AOPT SIG 2022 Election - Meet the Candidates

Steven Allison, PT, DPT, CME
Candidate Profile: Dr. Allison has served as the Vice President/Education Chair for the OHSIG since 2020. He is in private practice and he currently serves as CEO of Functional Capacity Experts, LLC located in Bossier City, Louisiana. He has been licensed to practice physical therapy by the Louisiana Physical Therapy Board since 1993. He has focused his practice on providing a variety of occupational health services over the last 22 years. He is one of a few physical therapists in the U.S. recognized as a certified medical examiner for the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration to perform DOT physical examinations. He served as the lead author of the 2018 Current Concepts in Functional Capacity Evaluation document for the OHSIG. He has been accepted as an expert witness in the areas of functional capacity testing and orthopaedic physical therapy by the Louisiana Office of Workers’ Compensation Court, Louisiana District Court, and Federal District Court. He has also served as a job analyst expert for the EEOC.

Tyrees Marcy, PT, DPT, OCS, CSCS, COMT, FAAOMPT, LJLCP
Candidate Profile: Tyrees Marcy, PT, DPT, OCS, CSCS, COMT, FAAOMPT, LJLCP graduated from California State University Sacramento in 1998 with a BSPT, from Curtin University in Perth Australia in 2004 with a postgraduate degree in manual therapy, from A.T. Still University in Mesa, AZ in 2013 with a transitional doctorate, and is currently a PhD student at the University Concordia Chicago in Health and Human Performance. Her certifications include WorkWell and WebFCE Provider, Orthopedic Certified Specialist, Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist, Certified Orthopaedic Manual Therapist, and Certified Practitioner of the Connect Therapy Thoracic Ring Approach. She is a graduate of NAIOMT’s Fellowship Program and serves as a Clinical Fellowship Instructor. She is also a Fellow of the American Academy of the Orthopaedic Manual Physical Therapists. Tyrees is faculty in the OSS Therapy Orthopaedic and Sports Residency programs as well as the Orthopaedic Fellowship program and teaches annually in the Mentoring Program for OSS Therapy. She has served as a board member for Washington State Healthy Worker 2020 Physical Medicine Best Practice Stakeholder Group since 2017 developing policies and procedures for the injured worker to better improve access to resources for the Attending Physician, Claims Manager, Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor, Occupational and Physical Therapy Rehabilitation team, as well as the injured worker themselves.

Stephanie Albin, DPT, OCS, FAAOMPT, PhD
Candidate Profile: I am currently an associate professor at Regis University. In 2003, I completed my DPT from the University of Utah. In 2009, I completed a fellowship in orthopaedic manual therapy at Regis University along with becoming board certified as an Orthopaedic Specialist. In 2018, I completed my PhD in Rehabilitative Science from the University of Utah. I have been a member of APTA and AOPT for the past 22 years. I have clinical practice, research and teaching experience in the management of individuals with foot and ankle conditions. Previously, I have served as a member and Chair of the FASIG nominating committee. I have participated in creating and supporting the FASIG’s strategic plan. My scholarly activities focus on the management of individuals with foot and ankle conditions. I have published and disseminated research at the American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) and at CSM and have written multiple monographs for the APTA. In the area of teaching, I have mentored residents and entry level students in the development and distribution of practitioner and patient-centered resources. Promoting DPT student engagement in the FASIG has led to multiple student publications in the FASIG newsletters. Through a leadership role as the Vice President/Education Chair of FASIG, I would use my past experience to enable others to contribute to a common interest in foot and ankle management to enhance education, clinical practice and research.

Jaime Caillet, PT, DPT, OCS
Candidate Profile: My name is Jaime Caillet and I have been a Physical Therapist for 21 years and an APTA member for 23 years. I have been both an Orthopedic and Sports section member and I am currently an Orthopedic and Education section member. The majority of my career has been in clinical practice (18 years) in the Outpatient Orthopedic setting. I became an Orthopedic Clinical Specialist in 2012 as well as obtained my transitional DPT in 2010 from Regis University. Due to lack of quality foot and ankle continuing education in my area, I became involved with continuing education for practicing physical therapist and developed a course for the foot and ankle related to evidence informed clinical practice. I presented this course regionally and this confirmed my desire to teach. While I remain active in practice about 4 years ago, I had the opportunity to move into the academic arena at a newly established DPT program in Louisiana. I am currently an Assistant Professor at Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady University and coordinate coursework in Orthopedics, Physical Therapy Interventions, Advanced Interventions and Wellness. My research interests include technology in education including the integration of musculoskeletal ultrasound into DPT education and practice and also behaviors of doctoral physical therapy students including empathy and how this relates to burnout. I have significant experience in both treating and educating physical therapists in foot and ankle rehabilitation and feel strongly about evidence informed practice and knowledge translation as it relates to the foot and ankle.

