Department of Neurology
Zeinab Birjandian, MD
Originally from Tehran, Iran, Zeinab earned her medical degree from Shahid Beheshti University in Tehran before moving to Canada. She received her master’s degree in neuroscience from Western University in London, Ontario. Her research was focused on kindled rat model of epilepsy and mechanism of seizure propagation. Later she moved to northwest and worked as a researcher on clinical and basic science projects related to stroke and spinal cord injury. She spent the internship year in Virgina Tech- Carilion hospital before joining the UW Neurology program. Zeinab enjoys reading, cooking, and trying new cuisines.
Originally from the Washington D.C. area, Victoria moved out West to attend college at Stanford University and has never looked back to her native coast. She briefly worked in healthcare consulting before starting medical school at UC San Diego, where she developed an unexpected love for neurology during her third year clerkship. Later in medical school, she pursued research in stroke and neurocritical care, although she remains undifferentiated in her subspecialty interest within our field. Outside of work, Victoria is a dedicated Pacific Northwest hiker, crazy plant lady, enthusiastic kombucha home-brewer, and avid fiction reader.
Farrah completed her B.S. in Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology at Yale University and her M.D. and M.P.H. at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. She has been engaged in global health research since college, and has worked in Ecuador, Malaysia, Bangladesh, Japan, and Armenia. While in medical school, she spent a research year at the C.D.C. in the Polio Eradication Branch. She enjoys trying new coffee brewing methods, exploring cuisines from around the world, running, and hiking.
Yeo Won earned her bachelor’s degree in neuroscience and medical degree at the University of Michigan. Though she grew up in Michigan, she often returned to her hometown Seoul for volunteer work involving children and adults with neurodevelopmental disorders which inspired her interest in clinical neurology. Outside of the hospital, she likes to travel and spend time with her miniature schnauzer Gourdy.
George earned his medical degree from Tufts University. During medical school he conducted research on EEG changes under anesthesia and related outcomes. He received his undergraduate degree in Neurobiology from Harvard, where he studied the zebrafish visuomotor system. Between medical school and college he created transgenic nematodes for optogenetic research and was an EMT. In his free time he hunts down novelty-flavored snacks.
Trusha was born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area, where she spent most of her life until moving to the Midwest for her undergraduate studies at Washington University in St. Louis. Following this, she spent a year in New York City doing research in a glioblastoma lab before returning back to the west coast for medical school at Touro University California. Trusha was thrilled to match at UW, and has truly embraced the PNW life during her time in Seattle. In her free time, she loves to spend time outside, whether it is exploring new hiking trails, spending time on our beautiful lakes, or scavenging for the best blackberries in Seattle. In addition, she is an avid baker and devout listener of true crime podcasts.
Shannon earned her medical degree at the Jacobs School of Medicine & Biomedical Sciences at the University at Buffalo after obtaining her bachelor’s degree in Biology and Psychology at Canisius College in Buffalo, NY. Her prior research interests include autism, addiction, and medical humanities. In her free time, Shannon enjoys live music, yoga, nonmedical literature, podcasts, beer gardens, skyping her dog, and spending time outdoors.
Kyle earned his medical degree and MPH with a focus on epidemiology from Tulane University School of Medicine. Prior to medical school, Kyle obtained a B.S. in Biology with a minor in Psychology from the University of Alabama. He worked as a middle school and high school science teacher in Phoenix, AZ for four years prior to medical school. Kyle enjoys hiking, reading, drinking coffee and watching/playing sports.
Michelle grew up in the suburbs of Los Angeles and studied Neuroscience and Spanish at USC before attending medical school at Columbia in New York. She is excited to be exploring her third corner of the country. Her medically related interests include cognitive disorders and palliative care. Outside of medicine, she enjoys watching and performing musical theater and choral music, running, reading, cooking, and practicing her Spanish.
Noah completed his undergraduate degree in Psychological & Brain Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis and his medical degree at Washington University School of Medicine. His research interests during medical school included neurofibromatosis and neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder. Noah is a self-proclaimed BBQ snob and spends much of his free time exploring the amazing food scene in Seattle. He also enjoys hiking, biking, and writing.
