Frank Diaz, MD, Ph.D

Neurologist | Neuromuscular Medicine

127 S. San Vicente Blvd #A6600 Los Angeles California, 90048 Show map

About
Contacts & Locations

About

Dr. Frank Diaz, MD PhD, practices Neurology and Neuromuscular Medicine in Los Angeles, CA. As a full-time faculty member at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Dr. Diaz performs nerve conduction studies and focuses in the diagnosis and treatment of motor neuron diseases like Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), complicated neuropathies, and inherited and acquired myopathies. He also teaches and trains UCLA neuromuscular fellows and Cedars-Sinai neurology residents. Dr. Diaz' research focuses on developing novel techniques to measure disease progression in ALS and Primary Lateral Sclerosis (PLS) that could facilitate the testing of promising drugs in ALS and PLS clinical trials. His research also focuses on understanding the pathophysiology affecting the upper motor neurons in the brain of patients with ALS and PLS.

Dr. Diaz completed his medical and PhD degrees at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York. He then completed an internship in internal medicine and first year of neurology residency at Yale-New Haven Hospital, before moving to California, where he completed a neurology residency at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. He then pursued a neuromuscular medicine subspecialty/fellowship at UCLA, followed by a Neuromuscular Translational Research Fellowship at Cedars-Sinai. Dr. Diaz is board-certified in both Neurology and Neuromuscular Medicine by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology. Professional society memberships include the American Academy of Neurology and the Peripheral Nerve Society.

Education and Training

Albert Einstein College of Med MD, PhD 2014

Board Certification

American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology

Provider Details

Male English, Spanish

Frank Diaz, MD, Ph.D

Frank Diaz, MD, Ph.D's Expert Contributions

My Answers

What are the symptoms of nerve damage in the knee?
The most common type of nerve damage in the knee area is what is called a peroneal neuropathy. It causes numbness and/or tingling in the lateral aspect of the calf and top of foot, can also result in weakness lifting (dorsiflexion) of the foot. If there is concern for nerve damage, there are studies to evaluate for such, named "Nerve conduction studies and electromyography (EMG). READ MORE
Is vestibular nerve damage permanent?
Not necessarily but it depends on the cause of the nerve damage. Patients with vestibular neuritis (inflammation of the vestibular nerve) tend to recover although not always completely. There are exercises that can be done to improve recovery/teach the vestibular system to compensate. These are called "vestibular rehab". An ENT (ear, nose and throat) physician should be able to teach those exercises and/or refer you for vestibular rehab, if necessary. READ MORE
Numbness?
It could be a side effect but I would recommend letting your physician know to make sure there are no other potential causes, especially if the numbness and tingling is only occurring on one side. READ MORE
About vertigo?
That schedule itself should not cause vertigo (room spinning sensation). However, certain positions while sleeping can serve as trigger in some patients. If having recurrent vertigo, recommend seeing an ENT (ear, nose, and throat) specialist. READ MORE
Can nerve damage in the spine be fixed?
It depends on the cause of the damage. If the damage to a nerve root is due to a structural issue, then yes, there are options like steroid injections, surgery, etc. READ MORE
How long does nerve damage in finger take to heal?
It depends on the cause and extent of the damage. But in general, if the nerve is not completely severed, peripheral nerves grow at a pace of 1 inch per month. READ MORE
How do you test for nerve damage?
The test is called Nerve Conduction Studies and Electromyography. The nerve conduction studies consist of small electric pulses. The physician then measures nerve properties like conduction velocity, amplitude, etc. The second part of the test, the electromyography (EMG) part, is performed with an acupuncture like needle to evaluate for evidence of denervation (nerve damage) or muscle damage. These are routine procedures done in the office. These are performed by neurologists or physiatrists. If there is suspicion for nerve damage, I would recommend letting your primary care physician know so that he can refer you to a neurologist for further evaluation. READ MORE
Myasthenia gravis and high WBC?
Thank you for the question. Myasthenia in itself would not cause the elevated WBCs. However, some treatments, like steroids can cause the elevated WBCs. If you are on steroids as part of your myasthenia treatment, that could be it, but I would have your PCP evaluate the elevated WBC as a separate issue. Thank you. READ MORE

Areas of expertise and specialization

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)Nerve Conduction StudiesNeuromuscular Medicine

Faculty Titles & Positions

Consulting Specialist Olive View-UCLA Medical Center 2019 - Present
Neuromuscular Translational Research Fellow Cedars-Sinai Medical Center 2019 - Present
Medical Staff, Neurology Cedars-Sinai Medical Center 2020 - Present

Professional Memberships

American Academy of Neurology
Peripheral Nerve Society

Internships

Yale-New Haven Hospital

Fellowships

Neuromuscular Medicine, UCLA Medical Center

Professional Society Memberships

American Academy of Neurology (AAN)Peripheral Nerve Society (PNS)

Articles and Publications

1. Otero, M. G., Tiongson, E. , Diaz, F. , Haude, K. , Panzer, K. , Collier, A. , Kim, J. , Adams, D., Tifft, C. J., Cui, H. , Millian Zamora, F. , Au, M. G., Graham, J. M., Buckley, D. J., Lewis, R. , Toro, C. , Bai, R. , Turner, L. , Mathews, K. D., Gahl, W. and Pierson, T. M. (2019). Novel pathogenic COX20 variants causing dysarthria, ataxia, and sensory neuropathy. Ann Clin Transl Neurol; 2. Diaz F, McKeehan N, Kang W, Hbert JM (2013). Apoptosis of glutamatergic neurons fails to trigger a neurogenic response in the adult neocortex. J Neurosci 10;33(15):6278-84. 3. Paek H, Antoine MW, Diaz F, Hbert JM (2012). Increased -catenin activity in the anteriorneural plate induces ectopic mid-hindbrain characteristics. Dev Dyn 241(2):242-6 4. Seth P, Diaz F, Tao-Cheng JH, Major EO (2004). JC Virus Induces a Nonapoptotic Cell Death of Human Central Nervous System Progenitor Cell -Derived Astrocytes. Journal of Virology 78(9):4884-91. 5. Seth, P; Diaz, F; and Major EO (2003). Advances in the biology of JC virus and induction of progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy. Journal of Neurovirology (2) 236-246.6. Lawrence DM, Seth P, Durham L, Diaz F, Boursiquot R, Ransohoff RM, Major EO (2006). Astrocyte differentiation selectively upregulates CCL2/monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 in cultured human brain derived progenitor cells. Glia 53 (1): 81-91