Neurology Fellows 2026-2027

Sahla Hammad, MD
Autonomic Neurology Fellow

Dr. Sahla Hammad earned her medical degree from Shifa College of Medicine in Pakistan and completed her Internal Medicine residency training at Trinity Health Oakland in Michigan. Following residency, she worked as a Hospitalist in Charlotte while also participating in motility research, further strengthening her interest in the intersection between gastroenterology and neurology. Her academic and clinical interests include neurogastroenterology, gastrointestinal motility disorders, and autonomic neurology. She is passionate about multidisciplinary patient care and looks forward to expanding her expertise and contributing to the academic mission of the Neurology Gastroenterology Department at Stanford Health. Outside of medicine, Dr.Hammad enjoys baking , traveling and spending time with family and friends. She is excited to join the Sanford team and looks forward to working with faculty, staff, and fellow trainees.

Chaitanya Ganne, MD, PhD
Epilepsy Fellow

Chaitanya Ganne, MBBS, PhD is a Neurology Resident at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth) and a physician-scientist at the Texas Institute of Restorative Neurotechnologies (TIRN). He completed an intracranial EEG fellowship at UTHealth. He earned his medical degree from Kempegowda Institute of Medical Sciences and earned a dual PhD in neuroscience at the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences and Maastricht University. His research focuses on thalamocortical network dynamics, neuromodulation for drug-resistant epilepsy, integrating intracranial EEG, imaging, and machine learning. Outside of medicine, he enjoys cycling, badminton, sketching, and music.

Olivia Marais, MD
CNP/Epilepsy Fellow

Olivia earned her undergraduate degree in Chemical & Biological Engineering at the University of British Columbia (UBC) in Vancouver, Canada. She stayed at UBC for medical school and Neurology residency. She is interested in epilepsy surgery, devices for epilepsy, and transition from pediatric to adult epilepsy care. In her spare time, she enjoys walking her dog, reading science fiction, and gardening.

Matheus Otero, MD
Epilepsy Fellow

Matheus earned his medical degree from Universidade Salvador (UNIFACS) in Brazil and completed his internal medicine internship and adult neurology residency at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City. His clinical and academic interests include surgical epilepsy, neuromodulation, and intraoperative neurophysiology, with a focus on real-time biomarkers, network-level epilepsy modeling, and technology-enabled precision therapy. Prior to residency, he was a research scholar in the Amorim Lab at the University of California, San Francisco, where he worked on EEG and ECoG analysis, multimodal neurocritical care datasets, quantitative MRI, and outcomes research in cardiac arrest and traumatic brain injury, shaping his interest in innovation at the intersection of physiology, data, and clinical care. He is particularly excited by the convergence of epilepsy, neurotechnology, and data science, including digital biomarker discovery and adaptive neuromodulation. Outside of work, Dr. Otero enjoys hiking, traveling, photography, and music, and values spending time in culturally rich environments.

Cynthia C. Peng, MD
Epilepsy Fellow

Cynthia earned her undergraduate degree in Cell Biology and Neuroscience, with a minor in Music, from Rutgers University, and went on to receive her MD from Georgetown University. She completed her adult neurology residency at Stanford, where she was actively engaged in quality improvement and advocacy initiatives focused on advancing health equity. Her clinical and research interests include genetic epilepsies and improving care for sexual and gender minority patients. She is particularly drawn to epilepsy for its diagnostic complexity and the opportunity to build long-term, meaningful relationships with patients. Outside of medicine, she enjoys coastal hikes and beach days with her dog, cuddles with her cat, as well as exploring local wineries.

Jonathan Zia, MD, PhD
Epilepsy Fellow

Jon earned his undergraduate and doctoral degrees in Electrical Engineering from Arizona State University and Georgia Tech respectively. He earned his MD from Emory University. He is interested in the nexus of engineering, innovation, and neurology. His research experience has centered on developing medical devices and on medical applications of artificial intelligence (A.I.) and advanced computing. As a Stanford resident, he was drawn to epilepsy due to the transformative potential that engineering innovation has in the field. In the future, he hopes to continue his engineering research, with a focus on translating technologies from the proverbial bench to the bedside. Outside of work, he is an avid tinkerer and girl dad.

