Dr. Darryn Atkinson is a physical therapist, researcher and educator focused on improving the lives of individuals with neurological injuries and their families. He began his career in 2005 as a physical therapist specializing in spinal cord injury rehabilitation at TIRR/Memorial Hermann in Houston, TX. In 2010, Dr. Atkinson joined the Kentucky Spinal Cord Injury
Dr. Edla da Silva is a results-oriented and multi-faceted program coordinator in the higher education and physical therapy industries. As a past coordinator of the Physiotherapy department at the University of Caxias do Sul, Brazil, she has created undergraduate and graduate physical therapy programs that have been approved by the Ministry of Education and Health
Dr. Christienne Parten has been a clinical instructor in the Occupational Therapy programs at the University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences on the Austin, TX campus since August 2018. Prior to joining the University, she worked as an occupational therapist in a variety of adult settings including inpatient rehabilitation and long-term acute care. She
Dr. Fernandez has 35 years of clinical and leadership experience in providing and promoting rehabilitation services throughout the population’s lifespan. Her clinical experience and specialization include and are not limited to traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury, cerebral vascular accident, neuro-rehabilitation, adult and pediatric orthopedics, adult and pediatric burns, adult and pediatric movement disorders, dementia,
Kristian Llaca has been a practicing occupational therapist for five years working in different healthcare settings ranging from acute care, home health, inpatient rehab and private practice. He graduated from Florida International University with a master’s degree in occupational therapy. Since then, Llaca has specialized in the adult neurological population while working at West Gables
Dr. Neeraj Kumar is an Associate Professor in the College of Rehabilitative Sciences on the Dallas, TX campus. He has a bachelor’s degree in physiotherapy (1996) from Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, India; a master’s degree in sports physiotherapy (1998) from Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar, India; a PhD in rehabilitation science (2009) from
Dr. Jasper graduated from Universidad de Sta. Isabel, Philippines with a Bachelor of Science in Physical Therapy and obtained her Doctor of Physical Therapy from AT Still University (ATSU). She received her Doctor of Philosophy in Physical Therapy from Nova Southeastern University. Her doctoral work was focused on the impact of prescribed walking in older
Dr. Summer San Lucas received her Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology degree from Westmont College in 2001. She graduated from Loma Linda University with her Doctor of Physical Therapy in 2005 and Doctor of Science in Physical Therapy in 2012. She is an American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) board-certified clinical specialist in neurologic and pediatric
Dr. Ana Rivera is an Assistant Professor at the University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences Dallas, TX campus. She earned a Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts in Communication Sciences and Disorders from the University of Central Florida. In 2017, she obtained her Doctor of Philosophy in Speech Language and Hearing Sciences from
Dr. Zeida Gutierrez is an educator, a clinician, a lifelong student and interested in technology. After graduating with her Bachelor of Science in Recreational Therapy, she realized she wanted to continue her education and transition into occupational therapy. After receiving her Master of Health Science in Occupational Therapy, she worked in a variety of clinical
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,
Dr. Christine E. Fiestas is a core faculty member in the Master of Science Speech-Language Pathology program at the University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences Austin, TX campus. She joined the program in the spring of 2020 as an Associate Professor and was promoted to her current position in December 2023. She received both