Archives: Experts

Dr. Jelena Pavlović is an associate professor of neurology at Albert Einstein College of Medicine and attending neurologist at the Montefiore Headache Center. In addition to being a practicing neurologist, she holds a PhD in molecular biology. Her research interests broadly focus on the hormonal regulation of migraine in women. Specifically, she aims to answer how hormonal fluctuations affect migraine symptoms during the menstrual cycle and across the transition to menopause.

Dr. Pavlović is board certified by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology. She is a member of the American Academy of Neurology (AAN), the American Headache Society (AHS), and the International Headache Society (IHS). She has published extensively on migraine in women and is funded by the National Institutes of Health/National Institute of Aging (NIH/NIA) to conduct research on this topic. In recognition of her outstanding achievements in headache/facial pain, she has been awarded the Harold Wolff-John Graham Award in Headache/Facial Pain Research by the AAN and is the recipient of the 2021 Women’s Health Science Award from the American Headache Society.

Allysa Seely is known for her competitiveness, determination, and breaking-barriers mindset. In 2016 she won two paratriathlete gold medals in Rio and was the Paratriathlete World Champion in 2015. She was diagnosed with Chiari II malformation, basilar invagination, and Ehlers-Danlos syndrome in 2010, which led to her lower leg being amputated in 2013. She suffers from muscle weakness and imbalance, chronic pain, and other medical issues but has the most amazing spirit you’ll ever meet.

After her diagnosis, Allysa was told she would be lucky if she ever walked unaided again. But being strong-willed and motivated, she wasn’t ready to give up on her passion for running and competing. To Allysa, rare diseases are no handicap. Currently, she trains seven days a week, two to three times a day; lifts weight in the gym three days a week; swims once a day; and bikes and runs four to five days a week.

Allysa was featured in ESPN The Magazine’s 2016 “The Body Issue,” in which athletes are featured nude, exposed, and unrestricted. In 2019, she won an ESPY Award for the Best Female Athlete with a Disability. She has a master’s degree in interdisciplinary studies (psychology and exercise and wellness) from Arizona State University in Tempe, Arizona. She also has a bachelor of science in biology (genetics, cell and developmental biology) from the same university, and in 2009 spent time abroad studying human and medical genetics at the University of Leeds in England.

Dr. Margaret Slavin is an associate professor of nutrition and food science at the University of Maryland, College Park, and a registered dietitian recognized for her pioneering work at the intersection of nutrition, food science, and neurological health.

Her research explores how diet influences migraine and other brain-related conditions, focusing on the bidirectional relationship between nutrition and migraine, the gut microbiome, and food bioactive compounds such as flavonoids and other polyphenols. Dr. Slavin’s studies range from clinical interventions to molecular and population-level analyses, offering a comprehensive view of how diet affects migraine outcomes and overall well-being.

A widely published researcher and educator, Dr. Slavin’s work is helping to advance evidence-based dietary strategies for people living with migraine and deepen scientific understanding of how food impacts brain health.

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Interviews from Krystal L. Culler, DBH, MA

Strategies to Boost Brain Health

Dr. Nathaniel Schuster is a headache and pain neurologist and an associate professor and associate clinic director at the University of California San Diego Center for Pain Medicine. He received the Migraine Research Foundation 2018 Impact Award to perform the first placebo-controlled trial of cannabis for acute migraine. He is a section editor for the Neuropathic Pain section of the journal Pain Medicine, the official journal of the American Academy of Pain Medicine. He is also a guest editor of the Pain & Headache: A Continuum issue for the journal Practical Neurology. His research focuses on clinical trials for headache and pain, including cannabinoid research.

Paul G. Mathew, MD, DNBPAS, FAAN, FAHS completed his neurology residency at Temple University Hospital in Philadelphia, PA, and then completed a fellowship in headache medicine at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN.  He is board certified in neurology and headache medicine.  He is an Assistant Professor of Neurology at Harvard Medical School (HMS), and holds positions at three HMS affiliated institutions.  He has clinical appointments at Brigham & Women’s Hospital and Harvard Vanguard Medical Associates/Atrius Health, as well as a teaching appointment at the Cambridge Health Alliance.  In addition to conventional headache treatments, Dr. Mathew performs Botox injections, trigger point injections, and nerve blocks.

He has written over 90 publications, taught countless medical trainees and has presented at both national and international conferences.  Dr. Mathew has served as a peer reviewer for multiple journals and is the Co-Chief Medical Editor of the journal Practical Neurology. He is the current Chair of the American Headache Society Procedural Special Interest Section, Vice-Chair of the Headache and Facial Pain Section of the America Academy of Neurology, a Member of the Board of the Directors of the National Headache Foundation, and an Executive Board Member of the Indian Medical Association of New England.

Dr. Mathew also applies his passion and expertise to the role of advocate, and has participated in multiple successful lobbying efforts in Washington, DC.  In March, 2015, Dr. Mathew was appointed as the neurology representative on the advisory board of the National Board of Physicians and Surgeons (NBPAS.org), and in January, 2019 was appointed Director of Legislative Affairs.  NBPAS is an organization committed to providing board re-certification that ensures physician compliance with national standards and lifelong learning after completing initial board certification with an American Board of Medical Specialties Board.

