ToxNet Members

Chief Medical Officer, TIRR Memorial Hermann

Professor and Chairman of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at McGovern Medical School at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth)

Dr. Francisco is one of the United States’ leading physicians in the field of brain injury and stroke rehabilitation and spasticity management. A frequent lecturer nationally and internationally, he is currently conducting research on the use of botulinum toxin and intrathecal baclofen for the treatment of spasticity, along with the use of robots to facilitate recovery after a stroke or spinal cord injury. Dr. Francisco is a Principal investigator in an R01 grant from the National Institutes of Health.

Dr. Francisco is chairman and clinical professor in the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PM&R) at The University of Texas Medical School at Houston and adjunct professor at Baylor College of Medicine. He received his medical degree from the University of the Philippines and completed his internship at Michael Reese Hospital in Chicago. His residency in PM&R was at the University of Medicine and Dentistry-New Jersey Medical School, where he was chief resident. Dr. Francisco completed a postdoctoral fellowship in Brain Injury Rehabilitation at Baylor College of Medicine.

Before joining the Brain Injury Program at TIRR Memorial Hermann in 1997, he served as director of the Brain Injury Program at Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation and assistant professor in the department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at New Jersey Medical School.

Dr. Francisco was named Distinguished Educator Professor by University of Texas Medical School at Houston “Academy of Master Educators” in 2012 and inducted as a member of the University of Texas Academy of Health Science Education (2013). Dr. Francisco was elected to “Best Doctors in America” for 2007-2008 by his peers. From 2001-2012, he has been listed in “Best Doctors in America” by U.S. World & News Report. In 2013, he was nominated by his peers to Houstonia Magazine’s list of Top Doctors.

Services Provided by Dr. Francisco:

Comprehensive spasticity management, including:

Botulinum toxin injection
Phenol neurolysis
Intrathecal baclofen pumps
Outpatient management of persons who have sustained:

Stroke
Brain Injury

Prof. Jörg Wissel, MD, FRCP is a specialist in Neurorehabilitation, Movement Disorders and Botulinumtoxin treatment. He is a board certified Neurologist, Rehabilitation specialist and Psychotherapist and authored more than 125 original articles. Since 2012 he is the head of the Department Neurorehabilitation and Physical Therapy at Vivantes Hospital Spandau in Berlin, Germany. Since 2000 he is Professor of Neurology and member of the faculty at University of Innsbruck, Austria. Since 2010 he is also Professor of Neurology at University of Potsdam, Germany. He was Member of the Board of the German Neurorehabilitation Society, scientific advisor of the German Dystonia Society (patient association) and was past chairman of the German Botulinumtoxin User Group of the German Society of Neurology.

Djamel Bensmail is professor of physical and rehabilitation medicine at the university of Versailles Saint Quentin since 2010 and the head of the spinal cord injury-multiple sclerosis unit and spasticity management unit of the R. Poincaré hospital. He is director of the Master degree Neurological Handicap from Paris Saclay university. He is president of the Garches Foundation dedicated to neurological handicap (research, education and patient management). He is coordinator of a MS care resource and referral center in the western part of Paris area. He is member of the team 3 of the U1179 (ENDICAP) Inserm-UVSQ laboratory. He is also a board member of the French society of physical medicine and rehabilitation (SOFMER). He published more than 100 peer-reviewed original publications.

Dr. Luis Jorge Jacinto received his academic degree from the Faculdade de Medicina de Lisboa in 1990. He is the Director of one Adult Rehabilitation Service (68 beds for inpatient neurorehabilitation) since 2009 and in charge of the Gait Laboratory (since 2000), at the Centro de Medicina de Reabilitação de Alcoitão, Alcabideche, Portugal. He started the Botulinum Toxin Clinic at the Centro de Medicina de Reabilitação in 2000. During 2000-2015, he was a permanent PM&R consultant of the Associação de Paralisia Cerebral de Lisboa (Lisbon Association of Cerebral Palsy). He has been mostly dedicated to neurological rehabilitation and particularly the treatment of spasticity – evaluation treatment and follow-up of neurologic patients treated with botulinum toxin, having authored/co-authored several publications. He was the Deputy Clinical Director at Centro de Medicina de Reabilitação de Alcoitão (2006-2009). Dr. Jacinto has had several teaching experiences at the Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de Lisboa, Escola Superior de Saude de Alcoitao, Instituto Superior Técnico – Universidade Técnica de Lisboa, Universidade Nova de Lisboa and Universidade Autónoma de Lisboa. He teaches courses at national and international level for specialists and residents in physical medicine and rehabilitation, concerning “gait analysis”, “use of botulinum toxin within the global management of spasticity”, “patient centered Goal Setting”, “outcomes in PM&R”, “Patient centered multidisciplinary team approach in Neuro-rehabilitation”. He is a member of several scientific societies: SPMFR – Sociedade Portuguesa de Medicina Física e de Reabilitação, Sociedad Española de Neuro- Rehabilitación, European Society of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Internacional Society of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine, World Federation of Neurorehabilitation and Iberia Society of Biomechanics in Rehabilitation- SIBRehab.He is also a member of the PM&R board of the College of Physicians of Portugal.

