Remembering Andy Parsa

Andrew Parsa, MD, PhD (1967-2015) Photo by Susan Merrell

It is with tremendous sadness that we acknowledge the passing of Andrew (Andy) Parsa, MD, PhD. He was 48 years old. Dr. Parsa began his academic career as a faculty member in the Department of Neurological Surgery at UCSF. He was a brilliant neurosurgeon and scientist, and he achieved an extraordinary career in a short period of time. Dr. Parsa made significant discoveries in the field of brain tumor immunology and immunotherapy, and was a favorite and dedicated mentor to many residents and medical students at UCSF. 

After becoming chair of neurosurgery at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine in 2013, he continued to interact with many of us in the department and remained a member of our NIH SPORE in brain cancer. Our heartfelt condolences go out to his family at this time. Dr. Parsa is survived by his wife, Charlotte Shum, a Northwestern associate professor of orthopedic surgery, and their three children: Julia, Micheline and Ismail.

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