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Dr. Benjamin Ball grew up in a smaller town within the New York Tri-State area. As a young adult, he moved to Charlottesville, Virginia where he completed a double major in chemistry and biology at the University of Virginia, graduating with high honors. He remained at UVA for medical school, where his pre-clerkship GPA was top five in his class. He then completed his neurosurgical residency at the University of California, Irvine, where he spent a year completing an enfolded skull-base surgery fellowship. His surgical interests include tumors, spine, and trauma. In his free time, he enjoys watching movies, reading science fiction books, attending local comedy shows, and watching UVA Men’s Basketball dominate.

Catherine Peterson, MD, is an endovascular-trained neurosurgeon with advanced expertise in minimally invasive brain and spine procedures. At Inland Neurosurgery Institute, a practice with locations in Pomona and Arcadia, California, Dr. Peterson brings a deep commitment to patient-centered care and innovative neurovascular treatment strategies.

Originally from Moldova, Dr. Peterson immigrated to the U.S. in childhood, where she cultivated a strong work ethic and passion for medicine. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Biology with magna cum laude honors from Purdue and her medical degree from Indiana University School of Medicine. She completed her neurosurgery residency at UC Davis and Detroit Medical Center, followed by a competitive endovascular neurosurgery fellowship at UCLA.

Dr. Peterson specializes in both cranial and spinal neurosurgery, with a particular focus on treating stroke, aneurysms, and complex neurovascular conditions through catheter-based techniques. Her research, including multiple peer-reviewed publications and national presentations, centers on improving outcomes in stroke care and understanding cognitive recovery following brain hemorrhage.
Recognized for her academic excellence and compassionate approach, 

Dr. Peterson received the James E. Boggan Award for Scholarly Excellence twice. She believes in a personalized, respectful approach to neurosurgical care and stays active in the field through membership in organizations like the AANS, CNS, and SNIS.

Outside the operating room, Dr. Peterson enjoys gardening, traveling, and spending time with her family in California’s outdoors.

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.

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.