The Germanwala Laboratory

Advancing Neurosurgical Care Through Innovation, Discovery, and Collaboration 

The Germanwala Laboratory at Loyola University Chicago is a multidisciplinary research program dedicated to advancing the understanding and treatment of skull base tumors, brain tumors, and complex neurosurgical disorders. Led by Anand V. Germanwala, MD, the laboratory brings together neurosurgical residents, research fellows, medical students, graduate students, high school students, and collaborators from across Loyola and beyond. Our research spans artificial intelligence, tumor genetics, immunotherapy, and clinical outcomes, with a common goal: to translate scientific discovery into better care for patients with complex neurosurgical disease. 

The laboratory is intentionally structured around collaboration and mentorship. Trainees work closely with faculty and investigators, develop independent research projects, analyze clinical and molecular data, and present their work at regional, national, and international meetings. 

Our Research

1. Artificial Intelligence & Skull Base Surgery
   We are developing and applying artificial intelligence and machine-learning technologies to address important questions in skull base surgery. Our work explores how advanced computational tools can improve the interpretation of imaging, characterize skull base tumors, predict clinical and surgical outcomes, and ultimately assist in individualized patient care. Current projects include theapplication of AI to pituitary tumors and skull base anatomy, including the assessment of tumor characteristics and bony remodeling on imaging. Our goal is to move beyond simply describing imaging findings toward developing tools that can provide clinically meaningful, patient-specific information before surgery.
2. Prospective Skull Base Tumor Genetics Database
   A major initiative of the laboratory is the development of a prospective skull base tumor database integrating clinical, radiographic, pathological, and genetic information. For patients with skull base tumors, we seek to connect the clinical presentation and longitudinal outcomes with imaging characteristics and molecular information. This integrated approach allows us to investigate why tumors behave differently and identify molecular characteristics that may
   ultimately guide prognosis and treatment. The database is designed as a longitudinal resource that can support future clinical, translational, and collaborative investigations involving tumors such as pituitary tumors, meningiomas, schwannomas, craniopharyngiomas, and other skull base neoplasms.
3. Glioblastoma & Immunotherapy
   The laboratory collaborates with investigators and other research laboratories to study the biology of glioblastoma and the potential role of immunotherapy. These collaborative projects examine the tumor microenvironment and mechanisms that may influence tumor growth, treatment resistance, and response to immunotherapeutic strategies. By partnering with investigators with complementary expertise, we aim to bridge neurosurgical observations with laboratory-based discoveries and identify new therapeutic opportunities for patients with aggressive brain tumors. 
4. Clinical Research & Outcomes
   Our fourth area of investigation encompasses clinical research, surgical outcomes, and quality improvement across neurosurgical disease. These projects use clinical data to answer practical questions that directly affect patient care. Areas of interest include surgical outcomes, complications, patient follow-up, treatment strategies, healthcare utilization, and factors associated with recovery. This branch of the laboratory provides trainees with opportunities to develop projects from clinical questions encountered in everyday neurosurgical practice and transform those questions into meaningful research.

The People Behind the Research

The Germanwala Laboratory is built around its people.

Research Fellows

Raghav Rajesh, B.S. Medical Student, Gap Year Wayne State Medical School

Abhinav Bachu, B.S. University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana

Neurosurgical Residents

Diego Luy, MD PGY-5

S. Daniel Yang, MD PGY-5

Yoo Jin Ahn, MD PGY-1

Anoop Chinthala, MD PGY-1

Loyola University Chicago Stritch Medical Students

Aanya Agarwal, MS2	Dayna Sloane, MS3	A.J. Baker, MS2
Luke Holen, MS2	Alexi Obillo, MS3	Erin Davies, MS3

Medical Students from Outside Medical Schools

Tiffany San, MS2
Chicago Rosalind Franklin
 

Past Research Fellows

Mousa Javidialsaadi, PhD Research Fellow 2024-2026

Faraz Behzadi, MD University of Arizona  Neurology Resident Research Fellow 2024-2026

Gianna Ruiz, BS University of Arizona Podiatry School Research Fellow 2024

A Culture of Mentorship & Collaboration

Research in the Germanwala Laboratory is designed to be a collaborative and highly interactive experience.  The laboratory formally meets once each month for a dedicated laboratory meeting. These meetings provide an opportunity for members to present ongoing work, discuss research challenges, review new findings, develop new projects, and receive feedback from colleagues and collaborators.

