Shih-Shan Lang Chen, MD

Locations: Main Hospital
Appointments and Referrals: 1-800-TRY-CHOP (1-800-879-2467)
Appointments and Referrals: 1-800-TRY-CHOP (1-800-879-2467)
Shih-Shan Lang Chen, MD, is an attending physician in the Division of Neurosurgery at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. Dr. Chen has a broad interest in all areas of pediatric neurosurgery with a particular focus in brain and spine tumors, brain and spine vascular disorders, hydrocephalus and congenital and traumatic spine disorders.
Originally from Florida, Dr. Chen received her bachelor’s and medical degrees from the University of Florida. She then completed her neurosurgery residency at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania and her fellowship training in pediatric neurosurgery at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.
During her neurosurgery training, Dr. Chen became interested in academic pediatric neurosurgery and developed a strong research foundation in pediatric tumor biology and vascular disorders. Her research efforts focus on combining her clinical neurosurgery practice with the advancements of molecular biology and tissue engineering that ultimately lead to new discoveries and treatments in the pediatric tumor and vascular specialties.
General Surgery, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
Neurosurgery (Chief Resident), Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
Pediatric Neurosurgery, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA
Attending Neurosurgeon
Associate Director, Trauma Center
Director of Vascular Neurosurgery
Sinha, S., Kennedy, B.C., Heuer, G.G., Huh, J.W., Lang, SS. (2022). Pediatric Head Injury. In: Mattei, P. (eds) Fundamentals of Pediatric Surgery. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-07524-7_18
Lang SS, Sanborn S, Ju C, Premjee A, Stein S, Smith M. Hydrocephalus after Subarachnoid Hemorrhage: A Meta-Analytic Comparison of Aneurysm Treatments World Journal of Meta-Analysis. World Journal of Meta-Analysis WJMA. 2014 Nov;2(4):171-8. [Epub ahead of print]
Lang SS, Chen HI, Koch MJ, Kurash L, McGill-Armento KR, Palella JM, Stein SC, Malhotra NR. Development of an outpatient protocol for lumbar discectomy: Our institutional experience. World Neurosurg. 2014 Nov;82(5):897-901. doi: 10.1016/j.wneu.2014.05.035. Epub 2014 Jun 5.
Lang SS, Malhotra NR. Interviewing for pediatric fellowship: Finding the right work-work balance. AANS Neurosurgeon. 2014;23(1).
Ali ZS, Lang SS, Bakar D, Storm PB, Stein SC. Pediatric intracranial arachnoid cysts: comparative effectiveness of surgical treatment options. Childs Nerv Syst. 2014 Mar;30(3):461-9. doi: 10.1007/s00381-013-2306-2. Epub 2013 Oct 27.
Lang SS, Goldberg E, Zarnow D, Storm PB, Heuer GG. Case Report: Prenatal diagnosis of hemimegalencephaly. World Neurosurgery. 2013 Sep 19 pii: S1878-8750(13)01210-2.
Ali ZS, Lang SS, Adappa N, Barkley A, Palmer JN, Lee JY. Expanded endoscopic endonasal treatment of primary intracranial tumors within the paranasal sinuses. ISRN Minimally Invasive Surgery. 2013;2013, Article ID 129780, 5 pages
Halpern C, Lang SS, Lee JY. Fully Endoscopic microvascular decompression: our early experience Minimally Invasive Surgery. Minim Invasive Surg. 2013;2013:739432. doi: 10.1155/2013/739432. Epub 2013 Sep 3.
Lang SS. The role of BRAF-targeted therapy in astrocytomas: a review. Neurosurgery. 2013 Aug;60 Suppl 1:110-2. doi: 10.1227/01.neu.0000430768.25844.4d.
Madsen PJ, Lang SS, Pisapia JM, Storm PB, Hurst RW, Heuer GG. An Institutional Series and Literature Review of Pial Arteriovenous Fistulas in the Pediatric Population: clinical article. J Neurosurg Pediatr. 2013 Oct;12(4):344-50. doi: 10.3171/2013.6.PEDS13110. Epub 2013 Aug 2.
Ali ZS, Lang SS, Kamat AR, Adappa ND, Palmer JN, Storm PB, Lee JY. Suprasellar pediatric craniopharyngioma resection via endonasal endoscopic approach. Childs Nerv Syst. 2013 Nov;29(11):2065-70. doi: 10.1007/s00381-013-2153-1. Epub 2013 May 24.
Sievert AJ, Lang SS, Boucher KL, Madsen PJ, Slaunwhite E, Choudhari N, Kellet M, Storm PB, Resnick AC. A Resnick Paradoxical activation and RAF inhibitor resistance of BRAF fusions characterizing pediatric astrocytomas. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2013 Apr 9;110(15):5957-62. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1219232110. Epub 2013 Mar 26.
Frisoli FA, Lang SS, Vossough A, Cahill AM, Heuer GG, Dahmoush HM, Storm PB, Beslow LA. Intra and Interrater Reliability of the Pediatric AVM Compactness Score in children. J Neurosurg Pediatr. 2013 May;11(5):547-51. doi: 10.3171/2013.2.PEDS12465. Epub 2013 Mar 15.
Ali ZS, Lang SS, Sutton LN. Conservative management of presumed low-grade gliomas in the asymptomatic pediatric population. World Neurosurg. 2014 Feb;81(2):368-73. doi: 10.1016/j.wneu.2013.01.038. Epub 2013 Jan 12.
Lang SS, Schuster JM, Smith LJ, Dwyer-Joyce L, Welch W, Marcotte P, Winkelstein B, Malhotra NR. Hemorrhage into Synovial Cysts as a Cause of Acute Radicular Symptoms: Report of Seven Cases and Review of the Literature. J Spine Neurosurg. 2013;2:1. doi:10.4172/2325-9701.1000106
2013-2014 Chief Resident in Neurological Surgery – University of Pennsylvania
2013 Fellowship grant CP Angle Endoscopic - Microvascular Decompression – Karl Storz
2012 Enfolded Fellowship in endoscopic skull base neurosurgery – University of Pennsylvania
2012 Society for Neuro-Oncology Award for Excellence in Pediatric Translational Research
2012 Congress of Neurological Surgeons Preuss Award for Basic Science Tumor Research
2011 Pan Philadelphia Basic Science Research Award
2007 Medical Student Surgery Ambrose Pace Scholarship
2006 Junior Alpha Omega Alpha (AOA)
2006 College of Medicine Alumni Scholarship for Academic Excellence
2006 Academic Perfection Award – College of Medicine
2005 Academic Perfection Award – College of Medicine
2004 Academic Perfection Award – College of Medicine
2002 University of Florida Neurobiological Sciences - Summa Cum Laude
2002 American Heart Association Fellowship for Undergraduate Research
2002 National Society of Collegiate Scholars
2001 Golden Key Scholar
2001 The National Dean’s List
2008–present, American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS) – Resident Member
2008–present, Congress of Neurological Surgeons - Resident Member