Meet the Team
Boston University
Mary Beth Holmes PT, DPT, NCS, PhD
Director of Neurologic Physical Therapy Residency Program
Dr. Holmes is an assistant clinical professor and co-director of clinical education at Boston University Sargent College of Health & Rehabilitation Sciences in the Department of Physical Therapy. Her clinical practice has been in the acute care setting with a primary focus on treating individuals in the Neurologic Intensive Care Unit. Dr. Holmes teaches on topics related to learning and behavior change theory within the Doctor of Physical Therapy Program at Boston University. Dr. Holmes received her Masters of Science degree in physical therapy from Sacred Heart University and her doctorate in physical therapy from Massachusetts General Hospital Institute of Health Professions. She earned her PhD in Adult Learning and Human Development PhD from Lesley University.
Terry Ellis PhD, PT, NCS
Neurologic Physical Therapy Residency Program Advisor
Dr. Ellis is a professor at Boston University Sargent College of Health & Rehabilitation Sciences and chair of the Department of Physical Therapy. Her research focuses on investigating the impact of exercise and rehabilitation on the progression of disability in individuals with Parkinson disease. Dr. Ellis is also the Director of the Center for Neurorehabilitation at Boston University where she conducts research, provides clinical consultations and education to healthcare professionals and to persons with neurological disorders. In addition, Dr. Ellis directs the American Parkinson Disease Association National Rehabilitation Resource Center housed at Boston University. She also teaches examination and treatment of patients with neurological disorders within the Doctor of Physical Therapy Program at Boston University. Dr. Ellis has a PhD in Behavioral Neurosciences from Boston University School of Medicine. In addition, she is a board certified specialist in Neurologic Physical Therapy. She has published numerous articles and lectures internationally on topics related to rehabilitation in persons with Parkinson disease. Dr. Ellis is on the editorial board of the Journal of Neurologic Physical Therapy, a member of the American Physical Therapy Association and the Movement Disorders Society Society, and is an American Physical Therapy Association Catherine Worthingham Fellow.
Teresa Baker, PT, DPT, NCS
Clinical Mentor
Teresa Baker is a physical therapist at the Center for Neurorehabilitation where she provides clinical care and participates in research and educational activities with persons with Parkinson disease and movement disorders. She was previously an advanced physical therapist at Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital’s Outpatient Center in Medford, Mass., an outpatient center within the Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital network. She has worked in the Spaulding system as a physical therapist since 2007, providing clinical care to outpatients treating a variety of diagnoses. She specializes in neurology with a special interest in vestibular rehab. Baker has completed the American Physical Therapy Association Vestibular Rehabilitation competency course. She is also a lab instructor at Massachusetts General Hospital Institute of Health Professions for the courses Clinical Management of Neuromuscular Disorders I and II. Teresa received her doctorate in physical therapy from Massachusetts General Hospital Institute of Health Professions in 2007. She is also a board certified specialist in neurologic physical therapy and a member of the American Physical Therapy Association. Teresa enjoys traveling and yoga.
Timothy Nordahl, PT, DPT
Clinical Mentor
Dr. Nordahl is a physical therapist at the Center for Neurorehabilitation where he provides patient care and participates in research and education activities with persons with Parkinson disease and related movement disorders. Prior to joining the Center for Neurorehabilitation, he was a senior physical therapist at Newton-Wellesley Hospital where he provided physical therapy to patients with vestibular and balance disorders, musculoskeletal conditions, and a variety of other neurologic conditions. Tim has completed the American Physical Therapy Association’s Vestibular Rehabilitation competency course and is a board certified specialist in Neurologic Physical Therapy. He is an active member of the American Physical Therapy Association and the Academy of Neurologic Physical Therapy. He received his Doctor of Physical Therapy degree from Boston University in 2011 and has served as a lab instructor of the Doctor of Physical Therapy programs at Boston University and the Massachusetts General Hospital Institute of Health Professions.
Lisa Brown, PT, DPT, NCS
Teaching Mentor
Dr. Brown is a clinical assistant professor at Boston University Sargent College of Health & Rehabilitation Sciences in the Department of Physical Therapy. As a member of the Center for Neurorehabilitation at Boston University, Dr. Brown participates in research with individuals with Parkinson disease. Dr. Brown teaches in the clinical application courses in the Doctor of Physical Therapy Program at Boston University and provides clinical services to patients with a variety of neurological diagnosis at Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital. Dr. Brown received her bachelor’s degree in physical therapy from the University of Vermont and her doctorate in physical therapy with a competency in Neurological Clinical Practice from the Massachusetts General Hospital Institute of Health Professions. She is a board certified specialist in neurologic physical therapy and a Vestibular Certified Specialist. Dr. Brown is chair of the nomination committee for the Degenerative Diseases Special Interest Group of the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) as well as a member of the American Physical Therapy Association of Massachusetts Education and Research Committee and the development team for the Neurologic Special Interest Group for the APTA of MA. Dr. Brown assists in coordinating the laboratory sessions for PT652: Neurological Systems I, in which the residents take part in a mentored teaching experience.
