CORE FACULTY |
 Carrie E. Brintz, PhD
Assistant Professor, Department of Anesthesiology, Division of Pain MedicineVUMC Faculty Profile Dr. Brintz is a clinical health psychologist and Assistant Professor in the Department of Anesthesiology, Division of Pain Medicine and affiliate faculty in the Osher Center for Integrative Medicine at Vanderbilt. She specializes in the delivery of psychosocial and behavioral treatments for people with chronic pain. Dr. Brintz holds a doctoral degree from the University of Miami and has completed an NIH-funded postdoctoral research fellowship in Complementary and Integrative Health from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine. Her research aims to develop, test and optimize psychosocial and mindfulness-based interventions to improve outcomes and increase accessibility for people with chronic pain conditions and post-surgical pain. Dr. Brintz is a co-investigator on multiple NIH-funded studies and her work is currently funded by an NIH K23 Career Development Award to adapt and test a mindfulness-based intervention to enhance patient recovery after lumbar spine surgery. |
 Stephen Bruehl, PhD
Professor, Department of AnesthesiologyVUMC Faculty Profile Dr. Bruehl’s research program focuses on the mechanisms and treatment of chronic pain. He has been principal investigator on nine NIH-funded pain research projects, and has published more than 200 peer-reviewed papers. His NIH-funded work has examined the role of endogenous pain regulatory system dysfunction in chronic low back pain, the links between psychosocial factors and endogenous opioid (EO) system function, mechanisms and predictors of differential responses to opioid analgesics, mechanisms underlying links between stress and opioid misuse risk, and the biopsychosocial mechanisms underlying the beneficial effects of aerobic exercise, mindfulness training, and spinal manipulation therapy for management of chronic back pain. His NIH funded work has also examined the role of oxidative stress mechanisms in development of postoperative chronic pain in osteoarthritis patients undergoing total knee arthroplasty, with future plans to conduct a trial of a potent antioxidant intervention in this population as a means to reduce postoperative chronic pain. Dr. Bruehl is an Associate Editor for the journal Pain and was chair of the NIH Biobehavioral Medicine Health Outcomes (BMHO) Study Section (2021-2023). Dr. Bruehl has a masters and a doctorate degree in Clinical Psychology from the University of Kentucky. |
Keith Cole, DPT, PhD Assistant Professor, Department of Orthopaedic SurgeryDr. Cole is a Physical Therapist with an Orthopaedic Clinical Specialty and is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery. He holds doctoral degrees in Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Science from the University of Iowa, and a Master of Biomedical Engineering from University of New South Wales. Dr. Cole’s research interests combine his biomedical engineering and physical therapy education by working with multidisciplinary teams to adapt emerging technology to examine the relationship between cognition, movement dysfunction, physical activity, and community participation. His current research uses dual-tasks and movement performance during instrumental activities of daily living to identify behavioral biomarkers that detect early cognition and movement dysfunction in older adults. Dr. Cole is currently funded under an NIH R21 from the National Institute for Aging. |
 Rogelio A. Coronado, PT, PhD
Research Associate Professor, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery
Research Associate Professor, Department of Physical Medicine and RehabilitationVUMC Faculty Profile Dr. Coronado is a collaborating investigator on several research trials examining the comparative effectiveness of behavioral interventions for improving musculoskeletal pain outcomes and postoperative recovery. He also conducts research focused on the implementation of psychosocial strategies within physical rehabilitation in patients with musculoskeletal pain. He has published 35 peer-reviewed papers and received funding as principal investigator from the Orthopaedic Section of the American Physical Therapy Association, Cervical Spine Research Society, and Foundation for Physical Therapy. Dr. Coronado received his doctoral degree from the University of Florida and his masters in physical therapy from Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center. |
 Leslie J. Crofford, MD
Chief, Division of Rheumatology & Immunology
Professor of Medicine and Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology
