William Mack, MD

Professor of Neurological Surgery, Physiology & Neuroscience and Neurology (Clinical Scholar)

Chair, Department of Neurological Surgery

Dr. Martin H. Weiss Chair in Neurological Surgery

Director, Neurointerventional Program, Keck Hospital of USC

Director, Neurosurgery Ambulatory Services, Keck Medical Center of USC

Culture and Engagement Champion

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Overview

Dr. Mack’s major areas of clinical interest are stroke, brain aneurysms, subarachnoid hemorrhage, arteriovenous malformations (AVMs), arteriovenous fistulas, cavernous malformations, carotid artery disease, intracranial stenosis, and brain tumors. Dr. Mack performs both open surgery and minimally invasive, endovascular procedures for cerebrovascular disorders.

Dr. Mack is a faculty member of the Neuroscience Graduate Program and is the Principal Investigator and Director of the Cerebrovascular Laboratory in the Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute. He receives NIH R01 funding for his laboratory research. Dr. Mack’s scientific interests are focused on translational efforts to treat ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke. Laboratory investigations concentrate on the pathophysiology of cerebral ischemia and inflammatory modulation. Using the information and experience gained in the laboratory, Dr. Mack is working to develop new technologies, techniques, and therapies to directly improve the clinical care administered to stroke patients.

William Mack, MD, received his Bachelor degree with honors from Cornell University. He then attended Columbia University, College of Physicians and Surgeons, where he graduated from medical school (Alpha Omega Alpha) and completed Neurosurgical residency training. During residency, he spent one year performing a post-doctoral cerebrovascular research fellowship under Drs. David J. Pinsky and E. Sander Connolly Jr. at Columbia University. Following residency, Dr. Mack completed an Interventional Neuroradiology/ Neuroendovascular Surgery fellowship at UCLA.

Dr. Mack is board certified by the American Board of Neurological Surgery (FAANS) and is a fellow of the American Heart Association (FAHA) and. He is a committee member on the executive council of the Congress of Neurological Surgeons/ American Association of Neurological Surgeons’ Cerebrovascular Section. Dr. Mack serves as an Associate Editor of the Journal of Neurointerventional Surgery and on the editorial board of World Neurosurgery.

Research Funding

  • Synergistic white matter injury from diesel exhaust particulate and chronic cerebral hypoperfusion exposures: Interaction between the Nogo/NgR1 receptor pathway and extravascular fibrinogen toxicity
    NIH · RF1NS130681 · Sep 20, 2022 – Aug 31, 2027 · Role: Principal Investigator
  • Activated protein C mechanisms of brain white matter protection and new therapies for brain white matter ischemic injury
    NIH · R01NS117827 · Jul 15, 2020 – Apr 30, 2026 · Role: Principal Investigator
  • Translational potential of the internalization of Nogo-A receptor to enhance axonal regeneration after stroke
    NIH · R21NS116720 · Jul 1, 2020 – Jun 30, 2022 · Role: Co-Principal Investigator
  • USC Neurosurgery Research and Education Training Program
    NIH · R25NS099008 · Jul 15, 2017 – Jun 30, 2027 · Role: Principal Investigator
  • USC Neurosurgery Research and Education Training Program
    NIH · UE5NS099008 · Jul 15, 2017 – Jun 30, 2027 · Role: Principal Investigator
  • Neurotoxicity of Airborne Particles: Role of Chronic Cerebral Hypoperfusion
    NIH · R01ES024936 · Jan 15, 2015 – Nov 30, 2020 · Role: Principal Investigator

Publications

  • Association of cerebrovascular center volume with patient outcomes. Neurosurg Rev. 2026 Jun 29; 49(1).. View in PubMed
  • Impact of intravenous thrombolysis on aspiration thrombectomy outcomes: an Imperative Trial subgroup analysis. J Neurointerv Surg. 2026 May 12.. View in PubMed
  • Stroke thrombectomy with a novel reperfusion system including a 0.088” aspiration catheter: the Imperative Trial. J Neurointerv Surg. 2026 Apr 16; 18(5):1202-1209.. View in PubMed
  • Cost-Effectiveness of Adjunctive Middle Meningeal Artery Embolization for Chronic Subdural Hematoma: Secondary Analysis of EMBOLISE. AJNR Am J Neuroradiol. 2026 Mar 30.. View in PubMed
  • Single cell profiling reveals GSM-15606 attenuates air pollution-induced inflammation and preserves hippocampal neurogenesis. bioRxiv. 2026 Jan 30.. View in PubMed
  • National Trends in the Use of Flow Diversion for Management of Intracranial Aneurysms. Neurosurgery. 2026 Sep 01; 99(3):654-670.. View in PubMed
  • Induction of ferroptotic and amyloidogenic signatures linked to Alzheimer’s disease by chemically distinct air pollutants. bioRxiv. 2026 Jan 07.. View in PubMed
  • Middle Meningeal Artery Embolization for Subdural Hematoma: CT/MRI End Points of the EMBOLISE Trial. Radiology. 2026 01; 318(1):e251746.. View in PubMed
  • EMBOLISE randomized surgical trial for subdural hematoma: clinical benefits beyond reoperation with middle meningeal artery embolization. J Neurointerv Surg. 2025 Dec 24.. 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