Michael Handler, MD

Professor, Neurosurgery-Peds


FacultyPhoto
Medical School
  • MD, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine (1979)
Undergraduate School
  • BA, Columbia University (NY) (1974)
Internship
  • New York University School of Medicine Program (1980)
Residencies
  • SUNY Upstate Medical University Program, Neurology (1981)
  • New York University School of Medicine Program, Neurological Surgery (1986)
Fellowships
  • New York University School of Medicine Program, Neurological Surgery (1994)
Languages
English
Department
Neurosurgery-Peds

Professional Titles

  • Chairman, Department of Neurosurgery
  • The McMurry-Seebaum Chair in Pediatric Neurosurgery
  • Associate Surgeon-in-Chief, Children's Hospital Colorado

Publications

  • Hankinson TC, Campagna E, Foreman NK, Handler MH Interpretation of Magnetic Resonance Images in Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma: A Survey of Pediatric Neurosurgeons. J Neurosurg Pediatrics 8:97-102, 2011.
  • Birks DK, Donson AM, Patel PR, Dunham C, Muscat A, Algar EM, Ashley DM, Kleinschmidt-DeMasters BK, Vibhakar R, Handler MH, Foreman NK, High expression of BMP pathway genes distinguishes a subset of Atypical Teratoid / Rhabdoid Tumors associated with shorter survival. Neuro-Oncology. 13: 1296-307, 2011.
  • Oluigbo CO, Wilkinson CC, Stence NV, Fenton LZ, McNatt SA, Handler MH, Comparison of outcomes following decompressive craniectomy in children with accidental and nonaccidental blunt cranial trauma. J Neurosurg Pediatrics 9:125-132, 2012.
  • Visanji NP, Wong JC, Wang SX, Cappel, B, Kleinschmidt-Demasters BK, Handler MH, Ochi A, Otsubo H, Rutka JT, Go C, Weiss S, Vinters HV, Hawkins CE, DeSouza LV, Siu KWM, Hazrati L, A proteomic analysis of pediatric seizure cases associated with astrocytic inclusions. Epilepsia, e-pub ahead of print, 2012.
  • Hankinson TC, Palmeri NO, Williams SA, Torok MR, Serrano CA, Foreman NK, Handler MH, Liu AK. Patterns of Care for Craniopharyngioma: Survey of Members of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons. Pediatr Neurosurg. 2014 Feb 21. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 24577430
  • Hoffman LM, Donson AM, Nakachi I, Griesinger AM, Birks DK, Amani V, Hemenway MS, Liu AK, Wang M, Hankinson TC, Handler MH, Foreman NK. Molecular sub-group-specific immunophenotypic changes are associated with outcome in recurrent posterior fossa ependymoma. Acta Neuropathol. 2013 Nov 17. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 24240813
  • Harris PS, Venkataraman S, Alimova I, Birks DK, Donson AM, Knipstein J, Dubuc A, Taylor MD, Handler MH, Foreman NK, Vibhakar R, Polo-like kinase 1(PLK1) inhibition suppresses cell growth and enhances radiation sensitivity in medulloblastoma cells. BMC Cancer
  • Donson AM, Kleinschmidt-Demasters BK, Aisner DL, Bemis LT, Birks DK, Levy JM, Smith AA, Handler MH, Foreman NK, Rush SZ. Pediatric Brainstem Gangliogliomas Show BRAF(V600E) Mutation in a High Percentage of Cases. Brain Pathol. 2013 Nov 18. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 24238153
  • Griesinger AM, Birks DK, Donson AM, Amani V, Hoffman LM, Waziri A, Wang M, Handler MH, Foreman NK. Characterization of distinct immunophenotypes across pediatric brain tumor types. J Immunol. 2013 Nov 1;191(9):4880-8. PubMed PMID: 24078694
  • Hoffman LM, Plimpton SR, Foreman NK, Stence NV, Hankinson TC, Handler MH, Hemenway MS, Vibhakar R, Liu AK. Fractionated stereotactic radiosurgery for recurrent ependymoma in children. J Neurooncol. 2014 Jan;116(1):107-11. PubMed PMID: 24078173
  • Richardson MD, Handler MH. Minimally invasive technique for insertion of ventriculopleural shunt catheters. J Neurosurg Pediatr. 2013 Nov;12(5):501-4. PubMed PMID: 24011369
  • Barton VN, Donson AM, Birks DK, Kleinschmidt-DeMasters BK, Handler MH, Foreman NK, Rush SZ. Insulin-like growth factor 2 mRNA binding protein 3 expression is an independent prognostic factor in pediatric pilocytic and pilomyxoid astrocytoma. J Neuropathol Exp Neurol. 2013 May;72(5):442-9. PubMed PMID: 23584203
  • Birks DK, Donson AM, Patel PR, Sufit A, Algar EM, Dunham C, Kleinschmidt-DeMasters BK, Handler MH, Vibhakar R, Foreman NK. Pediatric rhabdoid tumors of kidney and brain show many differences in gene expression but share dysregulation of cell cycle and epigenetic effector genes. Pediatr Blood Cancer. 2013 Jul;60(7):1095-102. PubMed PMID: 23382118
