John M. Stern, MD
Accepting New Patients

John M. Stern, MD

  • Epilepsy Neurology|
  • Clinical Neurophysiology
Westwood Neurology |
300 Medical Plaza, Suite B200 Los Angeles, CA 90095

About

Dr. John Stern is Professor and Director of the Epilepsy Clinical Program in the Department of Neurology at the Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). He is also Director of UCLA’s Epilepsy Fellowship Training Program and Medical Director of UCLA’s Seizure Disorder Center.

Dr. Stern’s education includes concurrent bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Wesleyan University with a master’s thesis in physical biochemistry. His medical degree is from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, medical internship was at Beth Israel Medical Center in New York, and neurology residency and epilepsy and clinical neurophysiology fellowship were at UCLA.

Focused on seizures, epilepsy, and clinical neurophysiology, Dr. Stern maintains an active clinical practice that includes outpatient and inpatient care for seizures and epilepsy. He also has extensive experience as an investigator in clinical research studies and clinical trials related to epilepsy diagnosis and treatment. His 360 publications include 6 books and 200 peer-reviewed research papers, chapters, and reviews. Among the publications, one was awarded best clinical research publication of the year by Epilepsia Open, another was recognized as among the best of the year by Epilepsia, and a third was among the most viewed of the year in Epilepsia.

For his excellence in teaching, he has received the highest teaching awards from UCLA’s Geffen School of Medicine and from UCLA’s Department of Neurology. He has lectured widely internationally and in most of the United States, and he has been interviewed by Reuters, New York Times, National Public Radio, Boston Globe, Chicago Tribune, NBC TV, and other news organizations.

Dr. Stern is a fellow of the American Neurological Association, the American Academy of Neurology, and the American Epilepsy Society. He currently serves as on the Board of Directors of the National Association of Epilepsy Centers, and on the editorial board for MedLink Neurology. He previously was Chair of the American Epilepsy Society’s Treatments Committee, on the National Association of Epilepsy Center’s Accreditations Committee, on the Professional Advisory Board for the Epilepsy Foundation (of America), and on the Board of Directors for the Epilepsy Foundation of Los Angeles.

Languages

English

Education

Medical Board Certifications

Epilepsy, American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology, 2013
Neurology, American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology, 1999
Clinical Neurophysiology, American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology, 1999

Fellowship

Epilepsy & Clinical Neurophysiology, UCLA School of Medicine, 1999

Residency

Neurology, UCLA School of Medicine, 1997

Internship

Internal Medicine, Beth Israel Medical Center, 1994

Degree

MD, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount. Sinai, 1993

Locations

UCLA Health 300 Medical Plaza
West Los Angeles

Westwood Neurology

Neurology| Movement Disorders Neurology| Epilepsy Neurology +6 more specialties

Hospital Affiliations

Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center

Videos

Epilepsy and Seizures
Ask a Neurologist: Do I have epilepsy if I have a seizure?
Ask a Neurologist: How can I manage my epilepsy?
Epilepsy Therapy Project Presents: AED Mechanisms of Actions Roundtable - John Stern, MD
Epilepsy Rescue Medications Explained
Epilepsy Awareness Day at DL2021 - John Stern, MD - UCLA Mattel Children's Hospital - Adult Epilepsy

Research

Interests

  • Epilepsy diagnosis and treatment
  • Functional connectivity within the human brain

In the News

  • Intracranial EEG prediction of seizure focality. (Reuters Health, 12/2021)
  • Changes to US epilepsy centers from 2012-2019. (Neurology Today, 12/2021)
  • DEARhealth’s epilepsy care platform. (Los Angeles Business Journal, 6/2020)
  • Continuous EEG monitoring utilization (Reuters Health, 1/2020)
  • Conversion disorder and psychogenic non-epileptic seizures. (New York Times, 9/2018)
  • Psychogenic non-epileptic seizures. (National Public Radio, 2/2018)
  • Epilepsy overview. (US News and World Report, 3/2017)
  • Epilepsy overview. (BuzzFeed media website, 6/2016)
  • Pharmacotherapy for epilepsy. (Boston Globe newspaper, 8/2015)

Insurance

  • Aetna
  • Anthem Blue Cross
  • Blue Shield of California
  • Centivo
  • Cigna
  • First Health
  • Health Net of California
  • Interplan (part of HealthSmart)
  • Medicare Advantage
  • MultiPlan
  • UFCM Health System
  • Prime Health Services
  • Private Healthcare Systems (PHCS)
  • TRICARE
  • UnitedHealthcare

The list of health care plans above may not be comprehensive and could change. 
Please contact your benefits coordinator or health insurance company directly to verify coverage.

Visit our health insurance information page for more details.

Recognitions

  • Southern California Super Doctors®, 2008 - 2025
  • Castle Connolly Top Doctors, 2018 - 2023
  • Best Doctors in America, 2005 - 2020
  • Southern California Super Doctors® Hall of Fame, 2017
  • Top Doctors, Los Angeles Magazine, 2012, 2016 - 2017
  • Leading Physicians of the World, International Association of Healthcare Professionals, 2012 - 2013, 2016 - 2017
  • America’s Top Physicians, Consumers’ Research Council of America, 2009 - 2014
  • Serge & Yvette Dadone Clinical Teaching Award, Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, 2017; Awarded to two faculty members among more than 2000.
  • UCLA Neurology Faculty Teaching Award (Golden Hammer), 2011
  • Outstanding Teaching to Residents Award, UCLA Department of Neurology, 1999
  • Hawk Prize for outstanding research in biochemistry, Wesleyan University, 1989
  • Sigma Xi Scientific Honor Society, elected membership, 1988