Dr Akanksha Sharma, MD
Dr Sharma is a triple board certified neurologist, neuro-oncologist and palliative care specialist with a passion for helping her patients maximize quality AND quantity of life.
Dr Sharma treats all cancers that find their way to the brain - this includes primary brain tumors such as glioma, glioblastoma, meningioma, and rare entities such as chordoma, as well as metastatic cancer to the brain and surrounding fluid (leptomeningeal disease). She has a special interest in neurological complications of cancer and cancer treatment including radiation related toxicity and immunotherapy side effects. Dr Sharma also treats primary CNS lymphoma as well as paraneoplastic disorders.
She believes in providing person centered care, focusing not on the disease but on the person living with the disease, and working together as a team with the individual and their loved ones to come up with a plan of care that best suits their needs. This might mean managing difficult symptoms, navigating the healthcare system, preparing for the future, coordinating care, or translating the overwhelming language of illness or healthcare.
Dr Sharma believes strongly that knowledge and education is empowering, especially when going through serious illness, and strives to give patients the time they need to understand their disease process.
You can learn about palliative care and how Dr Sharma might be able to help you on your journey here.
Education
Associate Program, Marriage and Family Therapy: Hong Kong University
Medical School: University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center
Internship (Internal Medicine): University of Washington Medical Center
Residency (Neurology) - Chief Resident: University of Washington Medical Center
Fellowship (Neuro-Oncology): Mayo Clinic Arizona
Fellowship (Hospice & Palliative Medicine): University of Washington Medical Center
Dr Sharma maintains board certifications in neurology through the ABPN, in neuro-oncology through the UCNS, and in hospice and palliative medicine through the ABIM.
Experience
Dr Sharma has previously worked as a neurohospitalist at various hospitals in Washington and Arizona. She then started at Pacific Neuroscience Institute (PNI) and Saint John’s Cancer Institute (SJCI) as a neurologist and neuro-oncologist and Assistant Professor of Neurosciences. In this role, she provided both inpatient and outpatient neuro-oncological care at Providence Saint John’s Medical Center. She also started a unique, first of its kind, neuro-oncology outpatient palliative care clinic at PNI. Over the years, she focused on creating supportive care programming that prioritized the patient and care partner experience, including an annual Brain Tumor Awareness Month experience and virtual support groups as well as educational resources and programming. The focus was always on creating a program that prioritized person-centered care. She also continued research in both neuro-oncology (via clinical trials) and neuropalliative care. She was named Director of the Neuro-Oncology Research program at PNI/SJCI in January 2024, a role she continued till her departure from the practice in February 2025. Dr Sharma was promoted to Associate Professor in December 2024.
In September 2025, Dr Sharma was named the Clinical and Research Director of Neuro Oncology for the Sutter Health system. In this role she is leading the development of a patient-centric program that will focus on providing goal concordant, personalized, high quality and innovative neuro oncological care. To make an appointment please call 415.600.3686.
You can read more about her research work and education efforts in the Portfolio section.
Professional Societies, Leadership, Outreach
Dr Sharma is an active member of the Society of Neuro Oncology (SNO), American Academy of Neurology (AAN), American Association of Hospice and Palliative Medicine (AAHPM), International NeuroPalliative Care Society (INPCS) and American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO). She has served on various committees throughout these groups including serving as Vice Chair of the AAN section on neuropalliative care and co-leading the mentorship subcommittee in SNO, as well as co-leading the palliative care working group in the AAN neuro-oncology section. She has recently been named to serve as an editor for the journal Neuro Oncology Practice.
Dr Sharma has served as a Quality of Life advisor for the National Brain Tumor Society, and on their grant committee. She has been active in the American Brain Tumor Association’s efforts as a member of the LA 5K Host Committee and as of 2025 serves on the Clinical Advisory Committee.
Dr Sharma is a strong believer in diversity and equity, and has noted throughout her training the significant disparities in healthcare. She is a proud Advisory Board member and Mentor for ElevateMed, a 501c3 non-profit organization aimed to increase the representation of underrepresented physicians in the healthcare system.
Selected Honors and Awards
Saint John’s Cancer Institute Mission Spirit Award (Q2)
Society of Neuro-Oncology Future Leaders Program – Inaugural Cohort
International NeuroPalliative Care Society NeuroCARES Travel Award
Castle Connolly Top Doctors of Los Angeles - Rising Star Award in 2024, Top Doctors Award in 2025
University of Washington Medical Center CARES Award, 2017
Dr. Alexander M. Spence Award for Dedication in Patient Care, 2016