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Dr. Srinath Samudrala is a highly experienced neurosurgeon bringing his more than 30 years of experience to INI. He received his medical degree from the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) and completed his residency at New York University (NYU). He is fellowship trained in spine surgery through University of Florida.

With a commitment to enhancing surgical outcomes and improving the quality of life for his patients, Dr. Samudrala combines compassion and innovation in his treatments. He stays at the forefront of advancements in the field to ensure the best possible care for his patients. He is loved by his patients and colleagues alike.

On his time off, he enjoys spending time with his grown children, skiing, and hiking.

Richard M. Young, MD, is a highly trained neurosurgeon with the team at Inland Neurosurgery Institute (INI) in Pomona and Arcadia, California. 

Dr. Young was born in Taiwan and came to the United States at an early age. His grandmother always predicted that he would be a doctor. Since the age of 3, he would hold her head when she had a migraine and would say, “When I get older, I will take care of you.”

Excelling in science and math, he went to college as an electrical engineering major at UC San Diego. However, his calling into medicine resulted in him graduating cum laude in biochemistry and cell biology. He continued his journey into medical school at New York Medical College in Valhalla, New York, where he discovered his passion for neurosurgery.

This passion derived from a pivotal case during medical school, where a patient was in a coma from a ruptured brain aneurysm. That same patient recovered weeks later from the brain bleed and surgery. “To have the ability to save a person’s life…that’s what I want to do.”

He completed his neurosurgical training at The George Washington University (GWU) in Washington, DC. During his training, he also spent a year as a research fellow at the National Institute of Health (NIH) – NINDS – Medical Division. After completing his residency at GWU, he came back to the west coast to UCLA for a two-year neurointerventional/neuroendovascular surgery CAST certified fellowship.

Not only has he written many articles, book chapters, poster presentations, and a journal cover for JNS-Spine, but he was also awarded the Bannister Award both for the fastest treatment time of removing a blood clot in the brain during his fellowship at UCLA. 

“Everyone knows how important the brain is, and if damage occurs to the brain, it can be devastating to that person and their family. To me, I do not see a patient but rather another human being that I am trying to help get better, like my grandmother. The reason I joined the group of neurosurgeons at Inland Neurosurgery Institute is that my colleagues share the same vision for helping people.”

During his free time, Dr. Young enjoys spending time with his family, cooking, running, and swimming.

EDUCATION

• 2016 – 2018: Interventional Neuroradiology Fellowship, University of California, Los Angeles Medical Center
• – 2016: Resident – Neurological Surgery, George Washington University Hospital
• 2013 – 2014: Research Fellow, National Institute of Health – NINDS
• 2009 – 2010: Intern – Neurological Surgery, George Washington University Hospital
• 2005 – 2009: Doctor of Medicine, New York Medical College
• 2001 – 2005: Bachelor of Science, University of California, San Diego – Revelle College

ASSOCIATIONS & MEMBERSHIPS

• American Association of Neurological Surgeons – Resident/Fellow member
• Congress of Neurological Surgeons – Resident/Fellow member
• North American Spine Society – Resident/Fellow member
• Phi Delta Epsilon Omicron Chapter – Colony Coordinator/Founder 2005-2006
• New York Medical College Student Senate – 1st year senator 2005-2006
• American Medical Association – Chapter Vice-President 2006-2007
• American Medical Students Association – Chapter Treasurer 2006-2007
• Gold Humanism Honor Society – Member – 2013-current