  • Zhou Z, Luther N, Ibrahim GM, Hawkins C, Vibhakar R, Handler MH, Souweidane MM. B7-H3, a potential therapeutic target, is expressed in diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma. J Neurooncol. 2013 Feb;111(3):257-64. PubMed PMID: 23232807
  • Venkataraman S, Birks DK, Balakrishnan I, Alimova I, Harris PS, Patel PR, Handler MH, Dubuc A, Taylor MD, Foreman NK, Vibhakar R. MicroRNA 218 acts as a tumor suppressor by targeting multiple cancer phenotype-associated genes in medulloblastoma. J Biol Chem. 2013 Jan 18;288(3):1918-28. PubMed PMID: 23212916
  • Hankinson TC, Fields EC, Torok MR, Beaty BL, Handler MH, Foreman NK, O'neill BR, Liu AK. Limited utility despite accuracy of the national SEER dataset for the study of craniopharyngioma. J Neurooncol. 2012 Nov;110(2):271-8. PubMed PMID: 22915191
  • Donson AM, Birks DK, Schittone SA, Kleinschmidt-DeMasters BK, Sun DY, Hemenway MF, Handler MH, Waziri AE, Wang M, Foreman NK. Increased immune gene expression and immune cell infiltration in high-grade astrocytoma distinguish long-term from short-term survivors. J Immunol. 2012 Aug 15;189(4):1920-7. PubMed PMID: 22802421
  • Sufit A, Donson AM, Birks DK, Knipstein JA, Fenton LZ, Jedlicka P, Hankinson TC, Handler MH, Foreman NK. Diffuse intrinsic pontine tumors: a study of primitive neuroectodermal tumors versus the more common diffuse intrinsic pontine gliomas. J Neurosurg Pediatr. 2012 Aug;10(2):81-8. PubMed PMID: 22747092
  • Macy ME, Birks DK, Barton VN, Chan MH, Donson AM, Kleinschmidt-Demasters BK, Bemis LT, Handler MH, Foreman NK. Clinical and molecular characteristics of congenital glioblastoma. Neuro Oncol. 2012 Jul;14(7):931-41. PubMed PMID: 22711608
  • Harris PS, Venkataraman S, Alimova I, Birks DK, Donson AM, Knipstein J, Dubuc A, Taylor MD, Handler MH, Foreman NK, Vibhakar R. Polo-like kinase 1 (PLK1) inhibition suppresses cell growth and enhances radiation sensitivity in medulloblastoma cells. BMC Cancer. 2012 Mar 5;12:80. PubMed PMID: 22390279
  • Oluigbo CO, Wilkinson CC, Stence NV, Fenton LZ, McNatt SA, Handler MH. Comparison of outcomes following decompressive craniectomy in children with accidental and nonaccidental blunt cranial trauma. J Neurosurg Pediatr. 2012 Feb;9(2):125-32. PubMed PMID: 22295915
  • Visanji NP, Wong JC, Wang SX, Cappel B, Kleinschmidt-Demasters BK, Handler MH, Ochi A, Otsubo H, Rutka JT, Go C, Weiss S, Vinters HV, Hawkins CE, Desouza LV, Siu KW, Hazrati LN. A proteomic analysis of pediatric seizure cases associated with astrocytic inclusions. Epilepsia. 2012 Mar;53(3):e50-4. PubMed PMID: 22220588
  • Hoffman LM, Plimpton SR, Foreman NK, Stence NV, Hankinson TC, Handler MH, Hemenway MS, Vibhakar R, Liu AK. Fractionated stereotactic radiosurgery for recurrent ependymoma in children. J Neurooncol. 2014 Jan;116(1):107-11. PubMed PMID: 24078173
  • Donson AM, Kleinschmidt-DeMasters BK, Aisner DL, Bemis LT, Birks DK, Levy JM, Smith AA, Handler MH, Foreman NK, Rush SZ. Pediatric brainstem gangliogliomas show BRAF(V600E) mutation in a high percentage of cases. Brain Pathol. 2014 Mar;24(2):173-83. PubMed PMID: 24238153
  • Hoffman LM, Donson AM, Nakachi I, Griesinger AM, Birks DK, Amani V, Hemenway MS, Liu AK, Wang M, Hankinson TC, Handler MH, Foreman NK. Molecular sub-group-specific immunophenotypic changes are associated with outcome in recurrent posterior fossa ependymoma. Acta Neuropathol. 2014 May;127(5):731-45. PubMed PMID: 24240813
  • Hankinson TC, Palmeri NO, Williams SA, Torok MR, Serrano CA, Foreman NK, Handler MH, Liu AK. Patterns of care for craniopharyngioma: survey of members of the american association of neurological surgeons. Pediatr Neurosurg. 2013;49(3):131-6. PubMed PMID: 24577430
  • Levy JM, Thompson JC, Griesinger AM, Amani V, Donson AM, Birks DK, Morgan MJ, Mirsky DM, Handler MH, Foreman NK, Thorburn A. Autophagy inhibition improves chemosensitivity in BRAF(V600E) brain tumors. Cancer Discov. 2014 Jul;4(7):773-80. PubMed PMID: 24823863
  • Handler MH and O’Neill B, “Hemispherotomy and Hemispherectomy,” in Cohen AR, ed., Pediatric Neurosurgery: Tricks of the Trade,” Thieme, 2015.
