Brian Loftus, MD

Dr. Brian Loftus’s journey to medicine was the road less travelled. His initial encounter with the medical field occurred during a summer between his freshman and sophomore years in college, when he worked with a surgeon at Ben Taub General Hospital. Despite this early exposure, he initially decided against a career in medicine. Instead, he pursued a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering from Rice University, graduating Cum Laude.

Engineering, often considered the ultimate team sport, left Dr. Loftus feeling unfulfilled. He recalled Dr. Michael DeBakey’s influential talk from that summer, which emphasized the profound satisfaction derived from helping patients individually. Motivated by this memory, Dr. Loftus shifted his career path and attended Baylor College of Medicine for his medical school, internship, and residency.

Dr. Loftus began his internal medicine internship four months early, this led to the opportunity of working at an HIV clinic for Harris County in 1991 before commencing his neurology residency. Upon completing his residency, he joined the Diagnostic Clinic of Houston, a group practice located in the Houston Medical Center. During his tenure at Diagnostic, he taught medical students and residents for one month each year at the public hospital. Dr. Loftus also participated in numerous medical research studies focusing on headaches, multiple sclerosis, stroke, and neuropathic pain.

In addition to his clinical work, Dr. Loftus demonstrated a keen interest in technology. The first internet browser was released during his residency in 1993.  Many physician practices were skeptical of putting medical information on the web.  Dr. Loftus designed and coded the Diagnostic Clinic of Houston’s first website in 1996, which ran on an Apple server that he maintained for several years. Dr. Loftus was also actively involved in the Texas Neurology Society, serving on its board for several years.

In 2004, Dr. Loftus helped trial electronic medical records (EMR). When the Diagnostic Clinic did not adopt EMR in 2006 and continued with paper charts, Dr. Loftus decided to pursue solo practice. Over the years, he transitioned his practice to a direct-pay model and established the only headache practice in Houston offering both IV rescue services and multiple nerve blocks.

Dr. Loftus and his wife Blakely, established a non-profit charity 501(c)(3) to fund ongoing research aiming at studying and developing low-cost treatment options accessible to a broader patient base.

In 2011, Dr. Loftus co-founded the Southern Headache Society with Dr. Maizels. The society’s vision at founding was to provide cost-effective, high-impact clinical education on headaches to neurologists and other headache professionals. One of the society’s greatest achievements has been its growth and financial self-sustainability. In its early years, the society collaborated with groups like the Florida Neurological Society, Texas Neurological Society, and the Southern Pain Society to host joint meetings and reduce administrative burdens. In the early years, Blakely was instrumental in assisting in administrative duties including the filing of the IRS and State of Texas documents to get the 501(c)(3) approval for this organization.

Dr. Loftus’s career is marked by a commitment to patient care, medical education, and innovative practice management, making significant contributions to both his field and the broader medical community.