UCSF Department of Neurological Surgery

04/03/2026

Last week, our neurosurgery residents spent the day at a hands-on teaching workshop dedicated to micro-suturing techniques for nerve coaptation and vascular anastomosis. These are essential skills for performing nerve repair and bypass surgeries.

“This annual workshop gives opportunities for the junior residents to improve their technical skills in a very safe, stress-free environment and for the seniors to refine their techniques and review anatomy,” said Line Jacques, MD, a UCSF Health peripheral nerve neurosurgeon, the workshop’s lead instructor, and the co-director of our residency program. “Both junior and senior residents can interact with faculty and benefit from each other skills.”

Many thanks to emeritus professor Philip Weinstein, MD, vascular neurosurgeon Ethan Winkler, MD, PhD, and Orlando Merced-O'Neill for sharing their expertise as well as Roberto Rodriguez Rubio, MD, for lending the UCSF Skull Base & Cerebrovascular laboratory's microscopes. We also wish to thank individuals who donate their bodies and tissue for the advancement of education and research.

04/02/2026

Join us next month at our Neuro-Oncology Survivorship Retreat for a day dedicated to connection, reflection, and renewal! This retreat, sponsored by the Sheri Sobrato Brain Cancer Survivorship Program, offers a supportive space for UCSF Health neuro-oncology patients to come together in community, participate in meaningful discussions, and engage in restorative activities focused on healing and well-being.

Register here for this free special event: https://calendar.ucsf.edu/event/2026-neuro-oncology-survivorship-retreat

04/01/2026

There's still time to apply for our sub-internship in ! Throughout the rotation, fourth-year U.S. medical students work closely with our current residents and faculty to learn about all aspects of our busy neurosurgery service.⁠
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Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis until April 20: https://neurosurgery.ucsf.edu/clerkships-sub-internships -140-01-advanced-inpatient-clerkship

03/30/2026

Only two weeks left to apply for an exciting new research opportunity!

Through the EXPANSE program, first- or second-year U.S. medical students who don’t have a neurosurgery residency at their home institution will be placed at one of eight regional neurosurgery centers. There, students will learn core neuroscience techniques and essential research skills under the guidance of both a research mentor and a neurosurgery career mentor.

Apply now: https://neurosurgery.ucsf.edu/expanse-program

03/24/2026

A big congratulations to John Yue, MD for receiving the Sophysa Young Investigator Award from the Congress of Neurological Surgeons (CNS) Foundation! 🎉 This award, generously supported by Sopyhsa USA through the Joint Section on Neurotrauma and Critical Care, recognizes his outstanding work as an early career neurosurgeon committed to advancing care for patients with traumatic brain injuries.

03/20/2026

Today is Match Day, and we're so excited to welcome the three outstanding neurosurgery residents who will be joining our team this year! Congratulations to Anita Kalluri, MD, Young Joon Kim, MD, and Youssef Sibih 🎉

03/20/2026

Apply now for our sub-internship in neurosurgery! Through a four-week rotation, fourth-year U.S. medical students can experience our residency training environment first-hand and contribute to an active neurosurgery service. Rotations are offered from June to October.⁠
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More application instructions here: https://neurosurgery.ucsf.edu/clerkships-sub-internships -140-01-advanced-inpatient-clerkship

03/17/2026

While he was recovering from a severe traumatic brain injury, Scott Hamilton came to trust his neurosurgeon, Dr. Geoff Manley, not just his expertise, but also for his humility and compassion.
“Medicine becomes stronger, not weaker, when it invites patients into the circle of understanding,” he writes in STAT.

When we are ill, we need expertise more than ever, yet our agency feels fragile. The best clinicians recognize this, a patient writes.

03/13/2026

Applications are currently open for our sub-internship in neurosurgery! Through a four-week rotation, U.S. medical students gain hands-on experience with complex cases across neurosurgical subspecialties and are mentored by our expert faculty and residents. ⁠
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More information on how to apply: https://neurosurgery.ucsf.edu/clerkships-sub-internships -140-01-advanced-inpatient-clerkship
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Image description: UCSF neurosurgery residents and a medical student assist neurosurgeon Philip Theodosopoulos, MD, during a procedure. Heading reads, UCSF Neurosurgery Sub-Internship. White text over a navy blue background reads, Applications are open and reviewed on a rolling basis. Two arrows point a blue box with white text that reads, Apply through VSLO portal.

03/11/2026

🔬✨ Expanding what’s possible in minimally invasive spine surgery

UCSF Health spine surgeon Jang Yoon, MD, in collaboration with colleagues at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, demonstrates a full endoscopic peripheral nerve sheath tumor (PNST) resection using a triportal bimanual technique.

Endoscopic spine surgery offers further minimally invasive spine options for lumbar PNSTs — enhancing visualization, precision, and operative flexibility while minimizing tissue disruption.

🎥 Watch the full video here: https://journals.lww.com/onsonline/fulltext/9900/full_endoscopic_peripheral_nerve_sheath_tumor.1783.aspx

Reference: Turlip R., et al. Full Endoscopic Peripheral Nerve Sheath Tumor Resection With Triportal Bimanual Maneuver: 2-Dimensional Operative Video. Oper Neurosurg. 2025 Nov 7. doi: 10.1227/ons.0000000000001839.

03/07/2026

Several recent studies point to an increased risk of developing a meningioma when using the birth control shot. The progesterone in the birth control shot adds fuel for these brain tumors to develop. Progesterone itself doesn't cause meningeal cells to develop oncogenic mutations, but it helps mutated cells grow.

UCSF's David Raleigh, MD, PhD, and Jennifer Kerns, MD, MPH, weigh in on how the elevated brain tumor risk compares to other risks associated with birth control and pregnancy: https://braintumorcenter.ucsf.edu/news/meningiomas-are-associated-some-birth-control

03/05/2026

Apply now for our sub-internship in neurosurgery! This sub-internship gives rising fourth-year U.S. medical students the chance to see what it's like to be a neurosurgery resident at UCSF. Throughout the four-week rotation, students work closely with our current residents and faculty to learn about all aspects of the neurosurgery service.⁠

First rotations start in June, so get your applications in: https://neurosurgery.ucsf.edu/clerkships-sub-internships -140-01-advanced-inpatient-clerkship

Image description: A medical student observes a surgical procedure. Heading reads, UCSF Neurosurgery Sub-Internship. Navy blue text reads, Apply through VSLO portal. Two arrows point a blue box with white text that reads, Applications are open and reviewed on a rolling basis.