Mental Health Services
Ranked Top-50 Nationally for Neurology & Neurosurgery
1 Hoag Dr, Newport Beach, CA 92663
(949) 764-4624
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Hoag offers a broad range of services to treat mental and behavioral health conditions that affect teens, adults, women, and underserved members of the community.
Adolescents (13-18 Yrs Old)
Young Adults (18–26 Yrs Old)
Adults with Drug and Alcohol Addiction
Women Before, During and After Pregnancy
Underserved Members of the Community
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Meet the Neurosciences Executive Leadership Team
Michael N. Brant-Zawardzki, M.D
Vice President of Clinical Research Administration, CATALiST and Addiction Services
David M. Brown, MD
Dr. Brown earned his medical degree from New York Medical College in Valhalla, N.Y. He completed his residency in neurology and became chief resident at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine & Medical Center in New York. Dr. Brown has a sub-specialty in neurology having completed a fellowship in stroke and cerebrovascular disease at Mount Sinai. He then became an attending stroke physician and an instructor in the neurology residency-training program where he earned Teacher of the Year, and also served as director of the stroke clinic. As program director of Hoag’s Stroke Program, Dr. Brown has developed a dedicated, multidisciplinary acute stroke response team that provides immediate care to stroke victims throughout the hospital. In addition, the stroke program offers support groups and community outreach to educate potential stroke patients about the warning signs of stroke. Hoag is an official Get With The Guidelines Stroke (GWTG-Stroke) participant of the American Stroke Association, and as the program requires that hospitals meet a five-step standard including identification of a champion to develop, direct and mobilize teams that will implement patient treatment and discharge guidelines, Dr. Brown leads this entity. Dr. Brown is a neurohospitalist, a neurologist who specializes in the acute care of hospitalized patients, and focuses on providing continuous quality improvement of acute stroke treatment and ischemic stroke prevention. And as an active researcher in neurology, Dr. Brown has authored several articles, abstracts and studies. He frequently lectures at many professional medical conferences.
Christopher M. Duma, MD
Dr. Christopher Duma is one of the most experienced neurosurgeon specialists in the field of Gamma Knife radiosurgery and brain tumor surgery. Dr. Duma has been performing Gamma Knife radiosurgery since 1990, and brings to Hoag patients an incredible level of physician expertise. Dr. Duma treats nearly 200 patients per year and because he also performs open, general cranial neurosurgery, he is uniquely equipped to offer an unbiased opinion about the management of any particular problem. In addition to his work with the Gamma Knife, Dr. Duma is involved with research in gene therapy, genetically engineered cells and vaccines to fight malignant brain tumors. He has also been at the forefront of research in immunotherapy for primary brain tumors and the treatment of Parkinson’s disease. Dr. Duma has authored numerous articles, studies and book chapters, and continues to investigate new clinical applications for stereotactic radiosurgery.
Steven R. Ey, MD
Dr. Steven Ey graduated medical school from UCLA in 1992. He then completed a three-year Family Practice residency and a one-year fellowship in Addiction Medicine through Loma Linda University. Dr. Ey has been certified by the American Society of Addiction Medicine since 1996. In 2003, he became a Fellow of the American Society of Addiction Medicine, and in 2009 was named to the inaugural class of diplomates in the American Board of Addiction Medicine. Dr. Ey joined Hoag Hospital as the Medical Director of the Chemical Dependency Center in October 2006. Over the past fifteen years, he has served as Medical Director at the Betty Ford Center in Rancho Mirage, California and at Mission Hospital in Laguna Beach, California. Dr. Ey is a former director on the California Society of Addiction Medicine Executive Council and served on the Education Committee for ten years. He chaired the 2000 and 2002 CSAM Review Course. Dr. Ey is married and lives with his wife, Dalia in Aliso Viejo, California. The joy of his life is his daughter, Juliette, born in March 2008.
Andrew D. Ly, MD
Dr. Ly earned his medical degree from Chicago Medical School. He completed his neurology residency at Los Angeles General Hospital–University of Southern California Medical Center and completed a neurophysiology fellowship at USC University Hospital.<br><br>Dr. Ly directs the Neurophysiology and Epilepsy testing services at Hoag Hospital and brings an integrated approach to field epilepsy and seizure disorders. He works with a multidisciplinary team at the Hoag Epilepsy Center to provide an individualized comprehensive plan to the evaluation, diagnosis, and medical and surgical treatments of epilepsy.<br><br>Dr. Ly also provides extensive experience and expertise in the area of neurodiagnostic testing. This includes electromyelography and nerve conduction studies (EMG/NCS) for the diagnosis and treatment of nerve and muscle disorders. In addition, he leads a team in providing Intraoperative Monitoring (IOM) services during spine and brain surgeries to preserve and minimize neurological damage after surgery.<br><br>Dr. Ly has served as a delegate for the American Academy of Neurology’s Neurology on the Hill in Washington D.C., which afforded him the opportunity to develop working relationships with members of Congress and fellow neurologists.<br><br>Dr. Ly also donates his professional talent to charitable organizations and has provided services to local community health clinics. He is a member of many professional associations including American Academy of Neurology, Association of California Neurologists and the American Medical Association.<br><br>He has participated in many research studies including investigational device and medication trials for seizures. He has been an active researcher involved in clinical trials in neuromuscular diseases including neuropathy and myasthenia gravis.<br><br>Dr. Ly is a diplomate of the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology. He currently serves as a member of a Neurohospitalist team available for identification and evaluation of acute neurological disorders at Hoag Hospital.
