Meet Our Students
Miguel Anselmo
Miguel is a PhD student in the Rehabilitation Science program working with Dr. Manda Keller-Ross. His background is in exercise physiology and completed his Masters degree at the University of Minnesota in 2023, studying the effects of early menopause on blood pressure regulation during exercise. His PhD thesis will likely focus on sex differences on the effects of vagus nerve stimulation during stressors. He is originally from outside the D.C area and is an avid mountaineer, ultrarunner, gravel cyclist, and coach to a group of incredible endurance athletes.
Karin Burbach, MS, OTR/L, CHT
Karin joins the Rehabilitation Science program as a PhD student with 20+ years of experience as an Occupational Therapist and Certified Hand Therapist. As a CHT, she is interested in the application and effectiveness of manual and exercise-based treatment in the upper extremity for improvement of functional outcomes. Karin received her undergraduate degree at Santa Clara University and completed her master's degree at Washington University in St. Louis. She also completed a master's certificate program in upper extremity rehabilitation at Drexel University. Outside of studying and teaching, she enjoys traveling and spending time with her husband and two children.
Chasity Corbin, B.S.
Chasity is a PhD student in the Rehabilitation Science program under mentorship of Dr. Ida Fonkoue. They come from an undergraduate degree in Psychology and minored with Statistics, Human Development, and Linguistics from Iowa State University. They are hoping to specialize in PTSD rehabilitation, especially for those who are Assigned Female At Birth. They're from Iowa and love going back home during the weekends to spend time with their husband and son. In their free time, they often can be seen walking their half-blind pug Morty, or practicing circus aerial acts such as lyra and pole. They love meeting people and LOVE their program, so if you're curious about it, feel free to message them questions!!
Azaline Dunlap-Smith
Azaline is a dual-degree DPT/PhD student studying the role of microglia and inflammation in respiratory neuroplasticity. Azaline is from Maine and earned her Bachelor of Science in Chemistry from the University of New Hampshire in Durham, NH with a focus on computational chemistry. Long-term, she is interested in working in a research-oriented neurorehabilitation clinical setting. She spends her free time enjoying fencing, crafting, and video games.
Myrriah Laine Dyreson BSBmE, MSOP
Myrriah is a rehab science PhD student and a Research Prosthetist-Orthotist with the Minneapolis Adaptive Design & Engineering Program (MADE) at the Minneapolis VA Health Care System. She obtained her Bachelor’s degree in Biomedical Engineering from the University of Minnesota and her Master’s Degree in Prosthetics and Orthotics from Concordia University, St. Paul. Her research focuses on understanding long term outcomes of amputee populations and evaluating new technologies to improve these outcomes. Myrriah enjoys spending time outdoors with her husband and 2 dogs, gardening, ice fishing, and traveling.
Triet Lu, OTD, OTR
Triet is an occupational therapist having graduated from the University of Minnesota with a bachelor's degree in Kinesiology and a doctorate in Occupational Therapy. He is currently at the Rehabilitation & Engineering Center for Optimizing Veteran Engagement & Reintegration (RECOVER) at the Minneapolis VA Healthcare System. His current research interest is to investigate holistic clinical practices to promote participation in meaningful daily activities for veterans with phantom limb pain. Triet is originally from Vietnam and enjoys bouldering, skiing, and watching films with friends.
Callen Maupin, DPT
Callen is a rehab science PhD student researching autonomic neural control of axial musculature. As a physical therapist, he is interested in understanding how lesions in the cerebrum and basal ganglia lead to postural instability and axial rigidity with the goal of improving rehabilitation therapies and noninvasive brain stimulation technologies. Callen is originally from Nebraska and received his undergraduate degree from the University of Nebraska at Kearney before moving to Minnesota to participate in the dual DPT/PhD program at the University of Minnesota. He enjoys playing all varieties of games from spikeball, tennis, and pickleball to Catan, Ticket to Ride, and Cribbage.
Briee Mercier, PT, DPT, NCS
Briee is a PhD student researching spinal locomotor circuits using zebrafish as a model system. With a background as a physical therapist working with patients with neurologic conditions, she is interested in a deeper understanding of the neuroscience related to locomotion and conditions affecting locomotion such as spinal cord injury and degenerative disorders. Briee is originally from Minnesota, completing her undergraduate degree in neuroscience here at the U and going on to receive her DPT at the University of Jamestown in Fargo. In her free time she enjoys running with her dog, Waffle, and training for races.
Lauren Michels, BS
Lauren is a PhD student researching the molecular basis of adipogenesis and obesity. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Biology at California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo, California. Lauren likes to stay active by practicing yoga and spending time outside hiking.
Shawn Miller, B.A.
Shawn is a PhD student in the Rehabilitation Science Program working with Dr. Brendan Dougherty. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in Human Physiology at the University of Minnesota. He is interested in the sex-related differences associated with respiratory neuroplasticity. He enjoys spending his free time camping in national parks, snowboarding, and playing pickleball.
