Ali Mesiwala, MD, directs neurosurgery at St. Bernardine Medical Center and works as a neurosurgeon for the Chaparral Medical Group. With a background as an educator, Ali Mesiwala, MD, stays informed on the latest developments in the science of the brain. A recent study at the University of California, San Francisco, brought focus to the brain’s neural codes and the ability to imbue words with meaning through pitch. Working with patients who had uncontrolled epileptic seizures, surgeons placed electrodes in the patients’ brains to assist in guiding the scalpel through the surgery. This allowed the neural activity of the patients' sensorimotor cortex to be monitored while hundreds of distinct sentences were spoken aloud. Researchers found that the neurons gather in clusters when they are coordinating approximately 100 separate muscle movements of the lips, jaw, tongue, and larynx.One issue this research may inform is aprosodia, a neurological condition that involves disruption of comprehension and expression of vocal changes used to signal emotional intent in language. Patients with this condition do not understand and are unable to express the subtle changes of rate, pitch, loudness, and rhythm we use to communicate.
Ali Mesiwala received his bachelor’s degree in biomedical engineering and electrical engineering from Johns Hopkins University, where he graduated summa cum laude with a 4.0 GPA. He went on to earn an MD from the University of California, San Francisco. He is now the chief of neurological surgery at St. Bernardine Medical Center. In addition to his work, Ali Mesiwala, MD, is a founding member of the Claremont Museum of Art in Claremont, California.Incorporated in 2004, the Claremont Museum of Art was formed to revitalize the region’s cultural scene and celebrate the rich artistic legacy of Claremont, which was considered an art mecca in the early 20th century. While paying homage to the past, the museum is dedicated to nurturing budding artists through a wide array of programs, including Project ArtStart.Project ArtStart is a program to make high-quality art accessible to students. In the program, high school students work with college-level mentors to offer multi-visit art appreciation lessons to elementary students, either in a museum or classroom setting. Participating students are taught to use Visual Thinking Strategies (VTS) in interacting with artists, teachers, curators, and other students. To learn more, visit ClaremontMuseum.org.
Ali Mesiwala, MD, a reputable neurosurgeon in California, has earned dozens of awards over the course of his career and written more than 50 articles and book chapters. The director of the Southern California Center for Neuroscience and Spine and the chief of neurological surgery at St. Bernardine Medical Center, Ali Mesiwala, MD, supports several charitable and community organizations, such as National Geographic.In honor of 2018 being the centennial anniversary of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act - legislation that made the sale, possession, and exportation of migratory birds or eggs illegal - National Geographic declared 2018 the “Year of the Bird.” Alongside the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, the National Audubon Society, BirdLife International, and over 100 other organizations, National Geographic plans to increase its efforts to improve public awareness of the beauty and importance of birds.Over the course of 2018, National Geographic and its partner organizations will use scientific research, storytelling, and conservation efforts to draw attention to the recent losses of bird species around the world. These activities will highlight what society can do to ensure they live together with the birds that inhabit the earth and hopefully inspire action among community members.National Geographic itself has committed to a variety of content and activities to support the Year of the Bird. These include featuring one story in every National Geographic magazine that discusses bird species, releasing two new books focused on birds, and creating bird-related kids content. Further, the organization plans on making migration maps available based on data from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and supporting the #BirdYourWorld campaign on social media platforms.
Ali Mesiwala, MD, functions as a director at the Southern California Center for Neuroscience and Spine. Formerly an attending neurosurgeon at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, he has written extensively, both for books and peer-reviewed journals. Additionally, Ali Mesiwala, MD, maintains active membership with the Congress of Neurological Surgeons (CNS).The CNS recently announced a joint initiative with Oxford University Press (OUP) that will see the latter as the new main publisher for both of CNS’s journals, namely, Neurosurgery and Operative Neurosurgery. CNS says it decided to go with OUP as its publisher because of its previously successful experience partnering with other organizations to co-publish their scientific literature.According to CNS, its Neurosurgery journal is the fastest-growing publication in the neurosurgical sector. The journal solicits input from respected voices in the field and publishes leading research on both clinical and experimental topics.The Operative Neurosurgery journal specifically targets literature pertaining to surgical procedures and the use of devices in the field. The journal is mostly populated with articles that feature the latest operative techniques, revelations on neurosurgical anatomy, and technology shaping the field.
