Email isabelle.germano@mountsinai.org

Specialty Neurological Surgery

Certifications Neurological Surgery

Clinical Focus Acoustic Neuroma Astrocytoma Biopsy Brain Metastasis Brain Tumor And Brain Cancer Brain, Spine Tumors Computer Guided Crainiotomy Craniotomy Epilepsy Glioblastoma Multiforme Meningioma Pituitary Adenoma Stereotactic Radiosurgery Research Topics Anti-Tumor Therapy Apoptosis/Cell Death Autophagy Brain Cancer Cellular Differentiation Gene Expressions Gene Therapy Metastasis Migration Molecular Biology Neuroscience Seizure Stem Cells Translation Tumor Suppressor Genes Tumorigenesis

Training Areas Developmental and Stem Cell Biology [DSCB]

Education MD, University of Turin Medical School

Residency, Surgery Univ. of California, San Francisco

Residency, Neurosurgery Univ. of California, San Francisco

Residency, Neurosurgery Albert Einstein College of Medicine

Fellowship, Neurosurgery University of Zurich

Fellowship, Neurosurgery Montreal Neurological Institute

Dr. Germano joined the faculty at Mount Sinai in 1993. She is Director of The Mount Sinai Comprehensive Brain Tumor Program, an advanced multidisciplinary program based on computer-assisted image-guided neurosurgery and brain mapping to accomplish minimally invasive procedures and treatment of brain tumors, and is Co-director of the Radiosurgery Program.

You can learn more about Dr. Germano by visiting the Neurosurgery Tumors website.

Her specialty interests include Brain Tumors, Computer-Assisted Image-Guided Neurosurgery, Epilepsy surgery and Radiosurgery. She is Director of The Mount Sinai Medical Center Comprehensive Brain Tumor Program, an advanced multidisciplinary program based on computer-assisted image-guided neurosurgery and brain mapping to accomplish minimally invasive procedures and treatment of brain tumors. Dr. Germano is one of the pioneers of computer-assisted image-guided neurosurgery. This sophisticated technology, including the Novalis Shaped Beam Surgery, is used to perform minimally invasive surgery for patients with brain tumors, epilepsy, Parkinson's disease and movement disorders. Active in national neurosurgery organizations, she has served as an executive committee member for the Congress of Neurosurgery (CNS), as a Board of Directors' member for the American Association of Neurological Surgeons, as an executive committee member of the AANS/CNS Joint Section on Tumors, and as a scientific program member for the AANS, CNS, and the American Epilepsy Society. For the past five years she has directed a course, Advanced Techniques in Image-Guided Brain and Spine Surgery, for neurosurgeons from around the country.In the News Dr. Germano and her work diagnosing and treating brain tumors were recently profiled in The Daily News feature The Daily Check Up. View the PDF. Awards 2014 - Leksell Radiosurgery Award American Association of Neurological Surgeons 2013 - Technology Development Award Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai 2012 - 2016 Neurological Devices Voting Member Food and Drug Administration 2008 - 2013 Research grant: Brain tumors and gene transfer National Institute of Health 2007 - Brain Tumor Research Goldhirsh Foundation 2006 - Life Time Member Who is Who Strathmore's 2006 - New York State Certificats of Recognition, Dedication and Service to the Italians Culture and Community New York State 2005 - Certificate of Excellence in Youth Education New York City Department of Education and Mount Sinai School of Medicine 2004 - Neurosurgery Research Award New York State Society 2002 - 2006 America's Top Cancer Doctors Castle Connolly 2000 - 2006 Best Doctors Of New York New York Magazine 2000 - 2006 Top Doctors New York Metro Area Castle Connolly 1994 - Mary Putnam Jacobi Award Women's Medical Association of New York City 1993 - W. Penfield Award American Epilepsy Society Research Translational research for malignant brain tumors The main focus of the laboratory is to investigate new strategies for adjuvant treatment of malignant brain tumors. With the support from the National Institutes of Health, NIH, private foundations and Industry, the laboratory has been very productive in investigating new promising modalities and compound to kill brain tumor cells. Embryonic stem cells are currently used in animal models to transfer genes to brain tumors.

