
Sherise D. Ferguson, M.D.
Department of Neurosurgery, Division of Surgery
Present Title & Affiliation
Primary Appointment
Associate Professor, Department of Neurosurgery, Division of Surgery, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
Medical Director, Department of Houston Area Location - West Houston, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
Dual/Joint/Adjunct Appointment
Assistant Professor, Department of Neurosurgery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX
Education & Training
Degree-Granting Education
2006 | University of Chicago, Pritzker School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA, MD, Medicine |
2002 | University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA, MLA, Master of Liberal Arts |
2000 | University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA, BA, Biology |
Postgraduate Training
2011-2012 | Enfolded Clinical Fellowship, Neurosurgical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX |
2009-2010 | Research Fellowship, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL |
2006-2013 | Residency, Neurosurgery, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL |
Board Certifications
2018 | The American Board of Neurological Surgery |
Experience & Service
Academic Appointments
Assistant Professor, Department of Neurosurgery, Division of Surgery, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 2013 - 2020
Institutional Committee Activities
Member, One MD Anderson Facilities Task Force, 2022 - Present
Member - Neurosurgery Representative, Acute and Critical Care Subcommittee, 2018 - Present
Honors & Awards
2013 | Alpha Omega Alpha |
2008 | Outstanding Consultant to the Emergency Department, University Chicago Hospitals |
2003 | American Medical Student Association-Chapter President, University of Chicago, Pritzker School of Medicine |
2003 | Honorary Mention for Excellence, NIH/University of Chicago Summer Research Program Forum |
2003 | Summer Research Program, NIH/University of Chicago |
2002 | Distinguished Final Project, Master of Liberal Arts Program-University of Pennsylvania |
Professional Memberships
Selected Publications
Peer-Reviewed Articles
- Karz A, Dimitrova M, Kleffman K, Alvarez-Breckenridge C, Atkins MB, Boire A, Bosenberg M, Brastianos P, Cahill DP, Chen Q, Ferguson S, Forsyth P, Glitza Oliva IC, Goldberg SB, Holmen SL, Knisely JPS, Merlino G, Nguyen DX, Pacold ME, Perez-Guijarro E, Smalley KSM, Tawbi HA, Wen PY, Davies MA, Kluger HM, Mehnert JM, Hernando E. Melanoma central nervous system metastases: An update to approaches, challenges, and opportunities. Pigment Cell Melanoma Res. e-Pub 2022. PMID: 35912544.
- Aaroe AE, Glitza Oliva IC, Al-Zubidi N, Nader ME, Kaya D, Ferguson SD, Wang C, Fuller G, Harrison RA. Pearls & Oy-sters: Primary Pineal Melanoma With Leptomeningeal Carcinomatosis. Neurology. e-Pub 2021. PMID: 33931525.
- Ferguson SD, Hodges TR, Majd NK, Alfaro-Munoz K, Al-Holou WN, Suki D, de Groot JF, Fuller GN, Xue L, Li M, Jacobs C, Rao G, Colen RR, Xiu J, Verhaak R, Spetzler D, Khasraw M, Sawaya R, Long JP, Heimberger AB. A validated integrated clinical and molecular glioblastoma long-term survival-predictive nomogram. Neurooncol Adv 3(1):vdaa146, 2021. e-Pub 2020. PMID: 33426529.
- Ferguson SD, Bindal S, Bassett RL, Haydu LE, McCutcheon IE, Heimberger AB, Li J, O'Brien BJ, Guha-Thakurta N, Tetzlaff MT, Tawbi H, Davies MA, Glitza IC. Predictors of survival in metastatic melanoma patients with leptomeningeal disease (LMD). J Neurooncol. e-Pub 2019. PMID: 30847840.
- Al-Holou WN, Hodges TR, Everson RG, Freeman J, Zhou S, Suki D, Rao G, Ferguson SD, Heimberger AB, McCutcheon IE, Prabhu SS, Lang FF, Weinberg JS, Wildrick DM, Sawaya R. Perilesional Resection of Glioblastoma Is Independently Associated With Improved Outcomes. Neurosurgery. e-Pub 2019. PMID: 30799490.
