Meet the FiTs

Andrew Weiss received his Doctorate in Physical Therapy and Bachelor of Science from Touro College School of Health Science, graduating top of his class. He was awarded with the prestigious Academic Excellence Award upon graduation. Andrew works at Florida Spine Associates, specializing in treating an array of spinal conditions.

Binaifer, who commonly goes by Bini, was raised in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area. She received her Bachelor of Science in Neurobiology from the University of Texas at Austin in 2017 followed by her Doctorate in Physical Therapy from UT Southwestern Medical Center in 2020. Since graduation, she has received her certification in dry needling from the American Academy of Manipulative Therapy and became a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) from the NSCA. Recently, she has earned her Certified Orthopedic Musculoskeletal Therapist (COMT) Certification through the North American Institute of Manual Therapy. Bini is currently employed at Restoration Physical Therapy in Grapevine, Texas where she has been a staff therapist for four years.

Carleen graduated from Northeastern University in May 2020. She is currently working for a private practice company called Physical Therapy Specialists located in Guilford, CT. Her company offers an internal Orthopedic residency program which she officially completed in June 2023 after receiving her Board Certification in Orthopedic Physical Therapy. She is also recognized as a Certified Manual Physical Therapist (CMPT) through NAIOMT, a Fellow of Applied Functional Science (FAFS) through Gray Institute, and Level 1 Certified in Functional Dry Needling through Integrated Dry Needling.

Cody is dedicated to a community in which the majority of people wake up motivated to become the best versions of themselves. A native of Du Quoin, he graduated with his Bachelors in psychology from SIUC in 2012. From there, he continued his education at ASU where he obtained his Master’s in exercise science in 2015 and his Doctorate of Physical Therapy in 2018. In 2020, he received the designation of an Orthopaedic Certified Specialist and opened his own private practice before joint his current team at SIH in Herrin. Throughout his entire college experience, Cody continued to pursue his athletic dream as a professional track and field athlete. He understands the frustration that injuries bring and how it can limit us doing the very things we enjoy. Much of being healthy involves us moving well which is why he specializes in it. He enjoys mountain biking and spending time with his family. You may still see him occasionally flying over a crossbar on the track.

Heather Purdin, PT, MS, CMPT graduated from Duke University in 1997. She obtained her CMPT from NAIOMT in 2016. She has learned additional manual therapy techniques from continuing education coursework including Mulligan techniques, Strain Counter Strain, Muscle Energy Techniques, Craniosacral, Visceral mobilization, Myofascial release. She uses a combination of techniques in her clinical practice which specializes in treating hypermobility spectrum disorders and Ehlers-Danlos Syndromes. She has co-authored a book that was published in 2023 entitled Taming the Zebra – It’s Much More than Hypermobility: The Definitive Physical Therapy Guide to Managing HSD/EDS Volume 1. She speaks nationally on this topic and has developed treatment patterns and tips for modifying treatments and succeeding with this complex population. She practices in Portland, OR at her private practice, Good Health Physical Therapy & Wellness. Her practice has been open for 19 years.

Lauren Brandau, PT, DPT, FAFS, FMR and a Board Certified Orthopedic Clinical Specialist attended Simmons University undergraduate and earned a Doctorate in Physical therapy in 2021. Worked in MA at a private outpatient clinic for about a year before starting an Orthopedic residency in 2022 through Sacred Heart University. After completion and passing the boards, completion of a fellowship followed suite in Applied functional science through the Gray Institute in November 2024. Along the way, gained FDN level 1 and 2 certifications from Evidence in Motion as well as level one from IDN institute, Level 1 CI training, and Completed McKenzie A and B courses. Currently working at Physical Therapy Specialists of Guilford and Old Saybrook since August of 2022.

Matt Smarkanic graduated from Lebanon Valley College in Annville, PA with his DPT degree in May 2020. Upon graduation he was hired at Phoenix Physical Therapy, where he is currently employed as a Staff Physical Therapist at their Pottsville, PA location. He began the COMT program through NAIOMT in 2023 and earned his COMT certification in August of 2024. He decided to continue his education by applying to the NAIOMT fellowship program to further himself both personally and professionally.

