Call Us | (888) 434-4888 
Email Us
Email Us Email UsDr. Thomas Schweller, MD, is triple board certified neurologist in Neurology & Psychiatry, Pediatrics and Electroencephalogram (EEG). He is also a qualified medical evaluator (QME), independent medical examiner (IME) and agreed medical examiner (AME).
Dr. Schweller received his Doctor of Medicine from Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., and completed is pediatric residency at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, and his fellowship in Neurology at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota.
In 1988, Dr. Schweller began his private practice in San Diego which has consisted of private patients, AME’s, QME’s and independent medical examinations for the Department of Social Services, Social Security in neurology and pediatrics. He also served a clinical teaching appointment in the Department of Pediatrics and the Department of Neurology at Mercy Hospital, San Diego. Dr. Schweller has privileges at Scripps Mercy Hospital.
ABOUT THE DOCTOR:
Mario Ammirati, M.D.
Board Certified Neurosurgeon/ Spine Surgeon
Dr. Mario Ammirati is a board-certified neurosurgeon who recently opened his private practice in Sorrento Valley (San Diego) after 20+ years of operating his own skull base surgery lab in Ohio. He has two clinics – one in Sorrento Valley and one in La Mesa. He performs surgery at Sharp Grossmont Hospital and Surgical Center of San Diego (and currently in the credentialing process for Paradise Valley Hospital and several more). He has 30+ years of neurosurgical and spine surgery experience; he has been published in 160+ medical journals and publications, and he has co-written the guidelines for the treatment of brain metastases and primary brain tumors for the American Neurosurgical and Cancer Associations. Newsweek Magazine published a physician-voted survey in which Dr. Ammirati was listed among the “Top 3% of Neurosurgeons in the U.S. in 2015.”
Dr. Ammirati has performed 4,000+ procedures on skull base and benign and malignant tumors in the brain and spine/lumbar. He’s known by his peers for correctly diagnosing and treating patients who were otherwise misdiagnosed (e.g. brain tumors hidden behind blood clots; normal pressure hydrocephalus misdiagnosed as dementia/Alzheimer’s). He takes personal injury cases, and has 20+ years of experience as a medical expert – providing IMEs and testifying for both plaintiff and defense attorneys.
He trained in neurosurgery at Northwestern University Medical School. Afterwards, he completed a 2-year fellowship with Professor Samii, the leading world expert in skull base neurosurgery. He contributed to writing the guidelines for the treatment of brain metastases and Brain Tumors on behalf of American Neurosurgical/Cancer Associations. Dr. Ammirati was one of the first neurosurgeons in the USA to use computers and intraoperative Computerized Tomography (CT) to place instrumentations (screws) in the spine, thereby decreasing the number of badly-positioned screws and hence the need for reoperation while optimizing patient outcomes.
Since the beginning of his career in 1989, Dr. Ammirati has personally trained more than 120 neurosurgery residents and fellows from all over the world in the delicate art of neurosurgery/skull base surgery and spine surgery. These surgeons have used the techniques that they learned from Dr. Ammirati at prestigious neurosurgical institutions such as, amongst others, Harvard and Cleveland Clinic. He is also one of the world’s foremost leaders in diagnosing, removing and treating benign brain tumors with care and precision, while prioritizing his patients’ quality of life and physical functions. He prides himself in being the most considerate doctor to his patients, who meet him at the most vulnerable time in their lives.
Dr. Ammirati’s treatment philosophy is based on adherence to the most up to date reliable scientific evidence that is tailored to the need of each individual/unique patient. Indeed, no guideline completely fits each unique patient.
Dr. Ammirati has contributed chapters on Skull Base Surgery in the last 3 editions of the #1 neurosurgery textbook in the world (Youman’s Neurological Surgery), and his contributions to the advances of medicine in general include authoring 13+ textbooks on skull base tumors and meningiomas, speaking at hundreds of conferences over 40 years, and publishing more than 165 peer-reviewed research papers that uncover and perpetually evolve techniques to improve outcomes and lives through neurosurgery.
ABOUT THE DOCTOR:
Robert Afra, M.D.
