CNS FALL CONFERENCE 2024:
Crossroads in NeuroRheumatology
SPEAKER PROFILES
AND
DISCLOSURES
Hosted Program Speakers
Claudia A. Chiriboga, MD
is a professor of Neurology and Pediatrics at CUIMC and former Interim Director of the Division of Child Neurology, Departments of Neurology and Pediatrics, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons. She is also former Chief of Pediatric Neurology at Columbia University’s affiliate hospital, Harlem Hospital Center. Dr. Chiriboga graduated with Honors from the Faculty of Medicine at the National University of Buenos Aires in 1982. She completed training in pediatrics at St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital in 1985. After completing her training in child neurology in 1988 at the Neurological Institute and Babies Hospital of Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center, Dr. Chiriboga joined the Division of Child Neurology at NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia University Irving Medical Center. Subsequently, she completed a Neuroepidemiology fellowship at the Gertrude H. Sergievsky Center and received an MPH fro, Columbia University. Dr. Chiriboga serves/has served on committees of the NIH, CNS, and ABPN. Dr. Chiriboga's current research focuses on Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) clinical trials. Her clinical practice focuses on neuromuscular disorders as well as developmental, neurobehavioral neurology, and migraine, and on the treatment of spasticity.
Maria Cristina Ospina M.D., M.B.A
is a movement disorders neurologist in private practice in Phoenix, Arizona. She received her medical training from St. George’s University School of Medicine and has been in practice for more than 20 years. During her medical career, Dr. Ospina has been active in medical research, participating in several NIH and pharmaceutical sponsored clinical trials. She has served as an investigator in the Parkinson Study Group as well as an invited speaker on a variety of topics related to movement disorders. She is trained in both the administration of botulinum toxin for dystonia and the use of Deep Brain Stimulation. She believes in utilizing complementary modalities in Parkinson’s care and is an advocate for exercise to improve gait, flexibility and mood.
Michael Pulley MD, PhD
is a professor of Neurology at the University of Florida and a neurologist at the UF Health Neuroscience Institute specializing in clinical neurophysiology, multiple sclerosis, and neuromuscular medicine. Dr. Pulley received his medical degree from the University of Maryland School of Medicine in Baltimore, Marland. He completed his residency training in Neurology at Duke University Hospital in Durham, North Carolina in 1997, as well as fellowship training in clinical neurophysiology at the John Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore in 1998. Dr. Pulley has over 20 years of experience as a board-certified neurologist and clinical neurophysiologist.
Khashayar Dashtipour, MD, PhD
is a board-certified neurologist subspecializing in movement disorders such as Parkinson’s Disease, tremor, dystonia, restless legs syndrome, Huntington’s Disease, Tardive Dyskinesia, and Spasticity. Dr. Dashtipour is an Associate Professor of Neurology and Basic Sciences and serves as the Director of the Division of Movement Disorders at Loma Linda University. Dr. Dashtipour received his medical degree from the Università Politecnica delle Marche Facoltà di Medicina e Chirurgia, followed by a neurology residency at the Keck Hospital of USC and at Southern Illinois University School of Medicine. He has been the principal investigator or sub-investigator of over 40 clinical trials. In addition, he is an active member of the Parkinson Study Group, The American Academy of Neurology, and the Movement Disorders Society. Since 2017, he has served on the Movement Disorders Society CME Committee. A focus of Dr. Dashtipour’s research has been about lifestyle modification in Parkinson’s disease, finding a biomarker for Parkinson’s disease, and developing new medications for managing movement disorders.
Chay Bae, DO
Dr. Chay Bae is a rheumatologist practicing at Memorial Care Medical Group in Southern California. Dr. Bae earned his bachelor's of science at UC San Diego and medical degree from Western University of Health Sciences. He completed a residency in internal medicine at the University of Connecticut and fellowship in rheumatology at UC Irvine. He is currently serving as a committee member of the American College of Rheumatology tasked with developing ultrasound guidelines for psoriatic arthritis
Jeff Bronstein, MD, PhD
Dr. Jeff Bronstein received his bachelor’s degree from the University of California, Berkeley and MD and Ph.D. from UCLA as a recipient of the Medical Scientist Training
Program Award. He completed a residency in Neurology and fellowship training in Movement Disorders at UCLA and at Queens Square in London. Dr. Bronstein also completed a postdoctoral fellowship in molecular biology before being appointed Director of the Movement Disorders Program at UCLA in 1996. Professor of Neurology in 2006, and Professor of Molecular Toxicology in 2007. He directs a Wilson’s Disease Association Center of Excellence and a basic science laboratory investigating the causes of Parkinson’s disease (environmental and genetic) using cell and zebrafish models as well as population-based studies. His clinical interests include the medical and surgical management of Parkinson’s disease, Wilson’s disease and other movement disorders. Dr. Bronstein active research program includes clinical trials to develop new therapies. He was recently awarded one of 6 National Parkinson’s Disease Centers at the Veterans Administration Medical Center with the goal of furthering research, education and clinical care in the Southwest US. He has received several awards and is widely published in the field, with publications more than 129.
