DRIVING BREAKTHROUGHS IN RESEARCH AND TREATMENT OF RARE AND COMPLEX BRAIN TUMORS

Lou and Jean Malnati Brain Tumor Institute of Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University at Northwestern Memorial Hospital offers comprehensive, leading-edge care for patients with primary or metastatic tumors of the brain or spine. Our scientists have pioneered therapies and developed better standards of care. They specialize in rare and challenging tumors, including:  
We are proud to be one of the first institutions in the world to use DNA methylation profiling to diagnose brain tumors.

Refer a Patient

Northwestern Medicine Malnati Brain Tumor Institute welcomes the opportunity to collaborate with you on the care of your patients. To refer a patient, call 833.88.BRAIN (833.882.7246).

Meet the Malnati Brain Tumor Institute Team

Our team includes experts who specialize in virtually every type of brain tumor, including rare and complex tumors. We welcome the opportunity to collaborate with you on the care of your patients.

Meet the Experts

The Neurology and Neurosurgery, and Cancer Programs at Northwestern Memorial Hospital are proud to be among the top-ranked in the U.S.*

*Northwestern Memorial Hospital by U.S. News & World Report, 2025 – 26
 

clinical TRIALS AND rESEARCH

Through the Malnati Brain Tumor Institute of the Lurie Cancer Center, we offer one of the largest portfolios of brain tumor clinical trials in the Midwest, giving our patients with rare or complex tumors access to therapies that are not yet widely available. To view all of the brain and spine tumor clinical trials that we offer, click here.

June 2024

NEUROSCIENCES
New Glioblastoma Treatment Reaches Human Brain Tumor and Helps Immune Cells Recognize Cancer Cells
In a recent study published in Nature Communications, Northwestern Medicine scientists, including Adam Sonabend, MD, used ultrasound technology to penetrate the blood-brain barrier to deliver a small dose of a chemotherapy and immunotherapy drug cocktail into the brain, a major advance for the treatment of glioblastoma.​

PODCASTS

Stephen Magill, MD, PhD, was co-senior author of a study published in Nature Medicine that discovered a highly accurate way to predict the best treatment for meningioma based on patterns of gene expression in the tumor. 

​VIDEOS

Jessica W. Templer, MD, assistant professor of Neurology (Epilepsy/Clinical Neurophysiology) at Northwestern Medicine, discusses the approach to patients with epilepsy secondary to a suspected low grade glioma and patient selection for intraoperative ECoG and awake craniotomies.

Follow MALNATI BRAIN TUMOR INSTITUTE

CONTACT Malnati Brain Tumor Institute

We welcome referrals and offer second opinions for patients with rare and complex tumors. Our team of specialists will collaborate with you to develop an individualized care plan to optimize treatment and the patient experience. When options are limited, our experienced team can often provide innovative therapies and novel treatments through a wide variety of clinical trials.
 
We offer 24/7 consultation with highly experienced brain and spinal tumor experts, and simplified, around-the-clock patient transfers. Contact us any time, any day.
 
Call 833.88.BRAIN (833.882.7246) and
• Select 1 to transfer a patient.
• Select 2 to make an appointment for a new patient.
• Select 3 to immediately access one of our expert physicians.

​You can also request a consultation online. We’ll respond within 24 hours, and usually sooner.