John Cassidy, MD

Bio

I'm a Neurologist and Child Neurologist and have been with Kaiser Permanente since 1982. Born in Sacramento, I grew up in Santa Clara County. I graduated from Santa Clara University, majoring in Philosophy. I graduated in 1971 from St. Louis University Medical School and interned there in Pediatrics. I completed my Pediatric training at Children's Hospital of San Francisco (now part of California Pacific Medical Center) and was a practicing Pediatrician for five years. My Neurology and Child Neurology training was done at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center in Torrance, California.

I am board certified in Pediatrics (1978) and Neurology with Special Qualification in Child Neurology (1984). My professional interests include headache, epilepsy, our Department's ongoing clinical research projects, and (of course) all aspects of Child Neurology.

My hobbies include gardening and home remodeling as well as wide interests in reading and music.

My Medical Specialty

More details about my specialty:

As a medical student, I chose Pediatrics both because I enjoyed it and because the Pediatricians had the best personalities of any medical discipline. I chose Neurology and Child Neurology because it promised to be a specialty which would engage my interest and enthusiasm for the rest of my career. It has not disappointed me. My interest in a medical career was triggered by the sudden death of my grandfather when I was a child. I enjoy being a physician because of the wonderful opportunity to combine service to others with the satisfaction of clinical (and sometimes social) problem-solving.

My specialty interests and affiliations within my field:

I'm a Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics, an Active Member of the American Academy of Neurology, and a member of the Child Neurology Society.

Current projects or research:

We have several ongoing research projects in our Department dealing with Memory Disorders, Stroke, Headache, and Epilepsy. I am also planning to start headache groups for children and adolescents, modeled after the adult groups we now have.

Great health resources that I refer to:

Some favorite websites include OMIM (On Mendelian Inheritance in Man), (www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=OMIM); the Tourette Syndrome Association (www.tsa-usa.org); and the Epilepsy Foundation of America (www.epilepsyfoundation.org/). I freely share these with patients and colleagues alike.

An interesting story from my training:

One day I spotted our Neurology Department Chairman, Dr Mark Goldberg, wearing a necktie with the tartan of Clan McDonald. I had an identical tie and so asked him if he had some Scots ancestry. He smiled and informed me that he had been given it as a birthday present by his son Jonathan--in honor of the Golden Arches.

Interests

Family & Friends

People in my life:

My dear wife, Madeline, died in October 2002 of leukemia, after nearly 34 years of very happy marriage. Although it's been a challenge to carry on, it's the best way I know to honor her memory.

My children and people I care about:

I have two wonderful grown sons: Nathan, a student who lives in Forestville; and Dan, a realtor who lives in San Diego.

Photos of my Family & Friends:

Our very young family, ca. 1981.

Farmer John and Dan in our garden.

Dan (below) and Nate (above).

I have one neutered feral longhaired cat, originally named "Fiona," then changed to "Fiono" after we took him to the Vet. He has now morphed to "Mr. Holstein," which accurately describes his coloring. Perhaps the name will change again to "Mr. Urgent" which accurately describes his personality.

Travel

An adventure I've had:

Our young family, together with my parents-in-law, took a trip to southern Spain. We flew there from Germany, where I was stationed, and stayed in the city of Malaga. This was special, because my father-in-law's parents were both born within a few miles of Malaga. During the next week, we visited the Alhambra, in the city of Granada; this medieval Arabic palace is one of those places which impresses far more in person than in photos.

On another trip that week, we drove over a mountain range to the city of Ronda, where, legend has it, bullfighting was invented. Even more impressive was the winding dirt path with ancient bridges which paralleled our winding road: it was an ancient Roman road with still-functioning ancient Roman bridges! Later on, closer to Ronda, we encountered a Roman Aqueduct which spanned the plain we were crossing; our road passed under one of the arches.

Finally, on that same trip, I was introduced to Membrillo, or Ate de Membrillo. This wonderful confection is made of the fruit of the Quince, and my father-in-law introduced me to it in a little market in the city of Malaga. This was the beginning of a wonderful obsession with this fruit which continues to this day.

Favorite place in the world:

I must confess that the place where I live and work is my favorite place. Its unmatched combination of climate, geography, cultural opportunities and work environment cannot (for me) be matched.

One of my recent trips:

In November 2003, I visited my son in San Diego where he lives. He and Linda, his fiance, took me on a drive around the perimeter of the huge firestorms which ravaged San Diego County a month earlier. This drive took us the entire day. I gained a new respect for the power of wildland fire (as if the Oakland Hills fire of 1991 wasn't enough).

Other Links & Photos