Javier Villanueva-Meyer, MD

Dr. Villanueva-Meyer has served as Medical Director of MRI at UCSF since 2021 and has distinguished himself as a leader across our mission areas as a talented clinician, patient advocate, transdisciplinary partner, and top-notch educator and mentor. In September, he transitioned to his new role as Vice Chair of Quality and Technology for UCSF's Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging.

Dr. Villanueva-Meyer’s interests focus on advanced MR imaging and imaging-based tools to better delineate and characterize brain tumors. His research also involves molecular imaging, where he works to develop and implement the use of PET radiotracers in both brain tumors and spinal infection. He has clinical expertise in CT, MRI and plain film radiography of the brain, head and neck, spine, and peripheral nervous system, as well as diagnostic and therapeutic neuroradiology procedures such as percutaneous biopsy, lumbar puncture, myelography, cisternography, epidural and selective nerve root injection.