- Yeboa DN, Liao KP, Guadagnolo BA, Rao G, Bishop A, Chung C, Li J, Tatsui CE, Rhines LD, Ferguson S, Paulino AC, Ghia AJ. National Patterns of Care in the Management of WHO Grade II and III Spinal Ependymomas. World Neurosurg. e-Pub 2019. PMID: 30641236.
- Ferguson SD, Zheng S, Xiu J, Zhou S, Khasraw M, Brastianos PK, Kesari S, Hu J, Rudnick J, Salacz ME, Piccioni D, Huang S, Davies MA, Glitza IC, Heymach JV, Zhang J, Ibrahim NK, DeGroot JF, McCarty J, O'Brien BJ, Sawaya R, Verhaak RGW, Reddy SK, Priebe W, Gatalica Z, Spetzler D, Heimberger AB. Profiles of Brain Metastases: Prioritization of Therapeutic Targets. Int J Cancer. e-Pub 2018. PMID: 29923182.
- Ferguson SD, Zhou S, Huse JT, de Groot JF, Xiu J, Subramaniam DS, Mehta S, Gatalica Z, Swensen J, Sanai N, Spetzler D, Heimberger AB. Targetable Gene Fusions Associate With the IDH Wild-Type Astrocytic Lineage in Adult Gliomas. J Neuropathol Exp Neurol 77(6):437-442, 2018. PMID: 29718398.
- Zhang Z, Yang J, Ho A, Jiang W, Logan J, Wang X, Brown PD, McGovern SL, Guha-Thakurta N, Ferguson SD, Fave X, Zhang L, Mackin D, Court LE, Li J. A predictive model for distinguishing radiation necrosis from tumour progression after gamma knife radiosurgery based on radiomic features from MR images. Eur Radiol 28(6):2255-2263, 2018. e-Pub 2017. PMID: 29178031.
- Zhang Z, Yang J, Ho A, Jiang W, Logan J, Wang X, Brown PD, McGovern SL, Guha-Thakurta N, Ferguson SD, Fave X, Zhang L, Mackin D, Court LE, Li J. Correction to: A predictive model for distinguishing radiation necrosis from tumour progression after gamma knife radiosurgery based on radiomic features from MR images. Eur Radiol. e-Pub 2018. PMID: 29541912.
- Ferguson SD, Levine NB, Suki D, Tsung AJ, Lang FF, Sawaya R, Weinberg JS, McCutcheon IE. The surgical treatment of tumors of the fourth ventricle: a single-institution experience. J Neurosurg 128(2):1-13, 2018. e-Pub 2017. PMID: 28409732.
- Hsu AL, Hou P, Johnson JM, Wu CW, Noll KR, Prabhu SS, Ferguson SD, Kumar VA, Schomer DF, Hazle JD, Chen JH, Liu HL. IClinfMRI Software for Integrating Functional MRI Techniques in Presurgical Mapping and Clinical Studies. Front Neuroinform 12:11, 2018. e-Pub 2018. PMID: 29593520.
- Ferguson SD, Zhou S, Xiu J, Hashimoto Y, Sanai N, Kim L, Kesari S, de Groot J, Spetzler D, Heimberger AB. Ependymomas overexpress chemoresistance and DNA repair-related proteins. Oncotarget 9(8):7822-7831, 2018. e-Pub 2017. PMID: 29487694.
- Ferguson SD, Wagner KM, Prabhu SS, McAleer MF, McCutcheon IE, Sawaya R. Neurosurgical management of brain metastases. Clin Exp Metastasis 34(6-7):377-389, 2017. e-Pub 2017. PMID: 28965270.
