Team

Dr. Marcalee Alexander is a physiatrist and SCI specialist who has been passionate about climate change since 2007 when she participated in Al Gore's Climate Project training. Having focused her research on sexuality and autonomic function her whole life, when her third child, Graham entered college she wanted to do more to inspire interest in climate change and disability. She convinced her husband Craig they needed to quit their jobs and walk from Canada to Key West to find people with disabilities and have them speak about their experiences with climate change and weather disasters while at the same time inspiring community interest. This action led to the development of the first The Day for Tomorrow in Washington DC in September 2019 and Sustain Our Abilities. She is also the Editor-in-Chief of The Journal of Climate Change and Health, a member of the Affiliate Faculty of the at the Climate and Health Program at the University of Colorado School of Medicine and she led the develoopment of Climate Health 2023.

Dr. Alexander is a rehabilitation psychologist. He is a cofounder of Sustain Our Abilities, walked from Canada to Washington DC along with Marcalee Alexander and serves on the Board of Directors of Sustain Our Abilities. He is a staunch advocate for the environment.

Amina Rahma Audu has lived with paraplegia for 35 years. She is a disability rights and social inclusion advocate. She is also the founder of Rebuilding Hope on Wheels Initiative (RHOWI) which is a non-profit organization that was founded primarily to enhance the lives of persons with disabilities especially those affected by Spinal Cord Injuries and Dysfunction (SCI/D) in Nigeria. She is also a peer mentor in the RHOWI peer support group. She is also an advocate for inclusivity of persons with disabilities in the push for climate action in Nigeria. With the support of Adesola Odole, the RHOWI/SOA Climate Change and Disability Campaigners group in Nigeria was formed. Amina is one of the pioneer council members of the National Disability Commission representing North-West zone Nigeria. She is a farmer and loves gardening.

Thi Quynh Tho Chu was born in Hanoi, Vietnam. She graduated as a General Physician in 2013 and completed the Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Residency Training Program in 2016 at Hanoi Medical University. After graduating, MD. Chu became a lecturer in the Department of Rehabilitation - Hanoi Medical University and a clinical doctor at the Department of Rehabilitation - Hanoi Medical University Hospital. In 2022, she was awarded the MEXT scholarship by the Japanese government and started pursuing her doctoral degree at the Graduate School of Health Sciences, Kobe University. Along with her PhD program, she is also serving as a research student at Kansai Medical University, Japan. MD. Chu’s favorite area which she wants to dig deeper is neurorehabilitation, and her current research has been focusing on Alzheimer's disease. Moving to Japan while studying a PhD, Dr. Chu has been experiencing significant changes in her health and that of her family, which marked a major turning point in her awareness and actions regarding climate change—a topic she had long been interested in. As a rehabilitation doctor, she understands that people with disabilities face greater challenges in coping with climate change than others. Dr. Chu began dedicating more time to learning about and researching this issue, with the hope of contributing to the protection of our living environment.

Raju is the Medical Director and Consultant Rehabilitation Medicine Physician (Physiatrist) for the Spinal Injury Rehabilitation Centre, Nepal. A polio survivor who must rely on the use of a wheelchair, he is trained in Spinal Cord Medicine and Rehabilitation. He is an Honorary Clinical Fellow of Rehabilitation Medicine at the Royal Melbourne Hospital in Australia and has served as the lead for many training projects around the world. He is a consultant for the Nepal National Guidelines on Disability inclusive health services – Rehabilitation Clinical Protocol and is an avid speaker and writer. Moreover, living in Nepal, he personally sees the benefits of telerehabilitation and the need to bring persons with disabilities and professionals together to conquer the earth's challenges.

