Staff
United States
Marcalee Alexander
Dr. Alexander is an expert on SCI, sexuality, disability, telerehabilitation and climate change and disabiity. She worked to establish and is Editor in Chief of the Journal on Climate Change and Health. She is also the Editor of the book Telerehabilitation: Principles and Practice and has written over 125 professional articles and chapters. She was trained as a Climate Project speaker in 2008 through Al Gore's Climate Reality Project, has lectured extensively around the world, and first brought the topic of climate change and SCI to a rehabilitation audience through the President of American Spinal Injury Association. Furthermore, she linked climate change and SCI at the Lars Sullivan Lecture in 2007 in Reykjavik, Iceland. Dr. Alexander has spoken in person and virtually at many US med schools and established The Day for Tomorrow and "Canada to Key West Walk" to raise awareness about climate change and disability.
United States
Alex Ghenis
Alex Ghenis joined Sustain Our Abilities as Deputy SOA in Summer 2022. Mr. Ghenis is a nationally recognized expert on the impact of climate change on people with disabilities and has been crucial to raising awareness about climate justice for the disability community. He holds a Master’s in Public Policy from the Goldman School of Public Policy at the University of California, Berkeley, with a focus on climate change and the built environment. In 2014, Mr. Ghenis started the New Earth Disability initiative at the World Institute on Disability to expand research on, and raise awareness about, climate justice for the disability community. He then founded the consulting firm Accessible Climate Strategies in 2020, where he supported governments and nonprofits with disaster readiness and other climate-related issues. Mr. Ghenis also has broad experience at the local level as a nonprofit board member and through government commissions and advisory bodies touching disability, housing and climate change. Outside the office, Alex enjoys accessible gaming and everything Cal Bears.
Board Members
Dr. Marcalee Alexander
United States
Dr. Alexander is an expert on SCI, sexuality, disability, telerehabilitation and climate change and disabiity. She worked to establish and is Editor in Chief of the Journal on Climate Change and Health. She is also the Editor of the book Telerehabilitation: Principles and Practice and has written over 125 professional articles and chapters. She was trained as a Climate Project speaker in 2008 through Al Gore's Climate Reality Project, has lectured extensively around the world, and first brought the topic of climate change and SCI to a rehabilitation audience through the President of American Spinal Injury Association. Furthermore, she linked climate change and SCI at the Lars Sullivan Lecture in 2007 in Reykjavik, Iceland. Dr. Alexander has spoken in person and virtually at many US med schools and established The Day for Tomorrow and "Canada to Key West Walk" to raise awareness about climate change and disability.
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Dr. Craig Alexander
United States
Bio Coming Soon
Maya Newman
United States
Maya is a specialist in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and also has a masters in Global Health Sciences. She is currently in a pediatric rehabilitation fellowship at Seattle Children’s Hospital. Growing up in the Northwest of the United States she learned the importance of recycling, composting, decreasing food waste, honoring nature and the environment as a child. Maya loves travel, learning about different people and cultures and taking care of our planet. She lived through earthquakes, hurricanes and forest fires, which are becoming ever more present over the past five years. For her children, friends, family and vulnerable pediatric patients with disabilities, she is passionate about taking action to help combat the climate crisis.
Elizabeth M. Treston
United States
Elizabeth M. Treston, M.A., is trained in speech therapy and pathology. After a traumatic accident leaving her a quadriplegic, she completed her studies and went to work at United Cerebral Palsy of Nassau, Inc. and spent most of her career working with non-verbal children and adults, providing skills and equipment for alternative and augmented communication. Ms. Treston is a survivor of Superstorm Sandy and a supporter of Climate justice. An advocate for rebuilding and resilience. Ms. Treston is currently a City Councilperson for Long Beach, NY.