Wilson Family Chair in MedicineVUMC Faculty Profile Dr. Crofford is Wilson Family Chair in Medicine, Professor of Medicine and of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology, and Division Chief of the Division of Rheumatology & Immunology. Her research is focused on understanding inflammation, pain, and stress as mediators of rheumatic diseases. In addition to her work in arthritis, she is an international leader in fibromyalgia research. She has maintained active research support the National Institutes of Health, Rheumatology Research Foundation, Arthritis Foundation, and industry sources throughout her career. More than 250 journal articles and book chapters have been published as a result of her research. Dr. Crofford is a past president of the American College of Rheumatology Research and Education Foundation (now the Rheumatology Research Foundation) and the executive committee of the Board of Directors for the American College of Rheumatology. Other significant leadership positions include service on the American Board of Internal Medicine for Rheumatology and Advisory Council to the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases of the National Institutes of Health. Dr. Crofford is active as a clinical Rheumatologist and has been named one of America’s Top Doctors and Best Doctors. |
 Gloria Han, PhD
Assistant Professor, Department of AnesthesiologyVUMC Faculty Profile Dr. Han is a clinical and pediatric pain psychologist and Assistant Professor in the Department of Anesthesiology, Division of Pain Medicine with a secondary appointment in Pediatrics. Her research lies at the intersection three specialty areas: co-occurring psychiatric and medical conditions in autism, pediatric chronic pain, and quantitative methods to facilitate precision psychiatry and pain medicine. Dr. Han holds a PhD in Clinical Psychological Science from Vanderbilt University and completed her clinical residency at the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, followed by the Hilibrand postdoctoral fellowship in autism and clinical neuroscience at the Yale Child Study Center/Yale School of Medicine. Her research aims to examine biopsychosocial “brain-body” mechanisms explaining the emergence and experience of chronic pain in autistic individuals. With this work, she has a special interest in examining how movement- and body-based intervention strategies may augment and optimize psychosocial chronic pain interventions for individuals with unique social, emotional, sensorimotor, and cognitive profiles. |
 David J. Kennedy, MD
Professor and Chair, Department of Physical Medicine & RehabilitationVUMC Faculty Profile David J. “D.J.” Kennedy, M.D. is a Professor and Chair of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Vanderbilt University Medical Center where his practice focuses on non-operative and interventional pain medicine. He completed his residency in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at the University of Washington in Seattle where he served as Chief Resident, and then a Spine and Sports Fellowship at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago (now Shirley Ryan Ability Lab). His research has focused on the safety and efficacy of interventional procedures. He has pioneered safe injection techniques and is an internationally recognized expert in interventional spine procedures. He has been the recipient of numerous research grants and he has published over 110 journal articles, over 80 published abstracts, and over 20 book chapters. As a spine researcher, he has had publications in the New England Journal of Medicine, the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), and he is a frequent publisher in Interventional Pain Medicine, Pain Medicine, PM&R, and The Spine Journal (TSJ). He has won multiple research awards from The Spine Journal, the Spine Intervention Society (SIS), and the North American Spine Society (NASS). Additionally, he is a prolific lecturer and teacher. He has given over 100 lectures at national meetings, over 50 lectures at international meetings, and numerous local presentations and invited grand rounds. He has won multiple teaching awards, including teacher of the year from Stanford University and the University of Florida. He is currently a Deputy Editor for The Spine Journal and a Senior Editor for Interventional Pain Medicine. He is the Immediate Past President of the International Pain & Spine Intervention Society (IPSIS), and also serves on the NASS Board of Directors as the Chair of the Strategic Growth Council. He is also the current president for the American Academy of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation (AAPM&R). |