I’ve known that I was going to be a physical therapist since I was twelve years old. It’s the classic story of an athlete tearing their ACL and going through the recovery process, that we all know too well. However, it was during that time that I found my love for the profession and started to make a plan to achieve my goals. I graduated from high school and entered directly into a 6 year track where I received a Bachelors in Exercise Science in 2019, followed by a Doctor of Physical Therapy in 2021 both from Lebanon Valley College. During my time at LVC I served on the pro- bono C.U.R.E Clinic Board of Directors as the Free Clinic Liaison, was a Class Representative for my cohort, tutored multiple courses and acted as a Teaching Assistant for Gross Anatomy and the Cadaver Lab. Upon graduation I began working immediately on a temporary physical therapy license for Phoenix Physical Therapy in Hughesville, PA. I continued there as a staff therapist on a full license for the next year and a half in addition to a PRN position at Valley View Rehab and Nursing Center in Montoursville, PA. At that point I took the opportunity to become a Clinic Director with Phoenix at the office in Williamsport, PA which I have held since September 2022. During my time here, I have maintained an APTA membership as well as that of the PA state organization – taking opportunities to get involved and being a clinical instructor when able. Soon after beginning my role as director and the sole PT in my office, I began the coursework towards completing the COMT with NAIOMT, which I plan to finish this summer.

Melissa graduated with her DPT from Pacific University in Forest Grove Oregon in 2021. She is currently working for TAI Oak Grove in Milwaukie, OR.

Michele Li, PT, DPT graduated from Tufts University in December 2022 with a Doctor of Physical Therapy degree. She currently works at Marathon Physical Therapy in Newton, MA, where she provides individualized, patient-centered care to a diverse outpatient orthopedic patient population. She holds a Dry Needling Level 1 Certification and a Herman & Wallace Pelvic Floor Level 1 Certification and is committed to continuously expanding her clinical skills. She looks forward to further developing her expertise through advanced training and continuously pursuing teaching opportunities in the future.

Nicholas received his DPT from Boston University and has practicing in outpatient orthopedics for over ten years. During that time, he has aggressively pursued continuing education and completed a certification in dry needling, a board certification as an orthopedic clinical specialist and most recently his COMT through NAIOMT. He is currently employed by Highbar Physical Therapy in Rhode Island.

Alex graduated from Rutgers University with his Doctor of Physical Therapy degree in May 2021. He then completed an orthopedic residency program at Columbia University in 2022. Alex currently works at Columbia University’s Faculty Practice in New York City as a staff physical therapist. He also serves as a lecturer in clinical rehabilitation and regenerative medicine.

Andrea graduated summa cum laude from Husson university in Bangor, Maine in 2006 and earned her OCS in 2015. She became a level 2 Shift Concussion provider shortly after that, enabling her to more effectively treat adolescent and young adult athletes who had suffered concussions. She then became a certified Schroth physical therapist in 2018, which allowed her to treat scoliosis in adolescent athletes. Andrea currently works for PeaceHealth Grabow Physical Therapy and Wellness outpatient clinic in Bellingham, Washington. Her caseload predominately consists of patients with orthopedic-based conditions, as well as some patients with vestibular conditions.

Briana graduated in 2019 from the University of Kentucky DPT program. She currently works in outpatient orthopedics for a hospital system in northern Kentucky. Over the past few years, Briana worked as a travel PT in a variety of settings. She recently completed her CMPT certification through NAIOMT. Briana hopes to become a clinical fellowship instructor with NAIOMT after finishing the Fellowship Program.

David has been practicing medicine in Minnesota for the last 18 years. He received his Doctor of Physical Therapy degree from the University of Minnesota in 2005 and has been working in outpatient orthopedic clinic settings since then. David has taken a wide variety of CE courses to expand his knowledge base and started taking NAIOMT courses in 2017. For the last seven years, David has been working for Orthology in Woodbury, Minnesota with a specific focus in manual therapy treatment methodology. David received his Certified Manual Physical Therapist certification through NAIOMT in 2021 and is passionate about expanding his skill set to help his patients in a very meaningful way. David’s specific clinical interests include performing a wide variety of manual therapy treatments including soft tissue techniques and joint mobilization/manipulation, treating running injuries, expanding his use of neuromuscular re-education techniques, and working extensively on the spine with extremity injuries.

