Frank Attenello, MD, MS

Frank Attenello MD, MS is the Sloan Family Endowed Associate Professor of Neurosurgery, Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine at the Keck School of Medicine of USC, specializing in treatment of primary and metastatic brain tumors. He employs multiple surgical modalities to preserve neurologic function in tumor surgery including minimally invasive subcortical surgery (BrainPath) and laser interstitial thermal therapy. Dr. Attenello performs both cranial surgery and stereotactic radiosurgery.

Dr. Attenello received combined BS/MS degrees in Molecular Biochemistry and Biophysics from Yale University. He then received his medical degree from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, where he received the institutional Harvey Cushing Neurosurgery Award and the Ronald L. Bittner national Neuro-oncology research award. His work on glioblastoma and neural stem cells at Johns Hopkins was supported by a fellowship from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. He then completed neurosurgical residency at the University of Southern California, with a postdoctoral fellowship in tumor genetics at the University of California, San Francisco.

Dr. Attenello has authored six neurosurgical book chapters and over 150 peer-reviewed manuscripts including articles in Science, BMJ, and Cancer Discovery. He was appointed Associate Scientific Advisor for Science Translational Medicine, and is an editorial board member of the Journal of Neurosurgery and the Journal of Neuroscience Research.

Dr. Attenello is also principal investigator of a basic science research laboratory studying epigenetic regulation of glioma chemoresistance as well as role of neural stem cells in brain injury (https://sites.usc.edu/attenellolab/). His laboratory is supported by a NIH K08 Research Career Development Award and several NIH and foundational grants, including generous patient support. In addition, Dr. Attenello directs a clinical outcomes laboratory studying factors associated with improved outcome in patients with neurologic disease, as well as factors driving medical trainee burnout. Using data and experience gained in the laboratory, Dr. Attenello is identifying new therapies for improved patient outcomes.

• Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD — MD — 05/2009 — Medicine
• Yale University, New Haven, CT — BS, MS — 06/2003 — Molecular BIophysics and Biochemistry

• Outcomes associated with ketamine administration following traumatic brain injury. J Clin Neurosci. 2026 Jun; 148:111968.. View in PubMed
• National Trends in the Use of Flow Diversion for Management of Intracranial Aneurysms. Neurosurgery. 2026 Jan 08.. View in PubMed
• Short-term outcomes and hospitalization cost associated with flow diversion versus coil embolization for unruptured aneurysms: A national assessment. Clin Neurol Neurosurg. 2026 01; 260:109236.. View in PubMed
• Comorbid depression is associated with non-routine discharge following treatment of unruptured cerebral aneurysms. J Clin Neurosci. 2025 Dec; 142:111658.. View in PubMed
• Corrigendum to Epigenetic modulator inhibition overcomes temozolomide chemoresistance and antagonizes tumor recurrence of glioblastoma. J Clin Invest. 2025 08 01; 135(15).. View in PubMed
• Hospital procedural volume is inversely linearly associated with complications in endoscopic endonasal transsphenoidal resection of pituitary tumors. J Neurosurg. 2025 Nov 01; 143(5):1377-1386.. View in PubMed
• Trends in glioblastoma treatment, survival, and disparities in access to care in the United States from 2004 to 2019: a National Cancer Database analysis. J Neurosurg. 2025 Sep 01; 143(3):780-792.. View in PubMed
• Multisite Benchmark Study for Standardized Relative CBV in Untreated Brain Metastases Using the DSC-MRI Consensus Acquisition Protocol. AJNR Am J Neuroradiol. 2025 Mar 04; 46(3):529-535.. View in PubMed
• Treatment practices and survival outcomes for IDH-wildtype glioblastoma patients according to MGMT promoter methylation status: insights from the U.S. National Cancer Database. J Neurooncol. 2025 May; 172(3):655-665.. View in PubMed