Dr. Gretchelle Dilan, a seasoned psychotherapist and wheelchair user due to a spinal cord injury, leverages her professional expertise and project management background to positively impact the lives of individuals with spinal cord injuries and disorders (SCI/D) and wheelchair users. She founded a support group dedicated to disaster relief, demonstrating her commitment to social responsibility. In the aftermath of Hurricanes Maria and Irma, Dr. Dilan displayed remarkable dedication in ensuring that people with disabilities in Puerto Rico had uninterrupted access to essential services and equipment. Her efforts were duly recognized by the United States Congress, underscoring the significance of her contributions. Dr. Dilan personally visited the damaged residences of members affiliated with the United Spinal Association, meticulously compiling case studies and statistics. She subsequently spearheaded public awareness campaigns, effectively raising the profile of the challenges faced by individuals with disabilities during natural disasters. Furthermore, Dr. Dilan has been instrumental in advocating for the creation of new policies that specifically address the needs of the disabled community during emergencies and natural disasters, both in Puerto Rico and at the federal level in the United States Congress. Her unwavering commitment to improving the lives of those affected by spinal cord injuries and disorders is truly commendable.

Yannis is an Assistant Professor of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at the University of Patras. He has special expertise in osteoporosis and metabolic bone diseases and completed a Master Thesis in Aging and Chronic Diseases. Dr. Dionyssiotis realizes the unique concerns of the elderly and those with disabilities in regards to climate change and is passionate about educating people in an environmentally friendly fashion through the use of telemedicine and through social media.

Professor Belgin Erhan is working as a faculty member (Professor) and administrative director at Istanbul Medeniyet University, Medical Shool, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation.

Dr. Alexandra Fogarty is a board-certified Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PM&R) physician with dual fellowship training in Sports Medicine & Interventional Pain. She is a current fellow at Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School in Boston, MA, and a graduate from Washington University in Saint Louis for Residency & Sports Medicine training. Dr. Fogarty is passionate about keeping patients active & outdoors. Her research focuses on patient outcomes in interventional musculoskeletal/spine care, and she is motivated to develop novel ways to reduce medical and procedural waste. Outside of work, you can find Dr. Fogarty and her family alpine skiing at the nearest mountain.

Erica has lived with a T9 SCI since 2010. Her work focuses on peer group training programs and services for wheelchair users. Working with the Motivation Romania Foundation, Erika organizes events to increase awareness of the abilities of people with disabilities. In April 2016, Erika was awarded with the title of Romanian Woman of Courage by the U.S. Embassy in Romania, after she represented Romania in the 2016 International Women of Courage contest, organized by the U.S. Department of State. Erica is passionate about using green healthcare and technology to improve the education and resources available to persons with disabilities.

Henry Giattina is a graduate of Hampden-Sydney College with a degree in political science, German, and rhetoric. He is driven by a passion for building cost-effective solutions to problems within both corporate and private affairs. The life of Graham, and his close relationship to Henry, has had a profound impact on his vision of the future: Henry sees global issues as a means of uniting people through something everyone shares—the first step towards effectively solving large-scale problems. The Graham Project is important to him because it focuses on climate change and bringing people together to solve this mutual crisis.

Lance L. Goetz, MD, is a staff physician at the Richmond VA Spinal Cord Injury & Disorders Center, and Professor, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Virginia Commonwealth University. He served as program director for the VCU/McGuire Spinal Cord Injury Medicine fellowships from 2013-2020 and is currently associate. He also directed the SCI Medicine Fellowship programs at UT Southwestern Medical Center from 2003-2010. He completed his B.S. with high honors and MD from the University of Iowa in 1992, residency training in physical medicine and rehabilitation at the University of Michigan in 1996 and spinal cord injury medicine fellowship at VA Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle, Washington in 1997. Dr. Goetz received the William O. McKinley excellence in Teaching Award from VCU PM&R in 2022 and Faculty Excellence Awards in 2020 and 2021. Dr. Goetz served on the American Paraplegia Society Board for 6 years. He was given the APS Excellence Award in 2017. He has served as principal and co-principal investigator on VA Merit Review grants and site investigator for multiple research protocols studying best practices supported employment, exoskeletal assisted walking, erectile dysfunction, clinical practice guidelines for SCI, pressure ulcers, urinary tract infections and other medical complications related to spinal cord dysfunction. He has served as site investigator on 2 VA Cooperative Studies, CSP 535 and 2003. Dr. Goetz serves as ad hoc reviewer for numerous SCI and PM&R journals and has authored or co-authored over 75 peer-reviewed publications, chapters and other works. Dr. Goetz is unmeasurably grateful to work with talented clinical, rehab and research colleagues, for his wife of 23 years, Eva Sonnier, twin boys, Daniel and Devon, and other friends and family who lift him up. Finally, he has benefited from lived experiences with spinal cord injury since 1984.

