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Isaac Yang, MD (he/him/his)

Professor of Neurosurgery
Departments of Neurosurgery, Radiation Oncology, Head and Neck Surgery, Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute, Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA
Los Angeles, CA, US

Isaac Yang M.D. is a Board Certified Neurosurgeon and Director of Medical Student Education in the UCLA Department of Neurosurgery, Professor in Neurosurgery, Head and Neck Surgery, and Radiation Oncology in the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, and a Principal Investigator in the UCLA Brain Tumor Laboratory. As the son of South Korean immigrants, Dr. Yang grew up in the small town of Lodi, California. Dr. Yang’s interest in neurobiology started as an undergraduate as he received his bachelor’s degree with Phi Beta Kappa from the University of California Berkeley. His training followed with a medical degree from the University of California Los Angeles Geffen School of Medicine. Dr. Yang completed a neurological surgery residency at the University of California San Francisco, as well as an NRSA NIH funded F32 post doctoral brain tumor research fellowship.

Dr. Yang’s clinical focus has been primarily on brain tumors both glioblastoma and skull base tumors. His research efforts have examined antigen expression and manipulation of the immune response to glioblastoma. He has previously been recognized with a UCSF Clinical and Translational Scientist Training Award and the CNS Dandy Clinical Research Fellowship. Dr. Yang has been the recipient of several distinguished regional and national awards including the UCSF Medical Center 2010 Exceptional Physician Award, the AANS Integra Brain Tumor Research Award, San Francisco Neurological Society Edwin Boldrey Award for Basic Science Research, American Academy of Neurological and Orthopedic Surgeons Research Award, Kaiser Award for Clinical Research, the national AANS Leksell Radiosurgery Award, and the Tumor Section Ronald L. Bittner Award on Brain Tumor Research.

Dr. Yang has published over 200 publications in peer-reviewed journals, authored over a dozen book chapters, and edited over half a dozen published textbooks. Dr. Yang is highly sought out by peers, patients and the media for his expertise in neurological diseases and brain health. He has made multiple TV appearances on CBS The Doctors, CNN Dr. Drew On Call, and national news outlets. At UCLA, he is currently investigating the utilization of nanoparticles and nanotechnology for the application in brain tumor immunotherapy and vaccines, investigating the role of radiosurgery and Adaptive Hybrid Surgery for skull base tumors, identifying novel biomarkers for meningiomas, and redefining the treatment outcomes for successful skull base surgery in Superior Semicircular Canal Dehiscence. His career is dedicated to improving the care and treatment of all patients with skull base pathology and brain tumors, and he is deeply indebted to his wife Nancy for her support and all of his teachers and mentors who have guided him on this path.

If interested please follow Dr. Yang on Facebook at Isaac Yang UCLA Neurosurgery or find his most recent book Service Minded Physician on Amazon.

Disclosure(s): Baxter: Consultant (Ongoing); Brainlab AG (Munich, Germany): Consultant (Ongoing), Grant/Research Support (Ongoing); Stryker Corp: Grant/Research Support (Ongoing)

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