In the News
UCLA Neurosurgery In The News
UCLA Health launches clinical trial using personalized cancer vaccine to tackle aggressive brain tumors in adolescents and young adults
With the help of a grant from the Department of Defense, UCLA investigators initiate first-in-human clinical trial to evaluate the safety of a personalized cancer vaccine in young patients with diffuse hemispheric glioma
In an effort to combat one of the most lethal forms of pediatric brain cancer, researchers at the UCLA Health Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center are launching a first-of-its-kind clinical trial to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of a cancer vaccine targeting H3 G34-mutant diffuse hemispheric glioma, a highly aggressive brain tumor that is typically found in adolescents and young adults.
This type of brain tumor is primarily characterized by a particular mutation of the H3-3A gene, which encodes an important regulatory component on histone H3. This mutation leads to significant disruptions in RNA processing, with wide-ranging influences on cancer behavior and response to treatment. The vaccine, developed at UCLA, is designed to target these genetic mutations in these tumors.
Researchers receive McKnight award to study the evolution of deadly brain cancer
Scientist Dr. Aparna Bhaduri, assistant professor of medicine and biological chemistry, and neurosurgeon Dr. Kunal Patel, assistant professor of neurosurgery, both part of the UCLA Health Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, have received the 2024 Neurobiology of Brain Disorders Award from the McKnight Endowment Fund for Neuroscience, which supports innovative research by U.S. scientists who are studying neurological and psychiatric diseases.
The award, $300,000 over the next three years, supports their efforts in gaining a deeper understanding of the microenvironment's role in shaping human glioblastoma, an aggressive type of brain cancer that is fast growing and difficult to treat.
Neurosurgeon-scientist elected to Taiwan’s prestigious Academia Sinica
Dr. Linda Liau is one of 28 new Academicians elected to Taiwan’s national academy
Dr. Linda Liau has been elected as an Academician of Academia Sinica by the 35th Convocation of Academicians, the preeminent academic institution in Taiwan.
The Academia Sinica, Taiwan's equivalent of the National Academy of Sciences, recognizes Liau’s distinguished career as a neurosurgeon and scientist that spans over 30 years and her seminal scientific contributions to the field of brain tumor immunotherapy. Her pioneering work developing and refining treatment strategies for brain tumors has led to one of the first personalized vaccines for people with glioblastoma, an aggressive and fast-growing type of brain tumor.
Here's why Joni Mitchell's performance at the Newport Folk Festival is so incredible
Dr. Anthony Wang is interviewed for NPR
Joni Mitchell's surprise performance at the Newport Folk Festival on Sunday is already becoming the stuff of legend. The unsuspecting crowd roared as the singer-songwriter stepped onto the stage in her first public performance since suffering a debilitating brain aneurysm in 2015. Dr. Anthony Wang, a neurosurgeon at Ronald Reagan UCLA Hospital, is among those who are astounded by Mitchell's recovery. "To be able to recover to the point of being able to perform as a musician is really incredible," Wang told NPR. Brain surgeons often use "return-to-work" as a marker of a successful functional recovery, he explained. "But very rarely is that work quite so nuanced."
Brain Implant Restores Visual Perception to the Blind
With wireless device, people without sight can detect motion, distinguish light and dark
Seven years ago, Jason Esterhuizen was in a horrific car crash that destroyed his eyes, plunging him into total darkness. Today, he's regained visual perception and more independence, thanks to an experimental device implanted in his brain by researchers at UCLA Health. "Now I can do things that I couldn't do before," said Esterhuizen, 30, who moved from his native South Africa to participate in the clinical trial at UCLA. "I can sort the laundry, find my way in lighted hallways without using a cane and cross the street more safely. It's making my life much easier."
Full Story on uclahealth.org >
California's UCLA and Theseus AI announce license agreement for technology that interprets spine MRIs
UCLA signed a license agreement with Theseus AI for technology developed at UCLA that uses artificial intelligence to interpret MRI scans of patients' spines.
Developed by a team of UCLA researchers, the software suite is intended to provide health care professionals with data that helps diagnose and treat back pain, and can help identify people who would be candidates for spine surgery.
Led by Dr. Luke Macyszyn, a neurosurgeon at the UCLA Spine Center, the team created an algorithm trained by machine learning to provide objective measurements of spinal stenosis — the narrowing of spaces within the spine — from MRIs. The algorithm also compares the measurements to those of patients of the same gender and similar age and height to determine the degree of the disease. Theseus will integrate the algorithm into picture archiving, communication systems and electronic health records to provide radiologists, surgeons and primary care physicians with accurate and consistent identification and measurement of key features of the spine.
California's First Deep Brain Stimulation for Epilepsy Following FDA Approval
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the use of a procedure that is highly beneficial for people with movement disorders such as Parkinson's disease to treat some patients with severe epilepsy. The procedure, deep brain stimulation (DBS), involves implantation of a “brain pacemaker” to send electrical impulses to targeted areas of the brain to relieve symptoms and reduce seizures. Last November, the UCLA Seizure Disorder Center and Department of Neurosurgery performed California's first DBS procedure for epilepsy following the FDA approval
Full Story on UCLA Health Connect >
Exploring the human brain with virtual reality
Virtual-reality technology is being used to decode the inner workings of the human brain. By tasking people and rodents with solving puzzles inside virtual spaces, neuroscientists hope to learn how the brain navigates the environment and remembers spatial information. In this documentary, Shamini Bundell visits three neuroscience labs that are using virtual-reality technology to explore the brain. She uncovers the many benefits — and unsolved challenges — of performing experiments in virtual worlds. Full Story on Nature.com >
'I Love What I Do' - Internationally Renowned Brain Surgeon Dr. Linda Liau
Spectrum News 1 Anchor Giselle Fernandez and LA Stories spent time with internationally renowned brain surgeon Dr. Linda Liau at the University of California Los Angeles. Dr. Liau grew up near Los Angeles' inner city and today, she's recognized for developing and refining innovative treatments to tackle glioblastoma, the most aggressive and lethal type of brain tumor. Video on spectrumnews1.com > Additional Videos: https://bit.ly/2Ig2mcv | https://bit.ly/2Kw92VW | https://bit.ly/2uX8LRt | https://bit.ly/2GgG8oC |
The Price Humans Pay for Sophisticated Brains
Medical Xpress, Israel 21C and Technology Networks reported on a study co-authored by Itzhak Fried, MD, PhD, a professor of neurosurgery and psychiatry, suggesting that the activity of single neurons deep in the brain could explain humans' intelligence and greater susceptibility to psychiatric disorders than primates.
Full Story on MedicalXpress.com >
Pioneering Brain Study Reveals ‘Software' Differences Between Humans and Monkeys
Neuroscientists have for the first time discovered differences between the ‘software' of humans and monkey brains, using a technique that tracks single neurons.
They found that human brains trade off ‘robustness' — a measure of how synchronized neuron signals are — for greater efficiency in information processing. The researchers hypothesize that the results might help to explain humans' unique intelligence, as well as their susceptibility to psychiatric disorders.
