CELEBRATING Women Leaders and Innovators
​in Neuro-oncology

In honor of Women in Medicine Month, Northwestern Medicine proudly highlights the remarkable contributions of women neuro-oncologists who are shaping Lou & Jean Malnati Brain Tumor Institute of Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center. These exceptional leaders are advancing the field of neuro-oncology and transforming patient care. 
​​Amy B. Heimberger, MD, PhD
 
Amy B. Heimberger, MD, is an esteemed neurosurgeon and a global leader in brain tumor research. She serves as the scientific director of Malnati Brain Tumor Institute, vice chair of research for Neurosurgery, and holds the Jean Malnati Miller Professorship in Neurological Surgery.
 
With extensive training in immunology, Dr. Heimberger specializes in awake mapping and resection of gliomas located in eloquent cortex. Her research focuses on tumor-mediated immune suppression and identifying actionable targets for immune therapeutics. 
Notably, her lab developed the peptide vaccine strategy PEP-3-KLH/CDX-110 that targets the epidermal growth factor receptor and identified the STAT3 pathway as a critical player in gliomagenesis and immune suppression. Additionally, she pioneered the pre-clinical development of the small molecule STAT3 inhibitor WP1066, which has entered clinical trials for melanoma with CNS metastasis and primary glioma patients.

Dr. Heimberger has authored over 200 publications, many in leading journals such as Clinical Cancer Research, Cancer Cell and Nature Medicine. In collaboration with University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, she co-led a study published in The Journal of Clinical Investigation that demonstrated the potential of a novel drug to reprogram immune responses in glioblastoma. She also contributed to Northwestern Medicine research published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation suggesting that a diabetes drug might offer a less invasive treatment for hydrocephalus by reducing excess brain fluid.
 
Dr. Heimberger serves on the editorial board of Neuro-Oncology and has received numerous accolades, including the prestigious 2020 Abhijit Guha Award from the Society for Neuro-Oncology.
Priya U. Kumthekar, MD
 
Priya U. Kumthekar, MD, is a professor of Neuro-oncology and Hematology and Oncology, specializing in the treatment of primary brain tumors such as gliomas and meningiomas, as well as metastatic brain disease from systemic cancers like melanoma, lung and breast cancer.
 
A UCNS-certified neuro-oncologist, Dr. Kumthekar plays a pivotal role in advancing brain tumor research through her leadership in clinical trials. She currently serves as the overall principal investigator for five investigator-initiated trials and the site principal investigator for numerous collaborative brain tumor studies.
Her longstanding involvement in NCI-funded clinical trials has included significant roles within the National Clinical Trials Network, where she has been a leader in the Alliance for Clinical Trials since her appointment as the national executive officer of Neuro-Oncology in 2016.
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Dr. Kumthekar's recent contributions include leading a phase 1 adaptive dose escalation study for newly diagnosed glioblastoma, supported by the Brain Tumor SPORE from the NCI. She also co-authored a groundbreaking trial published in Nature Medicine that demonstrated the potential of combining immunotherapy with an engineered virus to improve survival in recurrent glioblastoma patients. Additionally, she was key part of a Northwestern Medicine team that conducted the first in-human clinical trial using a novel skull-implantable ultrasound device to open the blood-brain barrier to deliver chemotherapy to treat glioblastoma, published in The Lancet Oncology.
Ditte Primdahl, MD 
 
Ditte Primdahl, MD, is an assistant professor of Neuro-oncology and Neurological Surgery, specializing in the treatment of tumors and cancers affecting the central and peripheral nervous systems. She has expertise in managing neurological complications related to cancer and its treatments, with a particular focus on paraneoplastic syndromes.

Dr. Primdahl recently joined the Better Edge podcast to discuss the latest advances in the management of paraneoplastic syndromes, as highlighted at the 2025 American Academy of Neurology Annual Meeting. 
Virgina B. Hill, MD
 
Virgina B. Hill, MD, is an assistant professor of Neuroradiology. She holds faculty appointments with the Institute for Artificial Intelligence in Medicine and the Center for Computational Imaging and Signal Analytics in Medicine. Her clinical and research interests focus on AI-driven neuroimaging, with emphasis on brain tumor characterization and radiogenomics.
Dr. Hill has received notable recognition for her contributions to the field, including being named a Distinguished Reviewer for the American Journal of Neuroradiology in 2025. She is actively engaged in professional leadership roles, currently serving on the ASFNR Planning Committee and as chair of the Neuroradiology Case of the Day for the RSNA and a member of the NRG Oncology Group's Brain and Imaging Committees, both since 2024.
Bo Hu, PhD
 
Bo Hu, PhD, a research associate professor of Neuro-oncology, specializing in the research of both adult and pediatric brain tumors. Her work encompasses various critical aspects of tumor biology, including tumor initiation and progression, the tumor microenvironment and molecular biology, with a particular focus on RNA biology and therapy response. Dr. Hu is dedicated to developing novel therapeutic approaches aimed at improving treatment outcomes for patients.
Recently, Dr. Hu contributed to a significant study published in Neuro-Oncology that explored the potential of targeting SHP2, a non-receptor protein tyrosine phosphatase, as a therapeutic strategy for IDH-mutant gliomas. Through comprehensive bioinformatic and biological analyses, she and her team identified that the PDGFRA-SHP2-ERK signaling pathway is markedly activated in clinical IDH-mut gliomas and patient-derived glioma stem-like cells.
Xiao Song, MD, PhD

Xiao Song, MD, PhD, is a research assistant professor of Neuro-oncology specializing in glioma, with a keen focus on understanding the RNA dysregulation that drives glioma progression. Using advanced sequencing technologies, Dr. Song aims to uncover critical biological insights that can inform therapeutic strategies for patients with this challenging form of brain cancer.
 
Her innovative work includes recently leading a high-impact study that identified novel mechanisms underlying RNA splicing events within glioma tumor cells. The findings, published in The Journal of Clinical Investigation, highlight these mechanisms as promising therapeutic targets for glioma treatment. 
​Dr. Song's research is supported by prestigious recognitions, including the Peer Reviewed Cancer Research Program Career Development Award in 2024 and the Rare Cancers Research Program Concept Award in 2022 from the Department of Defense. 

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