ARTICLES & JOURNALS

• Young RM, Leiphart JW, Shields DC, Caputy AJ. “Anterior cervical fusion versus minimally invasive posterior keyhole decompression for cervical radiculopathy.” Interdisciplinary Neurosurgery: Advanced Techniques and Case Management 2(4):169-176. Dec 2015. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.inat.2015.08.002
• Young RM, Shafa J, Myseros JS. “The Chiari 3 malformation and Systematic Review of Literature.” Pediatr Neurosurg 50(5):235-242, Oct 2015. DOI: 10.1159/000438487
• Young RM, Sherman JH. “Necessity for Intra-operative Magnetic Resonance Imaging for Glioma Resection.” World Neurosurg. Jul 2015. DOI: 10.1016/j.wneu.2015.07.023
• Young RM, Jamshidi A, Davis G, Sherman JH. “Current Trends in the Surgical Management and Treatment of Adult Glioblastoma.” Ann Transl Med 3(9):121. June 2015. DOI: 10.3978/j.issn.2305-5839.2015.05.10
• Young RM, Vyas N. “Extracranial-Intracranial Bypass for Takayasu’s Arteritis: A Case report.” Interdisciplinary Neurosurgery. Interdisciplinary Neurosurgery 1(4), 112-114. Dec 2014. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.inat.2014.10.001
• Young RM, Sherman J, Wind JJ, Litvack Z, Obrien J. “Treatment of Craniocervical Instability from a Posterior-Only Approach.” J Neurosurg Spine 21(2): 239-248. Aug 2014. DOI: 10.3171/2014.3.SPINE13684
• Young RM, Prasad V, Wind JJ, Olan W, Caputy AJ. “Novel Technique for Preoperative Pedicle Localization in Spinal Surgery with Challenging Anatomy: Technical Note.” J Neurosurg Spine 20(4): 400-403. Apr 2014. DOI: 10.3171/2013.12.SPINE13477.
• Leiphart, JW, Young RM, Shields, DC. “A Historical Perspective: Stereotactic Lesions for the Treatment of Epilepsy.” Seizure 23(1): 1-5. Jan 2014. DOI: 10.1016/j.seizure.2013.10.006
• Wind JJ, Young R, Saini A, Sherman JH. “The role of adjuvant radiation therapy in the management of high-grade gliomas.” Neurosurgery Clinics of North America. 23(2):247-58. April 2012. DOI: 10.1016/j.nec.2012.01.001
• Krishnan US, Taneja I, Gewitz M, Young R, Stewart J. “Peripheral Vascular Adaptation and Orthostatic Tolerance in Fontan Physiology.” Circulation. 2009 Nov 3;120(18):1775-83. DOI: 10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.109.854331

Ramin AmirNovin, MD, FAANS, FCNS (“Dr. A”) is an accomplished neurosurgeon and spinal surgeon at Inland Neurosurgery Institute (INI) in Pomona, California. Dr. AmirNovin has wanted to be a neurological surgeon since the age of thirteen. While volunteering at the Scripps Memorial Hospital in La Jolla, California, he witnessed a life-saving craniotomy (brain surgery) on a trauma patient, and this inspired him immensely. He double-majored in chemistry and biochemistry and graduated with the highest distinction of summa cum laude from the University of California, San Diego, where he was part of the Phi Beta Kappa Honor Society.

He continued his education in New York City, where he obtained his medical degree with the highest honors (Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Society and Lucien Rubinstein Award) from New York University Medical School. He completed his general surgery and neurological surgery training at the prestigious Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH). He also completed a two-year fellowship program for specialty training in functional/stereotactic neurosurgery at MGH.

Dr. AmirNovin has written several book chapters, numerous articles for peer-reviewed publications, and performed cutting-edge research on brain tumors, movement disorders, pain syndromes, and epilepsy.

Dr. AmirNovin practiced complex general neurosurgery at MGH before moving back to the West Coast to be near his family in 2007. As a board-certified, fellowship-trained neurosurgeon, he has extensive experience in the treatment of complex spine problems and tumors, brain tumors, cranial-spinal trauma, stroke, movement disorders, complex pain syndromes, Parkinson’s, and peripheral nerve diseases.

Dr. AmirNovin believes that the most important service he provides his patients is a “no-hype, no-gimmick, no-pressure approach to neurosurgery.” This is one of the major reasons he joined Inland Neurosurgery Institute, where the other physicians share a similar approach to neurosurgery. He is highly regarded by his patients and the local physicians for doing the least invasive surgery necessary to restore the patient’s health and functional status. He takes the time to explain the disease process to the patient and explains all of the risks and benefits of their various options for treating them. 

His patient-centered approach to neurological surgery has gained him numerous clinical recognitions based on patient reviews. He is rated as a Castle Connolly top doctor and routinely a '5-star' medicare participant.  

In his free time, Dr. AmirNovin enjoys spending time with his family, computer programming, skiing, and dabbling in digital photography.