Paul Malek
United States
Bio Coming Soon
Paul Creamer
United States
Bio Coming Soon
Dan Graves
United States
Bio Coming Soon
Raju Dhakal
Nepal
Raju is the Medical Director and Consultant Rehabilitation Medicine Physician (Physiatrist) for the Spinal Injury Rehabilitation Centre, Nepal. A polio survivor who must rely on the use of a wheelchair, he is trained in Spinal Cord Medicine and Rehabilitation. He is an Honorary Clinical Fellow of Rehabilitation Medicine at the Royal Melbourne Hospital in Australia and has served as the lead for many training projects around the world. He is a consultant for the Nepal National Guidelines on Disability inclusive health services – Rehabilitation Clinical Protocol and is an avid speaker and writer. Moreover, living in Nepal, he personally sees the benefits of telerehabilitation and the need to bring persons with disabilities and professionals together to conquer the earth's challenges.
Amina Rhama Audu
Nigeria
Amina Rahma Audu has lived with paraplegia for 35 years. She is a disability rights and social inclusion advocate. She is also the founder of Rebuilding Hope on Wheels Initiative (RHOWI) which is a non-profit organization that was founded primarily to enhance the lives of persons with disabilities especially those affected by Spinal Cord Injuries and Dysfunction (SCI/D) in Nigeria.
She is also a peer mentor in the RHOWI peer support group. She is also an advocate for inclusivity of persons with disabilities in the push for climate action in Nigeria. With the support of Adesola Odole, the RHOWI/SOA Climate Change and Disability Campaigners group in Nigeria was formed. Amina is one of the pioneer council members of the National Disability Commission representing North-West zone Nigeria.
She is a farmer and loves gardening.
Gretchelle Dilan
Puerto Rico
Gretchelle Dilan is an Industrial Psychologist, wheelchair user, business leader, and entrepreneur. She has utilized her professional skills and industrial psychology background to help make a difference in the lives of people with spinal cord injuries and disorders (SCI/D) by founding a magazine, support group, and nonprofit organization. After Hurricanes Maria and Irma, Gretchelle worked tirelessly to ensure that people with disabilities on the island had access to essential services and equipment. She personally visited the damaged houses of chapter members, of the United Spinal Association developing case studies and ramping up public awareness campaigns. Gretchelle has pushed for new policies to be created that address the needs of the community during emergencies and natural disasters.
Advisory Board Members
Yannis Dionyssiotis
Greece
Yannis is an Assistant Professor of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at the University of Patras. He has special expertise in osteoporosis and metabolic bone diseases and completed a Master Thesis in Aging and Chronic Diseases. Dr. Dionyssiotis realizes the unique concerns of the elderly and those with disabilities in regards to climate change and is passionate about educating people in an environmentally friendly fashion through the use of telemedicine and through social media.
Deborah Davis
United States
Deborah is a Speaker, Disability Inclusion Consultant, Entrepreneur, Writer, and Business Owner of Wheelchair Lifestyle Enterprise Push Living Inc. Living in South Florida, and having a C6 SCI, she is extremely concerned about climate change. Deborah has spoken on accessibility in the world and inclusion in the media since 1991. She has also been consultant on accessible design, inclusive travel/tourism, disability awareness, employment, marketing, and advertising.
She is most passionate about building a network of people with disabilities who are empowering, supporting, and creating a more inclusive world. Personally, she believes that people with disabilities must help not only with assuring that their needs are met with the climate crisis, but also that persons with disabilities can make a major contribution in conquering the climate crisis through the development of Day for Tomorrow.
Belgin Erhan
Turkey
Professor Belgin Erhan is working as a faculty member (Professor) and administrative director at Istanbul Medeniyet University, Medical Shool, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation.
Kimberly Chamberlain
United States
Kimberly Chamberlain has used a wheelchair for 40 years, and in these 40 years, she has noticed a difference in our climate. She has always liked to stay active; she wants to take daily walks, spend time in the garden and enjoy the sunshine. She lives in Central California. There in the valley, she has noticed a difference in the climate, with many more days of extreme heat and worsened air quality. These changes have limited her time outdoors. She believes that none of us can or should ignore what is happening to our environment. She believes that each of us is responsible for doing whatever we can, no matter how small or large we may think our contributions may be. Every effort is needed and matters.
