Doris Wang, MD, PhD

Asst Professor in Residence
Neurological Surgery

Dr. Doris Wang is a neurosurgeon who specializes in surgery for patients with movement disorders, such as essential tremor, Parkinson's disease and dystonia, a condition in which involuntarily contracting muscles cause abnormal movements.

Wang uses deep brain stimulation devices – implantable devices that can send electric signals to specific areas of the brain – in her research to better understand the dynamics of neural networks that develop as humans learn motor skills. Her goal is to develop targeted treatments that restore motor skill learning in patients with brain diseases and injuries.

Wang earned her doctorate in neuroscience and her medical degree at UCSF, where she also completed a residency in neurosurgery. During her residency, she developed an interest in functional neurosurgery, which utilizes a variety of techniques to restore or improve brain function. Also at UCSF, she completed a fellowship in stereotactic and functional neurosurgery, which involves using advanced imaging techniques such as computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging to guide neurosurgical procedures.

A member of the UCSF community since 2004, Wang shares the institution's values and commitment to advancing patient care while deepening scientific understanding of neurological disorders. She belongs to the Congress of Neurological Surgeons, American Association of Neurological Surgeons and American Society for Stereotactic and Functional Neurosurgery.

Publications: 

Human Cervical Epidural Spinal Electrogram Topographically Maps Distinct Volitional Movements.

The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience

Shukla PD, Burke JF, Kunwar N, Presbrey K, Balakid J, Yaroshinsky M, Louie K, Jacques L, Shirvalkar P, Wang DD

Unraveling the threads of stability: A review of the neurophysiology of postural control in Parkinson's disease.

Neurotherapeutics : the journal of the American Society for Experimental NeuroTherapeutics

Bath JE, Wang DD

A spinal cord neuroprosthesis for locomotor deficits due to Parkinson's disease.

Nature medicine

Milekovic T, Moraud EM, Macellari N, Moerman C, Raschellà F, Sun S, Perich MG, Varescon C, Demesmaeker R, Bruel A, Bole-Feysot LN, Schiavone G, Pirondini E, YunLong C, Hao L, Galvez A, Hernandez-Charpak SD, Dumont G, Ravier J, Le Goff-Mignardot CG, Mignardot JB, Carparelli G, Harte C, Hankov N, Aureli V, Watrin A, Lambert H, Borton D, Laurens J, Vollenweider I, Borgognon S, Bourre F, Goillandeau M, Ko WKD, Petit L, Li Q, Buschman R, Buse N, Yaroshinsky M, Ledoux JB, Becce F, Jimenez MC, Bally JF, Denison T, Guehl D, Ijspeert A, Capogrosso M, Squair JW, Asboth L, Starr PA, Wang DD, Lacour SP, Micera S, Qin C, Bloch J, Bezard E, Courtine G

Human upper extremity motor cortex activity shows distinct oscillatory signatures for stereotyped arm and leg movements.

Frontiers in human neuroscience

Starkweather CK, Morrison MA, Yaroshinsky M, Louie K, Balakid J, Presbrey K, Starr PA, Wang DD

Proceedings of the 10th annual deep brain stimulation think tank: Advances in cutting edge technologies, artificial intelligence, neuromodulation, neuroethics, interventional psychiatry, and women in neuromodulation.

Frontiers in human neuroscience

Wong JK, Mayberg HS, Wang DD, Richardson RM, Halpern CH, Krinke L, Arlotti M, Rossi L, Priori A, Marceglia S, Gilron R, Cavanagh JF, Judy JW, Miocinovic S, Devergnas AD, Sillitoe RV, Cernera S, Oehrn CR, Gunduz A, Goodman WK, Petersen EA, Bronte-Stewart H, Raike RS, Malekmohammadi M, Greene D, Heiden P, Tan H, Volkmann J, Voon V, Li L, Sah P, Coyne T, Silburn PA, Kubu CS, Wexler A, Chandler J, Provenza NR, Heilbronner SR, Luciano MS, Rozell CJ, Fox MD, de Hemptinne C, Henderson JM, Sheth SA, Okun MS

Improved psychotic symptoms following resection of amygdalar low-grade glioma: illustrative case.

Journal of neurosurgery. Case lessons

Andrews JP, Wozny TA, Yue JK, Wang DD

Cortico-Subthalamic Field Potentials Support Classification of the Natural Gait Cycle in Parkinson's Disease and Reveal Individualized Spectral Signatures.

eNeuro

Louie KH, Gilron R, Yaroshinsky MS, Morrison MA, Choi J, de Hemptinne C, Little S, Starr PA, Wang DD

Seizure outcome after resection of insular glioma: a systematic review, meta-analysis, and institutional experience.

Journal of neurosurgery

Zhang JJY, Lee KS, Wang DD, Hervey-Jumper SL, Berger MS

Targeting Accuracy and Clinical Outcomes of Awake versus Asleep Interventional Magnetic Resonance Imaging-Guided Deep Brain Stimulation for Parkinson's Disease: The University of California, San Francisco Experience.

