Susanna O'Kula, MD

Dr. Susanna O'Kula is a clinical assistant professor in the Department of Neurology at SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University. She joined the faculty in 2021 after completing a two-year clinical and research epilepsy fellowship at NYU. She holds a bachelor of arts degree in English literature from Columbia University, where she graduated summa cum laude, and earned her medical degree from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.

During her neurology residency at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, she was selected to participate in the Healthcare Leadership in Quality track and enjoys teaching and mentoring housestaff, particularly in the realm of quality improvement. Her clinical expertise includes the diagnosis and treatment of patients with epilepsy and seizure disorders.

Dr. O'Kula is the SUNY Hub’s NeuroNEXT Fellow (2022-2023). She is a member of the American Epilepsy Society and the American Academy of Neurology.

Education & Training:

• BA, English Literature, Columbia University, 2010
• MD, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, 2015
• Internal Medicine Internship, The Mount Sinai Hospital, 2015-2016
• Neurology Residency, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, 2016-2019
• Fellowship in Clinical Epilepsy, NYU Langone Health, 2019-2020
• Fellowship in Epilepsy Research, NYU Langone Health, 2020-2021
• Board Certification in Neurology from the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology, 2019
• Board Certification in Epilepsy from the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology, 2020

Clinical Subspecialty:

Epilepsy

Research Interest:

• Behavioral self-management interventions for people with epilepsy
• Psychiatric comorbidities in epilepsy

Patient Appointments:

Wednesday Afternoons

Other Languages Spoken:

Spanish