Research Summary

My clinical interests focus most heavily on surgical neuropathology, especially in terms of its application towards neuro-oncology. As a diagnostic neuropathologist with a focus on CNS tumors, I am primarily involved in translational research with the primary goal of developing new diagnostic and prognostic markers, which can be utilized in the clinical management of brain tumor patients. In order to achieve this goal, my studies apply immunohistochemical, molecular cytogenetic, and genomic screening techniques primarily towards the study of gliomas, meningiomas, and primitive pediatric malignancies. I have been particularly interested in improved classification and grading schemes as well as the identification of molecular genetic markers associated with tumorigenesis, malignant progression, and/or biologic behavior. I collaborate with a number of clinical and scientific researchers both within and outside UCSF and it is our hope that the markers we identify will improve patient management and lead to the development of novel therapeutic approaches. I also maintain a private consultation service for difficult surgical neuropathology cases obtained from the U.S. and abroad, particularly brain tumors.

Research Funding

  • September 20, 2002 - August 31, 2023 - Brain Tumor SPORE Grant , Co-Investigator . Sponsor: NIH, Sponsor Award ID: P50CA097257

Education

The University of Texas at Austin, TX, B.S., 1986, Zoology
UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, M.D., 1990, M.D.
UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, Postdoctoral, 1994, Anatomic and Clinical Pathology Residency
Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, Postdoctoral, 1998, Surgical Pathology, Neuropathology, and Research Fellowships

Honors & Awards

  • 1993
    First Place Resident Award (poster): Texas Society of Pathologists meeting
  • 1994
    First Place Resident Award (podium): Texas Society of Pathologists meeting
  • 1994
    Matthew T. Moore Award, International Congress of Neuropathology meeting
  • 1995
    Mary Tom Award, Canadian Association of Neuropathologists meeting
  • 1995-1997
    Fellowship Research Award, American Brain Tumor Association
  • 1999
    Distinguished Service Teaching Award, WUSM (Medical School Class of 2001)
  • 2002
    Lucien J. Rubenstein Award, American Association of Neuropathologists meeting
  • 2002
    Distinguished Service Teaching Award, WUSM (Medical School Class of 2004)
  • 2004
    Distinguished Service Teaching Award, WUSM (Medical School Class of 2006)
  • 2005
    Professor of the Year Award, WUSM (Medical School Class of 2007)
  • 2006-now
    America’s Top Doctors and America's Top Doctors for Cancer (Castle Connolly)
  • 2007
    Distinguished Service Teaching Award, WUSM (Medical School Class of 2009)
  • 2008
    Professor of the Year Award, WUSM (Medical School Class of 2010)
  • 2009-now
    Best Doctors in America, U.S. News and World Reports
  • 2009
    Distinguished Service Teaching Award, WUSM (Medical School Class of 2011)
  • 2013
    Nominated for MS1 Essential Core Teaching Award, UCSF (MS Class of 2016)

