Grants per year
Personal profile
Research Interests
Dr. Sonabend is a native from Mexico City. He obtained his medical degree from the Faculty of Medicine, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), and graduated at the top of his class, for which he was awarded the Gabino Barreda Medal from UNAM. Following his graduation, Dr. Sonabend worked in translational brain tumor research at the University of Chicago. He subsequently completed his neurosurgical training at New York Presbyterian Hospital Columbia University Medical Center. In addition to his general neurosurgical training, he gained extensive training in neurosurgical oncology. Dr. Sonabend began his career at Columbia in 2015, when he first joined the department upon completion of his residency. His scholarly contributions have led to over 50 peer-reviewed articles, book chapters, and national and international presentations. He is recipient of the Society of Neurological Surgeons Research Award (2009), the Neurosurgery Research and Education Fellowship Award (2012), and the Diversity Recruitment Award by the Office of the Senior Provost at Columbia University (2015). In 2015, he was one of 16 scientists, and the only neurosurgeon in the United States, to receive the prestigious, 5-year NIH Director’s Early Independence Award (DP5) valued at over $2 million dollars.
ESPAÑOL - Dr. Sonabend es originario de la ciudad de México. Él se tituló como médico cirujano en la Facultad de Medicina de la Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), y fue reconocido con la Medalla Gabino Barreda por parte de la UNAM por obtener el rendimiento académico más alto de su generación. Después de culminar sus estudios de medicina, Dr. Sonabend trabajó en investigación aplicada a nuevos tratamientos para tumores cerebrales en University of Chicago. Posteriormente completó su entrenamiento como neurocirujano en Columbia University Medical Center / New York Presbyterian Hospital. Además de su entrenamiento general en neurocirugía, Dr. Sonabend obtuvo entrenamiento y experiencia extensa en el manejo de tumores cerebrales y neuro-oncología quirúrgica. Dr. Sonabend fue contratado como cirujano en el mismo departamento donde se entrenó e inició su práctica clínica en Columbia University Medical Center / New York Presbyterian Hospital en 2015. Las contribuciones académicas de Dr. Sonabend incluyen más de 50 artículos científicos relacionados a tumores cerebrales y nuevas terapias, varios capítulos de libros, además de presentaciones en foros científicos nacionales e internacionales. Dr. Sonabend fue premiado con varias becas y reconocimientos por investigación en neuro-oncología incluyendo Society of Neurological Surgeons Research Award (2009), Neurosurgery Research and Education Fellowship Award (2012), y el Diversity Recruitment Award por la oficina de rectoría de Columbia University (2015). En el 2015, Dr. Sonabend fue uno de los 16 investigadores en Estados Unidos que recibieron la prestigiosa beca Early Independence Award (DP5) por parte del Director del NIH, ($2 millones de dólares de fondos en 5 años que están destinados para la investigación en tumores cerebrales en el laboratorio de Dr. Sonabend).
Dr. Sonabend’s research lab is at the Robert Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center. His research focuses on Topoisomerase II-mediated transcriptional regulation in gliomas, and personalized use of TOP2- targeting chemotherapy to treat malignant brain cancer. He is also investigating how the immune system shapes the genome of malignant gliomas, and its implications for immunotherapy for this disease. He has participated in the design and execution of several clinical trials and has been a temporary member of the Clinical Neuroimmunology and Brain Tumors (CNBT) study section at the NIH since 2016.
ESPAÑOL - El laboratorio de investigación de Dr. Sonabend está ubicado en Robert Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center. Su investigación está enfocada el estudio de Topoisomerasa II en la regulación de la transcripción en gliomas, e identificar pacientes susceptibles a quimioterapia para TOP2 para personalizar el uso de este tratamiento para el cáncer cerebral. El laboratorio también investiga la influencia de la inmunidad anti-tumoral en la selección de alteraciones genéticas en gliomas malignos, y la implicación de este proceso para inmunoterapia para el cáncer cerebral. Dr. Sonabend ha participado en el diseño y ejecución de ensayos clínicos y desde el 2016, es miembro provisional del NIH study section Clinical Neuroimmunology and Brain Tumors (CNBT).
Dr. Sonabend’s clinical focus is on the surgical of management of tumors of the brain and skull base, including brain metastasis from other cancers, intraventricular tumors, gliomas such as oligodendrogliomas, ependymomas, astrocytomas and glioblastomas, CNS lymphoma, meningiomas, and craniopharyngiomas among other tumors. He is also interested in trigeminal neuralgia and its surgical management. As a surgeon, he integrates techniques such as laser ablation, radiosurgery, convection-enhanced delivery, stereotaxic navigation, fluorescent microscopy, microsurgery, as well as awake and asleep brain mapping techniques with electrophysiology to achieve safe and effective resections. Dr. Sonabend is a native Spanish speaker.