  • Hankinson TC, Patibandla MR , Green A, Hemenway M , Foreman NK, Handler MH, Liu,AK., Hypofractionated radiotherapy for children with diffuse intrinsic pontine gliomas. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2015, DOI 10.1002
  • Cantey PT, Weeks J, Edwards M, Rao S, Ostovar GA, Dehority W, Alzona M, Swoboda S, Christiaens B, Ballan W, Hartley J, Terranella A, Weatherhead J, Dunn JJ, Marx DP, Hicks MJ, Rauch RA, Smith C, Dishop MK, Handler MH, Dudley RW, Chundu K, Hobohm D, Feiz-Erfan I, Hakes J, Berry RS, Stepensaski S, Greenfield B, Shroeder L, Bishop H, de Almeida M, Mathison B, Eberhard M. The Emergence of Zoonotic Onchocerca lupi Infection in the United States - A Case-Series. Clin Infect Dis. 2015 Nov 26. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 26611778
  • Hankinson TC, Dudley RW, Torok MR, Patibandla MR, Dorris K, Poonia S, Wilkinson CC, Bruny JL, Handler MH, Liu AK. Short-term mortality following surgical procedures for the diagnosis of pediatric brain tumors: outcome analysis in 5533 children from SEER, 2004-2011. J Neurosurg Pediatr. 2015 Nov 20;:1-9. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 26588456
  • Richardson MD, Palmeri NO, Williams SA, Torok MR, O'Neill BR, Handler MH, Hankinson TC. Routine perioperative ketorolac administration is not associated with hemorrhage in pediatric neurosurgery patients. J Neurosurg Pediatr. 2016 Jan;17(1):107-15. PubMed PMID: 26451718
  • Patibandla MR, Ridder T, Dorris K, Torok MR, Liu AK, Handler MH, Stence NV, Fenton LZ, Hankinson TC. Atypical pediatric ganglioglioma is common and associated with a less favorable clinical course. J Neurosurg Pediatr. 2016 Jan;17(1):41-8. PubMed PMID: 26431248
  • Kumar RM, Koh S, Knupp K, Handler MH, O'Neill BR. Surgery for infants with catastrophic epilepsy: an analysis of complications and efficacy. Childs Nerv Syst. 2015 Sep;31(9):1479-91. PubMed PMID: 26022500
  • Griesinger AM, Josephson RJ, Donson AM, Mulcahy Levy JM, Amani V, Birks DK, Hoffman LM, Furtek SL, Reigan P, Handler MH, Vibhakar R, Foreman NK. Interleukin-6/STAT3 Pathway Signaling Drives an Inflammatory Phenotype in Group A Ependymoma. Cancer Immunol Res. 2015 Oct;3(10):1165-74. PubMed PMID: 25968456
  • O'Neill BR, Handler MH, Tong S, Chapman KE. Incidence of seizures on continuous EEG monitoring following traumatic brain injury in children. J Neurosurg Pediatr. 2015 Aug;16(2):167-76. PubMed PMID: 25955809
  • Dudley RW, Smith C, Dishop M, Mirsky D, Handler MH, Rao S. A cervical spine mass caused by Onchocerca lupi. Lancet. 2015 Oct 3;386(10001):1372. PubMed PMID: 25843892
  • Dudley RW, Torok MR, Gallegos DR, Mulcahy-Levy JM, Hoffman LM, Liu AK, Handler MH, Hankinson TC. Pediatric low-grade ganglioglioma: epidemiology, treatments, and outcome analysis on 348 children from the surveillance, epidemiology, and end results database. Neurosurgery. 2015 Mar;76(3):313-9; discussion 319; quiz 319-20. PubMed PMID: 25603107
  • Dudley RW, Torok MR, Gallegos D, Liu AK, Handler MH, Hankinson TC. Pediatric choroid plexus tumors: epidemiology, treatments, and outcome analysis on 202 children from the SEER database. J Neurooncol. 2015 Jan;121(1):201-7. PubMed PMID: 25297498