EDUCATION

• 1996: Bachelor of Science in Chemistry / Biochemistry (Summa Cum Laude, Phi Beta Kappa, Highest Honors)
• 2000: Medical Doctorate (MD) from New york University (NYU) Medical School (Alpha Omega Alpha Honors Society)
• 2000: General Surgery Internship – Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), Boston, MA
• 2001-2006: Neurosurgery Residency at Harvard’s Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH)
• 2005-2006: Fellowship training in Functional Neurosurgery at Harvard Medical School Center for CNS Regeneration (includes Surgery for Parkinsons, Complex pain, Image-Guided Surgery,
• Movement Disorders, and Seizure disorders)
• GAMMA Knife trained and certified 2008.
• Board Certified by the American Board of Neurological Surgeons, 2010

ASSOCIATIONS & MEMBERSHIPS

• American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS)
• Congress of Neurological Surgeons (CNS)
• California Association of Neurological Surgeons (CANS)
• National Association of Spine Specialist (NASS)
• American Society for Stereotactic and Functional Neurosurgery (ASSFN)

ARTICLES & JOURNALS

• Article: Trigeminal Neuralgia (TN)
• Article: Deep Brain Stimulation Surgery for Parkinson’s Disease
• Article: PubMed.gov Articles

Siraj Gibani, MD, is an experienced neurosurgeon with the team at Inland Neurosurgery Institute (INI). Dr. Gibani sees patients at the practice’s offices in Pomona and Arcadia, California. 

Dr. Gibani is a native of the Inland Empire and grew up in West Covina and Pomona, California. He obtained his bachelor’s degree in biology from the California State University of Los Angeles through the Early Entrance Program. He went on to obtain his medical degree from Pennsylvania State University in Hershey. For his training, Dr. Gibani completed a neurosurgical residency in Philadelphia at Temple University Hospital. He then went on to pursue further subspecialty training in minimally invasive and complex deformity spinal neurosurgery at Stanford University Hospital in California. 

Dr. Gibani is affiliated with several professional organizations, including the American Association of Neurological Surgeons, the Congress of Neurological Surgeons, and the American Medical Association.

Dr. Gibani is happily married, and he enjoys soccer, hiking, and swimming in his spare time

EDUCATION

• Bachelor of Science in biology, California State University of Los Angeles.
• M.D. Degree, Pennsylvania State University, Hershey, PA.
• Neurosurgical Residency: Temple University Hospital, Philadelphia, PA.
• Subspecialty Training: Minimally invasive and complex deformity spinal neurosurgery, Stanford University Hospital, Stanford, CA.

ASSOCIATIONS & MEMBERSHIPS

• American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS)
• Congress of Neurological Surgeons (CNS)
• American Medical Association (AMA)

ARTICLES & JOURNALS

• Arko, Leopold IV MD; Passer, Joel Z. MD; Ahye, Nicholas MD; Quach, Eric MD; Gibani, Siraj MD; Manoochehri, Shahin MD; Fierst, Tamara M. MD (2016). Journal Club: Pediatric Low-Grade Ganglioglioma: Epidemiology, Treatments, and Outcome Analysis on 348 Children From the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Database. Neurosurgery. Vol 79 Issue 2 p 306-308.
• Hanrahan, G., Gibani, S. and Miller, K. (2008) Multivariate Chemometrical Classification and Assessment of Lake Tuendae: Mojave Desert Aquatic Environment Housing the Endangered Mojave Tui Chub. Ecological Informatics 3: 334-342.
• Hanrahan, G.; Zhu, J.; Gibani, S.; Patil, D.G. (2005) Chemometrics/Experimental Design, in Encyclopedia of Analytical Science, Second Edition (Paul J Worsfold, Alan Townshend and Colin F Poole, eds.), Elsevier, Oxford, Vol. 2, pp. 8-13.

Dr. Disney believes that patients need an individualized approach to their neurosurgical problems. This includes complex disorders of the spine and brain as well as peripheral nerves. There is no substitute for listening carefully to patients and guiding them to the best approach to their problem. Many problems of the spine and brain give rise to pain or other impediments to quality of life. Dr. Disney utilizes conservative treatments where appropriate to help resolve these problems and return individuals back to active pain free lives. Many patients don’t need surgery but instead find relief with physical therapy, exercise and activity modification. When needed surgery is performed in the least invasive way possible consistent with alleviating the patient’s symptoms and problems.

