'21-'22

Ryan Canissario, MD

Education
B.S. in Applied Economics and Management, Cornell University Ithaca, NY
Postbac Premed, Columbia University, New York, NY
M.D., SUNY Downstate College of Medicine, Brooklyn, NY
Residency in Neurology, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY

Current Positions
Experimental Therapeutics Fellow​, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY
Neuroimmunology Fellow​, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY

Research Interests
Broadly, my interests are in clinical and translational research in multiple sclerosis (MS). Specifically, I'm interested in autonomic dysfunction in MS, and the use of ambulatory biosensor technology to further investigate this relationship. Through my research, I hope to identify a biomarker for autonomic dysfunction in MS, which may prove useful for monitoring MS activity & improving symptom management.

You might be surprised to know:
I used to be a project manager for a digital marketing agency in New York City. I am also training in the administration of botulinum toxin for symptom management in neuroimmunological disease. I have two little children that keep my hands full when not attending to patients or research.

Angela Hewitt, MD, PhD

Education
B.S. Biomedical Engineering, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI
M.S. Biomedical Engineering, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI
Ph.D. Neuroscience University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN
M.D. Medicine University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN
Residency in Child Neurology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN
Fellowship in Deep Brain Stimulation, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN

Current Positions
Experimental Therapeutics Fellow, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY     
Pediatric Movement Disorders Fellow, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY

Research Interests
My long-term goal as a physician scientist is to increase our understanding of how deep brain stimulation effectively treats neurological disease, and use that knowledge to improve patient outcomes by developing novel neuromodulation therapies. I am very interested in dystonia, which is a neurologic disorder characterized by involuntary muscle contractions that can cause abnormal, often painful, sustained postures and movements.

You might be surprised to know:
My entry into research began with a hands-on biomedical engineering course, where I led a student team to design an instrument for measuring contact forces between the tongue and hard palate during therapeutic isometric resistance exercises. After the class ended, I joined the lab to further develop the device, and loved working with speech language pathologists to evaluate and treat patients who had dysphagia. The instrument was eventually patented and commercialized as the SwallowSTRONG device.

Tyler Rehbein, MD

Education
B.S., Neuroscience and Genetics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN
M.D., University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN
Residency in Neurology, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY
Neuromuscular Fellowship, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY

Current Positions
Experimental Therapeutics Fellow, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY     
Instructor, Department of Neurology, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY

Research Interests
I am interested in genetic neuromuscular diseases, especially genetic neuropathies such as Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease. I hope to help improve understanding of these diseases, help lower barriers for clinical trials, and develop new biomarker methods for clinical trials such as use of neuromuscular ultrasound.

You might be surprised to know:
I enjoy camping at all climates and times of year, including the middle of winter.

Alexander Yoo, MD

Education
B.A., Philosophy, Duke University, Durham, NC
M.D., University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA
Residency in Neurology, University of California at San Francisco

Current Positions
Experimental Therapeutics Fellow, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY     
Instructor, Department of Neurology, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY

Research Interests
My primary interests lie in the intersection between headache disorders and sleep, and whether optimization of sleep behaviors can mitigate future headache risk. Sleep disturbance is extremely prevalent in adults with migraine and is often reported as a trigger for attacks. My group recently examined the relationship between multidimensional sleep health and migraine frequency in adults with episodic migraine and found good sleep health to be associated with fewer headache days. This finding suggests a potential role for sleep interventions to specifically address headache burden. I am also interested in addressing health disparities in underrepresented groups in medicine. My work has focused on evaluating the composition of the physician workforce, specifically, representation of women and underrepresented groups among academic faculty.

You might be surprised to know:
Before attending medical school, I bartended for several years and even obtained a certificate in 'Mixology'. This required me to learn complicated cocktail recipes, which I regret to say, has been almost entirely displaced by other knowledge that is more valuable, but less fun.