May is always a meaningful time for me—both as a neurosurgeon and as a scientist—because of the critical importance of Brain Tumor Awareness Month.

This year, more than 90,000 people in the United States will be diagnosed with a primary brain tumor. Of those, nearly 25,000 will face a malignant diagnosis.

Long before stepping into my role as chair of the UAB Department of Neurosurgery, I dedicated my career to improving outcomes for patients with malignant gliomas, one of the most aggressive and challenging forms of brain cancer. Today, that work continues. I remain actively involved in leading translational research and clinical trials that are redefining boundaries of conventional treatment.

At UAB, we are proud to be home to one of the most comprehensive brain tumor programs in the region and part of the O’Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center—Alabama’s only NCI-designated cancer center. Our patients benefit from a robust, multidisciplinary team approach, as well as access to innovative diagnostics and treatment options that are often not available elsewhere.

Our program offers advanced technologies and techniques, including:

• iMRI (intraoperative MRI) - A llows us to obtain an MRI scan of a patient during surgery
• Laser interstitial thermal therapy (LITT) - Minimally invasive brain tumor ablation
• Stereotactic radiosurgery
• Image-guided and robotic assisted surgery
• Awake surgery with intraoperative mapping
• Fluorescence-guided surgery
• 360-degree skull base surgery
• Integrated multi-disciplinary care

These tools, combined with access to novel clinical trials and groundbreaking therapies, enable us to offer highly individualized care plans tailored to each patient’s needs.

This May, I invite you to reflect on the importance of Brain Tumor Awareness Month. Together, we can shape the future of brain tumor treatment and bring hope to more patients and families than ever before.