• The effect of temporary CSF diversion modality on shunt-dependency following aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage: A nationwide assessment. J Clin Neurosci. 2025 Feb; 132:111008.. View in PubMed
• Differences in Surgical Cancer Care Delivery and Outcomes Between Safety-Net and Non-Safety-Net Hospitals in the United States: A Comprehensive Systematic Review. J Surg Oncol. 2025 Mar; 131(3):388-410.. View in PubMed
• Procedural volume is linearly associated with mortality, major complications, and readmissions in patients undergoing malignant brain tumor resection. J Neurooncol. 2024 Nov; 170(2):437-449.. View in PubMed
• Incidence of brain metastasis according to patient race and primary cancer origin: a systematic review. J Neurooncol. 2024 Sep; 169(3):457-467.. View in PubMed
• CRISPRi screen of long non-coding RNAs identifies LINC03045 regulating glioblastoma invasion. PLoS Genet. 2024 Jun; 20(6):e1011314.. View in PubMed
• Rates of operative intervention and in-hospital mortality following subarachnoid hemorrhage in patients with COVID-19. J Neurosurg. 2024 Sep 01; 141(3):833-843.. View in PubMed
• Association of carotid endarterectomy at low-volume centers with higher likelihood of major complications and nonroutine discharge. J Neurosurg. 2024 05 01; 140(5):1369-1380.. View in PubMed
• Frailty is a Predictor of Increased Readmissions and Increased Postoperative Complications After Elective Treatment of Unruptured Aneurysms. World Neurosurg. 2024 01; 181:e882-e896.. View in PubMed
• Increased time to surgery and worse perioperative outcome in benign brain tumor patients with COVID-19. J Clin Neurosci. 2023 Nov; 117:20-26.. View in PubMed
• A cross-sectional study to test equivalence of low- versus intermediate-flip angle dynamic susceptibility contrast MRI measures of relative cerebral blood volume in patients with high-grade gliomas at 1.5 Tesla field strength. Front Oncol. 2023; 13:1156843.. View in PubMed
• The effect of COVID-19 on treatment and outcomes following ischemic stroke: A national assessment. Clin Neurol Neurosurg. 2023 10; 233:107982.. View in PubMed
• Coronavirus disease-19 is associated with decreased treatment access and worsened outcomes in malignant brain tumor patients. Surg Neurol Int. 2023; 14:292.. View in PubMed
• Comparison of preoperative versus postoperative treatment dosimetry plans of single-fraction stereotactic radiosurgery for surgically resected brain metastases. Neurosurg Focus. 2023 08; 55(2):E9.. View in PubMed
• Commentary: Right Retrosigmoid Craniotomy for Microvascular Decompression and Glioneuronal Hamartoma Resection for Trigeminal Neuralgia: 2-Dimensional Operative Video. Oper Neurosurg. 2023 10 01; 25(4):e240-e241.. View in PubMed
• Development of multifocal glioblastoma after radiotherapy for craniopharyngioma: illustrative case. J Neurosurg Case Lessons. 2023 Jun 26; 5(26).. View in PubMed
• Myelomeningocele repair at pediatric hospitals: association with routine discharge and shorter hospital stay. J Neurosurg Pediatr. 2023 09 01; 32(3):376-383.. View in PubMed
• Pediatric patients with malignant brain tumor treated at children’s hospitals: association with fewer unplanned readmissions. J Neurosurg Pediatr. 2023 09 01; 32(3):324-331.. View in PubMed
• Carotid artery stenting for asymptomatic stenosis is associated with decreased 30-day readmission at very high volume centers. J Clin Neurosci. 2023 Aug; 114:1-8.. View in PubMed
• Mortality following mechanical thrombectomy for ischemic stroke in patients with COVID-19. J Stroke Cerebrovasc Dis. 2023 Aug; 32(8):107171.. View in PubMed
• Commentary: Risk of Tract Seeding Following Laser Interstitial Thermal Therapy for Brain Tumors. Neurosurgery. 2023 07 01; 93(1):e3-e4.. View in PubMed
• Commentary: Awake Microsurgical Resection of a Motor Cortex Glioma With Cortical and Subcortical Motor Mapping, Image Guidance, and Augmented Reality. Oper Neurosurg. 2023 03 01; 24(3):e234-e235.. View in PubMed