Apurva Devaraj, MD
Pediatric Epilepsy Fellow

Natasha A. Glenn, MD
Pediatric Epilepsy Fellow

Natasha earned her Bachelor’s degree in Human Biology from Stanford University before spending two years working in the public health field in Kenya. She returned to Stanford for medical school and her Child Neurology residency. Her research interests include health care disparities in pediatric epilepsy, patient-centered education, and improving accessibility to care for children and families. She has also actively been involved in various advocacy and diversity efforts within medicine, including serving on the Board of Trustees for the Council of Young Filipino Americans in Medicine. When she’s not reading EEGs, Natasha enjoys going on adventures with her toddler, running with her dog, discovering hole-in-the-wall Bay Area restaurants, and traveling, especially back to Kauai, where she was born and raised. 

Allyson Heng, MD
Headache Fellow

Ally is originally from Huntsville, Alabama, and completed her neurology residency and MD at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, where she served as Class President and was inducted into the Gold Humanism Honor Society. Her clinical and research interests center on concussion and post-traumatic headache, hormone-related headache conditions, and innovative nonpharmacologic therapies. Driven by a commitment to individualized care and health literacy, Ally actively contributes to American Headache Society initiatives and has previously worked with the ABC News Medical Unit in New York City, translating complex medical topics for national audiences. Outside of medicine, she enjoys playing tennis, graphic and website design, and exploring diverse culinary experiences as a self-proclaimed food aficionado.

Lauren Sielski, MD
Headache Fellow

Originally from Buffalo, NY, Lauren received her degree in biological sciences from the University of Notre Dame and degree in medicine from the University at Buffalo. She completed her internship and neurology residency at NYU Langone - Manhattan. Her clinical and research interests include women’s health in neurology and medical education. Outside of medicine, her interests include baking, gardening, and skiing.

Saami Zakaria, MD
Behavioral Neurology Fellow

Saami was raised on Saint Croix, in the US Virgin Islands. He received his undergraduate degree in biomedical engineering from the University of Virginia (graduating with high distinction). He then completed a 1-year research fellowship at the NIH, prior to completing medical school at Thomas Jefferson University. He then completed his adult neurology residency at NYU. He has a Substack website, The Neocortex, where he posts about topics in neurology and medicine. He has also undertaken additional media projects, such as the @enterneuroverse Instagram account, which features interviews with prominent neurologists and scientists. His academic interests include network and circuit-level models of neurodegeneration, biomarkers for early detection of neurodegenerative disease, and neuromodulation-based therapeutics. Outside of medicine, he enjoys playing basketball, weight-lifting, and biking. 

Christina Alexandres, MD
Movement Disorders Fellow

Dr Christina Alexandres was born and raised in southern California. She received her MD degree and neurology residency training at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. She is specializing in movement disorders at Stanford, with academic interests including neuromodulation, advanced medical therapeutics, clinical research, and medical education. Outside of work, she enjoys spending with friends and family, rock-climbing, hiking, camping, listening to music, and traveling.

Jin K. Kim, MD
Movement Disorders Fellow

Jin earned her undergraduate degree in biomedical engineering from the University of Virginia. She worked as a product design engineer in Boston prior to earning her medical degree from Virginia Commonwealth University. She completed her neurology residency at Stanford, where she served as Chief Resident and received medical student teaching awards. She has presented nationally on quality improvement work advancing language equity in healthcare and her research focuses on disparities in healthcare access in interventional movement disorders. Clinically, she is interested in neurodegenerative disease at the intersection of movement disorders and memory disorders. Outside of medicine, she enjoys exploring the California outdoors, pilates, yoga, running, and live music.

