Current Residents

Brianna Alex grew up in Indianapolis, IN and graduated from the hilly and beautiful Indiana University with a BS in Neuroscience. She then served in AmeriCorps as a health educator to refugees. After her grandmother had a stroke, Brianna’s desire to help patients with neurological conditions grew, so she returned to Indiana University for medical school. She is thrilled to join UF’s neurology program and explore opportunities in medical education and advocacy. She enjoys hiking, landscape photography, listening to podcasts, and a good pour-over coffee.

Leonid Gozman was born in Ukraine but moved to the US when he was two years old. He grew up in an immigrant neighborhood in Brooklyn and completed his undergraduate degree in History and Psychology at CUNY Macaulay Honors College/Brooklyn College. After that he completed his M.D. at Tel Aviv University where he discovered his love for neurology while completing his second year module. Leonid was drawn to UF because of the strong academic neurology program, the warm and welcoming department, and the promise of no more New York traffic. In his free time, Leonid likes to be outdoors, either skiing in the winter, or hiking, golfing, and mushroom hunting in the summer. At home he enjoys reading, drinking tea, and cooking.

Whitney King grew up in Kentucky. She received her Bachelor’s degree in Microbiology and her Master’s Degree in Health Promotion from Mississippi State University. During medical school, she enjoyed rotating within the Neurology department.

Whitney and her family always traveled to Florida every summer, fall break and in the spring. Florida is now home and she loves it. She is so excited to be part of the University of Florida Neurology family and cannot wait to explore the different sub-specialties of Neurology.

In her free time, Whitney loves spending time with her family and traveling.

Karina Maria Rodriguez, was born and raised in the Dominican Republic, so she is an island gal. Karina went to medical school in her hometown at the Instituto Tecnológico de Santo Domingo. She knew she wanted to go into the Neurology field very early in her career because of its complexity and beauty. Also, she enjoys teaching and supporting students interested in the Neuro world in any way she can. Karina is very drawn to Headache Medicine because even though headaches are a frequent complaint among patients, how much they can impact their lives is not always understood. In her free time, Karina loves to practice creative writing, binge-watch TV series, and go out and discover new places to eat.

Bhavin Patel was born and raised in the small beach town of Fort Pierce, Florida. He obtained his bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the University of Florida. It was during this time that he worked as a free-lance photographer that he developed his love of working with others. Having a curiosity for the complexity of the human mind, he was drawn to Neurology while completing medical school in the Appalachian Mountains at Lincoln Memorial University. This curiosity grew into a pursuit after working with two of his clinical neurology mentors on a variety of fascinating cases. Outside of medicine, Bhavin enjoys cooking, reading, video gaming, and playing basketball with friends.

Neha Pirwani grew up in Chicago, IL and moved to Upstate New York to pursue her bachelor’s and MBA in healthcare management degrees. She then went on to obtain her medical degree from Albany Medical College. During medical school, Neha became eager to learn about different neurological diseases, explore a multitude of neurological subspecialties, and help patients through her clinical practice. Neha graduated from medical school with a distinction in Health Systems Analysis and is also passionate about quality improvement projects in health care. Her family moved to Ocala, FL about 4 years ago, and she is honored to be able to join the Gator family by completing her residency here. In her spare time, she enjoys cooking, traveling, and spending time with her family.

William “Bill” Remley was born and raised in Jacksonville, FL. He received his Bachelor’s degree from the University of Florida and completed medical school at Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine – Bradenton. He enjoys the outdoors and fitness in Gainesville, FL. He is a long-time sports fan, especially Gator football and baseball.

Rory Weston has been interested in neurology since college, having majored in behavioral neuroscience at Western Washington University. He subsequently attended Virginia Commonwealth University where he received a PhD in neuroscience in addition to his medical degree. He has a strong interest in research and has worked on the molecular neurobiology of alcohol use disorder, Huntington’s disease, and schizophrenia. Rory enjoys the outdoors, board games, VR, and BBQ.

Maryellen Campbell grew up in the Midwest and Northeast, and now calls Florida home. She completed her undergraduate studies in economics at Georgetown University, where she also competed on the swim team. She went on to earn her medical degree from Florida Atlantic University. Maryellen is excited to join the neurology residency program at the University of Florida. She enjoys swimming, playing Spikeball, and reading novels in her free time.

