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Specialty:: Neurological Surgery
Department Affiliation:: Neurosurgery
Hospital Affiliation:: Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center
State License:: A94314
Health Plans:: Accepted Plans

About Me

Additional Education

NRSA Post Doctoral Brain Tumor Fellowship, UCSF Brain Tumor Research Center, 2008-2009

Dr. Isaac Yang is a neurosurgeon specializing in the surgical treatment and clinical outcomes of adult brain and spinal cord tumors at UCLA with an emphasis on acoustic neuromas, skull base tumors, and state of the art, intra-operative brain motor and neurophysiologic mapping to safely maximize tumor resection.

Dr. Yang is experienced in neuro-oncology surgical treatment for patients with very complex brain tumors, skull base tumors, acoustic neuromas, meningiomas, astrocytomas, oligodendrogliomas, anaplastic astrocytomas, and glioblastomas. Dr. Yang has received a number of national awards and grants to honor his research work in brain tumors and excellence in treating and caring for patients. 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. Dr. Yang is collaborating with the UCLA NanoSystems Institute to utilize novel nanoparticles in cutting edge use of nanoparticles for potential brain tumor treatments and immunotherapy. In addition to his basic science research, Dr. Yang conducts research efforts into brain tumor outcomes of patients with brain tumors seeking to maximize safe and effective treatments for patients with brain tumors.

As the oldest son of South Korean immigrants, Isaac Yang was born in Chicago, Illinois and grew up in Lodi, California in the central valley. Dr. Yang received his undergraduate degree from UC Berkeley with a double major in Molecular and Cell Biology emphasis in Neurobiology and Social Welfare emphasis in Sociology with highest honors and Phi Beta Kappa.

Dr. Yang earned his medical degree from the UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine with AOA honors and publishing his early brain tumor research earning the UCLA Lasky Memorial Research Award. He matriculated to his residency at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) where he graduated with Naffziger Resident of the Year honors. While at UCSF, Dr. Yang also completed a postdoctoral fellowship in brain tumor molecular biology and immunotherapy in the UCSF Brain Tumor Research Center. Dr. Yang is dedicated to improving the care and treatment of all patients with brain tumors.

Patient Stories

Superior Canal Dehiscence Syndrome (SCDS) - Karrie's Story

Links

neurosurgery.ucla.edu
uclahealth.org/braintumor

Primary Office: Neurosurgery
Primary Address: 300 Stein Plaza
Suite 420
Los Angeles, California 90095
: Get Directions
: View Map
Phone: 310-825-5111
Fax: 310-825-7245
Secondary Office: Neurosurgery
Secondary Address: 300 Stein Plaza
Suite 420
Los Angeles, California 90095
: Get Directions
: View Map
Phone: 310-825-5111
Fax: 310-825-7245

Medical Board Certifications: Neurological Surgery, American Board of Neurological Surgery, 2015
Residency: Neurological Surgery, UCSF Department of Neurological Surgery, 2005-2010
Internship: Surgery, UCSF Department of Surgery, 2004-2005
Degree: UCLA School of Medicine, MD, 2004

Interests

Acoustic Neuromas
Anaplastic astrocytoma (grade III glioma)
Anaplastic astrocytoma (grade III glioma)
Astrocytoma (grade II gliomas)
Brain Injury
Brain Stem Gliomas
Brain Tumor
Cavernous Angiomas
Chiari Malformation
Chondrosarcomas
Chordomas
CNS Lymphoma
Concussion
Craniopharyngiomas
Dermoid cysts
Ependymoma
Epidermoid Tumors
Facial Pain
Facial/Hemifacial Spasms
Gangliomas
General Neurosurgery
Gliobastoma (grade IV glioma)
Glomus jugulare tumors
Head Trauma
Head Trauma
Intracerebral Hemorrhage
Intracerebral Hemorrhage
Lipoma
Medulloblastomas
Medulloblastomas
Meningiomas
Metastatic Cancer - Brain Cancer from other organs
Microvascular Surgery
Minimally Invasive Surgery
Muscle Biopsy
Nerve Tumor
Oligodendroglioma
Oncology
Optic Nerve gliomas
Petrous apex cholesterol granuloma
Pilocytic astrocytoma (grade I glioma)
Pineal tumor/cyst
Skull Base Tumors
Spinal Cord Tumors
Spine / Back Surgery
Spine Surgery Instrumentation
SSCD (Superior Semicircular Canal Dehiscence)
SSCD (Superior Semicircular Canal Dehiscence)
Stereotactic Biopsy
Stereotactic Biopsy
Stereotactic Radiosurgery
Stereotactic Radiosurgery
Syringomyelia
Syringomyelia
Tic Douloureux
Tic Douloureux
Trigeminal Neuralgia
Trigeminal Neuralgia
Vascular Tumors

Research Interests

Associate Professor and Neurosurgeon specializing in adult brain and spinal cord tumors at UCLA, Dr. 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.

