Bio
Neurosurgeon Co-medical Director, Gamma Knife Program
Dr. Kunwar is a board-certified neurosurgeon specializing in minimally invasive brain and spine surgery. He serves as Co-Medical Director of the Gamma Knife® Program, Medical Director of the Endoscopic Skull Base and Pituitary Center, and Co-Medical Director of the Movement Disorders Program at the Taylor McAdam Bell Neuroscience Institute.
Dr. Kunwar specializes in Gamma Knife® radiosurgery and minimally invasive surgery for conditions affecting the brain and spine. He has performed more than 2,500 minimally invasive procedures and has helped advance less invasive approaches to skull-base tumors and spinal surgery.
His clinical interests include brain and spinal cord tumors, minimally invasive spine surgery, Gamma Knife® radiosurgery for primary and metastatic brain tumors, and minimally invasive treatment of pituitary tumors through the nasal passages.
Dr. Kunwar earned his medical degree and completed his neurosurgical training at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). In 1999, he joined the UCSF Department of Neurological Surgery faculty, where he developed a clinical and research program. During his time at UCSF, he was selected by Dr. Charles Wilson to continue his pituitary surgery practice following Dr. Wilson’s retirement. Dr. Kunwar later entered private practice in Fremont in 2006 and joined the medical community at Washington Health. He continues to serve as an Associate Professor of Neurological Surgery at UCSF.
Dr. Kunwar's research focuses on developing new surgical treatments for malignant brain tumors and improving the delivery of treatments directly to tumor cells. He has served as principal investigator for several international, multi-center clinical trials, including the PRECISE trial, which studied a surgical approach to treating brain tumors.
Dr. Kunwar is a member of Alpha Omega Alpha and has received research and clinical awards from the American Association of Neurological Surgeons and Congress of Neurological Surgeons. He also works to advance minimally invasive surgical techniques and teaches other neurosurgeons how to use these approaches and technologies.