Image-guide computer-assisted neurosurgery One of the pioneers in this field, Dr. Germano continues to collaborate with the industry in making neurosurgical resections more accurate and less invasive.

Related Link: Brain Tumor and Gene Therapy Laboratory Publications Germano IM, Emdad L, Qadeer ZA, Binello E, Uzzaman M. Embryonic stem cell (ESC)-mediated transgene delivery induces growth suppression, apoptosis and radiosensitization, and overcomes temozolomide resistance in malignant gliomas.. Cancer Gene Ther 2010 Jun;: Epub ahead. Roberts CC, Daffner RH, Weissman BN, Bancroft L, Bennett DL, Blebea JS, Bruno MA, Fries IB, Germano IM, Holly L, Jacobson JA, Luchs JS, Morrison WB, Olson JJ, Payne WK, Resnick CS, Schweitzer ME, Seeger LL, Taljanovic M, Wise JN, Lutz ST. ACR appropriateness criteria on metastatic bone disease.. J Am Coll Radiol 2010 Jun; 7(6): 400-409. Videtic GM, Gaspar LE, Aref AM, Germano IM, Goldsmith BJ, Imperato JP, Marcus KJ, McDermott MW, McDonald MW, Patchell RA, Robins HI, Rogers CL, Suh JH, Wolfson AH, Wippold FJ. American College of Radiology Appropriateness Criteria® topic, Multiple Brain Metastases. J Radiation Oncology Biology Physics 2009 Nov; 75(4): 961-965. Binello E, Germano IM. Tonsillary carcinoma after temozolomide treatment for glioblastoma multiforme: treatment-related or dual-pathology?. J Neurooncol 2009 Aug; 94(1): 145-148. Germano IM, Binello E. Gene therapy as an adjuvant treatment of malignant gliomas: from bench to bedside. J Neuro-Oncology 2009 May; 93(1): 79-87. Uzzaman M, Keller G, Germano IM. In vivo Gene Delivery by embryonic stem cell-derived astrocytes for malignant gliomas. Neuro-Oncology 2009 Apr; 11(2): 102-108. Gonzales A, Sullivan G, Sips GJ, Naidich T, Kleinman G, Murray J, Morgello S, Germano IM, Mullen M, Simpson D. . Inflammatory Pseudotumor associated with HIV-JCV an immune-reconstruction syndrome. Neurology 2009 Jan; 72(3): 289-290. Benzil D, Abosch A, Germano IM, Gilmer H, Maraire N, Muraszko K, Pannullo S, Rosseau G, Schwartz L, Todor R, Ullman J, Zusman E. The future of neurosurgery: a white paper on the recruitment and retention of women in neurosurgery. J Neurosurgery 2008 Sept; 109(3): 378-386. Germano IM, Uzzaman M, Keller G. Gene delivery by embryonic stem cells for malignant gliomas. Cancer Biology and Therapy 2008 Sept; 7(9): 1341-1347. Uzzaman M, Keller G, Germano I. In vivo Gene Delivery by embryonic stem cell-derived astrocytes for malignant gliomas. Neuro-Oncology 2008 Apr; 11(2): 102-108. Uzzaman M, Keller G, Germano IM. Enhanced pro-apotptotic effects of tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) on temozolomide-resistant glioma cells. J Neurosurgery 2007 Apr; 106(4): 646-651. Germano I, Uzzaman M, Benveniste R, Zaurova M, Keller G. Apoptosis in human glioma cells produced using embryonic stem cell-derived astrocytes expressing tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL). J Neurosurgery 2006 July; 105(1): 88-95. Uzzaman M, Benveniste R, Keller G, Germano IM. Embryonic stem cell-derived astrocytes: novel gene therapy vector for brain tumors. Neurosurgical Focus 2005 Sept; 19(3): E6. Benveniste R, Keller G, Germano IM. Embryonic stem cell-derived astrocytes expressing drug-inducible transgenes: Differentiation and allotransplantation into the mouse brain. J Neurosurgery 2005 July; 103(1): 115-123. Benveniste R, Germano IM. Correlation of factors predicting intraoperative brain