I was born and raised in the Big Apple—a child of the concrete—and I can’t imagine living or working anywhere else. After training in Phoenix, Arizona, I felt the pull to come back to New York City. NYU Langone’s Department of Neurosurgery was growing rapidly, and I joined the team in 1995 to be a part of this exciting medical center. 

As a neurosurgeon specializing in brain tumors, I treat most varieties of benign and cancerous tumors that can occur in the brain. I’m a Mr. Fix It kind of guy by nature, so I love the technical aspects, investigative work, and the dedication that my job demands. 

I’ve devoted a good part of my career to researching neurofibromatosis type 2, a genetic disease that causes complex tumors to grow in the brain and spinal cord. These tumors affect the nerves responsible for hearing and balance. Those of us working in the Department of Neurosurgery are also at the forefront of stereotactic surgery, which enables us to view critical pathways of the brain through a microscope during surgery, locate a tumor, and determine more precisely which areas to remove. 

I want my patients to have the same knowledge of their surgery as I do, because the unfamiliar is scary. I love that patients come to us expecting a perfect outcome, because we’re going to do everything we can to get as close to it as possible.

Positions
Associate Professor, Department of Neurosurgery
Associate Professor, Department of Otolaryngology
Chair of the Department of Neurosurgery
Board Certifications
American Board of Neurological Surgery - Neurological Surgery, 1998
Education and Training
Residency, Barrow Neurological Institute, Neurosurgery, 1995
MD from Columbia University, 1988
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Golfinos JG, Roland JT Jr, Rodgers SD. [[Auditory brainstem implant]]s. J
Neurosurg. 2014 Feb;120(2):543-4. doi: 10.3171/2013.5.JNS13430. Epub 2013 Dec 13.
PubMed PMID: 24329025.


Golfinos JG, Tessler LE, Kelly PJ. Advanced MRI for brain tumors: a
neurosurgical perspective. Top Magn Reson Imaging. 2004 Oct;15(5):337-9. Review. 
PubMed PMID: 15627007.


Golfinos JG, Norman SA, Coons SW, Norman RA, Ballecer C, Scheck AC. Expression
of the genes encoding myelin basic protein and proteolipid protein in human
malignant gliomas. Clin Cancer Res. 1997 May;3(5):799-804. PubMed PMID: 9815752.


Golfinos JG, Fitzpatrick BC, Smith LR, Spetzler RF. Clinical use of a
frameless stereotactic arm: results of 325 cases. J Neurosurg. 1995
Aug;83(2):197-205. PubMed PMID: 7616261.


Golfinos JG, Dickman CA, Zabramski JM, Sonntag VK, Spetzler RF. Repair of
vertebral artery injury during anterior cervical decompression. Spine (Phila Pa
1976). 1994 Nov 15;19(22):2552-6. PubMed PMID: 7855680.


Golfinos JG, Thompson BG, Zabramski JM, Spetzler RF. Are the calcium
antagonists really useful in cerebral aneurysmal surgery? A retrospective study. 
Neurosurgery. 1994 Sep;35(3):541-2. PubMed PMID: 7800152.