Faculty

Research:

PAs/NPs:

Puneet K. Aggarwal, MD
Medical Director, Sports Medicine & Injury Care

Dr. Aggarwal is a graduate of the Medical College of Virginia. He completed his internship in Internal Medicine at the University of Virginia-Roanoke and his residency in Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation at Baylor College of Medicine. Later, he completed an Interventional Spine fellowship at Medical College of Virginia Hospital and the Sheltering Arms Spine and Sport Center.  He is board-certified in Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation and Pain Medicine. Dr. Aggarwal is an active member of the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Physiatric Association of Spine, Sports and Occupational Rehabilitation, North American Spine Society, International Spinal Injection Society and the American Society of Interventional Pain Physicians. His primary interests are in interventional spine care, musculoskeletal and sports medicine, as well as electromyography (EMG/NCS).            

David Agner, MD
Faculty Physician

Dr. Agner is board-certified in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. Dr. Agner completed his undergraduate degree in Pharmacy at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where he was a member of Rho Chi, the Pharmaceutical Honor Society. Dr. Agner received his medical degree at East Carolina University and his internship in Internal Medicine at Mount Carmel Medical Center in Columbus, Ohio.  His residency in Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation was obtained at The Ohio State University Medical Center in Columbus, Ohio.

William L. Bockenek, MD
Chair, Department of PM&R, Carolinas Medical Center
Medical Director, Carolinas Rehabilitation
Director, Post Polio Program

Dr. Bockenek, Medical Director of Carolinas Rehabilitation, graduated from medical school at the University of South Florida and completed his residency at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey/New Jersey Medical School, which is affiliated with the Kessler Institute of Rehabilitation.
Dr. Bockenek received the highest score in the nation on the Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation board qualifying examination and the Spinal Cord Injury subspecialty examination.   He sits on the American Board of PM&R and is a member of the American Paraplegia Society, the American Spinal Injury Society, the Association of Academic Physiatrists, American Academy of PM&R and the residency review committee for PM&R of the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME). In addition to certification in PM&R and SCI Medicine, Dr. Bockenek is also certified in Electrodiagnostic Medicine by the American Board of Electrodiagnostic Medicine. Dr. Bockenek is President of the American Paraplegia Society and the Vice President of the Spinal Cord Injury Professionals.
Dr. Bockenek enjoys hiking, bicycling, kayaking and spending time with his family.            

Leon Chandler, MD
Faculty Physician

Dr. Chandler is a graduate of the State University of New York (SUNY) Downstate College of Medicine. He completed his internship in Internal Medicine at Staten Island University Hospital and his residency in Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation at Temple University Hospital.
Associations in which Dr. Chandler is active include the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, the American Association of Neuromuscular and Electrodiagnostic Medicine and the Physiatric Association of Spine, Sports and Occupational Rehabilitation. His special interests include orthopedic rehabilitation and stroke as well as complementary/alternative medicine. 
Dr. Chandler enjoys playing the trumpet, jogging and playing basketball and spending time with his wife and three children.

Kelly Crawford, MD
Faculty Physician

Dr. Kelly Crawford has 4 years of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation experience with primary focus in Traumatic Brain Injury.  She completed her residency at the University of Cincinnati, OH and her fellowship in TBI & Concussion at the University of Pittsburgh, PA. She graduated from the Wright State University Boonshoft School of Medicine in Dayton, OH in 2008.

Dr. Crawford is a football enthusiast and enjoys cheering on the Ohio State Buckeyes and the Cincinnati Bengals. She also enjoys movies and spending time with friends and family.

Mark Alexander Hirsch, PhD
Research Faculty
Director, PM&R Resident Research Education

Dr. Mark Hirsch is a leading research scientist with the Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation. He received his PhD at Florida State University (1996) with a randomized controlled trial titled: “Activity-dependence enhancement of balance and muscle strength in Parkinson’s disease”. He completed his training in Neurorehabilitation at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine with Barbara J. de Lateur, MD (PM&R) and obtained international expertise in movement disorders through a Neurology fellowship in motor control with Harald Hefter, MD, PhD at Dusseldorf University School of Medicine, Germany. His research and scholarship addresses issues of motor coordination in Parkinson’s disease, including balance and gait impairment. Two research areas of particular interest are innovation as-partner in delivering health care, shared decision making, and potential barriers to physical activity.

