Faculty

Dr. Dimitrios Kostopoulos, DPT, MD, PhD, DSc, ECS, is board certified in clinical electrophysiology with over 35 years of clinical experience. He is the co-founder of Hands-On Companies and a Clinical Affiliate Assistant Professor for Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine at Florida Atlantic University. He is a past member of SACE (Specialization Academy of Content Experts) for the ABPTS examination board on electrophysiology, and a past elected member of the Executive Committee of the Academy of Clinical Electrophysiology of APTA.

He is the editor of the Diagnostic Section of the Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies, and the author or co-author of numerous books, articles, and research papers related to his fields of expertise.

Dr. Brooks has over 25 years of experience as a clinician, administrator, and educator in the field of physical therapy. He received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Kentucky, and completed his doctorate in clinical electrophysiology at Rocky Mountain University in 2005. He is board certified by the American Board of Physical Therapy Specialties in both clinical electrophysiology and orthopedics.

Dr. Brooks has worked as a physical therapist in many settings, including outpatient, acute care, home health, and long-term care.

His teaching experience includes the University of Kentucky, University of Indianapolis, Midway College, and Somerset Community College. He was one of the first instructors in Rocky Mountain University’s transitional DPT program, and has also taught numerous continuing medical education courses.

Dr. Brooks is responsible for all clinical education at HODS.

Dr. Greg Ernst, PT, PhD, ECS, is an assistant professor of the Department of Physical Therapy at UT Health San Antonio. Ernst uses case studies to help students put the pieces together stating, “there is something that can be learned from every patient.” Greg received a Presidential Teaching Excellence Award in 2015.

Dr. McKibben is a physical therapist and clinical electrophysiologist. He received his DSc in clinical electrophysiology from Rocky Mountain University, and his MS in physical therapy from North Georgia College. He is board certified in clinical electrophysiology by ABPTS.

He has completed thousands of electrophysiologic studies, and has logged thousands of hours in peer review and administration for electrophysiologic testing laboratories.

Ongoing research interests include severity in focal/mononeuropathies, retrograde axonal atrophy, the mixed media forearm nerve conduction study, short-segment median motor studies in CTS, and F-wave nomograms.

Dr. McKibben serves as the chair for the APTA clinical electrophysiology practice group, and helped to establish the accreditation program for PTs.

In addition to being on the HODS advisory board, he is also a member of the HODS faculty.

Scott graduated with a doctorate of Physical Therapy from USC in 2008. He went on to complete his Residency in clinical Electrodiagnosis in 2013. Scott now works as a contract Electromyographer for Frontera Strategies based in Dallas, Texas.

Dr. Hauskey is a Physical Therapist and is Board Certified in Clinical Electrophysiology. Dr. Hauskey has seen or treated nearly every type of physical therapy needed, ranging from neuromuscular complications to vestibular disorder to orthopedic injuries.

Originally from the Chicago area, Dr. Hauskey received her Doctorate in Physical Therapy (DPT) from the University of Central Arkansas in 2013, which is ranked in the top 45 of all 237 DPT programs in the U.S. by US News and World Report for 2020.

Dr. Hauskey started studying health and medicine at Mississippi State University, playing D1 college volleyball for the Bulldogs at the same time. She continued her studies at the University of Central Arkansas (UCA), completing undergraduate and graduate studies. While at UCA, she helped lead the 2009 Sugar Bear volleyball team to a 21-3 record and an undefeated season in the Southland Conference, and she completed clinical internships in Arlington Heights, IL; Springdale, AR; and Conway, AR.

After graduating, Dr. Hauskey started practicing physical therapy for two years at Body Owners Physical Therapy in Key West, FL. She moved to One-to-One Physical Therapy and Diagnostics in Delray Beach, FL, eventually becoming the Clinical Director of multiple offices as well as VP of Operations of Diagnostics for the company.

Dr. Hauskey completed a 2-year residency program with Hands-On Diagnostics, accredited by The American Association of Neuromuscular & Electrodiagnostic Medicine, making her one of only a handful of physical therapists in the state of Florida accredited to use Electromyography (EMG) and Nerve Conduction Velocity (NCV) to identify nerve and muscle disorders or injuries.

Dr. Emily Vandervort is a Board certified clinical Electrodiagnostic Specialist by ABPTS.

Emily was born and raised in San Diego, CA. She earned her bachelor of science in biology at the University of California, San Diego. She received her Doctorate in Physical Therapy from Columbia University in New York City. She joined the Hands-On team in September of 2020, where she began her studies in the use of Clinical Electrodiagnostics and Musculoskeletal Ultrasound to evaluate potential neuro musculoskeletal conditions affecting her patients. Dr. Vandervort is currently preparing for her board certification exam in Clinical Electrophysiology. It is her strong belief backed by peer reviewed scientific evidence that the utilization of electro diagnostics and musculoskeletal ultrasound are key tools for optimal patient management.

