Think Neuro

Dr. Porter is the Director of Dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, and Neurocognitive Disorders at the Pacific Brain Health Center at Pacific Neuroscience Institute (PNI) located at Providence Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, CA. In addition, she is a Professor of Neurosciences, Department of Translational Neurosciences and Neurotherapeutics at John Wayne Cancer Institute.

https://www.pacificneuroscienceinstitute.org/about-us/our-team/ | (310) 582-7640

Think Neuro Mini: Meet Dr. Scott Kaiser

Dr. Scott Kaiser, a board-certified family physician, and geriatrician is the Director of Geriatric Cognitive Health and provides specialty geriatric medical consultations at the Pacific Brain Health Center. Focused on the needs of older patients, he works with his colleagues to provide an integrated and holistic approach to their cognitive challenges. With this “whole person” approach, Dr. Kaiser works to connect patients and their families with a broad range of resources to support their overall health and well being.

Dr. Kaiser completed his undergraduate studies at Vassar College with a degree in Science, Technology, and Society. He received his medical degree from the Keck School of Medicine of USC and went on to train within the Lawrence Family Medicine Residency, a program dedicated to community health and the care of underserved populations.

You can read more about Dr. Kaiser at the link below https://www.pacificneuroscienceinstitute.org/people/scott-kaiser/

Evan Walgama, MD is a board-certified Otolaryngologist – Head & Neck / ENT Surgeon at the Pacific Eye, Ear & Skull Base Center at Pacific Neuroscience Institute, Santa Monica. His particular area of expertise is in the treatment of patients with benign and malignant tumors of the head and neck.

Dr. Walgama is a dual-fellowship trained surgeon. He completed his Sinus and Skull Base fellowship at Stanford, followed by a Head and Neck Surgical Oncology fellowship at MD Anderson. He brings together both skillsets to treat challenging cancers of the ear, nose and throat, with a priority focus on preservation of quality of life for patients and their families. 

As a leader of a multidisciplinary team, Dr. Walgama addresses a wide array of benign and malignant tumors of the head and neck, including thyroid, oral cavity, throat, HPV-related, and sinus/skull base. He is a champion of multidisciplinary care and patient-centered decision making, seeing patients at award-winning Providence hospitals – Saint John’s Health Center, Santa Monica, and Little Company of Mary Medical Center, Torrance, California. 

At Saint John’s Cancer Institute, Dr. Walgama’s research and academic interests include cost-effectiveness, clinical outcomes research, and clinical trials in head and neck oncology. 

Dr. Walgama is a member of the American Head & Neck Society, the North American Skull Base Society, and the American Academy Otolaryngology. 

To learn more about Dr. Walgama please visit https://www.pacificneuroscienceinstitute.org/people/evan-walgama/

Though cochlear implants are incredibly useful in improving patients hearing, there are still many misconceptions and myths that surround them. For example, it's a common misconception that deafness is a requirement for cochlear implant eligibility. Another myth is that the implant requires intensive and invasive surgery. Dr. Rebecca Lewis tackles a few of the most common myths and sheds light on the truth behind them. 

Rebecca (Becky) Lewis, AuD, is an audiologist and the Audiology Director of the Adult & Pediatric Cochlear Implant Program at Pacific Neuroscience Institute. She also holds the position of Adjunct Professor at Mount Saint Mary University / John Tracey Deaf and Hard of Hearing program. She has provided rehabilitative services including hearing aids, hearing protection, Osseo integrated devices, auditory brainstem implant and cochlear implant (CI) services to adults and children.

For more information: 310-477-5558

The cochlear implant is an electronic device that is implanted into the inner ear (the cochlea) to restore hearing in patients for whom hearing aids are no longer effective or for those with hearing loss in just one ear.

There is strong evidence supporting improvements in cognition and dementia prevention when hearing loss is treated with appropriate intervention (hearing aids or cochlear implants).