Board Certified Orthopaedic Surgeon
Dr. Robert Afra is a San Diego-based orthopedic surgeon who is nationally renowned in sports medicine with expertise in treating shoulder, elbow, wrist, hip, knee and ankle conditions. As the former Chief of Sports Medicine at the University of California, San Diego, Dr. Afra has published extensively in professional journals and books and presented at conferences around the world, where he is considered a pioneer in the study of shoulder, knee, elbow and ankle injuries in athletes and active adults. Dr. Afra is also a specialist in cartilage issues and pain in knee cap disorders; he was named Co-Director of the International Patellofemoral Study Group Conference in San Diego in July 2011. As a sports medicine physician, he has managed and treated complex joint injuries and successfully guided patients back to peak performance levels.
Dr. Afra takes a customized approach to treat each of his patients. He provides comprehensive care to injured athletes, from sprain rehabilitation and muscle and ligament tear repairs to care for broken bones. He regularly cares for children and active adults with injuries to the upper extremities (shoulders, elbows, and wrists) and lower extremities (hips, knees, and ankles). His joint replacement practice consists of shoulder replacement, hip replacement, and knee replacement surgery, including minimally invasive surgery techniques and traditional joint replacement surgery when necessary.
Dr. Afra completed his fellowship training in sports medicine at Boston University, where he treated a variety of elite college athletes in ice hockey, soccer, basketball, field hockey and lacrosse. Dr. Afra was a researcher at University of Hawaii’s Queen Emme Medical Center in the field of muscle and nerve physiology, and was a surgical fellow at the world-renowned Barnard O’Brien Microsurgical Institute in Melbourne, Australia. He has studied microsurgical techniques and the art of plastic surgery. Dr. Afra studied medicine at UCLA, where he also completed his surgery internship. Prior to attending medical school, Dr. Afra worked at the Salk Institute on an NIH research stipend. In 2010, Dr. Robert Afra was selected by the Arthroscopy Association of North America, a premiere sports medicine society, as one of three surgeons to lecture to university faculty in the United States and Canada.
ABOUT THE DOCTOR:
Robert Afra, M.D.
Board Certified Orthopaedic Surgeon
Dr. Robert Afra is a San Diego-based orthopedic surgeon who is nationally renowned in sports medicine with expertise in treating shoulder, elbow, wrist, hip, knee and ankle conditions. As the former Chief of Sports Medicine at the University of California, San Diego, Dr. Afra has published extensively in professional journals and books and presented at conferences around the world, where he is considered a pioneer in the study of shoulder, knee, elbow and ankle injuries in athletes and active adults. Dr. Afra is also a specialist in cartilage issues and pain in knee cap disorders; he was named Co-Director of the International Patellofemoral Study Group Conference in San Diego in July 2011. As a sports medicine physician, he has managed and treated complex joint injuries and successfully guided patients back to peak performance levels.
Dr. Afra takes a customized approach to treat each of his patients. He provides comprehensive care to injured athletes, from sprain rehabilitation and muscle and ligament tear repairs to care for broken bones. He regularly cares for children and active adults with injuries to the upper extremities (shoulders, elbows, and wrists) and lower extremities (hips, knees, and ankles). His joint replacement practice consists of shoulder replacement, hip replacement, and knee replacement surgery, including minimally invasive surgery techniques and traditional joint replacement surgery when necessary.
Dr. Afra completed his fellowship training in sports medicine at Boston University, where he treated a variety of elite college athletes in ice hockey, soccer, basketball, field hockey and lacrosse. Dr. Afra was a researcher at University of Hawaii’s Queen Emme Medical Center in the field of muscle and nerve physiology, and was a surgical fellow at the world-renowned Barnard O’Brien Microsurgical Institute in Melbourne, Australia. He has studied microsurgical techniques and the art of plastic surgery. Dr. Afra studied medicine at UCLA, where he also completed his surgery internship. Prior to attending medical school, Dr. Afra worked at the Salk Institute on an NIH research stipend. In 2010, Dr. Robert Afra was selected by the Arthroscopy Association of North America, a premiere sports medicine society, as one of three surgeons to lecture to university faculty in the United States and Canada.