Ingebjørg Irgens is a PRM physician from Norway. She has been using TeleRehabilitation solutions for more than 15 years, and has performed both innovation projects and research projects using digital tools, like videoconference. Her main focus is to secure patients the same possibilities regarding treatment and follow-up, regardless of geographical location, using digital solutions. If these solutions also reduce atmospheric pollution, they should definitely be preferred.

Kelli is a medical student at the University of Hawaii in her hometown of Honolulu, HI. She studied environmental analysis for her undergraduate degree before deciding to go to medical school and now remains deeply invested in the concept of One Health and the connections between the environment, physical/mental health, and quality of life. She is motivated by the effects of environmental change that she sees in her communities and ecosystems and believes in the value of both local and global collaboration in addressing this complex issue. She is taking a research year to study climate change, physiatry, and disability with other members of the SOA team and intends on pursuing physical medicine and rehabilitation.

Ashley, an Occupational Therapy student at Midwestern University in the Chicago area, identifies with a psychiatric disability. They are committed to raising awareness about the impacts of climate change on human health/mental health and the ability to engage in meaningful occupations. Recognizing the disproportionate effects of climate change fall on historically marginalized populations, Ashley believes occupational therapy practitioners play a crucial role in addressing and mitigating the adverse consequences of the climate crisis. Currently, they are completing a capstone project with SOA to create educational material aimed for OTs and a research study on environmentally sustainable practices implementd by rehabilitation practitioners to mitigate the health effects of climate change.

Dr. Carl Froilan D. Leochico is a physiatrist from the Philippines and Clinical Associate Professor at the College of Medicine, University of the Philippines Manila. He is a leader in telerehabilitation in the Philippines and is the present Chair of the Telerehabilitation Committee of the Philippine Academy of Rehabilitation Medicine. A special focus of his academic work is the education of medical students regarding climate change and the benefits of online education.

Melina Longoni is originally from Argentina specialist in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Hyperbaric Medicine, Wound Care and Natural Therapies. She is the Medical director of the ReDel Rehabilitation Center in Tigre, Argentina, and holds many titles in various international rehabilitation societies. An avid communicator, Dr. Longoni has organized The Round-the-World courses for Sustain Our Abilities and in the process developed a great source of education for professionals and persons with disabilities in Ibero-Latin American Countries.

Maya Newman, MD is a specialist in Pediatric Rehabilitation Medicine and also has a Master's in Global Health Sciences. Dr. Newman is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Neurosurgery at the University of California Los Angeles and also serves as the Sustain Our Abilities Board Vice President. Dr. Newman grew up in Seattle, WA, in the Northwest of the United States, where she was ingrained at a young age with the importance of recycling, composting, decreasing food waste, and to honor nature and the environment. She loves to travel, to learn about different people and cultures, and to teach her children and friends the importance of taking care of our planet. She has lived through earthquakes, hurricanes, and forest fires, which are becoming ever more frequent. For her friends, family, and vulnerable pediatric patients with disabilities, she is passionate about taking action to help combat the climate crisis.

Truly an East-coaster, and never far from water, Colleen is a specialist in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and Research Chief at New Brunswick’s Stan Cassidy Centre for Rehabilitation. Along with husband Jeff Campbell, she founded Team Canada Healing Hands in 2002, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to advancing rehabilitation care and training in developing countries. She has thus worked in disaster response in Haiti and Nepal. She has co-authored numerous publications on and provided technical guidance to the World Health Organization on rehabilitation in the humanitarian field.