  • Kruse CA, Pardo CA, Hartman AL, Jallo G, Vining EP, Voros J, Gaillard WD, Liu J, Oluigbo C, Malone S, Bleasel AF, Dexter M, Micati A, Velasco TR, Machado HR, Martino AM, Huang A, Wheatley BM, Grant GA, Granata T, Freri E, Garbelli R, Koh S, Nordli DR, Campos AR, O'Neill B, Handler MH, Chapman KE, Wilfong AA, Curry DJ, Yaun A, Madsen JR, Smyth MD, Mercer D, Bingaman W, Harvey AS, Leventer RJ, Lockhart PJ, Gillies G, Pope K, Giller CA, Park YD, Rojiani AM, Sharma SJ, Jenkins P, Tung S, Huynh MN, Chirwa TW, Cepeda C, Levine MS, Chang JW, Owens GC, Vinters HV, Mathern GW. Rasmussen encephalitis tissue transfer program. Epilepsia. 2016 Jun;57(6):1005-7. PubMed PMID: 27286752
  • Poonia S, Graber S, Corbett Wilkinson C, O'neill BR, Handler MH, Hankinson TC. Outcome of hospital discharge on postoperative Day 1 following uncomplicated tethered spinal cord release. J Neurosurg Pediatr. 2016 Jun;17(6):651-6. PubMed PMID: 26849810
  • Cantey PT, Weeks J, Edwards M, Rao S, Ostovar GA, Dehority W, Alzona M, Swoboda S, Christiaens B, Ballan W, Hartley J, Terranella A, Weatherhead J, Dunn JJ, Marx DP, Hicks MJ, Rauch RA, Smith C, Dishop MK, Handler MH, Dudley RW, Chundu K, Hobohm D, Feiz-Erfan I, Hakes J, Berry RS, Stepensaski S, Greenfield B, Shroeder L, Bishop H, de Almeida M, Mathison B, Eberhard M. The Emergence of Zoonotic Onchocerca lupi Infection in the United States--A Case-Series. Clin Infect Dis. 2016 Mar 15;62(6):778-83. PubMed PMID: 26611778
  • O'Neill BR, Gallegos D, Herron A, Palmer C, Stence NV, Hankinson TC, Corbett Wilkinson C, Handler MH. Use of magnetic resonance imaging to detect occult spinal dysraphism in infants. J Neurosurg Pediatr. 2016 Dec 2;:1-10. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 27911245
  • Hankinson TC, Dudley RW, Torok MR, Patibandla MR, Dorris K, Poonia S, Wilkinson CC, Bruny JL, Handler MH, Liu AK. Short-term mortality following surgical procedures for the diagnosis of pediatric brain tumors: outcome analysis in 5533 children from SEER, 2004-2011. J Neurosurg Pediatr. 2016 Mar;17(3):289-97. PubMed PMID: 26588456
  • Prince EW, Balakrishnan I, Shah M, Mulcahy Levy JM, Griesinger AM, Alimova I, Harris PS, Birks DK, Donson AM, Davidson N, Remke M, Taylor MD, Handler MH, Foreman NK, Venkataraman S, Vibhakar R. Checkpoint kinase 1 expression is an adverse prognostic marker and therapeutic target in MYC-driven medulloblastoma. Oncotarget. 2016 Aug 16;7(33):53881-53894. PubMed PMID: 27449089
  • Dudley RW, Torok MR, Hoffman L, Levy JM, Handler MH, Liu AK, Hankinson TC. Response to Journal Club: Pediatric Low-Grade Ganglioglioma: Epidemiology, Treatments, and Outcome Analysis of 348 Children From the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Database. Neurosurgery. 2016 Aug;79(2):309. PubMed PMID: 27428632
  • Richardson MD, Palmeri NO, Williams SA, Torok MR, O'Neill BR, Handler MH, Hankinson TC. Routine perioperative ketorolac administration is not associated with hemorrhage in pediatric neurosurgery patients. J Neurosurg Pediatr. 2016 Jan;17(1):107-15. PubMed PMID: 26451718
  • Patibandla MR, Ridder T, Dorris K, Torok MR, Liu AK, Handler MH, Stence NV, Fenton LZ, Hankinson TC. Atypical pediatric ganglioglioma is common and associated with a less favorable clinical course. J Neurosurg Pediatr. 2016 Jan;17(1):41-8. PubMed PMID: 26431248
  • Witt DA, Donson AM, Amani V, Moreira DC, Sanford B, Hoffman LM, Handler MH, Levy JMM, Jones KL, Nellan A, Foreman NK, Griesinger AM. Specific expression of PD-L1 in RELA-fusion supratentorial ependymoma: Implications for PD-1-targeted therapy. Pediatr Blood Cancer. 2018 Jan 19. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 29350470
