Simbad Pucurica is a nurse practitioner at Tampa Bay Neurosurgical Associates who partners closely with Dr. Stengel, Dr. Jobe, Dr. Shorter, and Dr. Befeler. He originally attended South University in Tampa, Florida where he received a Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing. Simbad then pursued a degree in Master of Nursing where he graduated with honors and received a clinical excellency award, all while working in the neuroscience unit of Bayfront Medical Center. He has worked primarily in neurosurgical/neurological settings and began working with Neurosurgical Associates of Tampa Bay (NSATB) in 2018. Simbad is involved in the entire continuum of care for NSATB patients and you will see him mostly on the weekends in the hospital and occasionally in the operating room.
Simbad is an active member of several professional organizations including the American Association of Nurse Practitioners and Sigma Theta Tau, the International Honor Society of Nursing. Simbad is also an ANCC Accredited Certified Surgical Nurse, as well as an ONS Certified Oncology Nurse.
Simbad is originally from Serbia, speaks fluent Serbo-Croatian and Albanian, and currently resides in the St. Petersburg Metro Area. He enjoys spending time with his wife and family, weekend getaways to Disney and Universal Studios in Orlando, and traveling the world any chance he gets.
Jennifer (Jenn) Wallace graduated from Creighton University in 2000 with a Bachelor of Science in Biology. She worked in the public health sector as a volunteer with Redeemer Ministry Corporation in Philadelphia. She later attended George Washington University where she received a Master of Public Health and Master of Science in Health Science in 2007. During graduate school, she had an internship at Children’s Defense Fund in the Health Policy Department.
She came to NSATB after receiving her physician’s assistant certification and has been with our practice for ten years. She is a member of American Association of Neurological Surgeons and she serves as a teacher for South University’s Physician Assistant Program. Outside work, Jenn enjoys traveling and is an avid runner.
Mohamed was born and raised in Casablanca, Morocco and moved to Florida where he attended Saint Petersburg College and obtained a Bachelor of Science in Biology. He obtained his Master’s of Science in Medicine from Mississippi College in 2016, and then went on to receive his physician’s assistant certification. Shortly after, he began a career in orthopedic and spine surgery, which lead him to develop a passionate interest in neurosurgery, joining NSATB in November 2018.
Mohamed speaks five languages including English, Arabic, Darija, French, and Spanish. Currently, he is a member of the American Academy of Physician Assistants and the Florida Academy of Physician Assistants. During his spare time, Mohamed enjoys long-distance swimming, martial arts, and traveling to different parts of the world.
Saskia Sassine was born and raised in Miami, Florida and moved to Tampa where she went to the University of South Florida. She graduated with two Bachelor of Science degrees in Biomedical Science and Public Health in 2017. She later attended South University in Tampa and received her Master in Physician Assistant Degree in 2020. Since her graduation, she has been a part of the Brain2Spine team as a physician assistant.
Saskia is a member of the American Academy of Physician Assistants, Florida Academy of Physician Assistants, and American Association of Neurological Surgeons. During her free time, she enjoys working out, hanging out with friends, hiking, and traveling. You will most likely find Saskia playing at the dog park with her Shih Tzu, Benji.