Selected Publications

  1. Guney E, Mirchia K, Schmid S, Capper D, Meinhardt J, Cha S, Lee H, Brathwaite C, Altman N, Sloan EA, Sayah A, McGrail K, Caliskan I, Terry M, Perez S, Bollen AW, Tihan T, Pekmezci M, Perry A. CNS angiocentric stromal tumor (CAST), PDGFRA-mutant, a novel entity histologically mimicking meningioangiomatosis and radiologically correlating with giant Virchow-Robin spaces. Acta Neuropathol. 2025 Apr 11; 149(1):33.  View on PubMed
  2. Singh O, Dampier C, Abdullaev Z, Dazelle K, Chung HJ, Conway K, Camelo-Piragua S, Neill S, Brown D, Nix JS, Giannini C, Macaulay R, Marker D, Skaugen J, Kulich S, Lee H, Aboud O, Pytel P, Borys E, Perry A, Naqib-Osman L, Fernandes IL, Mao Q, Alashari M, Thomas C, Helgager J, Gubbiotti MA, Newman J, Tiwari N, Cimino PJ, Quezado M, Aldape KD, Nasrallah MP. Diffuse astrocytoma, AYA-type, frequently MAPK-altered: report of 45 patients. Acta Neuropathol. 2025 Apr 09; 149(1):32.  View on PubMed
  3. Raleigh D, Mirchia K, Oten S, Picart T, Nguyen M, Ambati V, Vasudevan H, Young J, Taylor J, Krishna S, Brang D, Phillips J, Perry A, Berger M, Chang S, de Groot J, Hervey-Jumper S. Spatial synaptic connectivity underlies oligodendroglioma evolution and recurrence. Res Sq. 2025 Apr 04.  View on PubMed
  4. Lucas CG, Gross AM, Romo CG, Dehner CA, Lazar AJ, Miettinen M, Pekmezci M, Quezado M, Rodriguez FJ, Stemmer-Rachamimov A, Viskochil D, Perry A, Symposium on Atypical Neurofibroma: State of the Science Members
    . Consensus recommendations for an integrated diagnostic approach to peripheral nerve sheath tumors arising in the setting of Neurofibromatosis Type 1. Neuro Oncol. 2025 Mar 07; 27(3):616-624.  View on PubMed
  5. Sahm F, Aldape KD, Brastianos PK, Brat DJ, Dahiya S, von Deimling A, Giannini C, Gilbert MR, Louis DN, Raleigh DR, Reifenberger G, Santagata S, Sarkar C, Zadeh G, Wesseling P, Perry A. cIMPACT-NOW update 8: Clarifications on molecular risk parameters and recommendations for WHO grading of meningiomas. Neuro Oncol. 2025 Feb 10; 27(2):319-330.  View on PubMed
  6. Helmink AJ, Mirchia K, Mezzacappa FM, Atiya S, Lucas CH, Lu R, Surdell D, Shonka NA, Cathcart SJ, Tang Z, DiMaio D, Perry A, Chen J. Epithelioid angiosarcoma arising from pleomorphic xanthoastrocytoma, CNS WHO grade 3. J Neuropathol Exp Neurol. 2025 Feb 01; 84(2):161-163.  View on PubMed
  7. Rodriguez Almaraz E, Guerra GA, Al-Adli NN, Young JS, Dada A, Quintana D, Taylor JW, Oberheim Bush NA, Clarke JL, Butowski NA, de Groot J, Pekmezci M, Perry A, Bollen AW, Scheffler AW, Glidden DV, Phillips JJ, Costello JF, Chang EF, Hervey-Jumper S, Berger MS, Francis SS, Chang SM, Solomon DA. Longitudinal profiling of IDH-mutant astrocytomas reveals acquired RAS-MAPK pathway mutations associated with inferior survival. Neurooncol Adv. 2025 Jan-Dec; 7(1):vdaf024.  View on PubMed
  8. Tang V, Zhang KY, Mirchia K, Lu R, Guney E, Terry M, Ligon AH, Ligon KL, Eberhart CG, Perry A, Lucas CG. Increased SOX10, p16, and Cyclin D1 Immunoreactivity Differentiates MAP Kinase-activated Low-grade Gliomas From Piloid Gliosis. Am J Surg Pathol. 2025 Apr 01; 49(4):347-352.  View on PubMed
  9. Lucas CG, Al-Adli NN, Young JS, Gupta R, Morshed RA, Wu J, Ravindranathan A, Shai A, Oberheim Bush NA, Taylor JW, de Groot J, Villanueva-Meyer JE, Pekmezci M, Perry A, Bollen AW, Theodosopoulos PV, Aghi MK, Chang EF, Hervey-Jumper SL, Raleigh DR, Molinaro AM, Costello JF, Diaz AA, Clarke JL, Butowski NA, Phillips JJ, Chang SM, Berger MS, Solomon DA. Longitudinal multimodal profiling of IDH-wildtype glioblastoma reveals the molecular evolution and cellular phenotypes underlying prognostically different treatment responses. Neuro Oncol. 2025 Jan 12; 27(1):89-105.  View on PubMed
  10. Mirchia K, Choudhury A, Joseph T, Birrueta JO, Phillips JJ, Bhaduri A, Crouch EE, Perry A, Raleigh DR. Meningeal solitary fibrous tumor cell states phenocopy cerebral vascular development and homeostasis. Neuro Oncol. 2025 Jan 12; 27(1):155-166.  View on PubMed