Thomas Cesario, MD, MACP
Dr. Thomas Cesario is an Emeritus Professor of Medicine at the University of California, Irvine. He is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin and the University of Wisconsin Medical School. He completed his residency at the Harvard Service of the Boston City Hospital and completed a Fellowship in Infectious Diseases at that hospital and the University of California Irvine. Dr. Cesario spent two years at the National Center for Disease Control where he was stationed at the Kansas City Field Station. After completing his training, he was appointed assistant professor of medicine at UCI and then progressed through the ranks to become full professor. He has held a number of administrative positions at that institution including the Directorship of the Geriatrics program, the Chair of the Department of Medicine, and Dean of the School of Medicine. He held the latter position for twelve years. He has also been active in research having published over 100 peer reviewed papers as well as a number of book chapters and other publications. He has served on national committees for granting agencies as well as spending eight years on the Board of the National Residency Match program. He is a Master of the American College of Physicians and a Fellow of the Infectious Diseases Society of America.
Robert I. Fox, MD, PhD
Dr. Robert Fox graduated from the Honors College of the University of Michigan summa cum laude in Biophysics. Dr. Fox then attended the combined MD-Ph.D. program at Harvard Medical School with my Ph.D. in molecular biology. He spent ten years at Stanford doing in house staff training, rheumatology fellowship, and faculty. He then moved to Scripps Research Foundation, where he split his time between basic science and clinical practice. Dr. Fox was named as a Skaggs Distinguished Fellow by the Research Institute for running the general clinical research center, setting up the monoclonal antibody center, and developing the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and flow cytometry facility. He was also named as the Broadhurst Distinguished Alumni of Harvard Medical School. He has always focused on Sjogren’s disease because it links autoimmunity and neural circuity and still has no adequate therapies.
Mariko L. Ishimori, MD
Dr. Mariko Ishimori is an Assistant Professor at Cedars-Sinai in Medicine and Rheumatology. Program Director of Rheumatology Fellowship and Associate Director of Clinical and Translational Research Center (CTRC) at Cedars-Sinai, Medicine. She graduated from Stanford University in Biology, and graduated from New York Medical college. She completed her both residency and fellowship in Cedars Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles.
Dr. Ishimori's scientific endeavors have been mainly focused in the study of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and hand osteoarthritis (HOA) in designing, recruiting and conducting clinical translational studies in SLE and HOA. In SLE, Dr. Ishimori has successfully collaborated with investigators at multiple academic medical centers nationally, studying patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and their first-degree relatives to study risk factors associated with antibody development, progression to disease and disease manifestations.
Yasir N. Jassam, MD, FRCP, FAAN
Yasir Jassam, M.D., F.R.C.P., F.A.A.N., is an internationally recognized neurologist and a neuroimmunologist with a focus on autoimmune neurological and neuroinflammatory disorders such as multiple sclerosis, neuromyelitis optica, autoimmune encephalitis, transverse myelitis, optic neuritis, CNS vasculitis, neuro-sarcoidosis and others. He also has interest in medical myelopathies and non-surgical disorders of the spinal cord.
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Board-certified by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology, Dr. Jassam is an elected Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow, the Royal College of Physicians of London, and the American Academy of Neurology. After graduating from medical school, Dr. Jassam received postgraduate training in both internal medicine and neurology at Cambridge University Hospitals in the United Kingdom. He also earned the Membership of the Royal College of Physicians of the UK and a diploma in neuroimaging for research from the University of Edinburgh.
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After moving to the U.S., Dr. Jassam completed neurology residency training at Tufts University in Boston, where he also served as a chief resident in neurology. He then completed a clinical fellowship in neuroimmunology at the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, part of the National Institutes of Health. He currently serves as director of the Multiple Sclerosis & Neuroimmunology Program within Hoag’s Pickup Family Neurosciences Institute and chair of Hoag’s department of neurology and psychiatry.