  • Yang MJ, Whelan R, Madden J, Mulcahy Levy JM, Kleinschmidt-DeMasters BK, Hankinson TC, Foreman NK, Handler MH. Intracranial Ewing sarcoma: four pediatric examples. Childs Nerv Syst. 2017 Dec 28. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 29285586
  • Oushy S, Parker JJ, Campbell K, Palmer C, Wilkinson C, Stence NV, Handler MH, Mirsky DM. Frontal and occipital horn ratio is associated with multifocal intraparenchymal hemorrhages in neonatal shunted hydrocephalus. J Neurosurg Pediatr. 2017 Nov;20(5):432-438. PubMed PMID: 28885094
  • Amani V, Donson AM, Lummus SC, Prince EW, Griesinger AM, Witt DA, Hankinson TC, Handler MH, Dorris K, Vibhakar R, Foreman NK, Hoffman LM. Characterization of 2 Novel Ependymoma Cell Lines With Chromosome 1q Gain Derived From Posterior Fossa Tumors of Childhood. J Neuropathol Exp Neurol. 2017 Jul 1;76(7):595-604. PubMed PMID: 28863455
  • Donson AM, Apps J, Griesinger AM, Amani V, Witt DA, Anderson RCE, Niazi TN, Grant G, Souweidane M, Johnston JM, Jackson EM, Kleinschmidt-DeMasters BK, Handler MH, Tan AC, Gore L, Virasami A, Gonzalez-Meljem JM, Jacques TS, Martinez-Barbera JP, Foreman NK, Hankinson TC. Molecular Analyses Reveal Inflammatory Mediators in the Solid Component and Cyst Fluid of Human Adamantinomatous Craniopharyngioma. J Neuropathol Exp Neurol. 2017 Sep 1;76(9):779-788. PubMed PMID: 28859336
  • Griesinger AM, Witt DA, Grob ST, Georgio Westover SR, Donson AM, Sanford B, Mulcahy Levy JM, Wong R, Moreira DC, DeSisto JA, Balakrishnan I, Hoffman LM, Handler MH, Jones KL, Vibhakar R, Venkataraman S, Foreman NK. NF-?B upregulation through epigenetic silencing of LDOC1 drives tumor biology and specific immunophenotype in Group A ependymoma. Neuro Oncol. 2017 Oct 1;19(10):1350-1360. PubMed PMID: 28510691
  • Dahl NA, Luebbert T, Loi M, Neuberger I, Handler MH, Kleinschmidt-DeMasters BK, Mulcahy Levy JM. Chordoma Occurs in Young Children With Tuberous Sclerosis. J Neuropathol Exp Neurol. 2017 Jun 1;76(6):418-423. PubMed PMID: 28498973
  • Laoprasert P, Ojemann JG, Handler MH. Insular epilepsy surgery. Epilepsia. 2017 Apr;58 Suppl 1:35-45. PubMed PMID: 28386920
  • Mulcahy Levy JM, Zahedi S, Griesinger AM, Morin A, Davies KD, Aisner DL, Kleinschmidt-DeMasters BK, Fitzwalter BE, Goodall ML, Thorburn J, Amani V, Donson AM, Birks DK, Mirsky DM, Hankinson TC, Handler MH, Green AL, Vibhakar R, Foreman NK, Thorburn A. Autophagy inhibition overcomes multiple mechanisms of resistance to BRAF inhibition in brain tumors. Elife. 2017 Jan 17;6. PubMed PMID: 28094001
  • O'Neill BR, Gallegos D, Herron A, Palmer C, Stence NV, Hankinson TC, Corbett Wilkinson C, Handler MH. Use of magnetic resonance imaging to detect occult spinal dysraphism in infants. J Neurosurg Pediatr. 2017 Feb;19(2):217-226. PubMed PMID: 27911245
  • Donson AM, Amani V, Warner EA, Griesinger AM, Witt DA, Levy JMM, Hoffman LM, Hankinson TC, Handler MH, Vibhakar R, Dorris K, Foreman NK. Identification of FDA-Approved Oncology Drugs with Selective Potency in High-Risk Childhood Ependymoma. Mol Cancer Ther. 2018 Sep;17(9):1984-1994. PubMed PMID: 29925527
  • Dudley RWR, Torok MR, Randall S, Béland B, Handler MH, Mulcahy-Levy JM, Liu AK, Hankinson TC. Pediatric versus adult meningioma: comparison of epidemiology, treatments, and outcomes using the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database. J Neurooncol. 2018 May;137(3):621-629. PubMed PMID: 29520612
