Dr. Gabriela Perez entered the role of teaching as a lab assistant in 2018 and came onboard at the University as full-time faculty in March 2020. She started her career as a physical therapist assistant in 2009 and remains practicing. Dr. Perez earned her bachelor’s degree in education with a focus on health and fitness,
Lacey Sims earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of Texas at Austin and a Master of Occupational Therapy from Texas Woman’s University. Sims began her career in acute care at a level one trauma center and later transitioned to outpatient working with both neuro and orthopedic patients. In 2015, she earned her
Dr. Sean Brim is an experienced practitioner in early intervention, pediatrics, acute care, home health and orthopedics. He joined the University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences as a full-time faculty member for the Occupational Therapy programs at the Miami, FL campus in 2020. Dr. Brim holds a Bachelor of Science in Applied Physiology and
Dr. Vanessa Grijalba has worked with clients across various settings from acute care to home health. Most of her experience has been with the adult population in inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation settings. She found her passion in orthopedic rehabilitation, most recently as a private outpatient clinic as the lead hand therapist. Dr. Grijalba joined the
Dr. Gabriel Somarriba joined the faculty in 2009 as a contributing faculty member on the St. Augustine, FL campus and moved to core faculty in 2015. His area of clinical specialization is pediatrics, with a focus on cerebral palsy. Dr. Somarriba has more than 10 years of clinical experience. As an assistant professor of clinical
Loren Szmiga, PT, DPT received her Bachelor of Science in Exercise Science from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette and earned her doctorate in Physical Therapy and Manual Therapy Certification from the University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences (USAHS). She worked in outpatient orthopedic clinics and then began to specialize in the upper extremity.
Raquel Guarino is an occupational therapist, certified hand therapist and educator. She graduated with her undergraduate degree in Health Sciences in 2008 and master’s degree in occupational therapy from Quinnipiac University in Connecticut in 2010. Her capstone focus was on complementary medicine and occupational therapy to address patient pain. Guarino spent several years practicing in
Dr. Timothy Holley is an occupational therapist (OT), health scientist and educator who is dedicated to helping individuals reach their optimal functioning level in society. Dr. Holley began his career in rehabilitation in undergraduate school as a research assistant on the Motor After Stroke Project at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. He later received
Dr. Fernando Castillo earned his Doctor of Physical Therapy and Doctor of Philosophy in Physical Therapy with an emphasis on neurological rehabilitation from the University of Central Arkansas. As a licensed practitioner, Dr. Castillo has fulfilled roles in varied settings including outpatient orthopedic, acute care and inpatient rehabilitation environments. Most recently, Dr. Castillo functioned as
Dr. Khalil Mrabe is an instructor at the University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences on the Miami, FL campus. As a professional within the therapy industry, Dr. Mrabe possesses knowledge regarding the delivery of well-rounded, client-centered services to individuals, communities and populations. He has an academic and professional background in education, kinesiology and is