Full Story on Nature.com >
Out From the Dark: Sam Shields' Two-Year Journey Back from Concussion
Dr. Christopher Giza, director of UCLA's Steve Tisch Brain Sports program, explains that most concussion treatments “are focused on the first four weeks after the injury: monitoring symptoms, avoiding re-injury, engaging in a modest level of activity, and just letting time pass. That kind of management doesn't tend to work when you are outside that four-week gap.”
Full Story on Sports Illustrated.com >
Spinal Cord Stimulator Restores Bladder Control
WESTWOOD (KABC) -- Hinesh Patel broke his neck and damaged his spine when he fell off a balcony last year. The 29-year-old M.D. and Ph.D. student has traveled the world and lived a very active lifestyle. He's starting to regain mobility, but so far, not the ability to urinate without a catheter. University of California, Los Angeles' Dr. Daniel Lu is running his second study using a magnet to stimulate the part of the spinal cord that controls bladder function.
Full Story on abc7.com >Additional Coverage: Ivanhoe News
Doctors Discover Happy Giggling Baby was Having Laughing Seizures Caused by Brain Tumor
When baby Jack laughed for hours a day, his parents just thought he was happy at first. But they later discovered a rare brain tumor was causing his unusual behavior. Jack Young, from the county of Somerset, southeast England, U.K., started laughing when he was around two-weeks-old, PA Real Life reported. That's weeks before the 4 month milestone when most children start to laugh.
Story on newsweek.com >
UCLA Cell Study Reveals How Head Injuries Lead to Serious Brain Diseases
UCLA biologists have discovered how head injuries adversely affect individual cells and genes that can lead to serious brain disorders.“Every cell type is different,” said Fernando Gomez-Pinilla, a UCLA professor of neurosurgery and of integrative biology and physiology, and co-senior author of the study, which was published in the journal Nature Communications
Spine Surgeon Leader to Know: Dr. Langston Holly of UCLA Health
Langston T. Holly, MD, is a board-certified neurosurgeon and co-director at UC Los Angeles Spine Center in Santa Monica. Dr. Holly is a professor and co-vice chair of clinical affairs for UCLA Health's neurosurgery department. Becker's Spine Review published a profile of Dr. Langston Holly, neurosurgeon and co-director of the UCLA Spine Center in Santa Monica, as part of its spine surgeon "leaders to know" series.
National Academy of Medicine Taps UCLA Neurosurgeon
Dr. Linda Liau, an internationally renowned neurosurgeon-scientist at UCLA, has been elected to the National Academy of Medicine. The university announced Oct. 15 that the chair of the neurosurgery department at the David Geffen School of Medicine had received one of the highest honors in the fields of health and medicine. Story on labusinessjournal.com > Additional Coverage: beckersspine.com | nbclosangeles.com | mynewsla.com | dailybruin.com | newsroom.ucla.edu | uclahealth.org.
Nature: Immunotherapy Offers Promise Against Brain Cancer
Immunotherapy offers promise against brain cancer - Dr. Linda Liau, chair of neurosurgery at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and a member of the UCLA Health Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, was featured in a Nature story about innovative strategies researchers are using to retrain the immune system to defeat brain cancer. Liau invented one of the first personalized vaccines for glioblastoma, the most deadly form of brain cancer.
CDC issues first guidelines for treating pediatric concussion
Dr. Christopher Giza, director of the UCLA Steve Tisch BrainSPORT Program and a professor of pediatrics and neurosurgery at UCLA's David Geffen School of Medicine and UCLA Mattel Children's Hospital, was interviewed by Sacramento-based Capital Public Radio about new guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on the diagnosis and treatment of pediatric concussions.
How You Could Be Making Your Kid's Concussion Worse | UCLA Health News
Featuring Dr. Christopher Giza. Survey: Most parents rely on outdated advice that can prolong symptoms, cause emotional distress. A new survey reveals many parents would rely on outdated advice when caring for a child with a concussion, inadvertently making matters worse.
Watch Video on YouTube >
Richard's Story - SSCD | UCLA Health News
Featuring Dr. Isaac Yang. Out of the blue, Richard Barron, 48, woke up deaf in one ear. The University of Maine women's basketball coach was ultra-sensitive to noise--the sound of someone loading the dishwasher was excruciating. Even stranger, Richard began hearing his bones creak and his eyelids move.
Watch Video on YouTube >
Get With The Guidelines-Stroke Gold Plus Quality Achievement Award
American Heart Association Award recognizes UCLA's commitment to quality stroke care. UCLA has received the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association's Get With The Guidelines®-Stroke Gold Plus Quality Achievement Award. The award recognizes the hospital's commitment to ensuring stroke patients receive the most appropriate treatment according to nationally recognized, research-based guidelines based on the latest scientific evidence.
Get With The Guidelines®-Stroke Overview >
Personalized Cancer Vaccine May Increase Long-term Survival in Patients With Deadly Brain Cancer
Featuring Dr. Linda Liau. An international Phase III study led by researchers at UCLA and at Northwest Biotherapeutics, Inc. has found that a personalized glioblastoma vaccine may increase long-term survival in some patients.
Story on cancer.ucla.edu >
Why Was Her Vision Jerky and Blurry if There Was Nothing Wrong With Her Eyes?
By Lisa Sanders, MD - Featuring Dr. Aria Fallah. The young woman rubbed her eyes. The numbers and letters on her computer screen jumped erratically. So did the world around her. This had happened before, but late at night when she was tired, never in the middle of the day. The light from the screen suddenly seemed too bright. And her headache, the one that was always present these days, tightened from a dull ache to a squeezing pressure on the back of her head and neck. Nearly in tears from pain and frustration, the 19-year-old called her mother.
Story on nytimes.com >
People With Spinal Injuries Are Regaining Use of Their Limbs in an Amazing Way
Inside UCLA's Neuroplasticity and Repair Laboratory. LA Magazine - Featuring Dr. Daniel Lu. Brian Gomez has his fingers wrapped around a small bar attached to three short springs in a rectangular metal frame. It's similar to the handlebar brake lever of a dirt bike, like the one Gomez was riding in 2011 that malfunctioned, causing a crash that left him paralyzed below the neck.
Full Story on lamag.com >
Lost Sleep Impairs Memory and Visual Perception
The Washington Post reported on a Nature Medicine study by Dr. Itzhak Fried showing that a night of lost sleep can result in temporary mental lapses that impair memory and distort visual perceptions. The story was syndicated by the Atlanta Journal Constitution, Star Tribune, Denver Post, Stars & Stripes, Palm Beach Post and Dayton Daily News. Fried is a professor of neurosurgery at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA.
Hollywood Filmmakers, Tech Innovators Gather for Golden Portal Fundraiser
Attendees, including directors Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris, support UCLA neuroscientists. Members of the medical community mingled with Hollywood filmmakers during the Golden Portal Awards, an annual event created to offer philanthropic support to UCLA neuroscientists who are researching neurological diseases such as brain cancer, aneurysms, vascular malformations and stroke.