 Kerry Kinney, PhD
Assistant Professor of Physical Medicine and RehabilitationDr. Kerry Kinney, Ph.D., is a licensed clinical psychologist whose research focuses on generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) and related mental and physical health conditions across diverse populations. She completed her doctoral training at the University of Illinois at Chicago, her predoctoral clinical residency in clinical psychology at the University of Mississippi Medical Center, and her postdoctoral training at the University of Mississippi Medical Center and Vanderbilt University. Dr. Kinney aims to reduce differences in the diagnosis and treatment of GAD, emphasizing a multi-modal, translational approach to research. Her current investigations delve into the etiology and classification of GAD and related conditions, the impact of GAD outcomes, and strategies to improve access to evidence-based care. |
 Lindsey Mckernan, PhD, MPH
Associate Professor, Departments of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences and Physical Medicine & RehabilitationVUMC Faculty Profile Lindsey Colman McKernan, Ph.D., MPH has been a member of the Vanderbilt faculty and Osher Center for Integrative Medicine at Vanderbilt since July of 2014. Dr. McKernan is a licensed clinical psychologist specializing in research and treating the intersection of co-occurring chronic health conditions and mental health. Dr. McKernan currently works in the Vanderbilt Osher Center and in the Department of Urologic Surgery, researching and developing innovative psychosocial treatments for co-occurring conditions. She is currently funded by the NIH to develop a patient-centered psychosocial intervention for interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome. |
Matthew C. Morris, PhD Associate Professor, Department of AnesthesiologyDr. Morris is a clinical psychologist whose program of research is focused on early psychosocial and neuroendocrine risk and resilience factors for the development of trauma-related psychopathology and persistent pain, with a particular emphasis on health-related differences in pain outcomes. He is currently principal investigator for an NIMHD-funded longitudinal study evaluating biobehavioral and social factors associated with the transition from acute to chronic pain in non-Hispanic Black and White orthopedic injury patients, and site PI for an NIMHD-funded study evaluating social stressors and allostatic load as contributors to differences in the development of chronic low back pain. Dr. Morris serves as co-principal investigator on a study focused on improving care for pregnant and postpartum women with co-occurring substance use disorders and exposure to intimate partner violence. He is also a co-investigator on studies focused on improving access to evidence-based treatments for posttraumatic stress and substance use disorders among adults participating in rural drug court programs (funded by HRSA) and a study that will develop and implement community- and hospital-focused interventions to prevent firearm-related violence, injury, and mortality (funded by NIMHD). Dr. Morris obtained his doctoral degree in clinical psychology at Vanderbilt University and completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Meharry Medical College. |
 Jeffry S. Nyman, PhD
Director, Vanderbilt Center for Bone Biology
Professor, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery
Professor, Biomedical EngineeringVUMC Faculty Profile The ultimate goal of my research is to lower the number of bone fractures associated with osteoporosis, diabetes, cancer, genetic diseases, and aging. Towards that end, my research team investigates ways to improve the clinical assessment of fracture risk and to identify regulators of bone toughness (lack of brittleness). Specifically, there are active projects i) to determine whether matrix-bound water and pore water, as determined by 1H Nuclear Magnetic Resonance, can explain age- and diabetes-related decreases in bone’s resistance to fracture, ii) to identify the determinants of matrix-bound water, iii) to elucidate the mechanisms by which tissue resists impact micro-indentation, a new technique for directly assessing bone tissue quality in vivo, and iv) to develop a Raman Spectroscopy technique that provides clinical assessment of bone quality. |
 William T. Obremskey, MD, MPH, MMHC
Professor, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery
Director, Division of Orthopaedic Trauma Research
Fellowship Director, Orthopedic Trauma Fellowship