Jake graduated from Des Moines University in 2019 with his DPT. He began working with Therapeutic Associates in Portland in late August of 2019 and started their Orthopedic Residency Program in January 2020. Jake moved to Eugene while still working for Therapeutic Associates at their OMG Southtowne location and completed the residency program in June of 2022. He recently became the practice manager of the Southtowne clinic.

Kamon graduated from Dominican College with his Doctorate of Physical Therapy in 2018. He obtained his OCS in 2022 and is currently working towards completing his COMT pending completion of oral practical. He currently works with Professional Physical Therapy in an outpatient orthopedic setting in Mahwah, NJ. Kamon is currently serving in the United States Army Reserves and has a total of 19 years of service between active and reserve time.

Kayla graduated with her DPT from Lebanon Valley College in 2017 and started her career working for ATI Physical Therapy in Maryland. She spent three years with that company and earned her CMPT through NAIOMT. Kayla was accepted into the Fellowship in 2020. She then accepted a position with Select Physical Therapy where she opened a new clinic in Hanover PA and ran this clinic successfully for a year and a half. Kayla resigned from the fellowship due to having an unsupportive new employer. Kayla was then recruited to open a new clinic for Phoenix Physical Therapy and is working closely with fellowship graduates Alisha Greene and Franco Madaffari. Both of these individuals, along with Brett Windsor, encouraged Kayla to reapply to the Fellowship now that she is in a closer environment to current fellows.

Patrick graduated from Texas Woman’s University at Dallas in May of 2014. Between having Dr. Sharon Wang as his ortho professor at TWU and having Dr. Gary Kearns as a CI on a clinical rotation, Patrick’s foundation for his outpatient experience was heavily rooted in the NAIOMT model. Given this familiarity, Patrick saw pursuing a CMPT as natural step to building his clinical reasoning and developing his manual skills in order to more effectively help his patients. Patrick completed his CMPT in 2022 as part of the accelerated 2021-2022 series with Michael Lucido in Dallas, TX. Patrick is currently the center manager and a full- time clinician for one of the Baylor Scott & White Institute for Rehabilitation outpatient clinics in Richardson, TX.

Shawn Regan graduated with his Doctorate in Physical Therapy from the University of Massachusetts Lowell in 2009. He is a senior physical therapist working at UCHealth in Colorado Springs. He treats patients with orthopedic, concussion, and vestibular concerns. He is a Board Certified Orthopaedic Clinical Specialist and Certified Manual Physical Therapist. He is also certified in Selective Functional Movement Assessment, dry needling, and maintains his credential as a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist. He is looking forward to continued learning as he begins NAIOMT Fellowship program.

Theresa earned her doctorate degree from Methodist University in Fayetteville NC on May 4th, 2019 and has been a practicing physical therapist since then. Currently, she works at Lifeforce PT and Wellness under Dr. Liz Henry. With Liz as her employer and mentor, Theresa was inspired to earn her COMT from NAIOMT. In addition, Theresa is dry needle certified. Recently, Theresa became interested in pelvic health and took a course through Hernan and Wallace in post-partum rehab.

Aaron works as a physical therapist at Baylor Scott and White Institute for Rehabilitation – Lake Forest in McKinney, TX. He graduated from Texas Tech Health Sciences Center with his DPT on 5/11/2019 and has worked with Baylor from 6/3/2019 to present. Aaron completed Gary Kearns’ TPDN course while at TTUHSC. He recently completed his CMPT with NAIOMT through the Baylor accelerated CMPT program in May of 2022. Aaron primarily treats the aging population with the majority of his cases pertaining to the lumbar and cervical spine.

Benjamin graduated from the University of North Dakota in 2011 and has worked for 11 years with RehabAuthority in Boise, Idaho at the Eagle Road location. Benjamin is a clinic owner and clinic director and is part of the mentorship program for PRN with Brett Windsor. Benjamin is certified in dry needling and the Graston Technique. He is also certified in Mechanical Diagnosis and Therapy.

Brendon graduated from PT school in 2020 from Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center. He is certified in TPDN and currently works at Core Physical Therapy in Edmond, Oklahoma. He is licensed to practice in the state of Oklahoma as well as Texas.