- Mahajan A, Ahmed S, McAleer MF, Weinberg JS, Li J, Brown P, Settle S, Prabhu SS, Lang FF, Levine N, McGovern S, Sulman E, McCutcheon IE, Azeem S, Cahill D, Tatsui C, Heimberger AB, Ferguson S, Ghia A, Demonte F, Raza S, Guha-Thakurta N, Yang J, Sawaya R, Hess KR, Rao G. Post-operative stereotactic radiosurgery versus observation for completely resected brain metastases: a single-centre, randomised, controlled, phase 3 trial. Lancet Oncol. e-Pub 2017. PMID: 28687375.
- Glitza IC, Ferguson SD, Guha-Thakurta N. Rapid resolution of leptomeningeal disease with targeted therapy in a metastatic melanoma patient. J Neurooncol. e-Pub 2017. PMID: 28528423.
- Mahajan A, Ahmed S, Li J, McAleer MF, Weinberg J, Brown PD, Prabhu S, Lang FF, McGovern SL, McCutcheon IE, Heimberger A, Sulman EP, Ghia AJ, Ferguson S, Hess K, Rao G. Postoperative Stereotactic Radiosurgery Versus Observation for Completely Resected Brain Metastases: Results of a Prospective Randomized Study. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 96(2S):S2, 2016. PMID: 27675774.
- Ferguson SD, Xiu J, Weathers SP, Zhou S, Kesari S, Weiss SE, Verhaak RG, Hohl RJ, Barger GR, Reddy SK, Heimberger AB. GBM-associated mutations and altered protein expression are more common in young patients. Oncotarget. e-Pub 2016. PMID: 27579614.
- Ho JC, Luo D, Guha-Thakurta N, Ferguson SD, Ghia AJ, Yang JN, Brown PD, Voong KR. Gamma Knife Stereotactic Radiosurgery for Brain Metastases Using Only 3 Pins. Neurosurgery 78(6):877-82, 2016. e-Pub 2015. PMID: 26488329.
- Hodges TR, Ferguson SD, Caruso HG, Kohanbash G, Zhou S, Cloughesy TF, Berger MS, Poste GH, Khasraw M, Ba S, Jiang T, Mikkelson T, Yung WK, de Groot JF, Fine H, Cantley LC, Mellinghoff IK, Mitchell DA, Okada H, Heimberger AB. Prioritization schema for immunotherapy clinical trials in glioblastoma. Oncoimmunology 5(6):e1145332, 2016. e-Pub 2016. PMID: 27471611.
- Pan IW, Ferguson SD, Lam S. Patient and treatment factors associated with survival among adult glioblastoma patients: A USA population-based study from 2000-2010. J Clin Neurosci. e-Pub 2015. PMID: 26122381.
- Ferguson SD, Waguespack SG, Langford LA, Ater JL, McCutcheon IE. Fatal Juvenile Xanthogranuloma presenting as a sellar lesion. Case report and literature review. Childs Nerv Syst 31(5):777-84, 2015. e-Pub 2014. PMID: 25503249.
- Balyasnikova IV, Prasol MS, Ferguson SD, Han Y, Ahmed AU, Gutova M, Tobias AL, Mustafi D, Rincón E, Zhang L, Aboody KS, Lesniak MS. Intranasal delivery of mesenchymal stem cells significantly extends survival of irradiated mice with experimental brain tumors. Mol Ther 22(1):140-8, 2014. e-Pub 2013. PMID: 24002694.
- Wei J, Wang F, Kong LY, Xu S, Doucette T, Ferguson SD, Yang Y, McEnery K, Jethwa K, Gjyshi O, Qiao W, Levine NB, Lang FF, Rao G, Fuller GN, Calin GA, Heimberger AB. miR-124 inhibits STAT3 signaling to enhance T cell-mediated immune clearance of glioma. Cancer Res 73(13):3913-26, 2013. e-Pub 2013. PMID: 23636127.
- Thaci B, Ulasov IV, Ahmed AU, Ferguson SD, Han Y, Lesniak MS. Anti-angiogenic therapy increases intratumoral adenovirus distribution by inducing collagen degradation. Gene Ther 20(3):318-27, 2013. e-Pub 2012. PMID: 22673390.
