Team Members 

Joseph C. Masdeu, MD, PhD

Director, Nantz National Alzheimer Center 
Neurologist
Location: Texas Medical Center
Clinical interest: Alzheimer’s disease, behavioral disorders, gait disorders, memory disorders, neurodegenerative disorders, neuroimaging, traumatic brain injuries
Clinical profile

Gustavo C. Román, MD, DrHC

Co-director, Nantz National Alzheimer Center
Neurologist
Location: Texas Medical Center
Clinical interest: Alzheimer’s disease, cognitive neurology, dementias, various, frontotemporal dementia, Lewy body dementia, memory disorders, mild cognitive impairment, normal pressure hydrocephalus, tropical neurology, vascular cognitive impairment, vascular dementia
Clinical profile

Alireza Faridar, MD

Neurologist
Location: Texas Medical Center
Clinical interest: Alzheimer's disease, dementia, frontotemporal dementia, inflammatory/autoimmune encephalitis, Lewy body dementia, neurodegenerative disorder, normal pressure hydrocephalus, rapid progressive dementia, vascular dementia
Clinical profile

M. Obadah Nakawah, MD

Neurologist
Location: Texas Medical Center
Clinical interest: Alzheimer’s disease, behavioral neurology (neuropsychiatry), cognitive neurology (memory disorders) Lewy body dementia, neurodegenerative diseases, normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH), primary progressive aphasia
Clinical profile

Juan "Jon" Toledo, MD, PhD

Neurologist
Location: Texas Medical Center
Clinical interest: Alzheimer's disease, dementia, frontotemporal dementia, inflammatory/autoimmune encephalitis, dementia with Lewy bodies/Lewy body dementia, neurodegenerative disorder, rapid progressive dementia, REM behavior sleep disorder, vascular dementia, corticobasal syndrome, progressive supranuclear palsy
Clinical profile

Belen Pascual, PhD

Director, Frontotemporal Degeneration Unit
Location: Texas Medical Center
Clinical and research interest: Frontotemporal dementia and structural and functional brain imaging techniques.
Faculty profile



Kenneth Podell, PhD

Director, Houston Methodist Concussion Center and Neuropsychology
Neuropsychologist 
Location: Texas Medical Center
Clinical interest: Assessment and treatment of brain Injury, concussion, dementia, memory problems, neurodegenerative diseases, neuropsychology, sports concussions, traumatic brain injury (TBI)
Clinical profile

Veronica J. Burton, PhD

Neuropsychologist
Location: Texas Medical Center
Clinical interest: Assessment and treatment of dementia, movement disorders, stroke, traumatic brain injuries (TBI).
Clinical profile

Mario Dulay, PhD

Neuropsychologist
Location: Texas Medical Center
Clinical interest: Assessment and treatment of concussion, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), Alzheimer’s disease, brain injury, CVA/Stroke, depression, memory problems, neuropsychology, Parkinson’s disease
Clinical profile

Rebecca Axline, LCSW

Rebecca Axline, LCSW 
Supervisory Clinical Social Worker 
Rebecca Axline has over 30 years of clinical and administrative experience working in a variety of settings including medical centers, active duty military bases, VA centers, employee assistance, hospice care, and school districts. She provides program development and clinical intervention focused on helping patients and family members cope with the stress of diagnosis and treatment of neurological disease.