Publications

Link to my PubMed publications »

Peer Reviewed Publications

Berg J, Chandrasoma S, Yang I, Lynch JB, Walling A. Learning about bioterrorism and chemical warfare - Medical students explore key threats. Western Journal of Medicine, 2002. 176 (1): p. 58-59.
Liau LM and Yang I. Microarrays and the genetic analysis of brain tumors. Current Genomics, 2002. 3 (1): p. 33-41
Thakur A, Yang I, Lee MY, Goel A, Ashok A, and Fonkalsrud EW. Increasing social capital via local networks: Analysis in the context of a surgical practice. American Surgeon, 2002. 68 (9): p. 776-9. PMID: 12356148
Thakur A, Yang I, Lin A, Buchmiller-Crair T, Fonkalsrud EW. Management of ovarian cysts in women undergoing restorative proctocolectomy for ulcerative colitis. American Surgeon, 2003. 69 (4): p. 339-42. PMID: 12716094
Yang I, Kremen TJ, Giovannone A, Paik E, Odesa SK, Prins RM, and Liau LM. Modulation of major histocompatibility class I molecules and MHC-bound immunogenic peptides by interferon-a and interferon-? treatment of human glioblastomas. Journal of Neurosurgery, 2004. 100: p. 310-319. PMID: 15086239
Bergsneider M, Yang I, Hu X, McArthur DL, Cook SW, and Boscardin WJ. Relationship between valve opening pressure, body position, and intracranial pressure in normal pressure hydrocephalus: Paradigm for selection of programmable valve pressure setting. Neurosurgery, 2004. 55 (4): p. 851-859. PMID: 15458593
Boudreau C, Yang I, and Liau LM. Gliomas: Advances in molecular analysis and characterization. Surgical Neurology, 2005. 64 (4): p. 286-294. PMID: 16229087
Yang I, Barbaro NM. Advances in the radiosurgical treatment of epilepsy. Epilepsy Currents, 2007. 7 (2): p. 31-35. PMID: 17505557
DeIpolyi AR, Yang I, Buckley A, Larson DA, Smith V, Barbaro NM, Cheung SW, Parsa AT. Fluctuating response of a cystic vestibular schwannoma to radiosurgery. Neurosurgery, 2008. 62(5):p. 1164-5. PMID: 18580785
Yang I, Lawton MT. Clipping of complex aneurysms with fenestration tubes: application and assessment of three types of clip techniques. Neurosurgery, 2008. 62 ONS (2): p. 371-9. PMID: 18596517
Yang I, DeIpolyi A, Rubenstein J, Bolen A, Parsa AT. Sarcoidosis of the pineal gland with granulomatous inflammation. Journal of Neuro-Oncology, 2009. 91(1): p. 113-6. PMID: 18759061
Yang I, Aranda D, Han SJ, Chennupati S, Sughrue ME, Cheung SW, Pitts LH, Parsa AT Hearing preservation after stereotactic radiosurgery for vestibular schwannoma: A systematic review. J Clin Neurosci. 2009 Jun;16(6):742-7. PMID: 19303780
Han S, Yang I, Tihan T, Chang SM, Parsa AT. Secondary gliosarcoma: a review of clinical features and pathological diagnosis. J Neurosurg. 2009 May 1. [Epub] PMID: 19408981
Yang I, Sughrue ME, Han S, Fang S, Aranda D, Cheung SW, Pitts LH, Parsa AT. Facial nerve preservation after vestibular schwannoma Gamma Knife radiosurgery. J Neurooncol. 2009. May93(1): p. 41-8. PMID: 19430881
Sughrue ME, Yang, I, Aranda D, Lobo K, Pitts LH, Cheung SW, Parsa AT. The natural history of untreated sporadic vestibular schwannomas: A comprehensive review of hearing outcomes. J Neurosurg. 2009 Jun 19. PMID: 19538047
Han S, Yang I, Tihan T, Prados MD, Parsa AT. Primary Gliosarcoma: Key clinical and pathologic distinctions from glioblastoma with implications as a unique oncologic entity. J Neurooncol. 2009 Jul 18. PMID: 19618114
Yang I, Sughrue ME, Aranda D, Han S, Chennupati S, Cheung SW, Pitts LH, Parsa AT. A Comprehensive analysis of hearing preservation after radiosurgery for vestibular schwannoma. J Neurosurg. 2009 Sep 11. PMID: 19747043
Chou D, Eltgroth M, Yang I, Lu D, Manley GT. Rib head disarticulation for multi-level transpedicular thoracic corpectomies and expandable cage reconstruction technical note. Neurol India. 2009 Jul-Aug;57(4):469-74. PMID: 19770550
