John S. Yu, MD
Co-Director, Comprehensive Brain Tumor Program
John S. Yu, MD is Co-Director of the Comprehensive Brain Tumor Program at the Department of Neurosurgery at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. He is also Neurosurgical Director of the Gamma Knife with extensive experience in radiosurgery. As an internationally renowned neurosurgeon, Dr. Yu's clinical focus is on the treatment of spinal disorders, as well as malignant and benign brain and spinal tumors. He is also conducting extensive research in immune and gene therapy for brain tumors. In 2005, he was inducted into America's Top Doctors and has been in America's Who's Who in Medicine and Healthcare since 2003.
Dr. Yu's latest work focuses on the use of bone marrow-derived neural stem cells to treat malignant brain tumors. He also is the principal investigator for immunotherapy trials conducted at the institute. The goal of this research is to bolster the body's immune system, thus achieving an anti-tumor effect. Both genetically engineered tumor cells and dendritic cells are used to prime the immune response. Phase I trials of the dendritic cell immunotherapy have been encouraging, and Phase II trials began in September 2000. In 1996, he received the Academy Award from the American Academy of Neurological Surgery at its annual meeting. That same year, he presented his research on immunologic gene therapy for brain tumors at the American Association of Neurological Surgeons.
Dr. Yu has published articles in several prestigious journals including Cancer Research, Cancer Gene Therapy, Human Gene Therapy, Journal of Neuroimmunology, Journal of Neurological Science and Journal of Neurosurgery.
Dr. Yu earned his bachelor's degree in French literature and biological sciences from Stanford University and spent a year at the Sorbonne in Paris studying French literature. He also pursued a fellowship in immunology at the Institut Pasteur in Paris. He earned his medical degree from Harvard Medical School and master's degree from the Harvard University Department of Genetics. He completed his neurosurgical residency at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. In addition, he was a Neuroscience Fellow at the National Institute of Mental Health in the Neuroimmunology Unit at Massachusetts General Hospital from 1988 to 1989 and was a Culpeper Scholar at the Molecular Neurogenetics Unit at that hospital from 1993 to 1995. Other honors include the Preuss Award, Joint Section on Tumors, American Association of Neurological Surgeons and Congress of Neurologic Surgeons in 1995.
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