Michael W. McDermott MD

Professor in Residence of Neurological Surgery, Halperin Endowed Chair

Neurosurgical Director, UCSF Gamma Knife® Radiosurgery Program

Vice Chairman, Department of Neurological Surgery, UCSF

Dr. McDermott's clinical specialty interests include stereotactic neurosurgery and Gamma Knife® radiosurgery, in particular for tumors of the central nervous system, meningiomas, and skull base surgery. Co-director of the UCSF Gamma Knife® Radiosurgery Program, he also practices in the Department's Adult Brain Tumor Program, Clinical Neuro-Oncology Program, Central Nervous System Infections and AIDS Program, and Hydrocephalus and Shunt Program for Adults.

Dr. McDermott's research includes studies related to malignant meningiomas and novel agents for treatment, toxicity to normal tissue after radiosurgery in a rat model, and the ability of a biologic compound to enhance the delivery of oxygen to tumors and thereby increase the effectiveness of therapy. Dr. McDermott's clinical research is focused on correlations of intraoperative tumor pathology with spectroscopy of genetic markers in primary brain tumors and comparative genomic hybridization techniques, and he is a participating research clinician in the human gene therapy clinical trials at UCSF.

Education, Training, and Previous Positions

1978: BS, University of Toronto
1982: MD, University of Toronto Medical School
1982-1983: Mixed Internship, St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, Ontario
1983-1988: Neurosurgery Residency, University of British Columbia
1988-1989: Clinical Instructor, Neuro-Oncology Service, Brain Tumor Research Center, UCSF
1989-1990: Research Fellow, UCSF
1990-1992: Assistant Clinical Professor, Division of Neurosurgery, Department of Surgery, University of British Columbia
1992-1998: Assistant Professor, Department of Neurological Surgery, UCSF
1998-2004: Associate Professor, Department of Neurological Surgery, UCSF
2004-present: Professor, Department of Neurological Surgery, UCSF

Selected Professional Memberships and Appointments

Canadian Medical Association
Fellow, Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada
Canadian Neurosurgical Society
American Association of Neurological Surgeons: Joint Section on Tumors and Joint Section on Stereotactic and Functional Neurosurgery
Foundation for International Education in Neurological Surgery
California Neurosurgical Society
North American Skull Base Society
American Society of Stereotactic and Functional Neurosurgery
International Society for Functional & Stereotactic Neurosurgery
Society for Neuro-oncology
Congress of Neurological Surgeons

Selected Honors and Awards

1982: Frank K. Horner Silver Medal Award, Graduate with Honors, University of Toronto Medical School
1988: Graduating Residents Award, Department of Surgery, University of British Columbia
1991: Master Teacher in Surgery Award, Department of Surgery, University of British Columbia
1995: Harold Rosegay Resident Teaching Award, Department of Neurological Surgery, University of California, San Francisco

Selected Recent Publications

Rowland NC, Jermakowicz WJ, Tihan T, El-Sayed IH, McDermott MW. Subacute cystic expansion of intracranial juvenile psammomatoid ossifying fibroma. J Neurosurg Pediatr. 2013 Mar 29. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 23540525.

Safaee M, Clark AJ, Bloch O, Oh MC, Singh A, Auguste KI, Gupta N, McDermott MW, Aghi MK, Berger MS, Parsa AT. Surgical outcomes in choroid plexus papillomas: an institutional experience. J Neurooncol. 2013 Mar 7. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 23468001.

Sughrue ME, Rutkowski MJ, Chen CJ, Shangari G, Kane AJ, Parsa AT, Berger MS, McDermott MW. Modern surgical outcomes following surgery for sphenoid wing meningiomas. J Neurosurg. 2013 Feb 22. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 23432379.

Barajas RF Jr, Hess CP, Phillips JJ, Von Morze CJ, Yu JP, Chang SM, Nelson SJ, McDermott MW, Berger MS, Cha S. Super-Resolution Track Density Imaging of Glioblastoma: Histopathologic Correlation. AJNR Am J Neuroradiol. 2013 Feb 14. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 23413250.

