Our Team

The reBRAINed initiative is driven by a passionate team dedicated to empowering young adult patients and caregivers as they navigate chronic neurological and cardiac illness.

As the revered Helen Keller once said, "Alone we can do so little, together we can do so much" — and with those words in mind, we are compiling a talented and highly respected team of individuals to help us strategize, inform, and optimize our site along the way.

Our advisors are seasoned, front-line professionals with impressive academic credentials to match. They are truly devoted to making a difference. Having experienced their impact firsthand, we are proud to introduce them to you.

Linda J. Addonizio, MD

James R. Malm, MD Professor of Pediatric Cardiovascular Medicine and Surgery (in Pediatrics)

Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons

Director Emeritus, Program for Pediatric Cardiomyopathy, Heart Failure and Transplantation. Additional information coming soon.

David Baran, MD

Section Head of Advanced Heart Failure, Transplant and Mechanical Circulatory Support (MCS)

Cleveland Clinic Weston Hospital

Cleveland Clinic

Prior to joining Cleveland Clinic, Dr. Baran was System Director for Advanced Heart Failure, Transplant, and Mechanical Circulatory Support at Sentara Heart Hospital in Norfolk, Virginia, and served 14 years as Director of Heart Failure and Transplant Research at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center. He earned his medical degree at the University of South Florida Morsani College of Medicine, completed an internal medicine residency at Columbia Presbyterian, a clinical cardiology fellowship at Mount Sinai, and two fellowships at Columbia-Presbyterian — one in congestive heart failure and transplantation, one in cardiac imaging. As a clinical researcher, Dr. Baran focuses on transplant immunosuppression and the management of cardiogenic shock. He led the team that created the SCAI Shock classification system, used worldwide to describe the severity of cardiogenic shock, and has co-authored more than 120 peer-reviewed articles and conducted more than 125 lectures.

View completed CV here

Sabrina Breed, PhD

Director of Doctoral Training in Clinical Psychology

Department of Rehabilitation and Human Performance, Mount Sinai Medical Center, New York City

Mount Sinai

Dr. Breed is Director of the Internship Training Program, a Senior Clinical Psychologist in the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, and a supervisor of interns on the inpatient brain injury and functional rehabilitation services at Mount Sinai. She received her Doctorate in Clinical Psychology from Fairleigh Dickinson University and completed a two-year Postdoctoral Fellowship in Advanced Neuropsychology and Rehabilitation Research at Mount Sinai. Her clinical interests include acute treatment of individuals with brain injury, psychosocial adjustment after brain injury, program development for individuals with brain injury and limb loss, and group modalities.

Steven Flanagan, MD, FAAPMR

Professor & Chairman, Department of Rehabilitation Medicine; Medical Director, Rusk Rehabilitation

NYU Grossman School of Medicine / NYU Langone Health

NYU LangoneAging After Brain Injury: BrainLine Talks with Dr. Steven Flanagan

Dr. Flanagan is a nationally and internationally recognized leader in brain injury rehabilitation, currently serving as Howard A. Rusk Professor and Chair of Rehabilitation Medicine at NYU Grossman School of Medicine and Medical Director of Rusk Rehabilitation at NYU Langone Health, which he joined in 2008. He previously served as Vice Chairman of Rehabilitation Medicine at Mount Sinai School of Medicine. Dr. Flanagan serves on several national and international medical advisory boards and the editorial board of the Journal of Head Trauma Rehabilitation, and held multiple leadership roles for the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, including President from 2022–2023. He has authored numerous chapters and peer-reviewed publications, participated in federally and industry-sponsored research, and served as Panel Chair for national review panels for the Veterans Administration and the Department of Defense TBI program. He has received awards from the Brain Injury Association of New York State, Mount Sinai Medical Center, the North American Brain Injury Association, and others, and Castle Connolly has listed him as one of America's Top Doctors continuously since 2010.

Peggy Gaines, RN, BSN

Meditation Coach, Reiki Master Teacher, and Nurse Educator

Reiki and Meditation with Peggy Gaines — Coconut Grove, FL

Reiki and Meditation with Peggy Gaines

Peggy Gaines is a published author, professional speaker, and nurse educator. A Reiki Master Teacher and certified Meditation instructor, she began her career teaching relaxation and breathing techniques as a labor and delivery nurse in Kansas City. In 1992 she moved to Florida, where she discovered meditation — a practice she has maintained for over 30 years. After becoming certified as a Clinical Meditation Specialist, she began teaching meditation for stress reduction. She became a Reiki Master in 2010 and is now a Licensed Reiki Master Teacher through the International Center for Reiki Training, offering Reiki sessions and classes in Miami and New York City.

Elisabeth Halfpapp & Fred Devito

Founding Partners, CoreBarreFit; Founding Partners, Exhale Fitness

CoreBarreFit

CoreBarreFit CoreBarreFit Videos

Elisabeth Halfpapp and Fred Devito are the Founding Partners of CoreBarreFit and longtime leaders in barre fitness education. Elisabeth began her journey in Dance Education at the Hartford Ballet and became a pioneer of the Lotte Berk Method in New York City, the Hamptons, and Los Angeles. Together with Fred, she co-founded Exhale — developing its signature barre, cardio, and yoga programs — co-created the Exhale Barre Teacher Training certification, trained hundreds of instructors, and co-authored the industry-standard Barre Fitness Book. After Exhale was acquired by Hyatt, Elisabeth served as Senior Director of Mind Body Fitness at their Miraval properties. Fred holds a BS in Physical Education and Health and became the world's first male barre teacher with the Lotte Berk Method. A sought-after fitness expert, he has written widely on stress management and healthy living, holds a Thai stretch certification from Lotus Palm in Montreal, and is also an accomplished jazz double bass player whose musical sensibility shapes the CoreBarreFit class experience. Together they founded CoreBarreFit in 2019, continuing their mission to deliver expert, accessible barre fitness programs.

