Rate My Professor Steven Giannotta

Steven L. Giannotta, MD, Professor of Neurological Surgery at the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California, earned his Doctor of Medicine degree from the University of Michigan Medical School in 1972. He completed an internship in general surgery from 1972 to 1973 and his residency in neurological surgery from 1973 to 1978 at the University of Michigan Hospitals. Joining the Department of Neurological Surgery at USC in 1980, Dr. Giannotta advanced through the faculty ranks and served as Chair of the department from 2004 to 2024. He also directed the Neurological Surgery Residency Training Program from 2004 to 2023. Board-certified in neurological surgery by the American Board of Neurological Surgery, he has garnered national recognition for his clinical expertise and leadership in the field.

Dr. Giannotta's clinical practice and research focus on cerebrovascular disorders of the brain and spinal cord, where he has surgically treated over 3,000 intracranial aneurysms utilizing microsurgical clip ligation, coil embolization, stereotactic radiosurgery with Gamma Knife and CyberKnife, carotid endarterectomy, and extracranial-intracranial bypass procedures. He possesses special expertise in cranial base surgery, having removed more than 1,000 acoustic neuromas and pioneering multidisciplinary team approaches for complex lesions such as cranial base meningiomas, arteriovenous malformations, and other benign skull base conditions. Since 1992, he has developed one of the largest surgical practices for trigeminal neuralgia and hemifacial spasm. With over 333 publications, including key works like "Petroclival meningiomas: surgical experience in 109 cases" (1996) and "Vestibular Schwannoma International Study of Active Surveillance Versus Stereotactic Radiosurgery: The VISAS Study" (2024), his contributions have significantly influenced neurosurgical techniques and training standards. Dr. Giannotta has held prominent roles such as Chair of the American Board of Neurological Surgeons, Secretary of the Committee on Advanced Subspecialty Training for the Society of Neurological Surgeons, and Chair of the Residency Review Committee for Neurosurgery at the ACGME. In 2019, he was appointed the Dr. Martin H. Weiss Chair in Neurological Surgery.