Davies JM, Trinh VT, Sneed PK, McDermott MW. Radiotherapy for recurrent epidermoid cyst. J Neurooncol. 2013 Apr;112(2):307-13. doi: 10.1007/s11060-013-1065-y. Epub 2013 Feb 12. PubMed PMID: 23400752.

Kaur G, Kane AJ, Sughrue ME, Madden M, Oh MC, Sun MZ, Safaee M, El-Sayed I, Aghi M, McDermott MW, Berger MS, Parsa AT. The prognostic implications of Hyam's subtype for patients with Kadish stage C esthesioneuroblastoma. J Clin Neurosci 2013;20(2):281-6.

Kaur G, Kane AJ, Sughrue ME, Oh M, Safaee M, Sun M, Tihan T, McDermott MW, Berger MS, Parsa AT. MIB-1 labeling index predicts recurrence in intraventricular central neurocytomas. J Clin Neurosci 2013;20(1):89-93.

Bloch O, Han SJ, Cha S, Sun MZ, Aghi MK, McDermott MW, Berger MS, Parsa AT. Impact of extent of resection for recurrent glioblastoma on overall survival: clinical article. J Neurosurg 2012;117(6):1032-8.

Crane CA, Han SJ, Ahn B, Oehlke J, Kivett V, Fedoroff A, Butowski N, Chang SM, Clarke J, Berger MS, McDermott MW, Prados MD, Parsa AT. Individual patient-specific immunity against high-grade glioma after vaccination with autologous tumor derived peptides bound to the 96 KD chaperone protein. Clin Cancer Res 2013;19(1):205-14.

Barajas RF Jr, Phillips JJ, Parvataneni R, Molinaro A, Essock-Burns E, Bourne G, Parsa AT, Aghi MK, McDermott MW, Berger MS, Cha S, Chang SM, Nelson SJ. Regional variation in histopathologic features of tumor specimens from treatment-naive glioblastoma correlates with anatomic and physiologic MR Imaging. Neuro Oncol 2012;14(7):942-54.

Bloch O, McDermott MW. Lumboperitoneal shunts for the treatment of normal pressure hydrocephalus. J Clin Neurosci 2012;19(8):1107-11.

Patel SH, Robbins JR, Gore EM, Bradley JD, Gaspar LE, Germano I, Ghafoori P, Henderson MA, Lutz ST, McDermott MW, Patchell RA, Robins HI, Vassil AD, Wippold FJ 2nd, Videtic GM; Expert Panel on Radiation Oncology–Brain Metastases. ACR Appropriateness Criteria® follow-up and retreatment of brain metastases. Am J Clin Oncol 2012;35(3):302-6.

Caballero JA, Sneed PK, Lamborn KR, Ma L, Denduluri S, Nakamura JL, Barani IJ, McDermott MW. Prognostic factors for survival in patients treated with stereotactic radiosurgery for recurrent brain metastases after prior whole brain radiotherapy. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 2012;83(1):303-9.

Rutkowski MJ, Bloch O, Jian BJ, Chen C, Sughrue ME, Tihan T, Barani IJ, Berger MS, McDermott MW, Parsa AT. Management of recurrent intracranial hemangiopericytoma. J Clin Neurosci 2011;18(11):1500-4.

Clark AJ, Lamborn KR, Butowski NA, Chang SM, Prados MD, Clarke JL, McDermott MW, Parsa AT, Berger MS, Aghi MK. Neurosurgical management and prognosis of patients with glioblastoma that progresses during bevacizumab treatment. Neurosurgery 2012;70(2):361-70.

Rutkowski MJ, Jian BJ, Bloch O, Chen C, Sughrue ME, Tihan T, Barani IJ, Berger MS, McDermott MW, Parsa AT. Intracranial hemangiopericytoma: clinical experience and treatment considerations in a modern series of 40 adult patients. Cancer 2012;118(6):1628-36.

Hwang TN, Rofagha S, McDermott MW, Hoyt WF, Horton JC, McCulley TJ. Sunken eyes, sagging brain syndrome: bilateral enophthalmos from chronic intracranial hypotension. Ophthalmology 2011;118(11):2286-95.

