Ryan T Cleary, MD

About

Advancing brain tumor care through innovation and compassion 

For Ryan T. Cleary, MD, the operating room is as much about precision and compassion as it is about innovation. As a neurosurgeon specializing in treating brain and skull base tumors, Dr. Cleary is passionate about using the latest surgical techniques to treat tumors without the need for open surgery — giving patients better outcomes and hope in the face of some of medicine’s most daunting challenges.

“The treatment of brain tumors requires a team of skilled, multidisciplinary experts,” said Dr. Cleary, who is helping build a brain tumor center that brings together neurosurgeons, oncologists, radiation oncologists, ENT surgeons, endocrinologists and other specialists. The center will integrate cutting-edge neurotechnology and a clinical trial program to develop innovative strategies for the detection and treatment of tumors.

For patients requiring surgery, Dr. Cleary is highly trained in minimally invasive surgical techniques, including laser interstitial thermal therapy (LITT), which uses targeted heat to destroy tumors without open surgery, as well as endoscopic endonasal surgery, which reaches tumors at the base of the skull through the nose to avoid larger incisions. These cutting-edge approaches mean faster recovery times and fewer complications for patients.

In addition to his clinical expertise, Dr. Cleary is a committed researcher whose work focuses on translational clinical trial design, combining traditional cancer therapeutic studies with advances in surgical techniques, neuro-technology, drug delivery, and disease monitoring. His research has been published in journals such as Science Advances, Molecular Cell and the Journal of Neurosurgery, with studies exploring topics from neonatal epilepsy and deep brain stimulation to the tumor microenvironment in glioblastoma. He has also presented nationally on blood-brain barrier permeability and laser therapy mechanisms.

Dr. Cleary completed his neurosurgery residency at both Saint Louis University Hospital and the Washington University School of Medicine, followed by a fellowship in Advanced Surgical Neuro-oncology at Washington University. He has been recognized with honors including Alpha Omega Alpha, Alpha Sigma Nu and the resident mentor award at Washington University. He is an active member of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons, Congress of Neurological Surgeons and Society for Neuro-Oncology.

Outside the hospital, Dr. Cleary finds balance by spending time with his wife, daughter and dogs. He is a devoted Red Sox fan, long-distance runner and world traveler.

Clinical Interests

• Primary brain tumors, metastatic brain tumors, meningiomas, pituitary tumors, vestibular schwannomas, skull base surgery, laser interstitial thermal therapy, and minimally invasive spine surgery

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