Erin Riley PT, DPT, NCS
Teaching Mentor
Erin Riley is a clinical assistant professor and co-director of clinical education in the physical therapy program at Boston University Sargent College of Health & Rehabilitation Sciences. She is also a 2004 MSPT graduate of BU’s program and went on to receive her DPT from Massachusetts General Hospital Institute of Health Professions in 2007. She has practiced clinically at Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital in Charlestown, Mass. since 2007 and is an APTA board certified neurological clinical specialist. Riley teaches in the areas of professional clinical education and neurological physical therapy. Clinically, Riley’s areas of expertise include brain injury and vestibular rehabilitation. Additional areas of interest include teaching and learning technologies, social justice, and constructive conflict.
Nick Wendel, PT, DPT, NCS
Teaching Mentor
Nick Wendel is a board certified neurologic physical therapy specialist with a doctorate in physical therapy from Boston University. He has completed a neurologic physical therapy residency through Boston University and has worked in the acute care, inpatient rehabilitation, and outpatient settings focusing on individuals with neurologic dysfunction. He is a senior outpatient physical therapist at Newton Wellesley Ambulatory Care Center and enjoys working with patients with a wide variety of neurological disorders with a specific interest in people with Parkinson Disease and individuals with vestibular dysfunction. Wendel has also worked as a teaching assistant at Boston University in their neurologic curriculum for the past three years and has served as treasurer for the APTA of MA Neuro SIG from 2018-2019.
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
Deb Adduci, PT
Clinical Manager
Deb Adduci is the clinical manager of inpatient physical therapy and occupational therapy at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, an acute care, level I trauma and tertiary care Harvard affiliated teaching hospital located in Boston, Massachusetts. She oversees a staff of nearly 70 employees. Adduci successfully completed an internal leadership program to become a Sloane Fellow this past September. She has been in a leadership role since 1998. Prior to that she was an inpatient team leader specializing in orthopedics working with patients following total joint replacement and multiple trauma. Prior to working at Beth Israel Deaconess, she worked at Rhode Island Hospital in Providence, RI where she treated a variety of diagnoses across a number of settings including acute care, inpatient rehab, outpatient, and home care.
Brian McDonnell, PT, DPT, GCS
Clinical Mentor
Since graduating from Boston University with a Master of Science in physical therapy in 2004, Dr. McDonnell has been an acute care physical therapist at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) where he is currently the inpatient PT team Llader. Brian has extensive experience providing clinical care to patients on a variety of units throughout the medical center including neurology, neurosurgery, and neuro-intensive care. His experience in clinical education includes many years as an APTA certified clinical instructor as well as a tutorial leader for Boston University’s Comprehensive Clinical Reasoning course. Brian is also involved in supporting the development of clinical reasoning skills of less experienced PTs at BIDMC with mentoring efforts published in the JACPT, “The Development of a Physical Therapy Mentorship Program in Acute Care.” McDonnell received a doctorate in physical therapy from Massachusetts General Hospital Institute of Health Professions in 2014. He has been providing mentorship in the Neurologic Physical Therapy Residency Program since 2013 and has been the lead clinical mentor for the program since 2018. He is a board certified specialist in geriatric physical therapy and a member of the APTA.
Shannon Carlson, DPT
Clinical Mentor
Shannon Carlson received her doctorate in physical therapy at Boston University in 2013. Since graduation, she has been working in the acute care setting, with particular clinical interest in severe traumatic brain injury, stroke, and spinal cord injury. Shannon is an APTA member and became a board-certified clinical specialist in neurology in 2019. She is a mentor for clinicians on neurological rotations at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, a member of the disorders of consciousness team, and sits on the hospital wide traumatic brain injury committee. Shannon is a lab instructor for Neurological Systems I and II, and has been providing mentorship in the Neurologic Physical Therapy Residence Program since 2019.
