Neurology Faculty

Suzanne Crandall, DO, AOA, is a board-certified neurologist at Charleston Area Medical Center in Charleston, WV, where she specializes in general neurology, working with patients in and out of the hospital as well as in clinical neurology research. Her great interest is in cerebrovascular disease, neurocritical care and brain injury, and in both the treatment and reversal of stroke as well as stroke prevention. Her other clinical interest is in graduate medical education. She is currently the GME liaison for the Internal Medicine and Behavioral Medicine residents, as well as the Neurology Clerkship Director and the Program Director for the neurology residency program at CAMC, which welcomed its first classes in 2023.

Dr. Crandall graduated from California State University at Fullerton in 1987 with a B.A. in Music and from Chapman University in 2000 with degrees in Exercise Physiology and Biology. She graduated Summa Cum Laude from Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences in 2005 and completed residency through the Saint John’s Health System, a member of the Michigan State University Consortium for Medical Training, in 2009. She earned an Executive MBA degree in 2020 from the Bloch School of Management at the University of Missouri, Kansas City. She is currently in a Master of Education for Health Professions program at the Johns Hopkins University School of Education.

When not geeking out about the brain and trying to turn all her learners into neurologists, she enjoys gardening, beekeeping, reading, eating good food (maybe a little too much) and traveling.

Braydon Dymm, MD, is a board-certified neurologist and accomplished physician who specializes in cerebrovascular disease and stroke care. After graduating summa cum laude from the University of Detroit Mercy and earning his medical degree from Wayne State University School of Medicine, he completed his neurology residency at Michigan Medicine. Dr. Dymm recently finished an advanced fellowship in cerebrovascular neurology at Duke University Hospital. He has made significant research contributions with publications in respected journals like Neurology and Stroke. Currently, Dr. Dymm serves as a neurohospitalist in the Department of Neurology at Charleston Area Medical Center. His passion for advancing stroke care and medical education has established him as an emerging leader in the field. 

David Veloso Lardizabal, MD, is a highly accomplished physician with over 30 years of experience in the medical field, specializing in Neurology and Epilepsy. Graduating from Cebu Institute of Medicine, he further honed his skills at Philippine General Hospital and Cleveland Clinic Foundation, cementing his dedication to patient care and education. He has made significant contributions in simulation education, neurology clerkship and residency training in University of Missouri, Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, and Barnes Jewish Hospital at St. Louis. He has made publications in esteemed medical journals in epilepsy and wrote book chapters in Geriatric Neurology and Epilepsy. Currently, Dr. Lardizabal is the Department Chair of Charleston Area Medical Center where they implement their expertise in patient care and medical education. The Department of Neurology's passion for medicine and commitment to advancing the field through research and innovative practices has established them as a respected figure in the medical community. 

Appaji Rayi, MD, ABMS, is an adult neurologist and has special interest in evaluation and management of patients with various abnormal neurological conditions. He earned a Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery degrees from Rangaraya Medical College, Kakinada, India; completed neurology residency training from Rutgers, New Jersey Medical School - Newark, NJ, a clinical neurophysiology fellowship with an emphasis in EEG and Epilepsy from SUNY Downstate Medical Center and a neuro-oncology fellowship from The Ohio State University James Cancer Center. Dr. Rayi has been involved in research and published manuscripts in prestigious journals like Neuro-oncology, Neuro-oncology Advances, American Journal of Clinical Oncology, Current Opinions in Oncology, Neuro-oncology Practice, Epilepsy research, Epilepsy and Behavior, Journal of stroke and cerebrovascular diseases, JAMA Neurology, Journal of Clinical Neurophysiology and Annals of Indian Academy of Neurology. He is a member and fellow of the American Academy of Neurology. He has been involved in the American Epilepsy Society activities like the clinical and guidelines committee and the interprofessional committees. At CAMC, Dr. Rayi is involved in resident education and inpatient neurology clinical service. During his free time, he likes to play with his kids and relax. 

James Russell, MD, ABMS, oversees the Neuromuscular Program at Charleston Area Medical Center, Department of Neurology. The program includes a neuromuscular clinic serving patients with peripheral neuropathy, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, autonomic disorders, myasthenia gravis, myopathy and other neuromuscular diseases. He developed a multidisciplinary amyotrophic lateral sclerosis clinic at CAMC, a full-service neuromuscular neurophysiology and autonomic laboratory. Dr. Russell is a Professor of Neurology and has published and lectured widely on neuromuscular diseases. He has served on the boards of several national and international neuromuscular organizations and has been the principal investigator on several clinical trials. He has also served as a reviewer for the National Institutes of Health, the Department of Veterans Affairs and the American Diabetes Association. He continues research through the Institute for Academic Medicine at CAMC. 

Azara Singh, MBBS, AMBS, is a board-certified pediatric neurologist. She graduated from Christian Medical College, Vellore, and moved to Detroit for her Child Neurology residency at the Children's Hospital of Michigan. She is a Clinical Assistant Professor in Pediatrics at the WVU School of Medicine and has dual affiliations with the Department of Neurology and the Department of Pediatrics at CAMC. She is passionate about physician wellness and serves as the Wellness Chair in the Department of Pediatrics. In addition to pediatric neurology, her interests include neuro-palliative care and medical education. She is also the Associate Editor for Medical Education and the Humanities for the Journal of Child Neurology Open. Outside of work, she enjoys cooking, reading and starting, but not always finishing, new craft projects. 

Amir Touray, MBBS, is a neurologist and epileptologist who provides expertise gained from a wide-range educational and professional journey. After obtaining a Bachelor of Science in Biological Sciences from Cornell University, he pursued basic science research in multiple sclerosis before embarking on an international adventure, earning his Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery degree at St. George's University of London, at the University of Nicosia in Cyprus. Dr. Touray further honed his skills during his neurology residency at the University of Central Florida College of Medicine, where he became interested in epilepsy and won awards for his clinical knowledge. His subspecialty training in epilepsy was completed at the esteemed Montefiore Medical Center/Albert Einstein College of Medicine. He is passionate about medical education and is committed to providing the very best in patient care in neurology and epilepsy.