In 2012 Dr. Hirsh together with Dr. Sanjay Iyer developed RENEW Carolinas Parkinson Disease Initiative (Research and Education in Neuro-Wellness), a joint initiative with Atrium Health Neurosciences, Carolinas Rehabilitation, LiveWELL Health Center and local branches of the YMCA of Greater Charlotte, to promote community-based neuro-wellness care for people living with Parkinson’s disease.  Dr. Hirsch’s participatory research has been externally funded both privately and through the National Institutes of Health. He serves on several international editorial boards and is the past Chair of the Board of Directors of the Parkinson Association of the Carolinas (2010-2012).  Dr. Hirsch is especially passionate about mentoring resident physicians, junior faculty, and teaching.

Dr. Hirsch is married and has two sons. A “retired” ballroom dancer (World Amateur Formation Ballroom Championships, Blackpool, England), he is still an avid salsa fan and enjoys swimming and soccer.            

Dukjin Im, MD
Faculty Physician, Pediatric Rehabilitation at Levine Children’s Hospital

Dr. Im received his undergraduate degree in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science from John Hopkins University  He obtained his medical degree, residency, and fellowship at University of Michigan (UM) located in Ann Arbor, Michigan where he also became board certified in Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation and Pediatric Rehabilitation Medicine.

Dr. Im is a member of the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Academy of Cerebral Palsy and Developmental Medicine and the Association of Academic Physiatrists  He has special interests in spasticity management and disability issues where he spent 15 years doing summer camps for children with special needs.

In his spare time, Dr. Im enjoys spending time with his wife and three children.            

Amber Jackson, NP

Amber completed her bachelor degree in nursing in 2010 at Marquette University Wisconsin. In 2018 she earned her Masters of Science in Nursing major in Adult Acute Care at the same university. Immediately after completing her nursing degree, Amber joined Aurora Medical Center Grafton, WI and worked as a registered nurse at the Medical/Surgical Cardiac and Neurology step-down unit. Amber joined Atrium Health in 2019 and currently works with Traumatic Brain Injury patients. Amber is ACNP board certified with certifications in cardiovascular and pain management nursing.

In her spare time, Amber and her husband, Patrick enjoy the warmer climate and exploring the city with their new golden doodle, George.

Michael J. Kennelly, MD, FACS
Medical Director, Charlotte Continence Center
Director, Urology Services

Dr. Kennelly is a specialist in Female Urology, Neurourology, Urodynamics and Pelvic Reconstruction. Prior to completing an internship and residency in Surgery and Urology at the University of Michigan, Dr. Kennelly earned his medical degree from the University of Cincinnati. He received his fellowship training through the Division of Urology at the University of Texas.
He is certified as a Diplomate of the American Board of Urology and is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons. In addition, he is a member of the American Urological Association, the Society for Urodynamics and Female Urology, the American Urogynecology Association and the American Spinal Injury Association.  He has authored or co-authored several articles and book chapters in these areas of specialty.
Dr. Kennelly holds various teaching positions at Carolinas Medical Center and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He is Medical Director of CMC's Continence Center and Director of Urology at Carolinas Rehabilitation. In addition, he is Clinical Associate Professor in the Department of Surgery, Division of Urology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and President of the American Spinal Injury Association.            

Jesse Lieberman, MD
Faculty Physician

Dr. Lieberman received his undergraduate degree from North Carolina State University and his medical degree from Wake Forest University. He completed his internship in Internal Medicine at The Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University and his residency in Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation at Carolinas Rehabilitation.  Following his residency, he completed a fellowship in Spinal Cord Injury Medicine at University of Pittsburgh Medical Center and Masters of Science in Public Health at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.

Dr. Lieberman is board certified by the American Board of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and board eligible in spinal cord injury medicine. He is a member of the American Heart Association, American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, the American Spinal Injury Association and the Academy of Spinal Cord Injury Professionals. His clinical interests include spinal cord injury medicine, research of cardiovascular disease, and prevention and detection in individuals with spinal cord injury. 

Dr. Lieberman is married with twins and enjoys reading and spending time with his family.            

LaTanya D. Lofton, MD
Program Director, Spinal Cord Injury Program

Dr. Lofton is a graduate of the University of South Alabama College of Medicine. She completed her residency in Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. She was a clinical fellow in Spinal Cord Medicine at the Baylor College of Medicine.  Dr. Lofton is board certified in Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation.

Associations in which Dr. Lofton is active include the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, the Association of Academic Physiatrists, the American Medical Association, the Texas Medical Association and the Arkansas Medical Society. Her clinical interests include spinal cord injury, multiple sclerosis, spasticity, amputee rehabilitation and neuromuscular disease.  Dr. Lofton enjoys cooking, reading, playing the piano and playing the saxophone.            