• Interhospital transfer of pediatric patients with malignant brain tumor not associated with increased mortality, but safe routine discharge. J Neurosurg Pediatr. 2023 02 01; 31(2):124-131.. View in PubMed
• The abscopal effect: systematic review in patients with brain and spine metastases. Neurooncol Adv. 2022 Jan-Dec; 4(1):vdac132.. View in PubMed
• Modulating glioblastoma chemotherapy response: Evaluating long non-coding RNA effects on DNA damage response, glioma stem cell function, and hypoxic processes. Neurooncol Adv. 2022 Jan-Dec; 4(1):vdac119.. View in PubMed
• Interhospital transfer of patients with malignant brain tumors undergoing resection is associated with routine discharge. Clin Neurol Neurosurg. 2022 10; 221:107372.. View in PubMed
• Neuronal exposure induces neurotransmitter signaling and synaptic mediators in tumors early in brain metastasis. Neuro Oncol. 2022 06 01; 24(6):914-924.. View in PubMed
• Commentary: Robotic-Assisted Digital Exoscope for Resection of Cerebral Metastases: A Case Series. Oper Neurosurg. 2022 04 01; 22(4):e177-e178.. View in PubMed
• 5-Aminolevulinic acid-enhanced fluorescence-guided treatment of high-grade glioma using angled endoscopic blue light visualization: technical case series with preliminary follow-up. J Neurosurg. 2022 Nov 01; 137(5):1378-1386.. View in PubMed
• Disparities in the Surgical Treatment of Adult Spine Diseases: A Systematic Review. World Neurosurg. 2022 02; 158:290-304.e1.. View in PubMed
• Commentary: Early Experience With Virtual and Synchronized Augmented Reality Platform for Preoperative Planning and Intraoperative Navigation: A Case Series. Oper Neurosurg. 2021 10 13; 21(5):E457-E458.. View in PubMed
• Readmissions after ventricular shunting in pediatric patients with hydrocephalus: a Nationwide Readmissions Database analysis. J Neurosurg Pediatr. 2021 11 01; 28(5):553-562.. View in PubMed
• Commentary: Infra-Occipital Supra-Tentorial Approach for Resection of Low-Grade Tumor of the Left Lingual Gyrus: 2-Dimensional Operative Video. Oper Neurosurg. 2021 Aug 16; 21(3):E263-E264.. View in PubMed
• Evaluating Medicaid expansion benefits for patients with cancer: National Cancer Database analysis and systematic review. J Cancer Policy. 2021 09; 29:100292.. View in PubMed
• Utilization of Discarded Surgical Tissue from Ultrasonic Aspirators to Establish Patient-Derived Metastatic Brain Tumor Cells: A Guide from the Operating Room to the Research Laboratory. Curr Protoc. 2021 Jun; 1(6):e140.. View in PubMed
• In vivo CRISPR screening for novel noncoding RNA functional targets in glioblastoma models. J Neurosci Res. 2021 09; 99(9):2029-2045.. View in PubMed
• Hospital Admissions from the Emergency Department and Subsequent Critical Care Interventions for Influenza during Pregnancy. Am J Perinatol. 2023 02; 40(3):326-332.. View in PubMed
• Complementary and Alternative Medicine for the Treatment of Gliomas: Scoping Review of Clinical Studies, Patient Outcomes, and Toxicity Profiles. World Neurosurg. 2021 07; 151:e682-e692.. View in PubMed
• A Guide to Annotation of Neurosurgical Intraoperative Video for Machine Learning Analysis and Computer Vision. World Neurosurg. 2021 06; 150:26-30.. View in PubMed
• Comorbid depression in surgical cancer patients associated with non-routine discharge and readmission. Surg Oncol. 2021 Jun; 37:101533.. View in PubMed
• Letter to the Editor. Scoring change for Step 1 of the United States Medical Licensing Examination. J Neurosurg. 2021 06 01; 134(6):2012-2013.. View in PubMed
• Commentary: Virtual Reality Surgical Rehearsal and 2-Dimensional Operative Video of a Paramedian Supracerebellar Infratentorial Approach Endoscopic Resection of Pineocytoma: 2-Dimensional Operative Video. Oper Neurosurg. 2021 01 13; 20(2):E161-E162.. View in PubMed
• Increasing Prevalence of Frailty and Its Association with Readmission and Mortality Among Hospitalized Patients with IBD. Dig Dis Sci. 2021 12; 66(12):4178-4190.. View in PubMed
