research and clinical trials with our subspecialty expertise. Some tumor boards bring together as many as 50 specialists and are “standing room only.”
Contact Us
Call us at (310) 825-5111 or send an email to braintumor@mednet.ucla.edu to request more information or make an appointment. You can also search our physician directory.
back to top »