Story on hollywoodreporter.com >
Considering An All-nighter? Pity Your Poor Brain Cells and Skip It
People get too little sleep for lots of reasons. But whether you're binge-watching Game of Thrones or nursing a colicky baby, the results are the same: you're really tired the next day. Now a new UCLA study shows that your brain cells get sleepy, too. And that can lead to some serious spacing out…with potentially dangerous implications.
Blog Post on connect.uclahealth.org >
Neuroscientist Blends VR, Brain Implants to Fight Memory Loss
PC Magazine profiled Nanthia Suthana, assistant professor of neurosurgery and psychiatry at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, and her use of virtual reality and brain implants to study how the brain encodes memories. Her findings could one day lead to new therapies for Alzheimer's and other diseases marked by memory loss. The story was syndicated by the magazine's editions in the U.K., Asian and India.
Zaps to The Brain Improve Memory
IEEE Spectrum cited a UCLA study showing that electrical stimulation of the brain improved short-term memory. Dr. Itzhak Fried, professor of neurosurgery at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, led the research.
NFL Needs to Upgrade its Concussion Protocol
Dr. Christopher Giza, director of the UCLA Steve Tisch BrainSPORT Program and a professor of neurosurgery and pediatrics at UCLA's David Geffen School of Medicine and Mattel Children's Hospital, commented in a story by The Guardian about how the future of the National Football League may rest on its ability to repair its concussion protocol. The story was syndicated by Yahoo! Sports.
Star Wars Characters Bounce Back After Head Trauma
Dr. Christopher Giza, director of the UCLA Steve Tisch BrainSPORT Program and a professor of neurosurgery and pediatrics at UCLA's David Geffen School of Medicine and Mattel Children's Hospital, commented in SyFy.com about how multiple characters resumed normal activities following loss of consciousness due to traumatic head injuries in “Star Wars: The Last Jedi.”
Sleep Deprivation's After-effects Aren't Pretty
Elite Daily featured a UCLA study exploring the effect of sleep deprivation on the brain and visual perception. Dr. Itzhak Fried, professor of neurosurgery at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, led the research.
Dr. Linda Liau's Appointment as Chair of Neurosurgery
Dr. Linda Liau's appointment as chair of neurosurgery at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA was announced by Becker's Spine.
Neuroscientist Earns Prestigious BRAIN Grant
By Elaine Schmidt - Featuring Dr. Nanthia Suthana. UCLA neuroscientist Nanthia Suthana was awarded a $3.3 million three-year grant from the BRAIN Initiative. Funded by the National Institutes of Health, the scientific collaboration aims to revolutionize understanding of the brain.
Story on newsroom.ucla.edu >
CURE® Magazine Announces Winners of 2017 GBM Heroes® Awards
Four extraordinary individuals are recognized for their continuous efforts to improve the lives of patients with glioblastoma multiforme
CRANBURY, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--CURE® magazine, the nation's leading consumer digital and print media enterprise focused entirely on patients with cancer, honored Al Musella, D.P.M.; Linda Liau, M.D.; Kay Verble; and Matt Anthony as this year's winners of its third annual Glioblastoma Multiforme (GBM) Heroes® Awards. The celebration gala took place yesterday at the City View at the Metreon in San Francisco during the 22nd Annual Scientific Meeting of the Society for Neuro-Oncology.
Story on businesswire.com >
Spacing Out After Staying Up Late? Here's Why
UCLA-led study blames mental lapses on sleep-deprived brain cells
By Elaine Schmidt - Featuring Dr. Itzhak Fried. Ever sleep poorly and then walk out of the house without your keys? Or space out while driving to work and nearly hit a stalled car? A new study led by UCLA's Dr. Itzhak Fried is the first to reveal how sleep deprivation disrupts brain cells' ability to communicate with each other.
Story on uclahealth.org > | Additional Coverage: NPR "All Things Considered" >
UCLA Health Launches Pioneering Mobile Stroke Unit With Support From L.A. County
Roughly every 40 seconds, someone in the United States will have a stroke. Almost every four minutes, one of those people will die as a result. Against that backdrop, UCLA Health has officially launched the first mobile stroke unit on the West Coast, enabling rapid delivery of brain-saving medications to stroke patients who might otherwise face debilitating delays in treatment.
Story on uclahealth.org >
Are Youth Football Programs Doing Enough To Prevent Concussions?
Football season is in full swing, and with it, comes questions and concerns for parents across Southern California. Many think of helmets are enough for safety, but is the game too rough to play? KCAL 9's Randy Paige reports experts say parents need to do their homework to protect these young minds. UCLA Professor of Pediatric Neurology Dr. Christopher Giza says parents have a lot to consider when deciding whether or not their kids should play football, particularly when they're in elementary school.
Story on cbslocal.com >
Sending Electrical Impulses Deep in the Brain Can Improve Memory
Over the last few years, more and more has been discovered about our potential to alter how the brain works, from transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) to interfacing directly with computers. People with epilepsy who have had ultra-fine wires implanted in their brains to track seizures are the perfect group to extend this research. A new study from the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA shows, incredibly, that targeting one area of the brain with low-level electrical impulses from these wires can improve human memory.
Story on popularmechanics.com >
Dr. Gary Mathern Inducted into Alumni Hall of Fame
Video: Dr. Gary Mathern is inducted into the Morehead State University Alumni Hall of Fame on October 20, 2017 Watch Video >
Can You Predict Future Brain Damage? Hundreds of Pro Fighters are Helping Researchers Find Out
Dr. Christopher Giza, director of the UCLA Steve Tisch BrainSPORT Program and a professor of pediatrics and neurosurgery at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, commented in a STAT News story about a new initiative to study concussion in professional fighters in an effort to predict risk for future brain damage. The article was syndicated by Scientific American and MedPage Today.
After Two Brain Surgeries, a Loss of Language and a Breakup, Beat Producer Tokimonsta Reflects on a Tough Few Years
Dr. Anthony Wang, an assistant professor of neurosurgery at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, was quoted in Oct. 12 Los Angeles Times story about an internationally recognized music producer who lost the ability to speak and enjoy music following diagnosis with Moyamoya disease, which is caused by malformed blood vessels in the brain. The story was syndicated by 36 newspapers nationwide, including the Miami Herald, Sacramento Bee and Kansas City Star.
Immunotherapy Combinations Offer Hope in Glioblastoma
By Gina Battaglia, PhD - Featuring Dr. Linda Liau. Immunotherapy has shown promise for treatment of glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), the most common primary brain tumor in adults with historically poor prognosis, but experts agree that combination regimens have the greatest potential to achieve durable response.
View OncLive Publication (PDF) >
National Cancer Institute Designates UCLA Brain Cancer Program a Site of Research Excellence
$11.4 million grant will help to advance work in prevention, detection and treatment. The brain cancer program at UCLA Health Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center and the UCLA Brain Tumor Center has been designated a Specialized Program of Research Excellence, or SPORE, by the National Cancer Institute, making it one of only five brain cancer programs nationwide to receive this national recognition and substantial research funding.
