Meet the Team

Dr. Dinesh Kumbhare
Dinesh Kumbhare
MD, PhD, FRCPC, FAAPMR

Dr. Dinesh Kumbhare is an Associate Professor and Clinician Scientist in the Department of Medicine at the University of Toronto within the Division of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. He is a scientist at the KITE Research Institute and the Schroeder Chair in Pain Assessment and Rehabilitation at Toronto Rehabilitation Institute. He is cross-appointed to the Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Kinesiology & Physical Education and Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation at the University of Toronto. Dr. Kumbhare is a physiatrist with expertise in chronic pain management, myofascial pain syndrome, electromyography and quantitative imaging. He obtained his Doctor of Medicine from Dalhousie University, his MSc in Health Research Management from McMaster University and his PhD in Biomedical Engineering at the University of Toronto.

Interests:
Diagnosis, neurophysiology and development of biomarkers for the identification of myofascial pain syndrome; the use of ultrasound and MRI guided imaging techniques for chronic pain diagnosis and management.
Dr. Milos Popovic
Milos Popovic
PhD

Dr. Milos Popovic is the Director of KITE Research Institute and the Institute of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Toronto.  Dr. Popovic is the co-founder and director of (i) MyndTec; (ii) the Centre for Advancing Neurotechnological Innovation to Application (CRANIA) at the University Health Network and the University of Toronto; (iii) the CRANIA Neuromodulation Institute at the University of Toronto; and (iv) the Canadian Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation Association. He is also the founder of FabrIc-Based REsearch (FIBRE) Platform and the Rehabilitation Engineering Laboratory, both located at the KITE Research Institute. His fields of expertise are functional electrical stimulation, neuroprostheses, neuro-rehabilitation, neuromodulation, brain machine interfaces, physiological control systems, assistive technology, modeling and control of linear and non-linear dynamic systems, robotics, and signal processing. Dr. Popovic received his PhD in mechanical engineering from the University of Toronto.

Interests:
Neuro-rehabilitation; neuromodulation; functional electrical stimulation; brain-machine interface; assistive technology; and robotics.
Maggie Szeto
Maggie Szeto
HBSc, BEd, OCT

Maggie Szeto is the Program Manager for the Schroeder Pain Assessment and Rehabilitation Research Centre (SPARC). She oversees the department’s operations and leads its interdisciplinary team of clinicians and researchers. As manager for the program, she has led the development and launch of different clinical services since SPARC opened. She drives process improvement initiatives using data analytics and strategic growth opportunities that will expand patient services and remove barriers to timely care. She has expertise in good clinical practices and clinical trial implementation, and experience in project management, education and corporate training. She obtained an Honours Bachelor of Science degree in Human Biology from the University of Toronto, a Bachelors of Education from Western University and is a member of the Ontario College of Teachers.

Interests:
The use of biomarkers for disease diagnosis and prognosis; education
Dr. Dinesh Kumbhare
Dr. Dinesh Kumbhare
MD, PhD, FRCPC, FAAPMR

Dr. Dinesh Kumbhare is an Associate Professor and Clinician Scientist in the Department of Medicine at the University of Toronto within the Division of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. He is a scientist at KITE Research Institute  and the Schroeder Chair in Pain Assessment and Rehabilitation at Toronto Rehabilitation Institute. He is cross-appointed to the Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Kinesiology & Physical Education and Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation at the University of Toronto. Dr. Kumbhare is a physiatrist with expertise in chronic pain management, myofascial pain syndrome, electromyography and quantitative imaging. He obtained his Doctor of Medicine from Dalhousie University, his MSc in Health Research Management from McMaster University and his PhD in Biomedical Engineering at the University of Toronto.

Interests:
Diagnosis, neurophysiology and development of biomarkers for the identification of myofascial pain syndrome; the use of ultrasound and MRI guided imaging techniques for chronic pain diagnosis and management.
Dr. Philip Peng
Dr. Philip Peng
MBBS, FRCPC, Founder (Pain Medicine)

Dr. Philip Peng is a professor in the Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine at the University of Toronto and the Medical Director of the Comprehensive Integrated Pain Program (CIPP) –Interventional Pain Service at the University Health Network. He is a pioneer in the application of ultrasound for pain intervention. He received the founder status from the Royal College for his work in the establishment of pain medicine as a subspecialty. Dr. Peng is an Anesthesiologist with expertise in the field of orthobiologic regenerative medicine. He obtained his Doctor of Medicine from the University of Hong Kong and completed his training in Anesthesia and Pain Medicine at the University of Toronto.

Interests:
Acute and chronic pain; regional anesthesia; andeducation. 
Dr. Praveen Ganty
Dr. Praveen Ganty
MBBS, DA, FRCA, FFPMRCA, FRCPC

Dr. Praveen Ganty is a Staff Anesthesiologist in the Transitional Pain Service at Toronto General Hospital and the Comprehensive Integrated Pain Program at Toronto Rehabilitation Institute. He has expertise in pain management and orthobiologic regenerative medicine. He uses novel therapeutic agents such as cannabidiol (CBD) products to treat osteoarthritis pain, and is also adept at performing interventional procedures to treat arthritis such as genicular nerve radiofrequency lesioning for knee arthritis. He completed his Anesthesiology training in the United Kingdom.

