Cynthia Chin, MD
Professor
Radiology
School of Medicine

She is the Director of the UCSF Spinal Pain Management, and her interests include the spine and peripheral nervous system, magnetic resonance neurography, spinal injections, and spinal and nerve diffusion imaging. Dr. Chin received her medical degree from Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston in Massachusetts where she returned to complete a Radiology residency program. She completed an Internal Medicine internship at the California Pacific Medical Center in San Francisco. Dr. Chin advanced her training by completing a Neuroradiology fellowship from UCSF.

Throughout Dr. Chin's medical career, she has been the recipient of many distinguished awards. These include the 2007 and 2010 UCSF Medical Center Exceptional Physician Award nomination, 2010 America's Top Radiologists, Margulis Society Research Grant award, Tufts University School of Medicine Warren C. Widrich, MD Radiology Resident Award, and others. She is a member of many organizations including the American Roentgen Ray Society, American Society of Neuroradiology, and American Society of Spine Radiology. Dr. Chin is a peer reviewer for the American Journal of Neuroradiology, Journal of Computer Assisted Tomography, Muscle and Nerve, and Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research.

Dr. Chin continues to develop research in advanced imaging of the spine and nerves and the latest techniques in spine interventions for patient treatment. As a former member of the MRI Safety Committee and current member of the Radiation Safety Committee, Dr. Chin is dedicated to optimizing patient safety.

Expertise: Neuroradiology

Specialty: Spine and peripheral nerves

Professional Interests: Spine, peripheral nerve, magnetic resonance neurography, spinal injections, spine diffusion imaging

Education and Training:

• Medical School: Tuffs University School of Medicine, Boston
• Internship: California Pacific Medical Center, San Francisco - Internal Medicine
• Residency: Tuffs University New England Medical Center, Boston - Radiology
• Fellowship: University of California, San Francisco - Neuroradiology
• National Board of Medical Examiners
• American Board of Radiology
• Medical Board of California
• Medical Board of Ohio
• Certificate of Added Qualification, Neuroradiology
• New York State

