Neuro-Oncology Fellowship

The Neuro-Oncology Fellowship Program at MD Anderson provides a unique experience for trainees. For fellows interested in entering clinical practice, we offer rotations through pain and palliative care. This is a niche that is important to neurology and oncology groups interested in expanding the repertoire of clinical practice.

The fellows also have a distinctive opportunity to participate in our clinical research activities to gain experience in clinical trial design and execution, drug development, regulatory aspects of trials and development of strategies that hold promise in brain tumor therapy. In addition, our fellows learn the intricacies of how a multidisciplinary, expert team works efficiently to translate research into clinical practice to provide optimal care for patients.

Furthermore, the Neuro-Oncology Fellowship Program stands out by offering:

• Financial support for trainees to attend conferences of their choosing
• Regular lectures and advanced education opportunities throughout the institution
• Opportunity to train with a dynamic, multidisciplinary team at MD Anderson, which has been named one of the top two hospitals in cancer care every year since U.S. News & World Report began its annual “America’s Best Hospitals” rankings in 1990
• UCNS certification eligibility for neuro-oncology upon completion of the program

Fellows must hold an M.D. or D.O. degree, have completed a residency in adult neurology or neurosurgery and, if applicable, have an active ECFMG certification.

Applicants must have U.S. Citizenship, Permanent Residency, or a J-1 VISA. MD Anderson does not offer H-1B VISAS for GME Trainees. See the MD Anderson GME Eligibility Requirements page for further details.

MD Anderson offers a smoke-free environment and is an Equal Opportunity/ Affirmative Action Employer.

We are proud to be an inaugural participant in the new Neuro-Oncology Fellowship Match. The Match is a joint effort among 30+ clinical adult neuro-oncology fellowship programs, the Society for Neuro-Oncology, and SF Match.

To apply for the Neuro-Oncology Fellowship at MD Anderson, follow these steps:

1. Register for the Neuro-Oncology Fellowship Match on the SF Match website. Applicants must register for their application to be considered. 
2. Submit! Applications for positions starting July 1, 2025 will be accepted November 1, 2023 through February 29, 2024 (11:59 p.m. PT). Candidates are responsible for ensuring they meet the program and institutional eligibility requirements (See Requirements tab above).

Please email your application and supporting documents to Sarah Fike, M.P.H., sfike@mdanderson.org. A list of required documents is available below for reference. Letters of recommendation should be sent to Sarah Fike by the letter writer or a representative from the letter writer’s office. 

Required Documents

• Application
  • On the first page, include:
    • Academic Year: 2025-2026
    • Appointment Type: Clinical Fellow
    • Division Name: Cancer Medicine
    • Program Name: Neuro-Oncology
• A current curriculum vitae (CV)
• Statement of intent (PDF)
• Copy of medical school diploma
  
• Copy of medical school transcript
• Three letters of recommendation: (1) letter from the Residency Program Director, (2) letters from an attending physician, and/or teaching faculty
  • Program director letter must state current standing and expected program completion date
  • All letters must be signed, dated and on institutional letterhead
  • All letters of recommendation should be sent to Sarah Fike, M.P.H., sfike@mdanderson.org, by the letter writer or a representative in the letter writer’s office
    • Letters submitted by the candidate will not be accepted
  • All letters should be addressed to Shiao-Pei Weathers, M.D., Fellowship Program Director or “To Whom It May Concern”    
• A copy of your USMLE transcript or COMLEX transcript
  • Individual score reports will be returned and will not count towards a complete application packet
• A copy of current ECFMG Certification, if you completed medical school outside the United States

The deadline for applications to be received in full is Thursday, February 29, 2024 (11:59 p.m. PT). Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, with equal weight given to applications regardless of submission time frame. Interviews will be held on Mondays in late April/all of May 2024. For Academic Year 2025-26 we will be interviewing for a class of 3.

Please email Sarah Fike, M.P.H., sfike@mdanderson.org, with any questions regarding the fellowship application process. We welcome the opportunity to explore your best match with YOU!

The Brain and Spine Center provides multidisciplinary clinic facilities for neuro-oncology, neurosurgery and radiation oncology, supported by neuropathology and neuro-radiology. The center has active interactions with the Sections of Pediatric Neuro-Oncology, Palliative Care and Symptom Management, Anesthesia Pain Service, Neuropsychology and Social Work.