Nancy R. Durban, PT, DPT, MS
Candidate Profile: I am an incumbent candidate running for President of the Pain Special Interest Group of the Academy of Orthopaedic Physical Therapy. I have had the honor of serving the Pain SIG for the past three years as president and as the Vice President of Education from 2015-2017. I am passionate about the growth and advancement of our SIG. Therefore, I am running for a second term because I feel there is more work to be done. Professionally, I work at Cincinnati Children's Hospital as a member of the ortho/sports medicine team treating adolescents with orthopedic, musculoskeletal, and chronic pain conditions. I am the clinical coordinator and primary physical therapist responsible for PT care and care coordination locally/nationally in the Interdisciplinary Pediatric Chronic Pain Program. I am an adjunct professor at the University of Cincinnati teaching pain science and treatment. I have served as an Ohio Delegate to the House of Delegates and as a member of the APTA Media Corps. I am a member of the AOPT work group establishing a clinical specialization and residency/fellowship track in pain. I actively participate at the Ohio Physical Therapy Association state conferences annually and support state and federal advocacy issues.

Rebecca Greenwood, PT, DPT, PhD, OCS, ATC, TPS
Candidate Profile: After graduating from San Diego State University as an Athletic Trainer, Dr. Greenwood attended the Army-Baylor DPT program graduating in 2010. She went on to practice as an active duty PT in the US Army for 4 years. She began her PhD at Texas Woman’s University in 2016 and graduated in 2020 after completing her dissertation titled “Lower Body Positive Pressure Treadmill for Individuals with Knee OA: Reliability, Pain Responses, and Comparison of Reweighting Protocols”. Although she always had an interest in pain related topics, it was throughout my PhD literature review that really dove into the literature and found a deep passion for pain science. In 2022, I completed the Therapeutic Pain Specialist Certification through Evidence in Motion. She is currently an Assistant Clinical Professor at Bowling Green State University where she teaches the pain science and mindful patient management content to DPT students. Her ongoing research agenda includes central sensitization in individuals with knee OA as well as knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs of faculty and clinical instructors related to pain science. She recently developed a continuing education course that was approved by the Ohio Physical Therapy Association about teaching Clinical Reasoning in Pain Science to DPT students. She is a Certified Health Coach and approaches patient care from a holistic perspective in a small private practice. She has taught community mindful classes and is interested in using mindfulness-based stress reduction for individual with chronic pain.

Laurel Daniels Abbruzzese, PT, EdD, FNAP
Candidate Profile: Dr. Laurel Daniels Abbruzzese (she/her) currently serves as the Director of the Performing Arts Fellowship Program and is an Associate Professor of Rehabilitation and Regenerative Medicine in the Programs in Physical Therapy at the Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons (VP&S), Columbia University Irving Medical Center. Dr. Abbruzzese has over twenty-five years of clinical experience in physical therapy and over 15 years as an educator. She is a current fellow in the APTA Fellowship in Higher Education Leadership and recently joined the Board of the Physical Therapy Learning Institute (PTLI). Dr. Abbruzzese is a fierce advocate for social justice and interprofessional education and collaborative practice. She is recognized nationally as a Distinguished Scholar and Fellow in the National Academies of Practice, which advocates for Interprofessional Education and Collaborative Practice, and chairs the Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Taskforce. She is a member of the Performing Arts Medical Association and International Association of Dance Medicine and Science. Dr. Abbruzzese serves as the President of the Performing Arts Special Interest Group (PASIG) of the American Physical Therapy Association Academy of Orthopedics and is conducting research on adolescent dancer screens and the reliability of various functional performance screening methods. She previously served as Fellowship Taskforce Chair of the PASIG and co-authored the Performing Arts Description of Fellowship Practice published by the American Board of Physical Therapy Residency and Fellowship Education (ABPTRFE) in 2016.

