Galina Nikolskaya, M.D.
Double Board-Certified Neurologist, Founder, Cognitive Edge Center, Cognitive Performance Consultant
Key Facts
Education
Physicians and Surgeons Medical License: California # A119235 ABPN Board Exam Score - 92% (passing cutoff was 74%)
Diplomate of American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology (ABPN) in Neurology. ABPN Board Certification # 59649
Diplomate of American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS)
Certification in Clinical Neurophysiology. ABMS Board # 2965
Qualified Medical Evaluator Certification, State of California, DWC
Clinical Neurophysiology Fellowship, Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, Torrance, CA
Neurology Residency at University of California, San Diego, CA
Preliminary Year: Internal Medicine at St Mary Medical Center, Long Beach, CA affiliated with the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA
Doctorate of Medicine, Wright State University Boonshoft School of Medicine, Dayton, OH
Bachelor of Arts. Major: Biology - Magna cum laude, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH
Legal and Professional Associations
Institute for Well-Being in Law (IWIL)Honors
Top 1 Neurologist in the Orange County Region 2017 HealthTap Best Doctor. America’s Top Physician 2017 by Consumers Research Council of America.Biography
Dr. Galina Nikolskaya is a double board-certified neurologist in neurology and clinical neurophysiology. She has focused her clinical practice on traumatic brain injury, providing neurological consultations, electrodiagnostic studies, and long-term care to patients in Southern California. She also performs interventional procedures, including botulinum toxin injections for post-traumatic headaches, neuralgias, dystonia, and spasticity. Dr. Nikolskaya serves as a volunteer clinical faculty member at the UC San Diego Free Clinic, where she teaches medical students clinical neurology through direct patient care. She has also been retained as a neurology expert witness in hundreds of brain injury cases across the United States.
In addition to her clinical work, Dr. Nikolskaya is the founder and director of the Cognitive Edge Center, where she shares evidence-based practices rooted in her 5S cognitive coaching framework. She works with attorneys and other high-achieving professionals to enhance cognitive excellence and strengthen performance under pressure. Through the Cognitive Edge Center, she offers personalized 1:1 remote coaching and group programs designed specifically for professionals working in high-stakes environments. She also speaks nationally to law firms and professional organizations on brain health, cognitive excellence, and practical strategies for peak performance under pressure. More information is available at https://myneuro.care/coaching.
Dr. Nikolskaya is the coauthor, with trial lawyer Nicholas Rowley, of the forthcoming Trial Guides book Brain Injuries: A Multidisciplinary, Illustrated Guide.