Dr. Hale is an audiologist, assistant professor and clinic director at A.T. Still University in Mesa, Az. He also serves as faculty at Barrow Neurological Institute in Phoenix, Az. Dr. Hale received his bachelor of Science degree from Arizona State University and his AuD degree from the Arizona School of Health Sciences at ATSU. He is a fellow of the American Academy of Audiology (AAA) and is certified by the American Speech Language and Hearing Association (ASHA). Dr. Hale has extensive experience in both hospital and private practice settings and has mentored students from a variety of health disciplines. His professional interests include neuroscience, auditory evoked potentials, vestibular assessment & rehabilitation and inter-professional collaboration.

Cory Taglianetti is a Physical Therapist from Staten Island, NY, who has been involved in performing and teaching NCS since 2007, and EMG since 2010. He is the first Physical Therapist in the United States to complete an accredited residency in nerve conduction studies and electromyography. He has been recognized by the ABPTS as an Electrophysiologic Clinical Specialist since 2015.

Dr. Dimitrios Kostopoulos, DPT, MD, PhD, DSc, ECS, is board certified in clinical electrophysiology with over 35 years of clinical experience. He is the co-founder of Hands-On Companies and a Clinical Affiliate Assistant Professor for Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine at Florida Atlantic University. He is a past member of SACE (Specialization Academy of Content Experts) for the ABPTS examination board on electrophysiology, and a past elected member of the Executive Committee of the Academy of Clinical Electrophysiology of APTA.

He is the editor of the Diagnostic Section of the Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies, and the author or co-author of numerous books, articles, and research papers related to his fields of expertise.

Dr. Emily Vandervort is a Board certified clinical Electrodiagnostic Specialist by ABPTS.

Emily was born and raised in San Diego, CA. She earned her bachelor of science in biology at the University of California, San Diego. She received her Doctorate in Physical Therapy from Columbia University in New York City. She joined the Hands-On team in September of 2020, where she began her studies in the use of Clinical Electrodiagnostics and Musculoskeletal Ultrasound to evaluate potential neuro musculoskeletal conditions affecting her patients. Dr. Vandervort is currently preparing for her board certification exam in Clinical Electrophysiology. It is her strong belief backed by peer reviewed scientific evidence that the utilization of electro diagnostics and musculoskeletal ultrasound are key tools for optimal patient management.

Dr. Greg Ernst, PT, PhD, ECS, is an assistant professor of the Department of Physical Therapy at UT Health San Antonio. Ernst uses case studies to help students put the pieces together stating, “there is something that can be learned from every patient.” Greg received a Presidential Teaching Excellence Award in 2015.

Dr. Hauskey is a Physical Therapist and is Board Certified in Clinical Electrophysiology. Dr. Hauskey has seen or treated nearly every type of physical therapy needed, ranging from neuromuscular complications to vestibular disorder to orthopedic injuries.

Originally from the Chicago area, Dr. Hauskey received her Doctorate in Physical Therapy (DPT) from the University of Central Arkansas in 2013, which is ranked in the top 45 of all 237 DPT programs in the U.S. by US News and World Report for 2020.

Dr. Hauskey started studying health and medicine at Mississippi State University, playing D1 college volleyball for the Bulldogs at the same time. She continued her studies at the University of Central Arkansas (UCA), completing undergraduate and graduate studies. While at UCA, she helped lead the 2009 Sugar Bear volleyball team to a 21-3 record and an undefeated season in the Southland Conference, and she completed clinical internships in Arlington Heights, IL; Springdale, AR; and Conway, AR.

After graduating, Dr. Hauskey started practicing physical therapy for two years at Body Owners Physical Therapy in Key West, FL. She moved to One-to-One Physical Therapy and Diagnostics in Delray Beach, FL, eventually becoming the Clinical Director of multiple offices as well as VP of Operations of Diagnostics for the company.

Dr. Hauskey completed a 2-year residency program with Hands-On Diagnostics, accredited by The American Association of Neuromuscular & Electrodiagnostic Medicine, making her one of only a handful of physical therapists in the state of Florida accredited to use Electromyography (EMG) and Nerve Conduction Velocity (NCV) to identify nerve and muscle disorders or injuries.

Dr. Wheeler currently works full time as the inpatient therapy coordinator in a small critical access hospital in Afton, Wyoming. He also performs electrophysiologic testing at clinics in Afton and Kemmerer, Wyoming. He became board certified in clinical electrophysiology in 2022.

