Few physicians have combined neurosurgery, cancer research and immunotherapy as closely as Dr. Linda M. Liau, MD, PhD, MBA. Based at UCLA in Los Angeles, California, Dr. Liau is a renowned neurosurgeon, researcher and academic leader whose career has focused on finding better ways to treat some of the most difficult brain tumors, particularly glioblastoma.
Dr. Liau currently serves as Chair of the UCLA Department of Neurosurgery and Director of the UCLA Brain Tumor Program. She is also a professor of neurosurgery and molecular and medical pharmacology. Her clinical expertise includes brain tumor surgery, intraoperative brain mapping and advanced imaging techniques. Her research focuses on brain tumor immunotherapy, gene therapy and personalized cancer vaccines.
A Career Inspired by Personal Experience
Dr. Liau’s path into brain cancer research was influenced by a deeply personal experience. During her neurosurgical residency, her mother developed breast cancer that eventually spread to the brain. The experience helped shape Liau’s determination to understand brain tumors and search for better treatments.
She earned her medical degree from Stanford University School of Medicine in 1991, followed by a PhD in molecular neuroscience from UCLA in 1999. She later earned an MBA from UCLA Anderson School of Management in 2016, combining her medical and scientific background with training in organizational leadership.
Pioneering Personalized Brain Cancer Vaccines
One of Dr. Liau’s most notable contributions has been her work developing personalized vaccines designed to help a patient’s immune system recognize and attack cancer cells.
Her research helped pioneer the use of dendritic cell vaccines for glioblastoma, one of the most aggressive forms of brain cancer. Rather than treating every tumor identically, the approach uses information from an individual patient’s tumor to develop a more personalized immune response.
Her work has helped establish a foundation for clinical trials investigating next-generation immunotherapies for glioblastoma and other brain tumors. UCLA describes her research program as focused on developing more effective immune-based treatments through dendritic cell vaccines, gene therapy and immunomodulation.
Continuing Innovation in 2026
Dr. Liau remains highly active in brain cancer research. In 2026, research involving her UCLA team has explored areas including dendritic cell vaccination, CRISPR-based approaches, tumor-immune organoids and the molecular biology of glioblastoma. These projects represent different strategies for understanding why brain cancers develop, how they resist treatment and how the immune system might be used to fight them more effectively.
Her team is also investigating new approaches to pediatric high-grade gliomas and studying the complex relationship between tumor cells and the immune system. This work reflects the broader movement toward precision medicine, where treatment strategies are increasingly tailored to the biological characteristics of individual tumors.
Recognition for Medical Innovation
In August 2026, UCLA honored Dr. Liau with the 2026 Younes Nazarian Medical Humanitarian Prize for her contributions to clinical care, research and innovation in brain cancer. UCLA highlighted her pioneering work combining functional MRI with intraoperative brain mapping, an approach that has helped make surgery possible for tumors that might previously have been considered inoperable.
She is also an elected member of the National Academy of Medicine, reflecting the significance of her contributions to neurosurgery and cancer research.
A Continuing Commitment to Patients
Dr. Liau’s career demonstrates how advances in medicine can emerge when clinical experience and scientific research work together. She continues to treat patients while leading research aimed at developing better therapies for aggressive brain tumors.
Her work is particularly notable because glioblastoma remains a formidable medical challenge. By combining advanced surgical techniques with immunotherapy, genetic research and personalized vaccines, Dr. Liau and her colleagues are pursuing new possibilities for patients who have historically had limited treatment options.
