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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

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.

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.

Dr. Donald Ye has studied the inner workings of the brain and the nervous system his entire career, seeking better ways to fix problems that afflict the brain and spine. As a student, researcher, and clinician, he has had challenged himself to better understand complex neurological pathways and to provide the best solutions for patients and their families with thoughtful clinical judgment and realistic expectations.

Dr. Ye graduated from the University of California, Berkeley as a double major with Highest Honors in Psychology and High Distinction in Molecular and Cell Biology focusing his research on functional imaging of cognitive pathways. He continued his medical education at the Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine at Case Western Reserve University where he fostered his interest in neurosurgery and neurosurgical oncology. During this time, as a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Medical Research Scholars Program, he spent time studying rare tumor syndromes and molecular pathways involved in glioblastoma in the Surgical Neurology Branch at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, MD.

He completed his neurosurgical residency training at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia, PA. Under the leadership of neurosurgical pioneer – Dr. Robert Rosenwasser – he learned the importance of being a well-rounded surgeon capable of treating diseases with all of the tools and techniques available and tailoring them to best suit each individual patient. Trained in the breadth of traditional and minimally invasive approaches to the brain and spine, Dr. Ye understands the value of minimizing risk and maximizing recovery to provide the best overall outcome for his patients. 

Dr. Ye joins Inland Neurosurgery Institute to provide the same high-quality, patient-centric neurosurgical care that his colleagues have provided to the community for decades.

In his free time, Dr. Ye enjoys spending time with his wife and daughter, reading, cooking, and traveling.

EDUCATION

• 2009: Bachelor of Arts in Molecular and Cell Biology and Psychology (High Distinction in General Scholarship)
• 2014: Medical Doctorate (MD) from Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine at Case Western Reserve
  University,
• 2014-2021: Neurosurgery Residency at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital
  
  

ASSOCIATIONS & MEMBERSHIPS

• Resident Member, American Association of Neurological Surgeons
• Resident Member, Congress of Neurological Surgeons
• Member, Pennsylvania Medical Society

ARTICLES & JOURNALS

• Ye, Donald Y., Kamran D. Bakhtian, Ashok R. Asthagiri, and Russell R. Lonser. 2012. “Effect of Pregnancy on Hemangioblastoma Development and Progression in von Hippel-Lindau Disease.” Journal of Neurosurgery 117 (5): 818–24. doi:10.3171/2012.7.JNS12367.
• Hafazalla, Karim, Donald Y. Ye, Timothy Chao, Mark Curtis, Christopher J. Farrell. 2020. “SEGA without clinical or genetically identifiable TSC: A case report.” Case Reports and Series in Surgery (in press)
• Al Saiegh, Fadi, Jacob Mazza, Karim Hafazalla, Thana Theofanis, Donald Y. Ye, Christian Hoelscher, James Harrop, James J. Evans, Pascal Jabbour, Robert H. Rosenwasser, Ashwini D. Sharan. 2020. “Developing standardized titles to classify the adverse events in 7,418 cranial and spinal neurosurgical procedures.” Clinical Neurology and Neurosurgery (in press).
• Sabourin, Victor, Jacob Mazza, Tomas Garzon, Jeffrey Head, Donald Y. Ye, Anthony Stefanelli, Fadi Al-Saiegh, Pascal Lavergne, and James Evans. 2020. “Internal Neurolysis with and without Microvascular Decompression for Trigeminal Neuralgia: Case Series.” World Neurosurgery, July. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wneu.2020.06.206.
• Sabourin, Victor, Jacob Mazza, Tomas Garzon-Muvdi, Donald Y. Ye, Anthony Stefanelli, Fadi Al Saiegh, Daniel Tzou, and James J. Evans. 2019. “Internal Neurolysis With and Without Microvascular Decompression for Trigeminal Neuralgia.” Neurosurgery 66 (Supplement_1). https://doi.org/10.1093/neuros/nyz310_191.
• Gordon, Ira K., Jie Lu, Christian A. Graves, Kristin Huntoon, Jason M. Frerich, Ryan H. Hanson, Xiaoping Wang, Christopher Hong, Winson Ho, Michael J. Feldman, Barbara Ikejiri, Kheem Bisht, Xiaoyuan S. Chen, Anita Tandle, Chunzhang Yang, Tristram W. Arscott, Donald Ye, John D. Heiss, Russell R. Lonser, Kevin Camphausen, Zhengping Zhuang. 2015. “Protein Phosphatase 2A Inhibition with LB100 Enhances Radiation Induced Mitotic Catastrophe and Tumor Growth Delay in Glioblastoma.” Molecular Cancer Therapeutics 14 (7): 1540–47. doi:10.1158/1535-7163.MCT-14-0614.
• Yang, Chunzhang, Joey C. Matro, Kristin M. Huntoon, Donald Y. Ye, Thanh T. Huynh, Stephanie M. J. Fliedner, Jan Breza, Zhengping Zhuang, and Karel Pacak. 2012. “Missense Mutations in the Human SDHB Gene Increase Protein Degradation without Altering Intrinsic Enzymatic Function.” FASEB Journal: Official Publication of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology 26 (11): 4506–16. doi:10.1096/fj.12-210146.
• Lu, Jie, Chunzhang Yang, Masako Chen, Donald Y. Ye, Russell R. Lonser, Roscoe O. Brady, and Zhengping Zhuang. 2011. “Histone Deacetylase Inhibitors Prevent the Degradation and Restore the Activity of Glucocerebrosidase in Gaucher Disease.” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 108 (52): 21200–205. doi:10.1073/pnas.1119181109.
• Buchsbaum, Bradley R., Donald Ye, and Mark D’Esposito. 2011. “Recency Effects in the Inferior Parietal Lobe during Verbal Recognition Memory.” Frontiers in Human Neuroscience 5: 59. doi:10.3389/fnhum.2011.00059.
• Andrews, David W., Kevin D. Judy, Charles B. Scott, Samantha Garcia, Larry A. Harshyne, Lawrence Kenyon, Kiran Talekar, Adam Flanders, Kofi Buaku- Atsina, Lyndon Kim, Nina Martinez, Wenyin Shi, Maria Werner-Wasik, Haisong Liu, Mikhail Prosniak, Mark Curtis, Rhonda Kean, Donald Y. Ye, Emily Bongiorno, Aurore LeBrun, Sami Sauma, Kara Pigott, D. Craig Hooper. 2020. “IGV-001 in Newly Diagnosed Glioblastoma”. Journal of Clinical Oncology. Manuscript in submission.
• Ye, Donald Y., Thana Theofanis, Tomas Garzon-Muvdi, James J Evans. (in press). “Role of Hospital Medicine in the Management of Intracranial Brain Tumors” In R. Daniel and C. Harrop (Eds.), The Neurosurgery Hospitalist Manual. New York: Oxford University Press.
• Ye, Donald Y., Jonathan Riley, Ravichandra Madineni, Shannon Clark, Chengyuan Wu, Steven Falowski, Ashwini D. Sharan. (2018). “Spinal Cord Stimulation: Placement of Surgical Leads via Laminotomy: Techniques and Benefits.” In E. S. Krames, P. H. Peckham, A. R. Rezai (Eds.), Neuromodulation: Comprehensive Textbook of Principles, Technologies, and Therapies (Second Edition), (pp. 513-522). Cambridge: Academic Press.

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.