Neurosurgery Faculty

 

Joel Beckett, MD 
Assistant Professor

Dr. Beckett is a dual-fellowship trained neurosurgeon who specializes in the surgical treatment of spinal disorders such as stenosis, disk herniations, spondylolisthesis, spinal deformity and tumors.  With extensive training in both minimally invasive and complex spinal surgery, he takes pride in working with his patients to customize each treatment plan to achieve their goals. More >

Program:
Spine Center

 

Marvin Bergsneider, MD, FAANS 
Professor  

Dr. Marvin Bergsneider specializes in minimally-invasive and advanced endoscopic techniques for the treatment of pituitary tumors, skullbase tumors, and hydrocephalus.  More >

Pituitary and Skull Base Tumor Program
Brain Tumor Center

 

Manuel M. Buitrago Blanco, MD, PhD
Associate Professor and Executive Council Member

Dr. Buitrago Blanco holds a doctoral degree in Neurosciences. As a board certified Neurologist, with training in Neurocritical Care, he specializes in the treatment of patients with brain related emergencies that require intensive care such as trauma, brain hemorrhages, seizures and stroke. Dr. Buitrago Blanco has conducted research to understand the mechanisms of synaptic plasticity that occur during recovery after neuronal injury, utilizing electrophysiology, proteomics and genomics techniques.  More >

Program:
Neurotrauma and Neurocritical Care

 

Geoffrey P. Colby, MD, PhD, FAANS 
Associate Professor and Director, Residency Training Program

Dr. Geoffrey P. Colby, Director of Cerebrovascular Neurosurgery at UCLA, is a board-certified and fellowship-trained cerebrovascular and endovascular neurosurgeon who specializes in blood vessel (vascular) disorders of the brain and spine. These include brain aneurysms, arteriovenous malformations (AVMs), dural arteriovenous fistulas (dAVFs), subarachnoid hemorrhage, acute stroke, carotid artery stenosis, intracerebral hemorrhage, cavernous malformations, and Moyamoya disease. He offers a comprehensive evaluation and a customized treatment plan based on the most advanced and sophisticated techniques available, including “minimally-invasive” endovascular procedures like flow diversion and coiling. More >

Program:
Cerebrovascular Program

 

Michael Dorsi, MD, FAANS
Assistant Professor

Dr. Dorsi is a board-certified, fellowship-trained neurosurgeon who specializes in the surgical treatment of spinal disorders. He is nationally recognized as a leader in spinal cord stimulation for the treatment of chronic pain. He specializes in spinal stenosis, spondylolisthesis, disc herniation, failed back surgery syndrome and radiculopathy. More >

Programs:
Spine Center
Peripheral Nerve Program

 

Richard Everson, MD, FAANS 
Assistant Professor 
 

Dr. Richard Everson is fellowship-trained brain and spine tumor neurosurgeon who specializes in the treatment of malignant brain tumors. His research focuses on the development of novel immunotherapy treatment of brain tumors. Dr. Everson is available for consultation at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center and Harbor-UCLA Medical Center.  More >

Programs:
Brain Tumor Center
Pituitary and Skull Base Tumor Program

 

 

Aria Fallah, MD, M.Sc., FRCSC 
Assistant Professor

Dr. Aria Fallah is a fellowship trained pediatric neurosurgeon experienced in the surgical management of neurological disorders affecting infants and children. These include medically intractable epilepsy, brain tumors, vascular malformations, spinal dysraphism, neuro-endoscopic management of hydrocephalus and intracranial arachnoid cysts and other congenital malformations of the central nervous system. He has an advanced degree and expertise in Clinical Epidemiology with an active research interest in surgical outcome studies and advanced decision-making models in pediatric neurosurgery. More >

Programs:
Pediatric Neurosurgery
Epilepsy and Functional Neurosurgery

 

Itzhak Fried, MD, PhD, FAANS 
Professor

Dr. Itzhak Frieds research and clinical work is dedicated to the treatment of intractable seizure disorders and epilepsy.  More >

Program:
Epilepsy and Functional Neurosurgery

 

Christopher C. Giza, MD
Professor
Dr. Christopher Giza conducts research investigating the pathobiology of and recovery from developmental traumatic brain injury.  More >

Program:
Neurotrauma and Neurocritical Care

 

Langston T. Holly, MD, FAANS 
Professor and Vice Chair of Clinical Affairs 
Dr. Langston Holly is Co-Director of the UCLA Spine Center in Santa Monica and focuses on minimally invasive and image-guided techniques in the surgical management of degenerative, traumatic and neoplastic spinal disorders.  More >

Program:
Spine Center

 

Jeremiah Johnson, MD, FAANS
Associate Professor 

Dr. Jeremiah Johnson is Associate Professor of Neurosurgery at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA specializing in the surgical and endovascular treatment of complex brain and spinal cord vascular conditions including, brain aneurysms, brain arteriovenous malformations (AVMs), dural arteriovenous fistulas (DAVFs), cavernous malformations, spinal vascular malformations, carotid stenosis, intracranial stenosis, and moyamoya disease including intracranial bypass surgery. He is one of the few dual-trained neurosurgeons in the country who can offer the highest level minimally invasive endovascular and microsurgical solutions to cerebrovascular disorders. More >