Adesola Odole is an Associate Professor and Consultant Musculoskeletal Physiotherapist at the University of Ibadan and University College Hospital, Ibadan, Nigeria respectively. She has over 30 years of physiotherapy clinical practice. Her teaching, scholarship, and clinical practice have been geared towards telehealth, health outcomes assessment, and intervention of major musculoskeletal conditions. She is also interested in improved access to healthcare for the less privileged and underserved communities through mobile health. She is very passionate about the voice of individuals with disabilities being heard. Her new passion includes advancing health and wellness especially regarding climate change and physical disabilities.

Dr. Rapidi is an MD, PhD who leads the department of Physical & Rehabilitation Medicine at the General Hospital “G.Gennimatas” (NHS) in Athens. Dr Rapidi’s interests include neuro-rehabilitation, autonomic nervous system dysfunction, neurogenic bladder and bowel, pelvic floor rehabilitation and medical education. She works with many international organizations and is a frequent speaker in International Meetings. Realizing the rapid impacts of climate change on people living with spinal cord injuries, she is avid about the need for Day for Tomorrow, Telerehabilitation and online education.

Ariana, currently in her fourth year at NYU Grossman School of Medicine, is passionately pursuing a career in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. Alongside her medical studies, Ariana has earned a Master's degree in Environmental Health, underscoring her commitment to understanding the intricate relationship between our environment and well-being. Her experiences in clinical settings have provided her with a unique perspective on the tangible effects of climate change on patient health. Motivated by these insights, Ariana is dedicated to developing and disseminating educational materials aimed at both medical professionals and patients. Her goal is to raise awareness about the health implications of climate change and to empower individuals with knowledge and strategies for mitigation and prevention. Ariana's vision is to foster a healthcare community that is not only aware of these challenges but is also actively engaged in creating solutions for a healthier planet.

Niña Carmela R. Tamayo, DO MS MPH is a physiatrist with a special interest in spinal cord injury, climate change, and disability and community integration through healthcare technology, universal design and artificial intelligence. In addition to working with Sustain Our Abilities, she leads the nonprofit organization Philippine American Physiatrist Association.

Anita Lowe Taylor, MD, practices as a full-time physiatrist in Helena, MT. She serves on the board of the Montana Health Professionals for a Healthy Climate, where she aims to incorporate climate change into education and advocacy for people with disabilities. She also serves as a representative of the Medical Society Consortium on Climate and Health on the Association of Academic Physiatrists Public Policy Committee. She earned her MD and completed her residency in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Stanford. She spends her free time hiking, backpacking, skiing, and spoiling her three rescue cats.

Nishu is an Occupational Therapist and Telerehabilitation Specialist at the Indian Spinal Injuries Centre (ISIC) in Delhi, India. Ms. Tyagi launched the ‘We CARE India’ project, which supports online rehab services for persons with disabilities, children with special needs, elderly, and transgender communities. She also is an executive member of the Telemedicine Society of India and cooperates with many international groups. She is an expert at providing telehealth in rural communities of India and using this green form of health care to support people's recovery.

Faustina Urassa a resilient woman with over 23 years of experience living with spinal cord injury, whose journey has fueled her passion for advocating for disability rights and climate justice. Despite the challenges she faces on a daily basis, Faustina’s determination remains unwavering. She is also a founder and Executive Director of Songambele Initiative Organisation, an organisation which is a non-profit organization that was founded to promote good health, education and social inclusion for women, girls and children with disabilities in Tanzania. With so much experience living and training people with disabilities life skills, she has a profound understanding of the intersection between climate change and the health and safety of people with disabilities. She knows firsthand the increased risks that extreme weather events, air pollution, and inaccessible infrastructure pose to individuals with disabilities, worsening existing health conditions and compromising safety. Faustina’s advocacy is driven by her commitment to ensuring that the voices and needs of people with disabilities are not overlooked in climate action efforts. Through her work, she seeks to bridge the gap between disability rights and environmental justice, advocating for inclusive policies and practices that prioritize the well-being and resilience of all individuals, regardless of ability. Her dedication to creating a more equitable and sustainable future serves as an inspiration to others, demonstrating that with determination and compassion, meaningful change is possible.