  11. Schmid S, Mirchia K, Tietze A, Liu I, Siewert C, Nückles J, Schittenhelm J, Behling F, Snuderl M, Hartmann C, Brandner S, Paine SML, Korshunov A, Hasselblatt M, Coras R, Epari S, Stadelmann C, Zechel S, Simon M, Wilson Y, Gianno F, Calixto-Hope GL, Zherebitskiy V, Kaimaktchiev VB, Robinson L, Aldape K, Hoving EW, Tops BBJ, Perera AA, Göller P, Hernáiz Driever P, Wesseling P, Koch A, Perry A, Sahm F, Jones DTW, Capper D. VGLL-fusions define a new class of intraparenchymal CNS schwannoma. Neuro Oncol. 2024 Dec 23.  View on PubMed
  12. Joseph NM, Umetsu SE, Kim GE, Terry M, Perry A, Bergsland E, Kakar S. Progression of Low-Grade Neuroendocrine Tumors (NET) to High-Grade Neoplasms Harboring the NEC-Like Co-alteration of RB1 and TP53. Endocr Pathol. 2024 Dec; 35(4):325-337.  View on PubMed
  13. Terry M, Nguyen MP, Tang V, Guney E, Bharani KL, Dahiya S, Choutka O, Borys E, Reis G, Blevins L, Aghi MK, Kunwar S, DeGroot J, Raleigh DR, Pekmezci M, Bollen AW, Cha S, Joseph NM, Perry A. High-Grade Progression, Sarcomatous Transformation, and/or Metastasis of Pituitary Neuroendocrine Neoplasms (PitNENs): The UCSF Experience. Endocr Pathol. 2024 Dec; 35(4):338-348.  View on PubMed
  14. Choudhury A, Cady MA, Lucas CG, Najem H, Phillips JJ, Palikuqi B, Zakimi N, Joseph T, Birrueta JO, Chen WC, Oberheim Bush NA, Hervey-Jumper SL, Klein OD, Toedebusch CM, Horbinski CM, Magill ST, Bhaduri A, Perry A, Dickinson PJ, Heimberger AB, Ashworth A, Crouch EE, Raleigh DR. Perivascular NOTCH3+ Stem Cells Drive Meningioma Tumorigenesis and Resistance to Radiotherapy. Cancer Discov. 2024 Oct 04; 14(10):1823-1837.  View on PubMed
  15. Wang JZ, Landry AP, Raleigh DR, Sahm F, Walsh KM, Goldbrunner R, Yefet LS, Tonn JC, Gui C, Ostrom QT, Barnholtz-Sloan J, Perry A, Ellenbogen Y, Hanemann CO, Jungwirth G, Jenkinson MD, Tabatabai G, Mathiesen TI, McDermott MW, Tatagiba M, la Fougère C, Maas SLN, Galldiks N, Albert NL, Brastianos PK, Ehret F, Minniti G, Lamszus K, Ricklefs FL, Schittenhelm J, Drummond KJ, Dunn IF, Pathmanaban ON, Cohen-Gadol AA, Sulman EP, Tabouret E, Le Rhun E, Mawrin C, Moliterno J, Weller M, Bi WL, Gao A, Yip S, Niyazi M, International Consortium on Meningiomas (ICOM), Aldape K, Wen PY, Short S, Preusser M, Nassiri F, Zadeh G. Meningioma: International Consortium on Meningiomas consensus review on scientific advances and treatment paradigms for clinicians, researchers, and patients. Neuro Oncol. 2024 Oct 03; 26(10):1742-1780.  View on PubMed
  16. Nguyen MP, Almiron Bonnin D, Mirchia K, Chen WC, Goldschmidt E, Braunstein SE, Perry A, Raleigh DR, Oberheim Bush NA. Response to immune checkpoint inhibition in a meningioma with DNA mismatch repair deficiency. Neurooncol Adv. 2024 Jan-Dec; 6(1):vdae092.  View on PubMed
  17. Lucas CG, Mirchia K, Seo K, Najem H, Chen WC, Zakimi N, Foster K, Eaton CD, Cady MA, Choudhury A, Liu SJ, Phillips JJ, Magill ST, Horbinski CM, Solomon DA, Perry A, Vasudevan HN, Heimberger AB, Raleigh DR. Spatial genomic, biochemical and cellular mechanisms underlying meningioma heterogeneity and evolution. Nat Genet. 2024 Jun; 56(6):1121-1133.  View on PubMed
  18. Eschbacher KL, Tran QT, Moskalev EA, Jenkins S, Fritchie K, Stoehr R, Caron A, Link MJ, Brown PD, Guajardo A, Brat DJ, Wu A, Santagata S, Louis DN, Brastianos PK, Kaplan AB, Alexander B, Rossi S, Ferrarese F, Raleigh DR, Nguyen MP, Gross J, Velazquez Vega J, Rodriguez F, Perry A, Martinez-Lage M, Orr BA, Haller F, Giannini C. NAB2::STAT6 fusions and genome-wide DNA methylation profiling: Predictors of patient outcomes in meningeal solitary fibrous tumors. Brain Pathol. 2024 Nov; 34(6):e13256.  View on PubMed
  19. Andreiuolo F, Ferrone CK, Rajan S, Perry A, Guney E, Cham E, Giannini C, Toland A, Willard N, de Souza AS, Dazelle K, Chung HJ, Singh O, Conway K, Coley N, Dampier C, Abdullaev Z, Pratt D, Cimino PJ, Quezado M, Aldape K. Molecular and clinicopathologic characteristics of CNS embryonal tumors with BRD4::LEUTX fusion. Acta Neuropathol Commun. 2024 Mar 18; 12(1):42.  View on PubMed
  20. Caliskan I, Lu R, Szu Lyn Ding C, Sadala de Souza F, Perry A, Tihan T. Searching for a cut-off point for p53 immunohistochemistry as evidence of TP53 mutations. Free Neuropathol. 2024 Jan; 5.  View on PubMed

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