Program:
Cerebrovascular Program

 

Linda M. Liau, MD, PhD, MBA, FAANS 
Professor and Chair 
Dr. Linda Liau's clinical expertise is in intra-operative functional brain mapping and use of intra-operative imaging for resection of brain tumors (gliomas, meningiomas, and metastatic tumors). Her research efforts are focused on the molecular biology of brain tumors, gene therapy, immunotherapy, and brain cancer vaccines. Dr. Liau is the current Editor-in-Chief of the the Journal of Neuro-Oncology.  More >

Program:
Brain Tumor Center

 

Daniel Lu, MD, PhD, FAANS, FACS
Professor and Vice Chair of Research 
Dr. Daniel Lu is a member of the UCLA Spine Center in Santa Monica. Dr. Lu's clinical focus is on minimally invasive techniques in the surgical management of degenerative, traumatic, and neoplastic spinal disorders. His research efforts are focused on the molecular biology and regenerative treatment of traumatic spinal cord and brain injury. Dr. Lu has been named to the Southern California Super Doctors® Rising Stars 2016 list. More >

Program:
Spine Center

 

Luke Macyszyn, MD, MA, FAANS 
Associate Professor and Associate Residency Training Program Director

Dr. Luke Macyszyn is a fellowship trained neurosurgeon that is known for his expertise in the surgical treatment of scoliosis, spinal deformities, and spine tumors in children as well as adults. He has vast experience treating complex spinal disorders using traditional as well as cutting edge minimally invasive techniques. Dr. Macyszyn’s research focus is on the development of imaging markers that predict patient outcome after surgery.  More >

Program:
Spine Center

 

Paul M. Vespa, MD, FCCM
Professor

As a neurologist working within Neurosurgery, Dr. Paul Vespa focuses on critical care for the treatment of neurosurgical and stroke patients.  More >

Program:
Neurotrauma and Neurocritical Care

 

Andrew Vivas, MD
Assistant Professor and Associate Residency Training Program Director

Dr. Andrew Vivas is an Assistant Professor of Neurosurgery at UCLA. He is a board-eligible, dual fellowship trained neurosurgeon specializing in the treatment of adult and pediatric spinal deformities such as scoliosis, kyphosis, kyphoscoliosis, and flatback syndrome. He also treats spinal tumors, cervical spine problems, and degenerative conditions of the spine such as stenosis and spondylolisthesis. In addition to neurosurgical training in minimally invasive spine techniques, Dr. Vivas is one of the few surgeons in the country who has also completed an orthopedic spine fellowship, giving him a unique and multidisciplinary perspective in the treatment of spinal conditions. More >

Programs:
Spine Center
Peripheral Nerve Program

 

Anthony Wang, MD, FAANS
Assistant Professor and Associate Residency Training Program Director 

Dr. Wang specializes in pediatric, cerebrovascular, and complex cranial base surgeries, having had the unique experience of fellowship training in each of these subspecialties. Dr. Wang's clinical specialties include pediatric brain tumors, moyamoya disease, aneurysms, skull base tumors, and Chiari malformations. He has also received additional training in scoliosis surgery and brachial plexus surgery. His research focuses on refining immunotherapy for pediatric brain tumors. More >

Programs:
Pediatric Neurosurgery
Cerebrovascular Program
Brain Tumor Center 

 

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 >

Programs:
Brain Tumor Center
Pituitary and Skull Base Tumor Program

 

Fernando Gomez-Pinilla, PhD
Professor and Director of the Neurotrophic Research Laboratory with secondary appointment in Physiological Science

Dr. Fernando Gomez-Pinilla conducts research on mechanisms of repair following traumatic injury to the brain and spinal cord. More >

 

 

Neil G. Harris, PhD 
Professor

Dr. Neil Harris is co-scientific director of the new 7 Tesla magnetic resonance imaging and spectroscopy facility and his research is focused on recovery of function after traumatic brain injury. More>

 

Mayumi Prins, PhD
Professor, Director BIRC Education Program

Dr. Prins’s research interests include understanding the changes in brain metabolism that occur after pediatric traumatic brain injury and how alternative fuels can be used as therapeutic options for the young brain after head injury. In addition to this main focus, she is interested in repeat mild head injuries as they apply to both children and young adult athletes. More >

 

Robert M. Prins, PhD
Professor

Dr. Robert Prins conducts pre-clinical brain tumor immunotherapy research and Phase I clinical trials for malignant brain tumor patients. More >

 

Nanthia Suthana, PhD
Assistant Professor 
 
Dr. Suthana’s research program aims to develop therapeutic cognitive treatments and tools through the characterization of neuronal mechanisms underlying successful human learning and memory.  More >