• Comparison of Lumbosacral Fusion Grade in Patients after Transforaminal and Anterior Lumbar Interbody Fusion with Minimum 2-Year Follow-Up.
  Orthopaedic surgery 2023 Liu J, Xie R, Chin CT, Rajagopalan P, Duan PG, Li B, Burch S, Berven SH, Mummaneni PV, Chou D
• Deep learning for automated, interpretable classification of lumbar spinal stenosis and facet arthropathy from axial MRI.
  European radiology 2023 Bharadwaj UU, Christine M, Li S, Chou D, Pedoia V, Link TM, Chin CT, Majumdar S
• Variant Sciatic Nerve Anatomy in Relation to the Piriformis Muscle on Magnetic Resonance Neurography: A Potential Etiology for Extraspinal Sciatica.
  Tomography (Ann Arbor, Mich.) 2023 Bharadwaj UU, Varenika V, Carson W, Villanueva-Meyer J, Ammanuel S, Bucknor M, Robbins NM, Douglas V, Chin CT
• Automatic detection and voxel-wise mapping of lumbar spine Modic changes with deep learning.
  JOR spine 2022 Gao KT, Tibrewala R, Hess M, Bharadwaj UU, Inamdar G, Link TM, Chin CT, Pedoia V, Majumdar S
• Institution-wide shape analysis of 3D spinal curvature and global alignment parameters.
  Journal of orthopaedic research : official publication of the Orthopaedic Research Society 2021 Iriondo C, Mehany S, Shah R, Bharadwaj U, Bahroos E, Chin C, Diab M, Pedoia V, Majumdar S
• Cerebrospinal Fluid-Venous Fistulas: A Systematic Review and Examination of Individual Patient Data.
  Neurosurgery 2021 Shlobin NA, Shah VN, Chin CT, Dillon WP, Tan LA
• Diagnostic Challenges in Primary Sacral Tumors and the Yield of Computed Tomography-Guided Needle Biopsy in the Modern Era.
  World neurosurgery 2020 Safaee MM, Carrera DA, Chin CT, Mashhood A, Eisenmenger L, Liang NE, Lewis KM, Chou D, Ames CP, Weinstein PR
• Diagnostic Performance of CT-Guided Bone Biopsies in Patients with Suspected Osteomyelitis of the Appendicular and Axial Skeleton with a Focus on Clinical and Technical Factors Associated with Positive Microbiology Culture Results.
  Journal of vascular and interventional radiology : JVIR 2020 Schirò S, Foreman SC, Bucknor M, Chin CT, Joseph GB, Link TM
• Neuroglial stem cell-derived inflammatory pseudotumor (n-SCIPT): clinicopathologic characterization of a novel lesion of the lumbosacral spinal cord and nerve roots following intrathecal allogeneic stem cell intervention.
  Acta neuropathologica 2019 Sloan EA, Sampognaro PJ, Junn JC, Chin C, Jacques L, Ramachandran PS, DeRisi JL, Wilson MR, Kriegstein AR, Bollen AW, Solomon DA, Margeta M, Engstrom JW
• Venous vascular malformations and compressive neuropathy.
  Interdisciplinary Neurosurgery 2019 Beata Durcanova, Alvin Y. Chan, Joeseph A. Osorio, Cynthia Chin, Sean P. Ferris, Andrew W. Bollen, Line Jacques
• Schwannomatosis of the Spinal Accessory Nerve: A Case Report.
  Journal of brachial plexus and peripheral nerve injury 2019 Morshed RA, Lee AT, Lee YM, Chin CT, Jacques L
• Imaging-Based Approach to Extradural Infections of the Spine.
  Seminars in ultrasound, CT, and MR 2018 Talbott JF, Shah VN, Uzelac A, Narvid J, Dumont RA, Chin CT, Wilson DM
• Clinical Utility of Diffusion-Weighted Imaging in Spinal Infections.
  Clinical neuroradiology 2018 Dumont RA, Keen NN, Bloomer CW, Schwartz BS, Talbott J, Clark AJ, Wilson DM, Chin CT
• Large Cervical Vagus Nerve Tumor in a Patient with Neurofibromatosis Type 1 Treated with Gross Total Resection: Case Report and Review of the Literature.
  Journal of brachial plexus and peripheral nerve injury 2016 Bray DP, Chan AK, Chin CT, Jacques L
• Neurological outcomes and surgical complications in 221 spinal nerve sheath tumors.
  Journal of neurosurgery. Spine 2016 Safaee MM, Lyon R, Barbaro NM, Chou D, Mummaneni PV, Weinstein PR, Chin CT, Tihan T, Ames CP
• Magnetic resonance neurography in the diagnosis of neuropathies of the lumbosacral plexus: a pictorial review.
  Clinical imaging 2016 Robbins NM, Shah V, Benedetti N, Talbott JF, Chin CT, Douglas VC
• An Imaging-Based Approach to Spinal Cord Infection.
  Seminars in ultrasound, CT, and MR 2016 Talbott JF, Narvid J, Chazen JL, Chin CT, Shah V
• Peripheral nerve imaging.
  Handbook of clinical neurology 2016 Simon NG, Talbott J, Chin CT, Kliot M
• Microsurgical Fenestration and Paraspinal Muscle Pedicle Flaps for the Treatment of Symptomatic Sacral Tarlov Cysts.
  World neurosurgery 2015 Potts MB, McGrath MH, Chin CT, Garcia RM, Weinstein PR
• Neurogenic thoracic outlet syndrome: current diagnostic criteria and advances in MRI diagnostics.
  Neurosurgical focus 2015 Magill ST, Brus-Ramer M, Weinstein PR, Chin CT, Jacques L
