Meet Our Team

Dr. James Petros, MD, MBA, is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Allied Pain & Spine Institute, the Managing Member of Trinity Surgery Center, and the Founder of NexGen Health.

As a thought leader in regenerative and interventional medicine, Dr. Petros combines his expertise with innovative approaches to deliver world-class care.

Graduating at the top of his class with a Medical Doctorate from Tulane University School of Medicine in 2003, Dr. Petros completed a rigorous seven-year postgraduate medical training program at Stanford University School of Medicine, specializing in comprehensive pain and injury management. He also graduated from other prestigious institutions, including UCSF, Cornell, and Santa Clara University.

Dr. Parish Vaidya joined Allied Pain & Spine Institute as an Interventional Pain Specialist in 2015. Based on his stellar track record in patient care, leadership qualities, love for teaching, and refined knowledge and experience in comprehensive pain management, he was named Chief Medical Officer of Allied Pain & Spine Institute in 2019.

Dr. Vaidya’s personable and whole-person approach coupled with outstanding dedication to compassionate healing set the new standard in state-of-the-art pain care. His caliber and diversity of skill in interventional pain management, non-surgical & regenerative musculoskeletal/orthopedics, electrodiagnostics, and integrative medicine are matched by a rare few across the country.

Dr. Richard Keyme is a double-board certified physician with a special interest in low back pain, because he has been personally living with it for the last 20 years.

He graduated from University of Pennsylvania with degrees in Biomedical Science and Psychology, then taught high school for 3 years as a science teacher, then earned his medical degree from University of Illinois in 2013, followed by completing residency at Stanford University in 2017. During medical school, he received Granville A. Bennett award for excellence in medical education and represented the student body during all 4 years.

Dr. Polsunas took a nontraditional path to his career in medicine. Looking to ease the aches and pains accumulated over years of participating in a variety of adventure sports, he discovered the practice of yoga, a passion for which led him to become a yoga teacher. In that role, he was privileged to watch people work through a variety of musculoskeletal and psychosocial ailments. It did not take long to realize that he wished to be more fully able to help people achieve their goals and a better quality of life as a physician.

Dr. Polsunas completed his undergraduate studies at Arizona State University and earned his medical degree from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine.

Dr. Karandikar is a triple Board-Certified physician with expertise in comprehensive, goal-directed, multi-disciplinary management of pain arising from spinal and musculoskeletal conditions while simultaneously incorporating his specialization in Spinal and Ultrasound-guided procedures. Dr. Karandikar has a unique educational background and brings with him a distinctive blend of clinical expertise along with the experience of different practice settings including academia and the federal VA (Veterans Affairs) system.

Dr. Karandikar completed his residency in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at the University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, and a PM&R Interventional Spine fellowship at Stanford University School of Medicine.

Sameera Alocozy, MD, completed residency training in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Albany Medical Center in New York. She has a special interest in the nonsurgical treatment of musculoskeletal injuries and back pain.

She graduated from the University of California Berkeley with a degree in Integrative Biology and obtained her medical degree from Creighton University School of Medicine in 2017.

Dr. Peter J Lee is a dedicated physiatrist and pain medicine physician committed to providing compassionate care to patients seeking relief from chronic pain. With a background in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Dr. Lee combines expertise with a warm, patient-centered approach to ensure that every individual feels heard and understood.

After earning a degree in Physiological Sciences at University of California Los Angeles, medical degree from Western University of Health Sciences, and completing residency at University of California Irvine, Dr. Lee pursued specialized training in pain management at University of Washington.

Dr. Nitin Prabhakar is a board-certified physician specializing in Pain Medicine and Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation.

A California native, he earned his BS in Physiology and Neuroscience from the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) and his MD from the University of Arizona College of Medicine. Dr. Prabhakar completed his residency at Stanford University and a fellowship in Interventional and Chronic Pain at UCSF.

Dr. Stidham’s fellowship training in sports medicine and arthroscopy gives him top-level attributes. Along with his outstanding academic background, he brings genuine compassion and understanding to create individualized treatment and care.

Listening to patient’s needs and guiding them through a patient first gameplan is key. Dr. Stidham empowers patients so that they take an active role towards peak recovery.

Katherine Sattler is a board-certified Physician Assistant, who joined Allied Pain and Spine Institute in 2022. She grew up in New York, and received her training at NYIT.

