Mariah Callas, PT, DPT

Undergraduate school: University of Pittsburgh, bachelor's in rehabilitation science with minors in neuroscience and dance
Graduate school: University of Pittsburgh, doctorate in physical therapy
Hometown: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 
Professional interests: Holistic health, high complexity neurologic cases, Parkinson's Disease, active military/veteran medicine, pediatric neurologic conditions
Why I chose Johns Hopkins: I chose Johns Hopkins to gain clinical, research, and teaching experience all under 1 program.  Through this program, I will receive mentorship from high-level clinicians, treat patients with a plethora of neurologic conditions at a world-renowned facility, participate in research initiatives, rotate through inpatient rehabilitation, acute care, and outpatient services, and become a teaching assistant and clinical instructor with the University of Delaware.
What I like about Baltimore: I like being on the water - Fell's Point is beautiful!

Chris Fulcher, PT, DPT

Undergraduate school: University of North Florida, bachelor's in biology
Graduate school: Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University, doctorate in physical therapy
Hometown: San Diego, California
Professional interests: Neurologic PT, DEI, Research
Why I chose Johns Hopkins: I chose the program to learn how to mobilize critically ill patients, perform research, and develop my personal identity.
What I like about Baltimore: I like the weather.

Sierra Martin, PT, MS, DPT

Undergraduate school: Eastern Mennonite University, bachelor's in science, minor in psychology and neuroscience
Graduate school: University of Delaware, doctorate in physical therapy and master's in anatomy and clinical health sciences
Hometown: Glenwood Springs, Colorado
Professional interests: Various neurological populations (stroke, spinal cord injury, Parkinson's Disease)
Why I chose Johns Hopkins: I chose the Johns Hopkins residency due to the standard of excellence, exposure to multiple clinical settings, rarity of diagnoses seen, and level of mentorship available.
What I like about Baltimore: I love trying all of the fantastic spots to eat, exploring the inner harbor, and keeping up with the energy of the city!

Consuelo Divina Vigilar, PT, DPT

Undergraduate school: Virginia Tech, bachelor's in human nutrition, food science, and exercise
Graduate school: University of Southern California, doctorate in physical therapy
Hometown: Ashburn, Virginia
Professional interests: Neuroplasticity and motor learning, ataxia, spinal cord injury
Why I chose Johns Hopkins: I chose Johns Hopkins because of their well rounded program structure that gives equal opportunity for the residents to evaluate and treat patients in the acute care, inpatient, and outpatient settings. I also loved the opportunity to teach and mentor DPT students at the University of Delaware.
What I like about Baltimore: The food! So many fun and diverse places with authentic food choices, and you don't have to travel far. I also love being by the water.

Kathleen Hagerty, PT, DPT, MS

Undergraduate school: Weber State University, bachelor's in microbiology
Graduate school: University of Delaware, doctorate in physical therapy
Hometown: San Diego, California
Professional interests: TBI, vestibular, tactical athletes
Why I chose Johns Hopkins: I chose Johns Hopkins because of their model system for care and research, and opportunity for quality mentorship and professional growth in neurologic physical therapy.

Amit Grewal, PT, DPT

Undergraduate school: University of South Florida, bachelor's in integrative animal biology
Graduate school: Emory University, doctorate in physical therapy
Hometown: Baltimore, Maryland
Professional interests: gait training in neurological populations, vestibular rehabilitation, acute rehabilitation
Why I chose Johns Hopkins: Something I personally look for in a program is a collaborative and inclusive team environment. Johns Hopkins truly values an interdisciplinary approach to treatment for each patient population, which allows them to think outside the box and be creative and inventive with evidence-based interventions.
What I like about Baltimore: Living near the Inner Harbor, I really enjoy the views and local shops and parks, as well as the city atmosphere.

Alison Herrera, PT, DPT, LSVT-BIG

Undergraduate school: University of South Carolina, bachelor's in exercise science
Graduate school: Emory University, doctorate in physical therapy
Hometown: Charleston, South Carolina
Professional interests: neurodegenerative diseases, vestibular rehabilitation, high-intensity training post-stroke
Why I chose Johns Hopkins: I chose Johns Hopkins because of the research-driven aspect to patient care. I also wanted to experience working in a large teaching hospital with an emphasis on interdisciplinary care with the medical and rehabilitation team members. I also preferred the hands-on clinical instructor aspect working with the University of Delaware.
What I like about Baltimore: I enjoy the views from the harbor and the public parks.

Marielle Handley, PT, DPT, CSCS

Undergraduate school: University of Massachusetts Lowell, bachelor's in exercise physiology
Graduate school: University of Connecticut, doctorate in physical therapy
Hometown: Durham, Connecticut
Professional interests: high-intensity locomotor training after stroke, motor learning theory
Why I chose Johns Hopkins: I chose Johns Hopkins because of the hospital’s robust tradition of patient advocacy through discovery and innovation, which offered me a unique opportunity to advance my professional and service goals for individuals with neurologic conditions.
What I like about Baltimore: The people! Baltimore is a unique and lively city. Working in the city provides me with the opportunity to collaborate with leading professionals in the healthcare field while also giving back to the city’s community members.

