Meet Our Team Of Paralysis Specialists
NEUROSURGERY
Justin M. Brown, MD
Director - THE PARALYSIS CENTER
Justin M. Brown, MD is a board-certified neurosurgeon and pioneer in Reconstructive Neurosurgery – reversing paralysis in all conditions of neurological loss. Dr. Brown has received widespread international recognition for his work. He is an avid educator and a regular featured speaker at medical symposiums around the world. Dr. Brown earned his medical degree from the Eastern Virginia Medical School in Norfolk, Virginia and completed a surgical internship and Neurosurgical residency at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas. Following, based on his desire to understand these problems from the perspective of another surgical specialty, Dr. Brown completed a peripheral nerve surgery fellowship in the Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, Missouri. Then, in collaboration with a notable pioneer in Restorative Neurology, Milan R. Dimitrijevic, MD, PhD, he helped establish the International Society for Restorative Neurology. Dr. Brown is also a member of the American Society for Peripheral Nerve, The American Association for Hand Surgery, the AANS/CNS Section on Disorders of the Spine and Peripheral Nerve, the Congress of Neurological Surgeons, the American Association of Neurological Surgeons, the Pan-African Association of Christian Surgeons, and Associate Professor for the Brachial Plexus International School.
Dr. Justin Brown currently serves as the Director of Reconstructive Neurosurgery at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School and is the founder and Director of The Paralysis Center. Read Dr. Brown’s CV.
Kathy Chuang, MD
CO-DIRECTOR, Neurologist/NEUROPHYSIOLOGIST
Dr. Kathy (Chang) Chuang is triple board-certified in Neurology, Neuromuscular Medicine, and Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. She graduated Summa cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry from Harvard University and went on to obtain her medical degree from Columbia College of Physicians and Surgeons. Dr. Chuang completed her first residency in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital, a second residency in Neurology at Mass General Hospital/Brigham and Women’s Hospital, followed by a fellowship in neuromuscular medicine at Mass General Hospital/Brigham and Women’s Hospital. As a Restorative Neurologist, she has a special interest in localization of lesions of the peripheral nervous system, and in recovery of motor function after injury to the central and peripheral nervous systems.
Ziv Williams, MD, PhD
Functional Neurosurgeon and Peripheral Nerve Specialist
Dr. Ziv Williams is a neurosurgeon at Massachusetts General Hospital. He received his medical degree from Stanford University School of Medicine and his Neurosurgery Training at Massachusetts General Hospital. He went on to complete a Peripheral Nerve Surgery Fellowship at the Mayo Clinic. Dr. Williams is a leading peripheral nerve and movement disorders neurosurgeon who is providing new insights into brain function through his cutting edge research. Dr. Williams research promises to bring new interventions to the clinic that will add to our repertoire of options to restore function following paralyzing injuries.
Reiner See, MD
Neurologist/NEUROPHYSIOLOGIST
Dr. Reiner See is dual board-certified in Neurology and Neuromuscular Medicine. He has a special interest in peripheral nerve surgery repair, spinal cord injury, brachial plexus injuries, paralytic disorders, and intraoperative neurophysiological monitoring. Dr. See provides both clinical and intraoperative neurophysiology studies for the center. Intraoperative neurophysiological monitoring reduces the risk of damage to the brain, cranial nerves, spinal cord, and peripheral nerves during certain surgical procedures. It can also be useful in helping guide the surgeon’s reconstructive strategy, giving real time data about the injury during surgery. Dr. See has a bachelor's degree in Physical Therapy and obtained his medical degree at University of Santo Tomas. He completed his Neurology residency at University Hospitals Case Medical Center in Cleveland followed by a fellowship training in Neuromuscular Medicine at Case Western Reserve University and in Intraoperative Neurophysiology at Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School.
Stanley Bazarek, MD, PhD
Clinical neurosurgery & POst-Doctoral Research Fellow
Dr. Stanley Bazarek is a neurosurgical resident at Brigham & Women’s - Boston Children’s Hospital / Harvard Medical School currently training as a peripheral nerve / reconstructive neurosurgery fellow under the mentorship of Dr. Brown at Massachusetts General Hospital. He completed his medical degree and graduate work exploring the use of stem cells and gene therapy for regeneration of the nervous system at Rosalind Franklin University in Chicago. He was awarded the Neurosurgery Research & Education Foundation / Medtronic Fellowship to investigate the potential for transplanted stem cell-derived motor neurons to facilitate functional restoration following paralyzing injuries under the mentorship of Dr. Brown and renowned stem cell biologist, Dr. Kevin Eggan at Harvard University.
Stephanie R. Dobson, MSN, FNP-BC
NURSE PRACTITIONER
Stephanie Dobson is a board certified and licensed Family Nurse Practitioner who works alongside Dr. Brown in his outpatient clinic. She completed her graduate studies at Dominican College of Blauvelt in New York and was accepted into the Sigma Theta Tau-Zeta Omega honor society for her achievements. Before receiving her master’s degree as a Family Nurse Practitioner she worked as a Registered Nurse in a Magnet recognized teaching hospital in New York, and volunteered as an Emergency Medical Technician. She holds an extensive background in nursing and medical rehabilitation and served on a debility rehab unit working with stroke and orthopedic surgical patients.