• Visualization of nerve fibers and their relationship to peripheral nerve tumors by diffusion tensor imaging.
  Neurosurgical focus 2015 Cage TA, Yuh EL, Hou SW, Birk H, Simon NG, Noss R, Rao A, Chin CT, Kliot M
• MR Imaging of the Lumbosacral Plexus: A Review of Techniques and Pathologies.
  Journal of neuroimaging : official journal of the American Society of Neuroimaging 2015 Neufeld EA, Shen PY, Nidecker AE, Runner G, Bateni C, Tse G, Chin C
• Ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament of the cervical spine in 3161 patients: a CT-based study.
  Spine 2015 Fujimori T, Le H, Hu SS, Chin C, Pekmezci M, Schairer W, Tay BK, Hamasaki T, Yoshikawa H, Iwasaki M
• Visualizing axon regeneration after peripheral nerve injury with magnetic resonance tractography.
  Neurology 2014 Simon NG, Narvid J, Cage T, Banerjee S, Ralph JW, Engstrom JW, Kliot M, Chin C
• A comparison of ultrasonographic and electrophysiologic 'inching' in ulnar neuropathy at the elbow.
  Clinical neurophysiology : official journal of the International Federation of Clinical Neurophysiology 2014 Simon NG, Ralph JW, Poncelet AN, Engstrom JW, Chin C, Kliot M
• Magnetic resonance neurography evaluation of chronic extraspinal sciatica after remote proximal hamstring injury: a preliminary retrospective analysis.
  Journal of neurosurgery 2014 Bucknor MD, Steinbach LS, Saloner D, Chin CT
• 5. Segmental changes in ulnar nerve ultrasound across the elbow and their pathophysiological significance in ulnar neuropathy.
  Clinical Neurophysiology 2014 Neil G. Simon, Jeffrey W. Ralph, Ann Poncelet, John W. Engstrom, Cynthia Chin, Michel Kliot
• High-resolution ultrasonography and diffusion tensor tractography map normal nerve fascicles in relation to schwannoma tissue prior to resection.
  Journal of neurosurgery 2014 Simon NG, Cage T, Narvid J, Noss R, Chin C, Kliot M
• Standardization and optimization of CT protocols to achieve low dose.
  Journal of the American College of Radiology : JACR 2014 Trattner S, Pearson GDN, Chin C, Cody DD, Gupta R, Hess CP, Kalra MK, Kofler JM, Krishnam MS, Einstein AJ
• Sonographic diagnosis of true neurogenic thoracic outlet syndrome.
  Neurology 2013 Simon NG, Ralph JW, Chin C, Kliot M
• Utility of MRI in spinal arteriovenous fistula.
  Neurology 2012 Toossi S, Josephson SA, Hetts SW, Chin CT, Kralik S, Jun P, Douglas VC
• Avoidance of wrong-level thoracic spine surgery: intraoperative localization with preoperative percutaneous fiducial screw placement.
  Journal of neurosurgery. Spine 2011 Upadhyaya CD, Wu JC, Chin CT, Balamurali G, Mummaneni PV
• Reducing patient radiation dose during CT-guided procedures: demonstration in spinal injections for pain.
  AJNR. American journal of neuroradiology 2011 Shepherd TM, Hess CP, Chin CT, Gould R, Dillon WP
• Diagnosing ulnar neuropathy at the elbow using magnetic resonance neurography.
  Skeletal radiology 2011 Keen NN, Chin CT, Engstrom JW, Saloner D, Steinbach LS
• CT-guided biopsy of bone and soft-tissue lesions: role of on-site immediate cytologic evaluation.
  Journal of vascular and interventional radiology : JVIR 2011 Virayavanich W, Ringler MD, Chin CT, Baum T, Giaconi JC, O'Donnell RJ, Horvai AE, Jones KD, Link TM
• Reduced field-of-view diffusion imaging of the human spinal cord: comparison with conventional single-shot echo-planar imaging.
  AJNR. American journal of neuroradiology 2011 Zaharchuk G, Saritas EU, Andre JB, Chin CT, Rosenberg J, Brosnan TJ, Shankaranarayan A, Nishimura DG, Fischbein NJ
• CHAPTER 22 Imaging Preparation for Surgery.
  Imaging of the Spine 2011 Cynthia T. Chin
• Spine and spinal cord emergencies: vascular and infectious causes.
  Neuroimaging clinics of North America 2010 Wang VY, Chou D, Chin C
• Heterogeneous patterns of tissue injury in NARP syndrome.
  Journal of neurology 2010 Gelfand JM, Duncan JL, Racine CA, Gillum LA, Chin CT, Zhang Y, Zhang Q, Wong LJ, Roorda A, Green AJ
• Free-hand thoracic pedicle screws placed by neurosurgery residents: a CT analysis.
  European spine journal : official publication of the European Spine Society, the European Spinal Deformity Society, and the European Section of the Cervical Spine Research Society 2010 Wang VY, Chin CT, Lu DC, Smith JS, Chou D
• Magnetic resonance neurography for the evaluation of peripheral nerve, brachial plexus, and nerve root disorders.
  Journal of neurosurgery 2010 Du R, Auguste KI, Chin CT, Engstrom JW, Weinstein PR
• Magnetic Resonance Neurography.
  Nerve and Vascular Injuries in Sports Medicine 2009 Cynthia T. Chin