• Characterizing Cell Stress and GRP78 in Glioma to Enhance Tumor Treatment. Front Oncol. 2020; 10:608911.. View in PubMed
• Tobacco Use Is Associated with Readmission within 90 Days after Craniotomy. Clin Neurol Neurosurg. 2021 01; 200:106383.. View in PubMed
• Epigenetic modulator inhibition overcomes temozolomide chemoresistance and antagonizes tumor recurrence of glioblastoma. J Clin Invest. 2020 11 02; 130(11):5782-5799.. View in PubMed
• Risk Factors for Cerebral Vasospasm in Aneurysmal Subarachnoid Hemorrhage: A Population-Based Study of 8346 Patients. World Neurosurg. 2021 01; 145:e233-e241.. View in PubMed
• Tobacco Use Is Associated With Increased 90-Day Readmission Among Patients Undergoing Surgery for Degenerative Spine Disease. Global Spine J. 2022 Jun; 12(5):787-794.. View in PubMed
• Rate of Intracranial Hemorrhage After Minor Head Injury. Cureus. 2020 Sep 25; 12(9):e10653.. View in PubMed
• Readmission with venous thromboembolism after surgical treatment by primary cancer site. Surg Oncol. 2020 Dec; 35:268-275.. View in PubMed
• Comorbid depression associated with non-routine discharge following craniotomy for low-grade gliomas and benign tumors – a nationwide readmission database analysis. Acta Neurochir (Wien). 2020 11; 162(11):2671-2681.. View in PubMed
• Commentary: Mini Fronto-Orbital pproach: “Window Opening” Towards the Superomedial Orbit-A Virtual Reality-Planned Anatomic Study. Oper Neurosurg. 2020 09 01; 19(3):E285-E287.. View in PubMed
• Predictors of readmission after craniotomy for meningioma resection: a nationwide readmission database analysis. Acta Neurochir (Wien). 2020 11; 162(11):2637-2646.. View in PubMed
• Effect of Comorbid Depression on Surgical Outcomes After Craniotomy for Malignant Brain Tumors: A Nationwide Readmission Database Analysis. World Neurosurg. 2020 10; 142:e458-e473.. View in PubMed
• Comparison of Rates and Outcomes of Readmission to Index vs Non-index Hospitals After Intravenous Thrombolysis in Acute Stroke Patients. Cureus. 2020 Jul 01; 12(7):e8952.. View in PubMed
• Increased 30-day readmission rate after craniotomy for tumor resection at safety net hospitals in small metropolitan areas. J Neurooncol. 2020 May; 148(1):141-154.. View in PubMed
• HOTAIRM1, an enhancer lncRNA, promotes glioma proliferation by regulating long-range chromatin interactions within HOXA cluster genes. Mol Biol Rep. 2020 Apr; 47(4):2723-2733.. View in PubMed
• Identifying Disparities in Care in Treating Glioblastoma: A Retrospective Cohort Study of Patients Treated at a Safety-net Versus Private Hospital Setting. World Neurosurg. 2020 05; 137:e213-e220.. View in PubMed
• Fragmentation of postpartum readmissions in the United States. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2020 08; 223(2):252.e1-252.e14.. View in PubMed
• A HOTAIR regulatory element modulates glioma cell sensitivity to temozolomide through long-range regulation of multiple target genes. Genome Res. 2020 02; 30(2):155-163.. View in PubMed
• Commentary: Clinical Accuracy of Holographic Navigation Using Point-Based Registration on Augmented-Reality Glasses. Oper Neurosurg. 2019 12 01; 17(6):E229-E230.. View in PubMed
• Circulating Tumor Cells Exhibit Metastatic Tropism and Reveal Brain Metastasis Drivers. Cancer Discov. 2020 01; 10(1):86-103.. View in PubMed
• Increased complication and mortality among non-index hospital readmissions after brain tumor resection is associated with low-volume readmitting hospitals. J Neurosurg. 2020 11 01; 133(5):1332-1344.. View in PubMed
• Risk of Stillbirth after Antepartum Hospitalization for Hypertensive Diseases of Pregnancy. Am J Perinatol. 2020 01; 37(1):66-72.. View in PubMed
• Postpartum Psychiatric Admissions in the United States. Am J Perinatol. 2021 01; 38(2):115-121.. View in PubMed
• Brainstem Gliomas: New Models Recapitulate Human Disease and Deepen Our Understanding. Neurosurgery. 2019 08 01; 85(2):E169-E171.. View in PubMed
• Characterizing Glioma Genetics Using Cerebrospinal Fluid. Neurosurgery. 2019 08 01; 85(2):E196-E197.. View in PubMed
