Dr. Brian Ahuja entered the field of intraoperative neuromonitoring (IONM) to follow his passion for neurology and clinical neurophysiology, specifically the ability to use neurophysiologic testing in the operating room to help prevent postoperative neurologic deficits. Prior to his current role, Dr. Ahuja spent the majority of his career studying and training in neurology, gaining experiences in adult neurology, clinical neurophysiology, and IONM. While being a neurologist is his primary job function by day, in his spare time Dr. Ahuja enjoys hiking, traveling, and spending time with friends and family.

Dr. Ahuja graduated from New York University in 2008, completing his BA in chemistry with a minor in linguistics. He went on to attend The University of Toledo College of Medicine in Toledo, Ohio and graduated with his medical degree in 2012. He then completed his preliminary medicine internship at Boston Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts in 2013. He completed his residency at the MedStar Georgetown – NIH Neurology Residency Program, Washington, DC in 2016 where he also served as chief resident. Dr. Ahuja then moved to California where he completed his fellowship in clinical neurophysiology with a focus on IONM at Stanford University Medical Center in Palo Alto, California in June 2017. Dr. Ahuja joined RTNA in July 2017 and currently resides in Las Vegas, NV.

Certifications: Dr. Ahuja obtained his board certification in Neurology in 2016. 

Memberships: Dr. Ahuja is a member of the American Society of Neurophysiologic Monitoring, the American Clinical Neurophysiology Society, and the American Academy of Neurology.

As a neurologist, Dr. Melissa Balbuena-Root sees the direct impact that high-quality, real-time neurologic care can have on surgical outcomes.  She values collaborating with clinical teams, working to avoid damage to the patient’s nervous system and improve patient care. 

Dr. Balbuena-Root completed both her undergraduate studies and master’s degree at University of Southern California.  She then attended Eastern Virginia Medical School to earn her medical degree.  Dr. Balbuena-Root completed her residency in Neurology as well as a fellowship in Clinical Neurophysiology at Barrow Neurological Institute, Phoenix, AZ.

Dr Balbuena-Root co-authored, “Controversy Over Cesarean Sections: Examining the Trend Through a Cultural Lens” in The Journal of the American Osteopathic Association (2013) and “Cultural and Societal Implications on Family Planning” in the Global Studies Journal (2014).  Additionally, she presents lectures on general neurology, clinical neurophysiology, and epilepsy.  In her spare time, Dr. Balbuena-Root enjoys cooking, playing with her dog, and spending time with family and friends.

Certifications: Dr. Balbuena-Root is board certified in Neurology (2020). 

Memberships:  Dr. Balbuena-Root is a member of the American Epilepsy Society, the American Clinical Neurophysiology Society, and the American Academy of Neurology.

Dr. Jonathan Chen graduated with a college degree in molecular and cell biology. After college, he spent time with medical volunteering and publishing scientific research. He then earned his medical degree. Dr. Chen began his medical training via an internship in Internal Medicine. This was followed by a three-year neurology program with additional fellowship dedicated to intraoperative neuromonitoring training. Dr. Chen is currently a staff neurologist at RTNA. 

Dr. Chen enjoys spending time swimming and playing basketball. His hobbies include doing puzzles and reading mystery books. Some of his favorite genres in TV and movies include science fiction. 

Certifications: Dr. Chen is board-certified in Neurology (2017).

Dr. Kira Dillard has a passion for providing real-time nervous system information to OR surgical teams, problem solving, and supporting positive surgical outcomes.  With experience in intraoperative neuromonitoring, EEG and epilepsy management, she appreciates the importance of neurophysiology in practice and feels the IONM field has significant potential for new avenues of exploration and understanding.

Dr. Dillard attended the American University of the Caribbean to earn her medical degree.  She completed her residency in Neurology at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center.  She then furthered her education by completing a fellowship in Clinical Neurophysiology at the University of California Los Angeles. 

Dr. Dillard co-authored, “Blood pressure levels post mechanical thrombectomy and outcomes in large vessel occlusion strokes” in Neurology (2017), “Elevated pulse pressure levels are associated with increased in-hospital mortality in acute spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage” in the American Journal of Hypertension (2017), “Admission hyperglycemia and outcomes in large vessel occlusion strokes treated with mechanical thrombectomy” in the Journal of NeuroInterventional Surgery (2017), and “Higher low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels are associated with decreased mortality in patients with intracerebral hemorrhage” in Atherosclerosis (2017).  She currently resides in Los Angeles, CA.

Certifications:  Dr. Dillard is board certified in Neurology (2021).

Memberships:  Dr. Dillard is a member of the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology, the American Clinical Neurophysiology Society, and the American Academy of Neurology.

Dr. Steven Fussner is committed to patient safety. He entered the field of Neurology with the focus of preventing neurologic injury in high-risk surgeries. For Dr. Fussner, the most rewarding part of his work is improving patient outcomes by utilizing the most advanced technology.