For the past 20 years, Michael W. O’Dell, M.D. has been a Clinical Professor in the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine at Weill Cornell Medicine and Attending Physician at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital-Weill Cornell Medical Center in New York City. Dr. O’Dell is internationally known for his clinical expertise, research and education in neurological rehabilitation. After earning an MD from Indiana University School of Medicine, he completed a PM&R residency at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia and a Brain Injury and Trauma Rehabilitation fellowship at Mediplex-Rehabilitation. He is the author of over 75 peer-reviewed papers and has garnered over $3.1 million in philanthropic and industry funded research. He formerly served on the editorial boards of both the Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and the Journal of Head Trauma Rehabilitation. He is a past member of the AAPM&R Board of Governors and directed the effort to establish the Program for Academic Leadership within the AAP. Dr. O’Dell is actively involved in resident and medical student education at Weill Cornell Medical Center.

Dr Franco Molteni is the director of Valduce Rehabilitation Hospital in Como, Italy. He obtained his medical degree in Milan University, Italy in 1981 and his board certification in 1984 in PM&R in the same university. Below is a summary of his career to date:
– 1984 Board -certified Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Milan Univer-sity Italy
– 1984 Award Italian Society of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
– 1999 International Collaboration Moss Rehabilitation Center Philadelphia USA
– 2000 Consultant Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation Unione Italiana Lotta alla Distrofia Muscolare
– 2000 Director of the Gait and Motion Analysis Laboratory of Valduce Hospital Rehabilitation Centre Villa Beretta Costamasnaga Italy 2000
– 2002 – Current Consultant Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation Istituto Neurologico “C.Besta” Milan
– 2002-2006 Director Italian Journal of Rehabilitation Medicine
– 2004 – Current Clinical Director Valduce Hospital Rehabilitation Centre Villa Beretta Costa Masnaga Italy
– 2004 -2007 Director Valduce Rehabilitation Hospital Research Program Health Innovation Technological Network@Lecco
– 2009 – 2012 Director Valduce Rehabilitation Hospital Egypt –Italy Re-search Program
– 2012 – 2014 Director Valduce Rehabilitation Hospital Research Program MUNDUS (EU)
– 2010 – 2014 Director Valduce Rehabilitation Hospital Research Program SPIDER (Cariplo Foundation)
– 2014 – 2017 Director Valduce Rehabilitation Hospital Research Program Retrainer (EU)
– 2013 – 2017 Director Valduce Rehabilitation Hospital Research Program
– 2013-2017 Director Valduce Rehabilitation Hospital Research Program Incognito (CARIPLO Foundation -CARIGEST Foundation)
– 2013 – 2017 Director Valduce Rehabilitation Hospital Research Program HEAD ( CARIPLO Foundation -CARIGEST Foundation)
– 2017-2020 Director Valduce Rehabilitation Hospital Research Program EMPATIA ( CARIPLO Foundation – Lombardia Region)
– 2018-2021 Director Valduce Rehabilitation Hospital Research Program Incognito 2 (CARIPLO Foundation -CARIGEST Foundation)
– 2018 Consultant Thumbay Group UAE
– 2018 Associate Researcher National Council of Research Italy
– 2019 – 2022 Director Valduce Rehabilitation Hospital Research project ReHyb EU
– Member of the Italian Society of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
– Honorary Member Royal Belgian Society of Physical Medicine and Reha-bilitation
– Member of Valduce Foundation – Univerlecco Lecco Italy