Timothy B. Miller, MD
Faculty Physician

Dr. Miller received his undergraduate and medical degree from Louisiana State University. He completed his internship in Internal Medicine at Earl K. Long Medical Center and his residency in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at New York University’s Rusk Institute of Rehabilitation Medicine where he was also Chief Resident. Following residency, he became the medical director of an inpatient rehabilitation center in Louisiana.

Dr. Miller is board certified by the American Board of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and is a member of the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. His clinical interests include stroke rehabilitation and electrodiagnostic medicine. 

Dr. Miller is married with two daughters and enjoys playing basketball, traveling and watching Louisiana State University football.
           

Charles Mitchell, DO
Faculty Physician

Dr. Mitchell graduated with honors from the DeBusk College of Osteopathic Medical School in 2014. During medical school he was inducted into Sigma Sigma Phi (the honorary Osteopathic service fraternity), earned an MBA from the Lincoln Memorial University, and taught for an additional year as an OMM/Anatomy Teaching Fellow at his medical school. He later graduated from the University of Cincinnati's PM&R residency program in 2018. During residency he was awarded the Arnold P. Gold Humanism and Excellence in Teaching Award and participated in several research projects, including a retrospective pediatric cancer rehabilitation chart review and a prospective robotic intervention for post-stroke hemi-neglect.

In his free time, he enjoys biking nature trails, exploring local food fairs and festivals, and travelling to National Parks. .
                       

Mark A Newman, PhD, MPH
Assistant Professor and Research Scientist

Dr. Newman received his BS and MS degrees from Indiana University of Pennsylvania and his MPH and PhD degrees from the University of Pittsburgh.  His main research interests are examining how injury and illness impact physical function. In the past, he has worked on multi-center clinical trials focusing on falls prevention and ways to attenuate mobility disability in older adults.  Currently, he is focused on developing rehabilitative interventions that use available technology to assess each individual’s functional abilities, allowing for a more accurate characterization of the patient population.  As injury and illness affect each person differently, a goal of his research is to find more effective ways to tailor rehabilitation plans to meet the specific needs of each individual. 

He is a member of the American College of Sports Medicine.

In his spare time, Dr. Newman enjoys spending time with family and friends, running, resistance training and watching sports.            

Vu Q.C. Nguyen, MD
Vice-Chair of Academics
Director, Residency Program
Director, Stroke Program
Director, Acupuncture Clinic

Dr. Nguyen graduated from Michigan State University and completed an internship in Combined Internal Medicine/Pediatrics. He served as a physician in the United States Air Force, functioning as an Emergency Medicine physician and Interim Medical Director, and later practicing Family Medicine. After leaving the Air Force, he returned to residency training at Carolinas Rehabilitation where he served as Chief Resident and subsequently joined the faculty of Carolinas Rehabilitation.
Dr. Nguyen is board certified in the specialty of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation. He subspecializes in Stroke Rehabilitation. His research interests involve post-traumatic amnesia, dysphagia, spasticity and neuromodulation of shoulder subluxation.
Dr. Nguyen is married to another physician and they have four children - three humans and one feline. Their current interests include hiking, camping, and going to the beach.            

Shanti Pinto, MD
Faculty Physician

Dr. Shanti Pinto received her undergraduate at Valparaiso University, completed medical school at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine in Pittsburgh, PA. She completed her internship, residency, and fellowship in Brain Injury Medicine at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.  

During her spare time, Dr. Pinto enjoys running, partaking in all the activities at the US National Whitewater Center, traveling, and trying new food in Charlotte.

Terrence Pugh, MD
Faculty Physician
Associate Director, Oncology Rehabilitation

Dr. Pugh received his undergraduate degree from the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa and his medical degree from the University of Alabama School of Medicine at UAB Hospital in Birmingham. He completed an Internal Medicine internship at the UAB-Montgomery Internal Medicine Residency Program. He completed his residency in Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation at Carolinas Rehabilitation where he served as Chief Resident and joined the faculty at Carolinas Rehabilitation focusing on Cancer Rehabilitation.
Dr. Pugh is a member of the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and the Association for Academic Physiatrists.
During his spare time, Dr. Pugh enjoys spending time with family and friends, watching and participating in all types of sports, traveling, music and movies.            