Dr. Fussner completed his undergraduate studies at Bradley University, Illinois, receiving a degree in Cell and Molecular Biology. He then attended Texas Tech University HSC School of Medicine to attain his medical degree, completing his residency in Neurology at Baylor College of Medicine, Texas. Dr. Fussner continued his education by completing a fellowship in Clinical Neurophysiology at Baylor College of Medicine, Texas. He currently resides in Castle Rock, CO, and enjoys hiking, snowboarding, and spending time with his family.

Certifications: Dr. Fussner is board certified in Neurology (2019).

Memberships: Dr. Fussner is a member of the American Academy of Neurology, the American Clinical Neurophysiology Society, the American Society of Neurophysiological Monitoring, and the American Medical Association.

Combine a love for medicine and business and you have Dr. Vivian Hoang. Serving as the Medical Director and a staff physician at RTNA, Dr. Hoang entered this field to explore her passion for clinical neurophysiology and patient care. She enjoys the collaborative atmosphere of the healthcare industry and working with people who are striving to give the best patient care. For Dr. Hoang, the most rewarding part of her work is knowing that she can make a difference in patients’ surgical procedures and their outcomes. 

Dr. Hoang received her medical degree in 2007 from Tulane University School of Medicine in New Orleans. She completed her internship in internal medicine at Tulane University Hospital in 2008, her neurology residency at Georgetown University Hospital in Washington, DC in 2011, and her neurophysiology fellowship at the University of California, Los Angeles in 2013. Dr. Hoang was then asked to join the staff at RTNA where she currently practices intraoperative neuromonitoring. Dr. Hoang resides in Dallas, Texas.

Certifications: Dr. Hoang is board certified in Neurology (2005) and Clinical Neurophysiology (2013).

Memberships: Dr. Hoang is a member of the American Academy of Neurology and the American Clinical Neurophysiology Society.

Dr. Eric Kim consistently aims as a neurologist to ensure effective communication and collaboration to improve patient care. For him, the most rewarding part of the job is the beneficial impact it has on improving patient safety and achieving positive surgical outcomes.

Dr. Kim attended the University of California, Los Angeles, completing a BS in Physiological Science in 2009. He then earned his medical degree at Saint Louis University School of Medicine (MO) in 2013, completing a residency in Neurology at Kaiser Permanente Los Angeles Medical Center (CA) in 2017. Dr. Kim furthered his education by completing a fellowship in Clinical Neurophysiology at the University of California, Los Angeles, and Cedars Sinai Medical Center (CA) in 2018 and a fellowship in Intraoperative Neuromonitoring at the University of Southern California in 2020.

Dr. Kim published, “Success Rate of Obtaining Baseline Somatosensory and Motor Evoked Potentials in 695 Consecutive Cranial and Spine Surgeries,” in the Journal of Clinical Neurophysiology (2020) and presented, “What Could Wide Latency Differences Between Ipsilateral and Contralateral MEP Responses Suggest?,” at the American Clinical Neurophysiology Society Annual Meeting in New Orleans, LA (2020). He currently resides in Los Angeles, CA.

Certifications: Dr. Kim is board certified in Neurology (ABPN, 2017) and Clinical Neurophysiology (ABPN, 2021).

Memberships: Dr. Kim is a member of the American Academy of Neurology, the American Society of Neurophysiological Monitoring, and the American Clinical Neurophysiology Society.

Dr. Allen Mandir graduated from Emory University School of Medicine (1992).  He completed his Neurology residency and Clinical Neurophysiology fellowship at John Hopkins University (1996; 1998).  Dr. Mandir went on to practice and teach Neurology at John Hopkins University School of Medicine followed by MedStar Georgetown University research and teaching hospital.  In 2003, he became a practice partner with Neuromonitoring Physicians, LLC.  Dr. Mandir has special interests in Neurophysiology, movement disorders and Parkinson’s Disease treatment, as well as neurodegenerative diseases. 

Certifications:  Dr. Mandir is board certified in Neurology (ABPN, 2002) and Clinical Neurophysiology (ABPN, 2003).

Memberships:  Dr. Mandir is a member of the American Academy of Neurology, the American Clinical Neurophysiology Society, and the American Association of Neuromuscular and Electrodiagnostic Medicine

Dr. Robert Minahan attended Duke University School of Medicine and graduated with his medical degree in 1992.   He completed his internship in 1993. Following this program, Dr. Minahan completed his Neurology residency and fellowship in Neurophysiology at John Hopkins University in 1997.  He went on to practice and teach Neurology at John Hopkins University School of Medicine followed by MedStar Georgetown University research and teaching hospital.  In 2003, Dr. Minahan became a practice partner with Neuromonitoring Physicians, LLC.  His interests include intraoperative neuromonitoring, electromyography, and neuromuscular disease.