His Scientific Collaborations include:
Movendo Technology Italy
Merz Pharmaceuticals GmbH Germany
IUVO Italy
University of Padova Italy
University of Torino Italy
University of Milan Italy
Politecnico of Milan Italy

Professor Thierry Deltombe is the head of the Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation department at the CHU UCL Namur site Godinne of the well-known Université de Louvain (UCL) in Belgium. He is an active member of the Belgian PM&R board and of the European Academy of Rehabilitation Medicine.
For 20 years, he is the head of an interdisciplinary group devoted to the spasticity treatment. The group also includes a neurosurgeon (Prof. T. Gustin), two orthopaedic surgeons (Dr. R. Amon and D. Wautier), an anaesthesist (Dr. M. Fostier), a neurologist (Dr M. Ossemann) and a rehab team. He published several papers dealing with spasticity assessement (diagnostic nerve block) and treatments (botulinum toxin and neurotomy) with a special interest for the spastic foot.

Dr Alexander Balbert graduated from Ural State Medical Academy In 2003 with a degree in general medicine. In 2003 Dr Balbert undertook his internship in Neurology in Ural State Medical Academy. In 2004 he obtained a specialisation in radiology and manual therapy. Dr Alexander Balbert has been a neurologist and a radiologist at the Sverdlovsk Regional Hospital for Veterans of War, a specialist in CT and MRI diagnostics since 2004. In 2010 he obtained a PhD degree in medicine. Since 2013 he has been an associate professor at the department of Adaptive Physical training at Ural University of Physical Education. Since 2015 he is the head of Doctor Balbert’s clinic. He has expertise in movement disorders, spasticity, dystonia, headache and other pain syndromes. He is the author of many abstracts, articles, chapters in books on the problems of spasticity, patients with pain syndrome, CT and US guided injections. He has reported the results of research at Russian and international conferences and participated in round tables on the challenges of botulinum toxin injections and rehabilitation.

Dr Ganesh Bavikatte is consultant and clinical lead, Neuro rehabilitation medicine, The Walton Centre NHS Foundation Trust, Liverpool United Kingdom. He is the clinical lead of the Cheshire and Mersey rehabilitation network, which provides specialist rehabilitation from hyper acute settings, acute and post-acute rehabilitation. He runs neurorehabilitation services including specialist clinics such as Traumatic Brain injury and Spasticity clinic.
Dr. Bavikatte specialises in acquired brain injuries, traumatic brain injury and acute neurorehabilitation, and is an expert in the use of botulinum toxin for the treatment of spasticity. He leads several research projects in his field.
A Senior lecturer at Liverpool University, Dr. Bavikatte teaches in numerous local, regional, national, and international meetings to raise the profile of specialist rehabilitation. He is the author of peer-reviewed publications and books. He regularly participates in professional societies such as the British Society of Rehabilitation.

Dr Francesca Bianci obtained her medical degree in 2009 medical degree at Alma Mater Studiorum Bologna University (Italy), and the Clinical Neurophysiology certification at Vita Salute University San Raffaele of Milan (Italy) in 2015. Since 2015 Dr Bianchi works as a clinical neurophysiologist at San Raffaele Scientific Institute of Milan specifically involved in electromyography and intraoperative neurophysiological monitoring. She has more than ten years of experience in botulinum toxin treatment of movement disorders (i.e. spasticity and dystonia) as well as of pain syndromes. In 2018 she completed the advanced course of joint-skeletal muscle ultrasound at the Ultrasound Advanced School of Bologna (SIUMB), with the achievement of skills in US-guided interventional procedures and peripheral nervous system US. Furthermore she has several years of experience in the diagnosis and treatment of pelvic floor disorders, directly involved in the pelvic unit multidisciplinary team of San Raffaele Scientific Institute, She has been the coordinator of the study group ‘Neurophysiology of the pelvic floor’ of the Italian Society of Clinical Neurophysiology (SINC) since 2018. In addition she has been involved  in national and international clinical trials focused on spasticity, peripheral neuropathies and intraoperative neurophysiological monitoring since 2010. She is the author of articles published in peer-review journals, chapters of scientific books and abstracts and has been invited as a speaker for national and international conferences on the topic of pelvic floor neurophysiology, pelvic pain syndromes, botulinum toxin treatment and intraoperative neurophysiological monitoring.

