Simon J. Hanft, MD

Simon Hanft, MD is a board-certified neurosurgeon specializing in the care of brain tumors and tumors involving the spinal cord. He is the Section Chief of Neurosurgical Oncology for the Westchester Medical Center Health Network.

Dr. Hanft grew up on Long Island and received his undergraduate degree from Yale University before obtaining a master's degree at the University of Cambridge in England. He attended medical school at Stanford University during which time he received a prestigious Howard Hughes Fellowship to study neural stem cell networks. He went on to complete neurosurgery residency at Columbia University Medical Center/The Neurological Institute of New York, followed by an additional year dedicated to brain tumor surgery as a Surgical Neuro-oncology Fellow at the University of Miami. He then joined the faculty at Rutgers-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and developed the most active brain tumor practice in New Jersey.

Dr. Hanft has been one of the earliest adopters of technology to enhance brain tumor resection, including the AI-based software from Omniscient Neurotechnology showing patient-specific neural networks, known as "connectomics," and GammaTile brachytherapy, a form of immediate implanted radiation, for malignant brain tumors. Under his guidance, WMC has been first-in-nation in utilizing this brain mapping software and among the top 3 nationally in GammaTile use. Dr. Hanft has been an invited speaker at more than 20 institutions and meetings nationally presenting his experience with connectomic-guided brain tumor surgery and GammaTile. His experience with both forms of technology ranks among the most nationally.

Dr. Hanft has also led multiple clinical trials for newly diagnosed glioblastoma and metastases, putting WMC among the top enrollers in the US and offering access to these treatments to patients across the Hudson Valley. He has presented internationally on the Imvax Phase 2b clinical trial for newly diagnosed glioblastoma at the 2024 European Association of Neuro-Oncology Meeting in Glasgow, Scotland.

Dr Hanft is the author of over 70 peer-reviewed publications, five book chapters on brain tumors, two book chapters on spine tumors, and the Medscape entry on brain surgery entitled "Craniotomy." He is also the lead editor on a published textbook entitled Tumors of the Spinal Canal. He was twice recognized as a Top Doctor by New Jersey Monthly Magazine and received a medical advisory award by Voices Against Brain Cancer, one of the leading national charities for patients with brain tumors. Dr. Hanft has over 550 verified patient reviews on Healthgrades, which makes him the most highly reviewed neurosurgeon in New York and in the top 1% of all doctors nationally.

Professional Memberships

• American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS)
• AANS/CNS Section of Tumor Executive Committee
• Congress of Neurological Surgeons (CNS)
• Society of Neurological Surgeons (SNS)
• Society for Neuro-Oncology (SNO)

Success Stories

Seeing Brain Tumors In a New Light