Thomas C Chen

Thomas C Chen is a Professor of Neurological Surgery at the Keck School of Medicine of USC, leading the USC Neuro-Oncology program. He directs the Brain Tumor Center at Keck Hospital, Neurosurgery at Good Samaritan Hospital, and USC Neurological Surgery operations. His research focuses on translating lab findings into clinical trials for brain/spine tumors, including novel therapies like NEO212 and NEO100. He develops drug delivery technologies and leads trials for therapies such as anti-EGFRviii vaccines and IL-4-pseudomonas exotoxin. Surgical expertise includes microdissection and image-guided techniques, with an upcoming intraoperative MRI. He is a leading spine oncologist, one of few fellowship-trained surgeons in spine cancer. His interdisciplinary tumor board includes neurosurgery, oncology, and radiology.

Research interests span endoplasmic reticulum stress, glioblastoma endothelial biology, and anti-invasion therapies. Key innovations include disintegrin vicrostatin and noscapine. Recent articles highlight NEO212’s efficacy in leukemia/lymphoma, spinal cord ischemia markers, and intranasal drug delivery advancements. His work emphasizes drug conjugates, smart pumps, and CAR-T cell therapy enhancement. Awards/recognitions are not explicitly listed.

Grants and funding support his lab’s patented technologies and clinical trials. Advises on surgical techniques and multidisciplinary care. Lab/teams include USC Neuro-Oncology and spine surgery groups. Future work targets blood-brain barrier modulation, smart drug delivery systems, and personalized immunotherapies.