Mary Karalius, MD
Dr. Mary Karalius is an Assistant Professor in Clinical Neurology, specializing in Child Neurology and Neuroimmunology/Multiple Sclerosis, at the University of California, San Francisco. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Biophysics from Duke University and her MD from the Mayo Clinic. Following this, she completed her pediatric neurology residency and MS and Neuroimmunology Fellowship at UCSF. Dr. Karalius is committed to providing care for children affected by pediatric neuroinflammatory disorders. Her research interests focus on utilizing host transcriptomics to distinguish between pediatric autoimmune and infectious encephalitis, of which she has been awarded funding through the NINDS Child Neurology Career Development Program K12 to further this research over the coming years. Dr. Karalius aims to eventually broaden the application of this technology to enhance the care of children with various neuroinflammatory conditions.
Tanaz A. Kermani, MD, MS, FACP
Dr. Tanaz Kermani is an internationally recognized vasculitis expert and Clinical Professor in the Division of Rheumatology at University of California Los Angeles. She completed her residency and rheumatology fellowship at Mayo Clinic followed by an additional 2 years of vasculitis training as part of the NIH-sponsored Vasculitis Clinical Research Consortium. She is the Founder and Director of the multi-disciplinary UCLA Vasculitis Program. She is a full-time clinician but remains very productive academically. She has active research projects which include international collaborative efforts in vasculitis. Her primary research interest is in large-vessel vasculitis where she has published extensively.
Sami L. Khella, MD
Sami Khella is an Attending Physician at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Chief of the Department of Neurology at the Penn Presbyterian Medical Center, and Professor of Clinical Neurology at the University of Pennsylvania. He co-founded the Penn Amyloidosis Center, one of the largest multidisciplinary programs in the United States treating patients with hereditary and acquired amyloidosis. He participates in clinical trials on amyloidosis, myasthenia gravis, chronic inflammatory polyneuropathy and guillain barre syndrome.
Christopher Lock, MD, PhD
Dr. Christopher Lock is a Clinical Associate Professor in the Department Neurology & Neurological Sciences at Stanford University. He also serves as the Clinical Trials Director for Stanford Multiple Sclerosis and Neuroimmunology program. He received his medical education from the Westminster Medical School in the U.K. He went onto complete his internship in Internal Medicine followed by a Neurology residency at Stanford University. He then went on to complete a Neuroimmunology and Multiple Sclerosis Fellowship at Stanford University. From 2016 -2017 he served as a member of the SHC Pharmacy and Therapeutics Specialty Drug Sub-Committee and is also a current member of the American Academy of Neurology. He has received numerous awards such as the Barry Prize, Associate of King’s college Exam at King’s College, London and the Clinician Scientist award from the National Multiple Sclerosis Society (1997-2000).
Samir P. Macwan, MD
Dr. Samir Macwan served as a section chief of Neurology at Eisenhower Medical Center between 2012 to 2015. He is Board Certified in Neuromuscular Medicine and Neurology.
Prior to completing an Internal Medicine internship at New York Medical College Dr. Macwan did a research fellowship in Headache/Cranial Neuralgia at University of Southern California. He performed a Neurology residency and Clinical Neurophysiology fellowship at University of Kansas Medical Center. He has been trained under internationally acclaimed neuromuscular expert Dr. Richard Barohn.
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He has been practicing Neuromuscular Medicine in the Greater Palm Springs area for 10 years. He is a member of MG care as well as speaker at the national meeting of Myasthenia Gravis Foundation of America. He is also an advisory board member of Myasthenia Gravis Foundation of California. He is involved in clinical trials in patients with Myasthenia Gravis and Immune Mediated Polyneuropathies. Dr. Macwan moderates and speaks at support groups for MG patients and caregivers.
Shalini Mahajan, MD, FAAN
Shalini Mahajan, MD, FAAN obtained her MD degree from University of Delhi, India. She completed her Neurology residency at USC and then completed two fellowships in Neuromuscular Medicine-first fellowship at USC and the second fellowship at UCLA. Both fellowships, focusing on neuromuscular pathology and in neuro-electro diagnostics.