Neurosurgery

Lee AT, Han KJ, Nichols N, Sudhakar VR, Burke JF, Wozny TA, Chung JE, Volz MM, Ostrem JL, Martin AJ, Larson PS, Starr PA, Wang DD

Use of Topical Vancomycin Powder to Reduce Surgical Site Infections after Deep Brain Stimulation Surgery: UCSF Experience and Meta-Analysis.

Stereotactic and functional neurosurgery

Kondapavulur S, Burke JF, Volz M, Wang DD, Starr PA

Epidural Spinal Electrogram Provides Direct Spinal Recordings in Awake Human Participants.

Frontiers in human neuroscience

Burke JF, Kunwar N, Yaroshinsky MS, Louie KH, Shirvalkar P, Su P, Henry M, Pasvankas G, Poree L, Jacques L, Wang DD

Long-term wireless streaming of neural recordings for circuit discovery and adaptive stimulation in individuals with Parkinson's disease.

Nature biotechnology

Gilron R, Little S, Perrone R, Wilt R, de Hemptinne C, Yaroshinsky MS, Racine CA, Wang SS, Ostrem JL, Larson PS, Wang DD, Galifianakis NB, Bledsoe IO, San Luciano M, Dawes HE, Worrell GA, Kremen V, Borton DA, Denison T, Starr PA

Freezing of Gait in Parkinson's Disease: Invasive and Noninvasive Neuromodulation.

Neuromodulation : journal of the International Neuromodulation Society

Rahimpour S, Gaztanaga W, Yadav AP, Chang SJ, Krucoff MO, Cajigas I, Turner DA, Wang DD

Brain Network Oscillations During Gait in Parkinson's Disease.

Frontiers in human neuroscience

Wang DD, Choi JT

Treatment of Post-Hypoxic Myoclonus using Pallidal Deep Brain Stimulation Placed Using Interventional MRI Methods.

Tremor and other hyperkinetic movements (New York, N.Y.)

Gao F, Ostrem JL, Wang DD

Eight cylindrical contact lead recordings in the subthalamic region localize beta oscillations source to the dorsal STN.

Neurobiology of disease

Tamir I, Wang D, Chen W, Ostrem JL, Starr PA, de Hemptinne C

Comparison of Stereotactic Radiosurgery and Radiofrequency Ablation for Trigeminal Neuralgia in Multiple Sclerosis Patients.

Stereotactic and functional neurosurgery

Lee AT, Raygor KP, Elefant F, Ward MM, Wang DD, Barbaro NM, Chang EF

Local Field Potentials and ECoG.

Doris D. Wang, Witney Chen, Philip A. Starr, Coralie de Hemptinne

Cortical Basal Ganglia Network Interactions During Sequence Learning in Parkinson's Disease.

Neurosurgery

Doris D Wang, Coralie de Hemptinne, Roee Gilron, Philip A Starr

Pallidal Thermolesion Unleashes Gamma Oscillations in the Motor Cortex in Parkinson's Disease.

Neurosurgery

Doris D Wang, Coralie de Hemptinne, Svjetlana Miocinovic, Witney Chen, Jill L Ostrem, Philip A Starr

Pallidal thermolesion unleashes gamma oscillations in the motor cortex in Parkinson's disease.

Movement disorders : official journal of the Movement Disorder Society

de Hemptinne C, Wang DD, Miocinovic S, Chen W, Ostrem JL, Starr PA

Seizure Outcome After Surgical Resection of Insular Glioma.

Neurosurgery

Wang DD, Deng H, Hervey-Jumper SL, Molinaro AA, Chang EF, Berger MS

Pallidal Deep-Brain Stimulation Disrupts Pallidal Beta Oscillations and Coherence with Primary Motor Cortex in Parkinson's Disease.

The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience

Wang DD, de Hemptinne C, Miocinovic S, Ostrem JL, Galifianakis NB, San Luciano M, Starr PA

326 Characterization of Synchronization Between Globus Pallidus Neurons and Motor Cortex in Parkinson's Disease.

Neurosurgery

Doris D Wang, Nicki Swann, Coralie de Hemptinne, Philip A Starr

380 Seizure Outcome After Surgical Sesection of Insular Glioma.

Neurosurgery

Doris D Wang, Shawn L Hervey-Jumper, Edward F Chang, Mitchel S Berger

Changing Operating Room Culture: Implementation of a Postoperative Debrief and Improved Safety Culture.

World neurosurgery

Magill ST, Wang DD, Rutledge WC, Lau D, Berger MS, Sankaran S, Lau CY, Imershein SG

Spinal cavernous malformations.

Handbook of clinical neurology

Clark AJ, Wang DD, Lawton MT

206 Spikes, Slowing, and Functional Connectivity.

Neurosurgery

Dario J. Englot, John David Rolston, Doris D. Wang, Heidi E. Kirsch, Srikantan S. Nagarajan, Edward F. Chang

206 Spikes, Slowing, and Functional Connectivity: Multimodal Magnetoencephalography in Epilepsy Surgery.

Neurosurgery

Englot DJ, Rolston JD, Wang DD, Kirsch HE, Nagarajan SS, Chang EF

Subthalamic local field potentials in Parkinson's disease and isolated dystonia: An evaluation of potential biomarkers.