Steven Carter grew up in Tampa, FL, and completed his undergraduate studies at Florida State University before obtaining his master’s degree in human anatomy at the University of South Florida. He finally left Florida to obtain his medical degree at the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine. Even though he enjoyed his time out of state, he decided that he wanted to come back home and complete his residency training in Florida with the University of Florida Neurology Program. He is unbelievably excited to become a neurologist and expects this excitement to continue throughout his training. He enjoys many of the subspecialties of neurology, including Traumatic Brain Injury, Headaches, and Vascular Neurology, and is currently trying to choose his favorite between them. When he is not in the hospital, Steven enjoys exercising at the UF Fitness Center, playing golf, and enjoying Florida’s sunny weather at the beach.

Scott Crawford was born and raised in Frisco, Texas, where he developed a lifelong love of music, drumming, and running. After a year of college, he took time off and spent two years in Brazil on a mission trip. He ultimately returned and received his Bachelor’s degree in Neuroscience from Brigham Young University. After that, he moved back to Texas to complete his MD at UT Southwestern Medical Center, where his curiosity and passion for the central nervous system came to full fruition. He is excited hone his skills and interest in neurology at UF! In his free time now, he still enjoys drumming, video games, and reviewing horror movies.

Michaele Garrison grew up in a quiet beach town in Central Florida. She first became a gator during her undergraduate education at the University of Florida. She then used her time between undergraduate and beginning medical school to work at UF Health Shands Hospital as a tech, where she cultivated her passion for working in a healthcare team. During medical school at Lincoln Memorial University-DeBusk College of Osteopathic Medicine, her interest was piqued by neuroanatomy and clinical applications of neuroscience, making neurology a clear choice. During medical school, she found it particularly rewarding to tutor and mentor her classmates, which has propelled her to pursue a career as a clinician educator. She is beyond excited to be returning to the University of Florida for residency. Outside of medicine, she enjoys paddle-boarding, yoga, weightlifting, watching Gator football, and thrifting.

Edwin A. Glueck IV was born and raised in WA state. From a young age he was interested in neuroscience and pursued his education at Western Washington University, obtaining bachelor’s degrees in both behavioral neuroscience and biochemistry. During that time he contributed to several scientific publications pertaining to brain structure, behavior, and neuronal intracellular signaling pathways. He subsequently obtained a master’s degree in biomedical science and doctor of osteopathic medicine degree from Kansas City University. He has completed a fellowship in clinical anatomy where he taught medical students gross human anatomy and dissection technique. While completing his fellowship, he achieved the Vesalius Award for exceptional performance in neuroanatomy and contribution to the anatomic scientific literature. The award is named after Andreas Vesalius, widely considered the founder of modern human anatomy. Dr. Glueck is a current University of Florida neurology resident physician with interests in vascular neurology. He enjoys spending his spare time with his family. Of note, his younger brother is an officer in the United States Air Force completing his pilot training, and Dr. Glueck is very proud of him.

Lindsey Le is from Fairfax, Virginia outside of Washington DC and moved to sunny South Florida to complete her undergraduate degree in Biology and medical school at Nova Southeastern University. Her passion for medicine was shaped from her experiences with people, patients, and mentors, where it further guided her journey to pursue neurology. Creating tutoring programs in high school and college for underserved populations cultivated her love of teaching and mentorship, where she aspires to have an avid role in academic medicine. In her free time, you will most likely find Lindsey playing tennis, at a local coffee shop, or at Trader Joe’s.

Michael Siegel was born and raised in Erie, Pennsylvania. He received his Bachelor’s degree in Neuroscience from Allegheny College, where he was a member of the Allegheny Gator’s men’s tennis team. He then completed his medical school training at Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine, during which time he developed a further love and passion for helping patients who were struggling with neurologic conditions. Michael is very excited to be a “Gator” once again, this time at the University of Florida. Outside of medicine, Michael enjoys tennis, pickleball, hiking, traveling, cooking, and spending time with family and friends.

Nishita Varde spent her childhood in New York and New Jersey before moving to Jacksonville, Florida. She completed her bachelor’s degree at the University of Florida where she studied Behavioral and Cognitive Neuroscience and became interested in pursuing neurology. At UF, she was a research assistant and teaching assistant for health disparities research, and she became passionate about patient advocacy and increasing awareness of social determinants of health. She continued her education further south in Florida, receiving her master’s degree in Medical Sciences before earning her medical degree, and was ecstatic to return to her alma mater for neurology residency training. While in school, Nishita balanced her studies with travel when her family relocated to Tokyo, Japan. She loves to experience new places and has been to over 15 countries – she hopes to continue adding more to her list!

