Jacob Young

Dr. Jacob Young is a neurosurgeon who cares for patients with brain tumors, including low- and high-grade gliomas, meningiomas and brain metastases (cancer that has spread to the brain). He specializes in brain mapping techniques that identify areas important for motor, language and sensory functions, enabling surgeons to minimize the impact on these areas during surgery to remove a tumor.

Young's research interests include first-in-human early-phase clinical trials of new immunotherapies and innovative ways to deliver drugs to treat cancerous brain tumors. In his lab, he focuses on understanding the microenvironment of glioma and how it contributes to intratumoral heterogeneity (differences between cancer cells within the same tumor), treatment resistance and cancer evolution at the time of progression. His ultimate goal is to design treatment strategies that improve outcomes for patients with brain tumors. His glioblastoma research has been recognized at the institutional, regional, and national levels. During his postdoctoral training, he was awarded the Chan Zuckerberg Biohub Physician-Scientist fellowship, the Andrew J. Lockhart Focused Ultrasound and Immuno-Oncology fellowship, and the American Society of Clinical Oncology Young Investigator Award.

Young earned his medical degree from the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine, where he was elected to the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society. He completed a residency in neurosurgery and a postdoctoral fellowship in tumor immunology at UCSF, where he received an Exceptional Physician Award during his training. He was recognized with the Krevan's Award for excellence in patient care at the Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital and the Howard Naffziger Award for Outstanding Clinical Service from the department of neurological surgery.

Young is an active member of the Society for Neuro-Oncology and currently serves as co-chair of their Young Investigators Committee. He also is a member of the American Association for Cancer Research, the American Association of Neurological Surgeons, and the Congress of Neurological Surgeons.