- Doucette TA, Kong LY, Yang Y, Ferguson SD, Yang J, Wei J, Qiao W, Fuller GN, Bhat KP, Aldape K, Priebe W, Bögler O, Heimberger AB, Rao G. Signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 promotes angiogenesis and drives malignant progression in glioma. Neuro Oncol 14(9):1136-45, 2012. e-Pub 2012. PMID: 22753228.
- Lee I, Fox PS, Ferguson SD, Bassett R, Kong LY, Schacherer CW, Gershenwald JE, Grimm EA, Fuller GN, Heimberger AB. The expression of p-STAT3 in stage IV melanoma: risk of CNS metastasis and survival. Oncotarget 3(3):336-44, 2012. PMID: 22488042.
- Balyasnikova IV, Ferguson SD, Han Y, Liu F, Lesniak MS. Therapeutic effect of neural stem cells expressing TRAIL and bortezomib in mice with glioma xenografts. Cancer Lett 310(2):148-59, 2011. e-Pub 2011. PMID: 21802840.
- Ferguson SD, Musleh W, Gurbuxani S, Shafizadeh SF, Lesniak MS. Intracranial mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphoma. J Clin Neurosci 17(5):666-9, 2010. e-Pub 2010. PMID: 20202849.
- Ferguson SD, Rosen DS, Bardo D, MacDonald RL. Arterial Diameters on Catheter and Computed Tomographic Angiography. World Neurosurg 73(3):165-73, 2010.
- Balyasnikova IV, Ferguson SD, Sengupta S, Han Y, Lesniak MS. Mesenchymal stem cells modified with a single-chain antibody against EGFRvIII successfully inhibit the growth of human xenograft malignant glioma. PLoS One 5(3):e9750, 2010. e-Pub 2010. PMID: 20305783.
- Ferguson SD, Coccaro EF. History of mild to moderate traumatic brain injury and aggression in physically healthy participants with and without personality disorder. J Pers Disord 23(3):230-9, 2009. PMID: 19538079.
- Rosen DS, Ferguson SD, Ogden AT, Huo D, Fessler RG. Obesity and self-reported outcome after minimally invasive lumbar spinal fusion surgery. Neurosurgery 63(5):956-60; discussion 960, 2008. PMID: 19005386.
- Ferguson SD, Macdonald RL. Predictors of cerebral infarction in patients with aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage. Neurosurgery 60(4):658-67; discussion 667, 2007. PMID: 17415202.
- Ferguson SD, Michael N, Frim DM. Observations regarding failure of cerebrospinal fluid shunts early after implantation. Neurosurg Focus 22(4):E7, 2007. e-Pub 2007. PMID: 17613196.
- Fagan LH, Ferguson S, Yassari R, Frim DM. The Chiari pseudotumor cerebri syndrome: symptom recurrence after decompressive surgery for Chiari malformation type I. Pediatr Neurosurg 42(1):14-9, 2006. PMID: 16357496.
- Ferguson S, Lesniak MS. Percival Bailey and the classification of brain tumors. Neurosurg Focus 18(4):e7, 2005. e-Pub 2005. PMID: 15844870.
- Palmer SC, Coyne JC, Ferguson S,. Validity of Horowitz's Impact of Events Scale as a Screen for PTSD in a Sample of Breast Cancer Patients. Annals of Behavioral Medicine 24, 2002. e-Pub 2002.
Invited Articles
- Ferguson SD, McCutcheon IE. Surgical Management of Gliomas in Eloquent Cortex. Prog Neurol Surg 30:159-172, 2018. e-Pub 2017. PMID: 29241173.
- Ferguson SD, Momin EN, Weinberg JS. Surgical Management of Recurrent Intracranial Gliomas. Prog Neurol Surg 30:218-231, 2018. e-Pub 2017. PMID: 29241177.
