Faculty
Professor and Chair, Neurology
Dr. Cruz-Flores attended medical school at the Universidad Autonoma de Nuevo Leon in Monterrey, Mexico. He completed residencies in internal medicine and neurology at the Universidad Autonoma de Nuevo Leon.
Dr. Cruz-Flores continued his training completing neurology residency and a two year fellowship in cerebrovascular diseases and neuro-critical care at Saint Louis University. He also obtained a master's degree in public health (epidemiology) from Saint Louis University School of Public Health. Dr. Cruz-Flores is board certified in neurology, vascular neurology, neuro-imaging, and neuro-critical care. Dr. Cruz-Flores joined TTUHSC El Paso Department of Neurology May 1, 2013 and provides inpatient and outpatient services at our affiliated hospitals in reference to neuro-critical care and treatment, and stroke consult.
Associate Professor and Vice Chair, Neurology
Dr. Rodriguez completed his medical training at the University of Santiago de Compostela, Spain. He received his neurology residency training at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey.
In addition, he completed a fellowship in vascular neurology, neuro-critical care, and endovascular surgical neuro-radiology. He joined TTUHSC El Paso Department of Neurology on March 1, 2013 and provides inpatient and outpatient services at our affiliated hospitals conducting neuro-interventional procedures, neuro-critical care and treatment, and stroke consults.
Associate Professor, Neurology
Dr. Brower received his medical degree and completed his residency from the University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas.
In addition, Dr. Brower also completed a fellowship in clinical neurophysiology and epilepsy at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, Texas. He has been at TTUHSC since 2009. Dr. Brower's specialty is epilepsy.
Associate Professor, Neurology
Dr. Khatri received his M.D. from Trichur Medical College, India and completed his neurology residency training at the University of Cincinnati in Cincinnati, Ohio.
He furthered his professional training with dual fellowship training in endovascular surgical neuroradiology and vascular neurology at the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota. Dr. Khatri is board certified in neurology, vascular neurology and neurocritical care. He joined Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso in the Department of Neurology in October 2016 and performs neuro-interventional procedures as well as provides care for patients with neurological disorders with emphasis on cerebrovascular diseases and neurocritical care.
Associate Professor, Neurology
Dr. Maud received his medical degree from the Universidad Nacional de Cordoba, Facultad de Ciencias Medicas Cordoba, Argentina and completed his Neurology residency from the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, Texas.
In addition, Dr. Maud also completed a fellowship in Vascular Neurology and Endovascular Surgical Neuroradiology at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He is currently Board Certified in Neurology, Vascular Neurology and Neurocritical Care at the Department of Neurology at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center (TTUHSC) and has been at TTUHSC El Paso since 2010. Dr. Maud's specialty is neuro-interventional procedures.
Associate Professor, Neurology
Dr. Piriyawat recently joined the department of neurology as an associate professor of neurology and a residency program director. He graduated from Chulalongkorn University in his native Thailand.
Dr. Piriyawat completed neurology residency at Saint Louis University and stroke/vascular neurology fellowship at the University of Texas at Houston. He was an assistant professor at Saint Louis University and an associate professor at the University of South Carolina. He will provide care for patients with neurological disorders on both inpatient and outpatient bases with emphasis on cerebrovascular diseases.
Assistant Professor, Neurology
Dr. Darine Kassar joined the department of neurology in July 2014 as assistant professor. Her medical degree is from Lebanese University and then she completed her neurology residency at St. Louis University Hospital.
Dr. Kassar then went on to complete her neuromuscular diseases fellowship from The Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio. She is board certified in neurology and her sub-specialty includes managing neuromuscular disorders (i.e. muscular dystrophies, neuromuscular junction disorders, inherited and acquired neuropathies, etc.) in addition to performing nerve conduction studies and electromyography (EMG).
Assistant Professor, Neurology
Anantha R Vellipuram, M.D., earned his medical degree from Dr. NTR University of Health Science, India. He completed his residency in neurology at the University of Missouri, where he also served as chief resident in his final year.
He then went on to pursue fellowship training in neurocritical care at the University of Chicago, after which he joined Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso’s Department of Neurology July 1, 2016 as a neurointensivist. Dr. Vellipuram specializes in neurocritical care and vascular neurology. In his clinical practice, he is committed to providing expert diagnostic and advanced therapies to care for the unique needs of critically ill patients with devastating neurological syndromes.
Assistant Professor, Neurology
Claudia Maria Prospero Ponce, M.D., earned her medical degree from Ignacio A. Santos School of Medicine, Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Education. She completed her Internal Medicine internship and residency in Opthalmology at The University of Arizona in Tucson, Arizona.
