Staff

Elizabeth Roy Felix, Ph.D.

Research Professor
Publications
Biography: Elizabeth R. Felix, PhD is a Research Professor in the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, and a Research Health Scientist at the Miami Veterans Affairs Medical Center. She completed her undergraduate and graduate studies in Biological and Experimental Psychology at The University of North Carolina at...
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Leslie R. Morse, DO

Chair

Biography: Dr. Leslie Morse is the newly appointed Chair and Professor of the Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Department at the University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine in Miami, Florida.

Her research, as well as her clinical focus, is the care of individuals with Spinal Cord Injury (SCI), with a long-term goal of developing mechanism-based therapies...
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Kevin Dalal, M.D.

Assistant Professor
Clinical Profile | Publications
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Doug Johnson-Greene, Ph.D., M.P.H., ABPP

Professor of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Neuropsychology and Cognitive Neuroscience
Clinical Profile
Biography: Doug Johnson-Greene, Ph.D., MPH, ABPP is a rehabilitation psychologist and neuropsychologist who has been practicing for over 30 years in academic medical centers. He joined the faculty at the University of Miami School of Medicine in 2009 after spending 13 years on the faculty of the Hopkins University School of Medicine. He is currently a tenured Professor,...
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Jose Vives-Alvarado, M.D.

Assistant Professor
Clinical Profile
Biography: Dr. Jose R. Vives-Alvarado joined the faculty of the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation PM&R) as an Assistant Professor in 2021. After earning his medical degree from the University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine, he completed his PM&R residency at the University of Puerto Rico Medical Center program. In 2021, he completed his fellowship in Spinal...
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Katherine Martinez, BA

Katherine assists with data collection for the National Spinal Cord Injury Model Systems (SCIMS) database. She also helps with other research studies conducted by the South Florida SCIMS and collaborating centers.

Dinorah Rodriguez, R.N.

Dinorah Rodriguez is clinical research nurse having coordinated a wide range of clinical trials over the past 24 years at the University of Miami in the areas of movement disorders, oncology, urology and orthopedic trauma. She has a thorough understanding of the IRB and regulatory processes, federal regulations, GCP guidelines, screening and recruitment, delivery of patient care and patient education. She has been part of the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation since 2019 and is the study coordinator for the Spinal Cord Injury Exercise and Nutrition Conceptual Engagement (SCIENCE) study.

Lais Vidotto, MS

Lais Vidotto is a PT who specialized in Respiratory Care, and a Master of Science in Rehabilitation Sciences. She has over 14 years of experience working as a clinician and research coordinator with a wide range of clinical populations. Lais is now a Clinical Research Coordinator at the South Florida SCI Model Systems and is dedicated to ensuring ethical standards and humanization in research.

Kathryn Collazos, Ph.D., BSN, RN

Dr. Collazos joined the South Florida Spinal Cord Injury Model System team in 2024. Drawing upon her clinical nursing (University of Wisconsin-Madison ’16) and nursing science (University of Miami ’23) backgrounds, she aims to build upon her program of research focused on neuroinflammatory markers to better understand neuropathic pain and outcomes in patients with neurological conditions.

Alicia Sneij, Ph.D., RD

Publications

Biography: Dr. Sneij aims to use metabolism research to understand why persons with spinal cord injury (SCI) develop profound obesity and optimize therapeutic strategies to manage this outcome. Primarily he is a team member on a study examining the effect of home-based exercise on cardiometabolic health in persons with SCI and is also involved in other projects regarding dietary fat metabolism, the energetics of exercise, hurricane preparedness, and novel tests of the sympathetic nervous system.

Mariana Montenegro

Mariana is an undergraduate research assistant, studying Psychology and Computer Science at the University of Miami. She aids with data entry and helps with research studies conducted by the by the South Florida SCIMS.

Gary J. Farkas, Ph.D., MSCTI

Publications | Research

Biography: Dr. Farkas received his bachelor’s degree in kinesiology from the University of Illinois at Chicago, a master’s degree in clinical and translational investigation from the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, and a doctor of philosophy in anatomy from the Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine. He spent his final years training as a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine / The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis. Dr. Farkas is an Assistant Professor of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, with a secondary appointment in the Miami Project to Cure Paralysis. His funded research centers around neurogenic obesity following spinal cord injury, delving into the interplay of factors influencing energy metabolism, appetite regulation, and eating behavior. Dr. Farkas is an award-winning researcher recognized by numerous local and national organizations. He has authored over 50 peer-reviewed papers and book chapters and presented his findings at national and international conferences.

 

Eduard Tiozzo, Ph.D. MSCTI FAHA

Publications | Research

Biography: Dr. Eduard Tiozzo joined the faculty of the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PM&R), University of Miami, in 2020. He is currently a Research Assistant Professor and Research Residency Program Director. After earning his doctoral degree in Exercise Physiology, he completed his Master’s degree in Clinical and Translational Investigation; both degrees earned at University of Miami. His research interests include studying the feasibility and efficacy of physical activity, exercise and healthy eating in chronic conditions, previously on a multicenter stroke trial funded by the American Heart Association and currently on a spinal cord injury trial funded by the National Institute of Health. He has contributed to over 40 peer-reviewed scientific articles and several book chapters. His other academic interest extends to graduate medical education (GME) and training the next generation of PM&R physicians and fellows in methodology of clinical research. Dr. Tiozzo currently serves as a member on the Miller School of Medicine Faculty Council and is a fellow of the American Heart Association.

David William McMillan, Ph.D.

Publications | Research | Full Profile

Biography: Dr. David McMillan’s quest to The Miami Project began in 2010 during his undergraduate scientific training (BS Kinesiology; Dr. Todd A. Astorino at CSU San Marcos) where concurrent to his studies he serendipitously began working with people who have spinal cord injury (SCI) at a facility called Project Walk. He aimed to marry these academic and community efforts, and started to during his masters (MS Kinesiology; Dr. Christine J. Dy at CSU Los Angeles) with a thesis on “interappendicular neurological coupling” determining the role that arm-swings during locomotor rehab plays on muscle activity of paralyzed legs during assisted walking. In the summer of 2014 he was named a Sally Casanova Pre-Doctoral Scholar and awarded funding to conduct a summer research fellowship at The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis in the Applied Physiology Laboratory of Dr. Mark Nash.

After this fruitful summer fellowship Dr. McMillan began his doctoral training (PhD Exercise Physiology) at the University of Miami under the advisement of Dr. Kevin A. Jacobs and Dr. Mark S. Nash. His dissertation project, funded by a Craig H. Neilsen foundation SCIRTS grant, was the first trial to use stable isotope metabolic tracers in persons with SCI (NCT03691532). Dr. McMillan’s postdoctoral training was conducted with Dr. David Gater at the Christine E. Lynn Rehabilitation Center for The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis a involved a clinical trial determining the effect of a home-based exercise and/or nutritional intervention on obesity in SCI (NCT03495986).

Outside of academia Dr. McMillan is active in the community where he is a keen purveyor of adaptive outdoor recreation. Of interest, he is a scuba diver and “adaptive dive buddy” where he facilitates diving for youth and adults with various types of disability. He contributes to this field as a Board Member and Co-Chair of the Scientific Advisory Committee for Therapeutic Scuba Institute, Inc.