Chemotherapy is typically administered in a centralized Ambulatory Treatment Center, which provides expert care and monitoring in bed and chair units. For some Phase I or II studies that require time-sensitive pharmacokinetic studies, the Clinical-Translational Research Center provides full phlebotomy and laboratory services as well as outstanding nursing care.

Neuro-Oncology and Neurosurgery inpatients are cared for on a 32-bed neuro inpatient unit, but neurology consultations may be required in any of the other units of this 512-bed hospital.

The neuro-oncology fellow will benefit from:

• The large number of primary brain tumor patients (over 500 new patients annually), providing unparalleled opportunity for intensive and diverse experience in clinical care issues
• Elective one- to two-month rotations with pain and palliative care, pediatric neuro-oncology, radiation therapy and other oncologic subspecialties, if the fellow is interested in broadening his/her experience in such related fields
• Exposure to a rich variety of consultative neuro-oncology referrals, including patients undergoing treatment with novel investigational agents
• Exposure to a variety of clinical research protocols for primary and secondary neurological malignancies
   

The wealth of patient referrals also provides a unique opportunity to conduct basic research and correlative studies on incidental samples of tissue or blood, which are routinely banked for this purpose.

MD Anderson offers many opportunities to interact and collaborate with a diverse group of experts in basic research, as well as access to cutting-edge technology including genomic and proteonomic facilities, resources in multiple areas of cancer biology including apoptosis, invasion, angiogenesis, developmental sciences, DNA repair, animal models and gene discovery.

The Brain Tumor Research Program laboratories are organized by research focus, not departmental boundaries, and are consolidated in 10,000 square feet located on a single floor in the Mitchell Basic Sciences Research Building. Departmental and institutional research support funds and equipment have been pooled to provide a common group-wide resource that promotes close multidisciplinary interaction and support among members.
 

In addition to fellowship-specific educational opportunities:

• The Brain Tumor Research Program hosts a bi-weekly seminar series, featuring nationally and internationally respected speakers on issues related to CNS tumors.
  Fellows are also encouraged to attend other of the many lectures available around the institution that may be relevant to their training experience.
• Weekly CNS Tumor Board sessions offer valuable educational experience, as each of the disciplines provide input regarding pathologic and radiologic findings, disease and treatment history, and discuss options for future treatment.
• Protocol meetings review accruals, responses and toxicities for each open clinical trial, and provide a forum to discuss new treatment strategies and protocol design.
• Frequent laboratory group meetings of ongoing research optimize the basic and translational research experience.
   

MD Anderson is in the world’s largest medical complex, the Texas Medical Center. In addition, Houston is the fourth largest and most diverse city in the United States, with something to offer for everyone. Read more about why you should choose Houston.

So much to do and know about Houston

• Houston has an estimated 2.3 million residents in the city limits and more than 6 million living in the Greater Houston metro area.
• According to Forbes Magazine, approximately 254 people move to Houston every day (92,562 per year).
• Review U.S. Census (2020) Quick Facts Data about specific population stats: https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/houstoncitytexas/PST045222
• Houston has the fourth-largest economy in America with a nominal gross area product of $522.9 billion.
• The Greater Houston area boasts the third-lowest cost of living among the top 20 most populous metro areas in the country.
• Two major award-winning airports serve the area: George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) and William P. Hobby Airport (HOU). Together they provide service to 190 domestic and international destinations on 25 airlines.
• Do you like sports? Houston has many prized sports teams with world-class teams including:
  • Houston Astros baseball
  • Houston Rockets basketball
  • Houston Texans football
  • Houston Dynamo men’s soccer
  • Houston Dash women’s soccer
• Education
  • 14 major institutions of higher learning (and others)
• Business
  • Houston also has the fourth-largest concentration of Fortune 500 companies in the nation. Twenty-two companies in the area are on the 2024 Fortune 500 list.
• Parks and Recreation
  • Hermann Park
  • Memorial Park
  • Buffalo Bayou Park
  • Houston Arboretum and Nature Center
  • Houston Bikeways
  • Brazos Bend State Park (less than one hour away)
  • Stephen F. Austin State Park (less than one hour away)
  • Big Thicket National Preserve (1.5 hours away)
• Food galore! Houston restaurants and cafes offer some of the best food in the world.
  