Dr. Mahajan has three Board certifications- in Neurology, in Neuromuscular Medicine and in Clinical Neuromuscular Pathology. She is currently serving on the UCNS Board Exam committee for the Neuromuscular Pathology Boards. Her focus of interest is autoimmune neuromuscular diseases, specifically myositis. Thus, she works closely with her rheumatology colleagues at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, California.
Adys Mendizabal, MD, MS
Adys Mendizabal is an assistant professor in the Department of Neurology at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). She earned a Bachelor of Science in Psychobiology from the University of Miami and completed medical school at the Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University. While in medical school, she also earned a Master of Arts in Urban Bioethics, focusing on social determinants of health in urban communities. She completed her neurology residency at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania and movement disorders fellowship at UCLA. She also completed a Master of Science in Health Policy and Management from the Fielding School of Public Health at UCLA.
Dr. Mendizabal's research focuses on health services in neurology. Dr. Mendizabal’s current research ooks at racial and ethnic disparities in Huntington’s Disease (HD), a rare progressive neurogenetic condition. She’s also developing projects improving sociodemographic data collection in HD, with the goal of understanding how minoritized groups with HD access specialized care, and with the ultimate goal to ensure equitable access to specialized care for HD and other neurological disorders. She hopes to use these methods to enhance the study of health services in other rare genetic conditions. In addition to research on Huntington’s Disease, her work also looks at the relationship between Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and healthcare outcomes in adults with neurological diseases.
In addition to her research work, she is actively involved in health equity efforts at UCLA and nationally. She's a member of the American Neurological Association (ANA) inclusion, diversity, equity, anti-racism, and social justice committee (IDEAS), has implemented neurology residency health equity curriculums at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania and UCLA, and currently serves as the faculty lead for the EDI-Advocacy neurology residency educational track.
Mark Morrow, MD
Mark Morrow, MD is a neurologist with Montage Medical Group. He was born and raised in Massachusetts and attended the combined undergraduate/medical school program at Boston University. He is board-certified in neurology by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology. Dr. Morrow interned at Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center, then completed his neurology residency at UCLA Medical Center. Dr. Morrow spent three years as a clinical and research fellow in neuro-ophthalmology at the University of Toronto. He served as chief of neurology at Olive View-UCLA Medical Center in Sylmar, Calif., and as associate director of the Multiple Sclerosis Center at Providence St. Vincent Medical Center in Portland, Ore. Most recently, Dr. Morrow served as chairman and residency program director at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, Torrance, Calif., and as clinical professor of neurology at the David Geffen (UCLA) School of Medicine. Dr. Morrow’s expertise is in problems of vision and eye movement, dizziness and balance disorders, and conditions like MS and NMOSD.
Rodrigo Rodriguez Jr., MD
Dr. Rodriguez completed his Neurology training in 1996 at LAC + USC Medical Center. This training was followed by a fellowship in Clinical Neurophysiology with an emphasis on treatment of neuromuscular disease. Following fellowship training Dr. Rodriguez worked for Kaiser Permanente Medical Group. During his 24-year tenure with Kaiser Permanente, Dr. Rodriguez was actively involved in multiple medical education committees and actively worked on developing treatment protocols for Kaiser Permanente members afflicted with neurological disease. In 2019, Dr. Rodriguez came back to Keck School of Medicine of USC and joined the neuromuscular division of the Keck Neurology Department. He actively treats patients afflicted with neuromuscular disease. Additionally, Dr. Rodriguez is actively involved in clinical research trials geared towards improving outcomes in patients suffering from ALS, MG and other inflammatory neuromuscular conditions as well as well as Stiff Person Syndrome. In addition to his academic work at Keck School of Medicine, Dr. Rodriguez is the current President of the Los Angeles Neurological Society.
George Sarka, MD, DrPH, MPH
George Sarka MD, DrPH, MPH is the Director of the CME Committee at Memorial Care, Saddleback Medical Hospital (2021-2024); Current Secretary of the CNS (2018-2024); Chair of the Medical History Division of the CNS; Past President of the CNS (2015-2016); Past Governor of the ACP (2008-2012); Past President of the LANS (2006-2009);Past President of the LACMA-District 1(2006-2008); and Former Associate Clinical Professor at UCLA (2007-2023). He is currently an Attending Staff in Rheumatology and Chair of the CME Committee at CSMC; a Neurologist at Memorial Care Saddleback Medical Center; and an Internist and Multispecialist/Public Health Specialist at CSUN. He received his MDCM from McGill University in 1980; MPH and DrPH from UCLA in 2003/2013; Internship and Residency in Internal Medicine at the Medical College of Wisconsin Affiliated Hospitals (1980-1983); Fellowship in Rheumatology at LSU (1983-1985); second Residency in Neurology at LAC-USC (1985-1988). He has given over 1100 lectures on a plethora of medical/historical topics and is a diplomate in 10 subspecialties including Neurology and Rheumatology.
