2023-2024 Neurology Residents and Fellows
Eric Elizondo, M.D.
Hometown: San Diego
Undergraduate: Saint Louis University
Medical School: Saint Louis University
Sub-specialty interests: Comprehensive Neurology or Neurophysiology
Hobbies: Helping lead a non-profit called Little House of Neurodiversity, Dungeons
and Dragons, writing a TTRPG, kayaking, camping, and playing pool, and spending time
with my wife.
Benjamin Kiaei, M.D.
Hometown: Los Angeles
Medical School: Saint Louis University
Subspecialty interest: Neuroimmunology, Stroke
Research interest: TBD
Hobbies: Woodworking, Mountain biking
Hometown: Glenview, Illinois
Undergraduate: University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Medical School: Kansas City University
Subspecialty interest: Neurocritical Care, Neurophysiology, Epilepsy, Stroke
Research interest: TBD
Hobbies: Basketball, Pickleball, Reading, Movies
Lina Okar, M.D.
Hometown: Damascus, Syria
Medical School: Faculty of Medicine – Damascus University
Subspecialty interest: Movement disorders and Neuroimmunology
Research interest: Movement disorders especially DBS, Music therapy
Hobbies: Rafting, kayaking, Pilates and painting. Also, a big fan of the cinema!
Laura Polhemus, M.D.
Hometown: Jacksonville, Florida
Medical School: Saint George’s University
Subspecialty Interest:Vascular and Interventional Neurology
Research Interest: Diagnosis and management of ischemic stroke
Hobbies: Powerlifting, running, hiking, and spending time with my husband and my dog.
Anagha Prabhune, M.D.
Hometown: India
Undergraduate: Maharashtra University of Health Sciences, India
Medical School: MIMER Medical College, India
Sub-specialty Interests: Movement disorders, Epilepsy, Neuroimmunology, Headache,
Hobbies: Painting, Gardening
Adam Awad, M.D.
Hometown: Frankfort, Illinois
Medical School: Ross University School of Medicine
Subspeciality interest: Vascular, endovascular, neuro-interventional
Research interest: Stroke treatment, stroke recovery, neuroplasticity
Hobbies: Basketball, fishing, biking, video games.
Busra Erkilinc, M.D.
Hometown: Istanbul
Medical school: Abant University School of Medicine
Subspeciality interest: Neurophysiology, Epilepsy
Research interest: Neuromuscular, Epilepsy, Neuro Vascular
Hobbies: Early morning walks, Cooking
Hometown: Valencia, Venezuela
Medical School: Universidad de Carabobo
Sub-specialty Interests: Interventional Neurology
Research Interests: Sleep, neuropathology, neuro-ophthalmology, cognitive neurology and neuro-oncology
Hobbies: Painting, stargazing with my telescope, reading about astrophysics and evolution, and watching all the Oscar nominated movies. Currently, a lot of my time is dedicated to wedding planning!
Hanan Qaqish, M.D.
Hometown: Akron, Ohio
Medical school: University of Toledo College of Medicine and Life Sciences
Subspeciality interest: Vascular and interventional neurology, neuro-critical care,
Alzheimer's, neuro-immunology
Research interest: Brain aneurysm, stroke, biomedically engineered approaches to stroke
prevention, post-stroke care and recovery
Hobbies: Running, hiking, cooking, exploring, basketball, biking and learning new
languages
Peyton Murin, M.D.
Hometown: Memphis, Tennessee
Medical School: University of Tennessee
Subspeciality interest: Interventional pain, neuromuscular
Research interest: Chronic pain and neuromuscular disorders, acute pain
Hobbies: Soccer, weightlifting, exploring new restaurants
Divya Singh, M.D.
Hometown: Ranchi, India
Medical School: Kalinga Institute of Medical Sciences, India
Sub-specialty Interests: Electrophysiology, Epilepsy, Neuroimmunology, Neuro-oncology
Hobbies: Dance, music, little bit of painting and gardening, meditation, spirituality
Joshua So, M.D.
Hometown: San Diego
Medical School: Saint Louis University
Sub-specialty Interests: Thinking about possibly sub-specializing in epilepsy or headaches,
but definitely keeping an open mind.
Hobbies: digital art, piano, and guitar
Aysha Abeer, M.D.
Hometown: Toronto
Medical school: Ross University School of Medicine
Subspeciality: Neuro Critical Care
Research Interest: Traumatic brain injury, anoxic brain injury
Hobbies: travelling, accompanying my husband on fishing trips, trying out different
outdoor activities and experiencing cuisines from different cultures.
Syed Ijlal Ahmed, M.D.
Home Town: Karachi, Pakistan
Medical School: Liaquat National Hospital and Medical College
Sub-specialty Interests: Vascular neurology, interventional neurology, neurocritical
care and epilepsy
Research Interests: Vascular neurology, interventional neurology, epilepsy, general
neurology
Hobbies: Cricket, soccer, cooking, bicycling, community services, video games and
tourism
Muhammad Awais Arshid, M.D.
Hometown: Abbottabad, Pakistan
Medical School: Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan
Subspecialty Interest: Neurocritical care, Vascular neurology, Epilepsy
Research Interest: Neuroplasticity, Vascular Neurology, Prevention, and new management
strategies of neurological illnesses
Hobbies: Soccer, writing, traveling, running, music, chess
Mehdi Fanai, M.D.
Hometown: Khoy, West Azerbaijan
Medical School: Urmiah University of Medical Sciences
Sub-specialty Interests: Comprehensive Neurology
Research Interests: Neuro-informatics, Diagnostic Errors
Hobbies: Badminton, swimming, electronics
Elvin Mirzazada, M.D.