A frequent recipient of top doctor awards, patient choice awards and most compassionate doctor awards Dr. Disney takes the time to listen carefully to patients concerns and fears. Treatment options are laid out in layman’s terms to allow patients to understand their choices and what is being recommended to them. Most neurosurgical disorders have more than one possible approach to treatment and it is important to empower patients to make the choice that is correct for them.

A graduate of McMaster University in Hamilton Ontario, Dr. Disney initially studied Engineering Physics and later medicine. The critical thinking and problem solving skills of engineering have been applied to neurosurgery with success. A surgical internship at the University of Toronto was followed by Neurosurgical Residency and Fellowship at the University of Alberta where he also obtained a PhD in Experimental Surgery. Dr. Disney has practiced in the same group practice in Southern California since finishing residency. The practice’s name has changed but what has not is a patient centric approach dedicated to achieving the best possible patient outcomes. All the partners of the group share the same philosophy. When not engaged in neurosurgery Dr. Disney enjoys spending time with his family and is an avid skier, cyclist and aviator.

Dr. Disney is no longer accepting office patients.

EDUCATION

• Bachelor of Engineering in Engineering Physics, McMaster University 1979
• Doctor of Medicine, McMaster University 1982
• Doctor of Philosophy in Experimental Surgery, University of Alberta 1990.
• Completed Neurosurgical Residency in June 1991.
• Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of Canada Board Certification in Neurosurgery, 1991.
• GAMMA Knife trained and certified 2009.

ASSOCIATIONS & MEMBERSHIPS

• Congress of Neurological Surgeons (CNS)
• California Association of Neurological Surgeons (CANS)
• American Medical Association (AMA)
• California Medical Association (CMS)

ARTICLES & JOURNALS

• Article: PubMed.gov Articles

Dr. Scott Lederhaus became interested in neurosurgery at the age of 20 while he attended the University of California Irvine. During his studies, he managed to connect with Dr. Eldon Foltz who was the chief of neurosurgery at UCI Medical Center and became involved in neurosurgery research while observing several neurosurgical procedures and even managed to perform some experimental surgery on animals himself. From that point on, Scott was hooked on neurosurgery.

Scott finished Med school at Rush Presbyterian Hospital in Chicago followed by a year of general surgical internship at UC Davis. After his general surgical internship at UC Davis, Scott later returned to the University of California Irvine for a 6 year residency. Shortly after his residency Scott joined a practice in Pomona with Dr. Colin McDonald and Dr. David Brown for several years. Just prior to Dr. McDonald retiring he told Scott, “I may not have always had the results of the surgery I performed, but I never did a case that I didn’t feel needed to be done.” Scott felt the same and after hearing those words from Dr. McDonald he chose to live by those words.

Dr. Scott Lederhaus enjoys treating patients in the manner he would want a doctor to treat him. He joined the Association of Medical Ethics formed by Dr. Charles Rosen at UC Irvine Medical Center and later became a Board member for the organization. The Association of Medical Ethics is dedicated to evidenced based medicine and doing what is right for the patient independent of financial gain. He is fortunate to have partners at INI who share the same philosophy. He loves his wife and family.

Dr. Lederhaus is no longer accepting office patients.

EDUCATION

• Bachelor of Science with Honors in biological science, University of California, Irvine, 1975.
• M.D. Degree Rush Presbyterian Hospital, Chicago, Illinois, 1980.
• Surgical Internship: University of California, Davis, 1981
• Neurosurgical Residency: University of California, Irvine. Completed in 1986
• Board Certified by the American Board of Neurological Surgeons, 1988
• GAMMA Knife trained and certified 2008.
  