Johnna Caputo is originally from Staten Island, New York. Her love for neurology began during her undergraduate journey at Stony Brook University where she graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Biology. While at Stony Brook University, she was involved in neuroscience research including rat models of benign essential blepharospasm. After graduating, she went on to receive her master’s degree in Biomedical Sciences at Rutgers University. Throughout her studies, her interest in neurology grew deeper and she went on to obtain her medical degree from Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine. As a first generation college graduate, she has a great passion for patient advocacy. Johnna is thrilled to be moving to Florida for her residency training. In her spare time, she enjoys cooking homemade Italian meals, building Legos, traveling, and spending time with family, friends and her cat, Kia.

Sebastian Edwards was born and raised in Los Angeles, California but moved to the East Coast to play football at Johns Hopkins University where he studied neuroscience and quickly fell in love with the brain. He graduated with a B.A. in Behavioral Biology then moved to Nashville, TN, and obtained an M.S. in Biomolecular Science from Lipscomb University. During this time, he also worked as a server and a clinical trials specialist. He moved to East Tennessee to attend LMU-DCOM before finally moving to Florida to complete his clinical rotations. He enjoyed living in Florida so much that he knew he wanted to train here and in particular UF given its strong academics and positive culture. He loves all fields within neurology, but currently, he is drawn to vascular neurology, interventional neurology, and TBI. When he is not in the hospital, you can find him watching football, playing pickleball or video games, or paddleboarding.

Stephen Klaus was raised throughout the US until his family settled in Ocala, FL. He attended medical school at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland and then worked as a doctor in Dublin. He also earned a Masters degree in Neuroscience and a Doctor in Medicine from Trinity College Dublin. He is passionate about teaching and has worked as a clinical lecturer for both the RCSI and TCD medical schools. His primary research interest in Ireland was examining how people with epilepsy are impacted by driving restrictions. Outside of his professional life, he most enjoys spending time with his family. He also plays soccer, chess and builds scale models.

Xiaojun Li was born and raised in sunny Southern China. She attended medical school at Tsinghua University, where she found her love for cognitive neuroscience. During medical school, she spent two years at the University of Pittsburgh as a visiting scholar, investigating the orbitofrontal cortex’s roles in compulsion and action selection under conflict. She then returned to China and participated in building a multimodal dementia database. After graduation, driven by a desire to improve the well-being of patients with dementia, Xiaojun moved back to the United States and led enrichment therapies for patients with dementia at a skilled nursing facility in Berkeley, CA. Her academic interests include cognitive neurology, movement disorders, and palliative care. For fun, she enjoys kayaking, playing frisbee, experimenting with new coffee beans, and fiddling with her art projects.

Neha Saini was born in New Delhi, India, and lived there till she was nine, at which point her family relocated to Miami, Florida. Neha loved growing up in South Florida, and after high school she attended the University of Florida where she received her undergraduate degree in Microbiology and Cell Science. After graduating from UF, she accepted a teaching position at FSU’s SSTRIDE program through which she spent a year teaching Biology and Chemistry to high school students in rural communities. During this time, she also completed her Master’s in Public Health degree and matriculated into FSU College of Medicine soon after to start her medical training. As a medical student, Neha spent the majority of her time outside of class working on community engagement projects, including: organizing COVID vaccine clinics during the pandemic, starting a scholarship for underprivileged high school students, hosting community health fairs, dementia awareness workshops, and more. She found her love for Neurology as a result of the incredible patients who volunteered their time to teach during her neuroscience course. She was deeply inspired by their stories and is thrilled to have the opportunity to pursue a career in Neurology. Neha loves the Neurology community and spent her fourth year of medical school, working to increase Neurology interest by serving as a Neuroscience teaching assistant at her medical school, being an NMatch2024 leader, and the social media chair for the Neurophilia podcast. In her free time, Neha loves traveling, reading, and spending time with her loved ones!

Growing up in the sunny city of Rio de Janeiro, Luis Silva became interested in Neurology as a teenager through the works of Oliver Sacks and Miguel Nicolelis. During medical school, he reinforced that interest by becoming the President of the Student’s Neurology Interest Group, advocating for more clinical and research opportunities. Luis also played volleyball for his medical school team, winning a silver medal in the state championship.

