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NCIRE Investigators

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Doris Wang

MD, PhD

Assistant Professor, Neurological Surgery, UCSF

Dr. Doris Wang is a neurosurgeon who specializes in surgery for patients with movement disorders, such as essential tremor, Parkinson's disease and dystonia, a condition in which involuntarily contracting muscles cause abnormal movements.


Wang uses deep brain stimulation devices – implantable devices that can send electric signals to specific areas of the brain – in her research to better understand the dynamics of neural networks that develop as humans learn motor skills. Her goal is to develop targeted treatments that restore motor skill learning in patients with brain diseases and injuries.


Wang earned her doctorate in neuroscience and her medical degree at UCSF, where she also completed a residency in neurosurgery. During her residency, she developed an interest in functional neurosurgery, which utilizes a variety of techniques to restore or improve brain function. Also, at UCSF, she completed a fellowship in stereotactic and functional neurosurgery, which involves using advanced imaging techniques such as computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging to guide neurosurgical procedures.


A member of the UCSF community since 2004, Wang shares the institution's values and commitment to advancing patient care while deepening scientific understanding of neurological disorders. She belongs to the Congress of Neurological Surgeons, American Association of Neurological Surgeons and American Society for Stereotactic and Functional Neurosurgery.

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Duygu Tosun-Turgut

PhD

Assistant Professor of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, UCSF

Dr. Tosun-Turgut’s research focuses on applying advanced imaging technology to identify multi-disciplinary and multi-modality biomarkers to detect the pathophysiological progression of neuropathologies before they cause irreversible damage to the brain. In recognition to her contributions in neuroimaging and aging, she was awarded the AFAR-GE Healthcare Junior Investigator Award for Excellence in Imaging and Aging Research both in 2010 and 2011.

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Elaine Tseng

MD

Chief of Cardiothoracic Surgery at the SFVAHCS

Professor of Surgery, UCSF

Dr. Tseng's laboratory has spearheaded efforts to understand the biomechanics of ascending thoracic aortic aneurysms to better predict which patients are at higher risk of type A dissection and should have elective surgery that is safer. She also studies transcatheter aortic valve replacement computationally and experimentally to determine their durability and is developing novel devices to remove and replace them without surgery when they fail.

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Frank Brodie

MD, MBA

Assistant Professor, Ophthalmology and Vitreoretinal Surgery, UCSF

Physician, SFVAHCS

Dr. Frank Brodie is an ophthalmologist and vitreoretinal surgeon who cares for patients with disorders of the retina and vitreous (a thick, transparent substance inside the eye). In addition to UCSF, he sees patients at the San Francisco Veterans Affairs Medical Center.


Brodie's research focuses on developing new techniques for preventing, detecting and treating retinal diseases. He has a special interest in the care of patients who have or are at risk for retinal detachment. Finding inspiration in his patients, he hopes his studies will translate into meaningful improvements in their vision and lives.

Brodie earned his medical degree from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, where he also earned a master of business administration degree in a joint program with the Wharton School. He completed a residency in ophthalmology at UCSF, an advanced fellowship in ophthalmic innovation at Stanford Medicine and a fellowship in vitreoretinal surgery at Duke University.


A native San Franciscan and third-generation UCSF retina specialist, Brodie is thrilled to be part of the UCSF family. His wife — also a Dr. Brodie — is an obstetrician and gynecologist in San Francisco, where together they are raising two children and a poorly trained golden retriever.

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Franklin W. Huang

MD, PhD

Assistant Professor, Department of Medicine, UCSF

Dr. Franklin Huang is a medical oncologist who cares for patients with prostate cancer.


Huang's lab examines genetic differences between cancer cells and normal tissue, aiming to determine what makes certain tumors more aggressive. His work seeks to understand prostate cancer in African Americans and to develop better treatments. His other areas of study include finding new drug targets for cancer patients with precision medicine (an approach that individualizes treatment by considering factors such as genetics and environment) and global oncology (a field focused on expanding access to cancer prevention and treatment). His research receives support from the National Institutes of Health, the United States Department of Defense, the Prostate Cancer Foundation and the Benioff Initiative for Prostate Cancer Research.


Huang earned his doctorate in genetics from Harvard Medical School and his medical degree from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. He completed a residency in internal medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital and a fellowship in hematology and oncology at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute; both hospitals are Harvard affiliates. He is a co-founder of Global Oncology, a nonprofit working to improve cancer care for underserved patients around the world.

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NCIRE Pronunciation
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