  • Witt DA, Donson AM, Amani V, Moreira DC, Sanford B, Hoffman LM, Handler MH, Levy JMM, Jones KL, Nellan A, Foreman NK, Griesinger AM. Specific expression of PD-L1 in RELA-fusion supratentorial ependymoma: Implications for PD-1-targeted therapy. Pediatr Blood Cancer. 2018 May;65(5):e26960. PubMed PMID: 29350470
  • Yang MJ, Whelan R, Madden J, Mulcahy Levy JM, Kleinschmidt-DeMasters BK, Hankinson TC, Foreman NK, Handler MH. Intracranial Ewing sarcoma: four pediatric examples. Childs Nerv Syst. 2018 Mar;34(3):441-448. PubMed PMID: 29285586
  • Gupta N, Goumnerova LC, Manley P, Chi SN, Neuberg D, Puligandla M, Fangusaro J, Goldman S, Tomita T, Alden T, DiPatri A, Rubin JB, Gauvain K, Limbrick D, Leonard J, Geyer JR, Leary S, Browd S, Wang Z, Sood S, Bendel A, Nagib M, Gardner S, Karajannis MA, Harter D, Ayyanar K, Gump W, Bowers DC, Weprin B, MacDonald TJ, Aguilera D, Brahma B, Robison NJ, Kiehna E, Krieger M, Sandler E, Aldana P, Khatib Z, Ragheb J, Bhatia S, Mueller S, Banerjee A, Bredlau AL, Gururangan S, Fuchs H, Cohen KJ, Jallo G, Dorris K, Handler M, Comito M, Dias M, Nazemi K, Baird L, Murray J, Lindeman N, Hornick JL, Malkin H, Sinai C, Greenspan L, Wright KD, Prados M, Bandopadhayay P, Ligon KL, Kieran MW. Prospective feasibility and safety assessment of surgical biopsy for patients with newly diagnosed diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma. Neuro Oncol. 2018 Oct 9;20(11):1547-1555. PubMed PMID: 29741745
  • Derderian SC, Greenan K, Mirsky DM, Stence NV, Graber S, Hankinson TC, Hubbell N, Alexander A, O'Neill BR, Wilkinson CC, Handler MH. The utility of magnetic resonance imaging in pediatric trauma patients suspected of having cervical spine injuries. J Trauma Acute Care Surg. 2019 Dec;87(6):1328-1335. PubMed PMID: 31764482
  • Schur S, Allen V, White A, Mirsky D, Stence N, O'Neill B, Handler M, Dudley R, Laoprasert P. Significance of FDG-PET Hypermetabolism in Children with Intractable Focal Epilepsy. Pediatr Neurosurg. 2018;53(3):153-162. PubMed PMID: 29672310
  • Twist CJ, Schmidt ML, Naranjo A, London WB, Tenney SC, Marachelian A, Shimada H, Collins MH, Esiashvili N, Adkins ES, Mattei P, Handler M, Katzenstein H, Attiyeh E, Hogarty MD, Gastier-Foster J, Wagner E, Matthay KK, Park JR, Maris JM, Cohn SL. Maintaining Outstanding Outcomes Using Response- and Biology-Based Therapy for Intermediate-Risk Neuroblastoma: A Report From the Children's Oncology Group Study ANBL0531. J Clin Oncol. 2019 Dec 1;37(34):3243-3255. PubMed PMID: 31386611
  • Pierce AM, Witt DA, Donson AM, Gilani A, Sanford B, Sill M, Van Court B, Oweida A, Prince EW, Steiner J, Danis E, Dorris K, Hankinson T, Handler MH, Jones KL, Karam SD, Serkova NJ, Vibhakar R, Foreman NK, Griesinger AM. Establishment of patient-derived orthotopic xenograft model of 1q posterior fossa group A ependymoma. Neuro Oncol. 2019 Dec 17;21(12):1540-1551. PubMed PMID: 31276586
  • Hilton SA, Hodges MM, Dewberry LC, Handler M, Galan HL, Zaretsky MV, Behrendt N, Marwan AI, Liechty KW. MOMS Plus: Single-Institution Review of Outcomes for Extended BMI Criteria for Open Fetal Repair of Myelomeningocele. Fetal Diagn Ther. 2019;46(6):411-414. PubMed PMID: 31048584
  • Zaretsky MV, Liechty KW, Galan HL, Behrendt NJ, Reeves S, Marwan AI, Wilkinson C, Handler M, Lagueux M, Crombleholme TM. Modified Hysterotomy Closure Technique for Open Fetal Surgery. Fetal Diagn Ther. 2018;44(2):105-111. PubMed PMID: 28873371
  • Norris GA, Garcia J, Hankinson TC, Handler M, Foreman N, Mirsky D, Stence N, Dorris K, Green AL. Diagnostic accuracy of neuroimaging in pediatric optic chiasm/sellar/suprasellar tumors. Pediatr Blood Cancer. 2019 Jun;66(6):e27680. PubMed PMID: 30848081