Clayton graduated from the University of Colorado in May 2020. Shortly after he graduated, Clayton completed his COMT through IMPACT. Clayton then became certified in dry needling and completed his OCS. He is also certified in Mechanical Diagnosis and Therapy. Clayton currently works in Star, Idaho at RehabAuthority.

Courtney graduated from TTUHSC in May 2019 and has since achieved her CMPT certification after completing NAIOMT’s 500-600 level courses and passing her oral practical examination. Courtney works at Baylor Scott and White Institute for Rehabilitation in McKinney at a multidisciplinary location, largely seeing an orthopedic caseload

David graduated from Texas Woman’s University in May 2019. He is currently employed with Baylor Scott & White Institute for Rehabilitation — working full-time split position between Addison and Plano 15th clinics. David is certified in dry needling via BSWIR. A previous music educator in percussion, David earned his undergraduate degree from the University of North Texas.

Dina graduated from the University of Findlay with her Doctor of Physical Therapy degree in 2016. Dina later earned her CMPT certification from NAIOMT in 2019 and her vestibular and concussion certification in 2021. Dina currently works at PT Solutions/New Heights Physical Therapy in Portland, OR.

Janis attended the University of Nebraska Medical center from 1999 to 2005 and completed both her Masters of Physical Therapy and her Doctor of Physical Therapy in that time. Prior to that she attended the University of British Columbia for her BSC in Occupational Therapy and then 4 years of Kinesiology at the University of Victoria, BC. She has completed her COMT with NAIOMT.

Janis is a faculty member at the University of Washington in Seattle where she teaches spine courses, manipulation and mobilization, as well as exercise intervention. Janis also practices part time in the clinic to maintain her skills and loves treating patients, primarily with an orthopedic focus.

Katie graduated from Regis University with her Doctorate in Physical Therapy in May 2013. She later earned her certification in Vestibular and Concussion Treatment from the American Institute of Balance and also has her certification in dry needling. Katie became a Certified Manual Physical Therapist through NAIOMT in 2021. She is currently working at a fast-paced outpatient orthopedic and sports clinic in Argyle, TX.

Kevin McGehee received his Doctorate of Physical Therapy from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in December of 2019. He currently works for Baylor Scott and White Institute of Rehabilitation at the Irving Kinwest location. In the beginning of 2021, Kevin joined the NAIOMT central US accelerated cohort and has taken all of the courses. He is also TPDN certified through BSW Rehab from Gary Kearns.

Reid graduated in 2018 from Hardin Simmons in Abilene, Texas and has worked as a PT for the past four years. Reid recently completed his CMPT with NAIOMT. Reid is currently employed by Baylor Scott & White and works at the Tom Landry Center in Dallas, TX.

Ryoki graduated from MGH Institute of Health Professions with his DPT in January 2020. He currently works as a physical therapist at Select Physical Therapy in Stillwater, OK. Ryoki also serves as an athletic trainer and physical therapist for USTA Pro Circuit events. Ryoki looks forward to developing his advanced manual therapy skills so that he can help athletescompete at a higher level.

Sara has been a traveling PT for 1 1/2 years. She received her DPT from Des Moines University in 2008, and her BSPT from Northeastern University in 1986. Sara obtained her CMPT through NAIOMT in December 2019. Sara has already applied the techniques she learned in NAIOMT’s 500-600 level courses to her treatment approach. She looks forward to the 1:1 mentoring and mastering more techniques while in the fellowship program.

Stacy is one of the founding members of SetPT; a physical therapy practice focused on treating patients one-on-one for 1-hour sessions. Stacy specializes in orthopedics with a concentration in manual therapy. She is certified by the NSCA (CSCS) and is a Pose Method® Certified Running Technique Specialist. She is level 2 certified through Kinetacore to perform Trigger Point Dry Needling and is a certified Pilates instructor (Polestar Pilates and the Pilates Method Alliance). Stacy serves as the team physical therapist for the Washington Kastles, a pro tennis franchise based in Washington DC participating in the Advanta World Team Tennis league and received the Tennis Performance Trainer (TPT) certification through IPTA. She attended Emory University and received her Doctorate of Physical Therapy in 2004 and in 2007, embarked on a new venture to start SetPT with a focus on Service, Expertise, and Time in the heart of Washington DC. In 2009, Stacy relocated to Atlanta and started SetPT Atlanta, knowing that she wanted to continue to work with patients in a one-on-one model.

