Kalil G. Abdullah, MD, surgically treats brain tumors and specializes in minimally invasive surgical options for benign and malignant tumors of the central nervous system.
Dr. Abdullah is one of the few neurosurgeons in the country who is a principal investigator on multiple grants from the National Institutes of Health. He has been an investigator for numerous glioma studies and is actively involved in bringing promising brain tumor drugs from the laboratory to early-stage clinical trials. He has published more than 100 research articles including scientific advances in journals such as Neuro-Oncology, Cancer Cell, Nature Medicine and Nature.
Dr. Abdullah earned his medical degree at the Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine where he was a National Institutes of Health Howard Hughes Medical Institute Scholar. He completed a residency in neurological surgery at the University of Pennsylvania and then received advanced training in neurosurgical oncology through a fellowship at the Wellington Hospital in New Zealand. He completed an additional postdoctoral research fellowship in stem cell biology at the University of Pennsylvania and holds a master’s degree from the London School of Economics.
Specialized Areas of Interest
Board Certifications
Diplomate, American Board of Neurological Surgeons
Hospital Privileges
Professional Organization Membership
Professional Activities
Education & Training
- MD, Cleveland Clinic, 2012
- Postdoc Fellow, University of Pennsylvania, 2017
- Clinical Fellow, Wellington Regional Hospital, New Zealand, 2018
- MSc, Health Economics, Policy, and Management, London School of Economics, 2019
- Neurosurgery Residency, University of Pennsylvania, 2012-19
Honors & Awards
- Keynote Lecturer, Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine Research Day, 2024
- Hillman Fellow for Innovative Developmental Cancer Research, 2024
- Eugene P. Frenkel Scholar in Clinical Medicine, UT Southwestern, 2021
- Early Clinical Investigator Award, Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas, 2021
- Emerging Investigator Award, Academy of Neurological Surgeons, 2020
- Rising Star Award, Texas Super Doctors, 2019, 2020
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute Scholar, National Institutes of Health, 2008
Research Activities
The Abdullah Lab has continued to focus on the metabolic basis of glioma, with an increased emphasis on the role metabolites function as neurotransmitters to drive tumor growth through neuronal activation. A key finding this year has been the identification of simple dietary modifications which can prolong survival in mice with glioblastoma. A clinical trial evaluating these findings is forthcoming. In 2024/2025, the Abdullah Lab was the recipient of R01s R01CA289260-01A1 and 1R01NS134724-01, two awards focused on the role of metabolism in glioma.
Media Appearances
Vulnerability in Brain Tumors May Open Door to New Treatments
National Cancer Institute
September 26, 2022