Our Staff

Judith Nolan

PhD, MSN, NP-C, Center Director

Judy was called to nursing later in her career. She began her career as a research scientist but was drawn to medicine as she was interested in seeing the application of basic research. She chose nursing because she enjoyed providing ongoing care for patients and having the special relationship patients develop with their nurses.

Her desire to become a nurse practitioner was driven by her belief that the more care that is provided in an outpatient setting, the better, which is where nurse practitioners excel. One of Judy’s main goals is to keep patients out of hospitals and living and interacting in the community while they are undergoing care. Judy has a particular interest in non-medication-based treatments, so the holistic approach of hyperbaric oxygen therapy is a perfect fit. She especially enjoys the great teamwork with her colleagues at 8th Element and watching her patients heal quickly and successfully.

In her spare time, Judy is usually attached to her dog and enjoys cooking with her husband.

Joseph S. LoPresti

MD, FACS, Supervising Physician

Dr. LoPresti graduated from the University of Southern California School of Medicine, then completed his residency in General Surgery at Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center. He entered private practice following this, while also serving as an Assistant Clinical Professor of Surgery at LAC-USC. He moved to Seattle several years later, where he continued in private practice as well as becoming a member of the teaching faculty in surgery at Swedish Medical Center. It was here that he had his first experience with hyperbaric oxygen therapy in the management of life-threatening bacterial infections.

He returned with his family to their native California to re-establish practice there. Through these years, he has gained experience with hyperbaric oxygen therapy in the healing of complex wounds and post-operative compromised wounds. When Dr. Gordon approached him with the opportunity to become involved with 8th Element, he did so enthusiastically to expand the knowledge and experience with hyperbaric oxygen in surgical patients. He believes that hyperbaric oxygen has the potential to be a valuable adjunct in the healing of post-operative wounds and looks forward to expanding the horizons of knowledge and utilization.

In his free time, Dr. LoPresti enjoys playing, writing, and recording music in his home studio, bicycling, cooking, and spending time with family and friends.

Jack Liu

Hyperbaric Technician

Jack Liu is a certified emergency medical technician with experience in multiple medical specialties over several years, including emergency medicine, bariatrics, and pediatrics. Born and raised in the Bay Area, he graduated from the University of California, Santa Cruz, with a BS in Cell, Molecular, and Developmental Biology. He aspires to become a Physician Associate in the future, working with underrepresented communities such as geriatric populations. In his free time, he enjoys reading, camping, and traveling.

Farah Karajah

Hyperbaric Technician

Farah is a certified EMT working amongst the many great hyperbaric technicians and NPs at 8th Element. As an undergraduate at UC Santa Cruz she studied political science only to find that her passions also lie elsewhere. After obtaining her Bachelor’s degree, Farah pursued a pre-med/pre-health post-baccalaureate at SFSU, where within the last few years she became an EMT and worked as a COVID-19 tester. Farah has come to a strong resolve to do her part and tend to the medical and emotional needs of patients. Her plan is now to work towards becoming a Physician’s Associate.

Outside of her career roles and aspirations she enjoys spending time with family and friends. As well as going on hikes with her dog, reading comics, weight training, and eating lots of food.