Medhat F. Mikhael, MD
Dr. Mikhael, our medical director is double board certified in both anesthesiology and pain medicine.Dr. Mikhael is fellowship trained in Pain Medicine and he is the chief of the Pain Medicine department at Hoag Memorial Hospital and Orange Coast Memorial hospital.Dr. Mikhael has a surgical background and training in general and trauma surgery where he earned his Master degree in general and trauma surgery. Which adds to his experience in surgical intervention for the treatment of chronic pain.Dr. Mikhael is the Medical Director of the non-operative spine program at Orange Coast Memorial Hospital.Dr. Mikhael enjoys teaching and he is a speaker for several pharmaceutical companies and a faculty member for multiple device companies including Medtronic, Boston Scientific and Nuvectra where he enjoys teaching physicians and fellows about device implantation and new advanced technology.Dr. Mikhael has a special interest in some of the complicated aspects of chronic pain including neuropathic and cancer pain and he is an active member on the cancer committee of of Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian and both Long Beach Memorial and Orange Coast Memorial Hospitals.
David E. Millett, MD
Dr. Millett is a board-certified neurologist specializing in seizures, epilepsy and electroencephalography (EEG). He received his BA from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and obtained both his MD and PhD in 2001 from the University of Chicago. Dr. Millett returned to his native Southern California for his medical internship, neurology residency and 2-year subspecialty training fellowship in Epilepsy and EEG at UCLA.<br><br>In 2007, Dr. Millett joined the faculty of Keck School of Medicine at USC and was given the task of establishing an epilepsy monitoring program to provide advanced epilepsy care for thousands of underserved patients within the Los Angeles Department of Health Services. Under Dr. Millett’s guidance the epilepsy program at Rancho Los Amigos National Rehabilitation flourished, providing an array of services such as in-patient video-EEG monitoring, intracranial video-EEG monitoring, neuroimaging, neurocognitive evaluation, and epilepsy surgery. This program received a special Merit Award from the County of Los Angeles in 2011, the same year Dr. Millett was recognized as the Earl I. Feldhorn Pediatric Epilepsy Faculty at the Keck School of Medicine at USC for his efforts to provide advanced epilepsy care to children with epilepsy.<br><br>Dr. Millett relocated to the Hoag Neurosciences Institute in 2014 where he is the director of the epilepsy program, and maintains an active role in research and education through his position as Adjunct Assistant Professor of Clinical Neurology in the Keck School of Medicine at USC. He is currently involved in numerous epilepsy-related research studies and educational projects including the use of brain-computer interface (BCI) technologies to analyze epileptogenic circuits in the human hippocampus and the cortical control of movement with colleagues at USC and UCI. Dr. Millett is also completing a book on the role of electroencephalography in the historical development of neuroscience, and he is developing a Web-based Atlas of EEG for training and education.
Jason S. Muir, MD
Jason Muir, M.D. received his medical degree from the Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California. Prior to medical school, Dr. Muir graduated from Occidental College with a Bachelors’ degree in Biology and a Masters in Neurobiology.<br><br>Dr. Muir is a board-certified neurologist in both Psychiatry and Neurology with additional certification in Clinical Neurophysiology. He enjoys working with people seeking treatment for a range of neurologic issues, especially epilepsy, sports related injuries and neuromuscular disorders. He has investigated multiple experimental drugs to treat epilepsy and was a co-principal investigator on the pivotal Repetitive Neurostimulation (RNS) trial. Dr. Muir strives to achieve seizure freedom for his patients through the use of medications, surgical options and mechanical devices such as the Vagus Nerve Stimulator.<br><br>Dr. Muir completed a Clinical Neurophysiology Fellowship at the Keck School of Medicine at USC, with special emphasis on epilepsy evaluation and management, sleep disorders and neuromuscular disorders. After completing an internal medicine internship at State University New York (SUNY) Downstate in Brooklyn, Dr. Muir returned to Los Angeles County-University of Southern California (LAC-USC) Medical Center, the affiliated hospital for the Keck School of Medicine. During his training he served as Chief Resident for the Department of Neurology.<br><br>Dr. Muir enjoys a collaborative practice at Hoag Hospital, working closely with fellow epilepsy and stroke specialists while serving as Program Director of Hoag Neurophysiology Services. He has initiated and organized a hospital-wide program to provide 24-hour continuous electroencephalogram (EEG) services to critically ill patients within Hoag Hospital’s inpatient facilities. Dr. Muir is a member of the neurohospitalist service and stroke team at Hoag Hospital, and currently serves as the vice chair for the Hoag Hospital Department of Neurology and Psychiatry.<br><br>Dr. Muir is a strong advocate for epilepsy patients in Orange County and is a member of multiple local and national neurological societies, including the American Academy of Neurology. His interests within epilepsy include diagnosis, aggressive drug titration, epilepsy surgery, evaluation and management of epilepsy (and other neurological disorders) during pregnancy.