Story on uclahealth.org >
Neuroscientist Harnesses The Power of Virtual Reality To Unlock The Mysteries of Memory
By Elaine Schmidt - Featuring Dr. Nanthia Suthana. UCLA lab first to study how brain encodes memory during movement. We're all familiar with the image of someone donning virtual reality goggles to enter a new environment while seated at their computer. At UCLA, Nanthia Suthana is one of the first neuroscientists in the world to harness the power of VR to unravel how someone's brain encodes and retrieves memories while the person explores a new virtual setting on foot.
Story on newsroom.ucla.edu >
Doctors, Not Insurance Companies, Should Take Medical Decisions
By Stacey Worthy - Featuring Dr. Linda Liau. While a partisan debate unfolds over how to expand the number of Americans covered by health insurance, policymakers have all but ignored the hidden healthcare crisis facing millions who have already bought insurance. Insurance providers are increasingly refusing to cover prescribed treatments for many patients with chronic conditions, even when they have fully paid their premiums.
Story on newsweek.com >
6-year-old St. Clair County Girl Has Life-changing Brain Surgery
By Beaumont.org - Featuring Dr. Gary W. Mathern. On May 9, Bailey became the first patient to have a hemispherectomy at Beaumont Children's. Pediatric neurosurgeon Karol Zakalik, M.D., performed the procedure under the watchful eye of Gary Mathern, M.D., a UCLA Medical Center neurosurgeon, considered a pioneer in modified hemispherectomies.
Story on beaumont.org >
Can Dogs Predict Seizures?
By Nicole Lou - Featuring Dr. Gary W. Mathern. Many epilepsy patients swear by dogs like Angel. “Any good detector has positive value,” says Dr. Gary Mathern, a pediatric neurosurgeon at Mattel Children's Hospital UCLA. “But as a physician, a key unanswered question is whether the dogs really work.”
Story on pbs.org >
A Maui Lawyer With Brain Cancer Was Given 17 Months to Live. That Was 5 years Ago
By Chelsea Davis - Featuring Dr. Linda Liau. MAKAWAO, MAUI (HawaiiNewsNow) - A Maui lawyer is using his personal cancer battle to give others hope -- and he's picking up some celebrity supporters. In the five years since Jamil Newirth has been diagnosed with brain cancer, he passed the bar exam, ran a marathon, and ended up on a jumbotron.
Story on hawaiinewsnow.com >
Extra-TV Spotlights Legendary Leaders' Visit to UCLA Neurosurgery
Extra-TV (New York) aired a May 31 story featuring UCLA donor and business executive Charlie Norris and former Lakers player and coach Byron Scott. Coauthors of a recent book on leadership, the two men shared secrets to their success with faculty members and staff at a recent book-signing hosted by the UCLA Department of Neurosurgery. The network segment was syndicated by 40 affiliate stations nationwide, including NBC-TV (Los Angeles), NBC-TV (Boston), FOX-TV (Chicago) and ABC-TV (Washington, DC). Photo Courtesy of Reed Hutchinson
Story on newsroom.ucla.edu >
Dr. Nader Pouratian -- Casa Colina presents: Research & Collaborative Partnerships for the Future / A Tribute to Courage
Video: Casa Colina's Research Institute collaboration with UCLA, Cal Tech and the courageous Nancy Smith.
View Video >
UCLA Surgeons Use Minimally Invasive Procedure to Cure Boy With Rare Form of Seizures
By Elaine Schmidt - Justin Cho is an engaging 9-year-old. Although he's somewhat shy, he is quick to smile and has an infectious laugh. “Justin has always been a happy child — very energetic and bubbly,” said his father, Robert Cho. “We assumed that giggling was just part of his personality.” What Robert and his wife, So, didn't know was that the laughing fits he often had before bedtime were actually seizures and signs of a serious medical problem.
Story on newsroom.ucla.edu >
Head Injuries Can Alter Hundreds of Genes and Lead to Serious Brain Diseases, UCLA Biologists Report
By Stuart Wolpert - Featuring Xia Yang and Fernando Gomez-Pinilla. The researchers identified for the first time master genes that they believe control hundreds of other genes which are linked to Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, post-traumatic stress disorder, stroke, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, autism, depression, schizophrenia and other disorders.
Story on newsroom.ucla.edu >
Parents Encouraged to Update Their Approach to Treating a Child with a Concussion
Vital Signs Winter 2017 - A lot has changed since the days when athletes who got their “bell rung” while playing contact sports would be sent back out onto the field. Today, concussions are taken much more seriously amid concern about their long-term effects.
Publication on uclahealth.org > | View PDF >
Dr. Daniel Lu -- Paralyzed Patient Responds to a Spinal Stimulator
Numerous news outlets reported Dec. 13 on the story of Brian Gomez, a young San Dimas man who broke his neck five years ago. Brian has regained some hand control due to an experimental device implanted In his spine by Dr. Daniel Lu, an associate professor of neurosurgery at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. Coverage included KTLA-TV (Los Angeles), WCBS-TV (New York), WJBK-TV (Detroit), KSWB-TV (San Diego), STAT News, the U.K.'s Daily Mail, United Press International, Becker's Spine Review, Spain's Canarias 7, the Netherlands' RTL News, Futurism and Mass Device. A UCLA social media video on Brian's story has been viewed on Facebook nearly 8,000 times, liked 370 times and shared 133 times so far. The press release is also generating views on UCLA Newsroom.
Dr. Gary W. Mathern -- Honored For Lifetime Accomplishments In Epilepsy
Gary W. Mathern, MD, will receive the William G. Lennox Award for lifetime accomplishments in epilepsy from the American Epilepsy Society. The award will be presented during the society's annual meeting in Houston, Tex., December 2-5.
Story on aesnet.org >
Wanted: Women's Brains — to Jump-start Lagging Research on Female Concussions
Drs. Chris Giza and Mayumi Prins provided interviews on behalf of UCLA in a STAT News article published today about how the nation's organ banks--created to study brain trauma--contain only a limited number of female brains, potentially skewing results.
Story on statnews.com >
A Fat That Saves You From Sugar
The 2016 Popular Mechanics Breakthrough Awards -- You eat a lot of sugar, you gain weight. Most of us know that. But few of us realize that simple sugars like those found in a can of Coke can also damage thousands of genes in your brain, including those related to Alzheimer's, heart disease, and depression. That's exactly what UCLA professors Xia Yang and Fernando Gomez-Pinilla discovered in May. Luckily they also found some good news: An omega-3 fatty acid called DHA, which is found in fish, including tuna and salmon, reversed the damage.
Story on popularmechanics.com >
Additional Coverage: Uncommon Wisdom Daily | Teen Vogue | Consumer Affairs | Healthline News
Best In The West
For over 20 consecutive years, U.S. News & World Report has recognized UCLA Neurosurgery as one of the top neurosurgery programs in the nation. UCLA Neurosurgery is ranked No. 8 in the country and No. 1 in Southern California >
Reuters Spotlights Exceptional UCLA Neurosurgeon
Reuters profiled Dr. Linda Liau as the lead in a July 23 feature story and photo essay focusing on women in male-dominated fields as America nominates its first female presidential candidate. An updated version was published July 24 and fed to Reuters subscriber outlets worldwide.