ESPAÑOL - Dr. Sonabend está especializado en el manejo quirúrgico de los tumores del cerebro y base de cráneo, incluyendo metástasis cerebrales de otros canceres, tumores intraventriculares, gliomas como oligodendroglioma, ependimoma, astrocitoma, glioblastoma, linfoma cerebral, meningioma y craniofaringioma entre otros. También trata neuralgia del trigémino con diferentes técnicas quirúrgicas. Como cirujano, Dr. Sonabend integra técnicas como ablación térmica con LASER, radiocirugía, convection-enhanced delivery, navegación por estereotaxis, microscopía fluorescente, microcirugía, técnicas de mapeo cerebral y electrofisiología con pacientes despiertos y bajo anestesia general para maximizar la resección de tumores cerebrales de una manera segura. Dr. Sonabend habla español con sus pacientes hispanos.
Training Experience
2015 | Residency, Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center |
Expertise related to UN Sustainable Development Goals
In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. This person’s work contributes towards the following SDG(s):
Education/Academic qualification
Medicine, MD, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México
… → 2007
Research interests keywords
- Acoustic Neuroma
- Brain Cancer / Nervous System Cancer
- Brain and Nervous System
- Cancer Biology
- Cancer Genetics
- Epigenetics
- Genomic Medicine/Personalized Medicine
- Genomics
- Neuro-Oncology
- Neurosurgery
- Translational Research
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Collaborations and top research areas from the last five years
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Project 1
Lesniak, M. S., Amidei, C. M., Chandler, J. P., Sachdev, S., Sonabend Worthalter, A. M. & Stupp, R.
8/1/23 → 7/31/28
Project: Research project
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Project 2
Avery, R. J., Balyasnikova, I. V., Heimberger, A. B., Lukas, R. V., Procissi, D. & Sonabend Worthalter, A. M.
8/1/23 → 7/31/28
Project: Research project
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Advancing treatment and understanding of immunotherapy in glioblastoma
Sonabend Worthalter, A. M., Stupp, R., Stupp, R., Sonabend Worthalter, A. M., Lee Chang, C., Zhang, H., Zhang, B. & Zhang, H.
University of California, San Francisco, National Cancer Institute
9/10/21 → 8/31/26
Project: Research project
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New Treatment Delivery Strategies for High Grade Gliomas
University of California, San Francisco
7/1/21 → 6/30/24
Project: Research project
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Checkpoint kinase 1/2 inhibition potentiates anti-tumoral immune response and sensitizes gliomas to immune checkpoint blockade
Dmello, C., Zhao, J., Chen, L., Gould, A., Castro, B., Arrieta, V. A., Zhang, D. Y., Kim, K. S., Kanojia, D., Zhang, P., Miska, J., Yeeravalli, R., Habashy, K., Saganty, R., Kang, S. J., Fares, J., Liu, C., Dunn, G., Bartom, E., Schipma, M. J., & 7 others , Dec 2023, In: Nature communications. 14, 1, 1566.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open Access -
Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress in the Brain Tumor Immune Microenvironment
Petrosyan, E., Fares, J., Fernandez, L. G., Yeeravalli, R., Dmello, C., Duffy, J. T., Zhang, P., Lee-Chang, C., Miska, J., Ahmed, A. U., Sonabend, A. M., Balyasnikova, I. V., Heimberger, A. B. & Lesniak, M. S., May 1 2023, In: Molecular Cancer Research. 21, 5, p. 389-396 8 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Review article › peer-review
3 Scopus citations -
IL15 modification enables CAR T cells to act as a dual targeting agent against tumor cells and myeloid-derived suppressor cells in GBM
Zannikou, M., Duffy, J. T., Levine, R. N., Seblani, M., Liu, Q., Presser, A., Arrieta, V. A., Chen, C. J., Sonabend, A. M., Horbinski, C. M., Lee-Chang, C., Miska, J., Lesniak, M. S., Gottschalk, S. & Balyasnikova, I. V., Feb 9 2023, In: Journal for immunotherapy of cancer. 11, 2, e006239.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open Access9 Scopus citations -
Immune checkpoint blockade in glioblastoma: from tumor heterogeneity to personalized treatment
Arrieta, V. A., Dmello, C., McGrail, D. J., Brat, D. J., Lee-Chang, C., Heimberger, A. B., Chand, D., Stupp, R. & Sonabend, A. M., Jan 17 2023, In: Journal of Clinical Investigation. 133, 2, e163447.Research output: Contribution to journal › Review article › peer-review
Open Access16 Scopus citations -
Oncolytic DNX-2401 virotherapy plus pembrolizumab in recurrent glioblastoma: a phase 1/2 trial
Nassiri, F., Patil, V., Yefet, L. S., Singh, O., Liu, J., Dang, R. M. A., Yamaguchi, T. N., Daras, M., Cloughesy, T. F., Colman, H., Kumthekar, P. U., Chen, C. C., Aiken, R., Groves, M. D., Ong, S. S., Ramakrishna, R., Vogelbaum, M. A., Khagi, S., Kaley, T., Melear, J. M., & 19 others , Jun 2023, In: Nature Medicine. 29, 6, p. 1370-1378 9 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open Access15 Scopus citations