  

ASSOCIATIONS & MEMBERSHIPS

• American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS)
• Congress of Neurological Surgeons (CNS)
• California Association of Neurological Surgeons (CANS)
• American Medical Association (AMA)
• California Medical Association (CMS)
• National Association of Spine Specialist (NASS)
• Association for Ethics in Spine Surgery

ARTICLES & JOURNALS

• Surgeon Salesmen? Doctors profit from devices they put in patients.
• Article: Lumbar Interbody Fusion
• Article: PubMed.gov Articles

Board-certified neurosurgeon Ali H. Mesiwala, MD, FAANS, takes a solution-based approach to determine anatomic and functional abnormalities and then treats them with leading-edge technologies and integrative medicine.

At his four offices in Newport Beach, Marina del Rey, and Rancho Cucamonga, California, he focuses on helping all of their patients return to their normal lives, getting back into motion as quickly as possible.

The team treats a vast array of neurological conditions. After intensive neurological exams and diagnostic testing, they recommend the best nonsurgical treatments for each person's unique health care needs. They recommend surgery when symptoms are severe or persist despite conservative care.

Patients seek Dr. Mesiwala for his expertise in brain and spine surgery, as well as peripheral nerve surgery and artificial disc replacement surgery. 

He's an expert in complex brain and skull base surgeries, and he has the most experience in artificial disc replacements on the West Coast, including multi-level operations and all types of spinal decompressions.

Dr. Mesiwala is a leader in the field of minimally invasive sacroiliac (SI) joint surgery and has performed endoscopic cranial and spinal surgery since 2004. No matter where pain originates, patients get relief after he performs neuromodulation surgery.

After earning a Bachelor of Science in biomedical engineering and electrical engineering from Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland, Dr. Mesiwala received his Doctor of Medicine from the University of California, San Francisco. 

Then he finished his neurological surgery residency at the University of Washington in Seattle, Washington.

He completed his skull base and cerebrovascular fellowships at the University of Washington, International Neuroscience Institute in Hannover, Germany, and the University of Pittsburgh in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

As a respected researcher specializing in the development of novel technologies and minimally invasive techniques for brain and spine surgery, Dr. Mesiwala holds multiple patents for medical devices used in spinal surgery. 

In addition to his private practice, Dr. Mesiwala is the faculty surgeon for various artificial disc operations and spinal fusion operations with innovative techniques. He's a fellow of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons (FAANS).

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David Westra, MD, is an expert neurosurgeon who serves his patients at Ventura Neurosurgery in Ventura, California. He was raised in Tucson, Arizona, as well as Houston, Texas. He also spent a significant portion of his youth in Santiago, Chile, where he became fluent in Spanish. Dr. Westra is board-certified by the American Board of Neurological Surgery.

Dr. Westra attended the University of Texas at Austin and earned a degree with honors in chemical engineering. He then enrolled in the University of Texas at Houston Medical School, where he received a Doctor of Medicine with highest honors as a member of the Alpha Omega Alpha honor medical society. During this time, Dr. Westra spent a significant amount of time among the neurosurgeons at the MD Anderson Cancer Center. It was this experience that led him to pursue a career in neurosurgery.

After completing his medical degree, Dr. Westra enrolled in the Loma Linda University Medical Center residency program for neurosurgery. While at LLU Medical Center, he gained extensive experience in minimally invasive spine surgery as well as all aspects of cerebrovascular and neuro-oncologic surgery. Dr. Westra also completed extensive research investigating the capacity for hyperbaric oxygen therapy to reduce surgically-induced brain injuries.

Dr. Westra completed his chief residency year and enrolled in a minimally invasive neurosurgery fellowship at the Swedish Neuroscience Institute in Seattle, Washington. While there, he gained extensive experience working alongside leaders in the fields of pituitary surgery, cerebrovascular surgery, endoscopic neurosurgery, functional neurosurgery, and complex spinal surgery — including minimally invasive spine surgery.

In 2010, Dr. Westra joined the Ventura County Neurosurgical Associates in 2010 and became involved at the Community Memorial Hospital, where he currently serves on the surgery committee. He is an active member of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons, the Congress of Neurological Surgeons, the Western Neurosurgical Association, the California Association of Neurological Surgeons, and the Ventura County Medical Association. In his spare time, Dr. Westra enjoys spending time with his wife, Reimee, and his two children, Thomas and Olivia. He also loves travel, music, playing guitar, and everything to do with the ocean.