VUMC Executive Medical Director of Technology Assessment and Product AcquisitionVUMC Faculty Profile William T. Obremskey, MD, MPH, MMHC, Professor of Orthopaedics, Vice-Chair of the Department, Director Orthopaedic Trauma Research and has expertise in musculoskeletal trauma outcomes, fiscal analysis, and study design. He serves as the Chairman of the Orthopaedic Trauma Association Evidenced Based Medicine Committee. He has authored four chapters on Outcomes in orthopaedic trauma and three meta-analysis articles on orthopaedic trauma conditions as well as > 200 articles. He has served on the Steering committee of the Major Extremity Trauma Research Consortium (METRC) that has been awarded $70,000,000 to conduct nine prospective randomized trials for the Department of Defense. Dr. Obremskey is the principal investigator (PI) on two of these nine projects. He is currently PI on a $4.5 million grant on early weight bearing of ankle and tibia plateau fractures. He has a clinical and research interest in knee dislocations, scapula fractures and necrotizing fasciitis. He has a strong record of mentorship for orthopaedic trauma fellows, orthopaedic residents, and medical students. |
 Jacquelyn Pennings, PhD, PStat®
Research Associate Professor, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery
Research Associate Professor, Department of BiostatisticsVUMC Faculty Profile Dr. Pennings conducts statistical analysis and assists with research design and data management for research projects in the Department of Orthopaedics. Her research interests include the relationship between mental health factors and outcomes such as obesity, general and physical health, and health care utilization such as hospital re-admission. Specific statistical areas of expertise include structural equation modeling, factor and cluster analysis, linear and hierarchical/mixed models, and non-parametric analyses including logistic regression techniques. |
 Lori Schirle, PhD, CRNA
Assistant Professor, School of NursingVUMC Faculty Profile Dr. Schirle’s program of research focuses on achieving effective pain management in post-discharge surgical populations while maximizing opioid safety. She is interested in genomic influences on postoperative pain, opioid use and adverse effects. Dr. Schirle holds a doctoral degree from the University of Miami School of Nursing, a masters in nurse anesthesia from Florida International University, and has completed a post-doctoral fellowship in health services research from Vanderbilt University School of Nursing. Dr. Schirle is a practicing nurse anesthetist at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. |
 Byron Schneider, MD
Associate Professor and Director of ISMM Fellowship Program, Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation
Director, NASS Interventional Spine & Musculoskeletal FellowshipVUMC Faculty Profile Dr. Schneider is currently an assistant professor with the department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PM&R) at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Prior to this, he completed his PM&R residency and Interventional Spine Fellowship at Stanford University. Born in Canada before moving to Lexington, Kentucky in 2002, he graduated summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Science and then completed medical school at the University of Kentucky. Dr. Schneider has over 40 peer-reviewed publications and text-book chapters. He has also given over 60 lectures at national and international conferences. His research primarily focuses on safety and effectiveness of interventional spine procedures. Dr. Schneider serves on many national committees, including as the vice-chair of the section on Rehabilitation, Interventional, and Medical Spine (RIMS) of the North American Spine Society. |
 Byron F. Stephens II, MD, MSCIAssociate Professor, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery
Assistant Professor, Department of Neurosurgery
Director, Orthopaedic Residency Program
Co-Director, Orthopaedic Spine Surgery Fellowship
Chief, Orthopaedic Spine DivisionVUMC Faculty Profile Byron Stephens, M.D., received his undergraduate degree from Vanderbilt University. He then attended the University of Tennessee College of Medicine, where he was awarded the Faculty Medal for achieving the highest academic class rank in his graduating class. Upon completing his residency at Campbell Clinic, Dr. Stephens pursued a fellowship in spine surgery at Emory University. While Dr. Stephens enjoys taking care of all conditions of the cervical, thoracic, and lumbar spine, he has a special clinical and research interest in complex spinal deformity and tumors. He also offers his patients minimally invasive and motion-preserving procedures, when appropriately indicated.
