Jacob Young, MD
Assistant Professor
Neurological Surgery
School of Medicine

Dr. Jacob Young is a neurosurgeon who cares for patients with brain tumors, including low- and high-grade gliomas, meningiomas and brain metastases (cancer that has spread to the brain). He specializes in brain mapping techniques that identify areas important for motor, language and sensory functions, enabling surgeons to minimize the impact on these areas during surgery to remove a tumor.

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His clinical research explores how to optimize functional outcomes and minimize complications after surgery for intrinsic brain tumors.

Dr. Young's translational research interests include first-in-human early-phase clinical trials of new immunotherapies and innovative ways to deliver drugs to treat cancerous brain tumors. In his lab, he focuses on understanding the microenvironment of glioma and how it contributes to intratumoral heterogeneity (differences between cancer cells within the same tumor), treatment resistance and cancer evolution at the time of progression. Working with numerous collaborators, his ultimate goal is to design treatment strategies that improve outcomes for patients with brain tumors. His glioblastoma research has been recognized at the institutional, regional, and national levels. During his postdoctoral training, he was awarded the Chan Zuckerberg Biohub Physician-Scientist fellowship, the Andrew J. Lockhart Focused Ultrasound and Immuno-Oncology fellowship, and the American Society of Clinical Oncology Young Investigator Award.

Dr. Young earned his medical degree from the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine, where he was elected to the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society. He completed a residency in neurosurgery and a postdoctoral fellowship in tumor immunology at UCSF, where he received an Exceptional Physician Award during his training. He was recognized with the Krevan's Award for excellence in patient care at the Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital and the Howard Naffziger Award for Outstanding Clinical Service from the department of neurological surgery.

Awards

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  • Harold Rosegay Resident Teaching Award, UCSF Department of Neurological Surgery, 2024
  • Edwin Boldrey Award, San Francisco Neurosurgical Society, 2023
  • Harold Rosegay Resident Teaching Award, UCSF Department of Neurological Surgery, 2023
  • Young Investigator Award, American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), 2022-2023
  • Donald O. Quest Award, American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS), 2022
  • National Brain Tumor Society Award, American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS), 2022
  • Best Senior Resident Translational Paper Award, UCSF Department of Neurological Surgery, 2022
  • Best Basic Science Abstract, Western Neurosurgical Society, 2022
  • Chan-Zuckerberg Physician Scientist Fellow, Chan-Zuckerberg Biohub, UCSF, 2021-2022
  • Donald O. Quest Award, American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS), 2021
  • Neil Peart Neurosurgery Research Award, Glioblastoma Foundation, 2021
  • Harold Rosegay Award, San Francisco Neurosurgical Society, 2021
  • Harold Rosegay Award, San Francisco Neurosurgical Society, 2020
  • UCSF Exceptional Physician Award, UCSF, 2020
  • Best Junior Research Paper Award, UCSF Department of Neurological Surgery, 2019
  • Howard Naffziger Award, UCSF Department of Neurological Surgery, 2019
  • Krevans Award for Excellence in Patient Care, San Francisco General Hospital, UCSF, 2018
  • Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Society, University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine, 2017
  • Departmental Award for Outstanding Performance in Surgery, University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine, 2017
  • Graduation with Honors, University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine, 2017
  • Outstanding Achievement Award in Medicine, University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine, 2017
  • Peter Huttenlocher & Douglas Buchanan Prize, University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine, 2017
  • Medical Student Summer Research Fellowship, Neurosurgery Research & Education Foundation (NREF)/American Association of Neurological Surgeons, 2015
  • The Brain Research Foundation Award for Neuroscience, University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine, 2014
  • Phi Beta Kappa, Duke University, 2013
  • Graduation with Distinction, Duke University, 2012

Education & Training

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  • Residency Neurosurgery University of California, San Francisco 06/2024
  • MD Medicine University of Chicago 06/2017
  • BS Neuroscience Duke University 05/2012

Websites

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Grants and Projects

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  • Development of a AI-guided Neuro-Oncology Patient Navigator (BrainGPT), Department of Energy

Publications (252)

Top publication keywords:
Supratentorial NeoplasmsGliomaDecompressive CraniectomyCraniotomyAphasiaNeurosurgeonsBrain NeoplasmsUltrasonic TherapyMonitoring, IntraoperativeGlioblastomaNeurosurgical ProceduresMeningeal NeoplasmsHigh-Intensity Focused Ultrasound AblationDisease ManagementIsocitrate Dehydrogenase

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