Trainees are encouraged to participate throughout the research process—from developing a research question and designing a study to analyzing data, preparing manuscripts, and presenting findings.
We believe that the best research environment is one in which residents, fellows, students, and faculty learn from one another.
 

The laboratory's research has resulted in peer-reviewed publications spanning skull base surgery, tumor biology, artificial intelligence, clinical outcomes, and neurosurgical education.

Selected recent publications:

Ghannad AS, Strelko O, St Angelo M, Runde A, Sloane DC, Germanwala AA, Payman A, Choe S, Ng I, Schneck MJ, Park MS, Prabhu VC, Anderson DE, Germanwala AV. The History of Loyola Neurosurgery. World Neurosurg. 2026 Jul 17;213:125197. doi: 10.1016/j.wneu.2026.125197. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 42468616.

Luy DD, Javidialsaadi M, Payman A, Behzadi F, Zywiciel JF, Pickles A, Frazzetta J, Ng I, Cicierska SS, Prabhu VC, Patel C, Germanwala AV. Clinical application of artificial intelligence algorithms in detecting clival remodeling in the setting of pituitary neuroendocrine tumors/pituitary adenomas. Front Neurol. 2026 Apr 10;17:1697911. doi: 10.3389/fneur.2026.1697911. PMID: 42037691; PMCID: PMC13107938.

Javidialsaadi M, Allen M, Luy DD, Smith HL, Tsiang JT, Germanwala AV. Autoimmune hypophysitis associated with rheumatoid arthritis: Histopathological insights from a rare biopsy-proven case. Surg Neurol Int. 2025 Oct 10;16:426. doi: 10.25259/SNI_774_2025. PMID: 41216144; PMCID: PMC12596808.

Myneni S, Bhandarkar S, Akbari H, Mayne R, Ahmed AK, Kazemi F, Almeida JP, Germanwala AV, Venteicher AS, Zwagerman NT, Wang EW, Choby G, McKean EL, Snyderman CH, Rowan NR, Mukherjee D. The Craniopharyngioma Quality of Life (C-QOL) Index: a preliminary disease-specific, patient-centered tool for assessing patient reported outcomes in adult craniopharyngioma patients. J Neurooncol. 2025 Oct 27;176(1):45. doi: 10.1007/s11060-025-05284-7. PMID: 41143938.

Jani RH, Raju S, Kim M, Gardner P, Zenonos GA, Snyderman C, Wang EW, Patel C, Germanwala AV. Endoscopic Endonasal Approach for Residual and Recurrent Craniopharyngioma after Transcranial Approach: A Multi-institutional Experience. J Neurol Surg B Skull Base. 2024 May 3;86(3):295-302. doi: 10.1055/a-2301-3867. PMID: 40351880; PMCID: PMC12064289.

Ruiz GM, Uram Z, Strelko O, Hossain A, Ng I, Patel CR, Germanwala AV. Endoscopic Endonasal Anterior Skull Base Meningoencephalocele and Cerebrospinal Fluid Leak Repair: Our Intraoperative and Postoperative Protocol and Long-term Outcomes. J Neurol Surg B Skull Base. 2024 Apr 30;86(2):173-179. doi: 10.1055/a-2297-9386. PMID: 40104534; PMCID: PMC11913537.

Javidialsaadi M, Luy DD, Smith HL, Cecia A, Yang SD, Germanwala AV. Advances in the Management of Craniopharyngioma: A Narrative Review of Recent Developments and Clinical Strategies. J Clin Med. 2025 Feb 9;14(4):1101. doi: 10.3390/jcm14041101. PMID: 40004632; PMCID: PMC11856613.