PLASTIC SURGERY
Kyle Eberlin, MD
Plastic Surgery
Dr. Kyle Eberlin grew up in Buffalo, NY and completed his undergraduate and medical school education in the Seven-Year Accelerated Medical Program at Boston University. He received his BA in Medical Science where he graduated Summa Cum Laude and Phi Beta Kappa. He received his MD from Boston University School of Medicine, where he graduated Summa Cum Laude and first in his medical school class. Dr. Eberlin completed his residency training in the Harvard Integrated Plastic Surgery Program. Dr. Eberlin completed subspecialty hand surgery and microsurgery training in the Orthopaedic Hand Surgery Fellowship at MGH before joining the Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. He did additional training in peripheral nerve surgery as well and is an expert in the surgical management of peripheral nerve-related pain. He currently serves as the Associate Director of the MGH Hand Surgery Fellowship and the Associate Director of the Harvard Plastic Surgery Residency Program. Dr. Eberlin's practice focuses on all aspects of hand surgery, peripheral nerve surgery, and microsurgery. He is the course director for Harvard Plastic Surgery Grand Rounds and is active in many national committees, including his role on the American Society of Plastic Surgeons Health Policy Committee and the Vice Chair of the Hand Surgery Subcommittee. He serves as a scientific reviewer for Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, the Journal of Hand Surgery, Hand, and the Journal of Reconstructive Microsurgery.
ORTHOPAEDICS
Bassem T. Elhassan, MD
ORthopaeDics
Dr. Bassem T. Elhassan is one of the world’s leading experts in tendon transfer procedures and complex reconstructions around the shoulder and elbow. He completed his residency in General Surgery and Orthopaedics at the American University of Beirut, and Orthopaedics at the University of Illinois at Chicago. He subsequently completed the Hand and Upper Extremity Fellowship at the Mayo School of Graduate Education, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, followed by the Shoulder and Elbow Fellowship at Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School. Dr. Elhassan’s clinical practice focuses on managing upper extremity disorders such as the advanced reconstruction for sequelae of adult and obstetric brachial plexus injuries. He currently serves on the Selection Committee in the American Shoulder and Elbow Society, and is active in the American Association for Hand Surgery, American Society for Surgery of the Hand, and American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons.
Gregory R. Waryasz, MD
ORthopaeDics
Dr. Gregory R. Waryasz, MD, CSCS is a triple-fellowship trained orthopaedic surgeon in sports medicine/arthroscopy, orthopedic trauma surgery and foot and ankle reconstructive surgery. Dr. Waryasz received his BS in Biology at Boston College, where he apprenticed as a strength and conditioning coach for all of the athletic teams. He attended medical school at Tufts University and completed residency in orthopedic surgery at the Brown University/Rhode Island Hospital program. After his residency, Dr. Waryasz completed three fellowships. The first in Orthopaedic Trauma at Brown where he cared for adult and pediatric fractures. While at Brown, Dr. Waryasz was a team physician providing sideline coverage with Brown Athletics, the Providence Bruins of the AHL and USA Gymnastics. After leaving Brown, Dr. Waryasz completed two more fellowships, both at MGH - one in Sports Medicine and one in Foot and Ankle. While at MGH, Dr. Waryasz was part of the medical staff for the Patriots, Red Sox, Bruins and New England Revolution. He is currently working on the medical staff for the New England Revolution and consulting with a few local Division 3 colleges. He has a specific clinical interest in ankle instability, cartilage injury, orthopaedic trauma, foot drop and tendon transfer surgeries.
PHYSICAL REHABILITATION
Kevin O'Connor, MD
SCI Medicine
Dr. Kevin O’Connor is the Medical Director of the Spinal Cord Injury Program at the Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital. He is also the Residency Training Director for the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. He completed medical school at the UMDNJ New Jersey Medical School where he received his Medical Degree. He completed his residency at the New Jersey Medical School GME-UMDNJ. He is Board Certified in Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation with the American Board of Physical Medicine and Rehab. He is Board Certified in Spinal Cord Injury Medicine with the American Board of Physical Medicine and Rehab.
Douglas Sohn, MD
SCI Medicine
Dr. Douglas Sohn is board-certified in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, who specializes in Spinal Cord Injury rehabilitation. He graduated from the University of Illinois with a bachelor’s degree in bioengineering and received his medical degree from the University of Illinois. Dr. Sohn completed his residency in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Tufts Medical Center, followed by a fellowship in Spinal Cord Injury medicine at the Boston VA/Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital. He has an interest in electrical stimulation in the recovery of motor function after a spinal cord injury.