Kaur G, Bloch O, Jian BJ, Kaur R, Sughrue ME, Aghi MK, McDermott MW, Berger MS, Chang SM, Parsa AT. A critical evaluation of cystic features in primary glioblastoma as a prognostic factor for survival. J Neurosurg 2011;115(4):754-9.

Kane AJ, Sughrue ME, Rutkowski MJ, Berger MS, McDermott MW, Parsa AT. Clinical and surgical considerations for cerebellopontine angle meningiomas. J Clin Neurosci 2011;18(6):755-9.

Sanai N, Polley MY, McDermott MW, Parsa AT, Berger MS. An extent of resection threshold for newly diagnosed glioblastomas. J Neurosurg 2011;115(1):3-8.

Kane AJ, Sughrue ME, Rutkowski MJ, Shangari G, Fang S, McDermott MW, Berger MS, Parsa AT. Anatomic location is a risk factor for atypical and malignant meningiomas. Cancer 2011;117(6):1272-8.

Sughrue ME, Rutkowski MJ, Shangari G, Fang S, Parsa AT, Berger MS, McDermott MW. Incidence, risk factors, and outcome of venous infarction after meningioma surgery in 705 patients. J Clin Neurosci 2011;18(5):628-32.

Gabarrós A, Young WL, McDermott MW, Lawton MT. Language and motor mapping during resection of brain arteriovenous malformations: indications, feasibility, and utility. Neurosurgery 2011;68(3):744-52.

Clark AJ, Lu DC, Richardson RM, Tihan T, Parsa AT, Chou D, Barbaro NM, Kunwar S, Weinstein PR, Lawton MT, Berger MS, McDermott MW. Surgical technique of temporary arterial occlusion in the operative management of spinal hemangioblastomas. World Neurosurg 2010;74(1):200-5.

Descovich M, Sneed PK, Barbaro NM, McDermott MW, Chuang CF, Barani IJ, Nakamura JL, Lijun M. A dosimetric comparison between Gamma Knife and CyberKnife treatment plans for trigeminal neuralgia. J Neurosurg 2010;113 Suppl:199-206.

Bloch O, McDermott MW. In situ cranioplasty for hyperostosing meningiomas of the cranial vault. Can J Neurol Sci 2011;38(1):59-64.

Waldron JS, Sughrue ME, Hetts SW, Wilson SP, Mills SA, McDermott MW, Dowd CF, Parsa AT. Embolization of skull base meningiomas and feeding vessels arising from the internal carotid circulation. Neurosurgery 2011;68(1):162-9; discussion 169.

Clark AJ, Butowski NA, Chang SM, Prados MD, Clarke J, Polley MY, Sughrue ME, McDermott MW, Parsa AT, Berger MS, Aghi MK. Impact of bevacizumab chemotherapy on craniotomy wound healing. J Neurosurg 2011;114(6):1609-16.

Kano H, Iqbal FO, Sheehan J, Mathieu D, Seymour ZA, Niranjan A, Flickinger JC, Kondziolka D, Pollock BE, Rosseau G, Sneed PK, McDermott MW, Lunsford LD. Stereotactic radiosurgery for chordoma: a report from the North American Gamma Knife Consortium. Neurosurgery 2011;68(2):379-89.

Sughrue ME, Rutkowski MJ, Shangari G, Parsa AT, Berger MS, McDermott MW. Results with judicious modern neurosurgical management of parasagittal and falcine meningiomas. Clinical article. J Neurosurg 2011;114(3):731-7.

Zlotnick D, Kalkanis SN, Quinones-Hinojosa A, Chung K, Linskey ME, Jensen RL, DeMonte F, Barker FG, Racine CA, Berger MS, Black PM, Cusimano M, Sekhar LN, Parsa A, Aghi M, McDermott MW. FACT-MNG: tumor site specific web-based outcome instrument for meningioma patients. J Neurooncol 2010 Sep;99(3):423-31.

Conway JE, Raza SM, Li K, McDermott MW, Quiñones-Hinojosa A. A surgical modification for performing orbitozygomatic osteotomies: technical note. Neurosurg Rev 2010;33(4):491-500.

