Gabriel Zada, MD, MS

So excited about our incoming 2026 class representing some of the best and brightest in the country 🎉🧠✨ Congratulations 👏 Dr. David Gomez — USC Dr. Sarah Rivas — Thomas Jefferson Dr. Max Saint-Germain — Johns Hopkins Dr. Michael Tawil — UCSF #ResidencyMatch

🌟 USC Brain Tumor Center Patient Support Group 🌟 Our support group-led by Jinsy Rogers, LCSW, OSW-C-offers a safe and compassionate space for patients to connect, share their experiences, and find comfort in community. Through open conversation, education, and encouragement, we help patients discover strength, hope, and healing together. 🩶 #patientsupport #BrainTumorSupport #BrainTumorCommunity #braintumor #braincancer

Our new @uscbtc study published in the Journal of Neuro-Oncology @JNeurooncol In a national dataset of >3.3M patients, we found: • BSO alone → lower lifetime risk of meningioma • HRT → increased risk • BSO + HRT → highest risk, particularly in women with hormone-driven conditions (fibroids, endometriosis, gynecologic malignancy) Interestingly, patients who developed meningiomas after BSO + HRT were less likely to undergo surgical resection, suggesting these tumors may be more indolent. Important implications for hormonal exposure, risk stratification, and counseling after surgical menopause. Great work by Will Zeng + our USC team. Study:doi.org/10.1007/s11060… #Neurosurgery #endocrinology #obgyn @NeurosurgeryUSC

A huge honor to visit the illustrious @NeurosurgUCSF Department and my alma mater @UCSF as the Boldrey lecturer. Thank you Dr. Edward Chang + the elite faculty & residents for their warm welcome + hospitality! Amazing to see the clinical growth & science evolving in real time. A visit I will always remember. 🙏🏼 #Neurosurgery @USCBTC

🧠✨ Southern California Brain Tumor Conference — Full Day Agenda Highlights (Healthcare Professionals + Patient Program) For Healthcare Professionals: a robust clinical and scientific program featuring: 🔹 Surgical/Neuro-Oncology – modern approaches to brain tumor surgery + GBM immunotherapy 🔹 Clinical Trials – digital pathology & machine learning in classification + emerging metabolic insights 🔹 Translational Research – next-gen immunotherapies, AI-enabled contouring, and novel therapeutic platforms 🔹 Brain Tumor Imaging/Radiation – precision radiation, neuroprotective strategies, and advances in radiosurgery 🎤 Keynote Lecture Spotlight (All Attendees): Patrick Soon-Shiong, MD “Immune Restoration in Glioblastoma: Reframing Standard-of-Care Beyond Cytotoxic and Radiation-Induced Immune Collapse” For Patients & Caregivers (in collaboration with the American Brain Tumor Association): 💜 ABTA resources + community support 💜 Supportive & palliative care for living well with a brain tumor 💜 Couples coping + psychosocial support and the patient perspective 🧾 Poster Session + Reception: Stay for an energizing end-of-day poster session to meet researchers, connect with clinicians, and explore emerging discoveries shaping the future of brain tumor care. ✅ Register now and join us for a powerful, community-centered program! f.mtr.cool/gcytcchxrb #BrainTumor #BrainCancer #braincancerawareness #Glioblastoma #Neurosurgery #RadiationOncology #Neurooncology #ClinicalTrials #TranslationalResearch #PatientSupport #Caregivers #ABTA

March is National Women’s History Month 💜 and we are proud to celebrate the incredible women of the Keck Medicine of USC Brain Tumor Center! From groundbreaking research to compassionate patient care, these dedicated professionals make an immeasurable impact every day. Their expertise, empathy, and leadership drive innovation and hope for those facing a brain tumor diagnosis. Join us in recognizing and appreciating the women who are shaping the future of medicine! #WomensHistoryMonth #NationalWomensHistoryMonth #WomenInMedicine #WomenInHealthcare #BrainTumorCare  #HealthcareLeadership #WomenInScience

Submit your videos on navigation in spine surgery to Neurosurgical Focus: Video by tomorrow.