- Srinivasan VM, Ferguson SD, Lee S, Weathers SP, Kerrigan BCP, Heimberger AB. Tumor Vaccines for Malignant Gliomas. Neurotherapeutics 14(2):345-357, 2017. PMID: 28389997.
- Hodges TR, Ferguson SD, Heimberger AB. Immunotherapy in glioblastoma: emerging options in precision medicine. CNS Oncol 5(3):175-86, 2016. e-Pub 2016. PMID: 27225028.
- Ferguson SD, Srinivasan VM, Ghali MG, Heimberger AB. Cytomegalovirus-targeted immunotherapy and glioblastoma: hype or hope?. Immunotherapy 8(4):413-23, 2016. PMID: 26973123.
- Ferguson SD, Srinivasan VM, Heimberger AB. The role of STAT3 in tumor-mediated immune suppression. J Neurooncol 123(3):385-94, 2015. e-Pub 2015. PMID: 25700834.
- Ferguson SD. Malignant Gliomas: Diagnosis and Treatment. Dis Mon 57(10):558-69, 2011.
- Ferguson SD, Ahmed AU, Thaci B, Mercer RW, Lesniak MS. Crossing the Boundaries: Stem Cells and Gene Therapy. Discov Medicine 9(46):192-6, 2011.
- Ferguson SD, Foster K, Yamini B. Convection-Enhanced Delivery for Treatment of Brain Tumors. Expert Review Anticancer Therapy 7:79-85, 2007.
- Ferguson S, Lesniak MS. Convection enhanced Drug Delivery of Novel Therapeutic Agents to Malignant Brain Tumors. Current Drug Delivery 4(2):169-80, 2007.
Abstracts
- Hsu AL, Hou P, Johnson JM, Wu CW, Noll KR, Prabhu SS, Ferguson SD, Kumar VA, Schomer DF, Hazle JD, Chen JH, Liu HL. A software package designed to integrate advanced fMRI methods for presurgical mapping and clinical studies (IClinfMRI). Joint Annual Meeting ISMRM-ESMRMB, 2018.
- Abrol S, Kotrotsou A, Hassan A, Elfshafeey N, Idris T, Manohar N, Agarwal A, Hassan I, Salek K, Farid N, McDonald C, Weathers SP, Bahrami N, Bergamaschi S, Elakkad A, Alfaro-Munoz K, Moron F, Huse J, Weinberg J, Ferguson S, Kogias E, Heimberger A, Sawaya R, Kumar A, deGroot J, Law M, Zinn P, Colen R. Radiomics discriminates pseudo-progression from true progression in glioblastoma patients: A large-scale multi-institutional study. Cancer Imaging and Intervention Conference, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 2018.
- Ferguson S, Zheng S, Xiu J, Zhou S, Khasraw M, Brastianos PK, Kesari S, Hu J, Rudnick J, Salacz M, Piccioni D, Suyun H, Davies M, Glitza I, Heymach J, Zhang J, Ibrahim N, de Groot J, McCarty J, O'Brien BJ, Sawaya R, Verhaak R, Reddy S, Priebe W, Spetzler D, Heimberger A. Pan-Cancer Profiles of Brain Metastases: Prioritization of Therapeutic Targets. 22nd Annual Scientific Meeting and Education Day of the Society for Neuro-Oncology, 2017.
- Glitza IC, Ma J, Ferguson SD, Bassett Jr RL, Haydu L, Davies MA. Characteristics of metastatic melanoma (MM) patients with leptomeningeal disease (LMD) and survival of > 1 year. ESMO European Society for Medical Oncology, 2017.
- Wang X, Li Jing, McAleer MF, McGovern SL, Ghia AJ, Sulman EP, Brown PD, Lang FF Jr, Ferguson SD, McCutcheon IE, Prabhu SS, Heimberger AB, Weinberg J, Sawaya R, Ahmed S, Luo D, Rao G, Mahajan A. Pattern of Failure after Resection Followed by Gamma Knife Radiosurgery to the Surgical Cavity. 13th Congress of the International Stereotactic Radiosurgery Society, 2017.