Wellness Chief
Hometown: Baku, Azerbaijan
Medical School: Ege University, Izmir, Turkey
Sub-specialty Interests: Neurohospitalist
Hobbies: Traveling, cooking and hiking
Hometown: Pittsburgh
Medical School: New York Medical College
Subspeciality interest: Vascular/Interventional neurology
Hobbies: Miami Hurricanes football and basketball, tennis, personal fitness, New England Patriots and Boston Celtics.
Richa Budhiraja, M.D.
Hometown: Haryana/Punjab, India
Medical School: Pt. B.D.S. Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences
Sub-specialty or Research Interests: Vascular neurology, neurocritical care
Hobbies: Listening to music, watching documentaries, self-reflection
Ulviyya Gasimova, M.D., Ph.D.
Academic/Administrative Chief
Hometown: Baku, Azerbaijan
Medical School: Azerbaijan Medical University
Subspecialty interest: Movement disorders, stroke
Research Interest: Stroke, movement disorders, neuroimmunology
Hobbies: Hiking, fishing, traveling, archery, petting dogs
Beatriz Maliszewski, M.D.
Clinical Chief
Hometown: Atlanta
Undergraduate: University of Georgia
Medical School: St. George's University School of Medicine
Sub-specialty Interests: Movement disorders (particularly Parkinson's), neuromuscular,
sleep medicine
Research Interests: Atypical parkinsonism, dystonia, Tourette's in adults
Hobbies: Sailing, cooking and walking with no destination in mind
Farid Khasiyev, M.D.
Hometown: Baku, Azerbaijan
Medical School: Azerbaijan Medical University
Sub-specialty Interests: Vascular neurology
Research Interests: Stroke mechanisms, large artery disease, acute ischemic stroke
treatment
Hobbies: Chess, soccer, reading books about history of neurology and medicine, trying
new restaurants
Francesca Pastrana, M.D.
Hometown: O’Fallon, Missouri
Undergraduate: University of Missouri-Kansas City
Medical School: University of Missouri-Kansas City
Sub-specialty or Research Interests: Non-interventional vascular neurology, clinical
neurophysiology, epilepsy, neuromuscular
Hobbies: Singing, piano, hiking trips, spending time with my pups and fiancé
Wilson Rodriguez, M.D.
Home town: Cañar, Ecuador
Medical School: University of Cuenca
Sub-specialty Interests: Neurocritical care and interventional neurology
Research Interests: Brain aneurysm and stroke
Hobbies: Cooking, running and playing guitar
Aimalohi Esechie, M.D.
Vascular Neurology Fellow
Hometown: Buffalo Grove, Illinois
Undergraduate: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Medical School: University of Queensland
Sub-specialty Interests: Neuroimmunology, neuro-infectious disease, movement disorders, global health
Hobbies: Photography, hiking, traveling
Vascular Neurology Fellow
Hometown: Tampa, Florida
Medical School: Saba University School of Medicine
Subspeciality interest: Vascular and interventional neurology
Research interest: Improving stroke outcomes
Hobbies: Hiking, woodworking, grilling, football, spending time with family and friends
Brian Miremadi, M.D.
Neurointerventional Fellow
Hometown: Kansas City, Los Angeles
Medical School: University of Missouri-Kansas City
Sub-specialty interests: Vascular and interventional neurology
Research interests: Improving stroke outcome
Hobbies: Hiking, outdoor activities, skiing, travel, food.
Alumni 2023
Clinical Neurophysiology/ SSM Health Saint Louis University Hospital, St. Louis
Clinical Neurophysiology/Rush University Medical Center, Chicago
Neurocritical Care/Washington University, St. Louis
Vascular Neurology/ University of Toledo
Vascular Neurology/University of Massachusetts Chan Medical Center, Worcester
Vascular Neurology/ Tufts Medical Center, Boston
Alumni 2022
Vascular Neurology/ University of Iowa
Clinical Neurophysiology/ Kansas University Medical Center
Clinical Neurophysiology/ Saint Louis University Hospital
Sleep medicine/ University of Michigan
Neuro-hospitalist/ Columbia, Missouri
Clinical Neurophysiology/Duke University Medical Center
Alumni 2021
General Neurologist / Essentia Health Fargo, North Dakota
Sleep Medicine / Stanford University
Neurocritical Care / Rush University Medical Center, Chicago
Vascular Neurology / Washington University -Barnes Jewish Hospital
Pain Management / University of Washington for a Fellowship
Neurophysiology / Medical University of Charleston South Carolina
Alumni 2020
Movement Disorders / University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center
Neurocritical Care / Ohio State University
Neurophysiology / Saint Louis University
Vascular Neurology / Washington University in St. Louis
Alumni 2019
Multiple Sclerosis / University of Toronto
Vascular Neurology / Case Western University
Interventional Neurology / University of Missouri
Neurocritical Care / Washington University in St. Louis
Neurophysiology / Saint Louis University
Private Practice
Alumni 2018
Movement Disorders / University of Texas Houston Medical Center
Interventional Neurology / Saint Louis University
Interventional Neurology / Weill Cornell University
Alumni 2017
Neurophysiology / Saint Louis University
Epilepsy / Washington University in St. Louis
Movement Disorders / Northwestern University
Movement Disorders / Saint Louis University
Neuromuscular / Washington University in St. Louis
Vascular Neurology / New York Presbyterian and Weill Cornell