Departments/Divisions
Specialties
Brain Tumors
brain tumors
Chiari malformation
congenital malformations
endoscopy
hematology/oncology
hydrocephalus
medulloblastoma
peripheral nerve
spinal cord tumors
ventriculoscopy/endoscopy
tethered spinal cord
arachnoid cysts
peripheral and brachial plexus injuries
Services/Programs
Certifications
Neurological Surgery, Pediatric Neurological Surgery
Expanded Biography
Research: My area of research has been in the role of neurotrophins in cerebellar development and in tumorigenesis. As such, I have collaborated over the years with Dr. Scott Pomeroy and Dr. Segal and we have had a number of publications that have demonstrated the role of a particular neurotrophin (trkC) in medulloblastoma and its role as a potential marker of disease behavior. This work continues and we are investigating the role of other neurotrophins in medulloblastoma and the role of angiogenesis in that tumor, as well. This is work that I have started in collaboration with Dr. Giannoula Klement and hope to continue over the years.
My clinical practice consists of taking care of patients primarily at Children’s Hospital, although I will consult and provide care on patients at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital, as well. I also have an appointment as a consultant at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute and I attend one outpatient clinic weekly on a regular basis there, as well as provide ad hoc consultations for the Pediatric Brain Tumor Program. My office and practice are based at Children’s Hospital.
My areas of major interest are neuro-endoscopy for the management of hydrocephalus and associated conditions and pediatric brain tumors. In addition to that, I also take care of patients with a variety of Neurosurgical conditions, including congenital abnormalities, patients with spina bifida/myelodysplasia and tethered spinal cord and hydrocephalus.
The complexity of the patients with brain tumors and for Neuroendoscopy is high, since a large number of them are referred specifically for the expertise that can be provided here. In addition to that, I have introduced neuroendoscopic techniques and procedures in the management of certain types of brain tumors and intracranial congenital conditions for which patients are referred here. As a result, Children’s Hospital has become established as the referral center for most neuroendoscopic procedures in most of Massachusetts and New England.
Medical School
University of Toronto Faculty of Medicine, Toronto, Canada
(1980)
Internship
Saint Joseph's Health Centre, CANADA
(06/80 to 06/81)
Residency
Neurosurgery, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, CA
(07/81 to 06/86)
Fellowships
Pediatric Neurosurgery, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada
(07/87 to 06/88)
Neuroscience Research, David Mahoney Institute of Neuroscience, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
(07/88 to 06/90)
Professional Organizations
Congress of Neurological Surgeons (CNS)
, 1991 -
Joint Section for Tumors, CNS/AANS
, 1991-
New England Neurosurgical Society
, 1991-
Society for Neuroscience
, 1991-1995
American College of Surgeons
, 1994-
International Stereotactic Radiosurgery Society
, 1995-
American Society for Pediatric Neurosurgery (ASPN)
, 1997-
Society of University Neurosurgeons
, 2003-
American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS)
, 1991-
American Board of Neurological Surgeons (ABNS)
, 1992-
Pediatric Neurological Surgery Section, AANS
, 1992-
Pediatric Oncology Group
, 1995-2000
Society for Neuro-Oncology
, 1997
Children’s Oncology Group
, 2000-
In the News
Duffy, F.H., Goumnerova, L.C., Kieran, M., Ligon, K.L., Madsen, J.R., McClain, C.D., Proctor, M.R., Robson, C., Scott R.M.
MRI & Neurophysiologically Guided Brain Tumor Resection Webcast
Children's Hospital Boston
Awards
Best Doctors in America
, 2003-2004
Young Investigator Award, Joint Section on Tumors, AANS
, 1996
Boston Magazine Top Doctors 2011
, December 2011
Boston Magazine
Publications
Goumnerova LC.
Endoscopy techniques, equipment and optics
, 2004
The Humana Press, Totowa NJ
Goumnerova L, Guha A.
Oncogenes and Growth Factors in Human Astrocytomas
, 1993
Blackwell Scientific Publications, Inc., Boston
Goumnerova LC.
Principles of Pediatric Brain Tumor Surgery
, 2004
Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, Philadelphia, PA
Zimmerman MA, Goumnerova LC, Proctor M, Scott RM, Marcus K, Pomeroy SL, Turner CD, Chi SN, Chordas C, Kieran MW.
Continuous remission of newly diagnosed and relapsed central nervous system atypical teratoid/rhabdoid tumor.
, 2005 Mar
J Neurooncol
Issue: 72(1)
, Page: 77-84
Carpentieri SC, Waber DP, Pomeroy SL, Scott RM, Goumnerova LC, Kieran MW, Billett AL, Tarbell NJ.
Neuropsychological functioning after surgery in children treated for brain tumor
, 2003 Jun
Neurosurgery
Issue: 52(6)
, Page: 1348-56
Pomeroy SL, Tamayo P, Gaasenbeek M, Sturla LM, Angelo M, McLaughlin ME, Kim JY, Goumnerova LC, Black PM, Lau C, Allen JC, Zagzag D, Olson JM, Curran T, Wetmore C, Biegel JA, Poggio T, Mukherjee S, Rifkin R, Califano A, Stolovitzky G, Louis DN, Mesiro
Prediction of central nervous system embryonal tumour outcome based on gene expression
, 2002 Jan 24
Nature
Issue: 415(6870)
, Page: 436-42
Hodgson DC, Goumnerova LC, Loeffler JS, Dutton S, Black PM, Alexander E 3rd, Xu R, Kooy H, Silver B, Tarbell NJ
Radiosurgery in the management of pediatric brain tumors
, 2001 Jul 15
Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys
Issue: 50(4)
, Page: 929-35
Yamini B, Goumnerova LC, Frim DM.
Endoscopic approach to noncommunicating fluid spaces in the shunted patient
, 1999 Nov
Pediatr Neurosurg
Issue: 31(5)
, Page: 237-41
Hoffman HJ, Goumnerova L.
Pediatric brain stem gliomas
, 1996
Biology of medulloblastoma
