Faculty & Advanced Practice Providers

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 Texas Tech Health 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.

In addition, he completed a fellowship in vascular neurology, neuro-critical care, and endovascular surgical neuro-radiology. He joined Texas Tech Health 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.

A veteran neurologist with over 30 years of private practice experience in this region, Dr. Acosta decided to join Texas Tech Health El Paso’s neurology group as his interest in teaching and passing his vast knowledge on to medical students and physician residents. He is now an assistant professor in the Foster School of Medicine Although he does specialize in neuromuscular disease, he is qualified to treat most neurologic conditions that affect the brain, spinal cord and peripheral nervous system such as: headaches, sleep disorders, multiple sclerosis, epilepsy, neuropathic pain, dementia and Parkinson’s disease.

Before leaving El Paso to pursue her fellowship, she committed to return to work alongside her mentors – now colleagues – here at the Department of Neurology.  “I never thought El Paso would feel like home, but that is what it felt like coming back, like coming home,” Dr. Narvaez says.

Dr. Narvaez is a board-certified neurologist and offers much-needed neuromuscular treatment and diagnosis to our underserved community.  She will apply her expertise to treat a wide range of neuromuscular disorders using cutting-edge technology and medical knowledge along with a compassionate, patient-centered philosophy.

With a multidisciplinary team consisting of physical therapists, speech therapists, dieticians, social workers and respiratory therapists, Dr. Narvaez will lead a comprehensive ALS clinic. This unique, all-encompassing clinic is the only one of its kind in the Borderplex Region.

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, Neuro-Imaging, Neuro-Critical Care and Interventional Neurology at the Department of Neurology at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center (TTUHSC) and has been at Texas Tech Health El Paso since 2010. Dr. Maud's specialty is neuro-interventional procedures.

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.

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.

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. 

Dr. Melendez-Zaidi earned her M.D. and Ph.D. at Northwestern University in Chicago and later completed a residency in pediatric neurology and a fellowship in clinical neurophysiology. She accepted an additional year as a postdoctoral research fellow, studying mechanisms of genetic epilepsies at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston.

Board certified in pediatric neurology, she brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to her new practice at El Paso Children’s Multispecialty Center. Through collaborative efforts between Texas Tech Health El Paso and El Paso Children’s Hospital, she will work with Drs. Ziyad Makoshi and Rodolfo Fierro-Stevens to start a new practice dedicated to advancing neurological care and epilepsy monitoring, directly contributing to the well-being of this community’s most vulnerable populations.

Dr. Melendez-Zaidi will also have a special focus on children with epilepsy and help identify those who may qualify for surgical intervention.

Ms. Olivas has been at the department of neurology at Texas Tech Health El Paso since 2009. Ms. Olivas performs general and neurological physical assessment on patients with neurological disorders.

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.  

With over 11 years of experience as a critical care registered nurse—including in emergency, cardiovascular ICU, neurointerventional radiology, and trauma settings—she has developed an exceptional depth of expertise in managing complex patient cases.

Now specializing in neurology critical care, Jaymii has spent nearly two years as an advanced practice registered nurse (APRN), focusing on trauma and acute care. She is dedicated to providing high-quality, patient-centered care, expertly managing assessments, treatment plans, and interventions. Passionate about fostering strong relationships with patients, families, and multidisciplinary teams, Jaymii is committed to delivering compassionate and effective care in high-acuity environments. 

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 Texas Tech Health 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.

Mr. Pineda joined the Department of Neurology at Texas Tech Health El Paso in the summer of 2018 and works with patients diagnosed with a wide array of neurological disorders primarily in the outpatient setting.

Ms. Portillo joined the Department of Neuroogy at Texas Tech Health El Paso in 2019 and works with patients who have undergone or will undergo a Neuro Interventional procedure primarily in the inpatient setting.

Mrs. Navarro joined the Department of Neurology at Texas Tech Health El Paso in the fall of 2019, and provides care for patients with neurological disorders, primarily in the outpatient setting.