• Frequency, predictors, and outcomes of readmission to index versus non-index hospitals after mechanical thrombectomy in patients with ischemic stroke. J Neurointerv Surg. 2020 Feb; 12(2):136-141.. View in PubMed
• Acute Venous Thromboembolism Risk Highest Within 60 Days After Discharge From the Hospital in Patients With Inflammatory Bowel Diseases. Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2020 05; 18(5):1133-1141.e3.. View in PubMed
• Nonindex Readmission After Ruptured Brain Aneurysm Treatment Is Associated with Higher Morbidity and Repeat Readmission. World Neurosurg. 2019 Oct; 130:e753-e759.. View in PubMed
• Risk for postpartum readmissions and associated complications based on maternal age. J Matern Fetal Neonatal Med. 2021 May; 34(9):1375-1381.. View in PubMed
• Postpartum hemorrhage and risk for postpartum readmission. J Matern Fetal Neonatal Med. 2021 Jan; 34(2):187-194.. View in PubMed
• Hypertensive Postpartum Admissions Among Women Without a History of Hypertension or Preeclampsia. Obstet Gynecol. 2019 04; 133(4):712-719.. View in PubMed
• Early Readmission After Ventricular Shunting in Adults with Hydrocephalus: A Nationwide Readmission Database Analysis. World Neurosurg. 2019 Aug; 128:e38-e50.. View in PubMed
• Postpartum readmissions among women with opioid use disorder. Am J Obstet Gynecol MFM. 2019 03; 1(1):89-98.. View in PubMed
• Increased Hospital Surgical Volume Reduces Rate of 30- and 90-Day Readmission After Acoustic Neuroma Surgery. Neurosurgery. 2019 03 01; 84(3):726-732.. View in PubMed
• Venous Thromboembolism After Degenerative Spine Surgery: A Nationwide Readmissions Database Analysis. World Neurosurg. 2019 05; 125:e165-e174.. View in PubMed
• Readmission following inpatient stereotactic radiosurgery for brain tumors. J Radiosurg SBRT. 2019; 6(2):101-119.. View in PubMed
• Predictors of Venous Thromboembolism After Nonemergent Craniotomy: A Nationwide Readmission Database Analysis. World Neurosurg. 2019 Feb; 122:e1102-e1110.. View in PubMed
• Postpartum length of stay and risk for readmission among women with preeclampsia. J Matern Fetal Neonatal Med. 2020 Apr; 33(7):1086-1094.. View in PubMed
• Treatment at Safety-Net Hospitals Is Associated with Delays in Coil Embolization in Patients with Subarachnoid Hemorrhage. World Neurosurg. 2018 Dec; 120:e434-e439.. View in PubMed
• Predictors of Surgical Site Infection After Nonemergent Craniotomy: A Nationwide Readmission Database Analysis. World Neurosurg. 2018 Dec; 120:e440-e452.. View in PubMed
• Safety-Net Hospitals Have Higher Complication and Mortality Rates in the Neurosurgical Management of Traumatic Brain Injuries. World Neurosurg. 2018 Nov; 119:e284-e293.. View in PubMed
• Postpartum venous thromboembolism readmissions in the United States. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2018 10; 219(4):401.e1-401.e14.. View in PubMed
• Factors associated with burnout among US neurosurgery residents: a nationwide survey. J Neurosurg. 2018 11 01; 129(5):1349-1363.. View in PubMed
• Timing and Risk Factors of Postpartum Stroke. Obstet Gynecol. 2018 01; 131(1):70-78.. View in PubMed
• Predictors of 30- and 90-day readmission following craniotomy for malignant brain tumors: analysis of nationwide data. J Neurooncol. 2018 Jan; 136(1):87-94.. View in PubMed
• Intramedullary Cervical Spinal Cord Abscess. World Neurosurg. 2017 Oct; 106:1049.e1-1049.e2.. View in PubMed
• The effect of NACHRI children’s hospital designation on outcome in pediatric malignant brain tumors. J Neurosurg Pediatr. 2017 Aug; 20(2):149-157.. View in PubMed
• Impact of the 2003 ACGME Resident Duty Hour Reform on Hospital-Acquired Conditions: A National Retrospective Analysis. J Grad Med Educ. 2017 Apr; 9(2):215-221.. View in PubMed
• CRISPRi-based genome-scale identification of functional long noncoding RNA loci in human cells. Science. 2017 01 06; 355(6320).. View in PubMed
• Risk factors associated with the surgical management of craniopharyngiomas in pediatric patients: analysis of 1961 patients from a national registry database. Neurosurg Focus. 2016 Dec; 41(6):E8.. View in PubMed