Special Olympics Athlete Awards Gold Medal to Neurosurgeon
People magazine published a July 21 story on Special Olympics athlete Edward Garcia, who gave away his latest gold medal to his neurosurgeon, Dr. Isaac Yang, an associate professor of neurosurgery at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. Yang listened to and performed surgery on Garcia, who suffers from hydrocephalus, when other ignored his pain. The story was also covered July 22 by Fox News, July 18 by La Opinion and July 15 by KCAL-Channel 9 and KCBS-Channel 2.
Huge Studies Peer Inside Brain, Blood to Unlock Mysteries of Concussion
By Usha Lee McFarling - Featuring Dr. Christopher Giza. An image of a concussed brain fills the computer screen, with shredded nerve cells lit up in red and orange. As Dr. Christopher Giza watches, the brain rotates. A time-lapse film shows the damaged cells cooling to green and blue as they slowly heal. This advanced imaging technique offers a rare look inside a traumatized brain and its complex recovery. Story on statnews.com >
UCLA Neurosurgery In the News 2015
Video on vimeo.com >
Formerly Conjoined Twins Give Back to Pediatric Patients
KCBS-Channel 2, KNBC-Channel 4, KABC-Channel 7, KCAL-Channel 9, Univision, Telemundo, Estrella TV, KFI 640AM Dec. 14; La Opinion, HOY, Seventeen Magazine Dec. 15; ABC News online, CBS News online Dec. 16 and others featured the story of the formerly conjoined Guatemalan twins, nicknamed the Two Marias, who were separated in a landmark surgery at UCLA in 2002. The twins, now 14, returned to UCLA Mattel Children's Hospital this week to help decorate the rooms of pediatric patients who will be hospitalized over the holidays and to reunite with the doctors and nurses who helped care for them. Dr. Jorge Lazareff, the lead pediatric neurosurgeon; Dr. Henry Kawamoto, the lead plastic and reconstructive surgeon, and Dr. Barbara Van De Wiele, the lead anesthesiologist, were interviewed in the coverage.
Concussions End Student's Playing Days, But Now He's Trying To Help Others
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) Dr. Christopher Giza and Trey Fearn - Trey Fearn is a teenager who works with UCLA neurologists to help protect the valuable cargo inside the helmet. “I got a handoff and two of my teammates hit me from each side of my head, and then the next minute, it was just kind of black,” Fearn said of his first concussion. Fearn is now helping researchers at UCLA try to understand the long-term impact of concussions by participating in a study conducted by the UCLA Steve Tisch BrainSPORT Program. Christopher Giza, a neurologist at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, is working with Fearn and some members of the UCLA football team during the BrainSPORT study. “We do blood tests and brain MRIs,” Giza said. They test before any injuries and after they occur. Story on cbslocal.com >
Life-Changing Surgery Draws Coverage
The story of an Indiana woman who suffered for seven months with a rare disorder that forced her to constantly hear the sounds of her eyeballs moving, heart beating and food digesting, was reported Sept. 22 by the lifestyle blog, Little Things, and Sept. 15 by Tech Insider, Business Insider and Avenue Post Online. Rachel Pyne underwent two surgeries at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center to plug the tiny holes in her inner ears that caused the noises, as well as severe dizziness and balance problems. Her surgeons, Dr. Quinton Gopen, assistant professor of head and neck surgery, and Dr. Isaac Yang, assistant professor of neurosurgery at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, explained the minimally invasive approach they developed to treat semi-circular canal dehiscence, which afflicts an estimated one in half a million people.
U.S. News Applauds UCLA Innovation
US News & World Report published Oct. 15 an interview with Katherine Steinberg, director of UCLA's Health System's Institute for Innovation in Health. The article featured a photo of EVA the robot with Dr. Paul Vespa, a professor of neurosurgery at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and director of the neuro-critical care unit at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center.
What Parents Need to Know about Concussion
Examiner.com and Health Canal reported Oct. 21 on tips to help parents prevent and reduce concussion in their children who play sports. Dr. Christopher Giza, director of the UCLA Steve Tisch BrainSPORT Program, and a professor of pediatrics and neurosurgery at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and UCLA Mattel Children's Hospital, was quoted.
Fructose Sabotages Brain's Ability to Heal
A new study by Fernando Gomez-Pinilla, a professor of neurosurgery and integrative biology and physiology at UCLA's David Geffen School of Medicine and College of Letters and Science, finding that processed fructose interferes with recovery from traumatic brain injury, was reported Oct. 6 by Nutrition Insight; Oct. 5 by CBS News, Yahoo Health, Red Orbit, and Physical Therapy Products; Oct. 4 by GeekSided; Oct. 3 by Psych Central and the Indo-Asian News Service; and Oct. 2 by Bioscience Technology, Medical Xpress, Science Blog and Laboratory Equipment. The IANS story was syndicated Oct. 3 by India's Business Standard, Times of India, New Kerala, Can-India News, Zee News, The Statesman and Free Press Journal. The CBS News segment aired on 14 affiliates, including Louisville, Ky., Flint, Mich. and Nashville, Tenn. Three ABC news affiliates and one Fox affiliate also aired the story.
Paralyzed Man Walks Again
The Los Angeles Times reported Aug. 31 on a paralyzed man who is able to walk again with the help of a robotic exoskeleton being studied at UCLA by Dr. Reggie Edgerton, a professor of physiology, neurobiology and neurosurgery; and Dr. Daniel Lu, an associate professor of neurosurgery. Edgerton was quoted.
Huffington Post, TV News Cover Life-Changing Surgery
The story of an Indiana woman who suffered for seven months with a rare disorder that forced her to constantly hear the sounds of her eyeballs moving, heart beating and food digesting was reported Sept. 4 by the Huffington Post U.K. and Sept. 8 by WCBS-TV (New York), WLNY-TV (New York), Fox News affiliates in Chicago, Kansas City and New Haven, and the Imperial Valley News. Rachel Pyne underwent two surgeries at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center to plug the tiny holes in her inner ears that caused the noises, as well as severe dizziness and balance problems. Her surgeons, Dr. Quinton Gopen, assistant professor of head and neck surgery, and Dr. Isaac Yang, assistant professor of neurosurgery, explained the minimally invasive approach they developed to treat semi-circular canal dehiscence, which afflicts an estimated one in half a million people. MSN republished the Huffington Post piece.
Additional Coverage: SSCD news video | ABC “Good Morning America” segment
Dr. Christopher Giza, director of the UCLA Steve Tisch BrainSPORT Program and a professor of pediatrics and neurosurgery at UCLA's David Geffen School of Medicine and Mattel Children's Hospital, commented Sept. 3 in a Hollywood Reporter story about Concussion, a new film starring Will Smith that explores his character's discovery of the long-term effects of head trauma in professional football players. He also was quoted Sept. 4 and Aug. 27 in two ESPN articles exploring emerging technology to diagnose head injuries and new ways to improve football athletes' safety.
