Neurosurgeon Michael W. McDermott Honored with the Wolfe Family Endowed Professorship in Meningioma Research

On August 16th, UCSF neurosurgeon Michael W. McDermott, MD was appointed the Wolfe Family Endowed Professor for Meningioma Research. This honor celebrates McDermott’s many achievements as both an accomplished surgeon and a prominent leader in the field of meningioma research.

With an estimated 29,100 new diagnoses each year in the United States, meningioma is the most common primary intracranial tumor. Surgery and radiation therapy are the major treatment strategies, and McDermott is widely considered to have made significant contributions that impact the standard care for meningioma patients today.

McDermott has pioneered the surgical management of meningioma, and has defined optimal surgical approaches in the maximal, safe resection of these tumors. He was also instrumental in advancing radiosurgery treatment for brain tumors at UCSF; today, UCSF is one of the most prominent radiosurgery centers in the nation. His expertise in sophisticated radiation treatments like brachytherapy has led to new approaches in the care of patients. Further, McDermott’s research continues to influence the classification, diagnosis, and grading of meningioma.

Having performed over 6,000 cranial operations and co-authored 343 publications, McDermott is a prolific neurosurgeon and scientist. In the speech accepting his new Professorship, he reiterated the importance of passing on skills to the next generation of neurosurgeons, and considers it a privilege to share his expertise with his trainees. Under his leadership, the Neurological Surgery Residency Program at UCSF has been ranked as #1 in the country.  

McDermott also leads the UCSF Wolfe Meningioma Program Project, which brings together clinicians and scientists to solve the challenges that currently limit our understanding and thus treatment of meningioma. These efforts are a culmination of McDermott’s career-long dedication to improving patient care and developing innovative therapies for these tumors.

Endowments are considered among the most prestigious and permanent investments, a distinction that publicly recognizes an individual’s past scholastic contributions as well as the promise of their future impact. The Wolfe Family Endowed Professorship for Meningioma Research honors and supports McDermott’s extraordinary commitment in service of patients with meningioma.