Bloch O, Jian B, Yang I, Han SH, Aranda D, Ahn B, Parsa AT. A systematic review of intracranial chondrosarcoma and survival. J Clin Neurosci. 2009 Sep 29. PMID: 19796952
Yang I, Aghi M. New advances that enable identification of glioblastoma recurrence. Nat Rev Clin Oncol. 2009 Oct 6. PMID: 19806145
Sughrue ME, Yang I, Kane AJ, Rutkowski MJ, Fang S, James CD, Parsa AT. Immunological considerations of modern animal models of malignant primary brain tumors. J Transl Med. 2009 Oct 8;7(1):84.PMID: 19814820
Han S, Yang I, Otero JJ, Ahn BJ, Tihan T, McDermott MW, Berger MS, Chang SM, Parsa AT. Secondary gliosarcoma after diagnosis of glioblastoma: clinical experience with 30 consecutive patients. J Neurosurg. 2009 Oct 9. [Epub] PMID: 19817543
Yang I, Paik E, Huh NG, Parsa AT, Ames CP. Giant thoracic schwannoma presenting with abrupt onset of abdominal pain: a case report. J Med Case Reports. 2009 Oct 30; 3(88) PMID: 19946504
Yang I, Han SJ, Parsa AT. Heat shock protein vaccines as active immunotherapy against human gliomas. Expert Rev Anticancer Ther. 2009 Nov. 9 (11) p. 1577-1582. PMID: 19895242
Han SJ, Ahn BJ, Waldron JS, Yang I, Fang S, Crane CA, Pieper RO, Parsa AT. Gamma interferon-mediated superinduction of B7-H1 in PTEN-deficient glioblastoma patients: A paradoxical mechanism of immune evasion. NeuroReport. 2009 Oct 28. PMID: 19875977
Yang I, Han SJ, Kaur G, Crane C, Parsa AT. The Role of microglia in central nervous system immunity and glioma immunology. J Clin Neurosci. 2009 Nov 17. PMID: 19926287
Kane A, Yang I. Interferon gamma in brain tumor immunotherapy. Neurosurg Clin N Am. 2010 Jan;21(1):77-86.PMID: 19944968
Yang I, Huh NG, Smith ZA, Han SJ, Parsa AT. Distinguishing glioma recurrence from treatment effect after radiochemotherapy and immunotherapy. Neurosurg Clin N Am. 2010 Jan;21(1):181-6.PMID: 19944976
Jian B, Yang I, Parsa AT. Monitoring immune responses after glioma vaccine immunotherapy. Neurosurg Clin N Am. 2010 Jan;21(1):195-9.PMID: 19944978
Kaur G, Han SJ, Yang I, Crane CA. Microglia and central nervous system immunity. Neurosurg Clin N Am. 2010 Jan;21(1):43-51.PMID: 19944965
Yang I, Fang S, Parsa AT. Heat shock proteins in glioblastomas. Neurosurg Clin N Am. 2010 Jan;21(1):111-23.PMID: 19944971
Han SJ, Kaur G, Yang I, Lim M. Biologic principles of immunotherapy for malignant gliomas. Neurosurg Clin N Am. 2010 Jan;21(1):1-16.PMID: 19944962
Sughrue ME, Yang I, Aranda D, Rutowski M, Fang S, Cheung SW, Parsa AT. Beyond audiofacial morbidity after vestibular schwannoma surgery. J Neurosurg. 2009 Nov 27. PMID: 19943734
Sughrue ME, Yang I, Han SJ Aranda D Kane AJ, Amolis M, Smith Z. Parsa AT. Non-audiofacial morbidity after Gamma Knife radiosurgery for vestibular schwannoma: A Comprehensive Review of the Literature. Neurosurg Focus. 2009 Dec;27(6):E4.PMID: 19951057
Jian B, Bloch O, Yang I, Han SJ, Aranda D, Parsa AT. Adjuvant radiation therapy and chondroid chordoma subtype are associated with a lower tumor recurrence rate of cranial chordoma. Journal of Neurooncology 2009. Dec 2 PMID: 19953297
Han SJ, Yang I, Ahn BJ, Ortero JJ, Tihan T, McDermott MW, Berger MS, Prados MD, Parsa AT. Clinical characteristics and outcomes for a modern series of primary gliosarcoma patients. Cancer. 2010 Jan 5. PMID: 20052717
Clark AJ, Ivan M, Sughrue ME, Yang I, Aranda D, Han SJ, Kane AJ, Parsa AT. Tumor control after surgery and radiotherapy for pineocytoma. J Neurosurg. 2010. PMID: 20136388
Yang I, Sughrue ME, Rutkowski MJ, Kaur R, Ivan ME, Aranda D, Barani IJ, Parsa AT. Craniopharyngioma: a comparison of tumor control with various treatment strategies. Neurosurg Focus. 2010 Apr

