As a practicing neurosurgeon, my daily interactions with neuro-oncology patients uniquely positions our lab to focus on translational neuro-oncology research, combining basic neuroscience, genetics, and tumor biology, with an unique insight into the pressing clinical questions facing patients with brain tumors. My postdoctoral fellowship in the lab of Dr. Matthew Scott focused on the cellular mechanisms underlying the genetics and tumor biology of medulloblastoma. My masters degree in clinical research provides insight into the translation potential of newly identified treatments through development of clinical trials. In this way, we bridge laboratory bench research into viable therapeutics for patients with brain tumors. Our ongoing investigations into tumor cell biology, developmental neuroscience, cell signal transduction, and translational preliminary studies of novel therapeutics each feedback into and exponentially advance the field of neuro-oncology. Our discoveries in the lab will develop into hypotheses about novel treatment and diagnostic development, and working with patients and primary samples develops questions for the lab regarding tumor cell biology and normal neurodevelopment.