- Bindal S, Ferguson SD, Davies MA, Haydu L, Bassett RL Jr, McCutcheon IE, Glitza IC. Leptomeningeal disease (LMD) from metastatic melanoma: a single institution experience and predictors of survival. 2016 Society for Melanoma Research Congress, 2016.
- Xiu J, Ferguson SD, Reddy SK, Kesari S, Weiss SE, Hohl RJ, Barger G, Heimberger AB. Comparison of molecular alteration in glioblastoma tumors from old and young patients. American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), 2016.
- Osborne E, Ferguson S, Guha-Thakutra N, Brown P, McAleer MF. Gamma Knife stereotactic radiosurgery for solitary brain metastses with baseline edema: feasibility and outcomes. 18th Leksell Gamma Knife Society, 2016.
- Zhongxiang Z, Phan J, Yang JN, Fang P, Guha-Thakurta N, Frances M. Tumor Control of Peripherally Located Single Brain Metastases. The International Leksell Gamma Knife Society Meeting 2016, 2016.
- Ho JC, Luo D, Guha-Thakurta N, Ferguson SD, Ghia AJ, Yang JN, Brown PD, Voong KR. Gamma Knife Stereotactic Radiosurgery for Brain Metastases Using Only 3 Pins. Society for NeuroOncology Annual Meeting, 2015.
- Balyasnikova IV, Ferguson SD, Prasol MS, Ahmed, AU, Yu Han, Lesniak MS. The therapeutic basis of intranasal stem cell delivery for the treatment of glioblastoma. Society for Neuro-Oncology, 2012.
- Kong LY, Doucette T, Ferguson SD, Hachem J, Yang Y, Wei1 J, Priebe W, Fuller GN, Qiao W, Rao G, Heimberger AB. Chemotherapeutic modulation of the glioma development and invasion in vivo. Society for Neuro-Oncology Annual Meeting, 2012.
Book Chapters
- Ferguson SD, McCutcheon IE. Meningitis and Encephalitis. In: Youmans & Winn Neurological Surgery. Seventh. Elsevier: Philadelphia, 352, 2017.
- Ferguson SD, McCutcheon IE. Pituitary Tumors. In: UICC Manual of Clinical Oncology. Ninth. John Wiley & Sons, 609-625, 2015.
- Ferguson SD, LaRiviere MJ, Mansour N, Lesniak MS. Malignant Glioma: Chemovirotherapy. In: Tumors of the Central Nervous System. First. Springer, 357-364, 2011.
Grant & Contract Support
Title: | Preclinical modeling of melanoma leptomeningeal disease (LMD) and intrathecal checkpoint blockade immunotherapy |
Funding Source: | Emerson Collective |
Role: | Principal Investigator |
Title: | SPORE in Brain Cancer - Animal Core |
Funding Source: | NIH/NCI |
Role: | Collaborator |
Title: | Transforming the Standard of Care: A Personalized Approach for Patients with Cancer Metastatic to the Brain |
Funding Source: | Brockman Foundation |
Role: | Principal Investigator |
Title: | Safety and Efficacy of Therapeutic Exosomes in Models of Glioblastoma Multiforme and Leptomeningeal Disease |
Funding Source: | Codiak BioSciences, Inc |
Role: | Co-Principal Investigator |
Title: | GBM Moon Shot at MD Anderson Cancer Center - Priority Project 1: CATALYST |
Funding Source: | UT MD Anderson Cancer Center |
Role: | Principal Investigator |
Title: | MDACC SPORE in Melanoma - Career Enhancement Award (CEP) |
Funding Source: | NIH/NCI |
Role: | Collaborator |
Title: | Targeting the Wnt signaling pathway for the treatment of malignant glioma |
Funding Source: | Institutional Research Grant (IRG) from MD Anderson |
Role: | Principal Investigator |