Interests:
Use of bone marrow aspirate stem cells, adipose-derived stem cells, and platelet rich plasma as therapeutic modalities to treat musculoskeletal pain. He believes in using a multimodal approach to pain management that includes novel therapeutic agents and interventions to help wean patients off opioids.
Dr. Carla Ciraco
DC, BKin

Dr. Carla Ciraco is a chiropractor at the Schroeder Pain Assessment and Rehabilitation Centre (SPARC) at Toronto Rehabilitation Institute (TRI). Dr. Ciraco is trained to assess and treat acute and chronic pain utilizing the latest evidence-based techniques. She has worked with a variety of patients from car accident patients to athletes, with expertise in spinal manipulation, manual therapy, therapeutic exercise and injury prevention. Dr. Ciraco obtained her Doctor of Chiropractic (DC) degree at D'Youville University in Buffalo, NY and her Bachelor's of Kinesiology (BKin) at the University of Toronto.

Interests:
Sports injuries, orthopedic conditions, back pain, joint pain, posture correction, myofascial pain, mixed methods research, research quality, and evidence-based practice.
Nick Moser
Nick Moser
BSc., DC, FCCS(C)

Dr. Nicholas Moser is a chiropractic clinical specialist currently completing graduate training through the Institute of Medical Science at the University of Toronto. His work focuses on evaluating rehabilitative outcomes for patients with persistent concussion symptoms. With clinical experience at renowned institutions such as Mount Sinai Hospital in the Rebecca MacDonald Centre for Arthritis and Autoimmune Disease, Dr. Moser is here to help you achieve optimal health through the use of evidence-based medicine.

Interests:
Concussion Recovery
Bethany Spiers
RKin

Bethany is a Registered Kinesiologist with a knack for optimizing patient care. Upon graduating from the University of Toronto's Faculty of Kinesiology, Bethany has focused her career on injury rehabilitation, prehabilitation, and lifestyle intervention. Her approach to care is nurturing, empathetic and empowering. Having worked in a variety of populations, including spinal trauma at Sunnybrook Hospital, perinatal wellness, geriatric rehabilitation, sports injury, motor vehicle collision and more - Bethany is well-equipped to craft tailored treatment plans and make a positive impact on her patient's well-being.

Interests:
Exercise intervention for chronic pain management, traumatic injury rehabilitation, clinical interprofessional collaboration, progressive disease and rehabilitative intervention.
Dr. Daniel West
Daniel West
PhD, R. Kin

Dr. Daniel West is a Registered Kinesiologist and an affiliate scientist at the KITE Research Institute. He is also an assistant professor in the Faculty of Kinesiology and Physical Education at the University of Toronto. He has expertise in exercise physiology, skeletal muscle cell biology and disuse atrophy. He obtained his PhD in exercise physiology from McMaster University, completed a Postdoctoral fellowship in skeletal muscle cell biology and disuse atrophy at the University of California Davis, and an industry Postdoctoral fellowship with Iovate Health Sciences and the University of Toronto.

Interests:
Musculoskeletal pain and dysfunction; skeletal muscle; disuse atrophy; exercise and nutrition
Tashi Tashi
Tashi Tashi
RN

Tashi Tashi is a registered nurse with experience working with patients suffering from musculoskeletal disorders, and helping patients recover from orthopedic surgeries, medically complex conditions such as oncology-related illness, acute or persistent pain conditions, and recent organ transplants. He obtained his Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Trent University.

Interests:
Innovative methods of acute and chronic pain management; sports medicine; and applied pharmacology of local anaesthetic agents.
Eliyas Jeffay
Dr. Eliyas Jeffay
Ph.D., C.Psych.

Dr. Eliyas Jeffay is a Clinical Neuropsychologist at the SPARC clinic within Toronto Rehab at KITE. He obtained his Ph.D. from the University of Toronto and successfully completed a post-doctoral fellowship at Toronto Rehab. His responsibilities encompass conducting neuropsychological assessments and overseeing online group-based therapies tailored to enhance metacognitive strategies, aimed at enhancing functional outcomes for individuals coping with chronic pain. Additionally, he actively engages in research to investigate predictors of optimal outcomes and psychological treatments for the management of chronic pain.

Interests:
Exploring the integrative application of the biopsychosocial model to enhance pain outcomes, implementing cognitive therapies to improve of real-world functioning, and specializing in traumatic brain injury assessment and rehabilitation.
Sarah McMillan
Sarah Elizabeth McMillan
M.A. MSW RSW

Sarah is a registered social worker, psychotherapist with the Schroeder Pain Assessment and Rehabilitation Centre (SPARC) at the Toronto Rehabilitation Institute (TRI). She has a passion for collaborating with people experiencing illness, pain and disability to enhance their mental health and well-being. She works with individuals and groups, provides education, engages in research and advocates for both the needs of her patients and for positive systemic change.

Sarah has a Master of Social Work from the University of Toronto and a Master of Arts in Sociology with a focus on health from Wilfrid Laurier University. She currently serves as a board member of the Ontario chapter of the Association for Contextual Behavioral Science. In addition to her clinical work, she has held roles within health services research, ethics and quality improvement.

Interests:
Holistic and trauma informed care
Quality of life
Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT)
Clinical hypnosis for pain management
Kate Kostukovsky
Kate Kostukovsky
B.A., SSW

Kate Kostukovsky is a Psychometrist at the Schroeder Pain Assessment and Rehabilitation Centre (SPARC) at Toronto Rehabilitation Institute. She obtained her Bachelor of Arts in Sociology at York University, as well as her Social Service Worker diploma at Seneca College. Kate is experienced in working with a wide variety of populations, such as children, adolescents and adults. She specializes in administering psychoeducational testing, neuropsychological testing, as well as testing for developmental disabilities with Developmental Services Ontario. Kate is passionate about working with diverse populations to assist individuals in accessing the necessary support and care services they require to lead a meaningful life.

Interests:
The importance of psychological assessment in chronic pain management; The role and application of the biopsychosocial model in chronic pain management