After graduating in 2013, Kat joined the largest PA-run service in the country, when she began working as a hospitalist PA at Montefiore Medical Center. When she moved to California in 2018, she joined a renowned endometriosis clinic. She found it especially rewarding to connect with patients living with chronic pain, and valued her role in improving their quality of life. Kat is thrilled to use her years of experience to help her new patients at APSI.

Judith Smith is a board-certified family nurse practitioner now specializing in chronic pain management.

Judith began her nursing career in the United States Air Force and is now a retired veteran. After retiring from the military, she completed her Master’s degree in nursing from Samuel Merritt University. She has been working as a nurse practitioner since 2005. Judith has extensive experience in occupational medicine and acute and urgent care. She has been working in chronic pain management for over 3 years.

Nurse practitioner Patti Lee, RN, ARNP, FNP-BC, MSN, MEd, brings nearly three decades of experience in skilled nursing, urgent care, and pain management.

Patti was born and raised in Louisiana, and began her professional education at Dillard University in New Orleans, earning her Bachelor of Science in nursing in 1996. She later enrolled at Herzing University in Milwaukee, where she obtained her family nurse practitioner degree in 2014.

Sean Fung-On, a board-certified Family Nurse Practitioner with a Doctorate in Nursing Practice, is dedicated to delivering compassionate, patient-centered care for individuals managing chronic pain.

Building on extensive clinical training from the University of Vermont and a holistic approach to treatment, Sean focuses on helping patients restore function, enhance well-being, and achieve lasting relief at Allied Pain and Spine Institute.

Dr. Raeda Joudy is our experienced licensed Lead Clinical Psychologist who joined Allied Pain & Spine Institute in 2020. Guided by her philosophy that a mind, body, and spiritual approach towards healing can be ubiquitously transformative, she is impassioned in coaching patients at Allied Pain & Spine Institute to engage emotional coping skills, realize increased daily function, and enjoy a higher quality of life.

Dr. Joudy obtained her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology, with emphasis in Health Psychology/Chronic Pain, from Pacific Graduate School of Psychology at Palo Alto University in 2008. She then completed intensive post-doctoral training at El Camino Hospital and CHAC to further advance her clinical skills.

Dr. Denniz Hernandez joined Allied Pain & Spine Institute in 2022. She obtained her Doctorate in Psychology in Applied Clinical Psychology from The Chicago School of Professional Psychology in 2019. She received post-doctoral training at the Pasadena Rehabilitation Institute, where she gained experience in pain management; helping patients overcome chronic pain by minimizing psychological, emotional, and physical barriers that keep patients from achieving their maximum functionality and full potential.

Her goal is to ensure that patient’s emotional, mental, and physical needs are considered in treatment by providing a compassionate and trusting environment, along with coping techniques to help them overcome life challenges.

Dr. Barbara Cox is a Clinical Psychologist who joined Allied Pain & Spine Institute in 2023. Guided by her philosophy that an integrated mind, body, and spirit approach towards healing can be transformative, she is impassioned in empowering patients at Allied Pain & Spine Institute to engage emotional coping skills, realize increased daily function, and enjoy a higher quality of life.

She received her BA in Biology from UC San Diego and her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology, with an emphasis in Health Psychology from Alliant International University/California School of Professional Psychology. She then completed intensive post-doctoral training at Aurora Behavioral Health Centers and other medical centers that specialized in health psychology and was licensed in 2002.

Mara is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker. She has worked in the mental health field for over a decade. Her clinical experience includes supporting those struggling with depression, anxiety, mood issues, trauma, grief and loss.

In her free time, Mara enjoys gardening, nature walks and spending time with her three dogs.

Born and raised in California, Dr. Jonathan Slater completed his undergraduate studies in Biology and Psychology at the University of California, Santa Cruz. He holds a Doctorate from Palmer College of Chiropractic in San Jose and dual Sports Chiropractic post-graduate certification.

He has been in practice and teaching clinical practice for over 25 years in San Jose and Los Gatos. As a clinical professor at Palmer, Dr. Slater published three articles, led chiropractic humanitarian missions to India, Fiji, and Brazil, and proudly mentored thousands of talented interns. The Palmer Sports Chiropractic Team recognized him as Clinician of the Year five times.

Dr. Richard Chau attended undergraduate studies at the University of Miami and received his Doctor of Chiropractic degree from Life West Chiropractic College in Hayward. He is a Certified Ergonomic Specialist, Diplomate in Functional Capacity Evaluations, and a State-appointed Qualified Medical Evaluator.

