Photo of Rafael A. Vega, MD, PhD

Rafael A. Vega, MD, PhD

Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center

Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
Phone: (617) 632-7246
Fax: (617) 632-0949


rvega@bidmc.harvard.edu

Photo of Rafael A. Vega, MD, PhD

Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
Phone: (617) 632-7246
Fax: (617) 632-0949


rvega@bidmc.harvard.edu

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Rafael A. Vega, MD, PhD

Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center

EDUCATIONAL TITLES

  • Assistant Professor, Neurosurgery, Harvard Medical School
  • Section Chief, Neurosurgical Oncology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
  • Director, Brain Tumor Center, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
  • Program Co-Lead, Neuro-Oncology Clinical Trials Group, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center

HCC PROGRAM AFFILIATION

Research Abstract

Dr. Vega's research is focused on surgical neuro-oncology clinical outcomes as well as translational research for drug development in primary brain tumors (glioblastoma/meningiomas) and clinical trials development. I serve as the Director of Neurosurgical Oncology and the Brain Tumor Center at BIDMC. In addition, I specialize in brain mapping techniques and awake craniotomies in addition to fluorescence-based imaging to optimize surgical outcomes.

Publications from Harvard Catalyst Profiles

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  • Pereira de Oliveira G, Zimmerman A, Palu CC, Tran V, Bogut G, Chidester S, Tigges J, Vega RA, Aikawa E, Jones J, Ghiran IC, Ivanov AR. Extracellular Vesicles from Glioblastoma Cells Reflect 2D vs. 3D Culture Adaptation and Resistance to Temozolomide. Mol Cell Proteomics 2026. PubMed
  • Terry F, Brito A, Váscones-Román FF, Rivera V, Enríquez-Marulanda A, Wadhwa A, Alwakaa O, Morán C, Moses ZB, Komotar RJ, Vega RA, Merenzon M. Post-ablation volume threshold for brain metastasis control using LITT: a systematic review and critical appraisal. J. Neurooncol. 2025; 176:85. PubMed
  • Oshotse CO, McNeil E, Vega RA. Resection of sphenoid wing meningioma with blood pressure augmentation reverses acute symptomatic left middle cerebral artery syndrome: illustrative case. J Neurosurg Case Lessons 2025. PubMed
  • Terry F, Orrego-Gonzalez E, Enríquez-Marulanda A, Pacheco-Barrios N, Merenzon M, Komotar RJ, Vega RA. Temporal Dynamics and Clinical Predictors of Brain Metastasis in Breast Cancer: A Two-Decade Cohort Analysis Toward Tailored CNS Screening. Cancers (Basel) 2025. PubMed
  • Brito A, Silva JDS, Terry F, Punukollu A, Levy AS, Silva ALM, Speckter H, Morell AA, Enriquez-Marulanda A, Moses ZB, Komotar RJ, Vega RA. Hearing preservation and quality of life in small to medium sized vestibular schwannomas after a wait and scan approach or stereotactic radiosurgery: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Acta Neurochir (Wien) 2024; 166:361. PubMed
  • Filo J, Zhao M, Orrego-Gonzalez E, Schwartz SN, White B, Varma H, Vega RA. Rethinking the role of surgical resection in the management of primary pituitary lymphoma. Br J Neurosurg 2024. PubMed
  • Ramirez-Velandia F, Manchella MK, Penumaka A, Schwartz SN, Varma H, Vega RA, Moses ZB. Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma in the C8 root mimicking a schwannoma: illustrative case. J Neurosurg Case Lessons 2024. PubMed
  • Park JB, Filo J, Rahmani B, Adebagbo OD, Lee D, Escobar-Domingo MJ, Garvey SR, Arnautovic A, Cauley RP, Vega RA. Cranial stair-step incision for minimizing postoperative complications in neuro-oncologic surgery: A propensity score-matched analysis. Acta Neurochir (Wien) 2024; 166:305. PubMed
  • Powers AY, McCandless MG, Taussky P, Vega RA, Shutran MS, Moses ZB. Educational Limitations of ChatGPT in Neurosurgery Board Preparation. Cureus 2024; 16:e58639. PubMed
  • White B, Filo J, Orrego-Gonzalez E, Schwartz SN, Varma H, Uhlmann EJ, Vega RA. Synchronous contralateral low-grade oligodendroglioma and high-grade IDH-mutant astrocytoma. J Neuropathol Exp Neurol 2023; 82:1048-1050. PubMed
  • Filippidis AS, Phillips KR, Lopez-Rivera V, Enriquez-Marulanda A, Mackel CE, Alterman RL, Vega RA. Surgery in octogenarians with intracranial meningiomas improves functional outcome at 1 year. Acta Neurochir (Wien) 2023. PubMed
  • Wong ET, Rosenberg H, Dawood O, Hertan L, Vega RA, Anderson M, Uhlmann EJ. Lewy body disease as a potential negative outcome modifier of glioblastoma treatment: a case report. BMC Neurol 2023; 23:257. PubMed
  • Phillips KR, Enriquez-Marulanda A, Mackel C, Ogbonna J, Moore JM, Vega RA, Alterman RL. Predictors of extended length of stay related to craniotomy for tumor resection. World Neurosurg X 2023; 19:100176. PubMed
