Important Persons and Contact Information President: Niral Patel (2011) nipatel@nycpm.edu Niral assumes the position of president after serving on the sports medicine executive board first as a freshman class representative and then as Vice president during his sophmore year. His interest in sports medicine, particularly in edurance related sports comes from growing up in East Africa, a region known for its long distance runners. As a mountaineer and certified professional alpine ski instructor, Niral's interests have broadened to winter sports medicine and their Podiatric manifestations. Niral graduated from Lehigh University in Bethlehem PA. with a degree in biological sciences and continued graduate work at Rutgers University in New Jersey prior to attending NYCPM. When he isn't studying or organizing the day-to-day activities of the sports medicine club, Niral can be found running, hiking, pursuing his passion for photography or dreaming of his next big mountain to climb; be it made of rock, ice or textbooks! Vice-President: E. Giannin Perez (2011) gperez@nycpm.edu Giannin was Born in Lima, Peru and moved to the US at the age of 12. she started playing tennis at 10 and was a member of the New York Junior Tennis League (NYJTL). She won the Mayor’s Cup sportsmanship award in 1990. Giannin went on to play in USTA tournaments and won the Staten Island Women Tennis Championship 1995 and New York State Doubles Champion with Kerriann McDermot in 1995. She received a full tennis scholarship to Manhattan College Division 1 tennis where she played #1 singles and doubles Giannin was co-owner of Manu Restaurant (2001 – 2005), obtained a Physiology MS from NYMC and had bilateral HAV surgery in 2005, which is how she got into the field of Podiatric medicine and surgery. Secretary: Bijan Andrade (2012) bandrade@nycpm.edu Bijan is the 2012 Sports Medicine Club Secretary and is in his second year at NYCPM. His enthusiasm for rock climbing, surfing, cycling, running and snowboarding inspired a desire to study treatment and prevention of injury. Bijan is currently a Registered Nurse. Prior to attending NYCPM, he worked as a nurse in a military (U.S. Navy) and civilian capacity for seven years, in fields ranging from Emergency Medicine to Inpatient Psychiatry. Bijan only needs 30 minutes of sleep daily and can hold his breath for forty-five minutes when the temperature is below 34-degrees centigrade! Treasurer: Dominic Roda (2011) droda@nycpm.edu Dominic Roda is our Sports Medicine Club Treasurer. Dominic's passion for money and sports is what drove him to run for this elected position. In the past, Dominic has served on executive boards for other clubs as club president and vice-president. When he isn't slaving away to the grueling hours of the infamous Junior year Orthopedics/Pediatrics rotation at NYCPM, you can find him taking long walks on the beach, studying in Central Park, or logging patient experiences in the NYCPM computer lab. Dominic would like to help the club reach new limits by raising the bar on its fundraising goals. If any club member has any ideas for fundraising, or ideas for the sports medicine club in general, don't hesitate to track him down and have a word! Junior Rep: Amit Gandhi agandhi@nycpm.edu Amit went to Stony Brook University and graduated in 2004 with a B.S. in Health Science and a minor in Business Management. He worked at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in the departments of Colorectal and Gastrointestinal from 2004 to 2006. He also worked as a personal trainer at L.A. Fitness Sports Club before he started at NYCPM in 2007. His experience working as a personal trainer really sparked a profound interest in sports medicine. Neelam Vij nvij@nycpm.edu Neelam did her undergrad at UC Davis, also known as the 'The Bicycle Capital of the U.S.'. Between biking everywhere and being a dance captain she had her share of ankle sprains and shin splints. Anyone who has participated in sports knows the frustration of being out due to an injury. For Neelam, thought of being sedentary is often more painful than the injury itself. She says sports medicine not only helps people get back on their feet as soon as possible but it also works towards preventing sports related injuries. It plays a key role in improving an athlete's quality of life by helping them continue to do what they love. Sophomore Rep: Chioma Odukwe codukwe@nycpm.edu As a class representative, Chioma keeps the class informed about exciting opportunities for volunteer and participation in numerous activities organized by the Sports Medicine club. Prior to her career at NYCPM, she attended the University of Connecticut where her major was Physiology and Neurobiology. she received her master of science degree at Southern Connecticut State University. She has been involved in sports such as soccer, rugby, track, yoga, pilates and tennis. She has also taught dance mainly jazz, ballet and hip-hop. When Chioma is not drowning in NYCPM school work, she can be spotted in local theaters performing in small musical theater or small production operas. Janale Beckford jbeckford@nycpm.edu As class representative for the second year in a row, Janale has found the club to be very active and forward thinking. Prior to attending NYCPM, Janale attended University College London (UCL) where she qualified with Honors as a Podiatrist. Her fields of interest were in Podiatric surgery, Biomechanics and sports injuries. During her time in Practice Janale has worked alot with various sports players from the rough and tough Rugby player to the petite and meek Ballet dancers and feels that the club is able to keep her updated with current practices within the field. Freshman Reps: Shawn Braunagel sbraunagel@nycpm.edu Shawn is a first year student here at NYCPM. Shawn graduated with a B.S. in Biology from St. Cloud State University in St. Cloud, MN. Prior to enrolling in the January term of 2009, he spent 2 years as a medical writer for a contract research organization. His interest in sports medicine stemmed from 4 years of place-kicking at SCSU. As an avid sports enthusiast, there isn’t a sports related activity Shawn will pass up. Besides staying active playing basketball, soccer, tennis, or golf; Shawn’s Siberian husky keeps him on his toes. If you have a question and can’t find Shawn at school, you can probably catch him running or rollerblading with his dog up the east river. Alicia Attanasio aattanasio@nycpm.edu For the past 18 years Alicia has been a classically trained ballet dancer. Her other athletic interests have included soccer, lacrosse, and swimming. Alicia did her undergraduate work at Saint Joseph’s University in Philadelphia, PA. Prior to her start at NYCPM Alicia did graduate work at UMDNJ in Newark, NJ. As a native of New Jersey, she loves to watch baseball and football; her two favorite sports teams include the Yankees and the Giants. Alicia has always been passionate about getting people involved in sports and staying active. This is one of the driving forces that led her to Sports Medicine. As a member of the class of 2013 she is eager to get her fellow classmates involved! ©2009 New York College of Podiatric Medicine