Josh Neman-Ebrahim

Dr. Josh Neman-Ebrahim is an Associate Professor at the Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California (USC), with dual appointments in Neurological Surgery and Physiology & Neuroscience. He leads the Laboratory of Cancer Neuroscience and directs the Cancer Biology & Genomics PhD Program. His research focuses on the interplay between the nervous system and cancer, particularly brain metastases (breast, lung, melanoma, prostate) and pediatric brain tumors like medulloblastoma. Key roles include Scientific Director of the USC Brain Tumor Center and Co-leader of the Neuro-Oncology Disease Affinity Group at USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center.

Dr. Neman earned his PhD in Neurobiology from UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine and completed a Cancer Biology Fellowship at City of Hope’s Beckman Research Institute as a CIRM Fellow. His work emphasizes translational research, leveraging stem cell biology and neuroscience to develop novel therapies targeting tumor-neural interactions. He has received grants from NIH (NCI, NINDS), CIRM, and multiple foundations.

Research interests span cancer neuroscience, including mechanisms of tumor invasion, microenvironment adaptation, and therapeutic strategies to inhibit metastasis. Awards include recognition from the American Brain Tumor Association and Susan G. Komen Foundation. He actively engages patients and advocates in his research, serving on the Board of Directors for Susan G. Komen LA County.

His lab includes postdoctoral researchers, PhD candidates, and medical students, with a focus on training the next generation of cancer researchers. Current projects investigate GABAergic signaling in tumors, blood-brain barrier modulation, and immunotherapies for brain metastases.