Memorial Sloan Kettering Neurosurgeon Kenny Kwok Hei Yu

Kenny Kwok Hei Yu, MBBS, PhD, FRCS

Areas of Expertise

Conditions I Treat

  • Gliomas
  • Brain tumors
  • Brain metastases

My Specialties

  • Intraoperative imaging
  • Clinical trials
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Get to Know Me

I am a neurosurgeon and scientist interested in the immunobiology and treatment of brain tumors, including tumors that have arisen from the brain (primary tumors) and tumors that have spread to the brain from another area in the body (metastatic brain tumors). I have expertise in cutting-edge surgical adjuncts (a treatment or therapeutic strategy that is used with the primary treatment), such as intraoperative MRIs, awake mapping, intraoperative ultrasound, and Raman spectroscopy, and use these modalities to improve outcomes for my patients.

I am also a PhD-trained scientist and use this background to understand the underlying biology of the diseases I treat. My research focuses on the role that immune cells play within the tumor microenvironment. Through research, I have an opportunity to get “face-to-face” with the tumors I treat. This provides me with a unique perspective on tumor behavior and biology—and an improved understanding of the fundamental disease processes will ultimately lead to better treatments.

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A tumor diagnosis often comes as a surprise, accompanied by anxiety and fear. But I assure my patients that they are entrusting their care to an experienced team that is fluent in the clinical, diagnostic, treatment, and scientific aspects of managing brain tumors. I strongly believe that an informed and compassionate approach to patient care is essential. This is precisely what I offer my patients at each step of their treatment journey.

My colleagues in the Department of Neurosurgery and I also believe in the power of collaboration and are passionate about working together to get our patients the best results. Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center pioneered the concept of the multidisciplinary tumor board, which refers to a group of specialists that works closely to discuss the optimal treatment strategies for different cancer cases at a hospital. This team ethos is at the core of how we treat patients.

Outside of work, I enjoy spending time with my family and following football (soccer)—when the time allows.

 

What I Do at MSK

I'm a neurosurgeon, which is a doctor with special training in surgery on the central nervous system. This includes the brain, spinal cord, and nerves.

  • Instructor
Areas of Expertise

Conditions I Treat

  • Gliomas
  • Brain tumors
  • Brain metastases
  • Hydrocephalus

My Specialties

  • Intraoperative imaging
  • Clinical trials
Education & Honors

Education

  • MBBS, Imperial College

Residencies

  • Neurosurgery, North Western Deanery

Fellowships

  • Neurosurgical Oncology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center

Board Certifications

  • Neurological Surgery

Insurance Information

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If you have questions about insurance, call us at 646-497-9176.

Make an Appointment

Current Patients
Request an appointment by calling your Care Team or messaging them in MSK MyChart.

Contact and Location

Dr. Yu sees patients at one location.

Office Phone
Location
New York, NY
1275 York Avenue New York NY 10065

Looking to see a doctor at a different location? See all MSK locations.

Colleagues

Doctors at Memorial Sloan Kettering work as teams, with specialists from all different areas. This allows us to consider all your needs together, and to give you the best possible care.

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Clinical Trials

Smiling doctors in the lab
Find a Clinical Trial for You

Memorial Sloan Kettering's doctors and scientists are constantly developing new treatments for cancer. MSK is typically running hundreds of clinical trials at a given time.

You may be able to participate in a clinical trial even if you are new to MSK. Search our online directory to find trial information and see more about who can participate.

Search clinical trials

Research and Publications

Publications on PubMed

Visit PubMed for a full listing of Dr. Yu’s journal articles. Pubmed is an online index of research papers and other articles from the US National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health.

See all on PubMed

Disclosures

Doctors and faculty members often work with pharmaceutical, device, biotechnology, and life sciences companies, and other organizations outside of MSK, to find safe and effective cancer treatments, to improve patient care, and to educate the health care community.

MSK requires doctors and faculty members to report (“disclose”) the relationships and financial interests they have with external entities. As a commitment to transparency with our community, we make that information available to the public.

Kenny Kwok Hei Yu discloses the following relationships and financial interests:

  • Aptorum Group Limited
    Equity

If you’re a patient at MSK and would like more information about your doctor’s external relationships, please talk with your doctor.

The information published here is a complement to other publicly reported data and is for a specific annual disclosure period. There may be differences between information on this and other public sites as a result of different reporting periods and/or the various ways relationships and financial interests are categorized by organizations that publish such data.


This page and data include information for a specific MSK annual disclosure period (January 1, 2023 through disclosure submission in spring 2024). This data reflects interests that may or may not still exist. This data is updated annually.

Learn more about MSK’s COI policies here. For questions regarding MSK’s COI-related policies and procedures, email MSK’s Compliance Office at [email protected].


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