Tarun Arora, MD

Dr. Tarun Arora is a neurosurgeon who cares for patients with complex tumors of the brain and spine, including tumors at the base of the skull, such as acoustic neuromas, pituitary adenomas, meningiomas and schwannomas. He also manages and treats brain tumors using gammaknife radiosurgery (precise beams of radiation). He has extensive experience in treating disorders of the craniocervical junction (the area between the base of the skull and top of the spine), such as basilar invagination, Chiari malformation, craniocervical instability and fractures of the upper cervical spine. He is part of the UCSF Brain Tumor Center and also serves as chief of neurosurgery at MarinHealth Medical Center, where he sees patients with a wide variety of conditions that may benefit from neurosurgical care, such as brain and spinal injuries or tumors, degenerative spinal disorders, radiculopathy (pinched nerves), and back or neck pain. He has extensive training and expertise in minimally invasive techniques for the spine.

In research, Arora investigates methods of closing cerebrospinal fluid leaks at the skull base and the use of fluorescent nerve markers for safer surgeries. He also studies odontoid fractures, a common type of cervical spine injury in older adults.

Arora earned his medical degree at Baylor College of Medicine. He completed a residency in neurosurgery and a fellowship in neurocritical care at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center. He also completed a fellowship in skull base and brain surgery at UCSF. Prior to medical school, he worked as a licensed physical therapist.