The 20 Best Craniopharyngioma Doctors in California, US

Gabriel Zada, MD, MS, FAANS is Professor of Neurological Surgery at the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California and a nationally recognized leader in brain tumor and skull base surgery. He serves as Surgical Director of the USC Brain Tumor Center, Co-Director of the USC Pituitary Center and Radiosurgery Center, and Vice Chair of Education for the Department of Neurosurgery. He is also Editor-in-Chief of Neurosurgical Focus, an international open-access journal of the Journal of Neurosurgery Publishing Group.Dr. Zada specializes in minimally invasive and endoscopic approaches to complex brain, pituitary, and skull base tumors and has performed more than 3,000 cranial operations during his career. His NIH-funded research program focuses on the genomics and epigenetics of brain and pituitary tumors, advancing precision medicine approaches in neurosurgical oncology.A prolific scholar, Dr. Zada has authored over 350 peer-reviewed publications and several textbooks in neurosurgery. Based on independent academic impact and expertise metrics, FindExpertMD ranks him the #1 neurosurgeon in California for multiple tumor (pituitary, meningioma) and skull base conditions and among the top neurosurgeons globally. Dr. Zada is rated as a Distinguished provider by MediFind in the treatment of Craniopharyngioma. His top areas of expertise are Pituitary Tumor, Hypothalamic Tumor, Brain Tumor, Endoscopic Transnasal Transsphenoidal Surgery, and Gamma Knife Radiosurgery.

Dr. Lewis Blevins is an endocrinologist specializing in evaluating and managing pituitary and hypothalamus disorders, including acromegaly, prolactinoma and other pituitary tumors, diabetes insipidus, hypopituitarism and growth hormone deficiencies. As medical director of the California Center for Pituitary Disorders at UCSF Medical Center, he guides a team providing comprehensive, state-of-the-art care. He has a special interest in Cushing's syndrome, also known as hypercortisolism, and has edited a book on the subject. In his research, Blevins is interested in evaluating new methods for diagnosing Cushing's syndrome. He also studies the factors that medical professionals can use to predict whether treating pituitary tumors with surgery or other methods will succeed. Blevins earned a medical degree at Quillen College of Medicine at East Tennessee State University and completed a residency in internal medicine at the University of Alabama at Birmingham Hospitals. After completing a fellowship in endocrinology at the Johns Hopkins Hospital, he served on the faculty at Emory University for four years and at Vanderbilt University for nine years. Dr. Blevins is rated as a Distinguished provider by MediFind in the treatment of Craniopharyngioma. His top areas of expertise are Pituitary Tumor, Hypothalamic Tumor, Prolactinoma, and Rathke Cleft Cyst.

Laurence Katznelson is an Endocrinologist in Palo Alto, California. Dr. Katznelson is rated as a Distinguished provider by MediFind in the treatment of Craniopharyngioma. His top areas of expertise are Acromegaly, Cushing's disease, Pituitary Tumor, Hypopituitarism, and Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT).

Dr. Philip Theodosopoulos is director of the Skull Base Tumor Program and vice chair of neurological surgery at UCSF. Before joining UCSF, he served as director of skull base surgery at the University of Cincinnati for 10 years. Theodosopoulos cares primarily for patients with skull base lesions, particularly malignancies and acoustic neuromas – noncancerous tumors that grow on nerves near the ear. His expertise includes endoscopic treatment of pituitary adenomas and chordomas as well as minimally invasive approaches to the skull base. Theodosopoulos has been a pioneer in the development of new surgical approaches to the skull base. He served as co-principal investigator for the largest prospective multicenter trial of surgical treatment for acoustic neuromas, and he currently serves on the Acoustic Neuroma Association's medical advisory board. He also has extensive expertise in research on patient outcomes. As a resident at UCSF, he completed the full curriculum for outcomes research and clinical epidemiology, and he continues to be involved in outcomes research at both the local and national levels. Theodosopoulos earned his undergraduate degree at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and completed medical school at Stanford University. He completed his neurosurgical training at UCSF, followed by a fellowship in cerebrovascular and skull base surgery at the Brigham and Women's Hospital, an affiliate of Harvard Medical School. Theodosopoulos has been on the faculty for more than 50 national and international surgical courses. He serves on the education committee for the Congress of Neurological Surgeons. He serves as residency program director for neurological surgery at UCSF. Dr. Theodosopoulos is rated as a Distinguished provider by MediFind in the treatment of Craniopharyngioma. His top areas of expertise are Schwannoma, Acoustic Neuroma, Meningioma, Endoscopic Transnasal Transsphenoidal Surgery, and Balloon Sinuplasty.