Sughrue ME, Rutkowski MJ, Shangari G, Chang HQ, Parsa AT, Berger MS, McDermott MW. Risk factors for the development of serious medical complications after resection of meningiomas. Clinical article. J Neurosurg 2011;114(3):697-704.

Chang EF, Clark A, Smith JS, Polley MY, Chang SM, Barbaro NM, Parsa AT, McDermott MW, Berger MS. Functional mapping-guided resection of low-grade gliomas in eloquent areas of the brain: improvement of long-term survival. Clinical article. J Neurosurg 2011;114(3):566-73.

Sughrue ME, Rutkowski MJ, Chang EF, Shangari G, Kane AJ, McDermott MW, Berger MS, Parsa AT. Postoperative seizures following the resection of convexity meningiomas: are prophylactic anticonvulsants indicated? Clinical article. J Neurosurg 2011;114(3):705-9.

Sughrue ME, Cage T, Shangari G, Parsa AT, McDermott MW. Clinical characteristics and surgical outcomes of patients presenting with meningiomas arising predominantly from the floor of the middle fossa. Neurosurgery 2010;67(1):80-6; discussion 86.

Suh JH, Videtic GM, Aref AM, Germano I, Goldsmith BJ, Imperato JP, Marcus KJ, McDermott MW, McDonald MW, Patchell RA, Robins HI, Rogers CL, Wolfson AH, Wippold FJ 2nd, Gaspar LE. ACR Appropriateness Criteria: single brain metastasis. Curr Probl Cancer 2010;34(3):162-74.

Sughrue ME, Rutkowski MJ, Aranda D, Barani IJ, McDermott MW, Parsa AT. Factors affecting outcome following treatment of patients with cavernous sinus meningiomas. J Neurosurg 2010;113(5):1087-92.

Sughrue ME, Rutkowski MJ, Aranda D, Barani IJ, McDermott MW, Parsa AT. Treatment decision making based on the published natural history and growth rate of small meningiomas. J Neurosurg 2010;113(5):1036-42.

Sughrue ME, Kane AJ, Shangari G, Parsa AT, Berger MS, McDermott MW. Prevalence of previous extracranial malignancies in a series of 1228 patients presenting with meningioma. J Neurosurg 2010;113(5):1115-21.

Sughrue ME, Kane AJ, Shangari G, Rutkowski MJ, McDermott MW, Berger MS, Parsa AT. The relevance of Simpson Grade I and II resection in modern neurosurgical treatment of World Health Organization Grade I meningiomas. J Neurosurg 2010;113(5):1029-35.

Sughrue ME, Sanai N, Shangari G, Parsa AT, Berger MS, McDermott MW. Outcome and survival following primary and repeat surgery for World Health Organization Grade III meningiomas. J Neurosurg 2010;113(2):202-9.

Barajas RF Jr, Hodgson JG, Chang JS, Vandenberg SR, Yeh RF, Parsa AT, McDermott MW, Berger MS, Dillon WP, Cha S. Glioblastoma multiforme regional genetic and cellular expression patterns: influence on anatomic and physiologic MR imaging. Radiology 2010;254(2):564-76.

Wippold FJ 2nd; Expert Panel on Neurologic Imaging. Orbits, vision, and visual loss. AJNR Am J Neuroradiol 2010;31(1):196-8.

Han SJ, Yang I, Ahn BJ, Otero JJ, Tihan T, McDermott MW, Berger MS, Prados MD, Parsa AT. Clinical characteristics and outcomes for a modern series of primary gliosarcoma patients. Cancer 2010;116(5):1358-66.

Sanai N, McDermott MW. A modified far-lateral approach for large or giant meningiomas of the posterior fossa. J Neurosurg 2010;112(5):907-12.

Expert Panel on Radiation Oncology-Brain Metastases, Videtic GM, Gaspar LE, Aref AM, Germano IM, Goldsmith BJ, Imperato JP, Marcus KJ, McDermott MW, McDonald MW, Patchell RA, Robins HI, Rogers CL, Suh JH, Wolfson AH, Wippold FJ 2nd. American College of Radiology appropriateness criteria on multiple brain metastases. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 2009;75(4):961-5.