MEET OUR team

Dr. Sandeep Walia completed his undergraduate degree at UCLA followed by medical school at Georgetown University.  He completed his residency in Neurology at UC Davis and a fellowship in Neurocritical Care at Stanford.  He joined BAN in 2021.  He is the stroke Director at San Ramon Regional Medical Center.  His clinical interests include management of severe strokes and of critically-ill neurology patients.  

Dr. Courtney Takahashi joined BAN in 2023.  She is board certified in both neurocritical care and general neurology, through UCNS and ABPN respectively. She completed her medical school training at the University of Hawaii, John A. Burns School of Medicine. She completed her neurology residency and neurocritical care fellowship at Oregon Health & Sciences University (OHSU). 

Dr. Philip Ente is a neurologist with epilepsy expertise.  He practices in the Central Coast, California.  

He has previously been a Clinical Professor at UCLA School of Medicine and current Adjunct Professor at Cedars Sinai Hospital.  

Dr. Rincon is residency trained in internal medicine, neurology and triple fellowship trained in critical care, vascular neurology, and neuro-critical care.  He also obtained formal education in neuro-epidemiology at Columbia University and bioethics at the University of Pennsylvania. 

Ms. Denise Li completed her master’s and Ph.D. in Critical Care Nursing specialty from UCSF where she was also trained and board-certified as adult gerontology acute care nurse practitioner. Ms. Li joined BAN in 2020. She helps with managing patients in the Brain Injury Program and provides neuro-nursing training to staff nurses.

Dr. Abdullah Ibish, MD, is a Southern California native with a degree in chemistry and molecular biology from UC Santa Barbara, graduating with distinction. He completed his medical education at Georgetown University School of Medicine and his Neurology Residency at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine/Jackson Memorial Hospital. Dr. Ibish later pursued a Stroke Fellowship at USC Keck School of Medicine and a 2-year clinical fellowship in Neurocritical Care and Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) at UCLA's David Geffen School of Medicine. His clinical interests include thrombolytic health disparities, advanced imaging in stroke, and the integration of Stroke, Critical Care Neurology, and Endovascular Neurosurgery. Outside of medicine, he enjoys hiking, basketball, and surfing.

 Adam Rizvi is a board certified neurologist and neurointensivist. Dr. Rizvi received his residency training at the University of Minnesota and his fellowship training in Neurocritical care from Stanford University. He served as the Neuro ICU director at Carondelet St. Joseph's hospital for several years before moving to California and joining Bay Area Neurointensivists to serve the larger California community.

Sophie Nguyen completed her undergraduate and nursing degrees at California State University, East Bay and received her training as a Family Nurse Practitioner at Holy Names University. She joined BAN in 2021 and coordinated the Brain Injury Program to provide neurocritical care for brain injury patients at long-term acute facilities