Think Neuro

Dr. Walavan Sivakumar is a fellowship-trained neurosurgeon with a focus on skull base and minimally invasive and endoscopic neurosurgery.

Selected as a multiple year recipient of the SuperDoctor Rising Stars Edition, Dr. Sivakumar has a particular interest and expertise in brain tumors, skull base tumors, pituitary/parasellar tumors, and intraventricular brain tumors, and he applies the keyhole concept, utilizing advanced neuroimaging and microsurgical techniques to minimize collateral damage to the brain.

Dr. Sivakumar practices at PNI-South Bay located at Providence Little Company of Mary Medical Center in Torrance, California. In addition, he treats patients at the Spine Institute at Little Company of Mary to help relieve and cure back conditions due to spine involvement.

You can read more about Dr. Sivakumar at the link below https://www.pacificneuroscienceinstitute.org/people/walavan-sivakumar/

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/

Intracranial meningiomas are the most common benign brain tumor that develop or arise from any meningeal surface of the brain, and are typically attached to the dura (outer layer of the meninges) but can also occur in the cerebral ventricles.

Listen to Dr. Daniel Kelly, MD, PNI founder & director, and neurosurgeon, talk about intracranial meningioma symptoms, treatment and minimally invasive keyhole brain surgery.

https://www.pacificneuroscienceinstitute.org/brain-tumor/conditions/meningioma/.

https://www.pacificneuroscienceinstitute.org/brain-tumor/treatment/minimally-invasive-brain-surgery/

https://www.pacificneuroscienceinstitute.org/brain-tumor/people/daniel-kelly/

Pacific Brain Tumor Center

Ph: 310-582-7450

Dr. Sarah McEwen has wanted to be a brain scientist since she was a kid. At an early age, she realized that exercise made her feel good. Later, she learned why: Physical activity can change the brain because of something called neuroplasticity. The brain isn’t static. It changes and adapts. And that’s one of the most amazing things about an already amazing organ. Strangely enough, doing a Zumba class may strengthen your brain more than six hours of Sudoku. Not only does exercise create new neurons, it also creates new blood vessels to feed them, and it washes away inflammatory compounds called cytokines. McEwen, a PhD in Cognitive Psychology, studies all the ways exercise contributes to brain health. She created PNI’s FitBrain group exercise program, aimed at protecting participants from Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia as they age. It’s potent medicine. In one study, people who were active during midlife were 70 percent less likely to develop Alzheimer’s in old age than their sedentary counterparts. All of this excites Dr. McEwen, an avid exerciser herself. Listen to this episode to learn more about how you can tone your brain by toning your body.

For more information:

pacificneuro.org | (310) 582-7640

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

Dr. Jeremy E. Levenson received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Zoology (with Highest Honors) from UCLA. Dr. Levenson graduated AOA Medical Honorary Society from the University of California Medical Center in San Francisco.

This was followed by postgraduate medical training at the Veterans Administration Hospital (UCLA affiliated hospital), United States Public Health Service in Boston (Commissioned Officer, Surgical Staff), and the Jules Stein Eye Institute.

For more information:

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

Dr. Stella Panos, PhD, is a neuropsychologist who focuses on adult and geriatric neuropsychological assessment.

As the Director of Neuropsychology at Pacific Brain Health Center, she works with patients who present with an array of medical/neurological illnesses (e.g. Alzheimer’s disease, Dementia with Lewy Bodies, Parkinson’s disease, HIV, traumatic brain injury, brain tumor, etc.) in various medical settings (acute inpatient, residential rehabilitation and outpatient).

With several years of experience, Dr. Panos helps patients suffering from the neurobehavioral health sequelae of various neurological illnesses, many of whom suffer from age-related neurodegenerative disorders.

For more information:

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

Imagine a twitch that won’t go away. Worse yet, imagine that twitch is in your face. That’s what sufferers of hemifacial spasms experience, day in and day out. The spasms originate deep in the brain, where it connects with the spinal cord. In this crowded channel, the nerves that control facial muscles ride close by blood vessels. As those vessels age, they can sag and come into contact with one of the facial nerves. The pulsing of blood compresses the nerve, 70 times a minute, 24-hours a day, eventually wearing down the insulation on the nerve, causing it to misfire and creating uncontrollable contractions in the face. Dr. Neil Martin, a neurosurgeon, treats hemifacial spasm by creating a nickel-sized opening in the back of the skull and separating the nerve and the intruding vessel. The procedure takes about 90 minutes, and many patients get immediate relief. Listen to this episode to learn how the procedure works and how Dr. Martin uses minimally invasive techniques at PNI to treat other, related conditions.

For more information:

pacificneuro.org | (310) 582-7640

Dr. Chipp Miller is a board-certified otolaryngologist with over 30 years of experience treating patients with the utmost quality of care.

Affiliated with Providence Saint John’s Health Center and highly esteemed in his field, Dr. Miller's care thrives on patient understanding and participation. He takes pride in spending the time to discuss diagnosis and treatment options with each individual patient. In 2019, he transitioned over to Pacific Eye, Ear & Skull Base Center at Pacific Neuroscience Institute.

For more information:

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

The pituitary gland is called the “master gland” because it regulates all the hormones of the body. It doesn’t take much to disturb its function. A tiny tumor on the pituitary gland can cause the release of excess cortisol into the blood, which in turn causes Cushing’s disease, a far-reaching, often misdiagnosed disorder, that causes weight gain, high blood pressure, bone thinning, and even diabetes. The cure is to remove the tumor, which is no easy feat because the pituitary is located deep beneath the brain. Dr. Daniel Kelly and his team remove these cancers routinely, going through the nose and sinuses with specialized micro-cameras and instruments. Cortisol levels usually drop a day after surgery helping the patient get back to restored quality of life.

For more information:

pacificneuroscienceinstitute.org | (310) 582-7640