Dr. Amir Bahreman, MD, is a quadruple board-certified neurologist, and is an American Diplomat in Neurology and Psychiatry, Brain Injury Medicine, Clinical Neurophysiology and Vascular Neurology by APBN.
Dr. Bahreman trained in neurology at the Albert Einstein University in New York in 2000. During his residency at Montefiore Hospital he developed additional expertise in headache disorders, stroke and neuromuscular diseases. Because of the unique location of Montefiore Hospital in the Bronx New York, he was exposed to a variety of neurological pathologies including traumatic brain injury. During his residency he treated patients with traumatic brain injury, spine injury and neuromuscular disorders. In his last year of residency, he had the privilege of working directly with Dr. Richard Lipton and Dr. Lawrence Newman, world renowned headache experts, which gave him the knowledge necessary to diagnose and manage post traumatic headache disorders and migraines associated with traumatic brain injury.
Following residency, Dr. Bahreman, entered a fellowship program at the University Of Chicago, where he became board certified in Clinical Neurophysiology in 2007 and Vascular Neurology (stroke) in 2008. During his fellowship training at University of Chicago he became skilled in electrodiagnostics including electroencephalography, electromyography, and nerve conduction studies.
Upon completing his fellowship, Dr. Bahreman joined a local private neurology group and in 2008, he moved to San Diego when he started his own solo practice. He became affiliate with Sharp Health System where he presently provide services as Stroke specialist at Sharp Grossmont Hospital. In his private practice, he treats patients with traumatic brain injury, post traumatic headache disorders, migraines, complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS), neuralgias, seizures, musculoskeletal diseases, Parkinson’s disease, stroke, spinal cord injuries, traumatic spinal disease and peripheral nerve injuries.
Since then, he has received extra training and become certified in a variety of areas including VNG (video nystagmography), posturography, Botox and spasticity, and antiaging medicine. He is a member of A4M (American Academy of Anti-Aging medicine). In December 2017, he passed the Stem Cell board exam sponsored by Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine.
Currently, Dr. Bahreman’s primary interest is in medical legal neurology with a special focus on traumatic brain injury (TBI). He provides services as a treating physician and expert witness in neurology for patients with brain or spinal injuries. His expertise has been used by plaintiff and defense attorneys in a variety of neurological cases including TBI, CRPS and peripheral nerve injuries. In 2017, he testified in a class action lawsuit against Bristol Myers and their drug Plavix. He currently performs and offers a variety of neurological studies that are commonly used in medical legal cases including:
Jason Morris, DPM
Board Certified in Foot & Ankle Surgery
After completing a comprehensive three-year residency at the University of Pittsburgh, Jason Morris, DPM, moved to California to pursue a career in podiatric medicine. Following his move, Dr. Morris worked as an attending physician at UCLA Medical Center and Cedars Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles. Since relocating to the Escondido area, he has been a staff physician at Palomar Medical Center in Escondido and Poway. He is a podiatric foot and ankle specialist with board certification in rearfoot and forefoot reconstructive surgery. Dr. Morris has undergone extensive training in sports medicine, reconstructive surgery, foot and ankle trauma, and diabetic limb salvage. He is affiliated with several professional associations, including:
ABOUT THE DOCTOR:
Eric S. Korsh, M.D, F.A.A.O.S.
Board Certified Orthopaedic Surgeon
Fellowship Trained Spinal Surgeon
Dr. Eric Korsh has practiced in the San Diego area 1997. He received his medical degree from Rutgers- NJ Medical School. After completing his orthopaedic surgery residency at Seton Hall University he completed a spinal surgery fellowship at The Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City which is considered the premier orthopaedic hospital in the world.
While Dr. Korsh treats the entire range of orthopaedic injuries, he is considered to be an expert in spinal surgery. He has treated many professional and elite amateur athletes, as well as countless weekend warriors. Dr. Korsh treats injuries to the entire spine including the cervical, thoracic and lumbar regions. His surgical expertise includes Minimally Invasive Spinal (MIS) Procedures, disc replacement surgery, and anterior and posterior fusions.
Dr. Korsh considers surgery to be a last resort and he extensively utilizes non-operative modalities and a multidisciplinary approach to the treatment of all orthopaedic injuries.