Perry B. Shieh, MD, PhD
Dr. Perry Shieh is Professor of Neurology at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. He received his MD and his PhD in Neuroscience from the Johns Hopkins University, his residency training in neurology at Stanford University Hospital and fellowship training in clinical neurophysiology/EMG at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. Dr. Shieh’s principal clinical interests include muscular dystrophy, spinal muscular atrophy, inflammatory myopathy, myasthenia gravis, electromyography, and muscle histopathology. He has served as an investigator in numerous clinical trials for neuromuscular conditions and has a particular interest in gene therapy.
Stuart Silverman, MD
Stuart Silverman, MD was born in Chicago Illinois He graduated from Princeton University cum laude in biology with an interest in art history and biochemistry. He received his M.D and Johns Hopkins in 1973 was an intern and resident at University Hospital in Boston and was a rheumatology fellow at Boston University. Following his rheumatology fellowship he was a Thorndike research fellow.
He is board-certified in internal medicine, rheumatology and allergy immunology He has served as a lectured in rheumatology at Tufts University, Assistant Professor at University of Pennsylvania and is currently Clinical Professor of Medicine at University of California Los Angeles, David Geffen school of medicine and at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. He has served as acting chief of rheumatology at greater Los Angeles VA Medical Center. Dr. Silverman has a special interest in fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, myofascial pain syndrome, osteoporosis and bone disease. He is medical director of the OMC clinical research Center, a nonprofit public benefit Corporation with a mission of bringing cutting edge research and education to community. The OMC works with multiple academic Medical Centers nationally to run clinical trials for patients with fibromyalgia, osteoporosis, woman’s health, osteoarthritis.
Dr. Silverman lectures internationally, nationally and regionally on fibromyalgia and bone disease. He is a member of the council of scientific advisors of the international osteoporosis Foundation, he represents the American Society of Bone and Mineral Research to the Interspecialty Council of the National Osteoporosis Foundation and is a member of the NBHA working group on the efficacy and effectiveness of osteoporosis therapies. He has served on a task force to improve secondary fracture prevention for The Joint Commission.
Jose Soria, MD
Jose Soria, MD is a board certified Neurologist, Alzheimer’s disease expert, and cognitive impairment specialist at The Neuron Clinic (TNC). He is the chief medical officer and director of the memory and brain health program. He completed his undergraduate studies in Biological Sciences at Florida International University in Miami, Florida and obtained his Medical Degree from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore, Maryland. He completed neurology residency training at University of California San Diego (UCSD) and neurology fellowship with a focus on memory and neurodegenerative diseases at VA San Diego Healthcare System. Before joining TNC he was assistant clinical professor at the University of California San Diego. His research interests include evaluating biomarkers of cognitive decline. He enjoys hiking and traveling with family and friends.
R. Swamy Venuturupalli, MD
Dr. Swamy Venuturupalli is a visionary leader in the field of rheumatology and the founder of Attune Health. After earning his medical degree from Topiwala National Medical College in Mumbai, India, he honed his skills as Resident and Chief Resident at the Upstate Medical University in Syracuse, New York. He went on to complete a prestigious Rheumatology fellowship at the UCLA-Olive View Medical Center program, where he also conducted groundbreaking research on complementary and alternative medicine.
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As a leading clinical research investigator for autoimmune and inflammatory diseases, including Lupus, Rheumatoid Arthritis, and Inflammatory Muscle Diseases, Dr. Venuturupalli has published numerous peer-reviewed articles, textbook chapters, and has been involved in over 100 clinical trials. He is widely recognized as a thought leader in the use of technology to solve healthcare problems and is collaborating with technology companies to accelerate research in Rheumatology.
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With his commitment to patient-centered care, Dr. Venuturupalli has earned a reputation as an exceptional physician and teacher. He holds the title of Clinical Associate Professor of Medicine at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and has served as the Clinical Chief of the Division of Rheumatology at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. His dedication to advancing the field of rheumatology is evident in his leadership roles, including past Secretary, Treasurer, and President of the Southern California Rheumatology Society, and his involvement as the Chair of Education and a member of the board of the American College of Rheumatology and Lupus LA.