shift with successful resection of malignant brain tumors using image-guided techniques. Surg Neurol 2005 June; 63(6): 542-549. Kanzawa T, Zhang L, Xiao L, Germano IM, Kondo Y, Kondo S. Arsenic trioxide induces autophagic cell death in malignant glioma cells by up-regulation of mitochondrial cell death protein BNIP3. Oncogene 2005 June; 24(6): 980-991. Mccormick PJ, Osborn IP, Germano IM, Green S, Deiner SG. Scalp nerve blockade reduces pain after headframe placement in radiosurgery: a double blind, randomized clinical trial. Middle East journal of anesthesiology 2013 Feb; 22(1). Binello E, Green S, Germano IM. Radiosurgery for high-grade glioma. Surgical neurology international 2012; 3(Suppl 2). Binello E, Qadeer ZA, Kothari HP, Emdad L, Germano IM. Stemness of the CT-2A Immunocompetent Mouse Brain Tumor Model: Characterization In Vitro. Journal of Cancer 2012; 3. Binello E, Germano IM. Stem cells as therapeutic vehicles for the treatment of high-grade gliomas. Neuro-oncology 2012 Mar; 14(3). Emdad L, D'Souza SL, Kothari HP, Qadeer ZA, Germano IM. Efficient differentiation of human embryonic and induced pluripotent stem cells into functional astrocytes. Stem cells and development 2012 Feb; 21(3). Roberts CC, Daffner RH, Weissman BN, Bancroft L, Bennett DL, Blebea JS, Bruno MA, Fries IB, Germano IM, Holly L, Jacobson JA, Luchs JS, Morrison WB, Olson JJ, Payne WK, Resnik CS, Schweitzer ME, Seeger LL, Taljanovic M, Wise JN, Lutz ST. ACR appropriateness criteria on metastatic bone disease. Journal of the American College of Radiology : JACR 2010 Jun; 7(6). Barthélemy EJ, Benjamin E, Jean-Pierre MY, Poitevien G, Ernst S, Osborn I, Germano I. A prospective emergency room-based study pattern and outcome of neurological and neurosurgical diseases in Haiti. World neurosurgery 2013 Oct;. Binello E, Emdad I, Mormone E, Germano I. Characterization of fenofibrate-mediated anti-proliferative pro-apoptotic effects on high-grade glioma and anti-invasive effects on glioma stem cells. Neuro-Oncology 2013;. Mormone E, D'Sousa S, Alexeeva V, Bederson MM, Germano IM. . Stem cells and development 2014 Nov; 23(21). Germano IM, Binello E. Stem cells and gliomas: past, present, and future. Journal of neuro-oncology 2014 Sep; 119(3). Lo SS, Gore EM, Bradley JD, Buatti JM, Germano I, Ghafoori AP, Henderson MA, Murad GJ, Patchell RA, Patel SH, Robbins JR, Robins HI, Vassil AD, Wippold FJ, Yunes MJ, Videtic GM. ACR Appropriateness Criteria® pre-irradiation evaluation and management of brain metastases. Journal of palliative medicine 2014 Aug; 17(8). Douglas AC, Wippold FJ, Broderick DF, Aiken AH, Amin-Hanjani S, Brown DC, Corey AS, Germano IM, Hadley JA, Jagadeesan BD, Jurgens JS, Kennedy TA, Mechtler LL, Patel ND, Zipfel GJ. ACR Appropriateness Criteria Headache. Journal of the American College of Radiology : JACR 2014 Jul; 11(7). Binello E, Mormone E, Emdad L, Kothari H, Germano IM. Characterization of fenofibrate-mediated anti-proliferative pro-apoptotic effects on high-grade gliomas and anti-invasive effects on glioma stem cells. Journal of neuro-oncology 2014 Apr; 117(2). Joshi V, Germano I, Meenakshi R, Doshi A. Paradoxical evolution of a cerebellar tuberculosis abscess after surgical drainage and antibiotic therapy. Surgical neurology international 2014; 5. Lynch G, Nieto K, Puthenveettil S, Reyes M, Jureller M, Huang JH, Grady MS, Harris OA, Ganju A, Germano IM, Pilitsis JG, Pannullo SC, Benzil