UPMC PM&R Faculty, Residents, and Fellows Presented at the 2026 Association of Academic Physiatrists (AAP) Annual Meeting

UPMC Rehabilitation Institute and the University of Pittsburgh Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation were well-represented at the Association of Academic Physiatrists (AAP) Annual Meeting in San Juan, Puerto Rico, from February 17 to 21, 2026.

Physiatry ’26 is the premier event for leaders and rising stars of physiatry. Each year, forward-thinking physiatrists, educators, mentors, and researchers, gather together to share ideas, participate in education, and network.

Learn more about how UPMC contributed to the meeting:

Presentations

Is the Lecture Dead? Incorporating Principles of Learning Science to Enliven your Resident Didactics
Karen Barr, MD; Kerry Deluca, MD; Ryan Nussbaum, DO; Jean-Luc Banks, MD

Innovations in Diagnosis and Treatment of Athletic Hip-Spine Syndrome
Ryan Nussbaum, DO

Trans-Disciplinary Phenotyping for Low Back Pain
Gina McKernan, PhD; Gwendolyn Sowa, MD, PhD; Nam Vo, PhD; Carol Greco, PhD; Sara Riva, PhD; Michael Schneider, DC, PhD

Teaching on the Go: Building Effective Bedside Teaching Toolkits
Amanda Harrington, MD

Emerging Technologies in Regenerative Rehabilitation
Michael Boninger, MD

Demystifying Spinal Cord Injury Medical Challenges for Community Care Providers
Amanda Harrington, MD

Parenthood and Physiatry: The Unasked Questions and Untold Truths
Lydia Smeltz, MD; Gwendolyn Sowa, MD, PhD

Does Body Weight Support Improve Neural and Biomechanical Measures During Treadmill Gait in Children with Unilateral Cerebral Palsy?
Rajit Banerjee, MD

Precision Rehabilitation
Amy Wagner, MD

Relationship Between Depression During Inpatient Rehabilitation and Health, Participation, and Satisfaction with Life at One-Year Post-Injury for Persons with Spinal Cord Injury
Drew Redepenning, MD

Posters

Pulsed Radiofrequency Ablation (RFA) for Radiation-Induced Brachial Plexopathy: A Targeted Approach to Neuropathic Pain
Ryan Mortman, MD; Krish Bharat, MD; Natalie Curley, DO; Nicholas Tranchitella, MD; Trent Emerick, MD

Staring spells: A case of primary angiitis of the central nervous system (PACNS)
Natalie Curley, DO; Krish Bharat, MD; Debbie Tan, MD

Factors associated with activity level in adults with chronic low back pain
Natalie Curley, DO; Carol Greco, PhD; Aileen Chou, PhD, DPT; Kevin Bell, PhD; Gina McKernan, PhD; Gwendolyn Sowa, MD, PhD

Frailty Characteristics of Patients Undergoing Assessment for Heart Transplantation
Paige Matijasich, MD; Haylie Lecker, DO; Kali Webb, DO; Matthew Mesoros, BS; Kerry DeLuca, MD; Karen Barr, MD

Cooled Radiofrequency Ablation for New-Onset, Refractory Spasticity in an Athlete with Chronic Spinal Cord Injury: A Case Report
Catherine Stauffer, MD, MS; David Rivetti, MD; Amanda Harrington, MD; Gary Galang, MD

Central Sensitization in Suboccipital Neuralgia: A Case of Post-Traumatic Pain Relief via Greater Occipital Nerve Block
Nicholas Tranchitella, MD; Gary Galang, MD

Swallow Recovery Following Cervical Osteophytectomy in Spinal Cord Injury: A Case of DISH-phagia
David Rivetti, MD; Gregory Grigoropoulos, MD; John Horton III, MD; Robert Masterson, MS

Reducing High-Risk Meal Tray Delivery Errors in Inpatient Rehabilitation Through Wristband Scanning and Interdisciplinary Workflow Optimization
Gregory Grigoropoulos, MD; David Rivetti, MD

A Rare Case of Susac Syndrome in a Young Adult: Diagnosis, Management, and Outcomes Following Inpatient Rehabilitation
William Schultze, DO; John Horton III, MD

Financial Assistance Needs of Adults with Spina Bifida
Sarah Izzo, BA; Brad Dicianno, MD

The Artery of Percheron Infarct: A Rare Cause of Bilateral Thalamic Stroke
Kush Shah, DO; Jordan Klein, MD; Alexis Aiman, DO; Aaron Barasch, DO; Charles Bates, DO; Micheal Bishara, DO; Dapinder Jouhra, DO

Spina Bifida: Perspectives on Transition from Pediatric to Adult Care
Darcie Petrillo, MPAS, PA-C; Brad Dicianno, MD

PM&R Resident Feedback Following Implementation of a Revised MSK Didactic Curriculum: Strengths, Barriers, and Lessons Learned
David Rivetti, MD; Karen Barr, MD

Clinician Perspectives on Barriers and Opportunities for Mainstream Smart Technology Intervention in Inpatient Rehabilitation
Catherine Stauffer, MD, MS; Aileen Chou, PhD, DPT; Dan Ding, PhD; Lynn Worobey, PhD, DPT, ATP

Learn more about Physiatry ’26.