Dr Stefano Carda has his medical degree and post-graduate teaching in PRM in Italy. He has worked several years with Pr Franco Molteni and Pr Carlo Cisari, in Italy, in the field of neurological rehabilitation, spasticity and bone and muscle metabolism.
In 2011 he moved to the University Hospital of Lausanne, where he is holding the title of Clinical Professor and Deputy Physician, in the service of Neuropsychology and Neurorehabilitation.
He has published mainly on adjunctive treatments after botulinum toxin treatment and surgical treatment of spasticity.
His clinical interests are spasticity treatment, rehabilitation of neuromuscular diseases and neurological rehabilitation.

Steven V. Escaldi, DO, is the Medical Director of the Spasticity Management Program and Attending Physiatrist at the JFK University Medical Center – Johnson Rehabilitation Institute in Edison, New Jersey, USA.
He is a Clinical Associate Professor in the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at the Rutgers-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and the Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine at Seton Hall.
Dr. Escaldi received his medical degree from the New York College of Osteopathic Medicine and received his Residency training in PM&R at the JFK- Johnson Rehabilitation Institute.
Dr. Escaldi’s area of practice expertise is Spasticity Management and Neurologic Rehabilitation. His practice and research have focused on maximizing functional recovery in patients with stroke and brain injury. He has lectured nationally and internationally on the topics of Stroke Rehabilitation and Spasticity Management.
He has published multiple book chapters and journal articles on General Rehabilitation topics, Spasticity Management and Resident Competency in Spasticity Management.

Dr Raphaël Gross was born on the 22nd September 1980 in Rouen, France. He commenced his medical studies and graduated in Rouen, and then started in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation as a trainee in 2005. After that he started his career in the University Hospital of Nantes, in France, except for a 6-months fellowship in Oswesrty, UK, for a research project with the NHS, in 2019. His topics are neurorehabilitation in stroke, brain injury, spinal cord injury, and cerebral palsy. Dr Gross runs the gait and movement analysis lab of his hospital, where they perform many instrumental analyses of upper and lower limb dysfunctions, in children and adults of various origins. his research work is particularly oriented towards muscle overactivities in spastic paresis and their assessment and treatment with motor nerve blocks, botulinum toxin, neurotomy, and rehabilitation. In Nantes, they have recently launched their brand new rehabilitation centre, with up-to-date assessment and rehabilitation devices for all types of patients requiring PM&R due to impairments and activity limitations of pulmonary, cardiac, musculo-skelatal, or neurological origin.

Dr. Monica Verduzco-Gutierrez is an accomplished academic Physiatrist and Professor and Chair of the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine at the Long School of Medicine at UT Health San Antonio. She previously was the Medical Director of the Brain Injury and Stroke Program at TIRR Memorial Hermann Hospital, a top four US News and World Report Best Hospital for Rehabilitation.
Dr. Gutierrez grew up in South Texas, then moved to Houston where she earned her undergraduate degree at Rice University, her medical degree at Baylor College of Medicine, and completed her PM&R residency training at the Baylor College of Medicine-UT Houston Rehabilitation Alliance. She excitedly moved to San Antonio to lead the distinguished Department of Rehabilitation Medicine in 2020. Her area of clinical expertise is the care of patients with traumatic brain injury, stroke rehabilitation, and interventional spasticity management.
Dr. Gutierrez is a passionate advocate for Physiatry and for underrepresented groups in medicine via social media channels. She is the Social Media Editor of the American Journal of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. Inspired by her upbringing in the Rio Grande Valley, she is dedicated to giving back to her community by mentoring students, trainees and young faculty from diverse backgrounds, and providing top level clinical care for the underserved.
Outside of work, she enjoys spending time with her husband and two children. She also finds time for travel, bargain shopping, and competitive racing ranging from being an All-American in Masters Track to a two-time finisher of the Boston Marathon.

Dr. Nicholas Ketchum is a physiatrist practicing at the Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA. From a clinical perspective, his main focus is treatment of spasticity and dystonia with botulinum toxins, alcohol/phenol neurolysis, and intrathecal baclofen. Additionally, he practices electrodiagnostic medicine and stroke rehabilitation. Regarding medical education, he is the residency program director of the Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Residency Program at the Medical College of Wisconsin. He completed his undergraduate and medical school training at the University of Wisconsin – Madison, and his post-graduate medical education at the Medical College of Wisconsin, including a fellowship in Spasticity Management and Neurorehabilitation.

