Our Residents

Ovuokerie Addoh, MD, PhD
Medical Resident
Hometown: Delta State, Nigeria
Undergrad/Medical School: Oba Okunade Sijuade College of Health Sciences, Igbinedion University Okada, Nigeria
Graduate: PhD Health & Kinesiology: University of Mississippi
Professional Interests: General rehabilitation with an emphasis in cardiopulmonary & stroke rehab, EMG, and adaptive sports/Invictus games©; translational physical activity behavior research; health equity; academic PM&R
Why you chose Minnesota: I had a great experience interviewing with the PMR program at UM and felt like I connected well with the program’s structure, faculty, staff, and residents. It was the best fit for me and my wife!
What you love most about Minnesota: “Winter Is Coming.”

John Casnovsky, DO
Chief Resident
Hometown: Sussex, WI
Undergrad: University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
Medical School: Kansas City University
Professional Interests: General Rehab, Spinal Cord Injury, Pain Medicine
Why you chose Minnesota: I chose Minnesota because of the diverse patient population, supportive faculty, and the family atmosphere of the program.
What you love most about Minnesota: Being close to family, weekends on a patio, and attending MN sporting events.

Sarah Mahasin, MD
Chief Resident
Hometown: Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Medical School: King Saud University - Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Preliminary Year: Case Western Reserve University, Internal Medicine Residency Program - Cleveland, Ohio
Professional Interests: Neurorehabilitation, amputee, musculoskeletal rehabilitation, academic medicine, medical education
Why you chose Minnesota: I felt welcomed during my interview and the program is a great fit for me. There are several rotations in different subspecialties to be a well-rounded physiatrist. The program has a strong emphasis on education and research with a lot of opportunities to participate. The residency culture is positive and supportive. Also, program leadership is very involved and always accessible.
What you love most about Minnesota: Minneapolis is a diverse and vibrant city with a lot of things to do especially the great outdoors and it’s beautiful during the summer. Although the Mall of America is my favorite place.

Nicholas Peterson, MD
Medical Resident
Hometown: Hastings, MN
Undergrad: University of Wisconsin - Madison
Medical School: University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
Professional Interests: Spinal cord injury and interventional spine
Why you chose Minnesota: Professional connections and the personality of the program.
What you love most about Minnesota: The boundary waters, the people and the breweries.

Akhil Shori, MD
Medical Resident
Hometown: Chandigarh, India
Undergrad: Army School Western Command, India
Medical School: College of Medical Sciences, Bharatpur, Nepal
Professional Interests: Interventional pain, sports medicine, research in exoskeletons, wearable orthosis and assistive devices in Spinal cord injury patients
Why you chose Minnesota: The PM&R program at the University of Minnesota provides well-rounded training at multiple sites with different patient populations. Being at Minnesota felt like being at home.
What you love most about Minnesota: It is an amazing city with warm people, diversity, trails, lakes, and breweries.

Jessica Casey, MD
Medical Resident
Hometown: Los Angeles, CA
Undergrad: Boston University
Medical School: University of Minnesota, Twin Cities
Professional Interests: Sports medicine
What attracted you to the U of M: The U’s PM&R program is robust and will train me to be an exceptional physiatrist. There are also phenomenal opportunities for community involvement, research, and ultrasound training.
What you love most about Minnesota: The people, hands down. I also really love the summers and all the activities available outside.

Kathy Guo, MD
Medical Resident
Hometown: Cleveland, OH
Undergrad: Bates College
Medical School: St. George’s University
Professional Interests: Pediatric rehabilitation, brain injury rehabilitation, and public health
What attracted you to the U of M: I had a chance to rotate here in medical school, and I loved how close-knit and friendly the residents all were. The program and its faculty are very supportive of residents pursuing a wide range of interests, and clearly care about the success of residents.
What you love most about Minnesota: I enjoy everything from exploring the many lakes of Minnesota to the restaurants and breweries. I love how diverse Minneapolis is!

Grant Gustafson, DO
Medical Resident
Hometown: Pella, IA
Undergrad: Central College
Medical School: Kansas City University
Professional Interests: Spinal Cord Injury, Pain Management, Sports Medicine
What attracted you to the U of M: During my interview, the University of Minnesota just felt like home. It was clear from the beginning this was a family-oriented program, top to bottom. I also felt confident would be supported in pursuing both my personal and professional goals during my time here.
What you love most about Minnesota: The city has so much to offer with restaurants and breweries but I am most excited about fully experiencing the four seasons with outdoor activities such as camping, hiking and biking.

Kersten Schwanz, MD
Medical Resident
Hometown: Inver Grove Heights, MN
Undergrad: University of Minnesota Twin Cities
Medical School: University of Minnesota Twin Cities
Professional Interests: Musculoskeletal/
What attracted you to the U of M: At its core, Minnesota offers me endless opportunities for professional and personal growth that I could never replicate at any other program. Here, I am surrounded by individuals from multiple disciplines who challenge me to be my best within a light-hearted environment where I know I thrive. Most importantly, as a die-hard Gopher, I bleed maroon and gold.
What you love most about Minnesota: I grew up here and honestly love the balance of environment and all the fun places around the state. I am an outdoorsy person, so I love all of the adventures that are around the Cities and up north. The Mississippi River is an absolute favorite, especially in the fall when the leaves are changing. Plus, it's a great place for me as a foodie because of all the great restaurants.