Chloe Slocum, MD, MPH
Physiatrist
Dr. Chloe Slocum completed a Spinal Cord Injury Medicine Fellowship at Harvard Medical School Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital and the Boston VA Medical Center. She is most concerned with the intersection of patients’ complex health needs, population health management at a systems level, and health care policy. Dr. Slocum is passionate about health promotion for adults and children with disabilities and health equity in post-acute care. Dr. Slocum received her medical degree from Columbia University College of Physicians & Surgeons, New York, NY in 2011. She completed her Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation residency at Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital/Harvard Medical School in 2015 and served as Chief Resident from 2014-2015.
Ryan Solinsky, MD
Physiatrist
Dr. Ryan Solinsky is a spinal cord injury physician in the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. Dr. Solinsky strives to not only provide excellent care, but to make you feel cared for. He spends a significant portion of his time on research focused on shedding light on poorly understood complications of spinal cord injury like autonomic dysreflexia and neurogenic bladder.
Catherine Wee
Occupational Therapist, CERTIFIED HAND THERAPIST
Catherine Wee is an occupational Therapist specializing in rehabilitation following nerve and tendon transfer surgery. She achieved her certification in Hand Therapy in 2011. Since 2005 she has been growing the practice of occupational therapy at Spaulding Outpatient Center Cambridge, working with neurologically and orthopedically impaired patients including spinal cord injuries, strokes, upper extremity fractures, tendon injuries and post-surgical conditions. Catherine also has a special interest working with musicians and has certificates of completion for piano from the Royal School of Music, London, UK. She is a graduate of the University of Alberta, Canada with a Bachelor of Science in Occupational Therapy with Distinction.
Lisa Perkins, PT, DPT
Physical Therapist for Inpatient SCI
Dr. Lisa Perkins is a Physical Therapist at Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital specializing in Spinal Cord Injury and other Neurological diagnosis. She graduated from Northeastern University with a Doctorate in Physical Therapy and shortly after obtained her certification as a Strength and Conditioning Specialist. Lisa also works at Massachusetts General Hospital Institute of Health Professions as a lab instructor in the Physical Therapy department. Lisa has presented case studies at the Spinal Cord Injury Model Systems Conference, has published works in Rehab Management and was a 2018 nominee for the John Means Spencer Caregiver of the Year Award. Lisa also has an interest and experience in fitting and prescribing complex rehab seating.
Melissa Gregory, OTR/L, CPAM, MOT
Occupational Therapist for inpatient SCI
Melissa Gregory went to University of New Hampshire where she graduated summa cum laude for her master’s degree in occupational therapy. As an OT, Her specialty is acute care rehabilitation to the spinal cord population. In her career, she has progressed to an advanced clinician on the spinal cord floor at Spaulding rehabilitation. Her interests are to maximize functional outcomes of the tetraplegic arm.
RESEARCH
Ross Mandeville, MD
Neurophysiology Research
Dr. Ross Mandeville is a board-certified neurologist. He completed his residency in neurology at UC San Diego School of Medicine, where he received the resident of the year award. He subsequently completed his fellowship in neurophysiology at the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery in London. Dr Mandeville is a pioneer in Quantitative Neurophysiology - a method that enables accurate prediction of recovery following paralyzing nerve injuries and that predicts the results of nerve reconstruction surgeries. Dr. Mandeville provides care for people with a variety of neurologic conditions, and has a special interest in neuromuscular diseases, as well as peripheral nerve and spinal cord injuries. His clinical interests include neurophysiology (the functioning of the nervous system), neurosonography, muscle biopsies, and intraoperative neurophysiological monitoring. Intraoperative neurophysiological monitoring reduces the risk of damage to the brain, cranial nerves, spinal cord, and peripheral nerves during certain surgeries. He is also interested in advancing and applying research in peripheral nerve regeneration to enhance the nervous system’s limited capacity for repair. His efforts in translational research aim to improve the health of individuals who experience spinal cord and peripheral nerve injuries.
Darren Nin, PhD
CliNICAL RESEARCH & Post-Doctoral Research Fellow
Dr. Darren Nin is a Research Fellow in Neurosurgery at Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital. His research expertise are in neuromuscular biomechanics and physiology. He graduated with First Class Honors from Nanyang Technological University (NTU, Singapore) with a bachelor’s degree in Sport Science and Management. Subsequently, he pursued his doctoral studies sponsored by the Nanyang President’s Graduate Scholarship. He received his PhD from NTU for his inter-institutional (NTU and Loughborough University, United Kingdom) research work focused on understanding the internal risk factors of hamstring strain injuries, and effects of various rehabilitation strategies on muscle architecture and function. Dr. Nin’s current research interests seek to understand surgery and rehabilitation related changes to muscle function and physiology, as well as the characterization of gait and functional kinematics in clinical settings, following nerve transfers and other modalities of Reconstructive Neurosurgery.
Deanne M. O’Brien Hagerty, CST
Research Assistant
Deanne is a Certified Surgical Technologist who works closely with Dr. Brown in the operating room. Additionally, she works as a research assistant in the clinic helping to gather data. She received her A.S. in surgical technology from New England Institute of Technology in 2017, where she graduated “Best of Tech” and “Tech Scholar.” In 2020, she graduated Magna Cum Laude with a B.A. in psychology, minoring in behavioral neuroscience.