Louis Cannizzaro, MD

Dr. Cannizzaro received his undergraduate degree from Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge and medical degree from Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center in New Orleans. Following this, he completed his Internal Medicine internship and Neurology residency at Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center in New Orleans. He completed his fellowship in Neurocritical Care at Ochsner Health in New Orleans. Dr. Cannizzaro is board certified by The American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology in Neurology and has been on staff at Ochsner since 2019. Dr. Cannizzaro’s expertise is in treating the acutely Neurocritically ill in the intensive care unit. In his spare time, he enjoys the outdoors while hunting, fishing, golfing and spending time with family.

​Harold McGrade, MD

Interim Chairman of Neurocritical Care

Dr. McGrade earned his medical degree from S.U.N.Y. Upstate Health Science Center, and completed his residency in Neurology at Tufts New England Medical Center. He did neurocritical care fellowship at Cleveland Clinic Foundation.

Dr. Harold McGrade spent 10 years practicing at the University Hospital in Augusta, Georgia before coming to Ochsner. Dr. McGrade established a stroke and IV TPA protocol, stroke unit with specialized nursing training, multi-disciplinary rounds and the creation of a Code S hospital team.

Ifeanyi O. Iwuchukwu, MD

Director of Research, Neurocritical Care

Dr. Iwuchukwu received his doctor of medicine from the University of Nigeria College of Medicine in Nsukka, Enugu, in 2001. He completed his Internal Medicine Residency at the Long Island College Hospital in Brooklyn, New York in 2006 followed by his fellowship in Neuroscience Research at St. George’s University Hospitals in Granada in 2005 and his fellowship in Neuro Critical Care at the University of Chicago Hospitals in Chicago, Illinois, in 2009. Prior to coming to Ochsner, Dr. Iwuchukwu was an Instructor in Neuro Critical Care in the Department of Neurology at the University of Chicago. He is board certified by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology and he is board certified by the ABPN in Critical Care Medicine.

Giuseppe Ciccotto, MD, MPH

Director of Quality and Patient safety

Dr. Ciccotto received his Masters of Public Health as well as his Doctor of Medicine degree from St. George’s Medical School in Grenada, West Indies. He completed a Neurology Residency at Tulane University Hospital in New Orleans, LA. He also completed a Neurocritical Care Fellowship at Ochsner Health in New Orleans, LA. He is Board Certified in both Neurology by the ABPN and in Neurointensive Care by the UCNS. Dr. Ciccotto is involved in Quality Improvement and Documentation Excellence for the Neuroscience Critical Care Unit here at Ochsner. Furthermore, he is a member of the American Academy of Neurology, the Neurocritical care Society, the Society of Critical Care Medicine, and the American Medical Association.

Murad Talahma, MD

Neurocritical Care Fellowship Program Director

Dr. Murad Talahma earned a Doctor of Medicine degree from Jordan University of Science and Technology. He then completed an Internal Medicine Internship at Canton Medical Education Foundation. Dr. Talahma went on to complete a Neurology Residency and a Neurocritical Care Fellowship at University Hospital Case Medical Center in Cleveland, OH. He is board certified in Neurology by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology, and neurocritical care by UCNS. Dr. Talahma’s special areas of interest include medical education and neurological prognostication.

Namir Khandker, MD

Dr. Khandker received his medical degree from Wayne State University School of Medicine in Detroit, Michigan. Following this he completed his internship and residency at University Hospitals of Cleveland in Cleveland, Ohio. He completed his fellowship in Neurocritical Care at University of PIttsburgh Medical Center. Dr. Khandker is board certified by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology and has been on staff at Ochsner since 2018 and practicing medicine since 2012.

Dr. Khandker’s expertise is in management of critically ill patients with a focus on neurologic disease including complicated stroke, seizure, neuromuscular weakness, infections and inflammatory diseases of the central nervous system. He is currently completing a fellowship in Epilepsy with a focus on Critical Care Electroencephalography (EEG) at Ochsner Clinic, exploring the use of EEG technology in patients suffering from complicated seizures and vascular disease.