Dakota Peacock, MD
Pediatric Movement Disorders Fellow

Dakota Peacock earned his undergraduate degree in Biochemistry at The University of Victoria. He received his MD at the University of British Columbia, then completed residency training in Pediatric Neurologist at BC Children’s Hospital in Vancouver, Canada. His research interests include defining the epidemiology of status dystonicus and developing novel clinical practice guidelines to standardize its treatment. In his free time, he enjoys hiking, cross country skiing, and spending time with his wife and son.

Raya Aliakbar, DO
Neurocritical Care Fellow

Raya Aliakbar is originally from Sacramento, California. She completed her undergraduate studies in Neurobiology, Physiology, and Behavior at the University of California, Davis, where she also earned a Master of Public Health. She received her medical degree from Touro University Nevada and completed her neurology residency at USC + Los Angeles General, where she served as Wellness Chief during her senior residency years. During residency, she was honored with the Resident Teaching Award in 2024. Her clinical interests include disorders of consciousness, neurorecovery after brain injury, device innovation, and systems-based care improvement in neurology. Outside of medicine, she enjoys biking, climbing, traveling, playing pickleball, thrifting, and searching for the best bagels in town.

Joseph Conovaloff, MD
Neurocritical Care Fellow

Joseph Conovaloff, MD is a neurocritical care fellow at Stanford Hospital. He completed his undergraduate education at University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) in neuroscience with minors in biomedical research and Russian language. At UCLA, through the Howard Hughes Undergraduate Research Program he did extensive basic science work focused on the amyloid beta-protein, which is implicated in Alzheimer disease. Dr. Conovaloff taught biomedical research and biochemistry at UCLA and subsequently completed his medical degree at University of California, Irvine (UC Irvine). He completed his internship in internal medicine through the St. Mary Medical Center-UCLA Internal Medicine Residency Program. Dr. Conovaloff graduated from his neurology residency at University of California, San Diego (UCSD) prior to coming to Stanford. He chose to pursue critical care as it allows for a very rewarding and meaningful clinical practice. Dr. Conovaloff has particular interests in the pathophysiology of critical disease, molecular neuroscience, medical education and administration. As a lifelong Californian, he is excited to continue his career in The Bay.

Alex Hanson, MD
Neurocritical Care Fellow

Alex completed his undergraduate education at the University of South Dakota (USD) in medical biology, graduating summa cum laude and a member of Phi Beta Kappa. At USD, he conducted extensive basic science research investigating endocannabinoid-dependent mechanisms in pain pathways and habituation, work that earned the Award for Outstanding Undergraduate Research and was published in Neurobiology of Learning and Memory. He completed his neurology residency at University of Iowa Healthcare where he was selected to serve as Administrative Chief Resident prior to coming to Stanford. He chose to pursue neurocritical care as it allows for a deeply rewarding and meaningful clinical practice managing high-acuity, time-sensitive neurological emergencies. Dr. Hanson has particular interests in neurointerventional radiology, hyperosmolar therapy in cerebral edema, medical education, and storytelling in medicine. Outside of work, he enjoys reading, hiking, and exploring the food scene around the Bay, and board games. 

Cindy Wong, DO
Neurocritical Care Fellow

Dr. Cindy Wong was born and raised in San Francisco, California. She completed her Transitional Year at Saint Agnes Medical Center, and went on to complete her Neurology residency at Los Angeles General Medical Center/University of Southern California, where she served as Chief Resident, Wellness Chief, and CIR Chief. Dr. Wong's clinical and research interests focus on neurocritical care, with a particular passion for traumatic brain injuries. She is especially interested in advancing neurorehabilitation beginning in the acute stages of injury to improve long-term functional recovery and quality of life for patients with severe neurological injuries. Outside of medicine, Dr. Wong enjoys rock climbing, hiking, strength training, and exploring the outdoors. She believes that movement is medicine and is passionate about promoting healthy, active lifestyles.

