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Nader Sanai, MD, Neurosurgery, Phoenix, AZ

NaderSanaiMD

Neurosurgery • Phoenix, AZ

Brain & Spinal Tumor, Cerebrovascular Neurosurgery, Skull Base

Director, Neurosurgical Oncology at the Barrow Neurological Institute Director, Ivy Brain Tumor Center at the Barrow Neurological Institute

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  • Office

    2910 N 3rd Ave
    Phoenix, AZ 85013
    Phone+1 602-406-3770
    Fax+1 602-406-6110

Summary

  • I am a neurosurgical oncologist and my practice is devoted to patients with tumors of the brain and spine, particularly those in high-risk areas. I have operated on over 3000 brain tumor patients since 2010 and have extensive experience with intraoperative mapping techniques to identify motor and language function during tumor resection. As Director of the Ivy Brain Tumor Center, I also oversee a dedicated early-phase clinical trials program that specializes in pharmacodynamic- and pharmacokinetic-driven studies for brain cancer. My clinical and laboratory research efforts are funded by over a dozen external granting agencies, including the National Institutes of Health, and are currently supported by $132M of extramural funding. Collectively, my work has led to over 12,000 citations in the literature and first-author studies published in journals such as Nature and The New England Journal of Medicine.

Education & Training

  • Barrow Neurological Institute at St Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center
    Barrow Neurological Institute at St Joseph's Hospital and Medical CenterFellowship, Cerebrovascular & Skull Base Surgery, 2009 - 2010
  • University of California (San Francisco)
    University of California (San Francisco)Residency, Neurological Surgery, 2004 - 2009
  • University of California San Francisco School of Medicine
    University of California San Francisco School of MedicinePost-Doctoral Fellowship, 2006 - 2008
  • University of California (San Francisco) School of Medicine
    University of California (San Francisco) School of MedicineInternship, Transitional Year, 2003 - 2004
  • University of California San Francisco School of Medicine
    University of California San Francisco School of MedicineClass of 2003
  • University of California at San Diego (UCSD)
    University of California at San Diego (UCSD)B.S., Animal Physiology and Neuroscience, Summa Cum Laude, 1998

Certifications & Licensure

  • AZ State Medical License
    AZ State Medical License 2009 - 2026
  • CA State Medical License
    CA State Medical License 2005 - 2025
  • American Board of Neurological Surgery Neurological Surgery

Awards, Honors, & Recognition

  • Academy Award American Academy of Neurological Surgery, 2013
  • National Brain Tumor Foundation Mahaley Award American Association of Neurological Surgeons, 2010
  • Howard Naffziger Resident of the Year Award UCSF Department of Neurological Surgery, 2009
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Clinical Trials

Publications & Presentations

PubMed

Journal Articles

  • Contralateral Interhemispheric, Transfalcine Approach with Asleep Motor Mapping for Parasagittal Lesions near the Medial Precentral Gyrus  
    Nader Sanai, MD, Journal of Neurosurgery
  • Contrasting effects of chronic, systemic treatment with mTOR inhibitors rapamycin and metformin on adult neural progenitors in mice  
    Yael Kusne, Emily Goldberg, Sara S. Parker, Sophie M. Hapak, Irina Maskaykina, Wade M. Chew, Kirsten H. Limesand, Heddwen L. Brooks, Theodore J. Price, Nader Sanai, Ja..., Age, 8/16/2013
  • The Impact of Adjuvant Stereotactic Radiosurgery on Atypical meningioma Recurrence Following Aggressive Microsurgical Resection  
    Douglas A. Hardesty, Andrew Wolf, David Brachman, Heyoung McBride, Emad Youssef, Robert F. Spetzler, and Nader Sanai, Journal of Neurosurgery, 2/8/2013
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Authored Content

  • Preoperative Embolization of Skull Base Meningiomas: Outcomes in the Onyx EraMay 2018

Press Mentions

  • Ivy Brain Tumor Center Expands Global Phase 3 Gliofocus Study to the EU and Additional U.S. States
    Ivy Brain Tumor Center Expands Global Phase 3 Gliofocus Study to the EU and Additional U.S. StatesJanuary 15th, 2025
  • Ivy Brain Tumor Center Builds on Innovative Clinical Trial Program by Appointing New Chief Medical Officer
    Ivy Brain Tumor Center Builds on Innovative Clinical Trial Program by Appointing New Chief Medical OfficerMay 23rd, 2023
  • Arizona Goes All in for Brain Tumor Awareness Month
    Arizona Goes All in for Brain Tumor Awareness MonthMay 1st, 2023
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Grant Support

  • Intraoperative Confocal Microscopy for In Vivo Analysis of Low-Grade GliomasNational Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering2014–Present
  • Phase 0 Study of AZ1775 in Preoperative Glioblastoma PatientsBen & Catherine Ivy Foundation2013–Present
  • Phase 0 Study of Wee1 Small Molecular Inhibitor in Recurrent Glioblastoma Patients Scheduled for Resection to Evaluate Central Nervous System PenetrationAmerican Society of Clinical Oncology2013–Present
  • Molecular Mechanisms Underlying Glioma Invasion of the Human Subventricular ZoneNational Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)2013–Present
  • Spectral Tracking of Human Glioblastoma Stem CellsArizona Biomedical Research Commission2011–Present
  • The Development Of Germinal Zones In The Human BrainNational Institute Of Neurological Disorders And Stroke2007

Committees

  • Member, Executive Committee, American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS) / Congress of Neurological Surgeons (CNS) Section on Tumors 2013 - Present
  • Member, Development Committee, American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS) / Congress of Neurological Surgeons (CNS) Section on Tumors 2013 - Present
  • Self-Assessment in Neurosurgery (SANS) Committee, Congress of Neurological Surgeons 2010 - Present

Professional Memberships

Other Languages

  • Farsi, French

External Links

Dr. Nader Sanai, Dr. Nader Sanai, MD, Dr. N Sanai