Stacey Adamson Maguire, PT, DPT, NCS
Clinical Mentor
Dr. Adamson is the inpatient rehab team leader at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, an acute teaching hospital in Boston. She has worked there as a physical therapist since 2000, providing clinical care to patients throughout all inpatient areas of the hospital, treating a variety of diagnoses. She specializes in neurology and also provides care to infants in the neonatal intensive care unit and nurseries. As the inpatient team leader, she supervises inpatient staff physical therapists and assists in departmental organization and development. Dr. Adamson has also been an adjunct faculty member at Boston University Sargent College of Health & Rehabilitation Sciences since 2005, teaching in the Doctor of Physical Therapy Program. She presents biannual lectures in the neurology curriculum on inpatient care of patients with neurological dysfunction. She is a lab instructor for Neurological Systems I and II and has also been a lab instructor for Cardiopulmonary Systems I. Dr. Adamson received a Master of Science degree in physical therapy from Boston University in 2000, and went on to receive her
doctorate in physical therapy from MGH Institute of Health Professions in 2008. She is also a board certified specialist in neurologic physical therapy and a member of the American Physical Therapy Association.
Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital Medford
Lisa Pezzini, PT
Clinical Director
Lisa Pezzini is the clinical supervisor of the Neurology Program at Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital Outpatient Center in Medford, Mass. She began working there in 1995 and started the comprehensive multidisciplinary neurology program which she continues to develop and supervise. Pezzini has spent her career specializing in neurology and provides care to patients with a wide variety of diagnoses. She has an expertise in gait analysis, postural assessment and bracing. In addition, Pezzini is the Brace Clinic director for the center, providing evaluation for all types of bracing options to patients with a wide range of diagnoses. She oversees all aspects of both programs across disciplines and has been dedicated to further strengthening the quality of multidisciplinary rehabilitation care and services available on an outpatient basis to all neurology patients.
Sara Crandall, PT, DPT, NCS
Clinical Mentor
Sara Crandall is a physical therapist on the neurology team at Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital’s Outpatient Center in Medford, Mass. She has worked at Spaulding Medford since 2014 and treats a variety of neurological diagnoses. She also leads an adaptive running group (Spaulding Runners in Training) and adaptive dance for Parkinson’s group through Spaulding Adaptive Sports Centers. Crandall completed the Boston University Neurological Physical Therapy residency from 2012-2013 and went on to become certified as a neurologic clinical specialist in 2014. She received a Bachelor of Science in exercise studies from Boston University in 2010, and her doctorate in physical therapy from Boston University in 2012. Sara is currently the nominating committee chair of the ANPT Degenerative Disease’s SIG and works on their podcast “4D: Deep Dive Into Degenerative Diseases.”
Hilary Jacobson, PT, DPT, NCS
Clinical Mentor
Hilary Jacobson is a board certified clinical specialist in neurology at Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital Outpatient Center in Medford. She has more than 15 years experience working with patients in a variety of settings. She has spent the past eight years working in Medford helping grow the neurological interdisciplinary team. She received her Bachelor of Science from the University of New Hampshire and both her Master of Science in physical therapy and doctorate in physical therapy from the MGH Institute of Health Professions.
Elizabeth “Lizzy” Powers, DPT
Clinical Mentor
Elizabeth “Lizzy” Powers received her Bachelor of Science in Health Studies from Boston University in 2014 and her Doctor of Physical Therapy from Boston University in 2016. After graduating, Lizzy worked in the acute care setting at Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH) for 3.5 years assessing and treating patients with a variety of orthopedic, cardiac, oncological and neurological conditions as well as critically ill patients in the medical, surgical and neurological intensive care units. Lizzy transitioned to the outpatient setting at BWH in Foxborough in 2020 to gain more experience treating patients with neurologic and vestibular impairments. She has attended two advanced courses on vestibular rehabilitation and developed a vestibular assessment and treatment protocol for physical therapists on the inpatient service in the emergency department. In 2021, she obtained her advanced board certification as a Neurologic Clinical Specialist by the APTA. Lizzy recently transitioned from BWH to Spaulding in Medford, which is a neuro-focused multidisciplinary clinic. Lizzy’s clinical interests include treating patients with neurological, vestibular, and other balance disorders, including but not limited to BPPV, vestibular hypofunction, stroke, spinal cord injury, traumatic brain injury, Parkinson’s disease, and Multiple Sclerosis. Lizzy received her LSVT BIG certification in December 2020. In addition to her clinical work, she has led tutorial groups at Simmons University as part of their cardiopulmonary coursework and is an adjunct faculty at Northeastern University in their lab for neuro II. She continues to work per diem in the acute care setting at BWH.