Jinyuan Liu, MD
Neurohospitalist Fellow

Jin earned her undergraduate degree in biology from Columbia University. She then completed medical school at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York. She stayed to complete both neurology residency and epilepsy fellowship at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine/Montefiore Medical Center. Her research interests include health equity and the lifestyle determinants of health in patients with neurological diseases. She is excited to be a Stanford neurohospitalist fellow and aims to further improve her management of complex neurological conditions. Outside of work, Jin enjoys traveling and trying new recipes.

Sokena Zaidi, MD
Neurohospitalist Fellow

Dr. Zaidi completed her Internal Medicine internship at Highland Hospital in Oakland, California, and completed her Neurology residency at the University of Southern California. A Bay Area native, her clinical and research interests include social determinants of health in neurologic disease and the intersection of technology with advancing detection, care, and access to neurologic services, particularly through telemedicine. She was drawn to Stanford’s Neurohospitalist Fellowship because of its rigorous inpatient training, strong academic environment, and emphasis on comprehensive neurologic care across diverse patient populations. She hopes to further develop her expertise in acute neurologic care, medical education, and systems based approaches to expanding access to neurologic care.

Cory Dodson, MD
Neuroimmunology Fellow

Cory Dodson, MD, earned her undergraduate degree in Human Biology at Stanford University. Her neuroscience interests began before medical school with research exploring neuroplasticity and white matter injury in preterm children at Lucille Packard Children’s Hospital. She completed her medical degree at the University of Michigan Medical School, followed by adult neurology residency at Stanford.  She is interested in women’s health in MS and neurology. Cory is currently completing a two-year fellowship in Multiple Sclerosis and Neuroimmunology at Stanford, for which she was awarded a Sylvia Lawry Physician Fellowship from the National MS Society to support her training. During fellowship, she will earn a Master of Science in Epidemiology and Clinical Research and continue study in markers of healthy aging in the female MS population. Outside of medicine, she enjoys spending time with family, going for long walks with coffee, doing pilates, and making memories in Half Moon Bay.

Meziane Brizini, MD
Neuro-Immuno-Oncology Fellow

Dr. Meziane Brizini completed his medical degree and pediatric residency at Laval University in Quebec, Canada, followed by a three-year fellowship in Pediatric Hematology-Oncology at CancerCare Manitoba in Winnipeg, Canada. As part of his fellowship training, he completed a dedicated rotation in pediatric neuro-oncology at CHU Sainte-Justine in Montreal, Canada.

Dr. Brizini's clinical and research interests focus on innovative therapies for pediatric brain tumors, with a particular emphasis on immunotherapy and cellular therapies. His years of training have shaped his expertise in pediatric hematology-oncology and neuro-oncology while strengthening his commitment to advancing the development of novel therapies for children with devastating central nervous system tumors.

His Neuro-Immuno-Oncology Fellowship at Stanford University, under the mentorship of Dr. Michelle Monje, provides a unique opportunity to gain specialized expertise in the clinical application of CAR T-cell therapies for children with diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG) and diffuse midline glioma (DMG). Through this training, he aims to develop advanced skills in patient selection, clinical management, and the recognition and treatment of immune-related toxicities associated with these emerging therapies, while contributing to the advancement of innovative treatments for pediatric neuro-oncology patients.

John Paul Aboubechara, MD, PhD
Neuro-Oncology Fellow

John Paul Aboubechara, MD, PhD received his medical degree from the UC Davis School of Medicine. He also received a PhD in Neuroscience, wherein he examined mechanisms by which immune molecules regulate synaptic plasticity and how these mechanisms may underlie neurodevelopmental disorders. He subsequently completed Neurology residency at UC Davis, wherein his research examined metabolic dysregulation in glioblastoma, both in order to develop diagnostic biomarkers, as well as to identify potential susceptibilities of the tumor. He has received multiple research awards, and he has presented his work at numerous national meetings. As a fellow with Stanford Neuro-Oncology, he is eager to refine his clinical expertise to provide his patients with the best care available, while pursuing innovative research to help advance the field. Outside of medicine, he enjoys spending time with his wife, three young children, and dog.

