Our Team

Chairman and Medical Director of Neurology Institute

Dr. Fotuhi received his medical degree (cum laude) from Harvard Medical School in Boston and his PhD doctorate in neurosciences from Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore. He completed his neurology residency and fellowship trainings at Johns Hopkins Hospital

Dr. Fotuhi is currently the chairman and medical director of the Neurology Institute for Brain Health and Fitness in Baltimore. Dr. Fotuhi is a long-standing lecturer at both Johns Hopkins and Harvard Medical School. A popular instructor at both institutions, he was the recipient of the American Academy of Neurology Teaching Award in 2001.

During Dr. Fotuhi’s 23 years of research and teaching, he has presented his research and clinical work on finding methods to prevent memory loss and Alzheimer’s around the world, including at universities in China, Japan, Israel, and Canada.

He is the author of two books about brain health and fitness: "The Memory Cure: How to Protect Your Brain Against Memory Loss and Alzheimer’s Disease" and "The New York Times Crosswords to Keep Your Brain Young." His PBS special, "Fighting Alzheimer's Early", continues to air nationally.

He has been featured in ABC News, Discovery Channel, Dr. Oz Show and The Montel Show, as well as The Boston Globe, BusinessWeek, The Chicago Tribune, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal and The Times of London. In 2007, Dr. Fotuhi was selected by the Baltimore Magazine as one of the Most Intriguing Baltimoreans of the year.

Curriculum vitae

Petuna Selby is a seasoned healthcare administrator who posses over 25 years of progressive healthcare experience. She is an honors graduate with a Masters of Business Administration in Health Services Administration, as well as a Summa Cum Laude graduate with a Bachelors of Science Degree in Global Business Management. Her portfolio includes:

• Achieving a 35 percent increase in department efficiency through the introduction of standardized operating procedures and policies

• Optimizing organizational efficiencies and processes by leveraging new technology in short-term and acute care facilities

• Learning and applying the understanding of ambulatory and inpatient services protocol and have applied change-management applications into models for success

Petuna was president and founder of a successful medical billing and collection agency and co-founder of a lucrative marketing firm that specialized in offering services to health facilities and law firms. She is a welcome new edition to the team who has helped to bring the Neurology Institute to the forefront with initiatives that are positioning the organization to support significant growth. In addition, Petuna has conceived new ideas to strengthen core services to patients, project-managed new infrastructure initiatives, and maintained the team’s morale while they undergo exciting new challenges.

Fun Fact: Petuna used to coach a cheerleading team for 5-year-old girls in Howard County.

Nayarie Morales is our Medical Administrative Assistant at the office who takes care of scheduling, answering phones and other various tasks in the front office. Nayarie went to the Baltimore School of Massage and has earned her certification. She is currently studying to take her Nationals examination to become a Licensed Massage Therapist. She is also currently pursuing her bachelor’s degree of Exercise Science at Towson University.

Fun Fact: She is one of six children and is fluent in English and Spanish.

Courtney completed her Medical Assistant certification at Allstate Career Institute where she gained experience in clinical and administrative work. Courtney is trained to record patient histories, measure and record vitals, administer finger sticks, phlebotomy, EKG’s and injections. Here at the Neurology Institute; she prepares the patients for their appointment with Dr. Fotuhi, and assists in answering phones and scheduling patients. Courtney is currently pursuing a degree in Biology from CCBC.

Fun Fact: Courtney is afraid of needles. 

Rebecca is a Medical Office Assistant who recently started at the Neurology Institute. She works closely with Dr. Fotuhi by completing his transcriptions of patient encounters. Rebecca will be a friendly face sitting in during office visits with Dr. Fotuhi as his assistant. She will also be working at the front desk assisting patients and her fellow co-workers. Rebecca studied at Fortis Institute Towson to become a Medical Office Assistant. She is excited about working at the Neurology Institute and is an invaluable team member.

Fun Fact: Rebecca is a proud member of the Alpha Xi Delta sorority and has a Bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood/Elementary Education from Frostburg State University.

