Dr. Kaltra Dhima is an Assistant Professor of Clinical Neurology at Vanderbilt University Medical Center within the Behavioral and Cognitive Neurology Division. As a clinical neuropsychologist, she conducts comprehensive cognitive assessments of adults with various neurological conditions. She primarily conducts pre- and postoperative evaluations within the Vanderbilt Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) Program on patients with movement disorders including Parkinson’s disease (PD), essential tremor, and dystonia. She also completes preoperative evaluations for patients with epilepsy. The remainder of Dr. Dhima’s clinical work spans across various patient populations, such as those with neurodegenerative conditions and cerebrovascular disease.

She completed her undergraduate studies at Boston University, from where she graduated cum laude with a double major in Neuroscience and Psychology. She subsequently spent three years working with patients with PD as a Clinical Research Coordinator within the Harvard NeuroDiscovery Center Biomarker Study. Dr. Dhima completed her Ph.D. and clinical internship in Clinical Psychology at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. Prior to coming to VUMC, she completed a postdoctoral fellowship in Clinical Neuropsychology at Cleveland Clinic.

Dr. Dhima has a longstanding commitment to professional service and has been active in several local, regional, and national organizations. She has served on several committees within the National Academy of Neuropsychology and is currently on the Social Media Committee. She is also a member of the International Neuropsychological Society, American Academy of Clinical Neuropsychology, and the Society for Clinical Neuropsychology.

Dr. Tigran Kesayan is an Assistant Professor of Neurology and Anesthesiology (Pain Medicine) and is board-certified in Neurology and Pain Medicine. He joined the Vanderbilt University Medical Center in 2020.

Dr. Kesayan attended the University of Florida, graduating magna cum laude in microbiology and cell science. He obtained his medical degree from the University of South Florida (USF) College of Medicine in Tampa, Florida. He completed his residency training at USF in Neurology, where he served as Chief Resident during his final year, and subsequently completed a fellowship in Pain Medicine. 

Dr. Kesayan sees patients with chronic pain conditions including chronic headaches, facial pain, neuralgias, as well as spine pain. He focuses on diagnosis and primarily interventional treatment options for intractable pain conditions, which often includes collaboration between neurologists, pain medicine physicians, spine/neurosurgeons and plastic surgeons. In addition to seeing patients, Dr. Kesayan also plays several roles in physician education, including medical student, resident education for anesthesiology and neurology residents, as well as the pain medicine fellows.

Dr. Kesayan’s research focuses primarily on novel diagnostic and treatment strategies for chronic headaches, trigeminal neuralgia and face pain, and neuropathic pain with a special interest in interventional approaches which include injections, nerve ablations, neuromodulation, and surgery.

Dr. Andrew Girithiran, Assistant Professor, will join our Neurosciences team on September 1, 2020.  He will join us in the Movement Disorders Division and he will participate in our Deep Brain Stimulation program.  In addition, he will provide General Neurology services for patients with a variety of neurological problems in the hospital setting.  Dr. Girithiran trained at the Vanderbilt University Medical Center, where he served as Chief Resident and completed his residency in Neurology.   He subsequently completed a Movement Disorders Fellowship at Oregon Health & Science University.

Tracey L. Goddard, MSN, APRN, earned her BS in Nursing from Austin Peay State University in 1991.  She obtained her MS in Nursing from the University of Alabama Huntsville in 2008 and is board certified as an Acute Care Nurse Practitioner.  

Prior to coming to Vanderbilt, she had 17 years’ experience as a RN in ICU/stepdown, pain management, and private practice in Neurosurgery. She transferred to Neurosurgery at Vanderbilt in 2007 as a RN and continued pursuing her master’s degree in Nursing.  After graduation, she joined Vanderbilt Nursing Faculty as an Endovascular Neurosurgery Nurse Practitioner.  In 2011, she joined the Vanderbilt Medical Faculty as Assistant in Radiology and Radiological Sciences in Interventional Radiology, where she has performed many different types of ultrasound guided procedures, including biopsies, paracentesis and thoracentesis.

She is a member of the Middle Tennessee Advanced Practice Nurse Association and the American Association of Nurse Practitioners.