Certifications: Dr. Minahan is board certified in Neurology (ABPN, 1997) and Clinical Neurophysiology (ABPN, 2020).

Memberships:  Dr. Minahan is a member of the American Academy of Neurology and the American Society of Neurophysiological Monitoring.

Dr. John Parker joined RTNA in 2019. As a neurologist, he has a passion for solving complex problems and a desire to help patients understand the intricacies of their own health. Dr. Parker has extensive experience in the areas of epilepsy, stroke and neurodegenerative diseases as well as a passion for researching advances in the fields of genetics, bioinformatics, and biomedical engineering.

Dr. Parker completed his undergraduate studies at the University of California Berkeley in 2003, followed by a master’s degree from California State University Fullerton in 2008. He received his medical degree from the University of California San Diego in 2013, completing his internship in internal medicine at the University of California Irvine in 2014. Dr. Parker did his residency in Adult Neurology at the University of California Irvine in 2017 and then furthered his education at the University of Southern California by completing a fellowship in Clinical Neurophysiology in 2018 and a fellowship in Clinical Intraoperative Neurophysiological Monitoring in 2019.

Certifications: Dr. Parker is board certified in APBN Adult Neurology (2018).

Memberships: Dr. Parker is a member of the American Academy of Neurology, the American Clinical Neurophysiology Society, and the American Medical Association.

Dr. Douglas Porter joined the RTNA physician staff in 2014. He entered the field of neurology after seeing the impact that neurological diseases can have on both patients and their families.   With intraoperative monitoring, he has found a rewarding career in working to reduce the risk of neurological injuries during surgery.

Dr. Porter graduated from the Rochester Institute of Technology in 2000 with highest honors, majoring in biology and a minoring in philosophy.  After college, he did several years of pharmaceutical research before beginning medical school at Tufts University School of Medicine in 2003. During medical school, he enrolled in an additional one-year neurophysiology research concentration and helped produce three research publications.

After graduating from Tufts in 2008, Dr. Porter completed a medical internship at Baystate Medical Center in Springfield, Massachusetts (2008–2009) and a neurology residency at Georgetown University Medical Center in Washington, DC (2009–2012). During his final year at Georgetown, he also was Chief Resident. Dr. Porter completed his clinical training with a fellowship in Clinical Neurophysiology and Intraoperative Monitoring at the University of California, Los Angeles (2012-2014).

He currently resides in Washington State.

Certifications: Dr. Porter is board certified in General Neurology (2014) and subspecialty boarded in Clinical Neurophysiology with Intraoperative Monitoring (2014)

Memberships: Dr. Porter is a member of the American Academy of Neurology, the American Clinical Neurophysiology Society, and the American Society of Neuromuscular Monitoring.

Dr. Greg Schaublin entered the medical field to explore his passion for clinical neurophysiology and lesion localization. He has spent the majority of his career in the EMG and IONM field and performing inpatient and outpatient general neurology. With experiences in providing EMG guided botulinum toxin injections for various conditions and running an in-office infusions suite for patients requiring intravenous medications, Dr. Schaublin brings a wealth of insight to the RTNA physician team. In his free time, Dr. Schaublin enjoys spending time with his wife and children, running and exercising as much as he can, and attending live sporting and musical events.

Dr. Schaublin is a graduate from the University of Toledo. He received his medical degree (2001) and completed his internship in internal medicine (2002) at the Medical College of Ohio. Dr. Schaublin completed his neurology residency and fellowship in clinical neurophysiology (EMG) at the University of Virginia from 2002 -2006. Post-fellowship, Dr. Schaublin has held positions as a staff neurologist, the director of an in-house hospital IONM program, and as a member of a hospital medical staff quality committee.     

Certifications: Dr. Schaublin is board certified in Neurology (2006),  Clinical Neurophysiology (2006) and Electrodiagnostic Medicine (2007)

Dr. Romina Shirka graduated from UCLA in Los Angeles, California where she obtained her degree in Psychobiology.  She received her Doctor of Osteopathy from Touro University College of Osteopathic Medicine.  Her internship was completed at Henry Ford Hospital and Henry Ford Wyandotte Hospital.  Dr. Shirka's Neurology residency was completed at Henry Ford Hospital. Dr. Shirka completed a fellowship in Clinical Neurophysiology including training in Intraoperative Neuromonitoring at New York Presbyterian Hospital-Cornell and at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in June of 2012.  She also completed a fellowship in Epilepsy at Yale New Haven Hospital in June 2013. She joined Real Time Neuromonitoring Associates in July of 2013. She currently resides in Henderson, NV.

Certifications: Dr. Shirka is board certified in Neurology (2011) and Epilepsy (2014).

Memberships: Dr. Shirka is a member of the American Academy of Neurology, the American Osteopathic Association, and the Osteopathic Cranial Academy