Rebecca (Becky) Lewis, AuD, is an audiologist and the Audiology Director of the Adult & Pediatric Cochlear Implant Program at Pacific Neuroscience Institute. She also holds the position of Adjunct Professor at Mount Saint Mary University / John Tracey Deaf and Hard of Hearing program. She has provided rehabilitative services including hearing aids, hearing protection, Osseo integrated devices, auditory brainstem implant and cochlear implant (CI) services to adults and children.

For more information: 310-477-5558

“Voice box” might be the most misleading term in all of human anatomy. It makes a very complex organ sound terribly simple. In truth, the voice box is a set of paired muscles no thicker than a fingernail that do double duty. The delicate muscles produce sound, and they close on cue to protect our lungs as we swallow. ‘It’s one of the most intricate and beautiful structures in the human body,” says Dr. Omid Mehdizadeh. He’s an otolaryngologist, which means he specializes in surgeries in the sinuses, ears and neck. But it’s the voice box that lured him into his specialty where he treats voice and swallow disorders. He did his residency at New York University, where he treated a number of opera singers. They use their voice boxes the way athletes use their arms and legs, and, often, injuries result. Singing several times a week, they develop nodules, cysts and even bruises. Listen to this episode to learn how Dr. Mehdizadeh treats this remarkable structure: the simple-sounding voice box.

Dr. Amit Kochhar, MD, is double board-certified in Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery and Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. He is the director of the Facial Nerve Disorders Program at Pacific Eye, Ear & Skull Base Center, Pacific Neuroscience Institute, Providence Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica. Dr. Kochhar specializes in facial nerve disorders, complex reconstruction of the head and neck, disorders of the nose and sinuses, endoscopic nasal-sinus surgery and facial plastic surgery. 

https://www.pacificneuroscienceinstitute.org/people/amit-kochhar/ 

https://www.pacificneuro.org/facialnerve 310-477-5558

At the Pacific Brain Health Center, Pacific Neuroscience Institute, CA, patients consult with one of our highly-trained neuropsychology experts. Our team conducts adult and geriatric neuropsychological assessments. In addition, our specialists care for patients with neurobehavioral health symptoms related to various neurological illnesses, or age-related neurodegenerative disorders. Conditions include: Aging and dementia, Dementia with Lewy Bodies, Parkinson’s disease, Other movement disorders, HIV, Traumatic brain injury, Brain tumor, and Epilepsy.

ThinkNeuro Mini: What Are Meningiomas? with Dr. Nouhzan Sehati

Dr. Sehati is a board-certified neurosurgeon who specializes the treatment of a wide variety of brain, spine and spinal cord disorders at Pacific Neuroscience Institute. His expertise is in surgical and nonsurgical management of degenerative, traumatic and neoplastic (tumor) diseases of the brain and spine with a focus on minimally invasive techniques. Dr. Sehati believes in clinical excellence and comprehensive care for all of his patients. His compassionate approach involves working as a partner with his patients, honoring patient individuality and dignity, understanding the patient’s needs and preferences, discussing all aspects and options of treatment available, and implementing advanced, state-of-the art techniques for optimal outcomes. 

To learn more about Dr. Sehati and other PNI Doctors, please visit pacificneuro.org

When he got out of medical school Dr. Jian Guan wanted to do pediatric neurosurgery, and he found a top-flight residency at the University of Utah. While there, though, his career took a turn, thanks to the Cheyenne Frontier Days, the world’s largest outdoor rodeo. Cheyenne is a small city, and Salt Lake City is the nearest center of excellence for spine surgery, so every summer, Dr. Guan, sadly, would see a surge in back injuries from rodeo accidents. He became interested in helping patients recover with the least invasive procedures possible. Historically, surgeons have been too quick to fuse patients’ vertebra, Dr. Guan says. It’s a major operation, and it’s not always necessary. Treating so many rodeo patients, Dr. Guan learned when surgery was necessary and when it wasn’t. Eager to hone his skills, Dr. Guan completed a fellowship in complex neurosurgical spinal surgery at the renowned Lahey Clinic in Massachusetts. Listen to this podcast to learn how he treats the toughest spine cases at Pacific Neuroscience Institute.