Vishwa Raj, MD
Vice-Chair of Clinical Operations
Medical Director, Cancer Rehabilitation
Co-Director, Lymphedema Program

Dr. Raj is a graduate of Princeton University where he received his bachelor's degree in Biophysical Chemistry. He subsequently received his medical doctorate from the Robert Wood Johnson Medical School on the campus of Rutgers University. His internship in Internal Medicine was completed at Abington Memorial Hospital in Abington, Pa. and completed his training in Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation at the Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas.
Dr. Raj is an active member of the cancer rehabilitation community contributing work at the local, regional and national levels. His academic interest relates to cancer fatigue and treatment as well as a variety of other rehabilitation issues pertinent to cancer diagnoses. With active membership in national organizations such as the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and the Association for Academic Physiatrists, Dr. Raj hopes to further the cause of cancer rehabilitation and contribute to research that will promote appropriate treatment protocols for Hematological and Oncological rehabilitation issues.

Dr. Raj is married with one daughter and currently lives in the Charlotte area.

Sonya G. Rissmiller, MD
Faculty Physician

Dr. Rissmiller graduated from the Medical College of Virginia and completed her residency training at Carolinas Medical Center. Her special interests include musculoskeletal, orthopaedic, amputee rehabilitation, management of fibromyalgia and myofascial pain, and exercise prescription for the elderly.

Dr. Rissmiller is married with two children, two cats and two dogs.

She enjoys weightlifting, fitness activities, Dr. Phil and chocolate.            

Nicole Rup, MD
Faculty Physician, Carolinas Rehabilitation-NorthEast

Dr. Rup received her undergraduate degree in Human Physiology from Boston University, summa cum laude and her medical degree from Georgetown University School of Medicine in Washington, DC. She completed her internship in Internal Medicine at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago, IL and her residency in Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago (RIC).

Dr. Rup is a member of the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and the Association of Academic Physiatrist.

Her special interests include Neuro-Rehabilitation and Stroke Rehabilitation.Dr. Rup is married with two children and enjoys running & baking.            

Matthew B. Shall, MD
Director, Carolinas Rehabilitation, Mount Holly
Associate Residency Program Director

Dr. Shall earned his undergraduate degree from Miami of Ohio and his Doctorate of Medicine from the Medical University of Ohio. He then completed his internship in Internal Medicine at Eastern Virginia Medical School before completing his residency in Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation at Carolinas Rehabilitation where he served as Chief Resident.
Following his residency, Dr. Shall joined a private practice in Seattle, WA, before returning to Carolinas Rehabilitation in the Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation to become Medical Director of our new facility in Mount Holly. Dr. Shall is board certified by the American Board of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation as well as being a member of the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation.
In addition to participating in numerous volunteer activities and community service projects, Dr. Shall has received several honors and awards.  Dr. Shall resides with his wife, Amanda and three children, in the northwest suburbs of Charlotte.            

Laurel Socha, NP

Laurel received her masters degree in Nurse Practitioner at Vanderbilt University School of Nursing Nashville, TN. She worked as a staff nurse in the Progressive Care and PICU at Levine Children’s Hospital and at Duke Children’s Hospital as a Nurse Practitioner in the Pediatric Cardiac ICU. Laurel has been on staff at Levine Children’s Hospital Rehabilitation since March, 2012. She is a member of the National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners and American Association of Critical Care Nurses.

Laurel is married with four children and enjoys spending time with family and friends.      

Sara Sonnekalb, PA-C

Sara completed her Master of Health Sciences, Physician Assistant Studies in May 2016 at Duke University in Durham, NC.  In 2005, Sara received her Master of Education, Development Kinesiology from Bowling Green State University in Bowling Green, OH.  In May 2003, she graduated with Cum Laude honors and obtained her Bachelor of Science in Health Sciences Liberal Arts and a Bachelor of Science in Physical Education from SUNY Brockport in Brockport, New York.

Sara previously worked for Atrium Health as a PRN Staff Athletic Trainer in 2008 and full time from 2010 to 2014 as Head Athletic Trainer at Nation Ford High School in Fort Mill, SC.  She also served as Athletic Trainer and Instructor at Catawba College in Salisbury, NC where she taught First Aid, CPR Skills, Rehabilitation Techniques and Therapeutic Exercise.

J. George Thomas, MD
Medical Director, Carolinas Rehabilitation-Pineville

Dr. Thomas received his medical degree from Trivandrum Medical College in Kerala, India. He completed his internship in Internal Medicine at St. Francis Hospital and his residency in Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation at University of Missouri School of Medicine. Following residency, he completed a fellowship in spinal cord injury medicine at the University of Miami School of Medicine/Jackson Memorial Hospital. He completed a fellowship in spinal cord injury medicine at the University of Miami School of Medicine/Jackson Memorial Hospital. Subsequently, he became an attending physician on the inpatient rehabilitation unit and teaching faculty for the PM&R residency program at the University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics and has won several teaching awards from graduating residents.
Dr. Thomas is board certified by the American Board of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and received a subspecialty certification in spinal cord injury, burns rehabilitation and wound care. He is a member of the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and the American Paraplegia Society. His clinical interests include the use of neuropharmacology in cerebral injuries, spinal cord injury and burns rehabilitation and wound care. 
Dr. Thomas is married with two daughters and enjoys photography, traveling and playing soccer.            