Elisabeth Olson, MA, OTR/L
Elisabeth joins the Rehab Science graduate program with 16 years of clinical experience as an occupational therapist specializing in NICU and developmental follow-up clinics. She works with Dr. Jesse Kowalski in the Minnesota Neurodevelopment and Neuroimaging (MiNNi) Lab, with research focused on identifying multifactorial contributors to sensorimotor neurodevelopment of an automated segmentation model for pediatric brains with atypical neuroanatomy. Elisabeth earned her MA in Occupational Therapy from St. Catherine University in St. Paul, Minnesota and her BA in Psychology from Hope College in Holland, Michigan. Her research interests center on integrating neuroscience and neuroimaging appraoches to advance understanding of early brain development, particularly in premature and medically-complex infants at high risk for neurodevelopmental disorders.
Emily Shalit, OTD, OTR/L
Emily is pursuing her PhD under the guidance of Dr. Emily Kringle. Emily earned a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology from Purdue University, and completed her Occupational Therapy doctorate at the University of Minnesota. Her current research focuses on intervention design and implementation to support social participation in children with cerebral palsy. In her free time, Emily enjoys exercising, rock climbing, and volunteering with animal rescues.
William Stokes
William is a PhD student researching the relationship between vasomotor symptoms of menopause and cardiovascular disease. He is interested in understanding the autonomic changes that occur during a menopausal hot flash and if those changes contribute to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. William is from Baltimore, Maryland, received his undergraduate degree from St. Mary’s College of Maryland and worked as a research assistant at Johns Hopkins University. He spends his free time playing bar trivia, performing improv, and volunteering in climate justice organizations.
Ibtida Tahmin
I am a physician from Bangladesh. I completed my Bachelor of Medicine/Bachelor of Surgery degree from the University of Chittagong, Bangladesh. My advisor is Dr. Ida Fonkoue and our lab focuses on neurovascular and hormonal mechanisms linked to trauma and cardiovascular disease risk of the trauma exposed premenopausal women. My long term goal is to emphasize women's health, especially in minority populations. In my free time I love to spend time with my family and also love to do crafting.
Pramisha Thapa, PT
Pramisha Thapa is a PhD student in the Rehabilitation Science program at the University of Minnesota. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Physiotherapy from Sikkim Manipal University, India. She is originally from Nepal and is a registered PT back there. Having worked as a Physical Therapist in Nepal for some time, she developed an interest in studying movement deficits in individuals who survived neurological disorders like stroke, cerebral palsy, etc. Her hobbies include painting and spending time outdoors and hiking.
Si-Yu Tsai
Si-Yu is a PhD student in the Brains in Motion (BIM) lab under the supervision of Dr. Jacqueline Palmer. Her research interests include the neurocognitive processes underlying motor skill learning and how aging and neurological disorders alter these processes. She is also interested in identifying factors that contribute to individual differences in learning and plasticity, with the goal of facilitating personalized neurorehabilitation. Si-Yu received her DPT degree from National Taiwan University and subsequently worked as a research assistant, studying the pathophysiology of Parkinson's disease using transcranial magnetic stimulation. Outside the lab, you can find her on a bike, a hike, or a plane to explore the beauty of the world.
Sarah Vance
Sarah Vance is a PhD student interested in studying estrogenic mechanisms that preserve skeletal muscle strength with aging. Sarah is a Minnesota native who spent the last 10 years teaching high school science. She completed her undergraduate degrees in Molecular Biology and Chemistry from Bethel University, followed by a Master’s in Teaching from St. Mary’s University. In every Minnesota season, she loves being active outdoors. Some of her favorite things include running, biking, hiking, fresh snow, eating good food, and spending time with her family.
Jonathan Washatka
Jonathan is a physical therapist and PhD student in the Minnesota Rehabilitation Biomechanics Lab under the guidance of Dr. Justin Staker. Originally from Ohio, he earned his undergraduate degree from Eastern University outside of Philadelphia and went on to obtain his DPT degree at nearby Arcadia University. He completed a physical therapy residency in orthopedics and is a board-certified clinical specialist in orthopedic physical therapy. He is interested in studying the underlying mechanisms of shoulder pathology and interventions used to treat individuals with shoulder pain and dysfunction. He also has an interest in better understanding shoulder functional testing and return-to-sport criteria. He enjoys hiking, mountain biking, and bouldering.
Yaqoub Yusuf
Yaqoub is a passionate researcher with extensive experience in various fields of study. He is a PhD student working with Dr. Arin Ellingson in The Minnesota Rehabilitation Biomechanics Lab (MRBL). Previously he was conducting research at the University of Minnesota in the Translational Center for Resuscitative Trauma Care where his work revolved around improving the care and outcomes of severely injured patients. Before this, he was a Graduate Research Associate at San Francisco State University where he completed his Masters degree and worked in a visual neuroscience lab. His research focused on investigating the simplex retina of the Leucoraja erinacea (little skate). Prior to this, he had the privilege of working at the Mayo Clinic Rochester in a cognitive engineering lab where he was involved in the development of biosensors that could help understand emotion and burnout.