Shivjeet Singh Raghav
India
Raghav has lived with a spinal cord injury for 40 years. He has also served as the Patient Education Coordinator and Peer Counselor at the Indian Spinal Injuries Centre, New Delhi, for years. He has also been involved in the development and leadership of many Indian and international organizations related to SCI, and with the UN-ESCAP project was a member of the team in inspecting and making important infrastructure, roads, signals, bus stands and footpaths accessible. He has also been a participant in many international conferences on quality of life, psychosocial issues, advocacy and empowerment of persons with SCI throughout his lifetime.
Erika Garnier
Romania
Erica has lived with a T9 SCI since 2010. Her work focuses on peer group training programs and services for wheelchair users. Working with the Motivation Romania Foundation, Erika organizes events to increase awareness of the abilities of people with disabilities. In April 2016, Erika was awarded with the title of Romanian Woman of Courage by the U.S. Embassy in Romania, after she represented Romania in the 2016 International Women of Courage contest, organized by the U.S. Department of State. Erica is passionate about using green healthcare and technology to improve the education and resources available to persons with disabilities.
Carl Froilan D. Leochico
Philippines
Dr. Carl Froilan D. Leochico is a physiatrist from the Philippines and Clinical Associate Professor at the College of Medicine, University of the Philippines Manila. He is a leader in telerehabilitation in the Philippines and is the present Chair of the Telerehabilitation Committee of the Philippine Academy of Rehabilitation Medicine. A special focus of his academic work is the education of medical students regarding climate change and the benefits of online education.
Colleen O'Connell
Canada
Truly an East-coaster, and never far from water, Colleen is a specialist in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and Research Chief at New Brunswick’s Stan Cassidy Centre for Rehabilitation. Along with husband Jeff Campbell, she founded Team Canada Healing Hands in 2002, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to advancing rehabilitation care and training in developing countries. She has thus worked in disaster response in Haiti and Nepal. She has co-authored numerous publications on and provided technical guidance to the World Health Organization on rehabilitation in the humanitarian field.
Ingebjørg Irgens
Norway
Ingebjørg Irgens is a PRM physician from Norway. She has been using TeleRehabilitation solutions for more than 15 years, and has performed both innovation projects and research projects using digital tools, like videoconference. Her main focus is to secure patients the same possibilities regarding treatment and follow-up, regardless of geographical location, using digital solutions. If these solutions also reduce atmospheric pollution, they should definitely be preferred.
Lisa Kozden
United States
Lisa is an occupational therapist with additional specialty certification as a Certified Hand Therapist (CHT) and as a Certified Orthopedic Manual Therapist. She teaches full-time as a Faculty Specialist at The University of Scranton and has a part-time private practice, Hands For Life Therapy. Lisa is currently a Doctoral Candidate earning her PhD in Occupational Therapy from Nova Southeastern University. She is passionate about telerehabilitation and infusing occupation in upper extremity rehabilitation.
Nishu Tyagi
India
Nishu is an Occupational Therapist and Telerehabilitation Specialist at the Indian Spinal Injuries Centre (ISIC) in Delhi, India. Ms. Tyagi launched the ‘We CARE India’ project, which supports online rehab services for persons with disabilities, children with special needs, elderly, and transgender communities. She also is an executive member of the Telemedicine Society of India and cooperates with many international groups. She is an expert at providing telehealth in rural communities of India and using this green form of health care to support people's recovery.
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Melina Longoni
Spain
Melina Longoni is originally from Argentina specialist in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Hyperbaric Medicine, Wound Care and Natural Therapies. She is the Medical director of the ReDel Rehabilitation Center in Tigre, Argentina, and holds many titles in various international rehabilitation societies. An avid communicator, Dr. Longoni has organized The Round-the-World courses for Sustain Our Abilities and in the process developed a great source of education for professionals and persons with disabilities in Ibero-Latin American Countries.