  

Facts about the Texas Medical Center

• Houston is home to the Texas Medical Center, the world’s largest medical complex. About 120,000+ people work within its facilities including close to 22,000 at MD Anderson alone. TMC is also building a new world-class life science campus called TMC3, a first-of-its-kind translational research initiative.
• Altogether, 10 million patients visit Texas Medical Center institutions each year, with MD Anderson recording more than 1 million outpatient clinical visits, treatments and procedures.

For inquiries and questions about our program, please contact:

Sarah Fike
Education Coordinator
Neuro-Oncology, Unit 431
The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center
P.O. Box 301402
Houston, Texas 77230-1402
Email: sfike@mdanderson.org
Phone: 713-792-7255

Alumni of the Neuro-Oncology Fellowship are listed below by years in the program. Have an update to your current affiliation? Email Sarah Fike. 

Keng Lam (2022-2024), City of Hope Cancer Center, Duarte, CA

Timothy Gregory (2021-2023), Madigan Army Medical Center, Lakewood, WA

Anuj Patel (2021-2023), MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX

Andrew Rodriguez (2021-2023), University of Kansas, Kansas City, MO

Nathan Clarke (2020-2022), University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI

Lily Pham (2020-2022), University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD

Ashley Aaroe (2019-2021), MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX

Lindsay Robell (2019-2021), The Cancer Center at Metro Health Village, Wyoming, MI

Alexander Ou (2019-2021) Kelsey-Seybold Clinic, Clear Lake, TX

David Blas-Boria (2010-2011), VA Caribbean Healthcare System, Puerto Rico
Brett Theeler (2010-2012), Walter Reed Medical Center, Bethesda, MD
Michael Pearlman (2010-2012)
Zsila Sadighi (2010-2012), MD Anderson, Houston, TX
Mark D. Anderson (2011-2013), University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS
Pedro Garciarena (2011-2013), Physician Regional Healthcare System, Naples, FL
Mohamed Hamza (2011-2013), OhioHealth Neurological Physicians, Columbus, OH
Shlomit Yust-Katz (2011-2013), Davidoff Cancer Center, Petah Tikva, Israel
Barbara O'Brien (2012-2014), MD Anderson, Houston, TX
Jacob Mandel (2012-2014), Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX
David Cachia (2013-2015), UMass Memorial Medical Center in Worcester, MA
Carlos Kamiya-Matsuoka (2013-2015), MD Anderson, Houston, TX
Shiao-Pei Weathers (2013-2014), MD Anderson, Houston, TX
Na Tosha Gatson (2014-2016), Banner MD Anderson, Phoenix, AZ
Clement Pillainayagam (2014-2016), Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbus, OH
Ahmed Daher (2015-2017), University of Illinois, Chicago, IL
Rebecca Harrison (2015-2017), BC Cancer, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
Julie Nam (2015-2017), Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL
Fernando Santos-Pinheiro (2016-2017), Medical Center Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI
Stefania Maraka (2016-2018), University of Illinois, Chicago, IL
Nazanin Majd (2017-2019), MD Anderson, Houston, TX
Nicholas Metrus (2017-2019), Gerald J. Glasser Brain Tumor Center, Summit, NJ
Christopher Trevino (2017-2019), Tulane University, New Orleans, LA
Kaylyn Sinicrope (2018-2019), Norton Cancer Institute, Louisville, KY
Michael Youssef (2018-2020), UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas TX