About The Doctor
Board Certified Pain Management Specialist
Board Certified Anesthesiology Specialist
Dr. Joshua Pal graduated Cum Laude and subsequently attended medical school with training at Portsmouth Naval Hospital. After recovering from spine surgery, he went on to complete his internship in Riverside. In 2008, Dr. Pal completed the requirements for licensure in medical acupuncture at Harvard Medical School.
Dr. Pal subsequently completed his residency in anesthesiology at Harvard Medical School and attended fellowship training at Stanford University. He has been on the Medical Staff at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) since 2012 as an Affiliate and Attending. He is a Diplomate with double board-certification in Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, with a focus on image-guided minimally invasive procedures for the diagnosis and treatment of pain.
Since entering practice more than 10 years ago, Dr. Pal has served as a Medical Director for outpatient ambulatory surgery centers and consulted in the development of pain therapeutics. He has given multiple scientific presentations on spinal cord stimulation, Stem Cell therapy, Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) injections, and other Regenerative Medicine techniques, and was recently invited to present to the County of San Diego on these topics. Dr. Pal has won awards for his research in neurology and pain medicine, has published in scientific journals on non-opiate treatments of pain, and authored a textbook chapter on the advanced treatment of headaches.
Dr. Pal has extensive personal and professional interests in the minimally invasive treatment of sports injuries, as he pursues a variety of recreational athletics in his free time. He also volunteers as a ringside doctor for youth boxing in the South Bay, as well as providing pediatric anesthesia for surgical missions in developing countries, most recently with Smiles of Tecate.
ABOUT THE DOCTOR:
Lars R. Newsome, M.D.
Board Certified in Pain Management
Board Certified in Anesthesiology
Board Certified in Critical Care Medicine
Dr. Newsome received his undergraduate degree at Columbia University in New York, and graduated with honors from Indiana University School of Medicine. After completing his anesthesiology residency and fellowship at Emory University he remained on the faculty for three years as an assistant professor of anesthesiology before moving his practice to San Diego.
Dr. Newsome specializes in interventional pain management and anesthesiology. He offers a variety of procedures to manage pain, such as lumbar, thoracic and cervical epidural steroid injections, facet injections, radiofrequency ablation, intrathecal drug delivery and neuromodulation.
CERTIFICATIONS:
American Board of Anesthesiology
Critical Care Medicine-Subspecialty
American Board of Anesthesiology-
Pain Medicine-Subspecialty
SERVICES OFFERED:
Facet Injections
Fluoroscopically Guided Epidural
Steroid Injections
Intrathecal Drug Delivery Systems
Joint Injections
Lumbar Sympathetic Blocks
Percutaneous Intradiscal Nucleoplasty
Peripheral Nerve Blocks
Provocative Discography
Spinal Cord Stimulator
AFFILIATIONS/MEMBERSHIPS:
American Medical Association
California Medical Association
Associate Examiner, American Board of Anesthesiology
HOSPITAL AFFILIATIONS/PRIVILEGES:
Scripps Memorial Hospital La Jolla
HONORS & AWARDS:
Alpha Omega Alpha Medical Honor Society 1979
National Medical Fellowship Award 1979
Kaiser Foundation Award of Merit 1990
Emory University, Anesthesiology Faculty Member of the Year 1986
Expert MRI is a cutting-edge medical diagnostics company featuring the region’s foremost experts in neck/spine injury and general orthopedic imaging.
The physicians and staff at Expert MRI are among California’s most knowledgeable and experienced at diagnosing orthopedic and traumatic brain imaging. In addition to extensive MRI capabilities, we also use CT and X-Ray to assist in properly diagnosing your patient’s condition.
Our doctors remain at the very forefront of their field, working with institutions such as UCLA, USC, UCSD and the United States military on advanced radiology and orthopedic research. We are also familiar with the proper terminology and protocols required by medical-legal professionals, offering excellent primary and second-opinion diagnoses.
When it comes to diagnosing injury, physicians and attorneys choose Expert MRI for:
For attorneys, we handle a wide range of case types including med-legal, med pay, approved workers comp and PI-lien.
Powered by Ultra Design Agency© 2026 San Diego Injury Network