Daniel Wallace, MD, FACP, MACR
Daniel J Wallace, MD, FACP, FACR, received his undergraduate and medical education at the University of Southern California, graduating with a medical degree in 1974. His graduate medical training included an internship at Brown University in Providence, R.I., medical residency at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, and a fellowship in rheumatology at UCLA. He is board certified in both internal medicine and rheumatology.
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He is a clinical professor at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center (CSMC) in the Department of Medicine and Rheumatology. He is the Associate Director of the Rheumatology Fellowship Program (CSMC). He is a clinical professor of medicine at the UCLA School of Medicine.
Wallace's volunteer work has entailed serving as chairman of the Lupus Foundation of America and on the Board of Directors of the United Scleroderma Foundation, the Lupus Research Institute, and the American Society for Apheresis. He has served on the Medical Advisory Board of the Sjogren's Syndrome Foundation and the American Fibromyalgia Syndrome Association.
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His research includes SLE, RA, Sjogren’s Disease, etc. He has over 430 peer reviewed publications, 8 books including the last 10 editions of Dubois' Lupus Erythematosus, All About Fibromyalgia, The Lupus Book, and All About Osteoarthritis, The Sjogren’s Book, over 28 book chapters, and >160 medical publications.
Michael Wilson, MD
Dr. Michael Wilson is a Professor of Neurology at University of California, San Francisco’s Weill Institute for Neurosciences in the Department of Neurology’s Division of Neuroimmunology and Glial Biology. He is the founding director of the UCSF Center for Encephalitis and Meningitis. His lab does translational research on neuroinflammatory disorders with the aim of developing improved diagnostics and therapeutics.
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Dr. Wilson is Professor and Chair of the Department of Neurology at Mayo Clinic in Phoenix and Scottsdale, Arizona.
He obtained his medical degree at the University of Saskatchewan in Canada and completed a neurology residency at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. He completed successive fellowship programs in clinical neuroimmunology at Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, and at the University of Western Ontario, London, Canada. He also holds a Master’s degree in Clinical Epidemiology and Health Research Methodology from McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
Dean M. Wingerchuk, MD, MSc, FRCP
Dean M. Wingerchuk, MD, MSc, FRCP(C), is a neurologist and clinical epidemiologist with specialty expertise in neuroimmunology. He is the director of the Mayo Clinic Division of Multiple Sclerosis and Autoimmune Neurology. Dr. Wingerchuk’s clinical and research interests focus on clinical diagnosis, epidemiology, outcome measures, and therapeutics for neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD), multiple sclerosis, and related neuroimmunologic disorders.
Dr. Wingerchuk is Professor and Chair of the Department of Neurology at Mayo Clinic in Phoenix/Scottsdale, AZ. He obtained his medical degree at the University of Saskatchewan in Canada and completed a neurology residency at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. He completed successive fellowship programs in clinical neuroimmunology at Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, and at the University of Western Ontario, London, Canada. He also holds a Master’s degree in Clinical Epidemiology and Health Research Methodology from McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
CNS Legislative Section
Stella B. Legarda, MD
is the current California Neurology Society President and Membership Chair of CNS. She is a pediatric neurologist, clinical neurophysiologist, and epilepsy specialist practicing in Monterey, California. In 2013 Dr. Legarda left academia to join her current multispecialty Montage Medical Group where her current research interests in applied neuromodulation compel her practice to include adults with epilepsy and other acquired central nervous system disorders (stroke, Parkinson disease, encephalopathies, post-encephalitides, and dementias). She has published in peer-reviewed medical journals on a range of subjects namely epilepsy, clinical neurophysiology, and the value of infralow frequency (ILF) brain training in neurology practice. [Dr. Legarda recently penned a chapter “Remediating Brain Instabilities in a Neurology Practice” in the second edition of ‘Restoring the Brain: Neurofeedback as an Integrative Approach to Health’ (Ed. Kirk,H, 2020), and in 2020 received a Physician Scholar grant award from the Montage Health Foundation to evaluate the treatment response of patients with post-concussion syndrome to ILF neuromodulation.] Dr. Legarda has held past academic appointments at the University of Florida College of Medicine and at Georgetown University College of Medicine. Dr. Legarda is also a current CNS Delegate to the CMA.