Dr. Brooks has over 25 years of experience as a clinician, administrator, and educator in the field of physical therapy. He received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Kentucky, and completed his doctorate in clinical electrophysiology at Rocky Mountain University in 2005. He is board certified by the American Board of Physical Therapy Specialties in both clinical electrophysiology and orthopedics.

Dr. Brooks has worked as a physical therapist in many settings, including outpatient, acute care, home health, and long-term care.

His teaching experience includes the University of Kentucky, University of Indianapolis, Midway College, and Somerset Community College. He was one of the first instructors in Rocky Mountain University’s transitional DPT program, and has also taught numerous continuing medical education courses.

Dr. Brooks is responsible for all clinical education at HODS.

Nancy Mansell completed her undergraduate education at Penn State in 2001 and received her Doctorate of Physical Therapy degree from the Army/Baylor program in 2007. She deployed to Iraq in 2009 and ended her military career in 2011. She received her OCS in 2010 and began pursuing the long road of ENMG training in 2013. With the help of the Rocky Mountain ENMG program and dedicated mentors, Nancy earned her ECS in 2016.

Currently, she is taking a break from orthopedic physical therapy and focusing primarily on ENMG. She teaches Doctorate of Physical Therapy candidates at the University of Puget Sounds in addition to mentoring at the Hands-On Diagnostics Residency Program. When she isn’t doing EMGs, Nancy can be found in the Pilates studio or running in the streets of Seattle (rain or shine).

Oluwaseun (Sean) Ajifowobaje is a licensed Doctor of Physical Therapy, who immigrated from Nigeria at seven years old. He grew up in Glen Burnie, Maryland, playing both lacrosse and soccer in high school. Dr. Ajifowobaje graduated from Towson University in 2008 as a student athlete making the dean’s list in his junior year. He played soccer competitively for four years and gained extensive knowledge in rehabilitation and agility training.

After college, he pursued his Doctorate of Physical Therapy in New York City, graduating Magna Cum Laude from Touro College Manhattan in 2016 Dr. Oluwaseun Ajifowobaje began his career at Hands On in 2017 working as a Physical Therapist and training in both Electrodiagnostics and Ultrasound testing. After earning his ECS and RMSK Board Certifications in 2019, Dr. A served as the Hand On Clinical Director of EMG from 2019-2020. In 2021, Dr. A relocated to Baltimore, Maryland where he currently serves as the Director of EMG for APEX Diagnostics.

Dr. McKibben is a physical therapist and clinical electrophysiologist. He received his DSc in clinical electrophysiology from Rocky Mountain University, and his MS in physical therapy from North Georgia College. He is board certified in clinical electrophysiology by ABPTS.

He has completed thousands of electrophysiologic studies, and has logged thousands of hours in peer review and administration for electrophysiologic testing laboratories.

Ongoing research interests include severity in focal/mononeuropathies, retrograde axonal atrophy, the mixed media forearm nerve conduction study, short-segment median motor studies in CTS, and F-wave nomograms.

Dr. McKibben serves as the chair for the APTA clinical electrophysiology practice group, and helped to establish the accreditation program for PTs.

In addition to being on the HODS advisory board, he is also a member of the HODS faculty.

Dr. Rinku Kuril is a licensed Doctor of Physical Therapy who specializes in Nerve Conduction Studies, Electromyography and Diagnostic Ultrasound. He is a board-certified Electrophysiologic Clinical Specialist (ECS) and is Registered in Musculoskeletal Sonography (RMSK) with extensive experience working in outpatient rehabilitation having performed thousands of studies in the field. He actively consults for numerous Orthopedic, Rheumatology, and Internal Medicine practices throughout the DMV area. Over the past several years, he has trained many Physical Therapists throughout the country in electrodiagnostics and currently serves as a HODS EMG Residency mentor.

Scott graduated with a doctorate of Physical Therapy from USC in 2008. He went on to complete his Residency in clinical Electrodiagnosis in 2013. Scott now works as a contract Electromyographer for Frontera Strategies based in Dallas, Texas.

Tracy Norvell completed her undergraduate education at Washington State University in 1991 and her physical therapy education at University of Washington in 1993. She received her OCS in 2015 and began her EMG residency in 2016.

In addition to mentoring through the Hands-On Diagnostics Residency Program, Tracy performs EMG testing in two locations: Bellingham, Washington and Sandpoint, Idaho. When she isn’t doing EMGs or reviewing studies, Tracy can be found hiking in the mountains with her dog, paddle-boarding, or kayaking.