Eylem holds a Master’s Degree in Counseling Psychology and is currently receiving her Doctoral Degree in Clinical Psychology. She completed her internship and practicum at Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center, and started to work there as a psychotherapist providing individual and group therapy sessions. Eylem continues to run art therapy and yoga and relaxation therapy groups at Johns Hopkins Hospital's Creative Alternatives Program where she was awarded as the most talented employee of the year in 2011.

She organized the very first international psychiatric art exhibit in the world and her work was featured in local and international press.

Eylem brings a unique combination of knowledge skill and experience to her work by employing a holistic approach. She has traveled intensively around the world and researched alternative healing and relaxation rituals and techniques of different cultures. In 2005, she traveled to Guatemala and worked in Quetzaltenango Women Prison helping inmates learn relaxation techniques trough painting. In 2011, she was invited to Shanta treehouse studios in Florianopolis, Brazil to turn her collection of mantras from different cultures into healing songs and her recordings have been released in the Shanta Multicultural
Movements Album.

Her work on Anxiety, Stress Related Disorders and Trauma Related Memory loss was featured in a e-book entitled: “Kitchen Stories: Opening the Door to Memories and Healing”.

Fun Fact: Eylem is fluent in English, French, Spanish and Turkish and provides therapy services in these languages.

Ezgi provides Cognitive Skills Training at the Neurology Institute in order to improve our patients' brain function and abilities. She holds a degree in Communication Studies from New Hampshire University. She is currently preparing to pursue her master's degree in Advanced Communication Studies.
 
Ezgi has intensive training in language development and communication sciences.

Fun Fact: Ezgi is a certified Entrepreneur.

Tracy earned her master's degree in clincial psychology from Towson University and is currently the Director of the Cognitive Assessment Program at the Neurology Institute.  She gained experience with neurocognitive assessments and psychosocial functioning through various settings at Johns Hopkins University including a neuroimaging research lab, acute inpatient rehabilitation center, and the regional Burn Center. Tracy's primary interests include dementia-related disorders, evaluation of cognitive functioning, and methods to improve memory and cognitive deficits.

Fun Fact: Tracy enjoys drawing and has been featured in Johns Hopkins' 3rd Annual National Arts Program Exhibit.

Nicole completed her master's degree in Clinical Psychology at Loyola University Maryland. She has previously trained at the University of Maryland Care Clinic providing psychological assessments and psychotherapy for children and adults. At the Neurology Institute, she performs brain mapping and provides neurofeedback to patients in the Brain Fitness Program.

Fun Fact: Nicole was born in Honolulu, Hawaii and her middle name is Kaneki.

Michelle received her bachelor’s degree in Exercise Science from Indiana University of Pennsylvania. She gained experience with exercise testing and prescription through various settings at Indiana Regional Medical Center. She is a member of the American College of Sports Medicine. As an exercise physiologist at the Neurology Institute, Michelle’s concentration is on assessing fitness and promoting health and wellness.

Fun Fact: Michelle holds a real estate license and is an only child.

Neuroradiologist and expert in measuring brain changes in MRI

Dr. Steven Breiter is a borad-certified neuroradiologist with special interest in measuring brain size and volume. Before joining Advanced Radiology, he worked with the team of neurologists at Johns Hopkins on a project to determine changes in size of temporal lobe in patients with epilepsy. Dr. Breiter received his medical degree from Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York and is borad certified in Diagnostic Radiology, with added special competency in Neuroradiology and Pediatric Radiology.

Sleep specialist

Dr. Kashi is currently the medical director of the Baltimore Sleep and Wellness Center and a Fellow of the American College of Physicians. He is a Diplomate of the American Board of Internal Medicine, American Academy of Sensory Electrodiagnostic Medicine and Board eligible in the American Board of Sleep Medicine.

He received his medical doctorate degree from American University of the Caribbean school of medicine and completed his internal medicine residency at Medstar Franklin Square Hospital Center, where he was also chief medical resident.

Over the past decade, Dr. Kashi has been very active in clinical research. He has been a co-investigator of many national and international research trials in the fields of cardiovascular medicine, sleep and osteoporosis, including JUPITER, PREDICTIVE 303, RESS, POSSIBLE, DANCE etc.