  • Merchant TE, Bendel AE, Sabin ND, Burger PC, Shaw DW, Chang E, Wu S, Zhou T, Eisenstat DD, Foreman NK, Fuller CE, Anderson ET, Hukin J, Lau CC, Pollack IF, Laningham FH, Lustig RH, Armstrong FD, Handler MH, Williams-Hughes C, Kessel S, Kocak M, Ellison DW, Ramaswamy V. Conformal Radiation Therapy for Pediatric Ependymoma, Chemotherapy for Incompletely Resected Ependymoma, and Observation for Completely Resected, Supratentorial Ependymoma. J Clin Oncol. 2019 Apr 20;37(12):974-983. PubMed PMID: 30811284
  • DeSisto J, Lucas JT Jr, Xu K, Donson A, Lin T, Sanford B, Wu G, Tran QT, Hedges D, Hsu CY, Armstrong GT, Arnold M, Bhatia S, Flannery P, Lemma R, Hardie L, Schüller U, Venkataraman S, Hoffman LM, Dorris K, Mulcahy Levy JM, Hankinson TC, Handler M, Liu AK, Foreman N, Vibhakar R, Jones K, Allen S, Zhang J, Baker SJ, Merchant TE, Orr BA, Green AL. Comprehensive molecular characterization of pediatric radiation-induced high-grade glioma. Nat Commun. 2021 Sep 20;12(1):5531. PubMed PMID: 34545084
  • Svokos K, Batista-Silverman L, Graber SJ, O'Neill BR, Handler MH. International survey on the management of lumbosacral cutaneous stigmata in infants with suspected occult spinal dysraphism. J Neurosurg Pediatr. 2021 Sep 3;28(5):592-599. PubMed PMID: 34479200
  • Riemondy KA, Venkataraman S, Willard N, Nellan A, Sanford B, Griesinger AM, Amani V, Mitra S, Hankinson TC, Handler MH, Sill M, Ocasio J, Weir SJ, Malawsky DS, Gershon TR, Garancher A, Wechsler-Reya RJ, Hesselberth JR, Foreman NK, Donson AM, Vibhakar R. Neoplastic and immune single-cell transcriptomics define subgroup-specific intra-tumoral heterogeneity of childhood medulloblastoma. Neuro Oncol. 2022 Feb 1;24(2):273-286. PubMed PMID: 34077540
  • Vaughn AE, Louiselle AE, Tong S, Niemiec SM, Ahmad S, Zaretsky M, Galan HL, Behrendt N, Wilkinson CC, O'Neill B, Handler M, Derderian SC, Mirsky DM, Liechty KW. Early outcomes of a myofascial repair technique for fetal myelomeningocele. J Pediatr Surg. 2023 Jan;58(1):20-26. PubMed PMID: 36289034
  • Finneran MM, Graber S, Poppleton K, Alexander AL, Wilkinson CC, O'Neill BR, Hankinson TC, Handler MH. Postoperative general medical ward admission following Chiari malformation decompression. J Neurosurg Pediatr. 2022 Dec 1;30(6):602-608. PubMed PMID: 36115060
  • Malik N, Samples DC, Finneran MM, Graber S, Dorris K, Norris G, Foreman NK, Hankinson TC, Handler MH. Pediatric pineal region masses: a single-center experience over 25 years. Childs Nerv Syst. 2022 Jul 14. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 35831712
  • Steinbok P, Cheong A, Dix DB, Bhatia S, Handler MH, Limbrick DD Jr, Niazi T, Price AV, Ragheb J, Souweidane M, Tamber MS, Sandberg DI. Nonoperative Management of Childhood Calvarial Langerhans-Cell Histiocytosis. N Engl J Med. 2022 Jun 30;386(26):2532-2534. PubMed PMID: 35767446
  • Riemondy KA, Venkataraman S, Willard N, Nellan A, Sanford B, Griesinger AM, Amani V, Mitra S, Hankinson TC, Handler MH, Sill M, Ocasio J, Weir SJ, Malawsky DS, Gershon TR, Garancher A, Wechsler-Reya RJ, Hesselberth JR, Foreman NK, Donson AM, Vibhakar R. Neoplastic and immune single-cell transcriptomics define subgroup-specific intra-tumoral heterogeneity of childhood medulloblastoma. Neuro Oncol. 2022 Feb 1;24(2):273-286. PubMed PMID: 34077540
