Our Team

The INI team consists of a board of diverse professionals all dedicated to serving those suffering from neurological disorders.
Each board member offers unique expertise and talents, and through collaborative efforts, we hope to maximize our impact in the community.

Our Founder & President

 
Medical Mission Main Image.jpg

Amir Vokshoor, MD FAANS

Amir Vokshoor, MD is a board certified neurosurgeon whose passion is research of brain performance and its effect on everyday life and surgical healing. He utilizes a multidisciplinary approach in the treatment of adult spinal and cranial disorders.

Dr. Vokshoor’s surgical expertise lies in minimally invasive microsurgical spinal techniques, such as dynamic stabilization and motion preservation. Dr. Vokshoor is committed to healing and recovery through performance optimization, which he weaves throughout his treatment, and his patients benefit from a comprehensive fusion of cognitive stimulation, nutrition, and exercise. After earning his medical degree from the Medical College of Virginia of the Virginia Commonwealth University with honors, he completed neurosurgery residency training at Ohio State University Hospitals and obtained additional complex spine Fellowship training at the University of South Florida. Currently, Dr. Vokshoor is the Spine Surgery Subsection Chief at Providence Saint John's Health Center in Santa Monica, CA and the Director of Neuroscience at West Hills Hospital in West Hills, CA.

 

Our Officers

 
 
 

CFO - Marijane Kantzabedian

Miller Kaplan, LLP

 

Our Advisory Board

 

Claudia Aguirre, PhD is a neuroscientist and a mind-body expert. She serves as an international consultant and professional speaker with engagements through TEDx and TED Ed with focuses on a variety of wellness topics including nutrigenomics, psychodermatology, endocrinology, meditation, neuroplasticity and longevity.

Claudia Aguirre PhD

drclaudia.com
 

Dr. Jared D. Ament is a fellowship-trained American board-certified neurosurgeon. He specializes in complex and minimally invasive brain and spine surgery, using the latest technologies, including neuronavigation and robotics. His practice focuses heavily on motion preservation, expanding the frontier in both cervical and lumbar artificial disc replacement surgeries. He is often referred to as the ‘anti-fusion’ doctor. When motion preservation is not feasible, he also specializes in the management of spinal deformity, degenerative spine diseases, brain and spine tumors, and facial pain/spasm syndromes. Dr. Ament has operated on many celebrities and professional athletes and is currently the Principal Investigator on several FDA clinical trials, researching to next generation of artificial disc and motion preservation technologies. Dr. Ament received his Hon. BSc. from the University of Toronto and his MD from the Medical School for International Health, a collaborative initiative between Ben-Gurion University in Israel and Columbia University, New York.  He completed his surgical internship at the University of Massachusetts and a post-doctoral fellowship in surgical outcomes at Harvard Medical School. His Master of Public Health degree is from the Harvard School of Public Health and he served as adjunct faculty at Harvard's department of Population Health and Epidemiology.  He completed his neurosurgical training at University of California, Davis and an enfolded spine fellowship at Cedars Sinai Medical Center under Dr. J. Pat Johnson.  Dr. Ament has specific research interests in artificial disc replacement technology, motion preservation spine surgery, cost-effectiveness, cost-utility analyses, economic modeling, decision analysis, international surgery, and medical education. He has spearheaded several large projects both in the USA and other countries including Israel, Egypt, Jordan, Ethiopia, Sudan, Ecuador, and Bolivia. He is the first or lead author on over 25 peer-reviewed publications, several book chapters, and has presented work on cost-effectiveness at national and international conferences. Dr. Ament’s economic models have resulted in national reform towards increased government and payer support for various surgical interventions. He is the recipient of the Mayfield Clinical Science and John Hanbery Awards for the best clinical papers related to his work on the cost-effectiveness of artificial disc technology in patients with degenerative cervical spine disease.  He was also part of team that introduced the first Neurosurgical Boot Camp to South American trainees in Bolivia in an effort to standardize neurosurgical education abroad.  At the Neurosurgery & Spine Group (NSG), he is the Director of Outcomes Research and Co-Director of Spine Neurosurgery.  He works out of West Hills Hospital, Cedars Sinai Medical Center, Marina Del Rey-Cedars Sinai Hospital, and the Cervical Disc Center of Los Angeles. He is also volunteer faculty at the University of California San Francisco. He is the President and Founder of Neuronomics, a professional corporation specializing in cost-effective analyses in the neurosciences.  He also has the distinct pleasure of serving on the advisory boards for the Institute for NeuroInnovation (INI) and Neurovella Inc. In his spare time, Dr. Ament prioritizes activities with his wife and young children.