After graduating from medical school, he volunteered to become a physician for the Brazilian Navy. He spent 18 months providing care to isolated communities in the Amazon while serving aboard the Hospital Ship “Soares de Meirelles.” During his time in the Amazon, Luis discovered his passion for photography and now travels with his DSLR camera when on vacation to catch pictures of nature, especially the sunset!

Upon completing his military duty, he moved to Minneapolis to pursue his master’s in public health with an emphasis in Data Science at the University of Minnesota. He learned to program with R and Python, becoming extremely interested in using natural language processing to streamline medical research.

A proud Brazilian, Luis enjoys soccer and listens to various genres of Brazilian music, from Pagode to Bossa Nova. He is extremely happy to be a resident at the University of Florida, where he can continue expanding his academic interests in education and research while contributing to a welcoming work environment.

Abbigail Stidham is from a small town in the southeastern part of Georgia and later moved to the eastern part of Tennessee. She subsequently attended the University of Tennessee, and then worked as a Naturalist (outdoor science teacher and field guide) in Charleston, SC. During her time as a naturalist, she came to understand that immersion in nature can bring pivotal peace and healing to the mind and body. It was also during this time that she fostered and then adopted Honey Nut, a gray squirrel, met her husband, and became an amateur birder. Guadalupe, a yellow-bellied-slider (turtle), and Peaches, a Holland Lop rabbit are also a part of her growing family. As she entered medical school, she intended to pursue Geriatrics and Palliative medicine, both of which heavily overlap with the practice of neurology. She also realized that she thoroughly enjoys performing and applying the neurologic exam and soon fell in love with neurology. Her favorite pastimes include DIY projects, hunting for “treasures” a.k.a. thrifting, and reading thriller novels in the sunshine. Currently, she aspires to fellowship in Movement Disorders and Palliative Care. She ultimately hopes to spend her life addressing disparities in health literacy and education, incorporating nature walks into her practice, and providing free medical care as often as she can.

Katie Wehrer is from a rural (and often snowy) town outside of Erie, Pennsylvania. She attended Burrell College of Osteopathic Medicine at New Mexico State University for medical school. She has three dogs named Beau, Etta, and Lincoln that she shares with her fiancé Garret. When she has the time she loves to travel and spend time in nature. She is very excited to be living closer to Florida’s natural springs.

Douglas Bettarelli was born in Chicago, Illinois, but he has identified as a Texan for most of his life. His journey to medicine was shaped by years of real-world experience. He balanced academics with multiple jobs throughout high school and college, including nearly seven years as a restaurant server. He studied biochemistry at Baylor University, where a chance encounter during Welcome Week led to him meeting his lifelong study buddy and future wife. His early passion for neurology began after supporting a close family member’s gradual recovery from a brain injury. While at Texas Tech University School of Medicine, he was captivated by the brain’s resilience. What others often perceived as an intimidating ‘black box’ of medicine, he saw as an exciting opportunity for meaningful patient care. His lifelong goal is to make complex neurological topics more approachable for patients and future neurologists through mentorship and community outreach. He and his wife are thrilled to take routine day trips to the beaches throughout Florida and experience new, fun places. During his free time, he enjoys visiting coffee shops, practicing Spanish and coding in Python, cooking, distance running, weightlifting, and college sports.

Emma Leone grew up in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where her fascination with the brain-body connection began during her early years as a ballet dancer. Her pursuit of a professional dance career brought her to Miami, Florida, but after a career-ending injury, she found a new passion in the science behind movement and healing. This led her to the University of Florida, where she earned dual degrees in Linguistics and Psychology with an emphasis in Behavioral and Cognitive Neuroscience. While shadowing and conducting research with UF’s Movement Disorders Department, she found a deep sense of purpose in neurology, drawn to the field’s blend of complexity, compassion, and connection to patients’ daily lives. Emma remained at University of Florida for medical school and is honored to continue her journey as a “Triple Gator.” In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her husband, Trey, and their beloved dog, Hank.

