Michael Levy MD, PhD

Dr. Michael L. Levy, Professor and Head of the Division of Pediatric Neurosurgery, is a pioneer in minimally invasive intracranial surgery. A highly respected surgeon, researcher, and teacher, he is recognized as one of the leading authorities on endoscopic, image-guided, and 3D-assisted surgery in the United States. In his clinics and surgeries at RCHSD, he specializes in the care of children with tumors and vascular malformations of the brain, with a particular emphasis on intraventricular lesions and the use of minimally invasive technology to minimize pain and scarring. He is certified by the American Board of Neurological Surgery as well as the American Board of Pediatric Neurological Surgery.

Dr. Levy has extensive experience in performing complex surgical approaches for brain tumors, congenital malformations, and vascular abnormalities of the brain. Dr. Levy was a tenured professor at the University of Southern California, Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles from 1993 until 2003. There, he pioneered a number of minimally invasive surgical techniques for intracranial surgery including the use of virtual endoscopes and the use of head-mounted displays to allow for 3D imaging during endoscopic procedures. He was the first surgeon at CHLA to use these techniques for general neurosurgical procedures.

In his research at USC, Dr. Levy investigated the development of tumor vaccines for the treatment of metastatic tumors in the brain via toxin mediation of inhibitory G-proteins. He studies the surgical results and costs of traditional versus novel minimally invasive surgical procedures, assesses the effects of minimally invasive procedures on the patient, and develops new techniques for virtual, robotic, and endoscopic surgery. The development of Charitable relationships with neurosurgical Departments throughout the world is another of Dr. Levy’s special interests. He has developed exchange programs in Lima, Peru, Kiev, Ukraine, Managua, Nicaragua, and Mbarara, Uganda. This has allowed for the provision and integration of new medical technology at these institutions, bringing the latest medical expertise to corners of the world where it was not available before.