Staff

Dr. Stephen Hanson graduated from the Purdue University School of Veterinary Medicine in 1992. While at Purdue, he studied nerve regeneration at the Center for Paralysis Research. He completed an Internship in Small Animal Medicine and Surgery at Kansas State University in 1993.

This was followed by a Residency in Neurology at Colorado State University, where he was trained in both medical and surgical neurology. He became board certified in the Neurology subspecialty of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine in 1996. Dr. Hanson has been in private practice in Southern California since 1996.

Dr. Stacy Dillard received her bachelor's degrees in Biology and Chemistry from Drury University in Springfield, Missouri. She went on to receive her veterinary degree from North Carolina State University in 2006, followed by a year internship at the Animal Medical Center in New York City. She returned to North Carolina State University where she completed a three-year residency in neurology and neurosurgery from 2007-2010.

As a native of Orange County, she is happy to be back home practicing in Southern California since 2010. She is board certified by the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (Neurology).

Dr. Philip Schissler received his bachelor's degree from Cornell University in Ithaca, New York in 2006. He stayed at Cornell to graduate from the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine in 2010. Dr. Schissler then completed an internship at the Veterinary Specialty Hospital of San Diego from 2010-2011 followed by a three-year residency in neurology and neurosurgery at the Veterinary Neurological Center from 2011-2014. He became board certified in Neurology by the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine in 2014.

Having lived throughout the United States, including in New Jersey, New York, Maine, Phoenix, and San Diego, Dr. Schissler is happy to have returned to Southern California.

Dr. Furman has a bachelor degree in Neurophysiology from the University of California, Davis. She received her Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine from the University of California, Davis in 2012. Afterward, she completed a one-year rotating small animal internship at the Veterinary Medical Surgical Group in Ventura, CA followed by a three-year residency in small animal neurology/neurosurgery in Colorado. She also has a Master%u2019s degree from Colorado State University in Clinical Sciences.

Dr. Furman is happy to be back in sunny California and has been practicing since 2016. She is board certified by the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (Neurology).

Dr. Stephanie Dugas received her veterinary degree from the University of Montreal in 2007. She then completed an internship at the Ontario Veterinary College in Guelph and practiced emergency and general practice for 2 years in Ottawa. She returned to the University of Montreal where she completed a three-year residency in veterinary medical neurology from 2010 to 2013, became board certified in Neurology by the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine in 2014 and completed a Masters Degree in veterinary neurology studying idiopathic head tremors in English Bulldogs in 2016.

Dr. Dugas made the move from the French part of Canada to sunny southern California in 2014 to practice medical neurology, focusing on epilepsy and brain diseases. She joined the VNC in 2021.

Dr Clarisa Robles obtained her bachelor's degree in Animal Physiology and Neuroscience from University of California, San Diego.  She then pursued her Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine from University of California, Davis, graduating in 2008.  Following that, she completed a one year rotating internship at Veterinary Medical and Surgical Group from 2008- 2009 followed by a 3 year Neurology/Neurosurgery residency at the University of Minnesota from 2009-2012.  Dr Robles then returned to sunny Southern California where she has worked since 2012. She is board certified in Neurology by the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (Neurology). 

Dr. Jacqueline Heller received her veterinary degree from Ross University in 2002. While practicing general small animal medicine, she obtained training through the International Veterinary Acupuncture Society, and became a Certified Veterinary Acupuncturist. She performs holistic evaluations and acupuncture therapy in our office two days per week.