Arnold Etame, M.D., Ph.D.

Neurological Surgeon and Scientist, Moffitt Cancer Center
Assistant Professor of Oncology, The University of South Florida, Morsani College of Medicine

Biography

Dr. Arnold Etame is a Neurological Surgeon and Scientist specializing in Neuro-Oncology at Moffitt Cancer Center, and Assistant Professor of Oncology at the University of South Florida, Morsani College of Medicine. He performs a substantial number of surgeries in eloquent and non-eloquent regions of the brain with image-guided stereotactic techniques entailing functional MRI and DTI tractography neuro-navigation. He also directs a very active awake-brain tumor resection program for patients with tumors close to critical areas for speech and movement.

In collaboration with Moffitt’s Radiation Oncologists, he leads the stereotactic radiosurgery program for brain and spine metastatic tumors. His research focuses on enhanced delivery of targeted therapeutics across the blood-brain barrier for malignant and metastatic brain tumors using nanotechnology and focused ultrasound disruption of the blood-brain barrier. He is a principal investigator for clinical trial protocols in patients with malignant brain tumors.

Dr. Etame received his BS degree in Chemistry Magna Cum Laude from the State University New York (SUNY) at New Paltz. He subsequently completed his MD degree with Distinction in Research from the University of Iowa College of Medicine where he was elected to the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society, and the Gold Humanism Medical Society. His neurosurgery specialization was completed at the University of Michigan. Under the mentorship of renowned neurosurgeon and scientist Dr. James Rutka, Dr. Etame was awarded a Neuro-Oncology Research Fellowship with the Labatt Brain Tumour Research Centre at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, Canada. During this time, Dr. Etame also pursued and completed his PhD in the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology at the University of Toronto.

His work focused on optimizing nanoparticle-based delivery strategies across the blood-brain barrier for subsequent targeting of invasive pathways in malignant gliomas. He has received numerous awards including the prestigious Wilder Penfield Fellowship Award from the Congress of Neurological Surgeons. He has authored several peer-reviewed publications and book chapters. Dr. Etame is a member of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS) and the Congress of Neurological Surgeons (CNS). Check out recent articles in OncLive:Neurosurgical Innovations Advance Safe Resection of Difficult Brain Tumors The Awake Craniotomy Presents Advantages in Resection of Eloquent Cortex Brain Tumors How I Treat Patients with Surgically Resectable Brain Cancers 

Faculty Profile

Credentials

Undergraduate

The State University New York (SUNY) (magna cum laude)

Medical School

The University of Iowa College of Medicine

Graduate School

The Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, The University of Toronto

Residency

The University of Michigan Medical School, Department of Neurosurgery

Fellowship

Neuro-Oncology Research, The Labatt Brain Tumour Research Centre, The Hospital for Sick Children at The University of Toronto