Behzadi F, Woldt PL, Tsiang JT, Zsigray BM, Luy DD, Singh M, Larsen P, Germanwala AV. Evidence of Significant Intratumoral Transcriptomic Heterogeneity in Non-functioning Pituitary Adenomas Based on Location and Texture. Cureus. 2024 Dec 13;16(12):e75649. doi: 10.7759/cureus.75649. PMID: 39803091; PMCID: PMC11725287.

Verducci C, Sloane DC, Hand R, Choe S, Jusue-Torres I, Shanker RM, Kim M, Mallik AK, Germanwala AV, Anderson DE. The surgical management of third ventricle region tumors. Clin Neurol Neurosurg. 2024 Nov;246:108564. doi: 10.1016/j.clineuro.2024.108564. Epub 2024 Sep 21. PMID: 39332050.

Behzadi F, Pickles AC, Ciecierska SS, Choe S, Prabhu VC, Germanwala AV. Patients at Greatest Risk of Missing Initial 1-Year Follow-Up After Pituitary Adenoma Resection. World Neurosurg. 2024 Sep;189:e1092-e1097. doi: 10.1016/j.wneu.2024.07.091. Epub 2024 Jul 18. PMID: 39032634; PMCID: PMC11971957.

Behzadi F, Zywiciel JF, Pickles A, Javidialsaadi M, Anderson DE, Prabhu VC, Germanwala AV. Single Center Neurosurgical Outcomes and Trends in Endoscopic Endonasal Resection of 297 Sellar/Suprasellar Tumors Stratified by Duration of Neurosurgical Career. World Neurosurg. 2024 Sep;189:e763-e776. doi: 10.1016/j.wneu.2024.06.162. Epub 2024 Jul 4. PMID: 38971494; PMCID: PMC11956535.

Strelko O, Swanson J, Woldt P, Frazzetta J, Simon J, Ng I, Baker MS, Barton KP, Thakkar JP, Prabhu VC, Germanwala AV. National Trends and Factors Associated with Voluntary Refusal of Glioblastoma Treatment: A Retrospective Review of the National Cancer Database. World Neurosurg. 2024 Sep;189:e419-e426. doi: 10.1016/j.wneu.2024.06.080. Epub 2024 Jun 19. PMID: 38906477.
 

Complete Publication List → https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=germanwala&sort=date
 

Presentations & Scientific Dissemination

Members of the Germanwala Laboratory regularly present their research at local, regional, national, and international scientific meetings.  Our trainees have presented work at meetings including the North American Skull Base Society, Congress of Neurological Surgeons, American Association of Neurological Surgeons, Illinois State Neurosurgical Society, and Loyola's annual scientific research meetings.

The Germanwala Laboratory is founded on a simple principle:  The most meaningful research is research that ultimately improves the lives of our patients.  Our work brings together clinical experience, advanced technology, molecular science, and collaborative investigation to answer important questions in neurosurgery.  Through the integration of AI, tumor genetics, immunotherapy, and clinical outcomes research, we seek to develop new knowledge while training the next generation of academic neurosurgeons and physician-scientists.

We welcome motivated residents, medical students, graduate students, high school students, fellows, and collaborators who are interested in advancing neurosurgical science.  Applications for two annual skull base research fellow paid positions (July to June) are reviewed in March/April on a rolling basis.  To learn more about research opportunities, please contact our research fellows (raghavrajesh@luhs.org) and residency coordinator, Laura Kate Waters (laurakate.waters@luhs.org)

Anand V. Germanwala, MD
Professor of Neurological Surgery and Otolaryngology
Vice Chair and Residency Program Director
Department of Neurological Surgery 
Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine
Co-Director, Center for Cranial Base Surgery
Loyola University Medical Center
President, Illinois State Neurosurgical Society