Shreya Louis, MD, MS
Neuro-Oncology Fellow

Shreya grew up in the Bay Area and completed her undergraduate training in neurosciences at UC Davis followed by medical training at the Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine, a program focused on training clinician scientists. She obtained a masters in Systems Biology and Bioinformatics at Case Western Reserve University during her medical training and completed a these in multi-omics analyzing whole exome, transciprtome and metabalomic data from blood samples and brain tissue from patients with epilepsy. She then went on to complete her neurology residency here at Stanford where she has worked in advocacy, teaching high school students about neuroscience research and participating in Neurology on the Hill. Shreya also has a passion for clinical and translational research in the field of neuro-oncology studying cerebrospinal (CSF) fluid RNA markers in metastatic cancer and glioblastoma. She was awarded the Stanford AJDHC grant to sequence and study microRNAs and RNAs in the CSF of glioblastoma patients and has presented her work on CSF biomarkers for brain tumors at the ASCO/SNO, SNO, and AAN research meetings. On her free time, she enjoys cooking, reading, binging the latest TV shows and going to concerts.

Mallory Owen, MD
Pediatric Neuro-Oncology Fellow

Dr. Mallory Owen is a Pediatric Neuro-Oncology Fellow at Stanford University. She graduated magna cum laude from Harvard University, majoring in Human Evolutionary Biology with a minor in Religious Studies. She then spent two years working in management consulting at McKinsey in London, before pursuing a post-baccalaureate certificate at Columbia University. She completed her medical degree with distinction at the University of Cambridge. She joins Stanford from residency in Child Neurology at UC San Diego in California which she completed in July of 2026. Dr. Owen's clinical and translational research has focused largely on implementation of ultra-rapid whole genome sequencing (WGS) in critically ill newborns, and her work has been published in the New England Journal of Medicine, Nature Communications, and the American Journal of Human Genetics, amongst others. She has a particular interest in applying ultra-rapid genomic sequencing techniques in pediatric brain tumors and liquid biopsy for long term monitoring. As a native of the Bay Area, she is excited to continue her training at Stanford.

Julia Bassell-Hawkins, MD
Pediatric Neuromuscular Fellow

Dr. Julia Bassell-Hawkins earned her medical degree from Brown University where she received the New England Pediatric Society Prize. She completed her child neurology residency at Stanford and served as education chief resident. She has an interest in pediatric neuromuscular disease in the era of gene therapy and medical education and is excited to continue training at Stanford. She enjoys long distance trail running, skiing, and spending time with her new baby boy.

Cavan Breland, MD
Neuromuscular Fellow

Dr. Cavan Breland earned his medical degree at the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Medicine and completed neurology residency at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, where he developed a strong interest in neuromuscular medicine and resident education, serving as chief resident. Outside of medicine, he enjoys staying active through powerlifting, basketball, and hiking, and has a particular interest in specialty coffee, including pour-over brewing and espresso.

Johnny Dang, MD
Neuromuscular Fellow

Dr. Johnny Dang grew up in Fountain Valley, California and completed his undergraduate education in molecular biology at the University of California, Los Angeles, where he was recognized with the Horizon Prize from the Royal Society of Chemistry for his innovative educational tool "QR Chem". He went on to earn his medical degree from the Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine in Rochester, MN, where he was recognized with the inaugural "BranKind" award. He then completed an adult neurology residency at the Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland, OH where he completed a dedicated educator track and served as the education chief. He has interests in education, artificial intelligence, and clinical research. He was drawn to Stanford Neuromuscular Medicine fellowship for its cutting-edge clinical trials and collaborative culture. He is excited to apply his broad range of experiences to improving the lives of patients with neuromuscular disease and advancing the field of neurology. Outside of medicine, he enjoys indie video games, discovering new restaurants and cafés, rock climbing, and spending time with family.