Robert Weinmann, MD
is a Past President of the California Neurology Society (2021-22) and Legislative Chair. He is also a past president of the Union of American Physicians and Dentists (UAPD). He has testified before the United States Congress and the California Legislature on healthcare issues including anti-trust reform. He spoke at the White House on managed care at the invitation of former President Bill Clinton. His op-eds have appeared in numerous newspapers and other media including the Congressional Record. He states that his public policy agitation in healthcare is bipartisan. Dr. Weinmann graduated from Yale University with a B.A. in Comparative Literature then attended medical school and completed his neurology training at Stanford University. Dr. Weinmann was formerly editor-in- chief of Clinical EEG and Neuroscience).
Steve Cattolica
is the CNS Advocacy Consultant and Lobbyist. He is an experienced lobbyist with a demonstrated history of working in the government relations industry. Skilled in Nonprofit Organizations, Government, Media Relations, Coalitions, and Legal Writing. Building on more than 35 years of experience in health care and workers' compensation, he is proficient with lobbying, organizational and on- demand regulatory compliance consulting. He has a BA in Physical Sciences from U.C. Berkeley, and a Teaching Credential in Physical Sciences and Math from St. Mary's College of California.
Johanna Rosenthal, MD
is Legislative Co-Chair of CNS. She received her Bachelor of Science degree and continued her education to obtain her M.D. at George Washington University Hospital. She then completed her residency in Neurology at the University of Southern California, Los Angeles and did her research in neuropathology at University of California – Los Angeles. Dr. Rosenthal is a neurologist in Fullerton, California, a Neurohospitalist in Colton at Arrowhead and Assistant Professor at CUSM.
Jeffrey Klingman, MD
is Chief of Neurology, Kaiser Permanente, N. California. Dr. Klingman serves on a range of committees, including the New Technology Committee of The Permanente Medical Group, American Academy of Neurology, Movement Disorder Society, California Neurological Association, and American Stroke Association. He is also a Trustee of the California Medical Association, President of the American Heart Association (East Bay), and Past President of the Alameda Contra Costa Medical Association. Dr. Klingman received his medical degree from Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas, and he completed both his internship and residency at the Los Angeles County University of Southern California Medical Center. Dr. Klingman has coauthored numerous articles, including evidence-based guidelines, primarily related to stroke care.
Steven Holtz, MD
is a past president of CNS and serves as CNS liaison to the AAN. He graduated from Boston U, School of Medicine medical school in 1974, did his residency at Kaiser Oakland and then a residency and fellowship in Boston. He held a clinical appointment in Neurology at UCSF and recently retired from practice in Walnut Creek.
Additional Board Officers and Committee Chairs:
Sharon Yegiaian, MD
is a Past President of CNS and presently the Webmaster. She was an undergraduate at USC and attended medical school at the University of Vermont. She did an Internship and Neurology residency at the University of Arizona. She then did a Neuromuscular & Autonomic Fellowship at Mayo Clinic and an EMG Fellowship at UCLA. Dr. Yegiaian is in private practice in Pasadena. She is director of the Pasadena Center for Neuromuscular Medicine and primary investigator of Care Access Research. She is a clinical professor at Casa Colina Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Residency Program, voluntary assistant Professor of Neurology at UCLA Neuromuscular Medicine, and Neurology Faculty at Huntington Hospital.
Robyn G. Young, MD
is a Past President of the California Neurology Society (2013-2014) and is present Treasurer of CNS. Prior to that she served as President of the San Francisco Neurological Society (2007-2008) and remains ex officio on the board. She grew up in Hoopeston, IL, home of the ‘Cornjerkers’. She earned a BS in chemistry at Stanford and her MD at Yale, where her thesis related to neurotransmitters in a rat model of Parkinson’s. She then did an Internal Medicine residency at California Pacific Medical Center and a Neurology residency at UCSF. She is in private practice in Alameda, CA, with a clinical interest in M.S. and neuroimmunology.
Paula Ravin, MD
serves as Chair of the Association of California Neurologists’ Foundation. She is an Associate Professor of Neurology at UCLA, with a specialty in movement disorders. She has been at UCLA since 2016. Her background includes undergraduate at Yale University, Medical School at Wayne State University School of Medicine, Neurology residency at Georgetown University School of Medicine, and she did a fellowship in movement disorders at NIH. She chairs the Association of Neurologists Foundation on behalf of the California Neurology Society.