• Stereotactic body radiotherapy is effective salvage therapy for patients with prior radiation of spinal metastases.
  International journal of radiation oncology, biology, physics 2008 Sahgal A, Ames C, Chou D, Ma L, Huang K, Xu W, Chin C, Weinberg V, Chuang C, Weinstein P, Larson DA
• Thoracoscopic lobectomy: report on safety, discharge independence, pain, and chemotherapy tolerance.
  The Journal of thoracic and cardiovascular surgery 2008 Nicastri DG, Wisnivesky JP, Litle VR, Yun J, Chin C, Dembitzer FR, Swanson SJ
• CHAPTER 84 Percutaneous Discectomy.
  2008 Conor W. O'Neill, John Carrino, Cynthia Chin
• Comprehensive management of symptomatic and aggressive vertebral hemangiomas.
  Neurosurgery clinics of North America 2008 Acosta FL, Sanai N, Chi JH, Dowd CF, Chin C, Tihan T, Chou D, Weinstein PR, Ames CP
• Magnetic resonance neurography in children with birth-related brachial plexus injury.
  Pediatric radiology 2007 Smith AB, Gupta N, Strober J, Chin C
• Proximity of Spinous/Paraspinous Radiosurgery Metastatic Targets to the Spinal Cord Versus Risk of Local Failure.
  International Journal of Radiation Oncology • Biology • Physics 2007 A. Sahgal, D. Chou, C. Ames, L. Ma, C. Chuang, K. Lamborn, K. Huang, C.T. Chin, P. Weinstein, D. Larson
• The axillary incision: a cosmetic approach in congenital cardiac surgery.
  The Journal of thoracic and cardiovascular surgery 2007 Nguyen K, Chin C, Lee DS, Mittnacht A, Srivastava S, Umesh J, Walker S, Adams D
• Intracranial hypotension caused by leakage of cerebrospinal fluid from the thecal sac after lumboperitoneal shunt placement. Case report.
  Journal of neurosurgery 2007 Liao YJ, Dillon WP, Chin CT, McDermott MW, Horton JC
• Spontaneous regression of a discal cyst. Case report.
  Journal of neurosurgery. Spine 2007 Chou D, Smith JS, Chin CT
• Magnetic resonance neurography in extraspinal sciatica.
  Archives of neurology 2006 Lewis AM, Layzer R, Engstrom JW, Barbaro NM, Chin CT
• Expandable cylindrical cages in the cervical spine: a review of 22 cases.
  Journal of neurosurgery. Spine 2006 Auguste KI, Chin C, Acosta FL, Ames CP
• Current treatment strategies and outcomes in the management of symptomatic vertebral hemangiomas.
  Neurosurgery 2006 Acosta FL, Dowd CF, Chin C, Tihan T, Ames CP, Weinstein PR
• Acute pathological laughter.
  Movement disorders : official journal of the Movement Disorder Society 2005 Okuda DT, Chyung AS, Chin CT, Waubant E
• Frameless stereotactic image-guided C1-C2 transarticular screw fixation for atlantoaxial instability: review of 20 patients.
  Journal of spinal disorders & techniques 2005 Acosta FL, Quinones-Hinojosa A, Gadkary CA, Schmidt MH, Chin CT, Ames CP, Rosenberg WS, Weinstein P
• P65. Clinical and radiographic outcomes as a function of number of levels decompressed with laminotomy for patients with acquired lumbar stenosis.
  The Spine Journal 2005 Frank Acosta, Samantha Piper, Cynthia Chin, Philip Weinstein
• Diagnosis and management of adult pyogenic osteomyelitis of the cervical spine.
  Neurosurgical focus 2004 Acosta FL, Chin CT, Quiñones-Hinojosa A, Ames CP, Weinstein PR, Chou D
• Percutaneous plasma decompression alters cytokine expression in injured porcine intervertebral discs.
  The spine journal : official journal of the North American Spine Society 2004 O'Neill CW, Liu JJ, Leibenberg E, Hu SS, Deviren V, Tay BK, Chin CT, Lotz JC
• Brain lesion volume and neuropsychological function predict efficacy of treatment for depression in multiple sclerosis.
  Journal of consulting and clinical psychology 2003 Mohr DC, Epstein L, Luks TL, Goodkin D, Cox D, Goldberg A, Chin C, Nelson S
• Spine imaging.
  Seminars in neurology 2002 Chin CT
• Chapter 11 Brain and Spinal Cord Tumors.
  Oncologic Imaging 2002 Cynthia T. Chin, Susan Chang, William P. Dillon
• Pediatric Chiari I malformations: do clinical and radiologic features correlate?
  Neurology 1999 Wu YW, Chin CT, Chan KM, Barkovich AJ, Ferriero DM
• Usefulness of contrast material in MR of patients with neurofibromatosis type 1.
  AJNR. American journal of neuroradiology 1998 Bonawitz C, Castillo M, Chin CT, Mukherji SK, Barkovich AJ
• Gallbladder nonvisualization with pericholecystic rim sign: morphine-augmentation optimizes diagnosis of acute cholecystitis.
  Journal of nuclear medicine : official publication, Society of Nuclear Medicine 1996 Oates E, Selland DL, Chin CT, Achong DM
• Images in clinical medicine. Corticosteroid osteonecrosis.
  The New England journal of medicine 1995 Chin CT, Sarno RC