Sung grew up for varying number of years in Korea, Japan and Scotland before coming to the US when he was 12 yrs old. After completing both an undergraduate and master’s degree in Biology at Johns Hopkins, he pursued a MD PhD dual degree at UC Irvine, where he looked at the contribution of Zinc ions to excitotoxic neurodegeneration. Academically, Sung is interested thinking about ways basic science findings can be bridged to clinical utility. His hobbies include reading Japanese comic books, Korean webtoons and some real books every now and then. These days, he enjoys spending his free time with his wife and trying very hard to earn the affection of his new cat, Taro.
Janet completed her undergraduate degree in Neurobiology at UC Berkeley and spent 2 years investigating the role of telomeres on lung fibrosis and aging. She completed her medical degree from the Lewis Katz School of Medicine in Philadelphia, PA, where she studied the use of IVC filters in neurocritical care patients. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, kayaking, reading and cooking.
Zak earned his medical degree from Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine in Huntington, WV. He also received his masters in medical sciences from Marshall University. His undergraduate and graduate research was primarily in breast and lung cancer although his future research interests are heavily invested in anti-aging medicine and how it pertains to neurology specifically. When not reading, he enjoys music, movies, and anything outdoors. He has also been heavily involved in Brazilian Jujitsu for the last 5 years.
Kasra completed his undergraduate degree in Neurobiology at UC Berkeley before moving across the country to complete both his MD and MPH degrees at the University of Miami. He is passionate about medical technology and its ability to facilitate increased access to care for the underserved. His research efforts during medical school were focused on mobile technology and how it can be used to aid in secondary stroke prevention in low-income communities. As a California native and lover of all things outdoors, Kasra is happy to be back on the west coast and especially in Seattle where he can pursue his hobbies such as playing soccer, tennis, and hiking. He is also an avid lover of coffee, music, and playing guitar.
Nick completed his medical training at the Medical College of Wisconsin, where his research focused on the developing brain and gestational diabetes. Prior to medical school, he spent several years working for various Seattle Biotech companies. He enjoys board games, hiking, paddle-boarding, guitar, and wood-working.
Ian earned a B.S. in Neurobiology with a minor in philosophy at the University of Washington. He attended the University of Colorado School of Medicine where he researched the neuroactive steroid epipregnanolone as well as cannabinoid use in patients with epilepsy. He enjoys history, philosophy, video games, and hanging out with his pastry chef wife and their balding chihuahua, Odoacer.
Sonya completed her undergraduate degree in Astrophysics at UC San Diego. After working as a high school physics and calculus teacher in China, she earned her medical degree through the UC San Diego PRIME Health Equity program and a Masters of Education from Harvard. Her academic pursuits focus on evidence-based educational interventions to address health equity and compassion in medicine. In her spare time, you can find Sonya biking around Seattle, doing yoga in the park, or dancing at salsa clubs. And eating all the food.
Stephan graduated from the University of Notre Dame with a double major in Biology and Statistics. He then went on to the Indiana University School of Medicine, where he discovered an interest in Neurology during his clinical years. In his free time, he enjoys cooking, beginner level hikes, video games, and being disappointed by his Indiana sports teams.
Nicholas received his undergraduate degree in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from Trinity University and his MD/PhD from McGovern Medical School. His dissertation research focused on abnormal neuronal calcium signaling in fruit fly models of age-related neurodegeneration. Nicholas spends his time reading science fiction novels and books about history and economics. He also enjoys hiking, whitewater rafting, and bouldering, which he and his wife take full advantage of in the Pacific Northwest.
Jayaji earned his medical degree from New York Medical College. In medical school, he carried out research on the topic of patient-physician communication as well as on neurological manifestations of COVID-19. Prior to medical school, Jayaji obtained a B.S. in Physics and M.S. in Biology from Stanford University and worked as a clinical research coordinator with the UCSF multiple sclerosis research group. Outside of work, Jayaji enjoys golfing, watching sports of all kinds, board games, road trips, and exploring National Parks.
Meera completed her undergraduate education in Biomedical Engineering at the University of Utah. She went on to conduct biomedical research during a post-baccalaureate fellowship at the NIH. In the hopes of more directly impacting patient health, she went on to earn her medical degree from Kansas City University. During the course of her medical education, she also completed a pathology
John majored in Biology and English Literature at Williams College in Massachusetts, the other school whose logo is a purple and gold ‘W.’ He then spent three years in Boston studying the pathophysiology of alpha-synuclein in dementia with Lewy bodies before moving to Rhode Island, where he completed his medical degree at the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University. At Brown, he worked on an app that detects movement disorder symptoms in patients with Parkinson disease and essential tremor. He moved to Seattle with his partner, Annie, who works in public policy. They spend their free time outside (hiking, biking, skiing, walking – you name it), cooking, reading, and watching TV.