In The News

More information on Dr. Yang

"I do my best for my patients" (Korea Times) - Note: article in Korean
Cutting-Edge Skull Surgery for Rare Condition (The Doctors, April 2015)
Special Olympics Athlete Gives Surgeon His Gold Medal After Life-Saving Brain Surgery (People, July 2016)
‘Gracias a mi doctor pude competir en las Olimpiadas Especiales’ (2016) - Note: article in Spanish
Woman Who Could Hear Her Own Body Sounds Get Life Back (ABC’s Good Morning America, September 2015)
Indiana woman, has op to cure condition that meant she could hear mechanics of her body (UK's Daily Mail, September 2015)
Indiana woman who suffered for seven months with a rare disorder that constantly broadcast into her ears the sounds of her eyeballs moving, heart beating, footsteps echoing and food digesting (Fox News 11, September 2015)
UCLA doctors perform life-changing surgery on woman plagued by internal sounds of her body (UCLA Newsroom, September 2015)
UCLA Doctors Treat Woman Who Can Hear Her Body Working Due to Rare Condition (KTLA 5, September 2015)
WEIRD SCIENCE: Woman Can Hear Her Body Working (Bill Carroll Show, September 2015)
Internal Hearing Surgery (KCBS/KCAL, September 2015)
Lodi’s Isaac Yang receives award for medical, teaching excellence (lodinews.com, March 2015)
Nationally lauded medical educator invests in success of his students (newsroom.ucla.edu, February 2015)
UCLA Students rally against Alzheimer's (Aging Today, Jul-Aug 2011)
Dr. Yang to receive award (Daily Bruin, April 2011)
About Dr. Yang (Korea Times, PDF in Korean language, April 2011) Note: article in Korean
UCSF recognizes exceptional physicians (UCSF, May 2010)
Neurosurgery chief resident receives UCSF Medical Center Exceptional Physician Award (UCSF, April, 2010)
Winners of 62nd Annual Meeting of the SF Neurological Society in Sonoma, CA San Francisco Neurological Society, February 2010)
Dr. Isaac Yang honored for breakthrough research (LodiNews.com, May 2009)
Brain tumor research earns young doctor honors (RecordNet.com, May 2009)
Live-Tweet Surgery (headandnecksurgery.ucla.edu)

Awards

Honors and Special Awards

UCLA Gold Humanism Honor Society Inaugural Selection Committee 2015
UCLA AMSA Faculty Mentor Award 2015
National Golden Apple Excellence in Teaching Award, AMSA 2015
Presented at the 65th national AMSA meeting Washington D.C.
UCLA Neurosurgery Batzdorf Resident Teaching Award 2014
UCLA DGSOM Outstanding PBL Tutor Award 2014
UCLA DGSOM Tow Humanism in Medicine Award 2014
Southern California Super Doctors 2014
American Association of Neurological Surgeons CME Award 2014
UCLA AMSA Golden Apple Award 2014
UCLA Neurosurgery Batzdorf Resident Teaching Award 2013
Southern California Super Doctors Rising Star 2013
NIH Early Career Reviewer for Center for Scientific Review 2013
AANS/CNS Scientific Program Chair Tumor and Meningioma Symposium 2013
Jacob David Glezer Memorial Brain Tumor Research Award 2013
David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA 2013
Excellence in Education Award
STOP CANCER Research Career Development Award 2013
UCLA AMSA Advisor Award 2013
UCLA National Society of Collegiate Scholars Distinguished Member 2013
UCLA Neurosurgery Batzdorf Resident Teaching Award 2012
Congress of Neurological Surgeons (CNS) 2012
Synthes Skull Base Research Award
National Society of Collegiate Scholars Distinguished Honorary Inductee 2012
Korean American Spine Society Presentation Scholarship 2012
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s Young Leader Award Nominee 2012
UCLA Honberger Endowment Brain Tumor Research Seed Grant 2012
UC Berkeley Mark Bingham Alumni Award Nominee 2012
UCLA Mortar Board Honor Society Honorary Inductee 2012
UCLA DGSOM AMSA 2012 Golden Apple Award 2012
American Association Neurological Surgeons 2012
American Brain Tumor Association Young Investigator Award
Technology Review TR35 Innovator Nomination 2012
UCLA AMSA Foundation Award 2012
STOP CANCER Jason Dessel Memorial Seed Grant 2012

