Amytis Towfighi, MD is Associate Professor of Neurology and Preventive Medicine (Clinical Scholar) at the University of Southern California. As Director of Neurological Services for the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services public safety-net system, she spearheads initiatives targeting quality, efficiency, and equity of neurologic care delivery. She is the Chief of Neurology and Associate Medical Director of Research at LAC+USC Medical Center. She serves as Director of Healthcare Delivery Science for the Southern California Clinical and Translational Science Institute. Her research focuses on designing and testing complex secondary stroke prevention interventions in resource constrained settings to improve delivery of evidence-based care, enhance care coordination, and facilitate patients’ medication adherence, lifestyle, and self-management skills to reduce health disparities. She has led two secondary stroke prevention randomized controlled trials: Healthy Eating And Lifestyle after Stroke (HEALS) and Secondary stroke prevention by Uniting Community and Chronic care model teams Early to End Disparities (SUCCEED).

She received the Robert G. Siekert New Investigator Award in Stroke from the American Heart Association (AHA) and the Michael S. Pessin Stroke Leadership Prize from the American Academy of Neurology for her research on disparities. She has served on numerous AHA Scientific Statement and Guideline writing committees, including as Chair of the Post-Stroke Depression Scientific Statement, Vice-Chair of the Secondary Stroke Prevention Guidelines, and Chair of the Strategies to Reduce Inequities in Stroke Preparedness, Care, and Risk Factor Control. She previously co-chaired the NINDS Health Services Implementation, Stroke Progress Review Group and chaired the Quality and Outcomes Committee for AHA’s Stroke Council. She is currently a Section Editor for Health Equity for the journal Stroke.