Jamie completed her undergraduate degree in Molecular Biology at the University of Texas at Dallas. She went on to complete her medical degree and a doctorate in biomedical research at the University of Texas McGovern Medical School in Houston. There her primary research focus was in Cardiovascular Disease. Jamie enjoys volunteering, hanging out with family, friends, and her cat Abigail Bagel, kayaking and pretty much anything near the water.
Growing up, Adam spent much of his time divided between Alabama and the Middle East. After realizing he wanted to go to medical school, he earned his degrees in Chemistry and in Biomedical Sciences from Auburn University (War Eagle!) where he discovered his love for research and investigation. Before medical school at the University of Alabama Birmingham, he spent three years working on the design and characterization of small molecule Alzheimer’s drugs and MRI contrast agents. In medical school, he rediscovered an early passion for neuromodulation and brain machine interfaces. When he’s not swinging his reflex hammer or hitting his tuning fork he enjoys playing with his cats, weight-lifting, and exploring the beautiful nature of Washington.
Rina is originally from Toronto, Canada and completed her undergraduate degree in Biology at York University. She went on to earn her medical degree at Kansas City University, where she furthered her passion for neurology and medical education. In her spare time, Rina enjoys exploring Seattle, trying new restaurants and ballroom dancing.
Lily’s youth was evenly split between Poland, New Jersey, and Colorado before she completed her B.A. in Biology with a Philosophy minor at Boston University. She earned her M.D. as a member of the inaugural class of California University of Science and Medicine in Colton, California. She then left behind the Southern California desert for the temperate rainforests of the Pacific Northwest with her cat, Tony, to pursue her dream residency at the University of Washington. She spends her spare time gardening, baking, hiking, and reading true crime books.
Jonathan completed his undergraduate degree in Biophysics at Johns Hopkins University while working as a personal trainer. He became involved in neurology through research on rehabilitative medical devices. He then attended Boston University School of Medicine and researched brain computer interfaces at the University of California Irvine. In his free time, he enjoys rock climbing, hiking up mountains, sometimes hiking down mountains, and cooking new recipes. His goal for the end of residency is to summit Mount Rainier at least once.
Aaron grew up in Anchorage, Alaska and studied physics at the University of Colorado, Boulder. After undergrad, he returned to Alaska where experiences working in public health with communities around the state guided him to medicine. He attended medical school at University of California San Francisco and dedicated his non-clinical time towards advocacy for migrants and investigating the physiological mechanisms of tissue regeneration. In his free time, Aaron surfs, climbs, skis, and gets outside!
Azza Kineish spent the most memorable years of her life growing up in Michigan. She received her B.S. in Human Biology from Michigan State University. She then earned her medical degree at Wayne State University School of Medicine in Detroit, Michigan. Her interest in neurology peaked when she spent time in her clinical years rotating through the Neuro ICU. She grew a special relationship with the patients and through this, her motivation to treat their pathologies only grew. Throughout her medical education, she spent a decent portion of her time working with local community leaders to tackle the issue of lead toxicity and to improve the overall quality of life in their communities.
Some of Azza’s many hobbies and interests include traveling, fashion, shopping, skiing, watching reality TV, and hosting movie nights with friends. She also is a big foodie. Her favorite cuisine is asian however she also often craves traditional Sudanese food that her mother makes.
Mack earned her undergraduate degree in Molecular Biology from the University of Washington and her M.D. from Boston University, where she learned to care for urban underserved patients at Boston Medical Center. Simultaneously, she did epidemiological research in Alzheimer’s disease, studying its phenotypic subtypes and genetic interactions with smoking. Mack loves to play pickup volleyball and music on the piano/cello. She also loves cooking Filipino food and indoor rock climbing with her partner, Jason. Tragically, they are both allergic to cats.
Anna grew up in the Midwest and attended Carleton College for her undergraduate degree. She worked at a therapeutic home for kids and coached soccer (among other odd jobs) before attending Emory University for medical school. She continued her nonlinear path by completing an M.A. in Bioethics while in medical school. Her primary research interests are at the intersection of ethics and pain management. Outside of medicine, Anna enjoys biking, eating berries she finds on the Burke-Gilman, mending clothes, rating ice cream shops, and spending time with her partner and cat.