Marc R. Nuwer, MD, PhD
is the CNS representative on Medicare Services. Dr. Nuwer obtained his MD and PhD from Stanford, then his neurology residency and fellowships in epilepsy and neurophysiology at UCLA. He presently serves as Director of the Clinical Neurophysiology Program. He is the first neurologist to develop spinal cord intraoperative monitoring, reducing the risk of surgery by more than 60%. He went on to pioneer critical care EEG monitoring. Together with Epileptologist J Engel, they built the first commercial epilepsy monitoring unit. Dr. Nuwer championed an international effort changing EEG from a paper- ink method to a digital method. In his role in the American Medical Association's policy-making body, he advocates for improvement in medical care across the US. Dr. Nuwer is recognized internationally as a leader in his field. Dr. Nuwer is a past president of CNS and serves as advisor on Medicare and as our representative to Medicare.
Said R. Beydoun, MD
is Professor and Division Chief, Neuromuscular Medicine, at the Department of Neurology at Keck Medicine of USC, University of Southern California. He is Program Director of an ACGME-accredited Clinical Neurophysiology Fellowship, which trains three physicians each year. Dr. Beydoun advocates an integrated approach to clinical diagnosis, diagnostic testing, and treatment options for patients with neuromuscular diseases. As a principal investigator, Dr. Beydoun has participated in multiple research clinical trials. His clinical and research areas of expertise in the field of Neuromuscular Medicine include: Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), Myasthenia Gravis, Peripheral Neuropathy, Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating Polyneuropathy (CIDP), Multifocal Motor Neuropathy (MMN), and TTR Amyloid Neuropathy. He has been published in several scientific journals on topics related to neuromuscular diseases. He is co-Editor-in-Chief of TouchReviews in Neurology. He is an elected fellow of the American Academy of Neurology and a fellow of the American Association of Neuromuscular and Electrodiagnostic Medicine. He is a member of the medical/scientific advisory board of the Myasthenia Gravis Foundation of America. He is medical director of the Certified ALS Treatment Center of Excellence at Keck USC. Dr. Beydoun also serves on the board of directors for the California Neurology Society.
Richard P. Knudsen, MD
graduated, with Highest Honors, from UC Davis with an individual, interdepartmental major in Human Biology. He attained his medical degree from the University of Cincinnati and completed his Pediatric Residency at UC Irvine Medical Center. He returned to University of CIncinnati (hometown) and attained, in a 3 -year post-doctoral Fellowship, his formal training in Pediatric Neurology. He later achieved a second Fellowship, in Advanced Clinical Neurophysiology/Electroencephalography/Epileptology,, from the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. He has served, in academic Professorships, at the University of Washington and at the University of California. He is Board Certified in 5 + disciplines; his passion is Sleep- Wake Medicine. He is an active member of the Sleep Research Society and of our California Sleep Society. He is a Fellow, Elect, of the AASM. He is published in MedLinkNeurology and in Medscape; Dr. Knudsen enjoys generating, serially, provocative lectureships for his respected colleagues.
Scott Zamvil, MD, PhD
is a Donnie Smith Chair in Multiple Sclerosis Research, Professor of Neurology, and Faculty Member in the Program in Immunology at the University of California, San Francisco. He received his M.D. and Ph.D. from Stanford and his neurology residency training at Harvard's Longwood Program. He was a Harry Weaver Neuroscience Scholar of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. Dr. Zamvil is focused on understanding how CNS antigen (Ag)-specific T cells participate in multiple sclerosis (MS) and neuromyelitis optica (NMO) In the last several years, he has applied his experience studying T cell recognition of myelin Ags in EAE and MS to identification of T cells that recognize aquaporin-4 (AQP4), the autoantigen in NMO. His group provided the first evidence that AQP4-specific T cells exist in NMO patients and in mice. In humans, we observed, (1) the frequency of AQP4-reactive T cells is higher in NMO patients than in controls, (2) T cells specific for the immunodominant AQP4 epitope exhibit a Th17 bias, (3) those AQP4-reactive T cells also recognize a homologous amino acid sequence in a Clostridium perfringens ABC transporter, suggesting molecular mimicry, and, recently, (4) there is an overabundance of C. perfringens in the gut microbiome of NMO patients. Currently, his lab is examining those elements that control selection of AQP4-specific T cells and evaluating how the gut microbiome may influence development of AQP4-specific T cells.