Casey Houlihan, PT, DPT

Undergraduate school: Marquette University, bachelor's in exercise physiology
Graduate school: Marquette University, doctorate in physical therapy
Hometown: Tinley Park, Illinois
Professional interests: neurodegenerative diseases, traumatic brain injuries, community reintegration
Why I chose Johns Hopkins: I chose Johns Hopkins for the opportunity to work in a large teaching hospital system that emphasizes research-driven care. I preferred the self-driven nature of this residency’s didactic sessions and the hands-on teaching experience at University of Delaware. 
What I like about Baltimore: I love the views at the harbor, the salsa dancing scene and the unique shopping in Hampden.

Rachael Arabian, PT, DPT

Undergraduate school: University of Nevada in Reno, bachelor's in political science and military science (Commissioned U.S. Army Officer)
Graduate school: Methodist University in Fayetteville, North Carolina, doctorate in physical therapy
Hometown: Reno, Nevada
Professional interests: specializing in neurological rehabilitation and collaborating with current and future leaders in the field and providing excellent evidence-based care  
Why I chose Johns Hopkins: I chose Johns Hopkins to develop my ability to work in a fast-paced academic medical environment with distinct leaders and innovators in the field of physical medicine and rehabilitation.
What I like about Baltimore: large and diverse fellowship, resident and medical student population

Julia Falkenklous, PT, DPT

Undergraduate school: Fairmont State University, bachelor's in exercise science
Graduate school: Shenandoah University, doctorate in physical therapy
Hometown: Reisterstown, Maryland
Professional interests: early mobility, Parkinson’s Disease, Guillain-Barre Syndrome
Why I chose Johns Hopkins: to get the best education in neurologic physical therapy
What I like about Baltimore: ravens!

Nicole Biltz, PT, DPT

Undergraduate school: University of Michigan, bachelor's in cellular and molecular biology
Graduate school: Washington University in St. Louis, doctorate in physical therapy
Hometown: Midland, Michigan
Professional interests: neurology, research, academia
Why I chose Johns Hopkins: opportunity to collaborate with leading professionals in my field of interest and exposure to interesting patient diagnoses 
What I like about Baltimore: many young professionals in the area leading to opportunities for finding people with similar interests (sports, breweries, hiking, etc.)

Megan Ziegler, PT, DPT 

Undergraduate school: University of Delaware, bachelor's in Spanish
Graduate school: University of Delaware, doctorate in physical therapy
Hometown: Kennett Square, Pennsylvania
Professional interests: working with the neurologic patient population and involvement in clinical education
Why I chose Johns Hopkins: I chose to work at Johns Hopkins so that I could work with and learn from passionate individuals dedicated to providing the best care to each patient. 
What I like about Baltimore: rooftop decks and Sunday brunch by the water.

Meredith Drake, PT, DPT

Undergraduate school: Whittier College
Graduate school: MGH Institute of Health Professions, doctorate in physical therapy
Hometown: Austin, Texas
Professional interests: neuromuscular disorders, ataxia, vestibular disorders, migraines, brain injury, return to sport and leisure for patients with neurologic injury/disease
Why I chose Johns Hopkins: I chose Hopkins because of the variety of rotations in a teaching hospital (acute care, acute rehab, outpatient, pediatrics, consulting clinics, etc.), and also because of the collaboration with the University of Delaware and the exposure to teaching and academia. I feel like the residency offers an exceptional variety of exposure both clinically and academically.
What I like about Baltimore: Baltimore is a wonderful, underrated city! It is close to mountains for hiking on one end and beaches on the other. It is a great jumping off point for flights (BWI is a Southwest hub!) and trains (you can get to NYC in a little over 2 hours on the Acela Express!), and the city itself has so much offer – great restaurants, a vibrant arts scene, etc. I love it here and am happy to have made it a home for myself and my family!

Jonathan Wood, PT, DPT

Undergraduate school: Utica College
Graduate school: Utica College, doctorate in physical therapy
Hometown: Derry, New Hampshire
Professional interests: motor learning and motor control in Parkinson's disease and stroke.
Why I chose Johns Hopkins: I chose the Johns Hopkins / University of Delaware neurologic PT residency program for several reasons. First, I knew the mentors were excellent having seen them give talks at Combined Sections Meeting and other conferences. I wanted to be trained by experts who were eager to share their knowledge. Additionally, it offers a well rounded experience. Rotating practice settings was perfect for me since I wanted to know what different settings were like. Also, while most of the time focuses on clinical expertise, they also provide opportunities to do research, teach and mentor students. Since I was considering a professional career outside of clinical practice, this was perfect for me as it allowed me to dip my toes into the waters of research and teaching. Shortly after finishing the residency, I went on to complete a Ph.D. at the University of Delaware studying motor learning. I would not have had this opportunity without this residency program. It is truly a great residency program that not only helped me become an expert in neurologic physical therapy practice, but also opened doors for me beyond clinical practice.

Rachel Reoli, PT, DPT, NCS

Read a Q&A with Rachel about her experience in the program.
Undergraduate school: Allegheny College, bachelor's in neuroscience and psychology
Graduate school: The George Washington University in Washington, DC; doctorate in physical therapy
Hometown: Perryopolis, Pennsylvania
Professional interests: cerebellar ataxia