Walter E. Dandy Professor of Neurological Surgery
Vice Chairman of Academic Affairs
Chief, Pediatric Neurosurgery
Co-director, Neurosurgical Oncology
Phone: (412) 692-5881
e-mail: ian.pollack@chp.edu

Also see Media Appearances below.

Specialized Areas of Interest

Pediatric neurosurgery; pediatric neuro-oncology; craniofacial surgery; congenital spinal abnormalities; brain tumor clinical trials.

Biography

Ian Pollack, MD, is co-director of the Brain Tumor Program at the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute, chief of Pediatric Neurosurgery at Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, and Walter Dandy Professor of Neurosurgery at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine.

Prior to joining the faculty of the Department of Neurological Surgery at the University of Pittsburgh in 1992, he was awarded the 1991 Van Wagenen Traveling Fellowship, which afforded him a year of subspecialty training in the Department of Neurosurgery at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, the Neuro-Oncology Laboratory of the University of Lausanne in Switzerland, and the Laboratory of Tumor Biology of the University of Uppsala in Sweden.

Dr. Pollack graduated magna cum laude from Emory University in 1980, where he earned a BS degree in chemistry. He received his medical degree from the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in 1984, then completed a surgical internship and neurosurgical residency at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. He also was a research fellow in neuropathology and neurobiology during some of that time.

Dr. Pollack has published more than 200 papers in refereed journals, numerous book chapters and invited papers, and has edited two books on childhood brain tumors. He is co-editor of the recently published book Principles and Practice of Pediatric Neurosurgery and an accompanying atlas Operative Techniques In Pediatric Neurosurgery.

He is currently a principal investigator on numerous NIH grants focusing on novel therapies for brain tumors and evaluating molecular markers of tumor prognosis.

Dr. Pollack was named vice chairman of academic affairs for the department in July of 2008.

Dr. Pollack's publications can be reviewed through the National Library of Medicine's publication database.

Board Certifications

American Board of Neurological Surgery
American Board of Pediatric Neurosurgery

Hospital Privileges

Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC
Magee-Womens Hospital of UPMC
UPMC Presbyterian
UPMC Shadyside
The Western Pennsylvania Hospital

Professional Organization Membership

Allegheny County Medical Society
Alpha Omega Alpha
American Association for the Advancement of Science
American Association for Cancer Research
American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS)
Joint Section on Tumors (AANS/CNS)
American Medical Association
American Society of Pediatric Neurosurgeons
American Society for Clinical Investigation
Children’s Oncology Group
Congress of Neurological Surgeons (CNS)
International Brain Research Organization
Johns Hopkins Medical and Surgical Society
New York Academy of Science
Pennsylvania Medical Society
Pennsylvania Neurosurgical Society
Phi Beta Kappa
Pittsburgh Cancer Institute, Active Member
Pittsburgh Neuroscience Society
Society of Neurological Surgeons
Society for Neuro-Oncology
Society for Neuroscience
Society of Surgical Oncology

Editorial Service

• Editorial:

Journal of Neurosurgery
Journal of Neurosurgery: Pediatrics
Neuro-Oncology
Pediatric Blood and Cancer
ASCO PLWC
Physician Data Query (PDQ) Pediatric Treatment

• Ad Hoc Reviewer:

Acta Paediatrica
American Family Physician
Brain Research
Cancer
Cancer and Cancer Cytopathology
Cancer Causes and Control
Cancer Investigation
Cancer Letters
Cancer Research
Clinical Cancer Therapy
The European Journal of Cancer
Gene Therapy
In Vitro Cellular and Development Biology
Journal of Clinical Oncology
Journal of Craniofacial Surgery
Journal of Neuro-Imaging
Journal of Neuro-Oncology
Journal of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology
Journal of Pediatrics
Molecular Cancer Therapeutics
Neurosurgery
Pediatric Blood and Cancer
Pediatrics
Radiotherapy and Oncology
Spine

Media Appearances

Teen Has New Lease On Life After Brain Tumor Removal
July 22, 2009
WTAE TV-4 (Pittsburgh) Evening News

Study finds clue to deadly childhood brain cancers
February 7, 2002
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette