Joel R.
Saper, M.D., F.A.C.P., F.A.A.N.
Dr.
Joel Saper is Founder and Director of the Institute
and the inpatient Head•Pain
Treatment Unit at Chelsea
Community Hospital. A board-certified neurologist
and pain medicine specialist, Dr. Saper is past
President of the American Association for the Study
of Headache, past Chairman of the American Council
for Headache Education, and an educator in the American
Academy of Neurology, American Academy of Pain Medicine,
American Headache Society, and the American Pain Society. He is a Clinical Professor of
Medicine (Neurology) at Michigan State University
and a former Assistant Professor of Neurology at
the University of Michigan. Dr. Saper is an invited
lecturer to universities, medical centers, government
and business groups, and lay audiences throughout
the world. He is featured in major television and
newspaper media as an authority in headache and
pain and their personal, social, and economic impact.
Dr. Saper is the author of eight books and over
200 medical articles and textbook chapters, and
has been cited repeatedly in the
Best Doctors in America and The Best
In Medicine.
C. David
Gordon, M.D.
Dr.
David Gordon has been with MHNI since 1990 and was
formerly an attending physician at the John R. Graham
Headache Center in Boston. Dr. Gordon is a graduate
of Boston University School of Medicine, completed
his internal medicine residency training at
Tufts University Hospital program at the Faulkner
Hospital in Boston, and went on to complete formal
specialty training at the Graham Headache Center.
In addition to providing medical care at the Institute
and the inpatient unit at Chelsea Community Hospital,
Dr. Gordon directs internal medicine services and
is involved with clinical research projects at MHNI. He has published
numerous articles on migraine and headache management and recently co-authored several headache textbooks, published both domestically
and internationally,
including a textbook co-authored with Dr. Saper.
Robert L. Hamel, P.A.-C
Mr.
Robert Hamel, a certified physician assistant, is
Clinical Assistant to the Director at MHNI and Assistant
Director of the Head•Pain Treatment Unit at Chelsea Community
Hospital. He also serves as the Head Injury Services Coordinator at MHNI. Mr. Hamel is involved in patient
care activities, clinical program development, and
a variety of administrative duties at the Institute.
Prior to joining MHNI, Mr. Hamel had extensive training
and experience in general and internal medicine.
He collaborated with Drs. Saper and Gordon in a
published headache textbook and is an invited lecturer
at regional and national professional conferences.
Alicia R. Prestegaard, M.D.
Dr. Alicia
Prestegaard, board-certified in neurology
and pain medicine, completed her neurology residency
at the University of Illinois, St. Francis Medical
Center, and Loyola University Medical Center in
Maywood, Illinois. Dr. Prestegaard also completed
a fellowship in electromyography and pain management
at Case Western Reserve University Hospitals in
Cleveland, Ohio. Before coming to MHNI, she was
a staff member at Suburban Heights Medical Center
in Chicago Heights, Illinois. Dr. Prestegaard, a
native of Poland and educated in Europe, has a primary
clinical role at MHNI and in the hospital program.
James
R. Weintraub, D.O.
Dr.
James Weintraub, a board-certified neurologist and
sleep disorders specialist, attended Des Moines
University College of Osteopathic Medicine and Surgery in Des Moines,
Iowa.
Dr. Weintraub completed a fellowship in sleep disorders
at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit and a fellowship
in electro-myography at the Cleveland Clinic. He
is Medical Director of Sleep Well Centers in Ann Arbor and former director of
the sleep
disorders programs at Chelsea Community Hospital and St. Joseph Mercy Hospital.
In addition to his teaching role in academic programs
for medical students and residents, Dr. Weintraub
has lectured extensively to physicians and lay audiences
on topics in the fields of neurology and sleep disorders.
He has a primary clinical role and oversees the
electrophysiology lab at the Institute.
General Pain
Shamas Moheyuddin, M.D.
Dr. Shamas Moheyuddin, a board-certified anesthesiologist, completed his internship and residency in anesthesiology at the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson, Mississippi. During his fellowship in interventional pain management where he obtained significant experience and training under the tutelage of renowned specialists in the field, Dr. Moheyuddin received the Best Fellow of the Year and Pfizer Scholars in Pain Management awards from the University of Mississippi Medical Center. He provides invasive and noninvasive treatment options for a wide range of painful disorders in Ann Arbor, Chelsea, and Adrian, Michigan. Dr. Moheyuddin’s areas of interest include occipital neurostimulation and radio frequency ablation of dorsal root ganglion.
Eric Austad, M.D.
Dr. Eric Austad, a board-certified plastic surgeon, received his medical degree from the University of Michigan, followed by an internship with LSU at Charity Hospital of New Orleans. He then completed a total of six years of residency training in General Surgery, Neurosurgery, and Plastic Surgery at the University of Michigan. Dr. Austad has published in peer-reviewed journals and frequently presents at scientific meetings. He has participated in the care of MHNI patients since 1982, returning to Ann Arbor from San Diego in 2008 to work exclusively with MHNI, specializing in the treatment of headache related to trauma and/or nerve-related disorders of the head and neck. Dr. Austad is a past president of Michigan’s society of board-certified plastic surgeons, a former chairman of the Department of Plastic Surgery at St. Joseph Mercy Hospital in Ann Arbor, and a Fellow of the College of Surgeons and many other professional organizations.
Behavioral Medicine
Alvin
E. Lake III, Ph.D.
Dr.
Alvin Lake, a licensed psychologist, received his
Ph.D. in clinical psychology from The University
of Michigan. He is Director of the Behavioral Medicine
Division at the Institute, Senior Research Psychologist,
and Associate Program Director of the Head•Pain
Treatment Unit at Chelsea Community Hospital. Dr.
Lake has achieved both national and international
recognition for his clinical work, research publications,
and patient-oriented articles on headache and is
an invited lecturer to professional audiences across
the nation. He is a former Board member of the American
Headache Society and the American Council on Headache
Education (ACHE), and served on the editorial board
of the scientific journal Headache from
1992-2003. Dr. Lake is a Senior Fellow of the Biofeedback
Certification Institute of America (BCIA). He is
a founding member of the Institute and has been
an influential force in its direction and accomplishments
since 1978.
Jan E. Bachman,
Ph.D.
Dr.
Jan Bachman, a licensed psychologist, came to MHNI
from the University of Michigan Health System’s
Multidisciplinary Pain Center, where he worked for
12 years. He
also held the appointment
as Adjunct Clinical Associate Professor in the Department
of Anesthesiology. During seven of those years, Dr. Bachman served as the clinical psychologist for the
facial pain clinic in the University of Michigan’s
School of Dentistry. His undergraduate
degree in psychosocial science was obtained from Penn
State University. In addition to obtaining both
his doctorate and master’s degrees in clinical psychology,
he completed specialty training in alcohol
and drug abuse at Western Michigan University. His
clinical internship was completed in the Department
of Psychiatry at the University of Tennessee – Memphis,
which was followed by a fellowship in the Coordinated
Chronic Pain Program at the University of Michigan
Medical Center. Dr. Bachman has obtained significant
experience in behavioral medicine, has published
in the area of pain, and has made numerous presentations
on a variety of behavioral medicine topics.
Barbaranne
Branca, Ph.D.
Dr.
Barbaranne Branca, a board-certified clinical neuropsychologist
and licensed psychologist, received her Ph.D. at
the University of Michigan and completed her post-doctoral
training in neuropsychology at Children’s Hospital in Detroit with a two year program
at the Fielding Institute. Dr. Branca is the Supervisor of Neuropsychology
Services and serves as chair of the Post-Trauma Team and the Work Status Committee. She has particular interest in the assessment
and treatment of head injury, trauma related
disorders, cognitive
and memory dysfunction, and co-occurrence of chronic pain and
head injury. Dr. Branca provides a comprehensive
neurocognitive testing program at MHNI. She
has extensive training in the evaluation and treatment
of a broad range of psychological and neuropsychological
conditions.
Jeffrey D. Pingel, Ph.D.
Dr.
Jeffrey Pingel, a licensed psychologist and certified
biofeedback practitioner, completed his doctoral
education at Ohio University where he was actively
involved in research and writing scientific publications
related to headache. Dr.
Pingel provides behavioral treatment for patients
suffering co-existing pain, mood, and sleep disorders, and serves as a consultant to the Head•Pain Treatment Unit at Chelsea
Community Hospital. He is also co-editor of the MHNI newsletter, the Headliner.
Physical Therapy
Ellen Lecureux, P.T.
Ms.
Ms. Ellen Lecureux, Physical Therapy Coordinator at MHNI, is a licensed physical therapist who received her B.S. degree from the University of Michigan. She has 28 years’ experience working in primarily outpatient orthopedics and sports medicine settings, treating patients with acute and chronic conditions. Her extensive background includes manual therapy and a variety of exercise techniques. Ms. Lecureux has participated in community education as a speaker on a number of topics.
Research and Education
Marjorie
E. Winters, R.N., B.S.N.
Ms.
Marjorie Winters, Director of Pharmaceutical Research,
received her Bachelor of Science in nursing at the University of Michigan. She directs pharmaceutical clinical
studies evaluating medications for the treatment
of pain and related disorders and
coordinates
MHNI staff original research projects. Ms. Winters is considered an authority on headache education and presents public service lectures
for the community
as well as teaching programs for health care professionals.
Shawn M. Szalay,
R.N., B.S.N.
Ms.
Shawn Szalay, Manager of Pharmaceutical Research
at MHNI, has direct supervisory responsibility for
the research coordinators and support staff of the
Research Division. Along with Ms. Winters, Ms. Szalay
is responsible for monitoring adherence to established
policies, procedures, and protocols of care in the
Research Division and she directs MHNI clinical
studies evaluating various treatments for pain and
related disorders. Ms. Szalay has experience in
pharmaceutical sales and marketing and drug safety
surveillance, and has an extensive clinical background
in a variety of settings.
Nursing
Lucinda
L. Bruggner, RN, B.S.N.
Ms.
Lucinda (Cindy) Bruggner, Head Nurse at the Institute,
received her Bachelor of Science in nursing at Indiana
University. She supervises the nursing, laboratory,
and neurodiagnostic staff and coordinates teaching
and nursing staff development.
Prior to joining MHNI in 1993, Ms. Bruggner had
extensive training and experience in a variety of
clinical settings and held several leadership positions.
Mary M. Kroll, R.N., B.S.N.
Mrs.
Mary Kroll, Clinical Coordinator at MHNI, received
her Bachelor of Science in nursing at Eastern Michigan
University. She serves as clinical assistant to the Director
as well as his liaison in promoting
quality assurance and patient satisfaction. Mrs.
Kroll has held numerous clinical and leadership
positions at MHNI since 1990. She has past training and experience in high
acuity, post-surgical, and intensive care nursing.