Douglas M. Thommen, MD
Faculty Physician

Dr. Thommen is a graduate of the University of Medicine and Dentistry, New Jersey. He completed his internship in Internal Medicine at the University of Medicine and Dentistry, New Jersey and his residency in Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation at the JFK-Johnson Rehabilitation Institute, where he was Chief Resident.

His clinical special interests include musculoskeletal and electrodiagnostic medicine.

Dr. Thommen is married with one son. He enjoys marathon running, triathlons, reading and playing guitar.            

Tobias Tsai, MD
Medical Director
Pediatric Rehabilitation at Levine Children’s Hospital

Dr. Tsai received his medical degree from Johns Hopkins University. He completed his internship at University of Rochester and his residency at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center.

Dr. Tsai is nationally recognized as a leader in Pediatric Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, providing comprehensive services for children of all ages who have experienced a debilitating illness or injury. His clinical interests include cerebral palsy and brain injury. Dr. Tsai has presented at national and international medical conferences and is a member of many pediatric and rehabilitation medical organizations.

Dr. Tsai is married and has a son and daughter and enjoys spending time with family and friends.            

Shawn Van Wallendael, PA-C

Shawn completed his undergraduate degree in chemistry from University of Rochester, NY and his masters and doctorate degree in chemistry at Northwestern University in Evanston, IL. He completed his degree in Physician Assistant with academic distinction at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, NC.  He has been a member of Carolinas Rehabilitation for more than 20 years where he started as CNA in 1994 and transitioned to Physician Assistant in 2000.  He has assisted the physicians in stroke, pediatric, orthopedic, oncology and spinal cord rehabilitation.

Those from the Salisbury area may recognize him from his numerous stage appearances with Piedmont Players and the St. Thomas Players. Besides amateur theater, Shawn’s other interests include chess/games and spelunking.            

Michael Watts, MD
Faculty Physician

Dr. Michael Watts has 18 years of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation experience with 12 years of primary focus in Spinal Cord Injury. His main position, prior to arriving in Charlotte, was the Director of Spinal Cord Injury at HealthSouth, Drake in Cincinnati, OH. He also served as an Associate Professor in the Dept. of Neurology and Rehabilitation Medicine at the University of Cincinnati School of Medicine. He completed his residency at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center in 1997 and graduated in 1993 from the University of Wisconsin-Madison Medical School.

Dr. Watts is married and enjoys Ballroom Dance, Acting, Canoeing, Hiking, Camping, Photography, Travel, Graphic Arts.

Jeffrey M. Wiggins, PA-C

Mr. Wiggins received his undergraduate degree in biology from Georgia Southern University and earned his masters degree to become a Physician Assistant at South University in Savannah. Prior to PA school, he worked as a physical therapist assistant for almost seven years.

He has been on staff at Carolinas Rehabilitation since June 2004. A member of the American Academy of Physician Assistants and the National Stroke Association, Jeff is certified through the National Commission of Physician Assistants.

He enjoys spending time with his family, watching sporting events, traveling, listening to live jazz and the outdoors.            

Julian Willoughby, MD
Faculty Physician

Dr. Willoughby completed his Doctorate of Medicine and master’s degree in public health at UNC Chapel Hill.  He completed an internship in Internal Medicine at Wake Forest University and his residency in Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation at Carolinas Rehabilitation where he served as Chief Resident. After completing a fellowship in Sports Medicine at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago / Northwestern University in Chicago, Illinois he returned to Carolinas Rehab and joined the Sports Medicine and Injury Care (SMIC) Team.

Dr. Willoughby has lived in North Carolina all his life and enjoys time with wife and newly born son. 

Paul Withers, MD
Faculty Physician

Dr. Withers received his undergraduate degree in biological sciences and Master of Arts in teaching from the University of Indianapolis and his medical degree from Indiana University. He completed his residency in Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation from Wayne State University in Taylor, Michigan where he served as Chief Resident during his final year.

Dr. Withers is a member of the American Medical Association, American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Association for Academic Physiatrists, and American Medical Society for Sports Medicine. His special interests include musculoskeletal and neurologic rehabilitation.

During his spare time, Dr. Withers enjoys traveling, hiking and backpacking with his wife Rebecca.  He also enjoys board games, Frisbee, and playing with his pet tortoise, Sonic.