  • Griesinger AM, Calzadilla AJ, Grimaldo E, Donson AM, Amani V, Pierce AM, Steiner J, Kargar S, Serkova NJ, Bertrand KC, Wright KD, Vibhakar R, Hankinson T, Handler M, Lindsay HB, Foreman NK, Dorris K. Development of chromosome 1q specific treatment for highest risk pediatric posterior fossa ependymoma. Clin Cancer Res. 2024 Feb 9. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 38334950
  • Grob ST, Miller KR, Sanford B, Donson AM, Jones K, Griesinger AM, Amani V, Foreman NK, Liu A, Handler M, Hankinson TC, Milgrom S, Levy JMM. Genetic predictors of neurocognitive outcomes in survivors of pediatric brain tumors. J Neurooncol. 2023 Oct;165(1):161-169. PubMed PMID: 37878192
  • Grob ST, Miller KR, Sanford B, Donson AM, Jones K, Griesinger AM, Amani V, Foreman NK, Liu A, Handler M, Hankinson TC, Milgrom S, Levy JM. Genetic Predictors of Neurocognitive Outcomes in Survivors of Pediatric Brain Tumors. Res Sq. 2023 Aug 7. PubMed PMID: 37609195
  • Bsat S, Alshareef M, Pazniokas J, Handler MH. Technical evolution of pediatric neurosurgery: the evolution of intraoperative imaging. Childs Nerv Syst. 2023 Oct;39(10):2605-2611. PubMed PMID: 37518061
  • Arocho-Quinones EV, Lew SM, Handler MH, Tovar-Spinoza Z, Smyth MD, Bollo RJ, Donahue D, Perry MS, Levy M, Gonda D, Mangano FT, Kennedy BC, Storm PB, Price AV, Couture DE, Oluigbo C, Duhaime AC, Barnett GH, Muh CR, Sather MD, Fallah A, Wang AC, Bhatia S, Eastwood D, Tarima S, Graber S, Huckins S, Hafez D, Rumalla K, Bailey L, Shandley S, Roach A, Alexander E, Jenkins W, Tsering D, Price G, Meola A, Evanoff W, Thompson EM, Brandmeir N. Magnetic resonance imaging-guided stereotactic laser ablation therapy for the treatment of pediatric epilepsy: a retrospective multiinstitutional study. J Neurosurg Pediatr. 2023 Mar 3;:1-14. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 36883640
  • Vaughn AE, Louiselle AE, Tong S, Niemiec SM, Ahmad S, Zaretsky M, Galan HL, Behrendt N, Wilkinson CC, O'Neill B, Handler M, Derderian SC, Mirsky DM, Liechty KW. Early outcomes of a myofascial repair technique for fetal myelomeningocele. J Pediatr Surg. 2023 Jan;58(1):20-26. PubMed PMID: 36289034
  • Malik N, Samples DC, Finneran MM, Graber S, Dorris K, Norris G, Foreman NK, Hankinson TC, Handler MH. Pediatric pineal region masses: a single-center experience over 25 years. Childs Nerv Syst. 2023 Sep;39(9):2307-2316. PubMed PMID: 35831712

Professional Memberships

  • American Association of Neurological Surgeons, Member
  • Congress of Neurological Surgeons , Member
  • American Society of Pediatric Neurosurgeons, Member
  • American Epilepsy Society, Member
  • American Medical Association, Member
  • Colorado Neurosurgical Society, Member
  • Rocky Mountain Neurosurgical Society, Member
  • Colorado Medical Society (CMS), Member
  • International Society for Pediatric Neurosurgery, Executive Board Member

Practice Locations

Children's Hospital Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus
13123 East 16th Ave
Aurora, CO 80045
720-777-1234

Hospital Affiliation
  • University of Colorado Hospital
  • Children's Hospital Colorado
  • Denver Health Medical Center

Specialty Information

Specialties
  • Neurological Surgery (1989)
  • Pediatric Neurological Surgery, Board Certification (1998)
Conditions & Treatments
  • Brain and Nervous System - Spine Diseases and Conditions
  • Child and Teen Health - Pediatric Diseases and Conditions
  • Brain and Nervous System
  • Child and Teen Health
Clinical Interests
I am interested in Pediatric Neurosurgery, Congenital Malformations, Brain Tumors, Epilepsy Surgery and Neuro-endoscopy.