Media Fascinated by Patient's Life-Changing Surgery
The story of an Indiana woman who suffered for seven months with a rare disorder that forced her to constantly hear the sounds of her eyeballs moving, heart beating, footsteps echoing and food digesting, was reported Sept. 2 by ABC News' "Good Morning America," KCBS-Channel 2, KCAL-Channel 9 and KFI 640 AM's Bill Carroll Show; and Sept. 1 by KTTV-Channel 11, KTLA-Channel 5, KIMT-TV (Rochester, Minn.) and the U.K.'s Daily Mail. Rachel Pyne underwent two surgeries at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center to plug the tiny holes in her inner ears that were causing the noises, as well as severe dizziness and balance problems. Her surgeons, Dr. Quinton Gopen, assistant professor of head and neck surgery, and Dr. Isaac Yang, assistant professor of neurosurgery at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, were interviewed about the minimally invasive approach they have developed to treat semi-circular canal dehiscence, which afflicts an estimated one in half a million people. The "Good Morning America" segment aired on 105 ABC affiliates nationwide, including locally on KABC-Channel 7.
Promising New Treatment for the Deadliest Form of Brain Cancer
Examiner.com Sept. 1, MedicalXpress and News-Medical.net Sept. 2 and BioScience Technology Sept. 3 reported on a discovery by UCLA scientists involving a chemotherapy drug and a technique called engineered adoptive T cell transfer, which involves extracting and growing immune cells in a laboratory, then reprogramming them to target glioblastoma or brain cancer. Once they are injected back into a mouse model, they produce an immune response that targets the brain cancer. Dr. Robert Prins, associate professor of neurosurgery, and Dr. Linda Liau, professor of neurosurgery and director of the UCLA brain tumor program, were quoted. Both are also members of the UCLA Health Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center Tumor Immunology Program.
Woman Who Could Hear Her Own Body Sounds Get Life Back
ABC News Videos - Rachel Pyne was diagnosed with a condition that enabled her to hear her entire body, including heart, eyes and bones.
ABC News - Video Story on yahoo.com >
Can Our Eyes See Our Dreams?
A UCLA/Tel Aviv University study suggesting that rapid eye movement (REM) sleep reflects the brain processing dream images in the same way it does when our eyes see images in waking life was covered Aug. 11 by the Jerusalem Post; Aug. 12 by LiveScience, MedicalXpress, Domain-B, HealthCanal and Bioscience Technology; and Aug. 13 by the U.K.'s Daily Mail, Optometry Today, Metro, Science World Report, Medical Daily and News-Medical.net. Senior author Dr. Itzhak Fried, a professor of neurosurgery and psychiatry at UCLA's David Geffen School of Medicine and Semel Institute, led the research.
Helping Paralyzed Men Move Their Legs
A UCLA study that used electrical stimulation of the spinal cord to help paralyzed men move their legs again was covered July 31 by the Washington Post, Popular Science, CBS News, UPI, HealthDay News, GizMag and Asian News International. Dr. V. Reggie Edgerton, professor of physiology, neurobiology and neurosurgery at the College of Letters and Sciences and the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, tested the technique on five patients from the research lab of Dr. Daniel Lu, assistant professor of neurosurgery at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. Yahoo! News and the Times of India syndicated an Indo Asian News International story and WebMD syndicated the HealthDay piece.
Honoring Organ, Eye and Tissue Donors
The Westwood-Century City Patch posted July 23 a story on a ceremony with UCLA Health and One Legacy, an organ procurement organization, to honor special donors who became organ, eye and tissue donors at the time of their deaths at Reagan UCLA Medical Center or at UCLA Medical Center, Santa Monica. The Gift of Life Fountain, located at Reagan UCLA Medical Center's Garden of Peace, was dedicated and special engraved medallions honoring past donors were tossed into the water during the ceremony. Donor names will also be added to an online donor recognition webpage. Dr. Paul Vespa, director of neurocritical care at Reagan UCLA Medical Center and a professor of neurosurgery and neurology at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA; Rev. Karen Schnell, director of spiritual care at UCLA Health; and Barbara Anderson, unit director of the Neuroscience/Trauma Intensive Care Unit at UCLA, were quoted.
New Study Aims to Shed Light on Concussions
IFL Magazine, Italy's online publication about American football, ran a July 20 Q&A with Dr. Christopher Giza, director of the UCLA Steve Tisch BrainSPORT Program and a professor of pediatrics and neurosurgery at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, about the university's role in a landmark $30 million initiative funded by the National Collegiate Athletic Association and the U.S. Department of Defense to collect "big data" on concussions. Giza and his colleagues aim to collect new clues about the biological and genetic risk factors for sports-related head injuries.
Why Concussion Recovery Takes Some Kids Longer
A UCLA/USC study finding that some children recover more slowly from concussion and other types of traumatic brain injury because they have extensive damage to the fatty sheaths encasing the brain's nerve fibers was reported July 14 by HealthDay News and MedicalXpress; and July 15 by redOrbit, New Zealand's Horse Talk, Health Canal and News-Medical.net. The HealthDay story was syndicated by the Philadelphia Inquirer, U.S. News & Report and Doctors Lounge. Dr. Christopher Giza, director of the UCLA Steve Tisch BrainSPORT Program and a professor of pediatrics and neurosurgery at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, and Dr. Emily Dennis, a postdoctoral scholar at USC's Keck School of Medicine, were quoted.
Memory Study Draws Wide Attention
New York Times, Science, NPR, Reuters, Science Codex, Science Daily, MedicalXpress, Examiner.com, News 14, Daily Mail (U.K), Motherboard and Press TV reported July 1 on a study by Dr. Itzhak Fried that found that neurons in a specific brain region play a key role in rapidly forming memories about every day events. The NPR story was picked up by nearly 50 affiliate stations across the country. Fried is a professor of neurosurgery and psychiatry and biobehavioral sciences at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and the Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior.
Why Concussion Recovery Takes Longer for Some Kids
Dr. Christopher Giza, director of the UCLA Steve Tisch BrainSPORT Program and a professor of pediatrics and neurosurgery at UCLA's David Geffen School of Medicine and Mattel Children's Hospital, commented July 1 in a USA Today story about soccer's international governing body's three-minute concussion evaluation protocol following two players' head-on collision during the Women's World Cup.
What it's Like to Live with Half a Brain
Motherboard featured June 12 an article about what it is like to live with part, or half, of a brain due to injury or surgery. Dr. Gary Mathern, a professor of pediatric neurosurgery, who has performed many hemispherectomy surgeries on children with untreatable epilepsy, was interviewed.
USA Today Explores Failure to Protect Soccer Players from Concussion
Dr. Christopher Giza, director of the UCLA Steve Tisch BrainSPORT Program and a professor of pediatrics and neurosurgery at UCLA's David Geffen School of Medicine and Mattel Children's Hospital, was interviewed in a June 10 USA Today article and online video about an international soccer association's failure to address concussion in its athletes, particularly female soccer players.
Sometimes what seems like a concussion is something else
Dr. Christopher Giza, director of the UCLA Steve Tisch Program and a professor of neurosurgery and pediatrics at UCLA's David Geffen School of Medicine and Mattel Children's Hospital, commented May 22 in the Washington Post about how a rare type of ear condition is sometimes mistaken for a concussion.