Łukasz Kwapisz, MD, FRCPC, Hon. BSc

Physician, Consultant, & Assistant Professor

Baptist Hospital, Gastro Health, Florida International University, Miami, Florida

Dr. Kwapisz is a gastroenterologist specializing in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), with extensive experience in treating Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, gut microbiome, GI infections, and high-risk cancer syndromes. He holds certifications from both American and Canadian medical boards and has a strong research background with numerous publications and ongoing clinical trials. He completed his medical degree at the University of Ottawa and a B.Sc. in Chemistry with Honors at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. His postgraduate training includes internal medicine and gastroenterology residencies at Western University in Canada, followed by advanced fellowships in IBD at Mayo Clinic and Baylor College of Medicine.

Currently, he serves as a consultant and assistant professor at Baptist Hospital and Florida International University, with previous academic roles at Baylor College of Medicine. Dr. Kwapisz has authored multiple peer-reviewed articles focusing on imaging techniques like MR and CT enterography for Crohn's disease surveillance, the safety and efficacy of biologic and small molecule therapies in IBD, and the predictive value of fecal calprotectin for disease activity. His upcoming work includes studies on response assessment during Vedolizumab therapy and predictors of Crohn's disease outcomes.

He has participated in numerous clinical trials evaluating novel therapies such as Abt-494, Upadacitinib, Risankizumab, Ozanimod, Mirikizumab, and others, aimed at improving treatment efficacy and safety in IBD. Dr. Kwapisz is a recognized medical expert featured in over 50 televised segments across the US and Canada, notably on Fox and Global TV, and has been a prominent voice on COVID-19 in media outlets. Overall, Dr. Kwapisz combines clinical excellence, research innovation, and media outreach to advance the understanding and treatment of inflammatory bowel diseases.

April Norris, CHt

Board-Certified Master Hypnosis Trainer, Author, and Communication Specialist

April Norris Mind Training LinkedIn

With more than 25 years of experience helping individuals transform thought patterns, emotional states, and behavioral outcomes. Her work integrates evidence-informed hypnosis, NLP, brainwave entrainment, and mind-body approaches to support clarity, resilience, and healing.

View completed CV here

Mind Manual Training & Certification

Leo Shea III, PhD

President, Neuropsychological Evaluation and Treatment Services; Senior Staff Psychologist and Clinical Associate Professor of Rehabilitation Medicine

Rusk Institute, New York University-Langone Medical Center

NYU LangoneTickBootCamp Podcast — Episode 192: Lyme's NeuropsychologistDiscussing The Effects of Lyme Disease on the Brain with Dr. Leo Shea III

Dr. Shea's practice focuses on traumatic brain injury, neurological disorders, tick-borne diseases, forensic evaluations, and treatment of individuals and families. He directs the Family Therapy Training Program at NYU-Langone and has served as an organizational consultant to national and international corporations on human resources, executive training, trauma response, and health care issues — including the United Nations Development Program. Dr. Shea is the Past President and board member of the International Lyme and Associated Diseases Educational Foundation (ILADEF). He holds an Ed.M. from Harvard Graduate School of Education and a Ph.D. with dual specialty in Clinical Psychology and Clinical Neuropsychology from the Miami Institute of Psychology.

David Weiss, MD

Gastroenterologist; Chief of Gastroenterology; Physician Member, Executive Board

Gastro Health / Memorial Regional Hospital, Hollywood, FL

GastroHealth

Dr. Weiss is a board-certified gastroenterologist with over 35 years of experience in gastroenterology and internal medicine, specializing in endoscopy and liver disease. He serves as a leader in Florida's Gastro Health network — present in seven states with over 400 physicians and 150 locations — and is currently Chief of Gastroenterology at Memorial Regional Hospital.

Stergios Zacharoulis, MD

Senior Director of Pediatric Oncology, Bristol Myers Squibb Associates; Associate Professor of Pediatric Oncology

Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York

Columbia University — Department of PediatricsThis Week in Pediatric Oncology — Brain Tumors and the Blood-Brain Barrier

Additional information coming soon.

Warren Zuckerman, MD

Associate Professor of Pediatrics; Associate Director, Pediatric Cardiology Division

Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons / NewYork-Presbyterian Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital

Columbia University Irving Medical CenterPedsCrit Podcast — Heart Transplant with Dr. Warren Zuckerman & Dr. Gav Apfel, Part 1

Dr. Zuckerman completed both his pediatric residency and his cardiology fellowship at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons and is now a practicing pediatric cardiologist at Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital. His research interests include pediatric cardiomyopathies, donor- and recipient-related issues surrounding pediatric heart transplantation, and drug therapies for prevention and treatment of graft rejection following heart transplantation.