Jessica Marino was born and raised in Richmond, Virginia. She pursued her undergraduate studies at Virginia Tech before heading to Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine in Spartanburg, South Carolina. With a lifelong fascination for the brain, Jessica is excited to be a part of our residency program and explore the intricate subspecialties of neurology. Outside of medicine, she is an avid hiker who aims to visit all the national parks in the United States, with Zion National Park as her favorite so far. Jessica loves spending her free time running and paddleboarding and is always seeking new adventures.

Amina Namrouti is originally from Tampa, Florida. She attended the University of South Florida, where she earned her bachelor’s degree in Biomedical Sciences. After graduation, she took a gap year and worked as a scribe for an outpatient neurologist, an experience that sparked her passion for neurology as she discovered the beauty and complexity of neurological diseases and diagnostics. She went on to pursue her medical degree at Florida International University in Miami, where her fascination with neurology only deepened. She loved the puzzle-like nature of the field and the intellectual challenge it presents. Outside of medicine, Amina enjoys spending time with her family and traveling. She aims to visit all 50 states and see the Seven Wonders of the World. In her free time, she enjoys outdoor activities like hiking, pickleball, and running. Amina additionally enjoys spending time with her cat, Petra, who is a recurring star on the Temptations Treats page.

Shwetha Sanapoori was born in India and grew up between India and the U.S., spending her early years in Pennsylvania and Washington, then living in India through her teenage years before returning to Seattle for college. She completed her undergraduate studies in Biochemistry and Bioethics, followed by an MPH in Global Health Analytics at the University of Washington before attending medical school at University of Washington. During medical school, she volunteered at free clinics and worked on health literacy education projects, where she discovered her passion for Neurology through the complex and inspiring patient stories she encountered. She is thrilled to continue her medical journey at University of Florida, where she looks forward to working with a vibrant and supportive neurology community. Shwetha is especially excited to pursue her interests in Epilepsy and Clinical Neurophysiology, and is elated for the opportunity to turn her passion into a lifelong career. Outside of medicine, Shwetha enjoys long outdoor walks, experimenting with new recipes, exploring new hobbies—most recently embroidery—and teaching Bharatanatyam, an Indian classical dance form.

Brice Sewell earned his undergraduate degree in Literature from the University of Miami, where he developed a deep appreciation for literature in translation and the intricate beauty of layered storytelling. His passion for language led him to work as a translator of ancient texts before discovering a new calling in medicine and the medical humanities. While pursuing his medical education at the University of Florida College of Medicine, he was captivated by the complexity and problem-solving nature of clinical neurology, a field that seamlessly blends his love of narrative with the diagnostic art of patient care. He is thrilled to continue his journey at the University of Florida Adult Neurology program, where he looks forward to deepening his clinical expertise and forging meaningful connections with patients and colleagues. Outside the hospital, he finds joy in baking artisanal breads, tending to his ever-growing collection of plants, immersing himself in novels, and exploring Florida’s sun-dappled woods and crystal-clear springs.

Madison ‘Maddie’ Starcher was born and raised in Morgantown, WV. She went to West Virginia University for undergraduate studies in Biology and minored in World Music! She then continued her medical education at WVU where she met her significant other Michael. During her time in medical school, she fell in love with neurology and the care she could give to her patients. She also was a singer in a band and loved having all of her family and friends join in on her folksy covers!

After spending many summers with her family at Disney World, she is excited to call Florida her new home. She fell in love with UF Neurology because of the opportunities there for fellowships and how easily everyone made her smile and laugh! When she is not wearing her colorful scrubs, you will almost definitely find her reading rom-coms, doing an NYT puzzle, baking, drinking tea, or talking to her amazing little sister.

Taylor Kagel was born and raised in Virginia Beach, Virginia. She grew up surrounded by the water and swam competitively throughout her childhood, also coaching her summer league swim team for countless summers. Taylor was fortunate to have an early introduction to neuroscience in undergrad as she completed a dual degree in Clinical Neuroscience and Biological Sciences at Virginia Tech. Taylor stayed in Blacksburg for medical school, as she attended VCOM-Virginia where she was able to delve further into her love for neurology. While at VCOM, she volunteered as a trainer for Rock Steady Boxing for Parkinson’s disease patients and worked on a multitude of research projects and publications investigating peripheral nerve repair and regeneration. Within neurology, Taylor has specific interests in epilepsy and movement disorders. She also has a strong passion for mentorship and medical education. In her free time, Taylor enjoys unwinding by watching any type of reality TV, discussing game theory, listening to true crime podcasts, and spending time with family and friends.