Dr. Claudia Maria Prospero Ponce is a Board-certified Ophthalmologist who graduated from Ignacio A. Santos School of Medicine, Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Education (TEC de Monterrey), Monterrey Mexico, considered one of the best Medical Schools in Mexico for its national and international rotations and innovative biomedical research.
She enrolled in pre-residency research at The Cole Eye Institute, Department of Refractive surgery at the Cleveland Clinic, The Retinal Vascular Center at Charles A. Garcia and Associates, and the Department of Pathology and Genomic Medicine at Houston, TX. She completed her Internal Medicine internship and her residency in Ophthalmology at The University of Arizona in Tucson AZ. She also trained in Neuro-Opthamology and Ocular Pathology at Houston Methodist Hospital before becoming an assistant professor at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso where she has joint appointments in both Ophthalmology and Neurology.
Assistant Professor, Neurology
Sushma Reddy Yerram, M.D., earned her medical degree from Osmania Medical College-NTR University Health Sciences. She completed her Neurology Residency at the University of Missouri, Columbia.
Sushma Reddy Yerram, M.D. attended medical school at Osmania Medical College-NTR Unviersity Health Sciences in India. She completed her neurology residency at the University of Missouri, Columbia. She is board certified in neurology and received subspecialty training in Clinical Neurophysiology (EEG, EMG) and Epilepsy at the University of Rochester, New York before joining Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso's Neurology Department in 2019.
Dr. Sushma Yerram will be seeing patients with various neurological disorders both inpatient and outpatient with special focus on patients with epilepsy disorders who are medically refractory and in need of surgical evaluation. She will also be reading short and long-term EEG recordings along with seeing patients in the Epilepsy Monitoring Unit.
Nurse Practitioners
Ms. Olivas received her Master of Science in Nursing as well as her family nurse practitioner certificate from the University of Texas at El Paso.
Ms. Olivas has been at the department of neurology at TTUHSC El Paso since 2009. Ms. Olivas performs general and neurological physical assessment on patients with neurological disorders.
Ms. Castrellon is an El Paso native and worked as an ICU nurse at UMC for 8 years prior to receiving her Masters of Science of Nursing with a specialization as an Acute Care Nurse Practitioner in December 2011 from the University of Texas at El Paso.
Ms. Castrellon worked in the private medical world for 4 years as an NP prior to her arrival to Texas Tech. Ms. Castrellon now works with patients in the acute care setting providing care for patients with neurological disorders from stroke and epilepsy to include the Neuro- Critical Care population.
Guillermina Alicia Nelson, M.S.N., is an El Paso native who has eight years of experience as an ICU nurse in the El Paso area. Six of those years were at University Medical Center (UMC) of El Paso.
In 2015, she obtained her master’s in nursing from The University of Texas at El Paso with a specialization in adult/gerontology acute care nursing practice.
Prior to joining TTUHSC El Paso, she worked in the private medical world, specializing in pulmonary critical care. She is now a member of the Neurology Department and provides care for patients with neurological disorders, including the neuro critical population.
Edwin Lopez, M.S.N.., is an El Paso native and a graduate of The University of Texas at El Paso. He earned his master’s in nursing with a specialization in adult/gerontology acute care in 2016.
Prior to becoming a Board-certified Nurse Practitioner, he worked as an R.N. at some of the busiest emergency departments in the nation, including those located in downtown Los Angeles and the Texas Medical Center in Houston for over eight years. He is now part of the Neurology Department at TTUHSC El Paso, and provides care for patients with neurological disorders in the acute care setting.
Angel Pineda, M.S.N., AGACNP-BC, is an El Paso native and a proud graduate of the University of Texas at El Paso. He worked as a registered nurse in the intensive care unit at University Medical Center for eight years before obtaining his Master of Science in nursing with specialization as an adult gerontology-acute care nurse practitioner in 2017.
Mr. Pineda joined the Department of Neurology at TTUHSC El Paso in the summer of 2018 and works with patients diagnosed with a wide array of neurological disorders primarily in the outpatient setting.
Ofelia L. Portillo, M.S.N., AGACNP-BC, is an El Paso native and proud graduate of the University of Texas at El Paso. She worked as a registered nurse in the Intensive Care Unit at University Medical Center of El Paso for 16 years before obtaining her Master of Science in Nursing with specialization as an adult gerontology-acute care nurse practitioner in 2016.
Ms. Portillo joined the Department of Neuroogy at TTUHSC El Paso in 2019 and works with patients who have undergone or will undergo a Neuro Interventional procedure primarily in the inpatient setting.