Jared Ament MD MPH FAANS

Neurosurgery & Spine Group

 
 
 

Dr. Emeran Mayer is a highly respected gastroenterologist and neuroscientist with decades of experience in the study of neurobiological and clinical aspects of the interaction between the digestive system and the nervous system in health and disease. He has a Buddhist world view and has been involved in documentary films to indigenous people on the Orinoco river and New Guinea. He has published more than 420 peer-reviewed scientific articles, published 4 books, including the recent, best-selling The Mind Gut Connection and recently produced the PBS documentary The Brain Gut Connection.

Emeran Mayer MD

UCLA Brain Gut Microbiome Center

Randy Scharlach, MD is a radiation oncologist, with areas of expertise including prostate, breast, lung, and head/neck cancers. He is recognized as an expert in the most advanced radiotherapeutic technologies.

Randall Scharlach MD

Golden State Cancer Centers

 
 
 

Dr. Khan is a hospitalist at Providence St. Johns Health Center. Dr. Khan is an advocate for patients’ and physicians’ well-being. She is the chairwoman of the Physician Wellness Committee at the hospital and has a leadership role with the physicians to maintain a healthy life-work balance. When she’s not working, she explores her artistic side and deepens her spiritual practices with meditation, art, dancing, and acting.

As a founder of Kramer Holcomb Sheik LLP, Shahrokh Sheik proudly represents clients in Newport Beach and Los Angeles, California.

Schehrezade Khan MD

Providence Saint John's Health Center

Shahrokh Sheik JD

Kramer Holcomb Sheik LLP

 
 

Paul S. Weiss received his S.B. and S.M. degrees in chemistry from MIT in 1980 and his Ph.D. in chemistry from the University of California at Berkeley in 1986.

Paul Weiss PhD

California NanoSystems Institute — University of California, Los Angeles

 
 

Our Auxiliary Board

 

Ektha Aggarwal is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker specializing in the growing field of life transitions and mental health with a focus on trauma healing and redefining independence through various life stages.

Ektha Aggarwal LCSW

Shakti Therapy &
Healing Services

Alison Pascola is a recently retired, highly successful executive from the international satellite communications industry. After retiring, Alison returned to graduate school to receive a Master of Arts in Social Entrepreneurship and Change from Pepperdine University. Her belief in building awareness through mission-driven initiatives drives her passion to build programs that engage the community. An educator at heart, Alison holds a Bachelor of Science in Education with a minor in Human Development from The University of Alabama. She credits her teenage son, Alexander, for her motivation and desire to give back.

Alison Pascola

 
 
 

As the Founder and CEO of Inner State, my mission is to lead our company in creating safe and effective tools for mental health and medical innovation, utilizing natural noninvasive, nonaddictive products. In July 2022, I proudly helmed a significant contract with Ohio State University, setting the stage for groundbreaking collaborations.

One of our most noteworthy achievements came to fruition in April 2023, after years of rigorous protocol and contract negotiations. We successfully established the first-ever DEA-approved psilocybin-producing whole mushroom grow house at an American University and formed a transformative research partnership with Ohio State University, solidifying our position as a leader in the field of innovative medical research.

 

Ashley Walsh CEO

Inner State Inc.

Honorary Board

 

Michael Gervais, Ph.D. is a psychologist who specializes in high performance. With his vision of helping his clients thrive under pressure, he has created a performance model that allows people to achieve their maximum potential, whether on or off the field.

Michael Gervais PhD

Finding Mastery
Sports Psychologist (Redbull & Seattle Seahawks)

Tom Schnabel is an internationally recognized radio producer, pioneer, and innovator in world music. He helped introduce world music to American audiences as KCRW's first music director and host of Morning Becomes Eclectic (1979-1991). Tom is the author of two books (Stolen Moments: Conversations with Contemporary Musicians and Rhythm Planet: The Great World Music Makers) and numerous articles about music.

Tom Schnabel

KCRW 89.9FM

 

INI Staff & Research Team

 
 
 

Jack Petros

Research Coordinator

Alyssa Leon

Non Profit Administrator

 
 
 

Special thanks to our past staff for their contributions towards shaping INI into what we are today!