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Adam Sonabend Worthalter, MD, Neurosurgery, Chicago, IL, Northwestern Memorial Hospital

AdamMendelSonabend WorthalterMD

Neurosurgery • Chicago, IL

Brain & Spinal Tumor, Pituitary Surgery, Skull Base

Associate Professor, Director of Translational Neuro-oncology, Department of Neurosurgery, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, Northwestern Medicine – Northwestern Memorial Hospital

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Summary

  • I am a board-certified neurosurgeon and physician-scientist with a focus on brain tumors, dedicated to translational research to improve the survival of these patients. My clinical focus is on the surgical management of tumors of the brain and skull base, including gliomas, brain metastasis, intraventricular tumors, CNS lymphoma, meningiomas, and pituitary adenomas, among other tumors. As a surgeon, I integrate techniques such as radiosurgery, fluorescent microscopy, and microsurgery, as well as awake and asleep electrophysiology brain mapping techniques to achieve effective resections while preserving brain functions. Given that many malignant brain tumors are not curable, and resection only offers a limited therapeutic benefit, I integrate the standard surgeries with experimental procedures for novel therapies that are performed in the operating room. I have been involved as investigator or principal investigator in several clinical trials for brain tumors in which I performed convection-enhanced delivery, as well as intra-tumoral and peri-tumoral brain injection of viruses and biological agents, and more recently, implantation of ultrasound devices in the skull. On the other hand, I take advantage of my access to the brain to study fundamental questions of drug brain delivery directly in patients, and tumor biology in human specimens.

Education & Training

  • New York Presbyterian Hospital (Columbia Campus)
    New York Presbyterian Hospital (Columbia Campus)Chief Residency, Neurological Surgery, 2014 - 2015
  • New York Presbyterian Hospital (Columbia Campus)
    New York Presbyterian Hospital (Columbia Campus)Residency, Neurological Surgery, 2008 - 2015
  • Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico
    Universidad Nacional Autonoma de MexicoClass of 2007

Certifications & Licensure

  • IL State Medical License
    IL State Medical License 2017 - 2026
  • NY State Medical License
    NY State Medical License 2015 - 2017
  • American Board of Neurological Surgery Neurological Surgery

Awards, Honors, & Recognition

  • Recruitment Award ($1,500,000 USD) Office of the Provost for Diversity and Inclusion, Columbia University, 2015
  • First Place on The New York Society for Neurosurgery Resident’s Research Night Contest New York Society of Neurosurgery, 2013
  • Neurosurgery Research and Education Fellowship Award American Association of Neurological Surgeons, 2012
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Clinical Trials

Publications & Presentations

PubMed

Grant Support

  • Leveraging doxorubicin immune-modulation, blood-brain barrier opening, and personalized medicine for effective immunotherapy in glioblastoma. A mechanistic approach and pharmacokinetic trial.NIH / NCI2021–2026
  • Blood-brain barrier disruption with implantable ultrasound to enhance paclitaxel delivery: A Phase 1-2 clinical trial in recurrent glioblastomaNIH / NCI2020–2025
  • MAPK as target of glioma immunoediting by CD8 T-cells, and predictor of response to immunotherapyNIH / NINDS2020–2025
  • TOP2A effects on transcription in gliomas: implications for personalized therapyNIH Office of the Director2015–2021

Committees

  • Member of study section f, Clinical Neuro-immunology and Brain Tumor Study Section, NIH 2020 - Present

Research History

  • Research Fellow in Neuro-oncology at The Gabriele Bartoli Brain Tumor Laboratory, Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University2009 - 2013
  • Research Associate at The University of Chicago Brain Tumor LaboratoryUnder the supervision of Dr Maciej S. Lesniak, I conducted conducting research on novel strategies using stem cells to deliver oncolytic adenoviruses for brain tumors.2007 - 2008

Professional Memberships

  • Congress of Neurological Surgeons - CNS
    Member
  • American Association of Neurological Surgeons - AANS
    Member
  • Society of Neuro-Oncology
    Member
  • Congress of Neurological Surgeons
    Member
  • Leksell Gamma Knife Society
    Member
  • Center for Cancer Genomics
    Member
  • Lou and Jean Malnati Brain Tumor Institute/ Northwestern Brain Tumor SPORE Developmental Research and Career Enhancement Awards (2020)
    Grant Reviewer
  • Eisenberg Foundation Research Grants/Robert H Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center, Northwestern University, Chicago IL (2020)
    Grant Reviewer
  • Office of Research Advisory Committee, College of Physicians and Surgeons Columbia University
    Member
  • Faculty Development & Recognition Task Force, College of Physicians and Surgeons Columbia University
    Member
  • Brain Tumor Clinically Integrated Program Committee for Northwestern Medicine
    Member
  • Robert H Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center
    Guest Speaker

Other Languages

  • Spanish, Italian, Hebrew

Hospital Affiliations

Dr. Adam Sonabend Worthalter, Dr. Adam Sonabend Worthalter, MD, Dr. A Sonabend Worthalter, Dr. Adam Mendel Sonabend Worthalter