Dimitris G. Placantonakis, MD, PhD

I am a neurosurgeon and scientist specializing in brain tumor surgery. I started my medical career at NYU Grossman School of Medicine, where I trained in the MD/PhD program. After obtaining my doctorate in neuroscience and graduating first in my medical school class, I pursued neurosurgery training and a postdoctoral fellowship at other institutions. I returned to NYU Langone as a faculty member in 2010.

As a brain tumor surgeon–scientist, I have dedicated my career to surgically treating patients who have brain tumors, researching tumor biology and human brain development, and designing new therapies. I specialize in surgery to remove gliomas, glioblastomas, pituitary adenomas, meningiomas, and brain metastases.

Using advanced, novel surgical techniques, functional mapping of the brain, and intraoperative imaging, I maximize surgical efficacy and improve patient recovery. My expertise extends beyond conventional brain tumor surgery and includes minimally invasive or noninvasive platforms, such as laser ablation, focused ultrasound, and tubular retractors for deep-seated brain tumors.

Through my work designing and running clinical trials, I offer patients new treatment options. I have led several trials for patients who have glioblastoma.

My laboratory group, which has been funded by the National Institutes of Health for more than a decade now, studies basic mechanisms of oncogenesis in glioblastoma, with the goal of identifying biological vulnerabilities that can be exploited therapeutically. We also use human stem cell platforms to better understand human brain development.

I am honored to have received several awards as a scientist and to have been recognized as a Super Doctors’ “Rising Star” for New York and by Leading Physicians of the World as a surgeon. Although it’s gratifying to receive such recognition, I most cherish the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of my patients and their families. A brain cancer diagnosis can be the most difficult and stressful period in a person’s life. I am privileged to be a part of the solution. I am grateful for my patients’ trust and for the privilege of forming powerful emotional bonds with them and their families.