Randi Baculi (2000-2002), North Texas Neurological, Mesquite, TX and Rowlett, TX
Howard Colman (2001-2002), University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT
Pierre Giglio (2001–2003), Ohio State University Comprehensive Center, Columbus, OH
Ivo W Tremont (2001–2003) Houston Methodist, Houston, TX
Sudhakar Tummala (2001-2002), MD Anderson, Houston, TX
John de Groot (2002-2004), The University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 
Jonathan Grunfeld (2002-2004), Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
Yvonne Kew (2002-2004), Private Practice, Houston, Texas
Siew Ju See (2002–2004), National Neuroscience Institute, Singapore
Monica Loghin (2003-2005), MD Anderson, Houston, TX
Kristin Gabriel (2004–2005), The Vancouver Clinic, Vancouver, WA
Javier Gonzalez (2004–2006), West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV
Marta Penas-Prado (2005-2007), NIH, Bethesda, MD
Slobodan Miric (2005-2006), Dr. Miric Neurology, Denville, NJ
Jai Grewal (2005–2007), Neurological Surgery Group, Long Island, NY
Caryl Dellinger (2006-2007), Marshfield Clinic, Marshfield, WI
Merja Kallio (2006-2007), University of Oulu, Department of Paediatrics
Ray Bogitch (2007-2008), Seton Brain and Spine Institute, Austin, TX
Brian Vaillant (2007-2010), Texas Oncology, Austin, TX
Stan Han (2008-2009), UAB School of Medicine, Birmingham, AL
Shirley Ong (2008-2010), Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbus, OH
Jing Wu (2008-2010), Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD
Tobias Walbert (2008-2010), Henry Ford Hospital, Detroit, MI
Nicole Shonka (2009-2010), University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE
Aaron Mammoser (2009-2011), Louisiana State University, New Orleans, LA
Isaac Melguizo-Gavilanes (2009-2011), Aurora Cancer Care, Milwaukee, WI
 

Mark Alan Simaga (1990-1991), St. Mary Medical Center, Hobart, IN
Todd Jeffry Janus (1991-1992), Iowa Methodist Medical Center, Des Moines, IA
J. Adrian Galan (1991-1992), Private practice in Paris, TX
Athanassios P. Kyritsis (1991-1992), University of Ioannina School of Medicine, Ioannina, Greece
Elizabeth Strauch (1991-1992), Houston Hospice, Houston, TX
Alexandra Flowers (1991-1993)
Jennifer Daniels (1992-1994)
Qaiser Yusuf (1992-1994), Neurology and Pain Clinic, Baytown, TX
Charles Conrad (1992-1994)
Vladan Milosavljevic (1993-1995), New England Neurological Associates, P.C., Lawrence, MA
Paolo Manfredi (1993-1994), Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, Pain and Palliative Care, New York, NY
Samer Kaba (1994-1996), Vice President, Osmotica Pharmaceutical Corp., Marietta, GA
Wolley Oladut (1994-1995), South Texas Pain Management, Richmond, TX
Eric Wong (1995-1997), Brown University, Providence, RI
Masood Hashmi (1995-1997), Space Coast Neurology, Okeechobee, FL
Christopher Watling (1995-1996), London Regional Cancer Centre, London, ON, Canada
Vinaykumar Puduvalli (1996-1998), MD Anderson, Houston, TX
Morris Groves (1996-1998), Retired
Joon Uhm (1997-1999), Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN
John Rossi (1997-2000), St. Luke's The Woodlands Hospital, The Woodlands, TX
Lara Kunschner Ronan (1998-2000), Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, Lenanon, NH
Sigmund Hsu (1999-2002), The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX
George Bobustuc (1999-2001), Northwest Community Healthcare, Arlington Heights, IL
Minsoo Kang (1999–2001), Comprehensive Clinical Services Healthcare, Williamsville, NY
 

Karen Jurgensen (1982-1983), Plaza Medical Center of Fort Worth, Fort Worth, TX
Te-Long Hwang (1983-1984), University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC
Jorge Martinez (1983-1984), Metropolitan Methodist Hospital, San Antonio, TX
Kinzo Iwata (1984-1985), Aichi University, Aichi Prefecture, Japan
Agustino Castellanos (1984-1986), NeuroCare Consultants, Palm Beach Gardens, FL
Pamela New (1985-1987), Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX
Keith Privett (1987-1988)
Bernard L. Maria (1986-1988), Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC
Lesley Newton (1986-1987)
Sanjeev K. Deveshwar (1988-1989), Greensboro Radiology Associates, Greensboro, NC
Laszlo L. Mechtler (1988-1989), Dent Neurological Institute, Buffalo, NY
Everton Edmondson (1989-1990), Private Practice, Houston, TX
Maria Carvajal-Gandia (1989-1990)