Juan Fernandez is a Neurosurgery provider in Palo Alto, California. Dr. Fernandez is rated as a Distinguished provider by MediFind in the treatment of Craniopharyngioma. His top areas of expertise are Craniopharyngioma, Meningioma, Pituitary Tumor, Septoplasty, and Balloon Sinuplasty.

John Carmichael is an Endocrinologist in Los Angeles, California. Dr. Carmichael is rated as an Advanced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Craniopharyngioma. His top areas of expertise are Pituitary Tumor, Acromegaly, Hypothalamic Tumor, Endoscopic Transnasal Transsphenoidal Surgery, and Endoscopy.

Julia Chang is an Endocrinologist in Palo Alto, California. Dr. Chang has been practicing medicine for over 10 years and is rated as an Advanced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Craniopharyngioma. Her top areas of expertise are Pituitary Tumor, Prolactinoma, Hypogonadism, and Panhypopituitarism.

Anthony Heaney is an Endocrinologist in Santa Monica, California. Dr. Heaney is rated as an Advanced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Craniopharyngioma. His top areas of expertise are Cushing's disease, Pituitary Tumor, Hypothalamic Tumor, Cushing's syndrome, and Endoscopic Transnasal Transsphenoidal Surgery.

Steven Chang is a Neurosurgery specialist and a General Surgeon in Palo Alto, California. Dr. Chang is rated as an Advanced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Craniopharyngioma. His top areas of expertise are Arteriovenous Malformation, Meningioma, Cerebral Arteriovenous Malformation, Awake Craniotomy, and Gamma Knife Radiosurgery.

Bruno Soares is a Neuroradiologist in Palo Alto, California. Dr. Soares is rated as an Advanced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Craniopharyngioma. His top areas of expertise are Pentalogy of Cantrell, Pediatric Low-Grade Glioma (pLGG), Chiari Malformation Type 1, and Brain Herniation.

Mark Halverson is a Neuroradiologist in Palo Alto, California. Dr. Halverson is rated as an Advanced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Craniopharyngioma. His top areas of expertise are Chiari Malformation, Brain Herniation, Chiari Malformation Type 1, and Neurofibromatosis Type 1 (NF1).

Franklin Moser is a Neuroradiologist in West Hollywood, California. Dr. Moser is rated as an Advanced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Craniopharyngioma. His top areas of expertise are Cerebrospinal Fluid Leak, Headache, Stroke, Vertebroplasty, and Bone Graft.

Skorn Ponrartana is a Neuroradiologist in Los Angeles, California. Dr. Ponrartana is rated as an Advanced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Craniopharyngioma. His top areas of expertise are Intussusception in Children, Arachnoid Cysts, Schizencephaly, and Porencephaly.

Daniel Kelly is a Neurosurgery provider in Los Angeles, California. Dr. Kelly is rated as an Advanced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Craniopharyngioma. His top areas of expertise are Meningioma, Radiation Induced Meningioma, Pituitary Tumor, Balloon Sinuplasty, and Septoplasty. Dr. Kelly is currently accepting new patients.

Kristen Launier is a Neuroradiologist in Orange, California. Dr. Launier is rated as an Advanced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Craniopharyngioma. Her top areas of expertise are Tracheoesophageal Fistula, Collins Pope Syndrome, Acropectoral Syndrome, and Klippel-Trenaunay Syndrome.

Barry Pressman is a Neuroradiologist in West Hollywood, California. Dr. Pressman is rated as an Advanced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Craniopharyngioma. His top areas of expertise are Chronic Rhinosinusitis with Nasal Polyps (CRSwNP), Meningioma, Herniated Disk, and Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus.

Donald Westbie is an Endocrinologist in Sonora, California. Dr. Westbie is rated as an Advanced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Craniopharyngioma. His top areas of expertise are Type 2 Diabetes (T2D), Maturity Onset Diabetes of the Young, Hypothyroidism, and Obesity in Children.

Naveed Wagle is a Neurologist in Santa Monica, California. Dr. Wagle is rated as an Advanced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Craniopharyngioma. His top areas of expertise are Astrocytoma, Glioblastoma, Glioma, and Gliosarcoma. Dr. Wagle is currently accepting new patients.

Lars Anker is an Oncologist and a Neurosurgery provider in Fullerton, California. Dr. Anker is rated as an Advanced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Craniopharyngioma. His top areas of expertise are Subdural Hematoma, Apoplexy, Stroke, Awake Craniotomy, and Gastrostomy. Dr. Anker is currently accepting new patients.

William Holmes is a Pediatric Radiologist in Orange, California. Dr. Holmes is rated as an Advanced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Craniopharyngioma. His top areas of expertise are Urachal Cyst, PIK3CA-Related Overgrowth Spectrum, Aseptic and Alopecic Nodules of Scalp (AANS), and Acro-Pectoro-Renal Field Defect.