San Diego Neurology Society

President

Joshua Alexander, DO, MPH, is a neurologist at the Scripps Clinic with a special interest in the application of osteopathic manipulation for neurological disease associated with pain. Dr. Alexander cares for patients with conditions such as tinnitus, headache, concussion, movement disorders, stroke, chronic pain, neuromuscular disease and neurodegenerative diseases.

Osteopathic medicine is alternative health care founded on the principle that many diseases are related to problems within the musculoskeletal framework. Osteopathic manipulation is hands-on, non-invasive and can be highly effective in the treatment of disorders associated with the nervous system, behavior and brain. Many of the patients that Dr. Alexander sees do not have adequate relief from their traditional medical management plans. In addition to osteopathic manipulation, his expertise.

Dr. Alexander received his medical degree from Touro University in Vallejo, California. He completed his internship at UC Irvine and residency at UC San Diego. He is board-certified in neurology. He is a two-time, back-to-back winner of the Arnold P. Gold Foundation award for humanism in medicine, and was the house officer of the year during his residency at UC San Diego. He has also won several awards for being an outstanding resident and teacher.

Before joining Scripps Clinic this year, Dr. Alexander was on the neurological faculty of UC San Diego, where he developed a clinical and research program in integrative neurology and served as associate director on the neurology residency program. Before becoming the Society's President, he served for 2 years as its Program Diector. Dr. Alexander is board certified in neurology.

Program Director

Ross Mandeville, MD, is Assistant Professor of Neurosciences at UC San Diego and Co-Director of the Paralysis and Peripheral Nerve Disorders Program at the UC San Diego Health System. He is a part of the team of specialists that restore movement and function and improve quality of life for patients suffering from neurological injuries and conditions including spinal cord and peripheral nerve injuries. His clinical interests include neurophysiology, neurosonography, neuromuscular medicine, and intraoperative neurophysiological monitoring.

Dr. Mandeville is also interested in advancing and applying research in peripheral nerve regeneration to enhance the nervous system’s limited capacity for repair. His efforts in translational research aim to improve the health of individuals who experience spinal cord and peripheral nerve injuries, as well as ALS and other neuromuscular disorders.

Dr. Mandeville completed his residency in neurology at UC San Diego School of Medicine. He completed his fellowship in neurophysiology at the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery in London. He is a member of numerous professional organizations, including the American Society for Peripheral Nerve, the International Society of Peripheral Neurophysiological Imaging, the American Medical Association, the American Academy of Neurology, and the British Society for Clinical Neurophysiology. Dr. Mandeville is board certified in neurology.

Secretary-Treasurer

Christine N. Smith, PhD, is an Assistant Professor at the UC San Diego (Department of Psychiatry) and at the Veterans Affairs San Diego Healthcare System (Research Service). She investigates the biological basis of learning and memory by testing behavior in healthy individuals and patients with focal brain damage and neurodegenerative disorders. In addition, by using functional and structural neuroimaging, she identifies which parts of the brain support learning and memory.

Dr. Smith completed her graduate training in Experimental Psychology at the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee and completed her post-doctoral training at UC San Diego. She now holds a joint appointment as a faculty member at UCSD and the San Diego VA.

In addition to her numerous first and senior author publications, she enjoys mentoring high school, college, and graduate students and post-doctoral scientists. Dr. Smith is the first Society officer who is not a clinician and, as the daughter of Dr. Randy Smith, she is a second generation Society member.