Neurobiology of disease

Wang DD, de Hemptinne C, Miocinovic S, Qasim SE, Miller AM, Ostrem JL, Galifianakis NB, San Luciano M, Starr PA

The sensitivity and significance of lateralized interictal slow activity on magnetoencephalography in focal epilepsy.

Epilepsy research

Englot DJ, Nagarajan SS, Wang DD, Rolston JD, Mizuiri D, Honma SM, Mantle M, Tarapore PE, Knowlton RC, Chang EF, Kirsch HE

Surgical management of medically refractory epilepsy in patients with polymicrogyria.

Epilepsia

Wang DD, Knox R, Rolston JD, Englot DJ, Barkovich AJ, Tihan T, Auguste KI, Knowlton RC, Cornes SB, Chang EF

Corpus callosotomy versus vagus nerve stimulation for atonic seizures and drop attacks: A systematic review.

Epilepsy & behavior : E&B

Rolston JD, Englot DJ, Wang DD, Garcia PA, Chang EF

200 Comparison of GPi Local Field Potential Characteristics in Patients With Parkinson Disease, Craniocervical Dystonia, and Generalized Dystonia.

Neurosurgery

Doris D. Wang, Coralie de Hemptinne, Salman Qasim, Svjetlana Miocinovic, Jill L. Ostrem, Philip A. Starr

Cervicomedullary neurocysticercosis causing obstructive hydrocephalus.

Journal of clinical neuroscience : official journal of the Neurosurgical Society of Australasia

Wang DD, Huang MC

Fast dynamic imaging technique to identify obstructive lesions in the CSF space: report of 2 cases.

Journal of neurosurgery. Pediatrics

Wang DD, Martin KW, Auguste KI, Sun PP

National trends and complication rates for invasive extraoperative electrocorticography in the USA.

Journal of clinical neuroscience : official journal of the Neurosurgical Society of Australasia

Rolston JD, Ouyang D, Englot DJ, Wang DD, Chang EF

Pain experience using conventional versus angled anterior posts during stereotactic head frame placement for radiosurgery.

Journal of clinical neuroscience : official journal of the Neurosurgical Society of Australasia

Wang DD, Lau D, Rolston JD, Englot DJ, Sneed PK, McDermott MW

Trends in surgical treatment for trigeminal neuralgia in the United States of America from 1988 to 2008.

Journal of clinical neuroscience : official journal of the Neurosurgical Society of Australasia

Wang DD, Ouyang D, Englot DJ, Rolston JD, Molinaro AM, Ward M, Chang EF

Seizure outcomes after temporal lobectomy in pediatric patients.

Journal of neurosurgery. Pediatrics

Englot DJ, Rolston JD, Wang DD, Sun PP, Chang EF, Auguste KI

Transmantle sign in focal cortical dysplasia: a unique radiological entity with excellent prognosis for seizure control.

Journal of neurosurgery

Wang DD, Deans AE, Barkovich AJ, Tihan T, Barbaro NM, Garcia PA, Chang EF

Relationship between hospital surgical volume, lobectomy rates, and adverse perioperative events at US epilepsy centers.

Journal of neurosurgery

Englot DJ, Ouyang D, Wang DD, Rolston JD, Garcia PA, Chang EF

Efficacy of vagus nerve stimulation in posttraumatic versus nontraumatic epilepsy.

Journal of neurosurgery

Englot DJ, Rolston JD, Wang DD, Hassnain KH, Gordon CM, Chang EF

Minocycline- and tetracycline-class antibiotics are protective against partial seizures in vivo.

Epilepsy & behavior : E&B

Wang DD, Englot DJ, Garcia PA, Lawton MT, Young WL

Predictors of seizure freedom after surgery for malformations of cortical development.

Annals of neurology

Chang EF, Wang DD, Barkovich AJ, Tihan T, Auguste KI, Sullivan JE, Garcia PA, Barbaro NM

Homotopic organization of essential language sites in right and bilateral cerebral hemispheric dominance.

Journal of neurosurgery

Chang EF, Wang DD, Perry DW, Barbaro NM, Berger MS

Advanced Neuroimaging for Modern Epilepsy Surgery.

European Neurological Review

Doris D Wang, Carlos Santos-Sanchez, Paul A Garcia, Edward F Chang

Advanced Neuroimaging for Modern Epilepsy Surgery.

US Neurology

Doris D Wang, Carlos Santos-Sanchez, Paul A Garcia, Edward F Chang

Defining the role of GABA in cortical development.

The Journal of physiology

Wang DD, Kriegstein AR

The astrocyte odyssey.

Progress in neurobiology

Wang DD, Bordey A

GABA regulates stem cell proliferation before nervous system formation.

Epilepsy currents

Wang DD, Kriegstein AR, Ben-Ari Y

GABA regulates excitatory synapse formation in the neocortex via NMDA receptor activation.

The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience

Wang DD, Kriegstein AR

Bergmann glial GlyT1 mediates glycine uptake and release in mouse cerebellar slices.

The Journal of physiology

Huang H, Barakat L, Wang D, Bordey A