Michael Lawton MD is the Tong-Po Kan Endowed Chair, Professor of neurological surgery,
and Vice-Chairman of the department at the University of California, San Francisco. He is chief
of vascular neurosurgery, specializing in the surgical treatment of aneurysms, arteriovenous
malformations, arteriovenous fistulas, cavernous malformations, and cerebral revascularization,
including carotid endarterectomy. As chief of one of the busiest cerebrovascular service on the
west coast for over 17 years, he has experience in surgically treating over 3600 brain aneurysms
and over 700 AVMs. He is also practices the endovascular treatment of aneurysms.
Dr. Lawton directs and conducts his research at and the UCSF Center for Cerebrovascular
Research (CCR), a collaborative research group funded by grants from the National Institutes of
Health that investigates the physiology of cerebral circulation and the pathophysiology of
vascular malformations. His basic science investigations study the formation, underlying
genetics, and rupture of brain AVMs, as well as the hemodynamics, rupture, and computational
modeling of brain aneurysms. His clinical investigations study the anatomy of microsurgical
approaches to vascular lesions and efficacy of aneurysm, AVM, and bypass surgery. He is the
principle investigator of a NIH U54 grant and program director of the Brain Vascular
Malformation Consortium (BVMC), a multicenter group studying malformations associated with
Hereditary Hemorrhagic Telangiectasia, cavernous malformations, and Sturge Weber Syndrome.
He has published over 300 peer-reviewed articles, over 50 book chapters, and 3 textbooks,
including Seven AVMs: Tenets and Techniques for Resection and Seven Aneurysms: Tenets and
Techniques for Clipping, which has won numerous awards and sold more copies than Yasargil’s
Microneurosurgery. His awards include the Young Neurosurgeon Award from the World
Federation of Neurological Societies, the Harold Rosegay Teaching Award, and the Diane
Ralston Clinical and Basic Science Teaching Award. He has given over 500 invited lectures
nationally and internationally, including visiting professorships at over 40 neurosurgical
institutions. He has been active in resident teaching courses, directing the CNS Anatomy Course
for Senior Residents, developing and co-directing the AANS Vascular Skills Course, and
directing industry-sponsored anatomy courses and teaching programs for residents nationally and
internationally to observe vascular neurosurgery. He co-founded Mission:BRAIN, a teaching
mission to raise the level of neurosurgical technique practiced in developing countries, and has
conducted 6 missions in Mexico and the Philippines.