UCLA Neurosurgery Batzdorf Silver Teaching Award 2011
UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center 2011
UCLA Scholars in Translational Medicine Program Award 2011
American Association Neurological Surgeons Ronald Bittner Award for Best Brain Tumor Research Abstract Paper 2011
Stein Oppenheimer UCLA Endowment Award 2011
American Medical Student Association Excellence in Mentorship Award 2011
UCLA Golden Key Honor Society Honorary Inductee along with Chancellor Gene Block 2011
Western Neurosurgical Society Basic Science Research Award 2010
UCSF Department of Neurological Surgery 2010 Howard Naffzigger Resident of the Year Award
San Francisco State University Cellular Neuroscience 2010 Spring 2010 Teaching Award
UCSF Department of Neurological Surgery 2010 Susan Eastwood Memorial Award
American Medical Student Association 2010 Golden Apple Award
University of California San Francisco (UCSF) Medical Center 2010 2010 Exceptional Physician Award
University of California San Francisco (UCSF) School of Medicine 2010 Clinical & Translational Science Resident Research Award
American Association Neurological Surgeons 2010 Integra Foundation Brain Tumor Research Award
San Francisco Neurological Society 2010 Edwin F. Boldrey Award for Basic Science Research
American Medical Student Association 2009 Golden Scalpel Award
American College of Surgeons 2009 National Resident Teaching Finalist
University of California San Francisco (UCSF) School of Medicine 2009 Outstanding Teaching Award
American Academy of Neurological and Orthopedic Surgeons 2009 Resident Research Award
University of California San Francisco (UCSF) Dept of Surgery 2009 Englebert Dunphy Resident Research Selection
San Francisco Neurological Society 2009 Kaiser Award for Clinical Research
Neurosurgery Clinics of North America 2009 Guest Editor
American Association Neurological Surgeons 2009 Leksell Radiosurgery Award
University of California San Francisco Brain Tumor Research Center 2009 Clinical and Translational Scientist Training Research Award
NIH Research Training Grant (NINDS) F32 CA132489-01A1 2008 Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (NRSA)
Congress of Neurological Surgeons (CNS) 2007 Dandy Clinical Research Fellowship Award
American Medical Student Association 2005 Distinguished Mentor Award
UCLA School of Medicine Dean’s Scholar Outstanding Thesis Award 2004
Lasky Memorial Research Award of the UCLA School of Medicine 2004
Alpha Omega Alpha (AOA) Medical Honor Society 2003
American Medical Student Association (AMSA) Golden Apple Award 2001,2003
Letters of Distinction at UCLA School of Medicine 2001-2002
UC Berkeley Social Welfare Scholastic Award 2000
UC Berkeley Academic Senate Outstanding Graduate Instructor 1999
Phi Beta Kappa (Alpha of California Chapter) 1999
UC Berkeley McLaughlin-Willits Scholarship 1998-1999
UC Berkeley Chemistry Dept. Outstanding GSI Teaching Award 1997,1998
UC Berkeley Michael J. Koll Scholarship 1997-1999

Research Awards and Grants

Grant: NCI F32CA132489-01A1 Title: PI(3)K/Akt/mTOR pathway activation and immunoresistance Principle Investigator: Yang I Sponsor: Parsa AT Total Project Period: 7/2008-6/2009 Amount of annual direct support : $45,000.00 Specific Aims: To evaluate PI3K mediated immunoresistance in glioma
Grant: UCSF Clinical and Translational Scientist Training Award Title: Treatment for vestibular schwannomas Principle Investigator: Yang I Sponsor: Parsa AT Total Project Period: 11/2008-12/2009 Amount of annual direct support : $2,000.00 Specific Aims: To evaluate surgical and radiosurgical treatment of vestibular schwannomas
Grant: Congress of Neurological Surgeons Dandy Clinical Research Award Title: Immunologic markers in patients with glioblastoma Principle Investigator: Yang I Sponsor: Parsa AT Total Project Period: 07/2007-06/2008 Amount of annual direct support : $25,000.00 Specific Aims: To evaluate and analyze immunologic markers and T cell infiltrates in patients with glioma

Webinar URL: Webinars
Cancer Treatment for Brain Metastasis
New Treatment for Superior Semicircular Canal Dehiscence
Acoustic Neuromas: Latest Treatments
Meningiomas

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