About
Language(s): English
Certification: American Association of Neurological Surgeons, American Board of Neurological Surgery
Simon Hanft, MD is a board-certified neurosurgeon specializing in the care of brain tumors and tumors involving the spinal cord. He is the Section Chief of Neurosurgical Oncology for the Westchester Medical Center Health Network.
Dr. Hanft grew up on Long Island and received his undergraduate degree from Yale University before obtaining a master’s degree at the University of Cambridge in England. He attended medical school at Stanford University during which time he received a prestigious Howard Hughes Fellowship to study neural stem cell networks. He went on to complete neurosurgery residency at Columbia University Medical Center/The Neurological Institute of New York, followed by an additional year dedicated to brain tumor surgery as a Surgical Neuro-oncology Fellow at the University of Miami. He then joined the faculty at Rutgers-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and developed the most active brain tumor practice in New Jersey.
Dr. Hanft has contributed multiple peer-reviewed publications including operative videos demonstrating surgical technique. He is the author of five book chapters on brain tumors, two book chapters on spine tumors, and the Medscape entry on brain surgery entitled “Craniotomy.” He is also the lead editor on a published textbook entitled Tumors of the Spinal Canal. He was twice recognized as a Top Doctor by New Jersey Monthly Magazine and received a medical advisory award by Voices Against Brain Cancer, one of the leading national charities for patients with brain tumors. Dr. Hanft has over 500 verified patient reviews on Healthgrades, which makes him the most highly reviewed neurosurgeon in New York and in the top 1% of all doctors nationally.
Professional Memberships
- Congress of Neurological Surgeons
Memberships
- Pituitary Network Association
- Pituitary Society
Awards/Professional/Recognition
- Author, co-author, reviewer, numerous peer-reviewed publications, journal articles and
presentations
Success Stories
Seeing Brain Tumors In a New Light
View a list of Simon Hanft's publications
Education
Medical School: Doctor of Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA
Internship: General Surgery, Columbia University Medical Center (now Columbia University Irving Medical Center), NewYork–Presbyterian Hospital, New York, NY
Residency: Neurological Institute of New York, Columbia University, New York, NY
Fellowship: Surgical Neuro-Oncology, University of Miami Hospital, Miami FL
Specialties
Specialties: Neurosurgery
Neurosurgical Oncology
Special Clinical Interest:
- Glioblastoma (GBM)
- Low-grade glioma
- Brain metastases
- Pituitary adenoma (Cushing’s disease, acromegaly)
- Meningioma, including spinal meningioma
- Intramedullary spinal cord tumors (astrocytomas, ependymomas)
- Vestibular schwannoma, spinal schwannoma