DL, Abosch A, Fouke SJ, Samadani U. Attrition rates in neurosurgery residency: analysis of 1361 consecutive residents matched from 1990 to 1999. Journal of neurosurgery 2015 Feb; 122(2). Barthélemy EJ, Benjamin E, Edouard Jean-Pierre MY, Poitevien G, Ernst S, Osborn I, Germano IM. A prospective emergency department-based study of pattern and outcome of neurologic and neurosurgical diseases in Haiti. World neurosurgery 2014 Dec; 82(6). Binello E, Germano IM. Stem cells as therapeutic vehicles for the treatment of high-grade gliomas. Neuro-oncology 2012 Mar; 14(3). Binello E, Qadeer ZA, Kothari HP, Emdad L, Germano IM. Stemness of the CT-2A Immunocompetent Mouse Brain Tumor Model: Characterization In Vitro. Journal of Cancer 2012; 3. Mccormick PJ, Osborn IP, Germano IM, Green S, Deiner SG. Scalp nerve blockade reduces pain after headframe placement in radiosurgery: a double blind, randomized clinical trial. Middle East journal of anaesthesiology 2013 Feb; 22(1). Patel SH, Robbins JR, Gore EM, Bradley JD, Gaspar LE, Germano I, Ghafoori P, Henderson MA, Lutz ST, McDermott MW, Patchell RA, Robins HI, Vassil AD, Wippold FJ, Videtic GM. ACR Appropriateness Criteria® follow-up and retreatment of brain metastases. American journal of clinical oncology 2012 Jun; 35(3). Binello E, Green S, Germano IM. Radiosurgery for high-grade glioma. Surgical neurology international 2012; 3(Suppl 2). Emdad L, D'Souza SL, Kothari HP, Qadeer ZA, Germano IM. Efficient differentiation of human embryonic and induced pluripotent stem cells into functional astrocytes. Stem cells and development 2012 Feb; 21(3). Lehrer S, Labombardi V, Green S, Pessin-Minsley MS, Germano IM, Rosenzweig KE. No circulating cytomegalovirus in five patients with glioblastoma multiforme. Anticancer research 2011 Mar; 31(3). Emdad L, Qadeer ZA, Bederson LB, Kothari HP, Uzzaman M, Germano IM. Is there a common upstream link for autophagic and apoptotic cell death in human high-grade gliomas?. Neuro-oncology 2011 Jul; 13(7). Binello E, Germano IM. Targeting glioma stem cells: a novel framework for brain tumors. Cancer science 2011 Nov; 102(11). Wippold FJ. Orbits, vision, and visual loss. AJNR. American journal of neuroradiology 2010 Jan; 31(1). Germano I, Swiss V, Casaccia P. Primary brain tumors, neural stem cell, and brain tumor cancer cells: where is the link?. Neuropharmacology 2010 May; 58(6). Roberts CC, Daffner RH, Weissman BN, Bancroft L, Bennett DL, Blebea JS, Bruno MA, Fries IB, Germano IM, Holly L, Jacobson JA, Luchs JS, Morrison WB, Olson JJ, Payne WK, Resnik CS, Schweitzer ME, Seeger LL, Taljanovic M, Wise JN, Lutz ST. ACR appropriateness criteria on metastatic bone disease. Journal of the American College of Radiology : JACR 2010 Jun; 7(6). Germano IM, Emdad L, Qadeer ZA, Binello E, Uzzaman M. Embryonic stem cell (ESC)-mediated transgene delivery induces growth suppression, apoptosis and radiosensitization, and overcomes temozolomide resistance in malignant gliomas. Cancer gene therapy 2010 Sep; 17(9). Suh JH, Videtic GM, Aref AM, Germano I, Goldsmith BJ, Imperato JP, Marcus KJ, McDermott MW, McDonald MW, Patchell RA, Robins HI, Rogers CL, Wolfson AH, Wippold FJ, Gaspar LE. ACR Appropriateness Criteria: single brain metastasis. Current problems in cancer; 34(3). Clinical Trials A Prospective, Multi-center Trial of NovoTTF-100A Together With Temozolomide Compared to Temozolomide Alone in Patients with Newly Diagnosed GBM