Dr Susana Moraleda is a specialist in Physical & Rehabilitation Medicine with focus in Neurorehabilitation, specifically in spastic patients. She has a wide experience in spasticity treatment: botulinum toxin injection (by ultrasound guidance) and intrathecal baclofen therapy. She is head of the physical and rehabilitation department of University La Paz in Madrid, Spain

Dr. Rajiv Reebye is a Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PMR) specialist and Clinical Associate Professor in the department of Medicine at the University of British Columbia (UBC), Vancouver, Canada.
Dr. Reebye is a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians of Canada (FRCPC).
He is an attending physician on the neuro-musculoskeletal program and on the acquired brain injury programs at GF Strong Rehabilitation Center, Vancouver, Canada.
He is also a consulting physician in the spinal cord clinic at BC Children’s Hospital and at the UBC Multiple Sclerosis Clinic.
Dr. Reebye is the director of the New Westminster Rehabilitation Medicine spasticity clinic- a community based spasticity clinic focusing on the treatment of patients with adult spasticity and also children with spasticity transitioning to adulthood.
He is also co-founder of the Canadian advances in neuro-orthopedics for spasticity congress (CANOSC), an organization created to provide excellence in enhancing collaborative care between physicians and surgeons for the treatment of spasticity.
His research interests include adjunctive therapy post botulinum toxin injections for post stroke spasticity and use of ultrasound for chemodenervation in the treatment of spasticity.
Dr. Reebye teaches locally and internationally on the use of ultrasound guided injections for spasticity management and is a teaching faculty member of the Toxin Academy based at the University of Fribourg, Switzerland.
Dr. Reebye was awarded the Patricia Clugston Award for Excellence in teaching and the Duncan Murray excellence in teaching award from the UBC division of PMR.

Patrik Säterö lives and work in Gothenburg, Sweden as a PMNR, and is also a qualified physical therapist. Botulinum toxin has been the main tool for Patrik since 2005 in treating spasticity, chronic migraine and hyperhidrosis. He has his own private clinic since 2014, Rehdo. He enjoys training colleagues in the Nordic countries and has written a practice handbook about using botulinum toxin in spasticity treatment. He has been an active participant in clinical studies such as BEST and SPACE and different post authorization studies of botulinum toxin

Dr. Heather Walker is the Medical Director at Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital of Charleston. Prior to joining the Encompass Health Charleston team in 2015 she was on faculty for eight years in the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PM&R) at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill. Dr. Walker completed medical school at the University of Kentucky and served as the administrative chief resident during her residency in PM&R at the University of Pittsburgh. Following residency she completed a fellowship in Spinal Cord Medicine at the Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation in New Jersey. She is triple board-certified in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Spinal Cord Medicine, and Brain Injury Medicine. Dr. Walker has been named to the “Best Doctors in America” list yearly since 2013, and she has special interest in management of spasticity following neurologic injury. In addition to her clinical work Dr. Walker also provides expert witness services for legal matters.

Dr. Zimerman is a trained Neurologist. In 2007, he received the “Deutscher Akademischer Austausch Dienst (DAAD)” scholarship to complete his PhD. in the Brain Imaging and NeuroStimulation laboratory at the University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Germany. Within this period, different projects were concluded focusing on the mechanisms underlying plastic changes in the human central nervous system and in the development of novel therapeutic approaches for recovery of function based on the understanding of these mechanisms in stroke. In 2011, he received the “Young Research Award (FFM)” from the University of Hamburg for a project focusing on understanding the mechanisms underlying motor learning in healthy conditions and in stroke patients. In 2012, he received the title of Doctor in Neuroscience by the University of Hamburg with the result of “Summa cum laude”. His responsibility is the treatment of patients in the stroke and spasticity outpatient’s clinic, a multidisciplinary program dedicated to the aftermath of stroke at the University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf. In parallel, he finished his postdoctoral fellow in the field of neuroplasticity and motor recovery strategies after brain injury. Recently, he moved back to Argentina and is the Medical director of CITES-INECO, a Neurorehabilitation and interdisciplinary clinic located in Buenos Aires.