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Dr. Larry Newman is a neurology professor at NYU Langone School of Medicine, Chair of the American Migraine Foundation and a migraine warrior himself. He truly understands the desperation we all feel when it seems like we’re out of treatment options. As director of the headache division at NYU Langone, Dr. Newman leads a team of board-certified neurologists and headache specialists to treat people who have migraine, cluster headache, trigeminal neuralgia, or other headache-related disorders using a variety of approaches — not just the standard therapies.

His research has been published in Neurology, Headache, Cephalalgia, and other medical journals. Dr. Newman is a member of the American Academy of Neurology, the National Headache Foundation, and the International Headache Society, and he is the former president of the American Headache Society. He’s an outside-the-box thinker who approaches every case with tenacity and humanity to find the best treatments for each person.

Nada Hindiyeh, M.D., is a board-certified neurologist and headache specialist and is currently a Clinical Assistant Professor in the department of Neurology at Stanford University. She is the Director of Clinical Research for the Stanford division of Headache Medicine and serves as principal investigator for several clinical trials.

She was awarded the 2013 Clinical Research Fellowship in Neurotoxins by the American Academy of Neurology and was chosen as an Emerging Leader in the field of Headache Medicine by the American Headache Society in 2017. Her research interests include pathophysiology and novel treatments for migraine, and participation in clinical trials for new headache therapeutics. She is currently a member of the American Headache Society (AHS), serves on the AHS Electronic Media committee and a member of the International Headache Society and the Headache Cooperative of the Pacific.

Dr. Hindiyeh completed her medical degree at the University of Toledo College of Medicine in Toledo Ohio. Both her internship and Neurology residency were completed at the University of California, Irvine, Medical Center, where she was chief resident. She completed her fellowship in headache and facial pain at Stanford University School of Medicine.

Paula K. Dumas is a lifelong migraine warrior, Founder, and former Managing Editor of MigraineAgain.com.

After juggling a demanding career with CNN, Apple, and Disney, she shifted gears to devote herself to family, faith, and health advocacy. Although she’s lost a decade’s worth of days to migraine, she’s been able to reduce her frequency from 25 days a month to less than a day a month.

Now, she’s helping others to do the same.

To advocate for people with migraine, Paula has served on the Board of the American Migraine Foundation (AMF), the steering committee of the Coalition of Headache and Migraine Patients (CHAMP), the International Headache Society Global Patient Advocacy Committee, and was nominated for a WEGO Health Advocate award. She and her husband, Karl, lobby legislators on Capitol Hill as part of the US Headache on the Hill organized by the Association of Headache Disorders Advocacy (AHDA).

She’s spoken at the International Headache Academy, the first Migraine World Summit, and Research America’s Annual National Health Forum to raise awareness about migraine. She presented her research at the American Academy of Neurology conference, one of two academic research studies she co-authored (CaMEO and My Migraine Voice). Together, these research studies measure the impact that migraine has on people’s lives, relationships, work, and finances in over 31 countries.

She’s authored over 300 articles on migraine health and wellness to educate people with migraine and produced over 200 videos, interviews, and podcasts. With Carl and her husband Karl, Paula co-founded the World Health Education Foundation, producing the largest live event for people with migraine, Migraine World Summit Onstage in LA in March 2019 and New York in March 2020.

To create healthier workplaces for people with migraine, Paula serves as chair of the MigraineAtWork.org campaign, focused on helping employers and employees tackle the widespread challenge of working through painful attacks. Each year, Paula co-leads an amazing global team of people with migraine who produce the Migraine World Summit, demonstrating the resilience and commitment of these courageous warriors.

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Carl Cincinnato stopped taking his health for granted at an early age due to migraine. He has had migraine for 30 years. Over this time, health has become central throughout his life and work. This includes working with some of the biggest health companies in the world.

Today, he works with several charities, foundations, and organizations, including Headache Australia, the Brain Foundation, the Coalition of Headache and Migraine Patients, the Global Patient Advocacy Coalition, and the World Headache and Migraine Alliance. He is a member of the International Headache Society, acts on several advisory councils, and is the editor at MigrainePal.com and co-host for the Migraine World Summit.

Carl is a public and passionate patient advocate for migraine. He has spoken nationally and internationally about migraine and the need to increase research funding, reduce stigma, and increase patient support and education.

Belinda Savage-Edwards, M.D., is a neurologist with over 30 years of experience in the medical field, specializing in headache, neuromuscular and movement disorders, and neurodegenerative disorders. She holds board certifications from the American Board of Psychiatry & Neurology, the American Board of Electrodiagnostic Medicine, and in headache medicine through the United Council for Neurologic Subspecialties. In addition, she holds a certification in Added Qualifications in Headache Medicine by the National Headache Foundation. She was selected as an Alabama delegate for Neurology on the Hill in Washington, D.C., and the Academy of Neurology’s inaugural leadership program, Live Well, Lead Well.  She is the principal investigator for numerous adult and pediatric migraine clinical trials; and is in private practice in Huntsville, Alabama.

Lindsay Videnieks integrates her nearly 20 years of public policy and campaign experience to provide the Headache and Migraine Policy Forum with expert strategic guidance on legislative and issue campaigns. She is also responsible for directing the Coalition & Nonprofit Management division for Woodberry Associates, a leading Washington, D.C., law firm.

Lindsay graduated with high honors from the University of Maine at Orono with bachelor of arts degrees in both political science and English, and received her law degree from Catholic University. She is admitted to practice law in Maryland, where she lives with her husband and three children.