Nature Explores the "Kill Switch"
A Paris conference organized by Dr. Itzhak Fried, a professor of neurosurgery and psychiatry at UCLA's David Geffen School of Medicine and Semel Institute, was covered May 19 by Nature. The meeting examined the possible brain mechanisms that transform ordinary citizens into mass murderers.
Neuroscientists Take a Closer Look at 'Syndrome E'
Nature published a May 11 interview with Dr. Itzhak Fried, a professor of neurosurgery and psychiatry at UCLA's David Geffen School of Medicine and Semel Institute, about a recent conference he organized in Paris. The meeting examined the brain mechanisms behind Syndrome E, which transforms peaceful neighbors into mass murderers.
ABC News Covers Helmet Sensors to Detect Concussion
ABCNews.com May 5 and KABC-Channel 7 May 4 reported on a landmark concussion study that is equipping some UCLA football players' helmets with sensors to monitor blows to the head in real time. Part of a $30 million initiative funded by the National Collegiate Athletic Association and U.S. Department of Defense, the project will enroll an estimated 37,000 male and female student athletes over a three-year period to gain new insights into how to monitor and treat concussion. Dr. Christopher Giza, director of the UCLA Steve Tisch BrainSPORT Program and a professor of neurosurgery and pediatrics at UCLA's David Geffen School of Medicine and Mattel Children's Hospital; and Dr. John DiFiori, head team physician with UCLA Athletics and a professor of family medicine at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, were quoted in both stories.
TIME Explores Consequences of Blows to the Head
Dr. Christopher Giza, director of the UCLA Steve Tisch BrainSPORT Program and a professor of neurosurgery and pediatrics at UCLA's David Geffen School of Medicine and Mattel Children's Hospital, explained May 1 in TIME why a prize fight is murder on a boxer's brain.
Rare Disorder Explored on "The Doctors"
CBS' The Doctors April 22 spotlighted a college student who suffered for months from severe vertigo until her diagnosis and surgery for superior semicircular canal dehiscence, a tiny hole in the ear that undermines balance and causes other disruptive symptoms. Dr. Isaac Yang, an assistant professor of neurosurgery at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, appeared on the show with her.
TBI Patients Keep Cool With Induced Normothermia
Dr. Christopher Giza, professor of pediatrics and neurosurgery at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and UCLA Mattel Children's Hospital, commented April 21 in MedPage Today on new research presented at the American Academy of Neurology annual meeting. Preserving the body's normal temperature to reduce fevers in severe brain trauma improved brain function and reduced the number of hospital deaths compared to previous approaches that rely upon cooling therapy.
How Sugar Hampers the Brain
A 2012 UCLA rat study demonstrating that a diet high in fructose slows the brain, interfering with memory and learning, was referenced Aug. 14 by Australia's Sydney Morning Herald; April 8 by Pakistan's Daily Times; and April 6 by the Huffington Post. Lead researcher Fernando Gomez-Pinilla, a professor of neurosurgery at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, was quoted.
Popular Science Explores New PTSD Therapy
Research by Dr. Jean-Philippe Langevin, an assistant professor of neurosurgery at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, was covered in the April edition of Popular Science. His team explored whether deep brain stimulation could help veterans who have failed to respond to other treatments for post-traumatic stress disorder. Langevin was quoted.
Concussion Experts Pick Apart The Myth That Cycling Is More Dangerous Than Football
Dr. Christopher Giza, director of the UCLA Steve Tisch BrainSPORT Program and professor of pediatrics and neurosurgery at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and UCLA Mattel Children's Hospital, was quoted in a March 20 Huffington Post article comparing the health risks of cycling to football.
Vaccine Helps Keep Brain Cancer Patient Alive
Dr. Bruce Hensel on KNBC-Channel 4 reported on the UCLA brain cancer vaccine on Feb. 24 at 5:45 p.m. The story of Jennifer Sugioka, 38, celebrating living 15 years beyond glioblastoma, known as the deadliest brain cancer, gives hope to other patients and families fighting this disease. She is the longest living patient on the brain cancer vaccine. Dr. Hensel interviewed Dr. Linda Liau about the vaccine and surgery at the new UCLA Neurosurgery Center in the Edie and Lew Wasserman Building. Story on KNBC
Local TV Spotlights Brain Injury Awareness Day
KCBS-Channel 2 broadcast a March 18 story highlighting an event by the UCLA Department of Neurosurgery's Brain Injury Research Center to raise awareness of traumatic brain injury, or TBI. The segment featured popular actor Larry Miller and Ironman athlete Greg Parks, who both recovered from TBIs at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center. The story re-aired on KCAL-Channel 9.
Mending Kids International helps pediatric patient
Dr. Jorge Lazareff, professor emeritus of pediatric neurosurgery, was interviewed March 9 by KMEX-Channel 34 in a story about a 2-year-old boy from Mexico with hydrocephalus who is being helped by the nonprofit organization called Mending Kids International.
Brain Injury Expert Explains Concussion Treatment
Dr. Christopher Giza, director of the UCLA Steve Tisch BrainSPORT Program and a professor of neurosurgery and pediatrics at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and UCLA Mattel Children's Hospital, was interviewed March 11 by Bill Carroll on KFI 690AM about the latest approaches for treating young athletes with concussions. (Begins at 17-minute mark.)
Neurosurgeon Nationally Honored for Teaching Excellence
The Lodi News-Sentinel published a March 5 profile of Dr. Isaac Yang, an assistant professor of neurosurgery at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, who was honored by the American Medical Student Association with its National Golden Apple Award for Teaching Excellence. A former Lodi resident, Yang received the award at the association's 65th Annual Convention in Washington, D.C. on Feb. 28.
A Medical Expert Explains Bobbi Kristina's Condition
Dr Isaac Yang, assistant professor of neurosurgery at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, commented in a Feb. 10 story by Revolt about the possible medical issues facing Whitney Houston's daughter.
Limiting Rest Is Found to Help Young Concussion Patients
Dr. Christopher Giza, director of the UCLA Steve Tisch BrainSPORT Program and a professor of pediatrics and neurosurgery at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, commented Jan. 5 in a New York Times article that reported on a new study that found limiting rest to one or two days is more beneficial to young concussion patients rather than a longer period of five days.
Scientific American Highlights Facial Recognition Study
Scientific American Dec.18 spotlighted a study supervised by Dr. Itzhak Fried, professor of neurosurgery and psychiatry at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA that discovered individual neurons fire in response only to images of specific people whose face the patient recognized.
New Helmet Material Could Protect Against Concussion
Engineering.com reported Dec. 10 on a new helmet material developed by UCLA scientists that might protect football players from concussion. Dr. Christopher Giza, director of the UCLA Steve Tisch BrainSPORT Program and a professor of pediatrics and neurosurgery at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, was quoted.
NBC, Vox Track Football's Effect on the Brain
Dr. David Hovda, professor of neurosurgery at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and director of the UCLA Brain Injury Research Center, was featured in Dec. 2 articles by NBC News.com and Vox about how head injuries suffered while playing football can damage a player's brain.
