Shawna Whitney Benard, MD

Dr. Shawna Benard received her undergraduate degree from UCLA in Psychobiology and then received her graduate degree from Yale School of Public Health in Chronic Disease Epidemiology. She was an active participant in the Leadership in Medicine for the Underserved Program at Michigan State University College of Human Medicine. She completed an Internal Medicine Internship at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York and Neurology Residency at University of Miami/Jackson Memorial Hospital, where she served as a Chief Resident. She then completed a Neurophysiology and Epilepsy Fellowship at UCLA prior to joining USC as an Assistant Professor of Clinical Neurology. Her research interests are in disparities in epilepsy care and psychiatric comorbidities in epilepsy.

My goal is to help patients and their families have a better understanding of their seizure disorder and help them navigate through their options for treatment. Every patient is unique and will have a comprehensive evaluation to guide our management, which may involve medication, dietary therapy, surgical treatments, and/or psychological/psychiatric support. My ultimate goal is to work together with my patients to help improve their quality of life.