PhD Faculty & Research

Our diverse cadre of faculty spans a wide range of scientific disciplines, from anatomy and neurological surgery, to pediatrics, epidemiology & biostatistics, radiology & biomedical imaging, chronic pain, and more.

Executive Committee & Bylaws

The program's Executive Committee includes the following faculty and current student members. If you'd like to know more about how the program is governed, you can read the PhD in Rehabilitation Science bylaws by clicking here.

  • Dr. Chaumeil conducting research in her labPhD Program Director & Musculoskeletal Biomechanics Lead: Richard Souza, PT, PhD, Professor 
    Learn more about the Souza Lab
  • Neuroscience Lead: Myriam Chaumeil, PhD, Associate Professor Learn more about the Chaumeil Lab
  • UCSF Department Chair: Amber Fitzsimmons, PT, MS, DPTSc, Associate Professor
  • Internal UCSF/SFSU Faculty Member: Jeannette Lee, PT, PhD, Associate Professor
  • Internal UCSF/SFSU Faculty Member: Victor Cheuy, PhD, Assistant Professor
  • Internal UCSF/SFSU Faculty Member: Matthew Miller, PT, PhD, Assistant Professor
  • External Faculty Member: Karunesh Ganguly, MD, PhD, Associate Professor
  • Student Representative: Jessica Bath, DPT, PhD Candidate

Program Faculty

Musculoskeletal Faculty

C

Victor Cheuy, PhD, Assistant Professor, Physical Therapy & Rehab Science, lower extremity musculoskeletal, complications in diabetes

Kelsey Collins, PhD, Assistant Professor, Orthopaedic Surgery; bioengineering, endocrinology, physiology

D

Sibel Demir-Deviren, MD, Professor, Orthopaedic Surgery; chronic low back pain, degenerative disc disease

F

Brian Feeley, MD, Associate Professor, Orthopaedic Surgery; knee and shoulder orthopedic injuries and surgical procedures

H

Kate Hamel, PhD, Assistant Professor, Kinesiology, SFSU; biomechanics and falls in the elderly

K

Galateia Kazakia, PhD, Associate Professor, Radiology & Biomedical Imaging; biomechanics of bone failure to load

L

Thomas Link, MD, PhD, Professor, Radiology & Biomedical Imaging; imaging of osteoporosis and osteoarthritis

Anthony Luke, MD, MPH, Professor, Orthopaedic Surgery; running overuse injuries and osteoarthritis

M

Benjamin Ma, MD, Professor, Orthopaedic Surgery; orthopedic post-surgical biomechanics

Sharmila Majumdar, PhD, Professor, Radiology & Biomedical Imaging; osteoporosis, osteoarthritis

Robert Matthew, PhD, Assistant Professor, Physical Therapy & Rehab Science; biomechanics; human movement

Matthew Miller, PT, PhD, Assistant Professor, Physical Therapy & Rehab Science; geriatrics, physical activity, health services research

S

Richard Souza, PT, PhD, Professor, Physical Therapy & Rehab Science & Radiology & Biomedical Imaging; biomechanics; osteoarthritis

Neuroscience Faculty

A

Gary Abrams, MD, Professor, Neurology; neurorehabilitation, stroke

B

Allan Basbaum, PhD, Professor & Chair, Anatomy; neurological basis of pain & its control

Michael Beattie, PhD, Professor, Neurological Surgery; spinal cord injury

Valerie Block, PT, DPTSc, Assistant Professor, Physical Therapy & Rehab Science & Neurology; digital tools to monitor and treat neurological disorders (multiple sclerosis related symptoms); digital technology

Riley Bove, MD, Assistant Professor, Neurology; multiple sclerosis

Jacqueline Bresnahan, PhD, Professor, Neurological Surgery; spinal cord injury

C

Myriam Chaumeil, PhD, Associate Professor, Physical Therapy & Rehab Science; MR metabolic imaging of neurological disorders

D

Dena Dubal, MD, PhD, Associate Professor, Neurology; mechanisms of resilience in aging

F

Adam Ferguson, MS, PhD, Assistant Professor, Neurological Surgery; informatics, spinal cord injury

Donna Ferriero, MD, Professor, Pediatrics; neonatal hypoxia, ischemia

G

Karunesh Ganguly, MD, PhD, Associate Professor, Neurology; neurorehabilitation, machine-brain interface

Jeffrey Gelfand, MD, Associate Professor, Neurology; neuroinflammatory disorders, neuroimmunological disease

H

Cathra Halabi, MD, Assistant Professor, Neurology; vascular neurology, neurorecovery, neuromodulation

K

Nikos Kyritsis, PhD, Assistant Professor, Neurological Surgery; traumatic spinal cord & brain injuries

L

Jon Levine, MD, PhD, Professor, Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery; signaling in pain sensory neurons, neural-endocrine control of inflammation

Jialing Liu, PhD, Professor, Neurological Surgery; stroke

M

Mervyn Maze, MB ChB, Professor & Chair, Anesthesia & Perioperative Care; anesthesia, brain function

Patrick McQuillen, MD, Associate Professor, Pediatrics/Critical Care; disorders of brain development

Christine Miaskowski, RN, PhD, Professor, Physiological Nursing; pain, symptomatology in oncology

N

Srikantan Nagarajan, PhD, Associate Professor, Radiology & Biomedical Imaging; functional brain imaging, brain plasticity, learning, sensorimotor control

S

Mark Schumacher, MD, PhD, Professor, Anesthesia & Perioperative Care; treatment of chronic pain

Raymond Swanson, MD, Professor, Neurology; neuronal death pathways in Parkinson's disease

T

Abel Torres-Espin, PhD, Assistant Professor, Neurological Surgery; biostatistics

V

Zena Vexler, PhD, Professor, Neurology; neonatal stroke

W

Doris Wang, MD, PhD, Assistant Professor, Neurosurgery; human neurophysiology, movement disorders, Parkinson's Disease, gait control, motor learning

Y

Midori Yenari, MD, Professor, Neurology; stroke

Additional Contributing Faculty

A

Diane Allen, PT, PhD, Professor (Emeritus), Physical Therapy, SFSU; multiple sclerosis

B

Nancy Byl, PT, MPH, PhD, Professor & Chair (Emeritus), Physical Therapy & Rehab Science; focal dystonia; Parkinson's Disease, stroke

F

Amber Fitzsimmons, PT, MS, DPTSc, Associate Professor & Chair, Physical Therapy & Rehab Science/Anatomy; interprofessional education

L

Jeannette Lee, PT, PhD, Associate Professor & Chair, Physical Therapy, SFSU; rehabilitation in oncology

S

Betty Smoot, PT, DPTSc, MAS, Associate Professor (Emeritus), Physical Therapy & Rehab Science/Anatomy; breast cancer-related lymphedema

T

Kimberly Topp, PT, PhD, Professor & Chair (Emeritus), Physical Therapy & Rehab Science/Anatomy; chemotherapy, induced neuropathy

W

Linda Wanek, PT, PhD, Professor & Chair (Emeritus), Physical Therapy, SFSU; motion analysis, chronic low back pain, early biomechanics education