Samantha Harmon, PT, DPT, OCS
Candidate Profile: I have been a physical therapist for four and a half years, working with a variety of patient conditions and populations, including professional and pre-professional dancers and musicians. I was a therapist for Colorado Ballet from 2018-2020, treating the professional company in both their rehearsal studios and performance venues. In 2020, I started my own cash-pay mobile practice, The Dancing Doctor, LLC, to serve dancers within their homes. In May of this year, I became the physical therapist for the North American Tour of Disney Frozen The Musical, responsible for the care of the cast, crew, and orchestra musicians. Additionally, I worked and volunteered in the Dance for Health arena as a dancer, choreographer and rehearsal director for Spoke N Motion Dance, an integrated dance company in Denver, Colorado for people with and without disabilities, and as an instructor for Dance for PD. I have been an active member of the APTA and the PASIG since 2015 when I was a student physical therapist, and a member of The International Association of Dance Medicine and Science (IADMS) since 2017. In 2019, I co-presented a poster at the IADMS annual conference entitled, “Why Do We Dance? Stories of Dance and Healing.” I received my OCS designation in June 2022. My experience as a dance student and professional is what led me to my physical therapy career and I am humbled to already have been able to work with such a variety of high-caliber artists.

Sonia Lucas, PT, DPT, CCRT, C-PS
Candidate Profile: My name is Sonia Lucas, PT, DPT. I have been a member of the APTA and my state physical therapy association since I was a first year SPT in 2017. I joined the APTSIG a couple of years later. I graduated from Langston University with my Doctor of Physical Therapy degree in May 2020 and opened my own mobile cash pay practice in Aug 2020 treating hikers and outdoor enthusiasts. In 2021, I became a certified Canine Rehabilitation Therapist (CCRT) through the Canine Rehabilitation Institute and opened my own mobile canine rehab practice in Dec 2021. I am the Texas state liaison co-chair and enjoy educating other practitioners and those interested in the legislation surrounding canine rehab in Texas. 

Mary Beth Nunes, PT, CCRP, CERP
Candidate Profile: Mary Beth Nunes is a physical therapist and animal rehabilitation practitioner currently practicing in North Carolina. She has recently completed her post-professional doctorate degree and will officially be a DPT in November 2022. She is also a certified canine and equine rehabilitation practitioner and has studied various modalities focused on animal wellness. After several years working with humans, she is looking forward to focusing on her passion and helping both large and small animals. Her passion began in childhood with a love for both horses and dogs and currently, she shares her time with her rescue dogs, four horses, a bearded dragon, and parakeets.

Abbis Jaffri PT, MS, PhD
Candidate Profile: Dr. Jaffri completed his physical therapy degree from King Edward Medical University, Pakistan. He practiced for two years as a full-time physical therapist. He was then selected as a Fulbright Scholar and went on to get his MS in Kinesiology from the Pennsylvania State University and subsequently his PhD in Kinesiology/Sports Medicine from the University of Virginia. Dr. Jaffri has published several manuscripts in peer-reviewed high impact journals. He also has given presentations in national and international conferences related to research using imaging modalities especially ultrasound imaging. His focus is on understanding the changes in muscles using imaging especially ultrasound imaging. In addition, Dr. Jaffri also teaches Imaging courses in the Department of Physical Therapy at Creighton University.

Toran D. MacLeod, PT, MPT, PhD
Candidate Profile: Dr. Toran MacLeod, PT, MPT, PhD is an Associate Professor at California State University, Sacramento within the Department of Physical Therapy. Dr. MacLeod earned a PhD from University of Delaware in Applied Anatomy and Biomechanics, within the Biomechanics of Movements Science Department, under the mentorship of Drs. Lynn Snyder-Mackler and Thomas S. Buchanan. His doctoral work included quantitative imaging work of the muscles pre- and post-operation in a population of ACL injured and reconstructed athletes. Dr. MacLeod then went on to a Fellowship at University of California, San Francisco in quantitative MRI with Dr. Rich Souza and an NIH F32 grant on meniscus kinematics in individuals with osteoarthritis. Dr. MacLeod now teaches diagnostic imaging at Sac State, and continues to publish and review national grant submissions in the area of imaging. He has recently completed the APTA Fellowship in Higher Education Leadership, and looks forward to supporting the Imaging SIG as best he is able.

Adam Walsh PT, DPT, OCS, SCS, FAAOMPT
Candidate Profile: My name is Adam Walsh and I am an Assistant Professor in the DPT Program at the University of New Mexico and Program Director of both the UNM Orthopaedic Physical Therapy Residency Program and Women’s Health Physical Therapy Residency Program. I graduated from Saint Louis University in 2012 with my DPT and have been involved with residency and fellowship since, first as a resident, then fellow-in-training, residency mentor, fellowship mentor, and now as a residency program director. I am a board-certified specialist in both orthopaedic and sports physical therapy, as well as a Fellow of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Manual Physical Therapists. I currently serve on the Nominating Committee for the APTA New Mexico and on the Education Committee for the AASPT Concussion SIG.