The Choroid Plexus and Cerebrospinal Fluid Emerging Roles in CNS Development, Maintenance, and Disease Progression

Dr. Josh Neman completed his doctoral training in neurobiology at UCLA where he studied the development of oligodendrocytes from embryonic stem cells. Dr. Neman then chose to pursue his postdoctoral fellowship at City of Hope, where it would enable him to solidify the bridge between bench to bedside care for cancer patients. His current research investigates the biology of glioblastoma multiforme and breast to brain metastases. Dr. Neman's expertise and strengths in stem cells, glial biology, neural development, synaptic plasticity, and trauma, have allowed for the development of novel approaches to study the brain and tumor microenvironment ---a vantage point that is currently lacking in the field of brain metastases. His research studies have established that the physiologic microenvironment of the brain must become a tumor-favorable microenvironment for successful metastatic colonization by circulating breast cancer cells. Dr. Neman has more than 30 peer reviewed original research articles (in PNAS, PLoS One, Spine, Neurosurgery, and Developmental Neurobiology), reviews, abstracts, and book chapters to his name. He is currently in process of co-editing the second edition of "Clinical Cases: Neuroscience” which is scheduled to be published in late 2014. Moreover, he has been recipient of research awards from NIH-NCI and California Institute for Regenerative Medicine.Dr. Chen is currently Professor of Neurological Surgery and Pathology at the University of Southern California. Highly experienced in the area of translational research aimed at the development of clinical trials and novel therapeutics for malignant brain tumours, he is the head of the Glioma Research Group at USC. He completed his neurological surgery residency and PhD in pathobiology at the University of Southern California, followed by fellowship training in spinal surgery from the Medical College of Wisconsin. Dr. Chen is a physician, a board certified neurosurgeon, and the Director of Surgical Neuro-oncology - recognized both for his skills as a neurosurgeon and his cutting edge research examining glioma biology.