Ramiro Mitre
Argentina
Ramiro is a psychologist from Rosario, Argentina. He also holds a Master’s degree in Autism Spectrum Disorders. Ramiro is a university professor, he works as a trainer, supervisor and therapeutic team coordinator, and he is a member of the Neurodiversity Foundation (Argentina). Ramiro runs a postgraduate program on autism in Argentina and is passionate about online education. He is also personally affected by the impacts of climate change causing drought in Rosario.
Christina Anastasia Rapidi
Greece
Dr. Rapidi is an MD, PhD who leads the department of Physical & Rehabilitation Medicine at the General Hospital “G.Gennimatas” (NHS) in Athens. Dr Rapidi’s interests include neuro-rehabilitation, autonomic nervous system dysfunction, neurogenic bladder and bowel, pelvic floor rehabilitation and medical education. She works with many international organizations and is a frequent speaker in International Meetings. Realizing the rapid impacts of climate change on people living with spinal cord injuries, she is avid about the need for Day for Tomorrow, Telerehabiitation and online education.
Tate Shuttlesworth
United States
Tate Shuttlesworth is a student at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, where she studies the humanities and French. She is passionate about community service and music, and hopes to move to France and travel upon graduating. Tate was a close friend of Graham's and hopes to continue his legacy of selfless giving and deep appreciation for our planet through her involvement with The Graham Project.
Adesola Odole
Nigeria
Adesola Odole is an Associate Professor and Consultant Musculoskeletal Physiotherapist at the University of Ibadan and University College Hospital, Ibadan, Nigeria respectively. She has over 30 years of physiotherapy clinical practice. Her teaching, scholarship, and clinical practice have been geared towards telehealth, health outcomes assessment, and intervention of major musculoskeletal conditions. She is also interested in improved access to healthcare for the less privileged and underserved communities through mobile health. She is very passionate about the voice of individuals with disabilities being heard. Her new passion includes advancing health and wellness especially regarding climate change and physical disabilities.
Constantine Giattina
United States
Constantine Giattina is a student at Illinois Institute of Technology where he is studying architecture. He understands the terrible side effects of pollution and the irreparable damage we have caused the earth. Being friends and connecting about nature and animals with Graham helped him realize we need to act soon.
Henry Giattina
United States
Henry Giattina is a graduate of Hampden-Sydney College with a degree in political science, German, and rhetoric. He is driven by a passion for building cost-effective solutions to problems within both corporate and private affairs. The life of Graham, and his close relationship to Henry, has had a profound impact on his vision of the future: Henry sees global issues as a means of uniting people through something everyone shares—the first step towards effectively solving large-scale problems. The Graham Project is important to him because it focuses on climate change and bringing people together to solve this mutual crisis.
Corey Christenson
United States
Corey is a junior at Auburn University, where she is studying marketing and professional sales. She has a strong passion for nature and being outside and looks forward to traveling the world following her graduation. Her love for nature came from her dear friend Graham, whose passion and deep love for our planet and its life forms is what drives her curiosity about the world. She is excited to be a part of and work with The Graham Project.
Blythe Danley
United States
Blythe Danley attended the University of Alabama for 2 years studying marketing and advertising and is currently pursuing a career in art that focuses on the beauty of nature and the efforts needed to preserve it. Blythe believes that climate change threatens every connection within the natural world, and that impactful change can only truly be accomplished once efforts are combined. Because her values are deeply rooted in creativity, mindfulness and environmental stewardship, she believes that the Graham Project provides the perfect platform to learn about the healing power of the natural world and share the importance of the roles we all hold to protect it. She hopes that this project will help build a sense of harmony among global communities, help us with finding more commonalities amongst each other, allow for more opportunities for people to reconnect with nature, and ultimately inspire collaborations that provide solutions for the mounting issues that our planet's climate is faced with today.
JOIN THE TEAM
We are always looking for valuable Team Members to add value to our Team and to help us on our mission. If you think that you have skills that we need and an interest in what we do, we would love to hear from you.