South Bay Paper Profiles Teen with Epilepsy
The Daily Breeze published a Nov. 15 profile of a teen who had one-eighth of her brain removed at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center to treat her epileptic seizures. She delivered a patient testimonial at the 2014 UCLA Department of Neurosurgery's Visionary Ball.
Creating Better Helmets to Prevent Concussion
The Ventura County Star and North Dallas Gazette reported Nov. 13 on a new helmet material being developed by the UCLA School of Engineering in collaboration with Dr. Christopher Giza, a professor of pediatrics and neurosurgery at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and director of the UCLA Steve Tisch BrainSPORT Program. Giza was quoted.
Could Brain Injuries Be Behind the NFL Rap Sheet?
Dr. David Hovda, professor of neurosurgery and director of the UCLA Brain Injury Research Center, was quoted in a Sept. 17 NBCNews.com article that examined a possible link between repeated blows to the head and aggressive tendencies.
NY Giants' Steve Tisch Reveals His $10M Plan to Further Concussion Research
Dr. Christopher Giza, director of the UCLA Steve Tisch BrainSPORT Program and a professor of pediatrics and neurosurgery at Mattel Children's Hospital; were featured in the article, NY Giants' Steve Tisch Reveals His $10M Plan to Further Concussion Research, about Tisch's mission to help young athletes by donating $10 million to UCLA to deepen understanding of sports concussions. Dr. Giza also appeared in Hollywood's Top Doctors, a photo essay showcasing entertainment luminaries' favorite physicians.
The Boy with Half a Brain
The August issue of Indianapolis Monthly magazine featured the story of an Indianapolis family whose son, diagnosed with cortical dysplasia, underwent a hemispherectomy surgery at UCLA Mattel Children's Hospital to help stop epileptic seizures. His surgeon, Dr. Gary Mathern, professor of pediatric neurosurgery and director of the Pediatric Epilepsy Surgery Program at UCLA Mattel Children's Hospital, was interviewed.
Deep Brain Stimulation Helpful in Some Patients With MS Tremor
Dr. Nader Pouratian, assistant professor of neurosurgery and director of the UCLA Neuromodulation for Movement Disorders and Pain Program, commented Aug. 26 in an MS Discovery story about the use of deep brain stimulation to control tremors in patients with multiple sclerosis.
Bill limiting California football practices points to broader debate about safety
Dr. Christopher Giza, a professor of pediatrics and neurosurgery at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and UCLA Mattel Children's Hospital, commented in an Aug. 19 Fresno Bee story about a newly passed California law that limits the amount of full contact in high school football practice.
Healthcare Trade Focuses on Social Media Success
The Aug. 15 edition of Healthcare Exchange gave the spotlight to the live-tweet of the UCLA Department of Neurosurgery 500th deep brain stimulation procedure involving a musician who had tremors. Linda Ho, director of digital marketing, and Ashely Dinielli, program promotional manager, UCLA Health System, were quoted in the article on how they used this unique patient story to capture the public's interest through social media.
UCLA Honors Former World Boxing President
A tribute luncheon organized by UCLA Health System and the UCLA Department of Neurosurgery to honor the legacy of former World Boxing Council president Jose Sulaiman was covered Aug. 15 by Phil Boxing; Aug. 14 by the blog My Boxing Fans and ESPN Deportes; Aug. 13 by Televisa Deportes, Hijos de la Radio and Aug. 12 by ESPN, San Diego's Vida Latina, Mexico's El Universal, the international Spanish news wire EFE Agencia, and syndicated by Fox News Latino, Televisa Deportes, Radio Formula, LA Informacion and more.
California Law to Limit Full Contact During School Football Practice
Dr. Christopher Giza, director of the UCLA Steve Tisch BrainSPORT Program and professor of pediatrics and neurosurgery at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and UCLA Mattel Children's Hospital, was interviewed July 22 by KGO 810AM (San Francisco) and KFWB 980AM about the brain-saving benefits of a new California law that will limit full contact during school football practice.
Memory Research Garners Headlines
Science magazine July 17; Today's Medical Developments July 18; and MedCity News July 22 covered a four-year project aiming to help brain-injured people restore lost memory functions. Dr. Itzhak Fried, a professor of neurosurgery at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and psychiatry and biobehavioral sciences at the Semel Institute, is the lead investigator for the UCLA site of the multicenter initiative.
Memory Research Draws More Headlines
Business Insider, Government Technology, Fierce Heath IT, Med Device Online, Headlines and Global News, Defense Systems, Mother Nature Network, redOrbit, The Register (U.K.), KMBZ 98.1FM, KNVU 102.1FM , KOZL-TV (Mo.), Technology.org, San Francisco Business Times and Washington Times July 10; Scientific American, The Independent (U.K.), Medical News Today, Delhi Daily News (India) and Uncover California, Marine Corps Times, Bruins Nation, Army Times, Air Force Times, Military Times, Navy Times and Science Recorder July 13; MedGadget and domain-b July 14; The Daily Beast and USA Today July 15; Smithsonian.com and RTT News July 16, and Science magazine and GCN July 17 reported on a four-year project aiming to help brain-injured people restore lost memory functions. Dr. Itzhak Fried, a professor of neurosurgery at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and psychiatry and biobehavioral sciences at the Semel Institute, is the lead investigator for the UCLA arm of the multicenter effort.
High School Football Players Urged to Practice Like Pros
The Santa Monica Mirror July 15, Bruins Nation covered a campus event co-sponsored by the UCLA Steve Tisch BrainSPORT Program. Led by Dr. Christopher Giza, director of the BrainSPORT Program and a professor of pediatrics and neurosurgery at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and UCLA Mattel Children's Hospital, a panel of sports experts voiced support for Assemblyman Ken Cooley's bill proposing that youth football players adopt the National Football League's guidelines limiting full contact during practice.
Project to Restore Memory Garners Widespread Coverage
The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Philadelphia Inquirer, ABC News, MedicalXpress, Spectrum, San Francisco Chronicle, News-Medical.net, Examiner.com, Electronic Component News, Agence France-Press, Economic Times, San Jose Mercury News, Nature World News, San Francisco Business Times, Space Daily, Health Data Management, Contra Costa Times, Stars and Stripes, Medical Design Technology, The Street, Capital FM , Health Canal, Science Magazine, Los Angeles Register, KQED-TV and Live Science July 9 and KABC-Channel 7, Bio-Medicine, Tech Times, Sci-Tech Today, Washington Times, Science World Report and The Wire July 10 reported on a four-year project aiming to help brain-injured people restore lost memory functions. Dr. Itzhak Fried, a professor of neurosurgery at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and psychiatry and biobehavioral sciences at the Semel Institute, is the lead investigator for the UCLA arm of the multicenter effort. The Agence France-Press article also appeared in the Business Standard, Times Live, Economic Times, Space Daily and Global Post, the Philadelphia Inquirer story also appeared in the Dallas Morning News and Philadelphia Daily News, and the Live Science story also ran on Yahoo! News and Fox News.