Brain & Spine Tumors at Barrow Neurological Institute

Robert Yoo, DO, is a medical oncologist and an assistant professor in the Department of Neurology at Barrow Neurological Institute. He is board certified in medical oncology and hematology by the American Osteopathic Board of Internal Medicine. Dr. Yoo’s expertise includes caring for patients with aggressive primary brain tumors, such as glioblastoma, and tumors that have metastasized to the brain or spine. With his hematology background, Dr. Yoo also treats blood cancer types involving the brain and spine, such as lymphoma or multiple myeloma. He is a member of the American Osteopathic Association, the American Society of Clinical Oncology, the American Society of Hematology, and the Society for Neuro-Oncology. Dr. Yoo earned his medical degree from the Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine in East Lansing. He completed his internal medicine residency at Beaumont Hospital in Farmington Hills, the primary teaching hospital of Michigan State University. He also completed a fellowship in hematology and oncology at the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute, an affiliate of the Wayne State University School of Medicine in Detroit. Dr. Yoo has a longstanding interest in genomics and tumors with unique molecular biology. He believes that a better understanding of tumor biology can help overcome treatment resistance to provide precision-based treatments for brain tumors. Dr. Yoo emphasizes comprehensive, state-of-the-art patient care with treatment options such as immunotherapy, targeted therapy agents, and cancer vaccines.

Ameya A. Jategaonkar, MD, is an otolaryngologist in the Department of ENT and skull base surgery at Barrow Neurological Institute. Dr. Jategaonkar specializes in the surgical treatment of head and neck cancers, transoral robotic surgery, thyroid and parathyroid surgery, open skull base surgery, and microvascular reconstructive surgery of the head and neck. He is a member of the American Academy of Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery and the American Head and Neck Society. Dr. Jategaonkar earned his medical degree from the University of Arizona College of Medicine—Phoenix. He completed his otolaryngology residency at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City and a fellowship in advanced head and neck oncologic and microvascular reconstructive surgery at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia. Dr. Jategaonkar’s clinical research interests include expanding minimally invasive/transoral techniques for treating head and neck cancers and optimizing techniques and outcomes for microvascular free tissue transfer in head and neck reconstruction.

Yoshie Umemura, MD, is the Division Chief of Neuro-Oncology, the William R. and Joan R. Shapiro Chair in Neuro-Oncology Research, associate professor of neurology at Barrow Neurological Institute, and Chief Medical Officer at the Ivy Brain Tumor Center. She is board certified in neurology by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology, as well as neuro-oncology by the United Council for Neurologic Subspecialties. Dr. Umemura’s expertise rests on the axis of brain tumors and cancers of the central nervous system, as well as the neurological complications from cancer. She is a member of the American Academy of Neurology, the American Society of Clinical Oncology, the International Primary CNS Lymphoma Collaborative Group, and the Society for Neuro-Oncology.