#ONSNew Safety Profile of Select Perioperative Lumbar Drain Use After Endoscopic Endonasal Surgery bit.ly/4tY81YD by Wishart et al @KECKSchool_USC @CNS_Update @dgolubMD

A new era of precision begins @USCBTC and @NeurosurgeryUSC. #Neurosurgery #RadOnc #MedTwitter #SRS

📢 New Publication | Operative Neurosurgery Our latest @uscbtc + @neurosurgeryusc work- Outstanding work by Ben Fixman PhD & our USC team. Third Ventricular Cavernous Malformations: Approach Selection for Minimally Invasive Resection This paper highlights our contemporary surgical strategy for deep third ventricular cavernous malformations using: 🔹 Supraorbital endoscopic-assisted trans–lamina terminalis approach for anterior lesions 🔹 Port-based trans-sulcal approach with exoscopic + endoscopic (E2E) visualization for superior/foraminal lesions 🔹 Angled endoscopy to enhance visualization and confirm gross total resection We demonstrate in 3 cases how trajectory-based, minimally invasive corridors can provide safe access to one of the most anatomically constrained brain regions. Link: doi.org/10.1227/ons.00… #Neurosurgery #Keyhole #Endoscopy #CavernousMalformation @CNS_Update @NeurosurgeryCNS

Thank you Dr. Bi for leading this timely issue- Looking forward to seeing the great contributions in this space! #Neurosurgery #MedTwitter

Winter is here—and so is a milestone year. ❄️ We’re celebrating the 5th anniversary of the USC Brain Tumor Center, built by the trust of patients and families, the dedication of our teams, and the generosity of donors who believe in this mission. Inside our Winter Edition: ✨ A powerful patient story: 5 years tumor-free after a complex meningioma 🧬 A bold step forward: the Dr. Gabriel Zada Lab’s $1M Meningioma Advancement Campaign ⚡ New technology arriving: Gamma Knife Esprit (frameless radiosurgery)—patients starting Feb 23, 2026 👩‍⚕️ Faculty spotlight: Dr. David Tran 📌 FAQs in our Patient Corner to help demystify clinical trials 🎓 Save the date: March 27, 2026 — Southern California Brain Tumor Conference with keynote Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong Read the newsletter today—f.mtr.cool/uzrhkporjj 💛 Heal On! #BrainTumor #Meningioma #Glioblastoma #ClinicalTrials #Neurosurgery #Radiosurgery #GammaKnife #KeckMedicineOfUSC #PatientStories

Endoscopic pituitary/skull base surgery has transformed the field and how we train. Hear @DoctorZada , MD, MS (USC) at our Annual SFNS Meeting. Register: sfneurological.member365.com/public/event/d… #SFNS26 #Neurosurgery #SurgicalEducation

📢 New Publication | Neurosurgery Proud to share our latest work from the @USCBTC, led by Ishan Shah, now published in @NeurosurgeryCNS 🔍 Key finding: A simple, quantitative T2 MRI signal intensity ratio (TCTI) reliably predicts intraoperative meningioma consistency — with strong diagnostic performance (AUC up to 0.87). Preop imaging can help surgeons anticipate tumor firmness, optimize surgical planning + approaches, instrumentation & enhance patient counseling. A practical tool for surgical planning. #Neurosurgery #Meningioma #BrainTumor #SkullBase #NeuroOncology #MRI @NeurosurgeryUSC Link: doi.org/10.1227/neu.00…

He would make a great neurosurgeon.

This is somewhat incorrect. For some of these PIs, these numbers reflect each year of funding (x 5 years typically for a given R01) rather than each separate award. However, yes they are rock stars and received multiple concurrent R01s. 39 separate R01 awards would be much more than 10.5 M for instance, even if modular budget.