Stephanie graduated from Grand Valley State’s Doctor of Physical Therapy Program in July of 2009. Stephanie lives in Grand Haven, MI, and works in the clinic at Ivy Rehab as an educator in the clinical services department. Stephanie looks forward to further developing her ability to treat, teach, and research while in the fellowship program.

Alisha graduated from NYU in 2013 with her DPT and has been practicing in outpatient physical therapy since graduation. While working as an outpatient physical therapist, she has gained experienced in aquatic therapy as well. Alisha has worked in both NY and NJ as a licensed physical therapist and has recently moved to California with her family. Alisha currently works in Glendale at Flex Motion Physical Therapy, a private practice. She lives in Glendale with her husband and two children.

Beth earned her Doctorate in Physical Therapy in May 2015 from Bellarmine University in Louisville, Kentucky. Since graduation, she has continued to advance her orthopedic skills through multiple continuing education opportunities. She became M1 Graston trained, utilizing specialized instruments to promote tissue healing for a variety of soft tissue conditions. She then completed a rigorous manual therapy training program attaining her CMPT through IMPACT to refine her hands-on mobilization/manipulation skills and critical thinking to better treat complex musculoskeletal injuries. She expanded her expertise to include pelvic health focusing on both male and female pelvic floor dysfunction, with an emphasis on pre & postnatal care, urinary incontinence, prolapse, chronic pelvic pain, dyspareunia, and constipation. She is currently working her way through Myopain Seminars to achieve her dry needling certification and has completed the DN1 & DN2 courses with the intent to complete DN3 Spring 2022. Beth currently works with Impact Physical Therapy, splitting her time between the Lakeview and South Loop locations.

Kristin Miller, a Board-Certified Clinical Specialist in Orthopedic Physical Therapy, graduated in December 2017 from Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions. Currently working for Kitsap Physical Therapy and Sports Clinics in Port Orchard, Washington, she is a Credentialed Clinical Instructor and Certified in Applied Functional Science.

Lauren-Elizabeth graduated from Texas Woman’s University in Dallas with her doctorate in physical therapy in May 2017. Following graduation, she began the NAIOMT CMPT certification program and completed it in September 2020. In addition to completing her CMPT, Lauren-Elizabeth has also completed a comprehensive rehabilitation based pilates certification with Polestar Pilates. She has been employed by Baylor Scott and White Institute for Rehabilitation for the past 3.5 years and currently works at the Dallas-Preston Hollow location. Lauren-Elizabeth treats a variety of orthopedic conditions, with a high caseload of spine patients.

My name is Collin Reid, and I am a physical therapist in Boise, Idaho. I earned by DPT from the University of Montana in May of 2016, and began working for Therapeutic Associates Incorporated shortly thereafter. Through my job, I have met several NAIOMT Fellows that mentored me, giving me interest in orthopedic manual therapy. I have since completed levels I-II of NAIOMT, completed an orthopedic residency, earned my CMPT, CSCS, become certified in dry needling, and obtained my OCS. All these lead me to the next step in my professional career, which will hopefully be the completion of a fellowship program.

Corey graduated from Quinnipiac University with his Doctorate in Physical Therapy in January 2014. He is an Advanced Clinician Physical Therapist and has been working at Mount Sinai Hospital for the past 10 years with experience rotating throughout the rehabilitation department in acute care, acute inpatient rehabilitation, and outpatient rehabilitation.

He is a permanent staff member in the hospital-based outpatient clinic treating a variety of patients with orthopedic and neurological injuries. He is a Certified Brain Injury Specialist since September 2017, completed his CMPT through NAIOMT in December 2018, and is a Board-Certified Orthopaedic Clinical Specialist since July 2020. He has a special interest in treating patients with concussion, complex orthopedic injuries, and improving the mentorship of students and co-workers to assist with their professional development.

He enjoys collaborating with patients on a program that allows them to get back to the activities that they enjoy in their daily lives. Corey considers himself a lifelong learner and is pursuing his Fellowship in OMPT to improve his clinical reasoning and treatment skills to maximize the outcomes for his patients.