Mark Volker, MD
Medical Resident
Hometown: Cambridge, MN
Undergrad: Hamline University
Medical School: University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
Professional Interests: Sports, MSK ultrasound, Interventional spine
What attracted you to the U of M: Minnesota is home. Having spent my whole life here, coupled with an impressive family-friendly PM&R program, the choice was an easy one.
What you love most about Minnesota: Experiencing the beauty of all 4 seasons and the wide variety of activities that go along with them.

André Asperti, MD
Medical Resident
Hometown: São Paulo, Brazil
Medical School: University of São Paulo, Brazil
Professional Interests: Spinal cord injury, sports medicine, and interventional pain
Why the U of M: The wide variety of clinical settings in the University of Minnesota´s six rotation sites is fantastic and completely aligned with my wish to be a well-rounded physiatrist. Also, during the interview, the enthusiasm of the house staff impressed me, mainly because it communicated a genuine satisfaction in working at the University of Minnesota.
What you love most about Minnesota: The outdoor lifestyle!

Tonera Chiume, MD
Medical Resident
Hometown: Lilongwe, Malawi.
Medical School: Saint Petersburg State Pediatric Medical University, Saint Petersburg, Russia
Professional Interests: Traumatic brain injury, cancer rehabilitation, ultrasound, PM&R education and research, global health
Why the U of M: While conducting research on where I would like to do my residency, I found that I would fit best at U of M as the structure of the program is great, the team leading the training is top notch, and to top it off, the residents ahead of me gave me a sense of great camaraderie.
What you love best about Minnesota: I love the warmth of the people and their welcoming spirit. There are many wonderful parks and lakes around me, which I enjoy.

Andrew Dang, DO
Medical Resident
Hometown: Prior Lake, MN
Undergrad: University of Minnesota, College of Biological Sciences
Medical School: Kansas City University, MO
Professional Interests: Pediatric rehabilitation (kids are adorable!), inpatient neurorehabilitation, medical education.
Why the U of M: Everything great about this program comes down to the amazing family its residents, attendings and staff all help create. My medical school rotation here was virtual due to the pandemic, but I could still feel the energy and positivity every single day from every person I interacted with. The people at this program genuinely care about you and truly make you want to pay it forward every day when you are around people like this.
What you love most about Minnesota: Definitely apple picking season and bonfires!

Caroline Gormley, DO
Medical Resident
Hometown: Minneapolis, MN
Undergrad: The College of Wooster, OH
Medical School: West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine, Lewisburg
Professional Interests: Pediatrics rehabilitation, medical ethics, and international medicine
Why the U of M: I am so thrilled to have matched at the U of M. I am excited to come back home and to treat the patient populations I love in my home state!
What you love most about Minnesota: I love the people and the beautiful lakes!

Haley Hicks, DO
Medical Resident
Hometown: Rockford, IL
Undergrad: Drake University
Medical School: Des Moines University
Professional Interests: Sports medicine, MSK, complex medical rehab
What you love most about Minnesota: I really enjoy all of the outdoor spaces as well as the new neighborhoods and restaurants to explore!

Paola Toussaint Gonzalez, MD
Medical Resident
Hometown: Mexico City, Mexico
Undergraduate: Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico
Medical School: Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico
Professional Interests: Brain injury rehabilitation, research in neuroscience, biomechanics, ultrasound, treatment of spasticity.
What you love most about Minnesota: The people, summer concerts in the parks, biking around the city with my family. I am looking forward to ice skating on the lakes this winter. The perfect balance of outdoors and city life.

Aldo Salgado Hernandez, MD
Medical Resident
Hometown: San Diego CA/ Tijuana Mx
Medical School: Universidad Autonoma de Baja California (UABC) Facultad de Medicina y Psicologia Tijuana
Professional Interests: Interested in Sports Medicine, Adaptive sports, MSK, Ultrasound, TBI, Neurorehabilitation, Concussion, Pain medicine. All aspects of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation are interesting to me.
What you love most about Minnesota: I love the people here in Minnesota they are very welcoming and kind. I love that there are a lot of outdoor activities to do with the family. And I enjoy that we get to experience all the four seasons, and yes even winter!

Dylan Mann, MD
Medical Resident
Hometown: Marion, Iowa
Undergraduate: University of Iowa
Medical School: University of Illinois, Carle College of Medicine
Professional Interests: Pediatric rehab, Cerebral Palsy, and TBI
What you love most about Minnesota: The people. I know that no matter what kind of day I have had, I can always go see my fellow PM&R residents and have people happy to see me! I would not trade it for anything.

Luke Walters, MD
Medical Resident
Hometown: Eden Prairie, MN
Undergraduate School: Bethel University
Medical School: UMN
Professional Interests: Inpatient rehab vs. Pain Medicine
What you love most about Minnesota: Dressing like it’s Summer on the 1st Sunny 40-degree day after the long Winter.