Current Trainees

Post Docs/Research Assistant Professors/Residents/Fellows

Dr. Tamargo is a T32 Postdoctoral Fellow in Pain and Aging and a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN) with a PhD in Nutrition and Dietetics. He is interested in the role of nutrition and nutrition-based interventions on pain management and the maintenance of physical function in older adults to promote health, longevity, and independence. Additionally, he is interested in the intersection of nutrition and socioeconomic factors, such as food insecurity, and how these influence health and functional status among older adults, particularly those of vulnerable and minority groups.

Dr. Hamilton is a biobehavioral pain postdoctoral fellow in the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and an awardee of the University of Florida Center for Advancing Minority Pain and Aging Science (CAMPAS) Pilot Project Awards for Research on Pain, Aging, and Disability. In 2021 she began working with Dr. Sibille to hone her expertise in allostatic load, cellular aging, and pain research, with a particular focus on the physiological consequences of higher chronic pain stage. Her current primary project leverages a large number of saliva samples that were collected from individuals who were healthy or had a chronic musculoskeletal condition (i.e., knee osteoarthritis, temporomandibular disorder) to examine how higher chronic pain stage and sleep disturbances are related to telomere length.  

Dr. Pratscher is a Research Assistant Professor in an integrative and multidisciplinary pain and aging research training program at the University of Florida. He is interested in examining the effectiveness and mechanisms of action of various mind-body and integrative interventions to improve health, vitality, stress, chronic pain, aging, and well-being. Dr. Pratscher is particularly drawn to psychedelic-assisted therapies and breathwork and how both can alter consciousness and support the body’s natural ability to heal.

Dr. Buchanan is a MERIT/IRACDA Postdoctoral Fellow in the Department of Medicine at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. She earned a doctoral degree in Applied Physiology and Kinesiology from the University of Florida. Dr. Buchanan’s research currently focuses on understanding how exercise and pain impact mobility and cardiovascular function of older adults.

Dr. Amare is a Resident in the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at the University of Florida. He earned his medical degree from Campbell University and completed his first year of training in Orange Park, FL. His research interests focus on optimizing pain procedural outcomes by relating pathophysiology, imaging techniques, and patient epidemiology. Dr. Amare is passionate about leveraging cutting-edge research and technology to enhance patient experiences and outcomes.

Dr. Rinaldi is a Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation resident at the University of Florida. He earned his medical degree at Florida International University HWCOM with training in Internal Medicine at USF Morsani College of Medicine. Dr. Rinaldi’s research interests include interventional pain medicine, medical marijuana and psychedelics in pain medicine, and pain management in patients with Sickle Cell Anemia. 

Dr. Conic is completing her residency training in the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. She completed medical school at the University of Belgrade in Belgrade, Serbia then completed a PhD in Clinical and Translational Science at Case Western Reserve University. Following her PhD, she completed Preventive Medicine residency at the University of California San Diego along with an MPH in Health Management and Policy at San Diego State University. Clinically she is interested in Pain Medicine and plans to apply her knowledge of clinical informatics, and big data to improve health outcomes. Her active projects include evaluating the prevalence of complementary alternative medicine use for pain management and efficacy of low level therapy for temporomandibular joint disorders (ULLTRA).

Dr. Brownstein is a Pain Medicine Fellow at Emory University. He earned his medical degree at St. George’s University in Grenada with training in internal medicine in New York before completing his residency training in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at UF. Dr. Brownstein’s research interests include use of medical marijuana in pain management, polypharmacy, and medication interactions.

Dr. Patel is a Pain Medicine Fellow at the University of Florida. He received his DO degree from Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine in New York with training in surgery before completing his residency training in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at UF. His research interests include understanding medical marijuana use patterns in patients undergoing interventional pain procedures and associated pre/post procedural risks.

Graduate/Doctoral/Medical Students

Udell Holmes III is a PhD student at the College of Public Health & Health Professions at the University of Florida. In 2019 he participated in an internship called Summer of Translational Aging and Research for Undergraduates with Columbia University where he examined relationships between subjective cognitive decline and functional connectivity. He graduated from Cleveland State University with a bachelor’s in psychology in 2020. His research interests include finding predictive values in aging, health disparities, and pain. With his love for the brain, he loves learning about neuroscience and finds genuine interest in learning from diverse and unique viewpoints of others to inspire him.

Kara is a clinical psychology PhD student in the College of Public Health & Health Professions at the University of Florida. She earned her master’s degree in psychological sciences in 2022, during which she examined novel scoring paradigms for a neuropsychological test in a sample of older adults. Prior to this, she worked as a psychometrist at the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center in Columbus, Ohio. Kara is passionate about community health and has also served as a volunteer for several community health organizations. Her current research interests include the detection of cognitive decline and impairment, and health equity and disparities.

Medical Honors Program (MHP)

Animesh Borad is an undergraduate student in the Medical Honors Program (MHP) at the University of Florida College of Medicine. Before joining the MHP, he studied Biology at Rutgers University. During his time at Rutgers, Animesh interned with the physiatry department at Children’s Specialized Hospital, where he conducted research in chronic pain. His work focused on evaluating whole-body vibration (WBV) treatments for idiopathic toe-walking and abnormal gait in children, as well as assessing health-related quality of life and rehabilitation progress in pediatric patients with acute and chronic pain. This experience fueled his ongoing passion for pain management, and his current research interests include addressing health disparities in chronic pain treatment.

Medical Student Research Program (MSRP)

2023 Student

Mariam Farag

2022 Students

Isis Sweeney
Logan Pucci
Olivier Barolette
Ahmed Rashid

2021 Student

Bankole Olowofela