He is fluent in both Spanish and Chinese. He has specialized training in the treatment of soft tissue injuries and back pain, utilizing chiropractic, Active Release Techniques (ART), and exercise rehabilitation to optimize patients’ recovery.

He has been working in the Occupational Medicine field for the past 15 years.

Dr. Kevin Lam, Doctor of Chiropractic, graduated from Palmer College of Chiropractic in San Jose. He is passionate about helping patients of all ages manage aches, pains, and physical injuries. He takes a personalized approach to care, focusing on understanding and meeting each patient’s unique needs and expectations. He stays updated on the latest techniques to provide high-quality, effective treatment.

His goal is not only to address existing conditions but also to help patients prevent pain and achieve optimal health.

Outside of work, He enjoys traveling and hiking in his free time.

Dr. Rupa Chakravarty holds a Doctorate degree in Physical Therapy and is a Board certified Orthopedic Specialist. She earned her Doctorate from Des Moines University, Iowa. She has been a Physical Therapist for three decades and has extensive experience and expertise in various settings and practices. This unique background gives her the added perspective to being able to treat complex and difficult diagnoses.

Rupa has numerous manual therapy and exercise certifications in her tool kit. She is also a Board certified Clinical Instructor and imparts Physical Therapy knowledge to aspiring rehabilitation practitioners.

Junior Rangel is a California licensed Physical Therapist Assistant. He holds a BS in Kinesiology, pre-professional.

He has a wide range of experience working with multidisciplinary teams and emphasizes the root cause approach as a foundation for treating patients. Junior uses extensive manual therapy techniques and functional exercises to help patients operate at a more optimal level. He stresses movement science which works on the whole chain.

Mariano Mempin is a dedicated California licensed Physical Therapist Assistant passionate about promoting health and well-being with a B.S. degree in Kinesiology from CSU East Bay.

Mariano has honed his expertise in various Physical Therapy clinics, where he specializes in manual therapy techniques, guiding clients toward the restoration and achievement of functional movement through tailored exercise programs, providing knowledge to take charge of their health through education and experience.

Celine Chang is a California State Board Licensed Acupuncturist, Master of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine since 2006.

She embraces traditional acupuncture with her own innovation and objective diagnosis method. Celine practices the technique of scalp acupuncture, which restores the strength of a person’s body, muscle, organs, and tissues efficiently and usually delivers immediate positive effects.

Dr. Itzel Coronado was born and raised in Mexico City, Mexico. Her diverse background and experiences made her interested in the human condition.

While studying as a surgeon student at the UNAM Medicine School in Mexico City, she became interested in Traditional Medicine. She observed people’s struggles with illness and pain and, as a result of Chinese Medicine, achieved individual health, happiness, balance, and well-being. This experience triggered her own journey of helping people to feel their best emotionally, physically, and spiritually.

Peilin Rowley has been a California State Board Licensed Acupuncturist since 2023, after graduating with an M.S. in Traditional Chinese Medicine from Whitewater University of California.

Beyond classroom education, she completed 990 hours of post-graduate clinical work at the university’s clinic, where she diagnosed and treated up to 50 patients weekly under the supervision of licensed acupuncturists. She also completed advanced studies in Chinese Herbal Medicine, integrating herbal therapies into treatment plans.

Dr. Sherwin Hua brings nearly a decade of experience treating patients with complex spine and brain disorders.

He has performed over 3,000 surgeries since finishing Residency at Johns Hopkins Hospital in 2005 and has taken care of thousands of patients with neurosurgical and pain issues. He brings this wealth of experience into every consultation at Allied Pain & Spine Institute and into every surgery at Trinity Surgery Center. Every patient and situation are different, and so Dr. Sherwin Hua practices the art of neurosurgery one patient at a time.

Contact Information:

Website: https://dimespine.com/
Telephone: 888-588-6988

Dr. Bryan McCleve is a board-certified Anesthesiologist who joined Allied Pain & Spine Institute in 2020. He works primarily through Allied‘s affiliated ambulatory surgery center, serving as co-director of Anesthesia Services at Trinity Surgery Center.

Dr. McCleve attended Stanford University for his undergraduate studies, and as a student-athlete, competed at the highest levels in springboard diving. He was awarded his Medical Doctorate at University of Utah School of Medicine before setting off for specialized training in anesthesia– with emphasis in acute pain management, regional anesthesia, and pediatric anesthesia– at the Medical College of Virginia.