  • Phillips KR, Filippidis A, Mackel CE, Enriquez-Marulanda A, Vega RA. Octogenarian Brain Tumor Registry: Single-Institution Surgical Outcomes and Mortality Study. 2023; 11:114-122. PubMed
  • Mackel CE, Orrego-Gonzalez EE, Vega RA. Awake Craniotomy and Intraoperative Musical Performance for Brain Tumor Surgery: Case Report and Literature Review. 2023; 11:145-152. PubMed
  • Mackel CE, Rosenberg H, Varma H, Uhlmann EJ, Vega RA, Alterman RL. Intracranial Metastasis of Extracranial Chondrosarcoma: Systematic Review With Illustrative Case. 2023; 11:103-113. PubMed
  • Uhlmann EJ, Mackel CE, Deforzh E, Rabinovsky R, Brastianos PK, Varma H, Vega RA, Krichevsky AM. Inhibition of the epigenetically activated miR-483-5p/IGF-2 pathway results in rapid loss of meningioma tumor cell viability. J. Neurooncol. 2023. PubMed
  • Pettersson SD, Jabbar R, Popławska M, Och A, Orrego-Gonzalez E, Klepinowski T, Krakowiak M, Sagan L, Radek M, Zakrzewski K, Nowoslawska E, Kwiecien K, Skrzypkowska P, Szmuda T, Miękisiak G, Vega RA. Telovelar versus transvermian approach to tumors of the fourth ventricle and their impact on postoperative neurological complications: A multicenter study. Surg Neurol Int 2023; 14:124. PubMed
  • Uhlmann EJ, Rabinovsky R, Varma H, El Fatimy R, Kasper EM, Moore JM, Vega RA, Thomas AJ, Alterman RL, Stippler M, Anderson MP, Uhlmann EN, Kipper FC, Krichevsky AM. Tumor-Derived Cell Culture Model for the Investigation of Meningioma Biology. J Neuropathol Exp Neurol 2021; 80:1117-1124. PubMed
  • Opalak CF, Sima AP, Carr MT, Rock A, Somasundaram A, Workman KG, Dincer A, Chandra V, Vega RA, Broaddus WC. Growth Analysis of Untreated Meningiomas under Observation. J Neurol Surg A Cent Eur Neurosurg 2021. PubMed
  • Bastos DCA, Vega RA, Traylor JI, Ghia AJ, Li J, Oro M, Bishop AJ, Yeboa DN, Amini B, Kumar VA, Rao G, Rhines LD, Tatsui CE. Spinal laser interstitial thermal therapy: single-center experience and outcomes in the first 120 cases. J Neurosurg Spine 2020. PubMed
  • Vega RA, Traylor JI, Patel R, Muir M, Bastos DCA, Prabhu SS. Combined Surgical Resection and Laser Interstitial Thermal Therapy for Glioblastoma: Technical Note. J Neurol Surg A Cent Eur Neurosurg 2020; 81:348-354. PubMed
  • Vega RA, Ghia AJ, Tatsui CE. Percutaneous Hybrid Therapy for Spinal Metastatic Disease: Laser Interstitial Thermal Therapy and Spinal Stereotactic Radiosurgery. Neurosurg Clin N Am 2020; 31:211-219. PubMed
  • de Almeida Bastos DC, Everson RG, de Oliveira Santos BF, Habib A, Vega RA, Oro M, Rao G, Li J, Ghia AJ, Bishop AJ, Yeboa DN, Amini B, Rhines LD, Tatsui CE. A comparison of spinal laser interstitial thermotherapy with open surgery for metastatic thoracic epidural spinal cord compression. J Neurosurg Spine 2020. PubMed
  • Vega RA, Traylor JI, Habib A, Rhines LD, Tatsui CE, Rao G. Minimally Invasive Separation Surgery for Metastases in the Vertebral Column: A Technical Report. Oper Neurosurg (Hagerstown) 2020; 18:606-613. PubMed
  • Cyprus GN, Overlin JW, Vega RA, Ritter AM, Olivares-Navarrete R. Spatial regulation of gene expression in nonsyndromic sagittal craniosynostosis. J Neurosurg Pediatrics 2018; 22:620-626. PubMed
  • Chandra V, Rock AK, Opalak C, Stary JM, Sima AP, Carr M, Vega RA, Broaddus WC. A systematic review of perioperative seizure prophylaxis during brain tumor resection: the case for a multicenter randomized clinical trial. Neurosurg Focus 2017; 43:E18. PubMed
  • Vega RA, Valadka AB. Natural History of Acute Subdural Hematoma. Neurosurg Clin N Am 2017; 28:247-255. PubMed
  • Stary JM, Hutchins L, Vega RA. Tranexamic Acid for Recurring Subdural Hematomas Following Surgical Evacuation: A Clinical Case Series. J Neurol Surg A Cent Eur Neurosurg 2016; 77:422-6. PubMed
  • Vega RA, Opalak C, Harshbarger RJ, Fearon JA, Ritter AM, Collins JJ, Rhodes JL. Hypophosphatemic rickets and craniosynostosis: a multicenter case series. J Neurosurg Pediatrics 2016; 17:694-700. PubMed
  • Potter AB, Rhodes JL, Vega RA, Ridder T, Shiang R. Gene expression changes between patent and fused cranial sutures in a nonsyndromic craniosynostosis population. Eplasty 2015; 15:e12. PubMed
  • Vega RA, Lyon C, Kierce JF, Tye GW, Ritter AM, Rhodes JL. Minimizing transfusion requirements for children undergoing craniosynostosis repair: the CHoR protocol. J Neurosurg Pediatrics 2014; 14:190-5. PubMed
  • Vega RA, Harrison JF, Scott Graham R. Tectal plate glioma: lessons learned from a patient with hydrocephalus, Chiari malformation-1 and concomitant aqueductal stenosis. Clin Neurol Neurosurg 2014; 119:50-3. PubMed
  • Vega RA, Wang Y, Harvat T, Wang S, Qi M, Adewola AF, Lee D, Benedetti E, Oberholzer J. Modified gold nanoparticle vectors: a biocompatible intracellular delivery system for pancreatic islet cell transplantation. Surgery 2010; 148:858-65; discussion 865-6. PubMed
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