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 Daniel J. Stinner, MD, PhD
Associate Professor, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery
Clinical Director, VUMC Orthopaedic Research Center
Vice Chair, VUMC Military Affairs CommitteeVUMC Faculty Profile TC Daniel Stinner, MD, PhD, is an Orthopaedic Trauma Surgeon and Associate Professor in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) and Blanchfield Army Community Hospital. He currently serves as the Vice Chair for the VUMC Military Affairs Committee, facilitating the growth and success of the VUMC Military-Civilian Partnership. He has published over 150 peer-reviewed manuscripts, guidelines, reviews and book chapters. He has served on the Steering committee of the Major Extremity Trauma Research Consortium (METRC) that has been awarded $70,000,000 to conduct prospective randomized trials for the Department of Defense. Dr. Stinner is currently the principal Investigator (PI) on a $4 million grant on Rehabilitation enhanced by Partial Arterial Inflow Restriction (Repair study). His research areas include optimization of outcomes following high energy lower extremity trauma and strategies to improve readiness and preparedness of military medical providers to provide superior care in the deployed environment. |
 Amanda Stone, PhD
Associate ProfessorDepartment of Anesthesiology and PediatricsVUMC Faculty Profile Amanda L. Stone, Ph.D. is an Associate Professor in the Departments of Anesthesiology and Pediatrics at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Dr. Stone's research focuses on better understanding the complex interaction of biospsychosocial mechanisms underlying pain risk and chronicity across the lifespan in order to better tailor both prevention and intervention efforts. Much of her work has focused on the intergenerational transmission of health beliefs and behaviors from parents to children. She is actively involved in a number of national and international associations committed to pain research and raising awareness of evidence-based interventions for acute and chronic pain. Dr. Stone received her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from Vanderbilt University, completed her pre-doctoral clinical residency at the University of Mississippi Medical Center, and a postdoctoral fellowship at Oregon Health and Science University. |
 Susanna L. Sutherland, PhD, MS, Med
Assistant Professor, Department of Physical Medicine & RehabilitationClinical Research Psychologist, Osher Center for Integrative HealthVUMC Faculty Page Susanna Sutherland, PhD joined the VUMC faculty in August of 2023. Dr. Sutherland obtained her doctoral degree at Vanderbilt University and completed a post-doctoral fellowship in psychology and women's health at Atrius Health in Boston, MA. Her program of research focuses on disease transmission and intervention at the intersection of women's mental and physical health. Dr. Sutherland is also a licensed clinical and health psychologist at the Osher Center for Integrative Health in the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. |
 Sarah Welch, DO, MPH
Assistant ProfessorDepartment of Physical Medicine and RehabilitationVUMC Faculty Page Dr. Welch is a physiatrist and Assistant Professor in the Department of PM&R and the Tennessee Valley GRECC. She holds a Master’s in Public Health from Vanderbilt School of Medicine, is a member of the Rehabilitation Medicine Scientist Program, and a graduate of the VA Quality Scholars Fellowship. Dr. Welch’s program of research focuses on geriatric rehabilitative care for patients with hospital-associated disability. She is passionate about delivering evidence-based practices to older adults and evaluating interventions that improve processes and patient outcomes. Dr. Welch is a physiatrist at Vanderbilt University Hospital where she leads the PM&R acute care consult service and collaborates with multidisciplinary hospital teams. |
 Laura H. Withrow, MS
Co-Director of Sports Medicine Research, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery VUMC Faculty Profile Mrs. Huston Withrow is currently a Senior Associate and Co-Director of Sports Medicine Research within the Department of Orthopaedics at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, and has been a faculty member within the department since 2005. She came from the University of Michigan with a degree in Biomedical Engineering, and was a research member within the Orthopaedic Research Laboratory and the Sports Medicine Division at UM Orthopaedics since 1990. |
Eric Bowman, MD, MPH
Sean Collins, MD, MSc
Charlene Dewey, MD, MEd, MACP
Rebecca Dickinson, PT, DPT, COMT
Parul Goyal, MD
Carlos Grijalva, MD, MPH
Gurjeet Birdee MD, MPH
Robb Flynn, PhD
Kathryn A. Hansen, ANP-BC
Adrien "Adie" MacKenzie, LMT, CLT-LANA
Matthew F. Mart, MD, MSc
Sarah Osmundson, MD, MS
Kimberly Rengel, MD
Russell Rothman, MD MPP
Flavio Silva, PT, ScD
Ruth Q. Wolever, PhD
Rick W. Wright, MD
Karl E. Zelik, PhD, MS