Burak M. Ozgur, MD
Medical Director, Hoag Spine Institute
Jose J. Puangco, MD
Dr. Puangco is an innovative and forward thinking member of the Judy & Richard Voltmer Sleep Disorders Center. He is recognized as a Diplomate of the American Board of Neurology and the American Board of Sleep Medicine. Dr. Puangco is very active in the medical community and is affiliated with the American Academy of Neurology, the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and is a member of the American Board of Medical Specialties.<br><br>Dr. Puangco brings extensive and well-rounded experience to the Voltmer Sleep Center with expertise in multiple specialties. Dr. Puangco created the Cognitive Behavioral Program for Insomnia at Hoag and has been instrumental in providing complete care to Hoag sleep patients.<br><br>Dr. Puangco obtained his medical degree from the University of Texas at Houston Medical School and completed an internship in Internal Medicine at the University of Southern California (USC) and a residency in Neurology at USC. He completed a fellowship in Electrodiagnostic Medicine and Neurophysiology at USC and a fellowship in Sleep Medicine at University of California Los Angeles.<br><br>While not seeing patients at the Voltmer Sleep Center, Dr. Puangco maintains a private neurology practice in Irvine and is a neurohospitalist for Hoag Hospital Newport Beach and Irvine. Dr. Puangco also dedicates his time educating the community through presentations and educational seminars.<br><br>Dr. Puangco’s goal is to establish Hoag as the gold standard for sleep disorders by providing a comprehensive approach to sleep medicine.
Sina M Safahieh, MD
Psychiatry Medical Director, ASPIRE and Young Adult Mental Health
William R. Shankle, MD
Dr. Shankle is a board certified neurologist, specializing in the diagnosis, treatment and management of Alzheimer’s disease and related disorders (ADRD). He co-founded the Alzheimer’s Research Center at University of California, Irvine, in 1987 and served as its clinical director for 10 years. Following that endeavor, he initiated a community based ADRD program, the Shankle Clinic, in 1997 to deliver his medical knowledge to a broader community of patients and families.<br><br>As the director of the Memory and Cognitive Disorders program at Hoag Neurosciences Institute, Dr. Shankle works with and enables primary care physicians to identify and manage an individual’s risk factors for ADRD. Under Dr. Shankle’s guidance, the program also provides the support of a comprehensive triage and clinical research team, utilizing the most sensitive cognitive assessment tool to detect the first stage of mild cognitive decline leading to development of Alzheimer’s disease, and tailors the best possible prevention and treatment options for each individual.<br><br>He currently maintains his academic career at the Department of Cognitive Sciences at the University of California, Irvine. He also holds additional responsibilities as a member of the grant review committee for the National Alzheimer’s Association, and as a journal reviewer for ADRD related journals.<br><br>Dr. Shankle is a recipient of many research grants and awards including the Zenith Fellows Award from the Alzheimer’s Association that is given to those who have contributed significantly to the field of Alzheimer’s disease research. In addition, his findings on human brain development were reported by The New York Times to be one of the most important scientific discoveries of the 1990s. He is also a co-author of various neuroscience textbooks as well as “Preventing Alzheimer’s” (Putnam Press 2004/2007).<br><br>Dr. Shankle received his bachelor degree in Biology from Stanford University and his M.D. from Brown University. He trained as a statistician at the University of Southern California with postgraduate studies at Harvard. He completed his internship in internal medicine at Cook County Hospital, and his residency in neurology at LA County/USC Medical Center.
Sandeep K. Thakkar, DO
Dr. Thakkar earned his doctor of osteopathic medicine degree from Western University of Health Sciences in Pomona, California. He completed his medical internship at Mount Sinai in New York, followed by his neurology residency at Loma Linda University Medical Center in Loma Linda, California. He then did his fellowship training in movement disorders at University of California Los Angeles.<br><br>The primary focus of Dr. Thakkar’s practice is patient-centered care for Parkinson’s disease. He believes in providing academic-level care in a private clinical setting. Dr. Thakkar believes in the importance of creating a global awareness of the disease, and strives to stay current with all modalities of care throughout the movement disorders field, including conditions such as dystonias, chorea, Huntington’s disease, essential tremor, Botulinum toxin therapy, spasticity, and other abnormal involuntary movements.<br><br>Dr. Thakkar works with multiple Parkinson’s disease foundations throughout the area, including the Huntington’s Disease Society of America - Orange County chapter and the International Essential Tremor Foundation. He is also involved with the Parkinson’s Disease Research, Education and Clinical Center (PADRECC) at the United States Department of Veterans Affairs.<br><br>Dr. Thakkar has published numerous journal papers and done clinical research on the subjects of deep brain stimulation for the treatment of and the effects diet can have on Parkinson’s disease, as well as the effects of certain drug therapies on mood and behavior.