Ever wondered who the real rockstars of R01s from the past 5 years? We ranked the most funded PIs in cancer R01s from 2020–2024. Anyone with persistent effort can (maybe) win one R01. Winning 38–48 of them over 5 years is something else entirely. R01s flow towards people whose ideas repeatedly translate into durable programs. Durability means: • hypotheses that age well • biology that generalizes • institutions that trust you with long arcs • and ideas NIH is willing to underwrite repeatedly ======== Meet the rockstars, their institutions, and an examplary funded research: Allen Gao (University of California, Davis @ucdavis) 48 R01 awards | $14.6M Sample Award: 5R01CA271327 Novel therapeutics dual targeting intracrine androgen synthesis and AR for advanced prostate cancer Xiaoqi Liu (University of Kentucky @universityofky ) 46 R01 awards | $20.3M Sample Award: 5R01CA272483-03 Targeting the PLK1/PDCD4/mTORC2 signaling to treat castration-resistant prostate cancer Tim Rebbeck (Dana-Farber Cancer Institute @DanaFarber) 43 R01 awards | $10.4M Sample Award: 5R01CA259200 Genetic and genomic variation in prostate cancer Shoujiang Gao (University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine @PittTweet) 42 R01 awards | $21.3M Sample Award: 5R01CA284554 Impact of microbiota on AIDS-Kaposi’s sarcoma development and therapy James Basilion (Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine @cwru) 39 R01 awards | $18.2M Sample Award: 5R01CA255925 Highly selective targeted theranostics for prostate cancers Binghui Shen (City of Hope Beckman Research Institute @cityofhope) 39 R01 awards | $16.6M Sample Award: 5R01CA233664 DNA repair gene mutations and prostate cancer Daniela Bota (UC Irvine @UCIMedSchool) 39 R01 awards | $10.4M Sample Award: 5R01CA263806 Targeting p38/JNK MAPK to ameliorate cisplatin-induced adverse sequelae on the nervous system Nan Hao (UC San Diego @UCSDMedSchool) 38 R01 awards | $17.1M Sample Award: 1R01AG086348 Engineered genetic clocks for control of cellular aging Zhenghe Wang (Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine @cwru) 38 R01 awards | $16.8M Sample Award: 4R01CA260629 Role of PTPRT in colon cancer progression and metastasis Tony Faber (Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine) 38 R01 awards | $16.6M Sample Award: 5R01CA276207 MYCN drives a ferroptotic vulnerability in neuroblastoma

📚 There’s a ceiling to what we can learn on our own. Most of what shapes us as surgeons, scientists, and as leaders, comes from proximity. It can include mentors who’ve walked ahead of us as well as lessons found outside of textbooks. 🩺 🖥️ Our latest blog reflects on the mentorship lineage behind SDSC, from a 100-year-old neurosurgery residency at @KECKSchool_USC to some of the earliest open-access surgical video datasets used for computer vision. 🌟 At the center of that story is Dr. @DoctorZada , whose leadership and philosophy left a lasting imprint on our founder, Dr. Daniel Donoho. Before “surgical AI” had a name, there were surgeons asking a simple question: How do we make hard-won surgical wisdom accessible to more people? This piece traces how that question evolved and why it still drives our work today. If you care about surgical training, AI in medicine, or the power of mentorship in shaping innovation, we think you’ll enjoy this one. 🔗 Read on: tinyurl.com/2fen7ruv #SurgicalAI #SurgicalTraining #ComputerVision #Mentorship

📢 New Publication | @TheJNS Proud to share our latest study from the @uscpituitarycenter + @uscbtc, led by Kevin Liu, now published in The Journal of Neurosurgery @thejnspg . 🔍 Key insight: Postoperative day-2 morning cortisol is a highly accurate predictor of long-term secondary adrenal insufficiency after pituitary adenoma surgery—supporting more precise postoperative endocrine management. #Pituitary #Neurosurgery #Endocrinology #BrainTumor @uscbtc @uscneurosurgery thejns.org/doi/abs/10.317…

@rohanpaul_ai I'll take that bet any day of the week. Not even close.

Tesla’s Optimus will beat any human surgeons in 3 years at scale. - “Don’t go into medical school.” - Elon: “Yes. Pointless.” And in 5 years, everyone will have access to medical care thats better than what the presidents receives today ~ Elon Musk

Submit your work to the upcoming Neurosurgical Focus issues!