Tefani Perera, MD
Neuromuscular Fellow

Dr. Tefani Perera received her medical degree from the University of Calgary Cumming School of Medicine, where she also completed her Neurology residency and served as Chief Resident. She was drawn to Stanford’s Neuromuscular Fellowship because of its active participation in clinical trials. Given the rapid expansion of neuromuscular therapeutics, she is eager to gain experience in clinical trials research. She has a keen interest in non-invasive diagnostic tools like neuromuscular ultrasound and hopes to further develop this skill.

Graham McLeod, MD
CNP/EEG Fellow

Graham McLeod, MD, FRCPC, earned his medical degree at the University of Manitoba and completed neurology residency at the University of Calgary. He has received the Young Investigator Award from the American Clinical Neurophysiology Society and the Mary Anne Lee Award from the Canadian League Against Epilepsy for research in sleep and epilepsy, and was part of the first group to directly record cortical spreading depression during a migraine in a human. His research interests include sleep-epilepsy interactions, intracranial EEG for the study of consciousness and seizure dynamics, and human versus AI perception in medical image analysis. Outside of medicine, he enjoys music, reading, and hiking.

Harneet Dhillon, MD
Vascular Neurology Fellow

Harneet earned her undergraduate degrees in Psychology and Biology at the University of Utah. She stayed in Utah for medical school. She completed her internship and neurology residency at Stanford. Her research and academic interests include infectious vasculitis, improving post-stroke recovery, and global health. Outside of medicine, she enjoys standup comedy, reading nonfiction, and hiking.

Cameron Schmidt, MD
Vascular Neurology Fellow

Cameron earned his undergraduate degree in Cognitive Neuroscience from Colgate University before spending two years in clinical research at the Seattle Science Foundation and Swedish Medical Center, focusing on neuroanatomy, neurorehabilitation, and neurosurgical outcomes. He received his medical degree from Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and completed his Neurology residency at Stanford University. His academic work has included clinical and health systems research projects in both the United States and South Africa, with interests focused on stroke systems of care and the use of clinical data to optimize healthcare delivery.

Aditya Srivatsan, MD, MS
Vascular Neurology Fellow

Aditya is originally from Houston and first came to Stanford for his undergraduate degree in BioMechanical Engineering, followed by a Master’s in Mechanical Engineering. He returned to Houston to complete his MD at Baylor College of Medicine, where he participated in the Medical Research Pathway and spent a dedicated year focusing on stroke and neurointerventional research. He subsequently completed his Neurology residency training at Stanford, where he also served as Wellness Committee Lead. Following Vascular Neurology fellowship, Aditya will be pursuing the Neurointerventional Radiology fellowship at Stanford. His academic interests also include medical device innovation, and he has previously interned as an R&D Engineer at Stryker and Medtronic. Outside of work, Aditya loves spending time with family and friends, traveling and exploring the city, playing the Tabla drums, and sports.

Helena Xeros, MD, MS
Vascular Neurology Fellow

Helena is originally from Chicago, IL and earned her undergraduate degree in Biology and Philosophy from Washington University in St. Louis. She subsequently completed her Medical Degree and a combined Master of Science degree at the University of Illinois at Chicago. She completed her Adult Neurology residency at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, where she served as Chief Resident. Her research interests include cervical artery dissections, developmental venous anomalies, and vertebrobasilar dolichoectasia. She has authored multiple peer-reviewed publications in these areas and has a growing interest in the expanding application of ultrasound, including transcranial Doppler, in the evaluation and management of cerebrovascular disease. She is also interested in the utilization of advanced neuroimaging biomarkers to improve prognostication and guide clinical decision-making in patients with cerebrovascular disease. Outside of medicine, she enjoys hiking, attending concerts, antiquing, and preparing homemade Greek recipes.