Novasport Institute

Dr. Youstina Atalla, PT, DPT, MOT is a highly trained and experienced physical therapist and occupational therapist, driven by a passion for optimizing human performance and helping athletes safely return to sport. She is the founder of MOXIE Physical Therapy and Sports Performance, where she specializes in treating complex orthopedic and sports related conditions through individualized, evidence based care focused on performance, recovery, and long term resilience. In addition to leading her private practice, Dr. Atalla continues to support professional athletes through her work with the LA Galaxy. She also works with VALD, educating clinicians and performance professionals on integrating sports technology and objective data into rehabilitation and performance settings. With experience working with athletes across all levels, from high school to professional sports, Dr. Atalla is committed to bridging the gap between rehabilitation, sports science, and performance optimization. She is an active member of the American Physical Therapy Association and the American Academy of Sports Physical Therapy, and serves on the nomination committee for CPTA Long Beach and South Bay.

Dr. Ja’nae Brown, PT, DPT, CFSC, CCMI, is the owner and founder of Physical Therapy San Pedro, bringing more than 20 years of experience as a Doctor of Physical Therapy. She earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Exercise & Sports Science from the University of San Francisco and her Doctorate in Physical Therapy from Loma Linda University in 2005. As a former high school basketball player, her passion for athletics led to a lifelong focus on sports rehabilitation, injury recovery, and performance training. Dr. Brown specializes in sports rehabilitation and Return to Sport training. She is a Certified Functional Strength Coach (CFSC), Certified Concussion Specialist (CCMI), and Emergency Medical Responder (EMR), with additional certifications in ROCKTAPE and Pilates. She also serves on the medical team for USA Weightlifting and has extensive experience working with both team sport athletes and the weightlifting community. She has provided injury support and performance services for several local organizations in her community including FC Premier WPSL Women’s Soccer, PICK6 Flag Football SoCal, San Pedro Aces Volleyball, SPCB, TDF, San Pedro and Mary Star High School. Dr. Brown has also worked with professional strongman Martins Licis for over 5 years and has supported major strongman events including the Rogue Invitational, World’s Strongest Man, the Arnold Sports Festival, and the Santa Monica Classic. In addition to clinical practice, Dr. Brown is the creator and host of the Physical Therapy San Pedro Podcast and is passionate about education, community outreach, and athlete development. Her mission is to help patients and athletes not only recover from injury, but move well, perform confidently, and exceed their previous physical capabilities.

Dr. Christie Bryant, PT, DPT, CFSC is the Founder and CEO of Bryant Orthopedic and Sports Physical Therapy, a rapidly growing, performance-driven practice redefining how rehabilitation and sports performance coexist. A former Division I athlete, she has built a model that integrates high-level clinical care, data-driven performance, and scalable business systems to elevate both patient outcomes and team development. Dr. Bryant is known for her forward-thinking approach to leadership, innovation in clinic operations, and commitment to bridging the gap between rehab, performance, and entrepreneurship in modern sports medicine. 

Dr. Lauren Clark, PT, DPT, CSCS, XPS is a Doctor of Physical Therapy, Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist (CSCS), and sports performance specialist based in Los Angeles with more than 15 years of experience in sports medicine, orthopedic rehabilitation, and performance care. She is the founder of LCPT Inc. and is recognized for integrating advanced manual therapy, holistic treatment approaches, and high-performance rehabilitation for elite athletes and active individuals. Prior to founding LCPT Inc., Dr. Clark served as the Performance Physical Therapy Manager for EXOS Los Angeles at Dignity Health Sports Park, collaborating with professional athletes, coaches, and sports medicine teams from organizations including the LA Galaxy, U.S. Soccer Federation, USA Cycling, and USTA. Her expertise includes return-to-sport programming and NFL, NBA, and MLB combine and off-season preparation. In addition to her work in professional sports, Dr. Clark has consulted with military and tactical organizations, including U.S. Navy SEAL training programs, FBI, and SWAT teams, focusing on performance therapy, injury prevention, and recovery. She currently works with athletes across nearly every major professional sport while continuing to provide education, consulting, and concierge performance services nationally and internationally. Dr. Clark earned her Doctor of Physical Therapy degree from Northeastern University and holds advanced certifications in strength and conditioning, performance therapy, SFMA, dry needling, kinesiology taping, and emergency medical response.

Dr. Nicholas J. Cutri, DPT, FAFS, CSCS, earned his Doctorate of Physical Therapy (DPT) from the University of Southern California after earning his Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology from San Diego State University. A practitioner of functional physical therapy, he completed the Fellowship Program in Applied Functional Science through the Gray Institute for Functional Therapy. He is also a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) through the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA). An expert in sports physical therapy, Dr. Cutri has worked with many professional athletes and has developed specialized expertise and programming for NBA athletes, professional skateboarders, and professional dancers. Opening MOTI Physiotherapy was a dream come true, and his aspiration is to provide a positive healing environment that delivers results for all patients.

Dr. Ziad Dahdul, PT, DPT, OCS, SFMA, FRCms, is the Owner and Founder of his practice and a board-certified Orthopedic Clinical Specialist with more than 11 years of experience treating athletes at every level — from youth sports to professional competition. His clinical approach blends functional movement principles with skilled hands-on care to help patients move, perform, and recover at their highest potential. Dr. Dahdul earned his Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology with an emphasis in Clinical Exercise Science from California State University, Fullerton before receiving his Doctor of Physical Therapy degree from University of Southern California. He is also SFMA Level 1 certified and a Functional Range Conditioning mobility specialist. Over the course of his career, Dr. Dahdul has developed advanced expertise in ACL rehabilitation and the treatment of shoulder and elbow injuries in overhead athletes. He has helped hundreds of patients successfully return to sport, performance, and daily life through individualized, evidence-based care. Passionate about bridging the gap between rehabilitation and performance, Dr. Dahdul believes everyone deserves access to high-level care — whether they are a competitive athlete or simply striving to move and feel better in everyday life.

Dr. Haley Hawes, PT, DPT, OCS is a Board-Certified Orthopedic Clinical Specialist and physical therapist at Red Bull’s Athlete Performance Center in Santa Monica, California. For over three years, she has provided comprehensive care to a wide range of athletes, with a primary focus on extreme sports and a diverse mix of team sport athletes. Red Bull sponsors nearly 1,000 athletes across more than 200 sports disciplines worldwide, and Haley’s work regularly involves collaborating with interdisciplinary teams from around the globe to optimize performance, manage injury, and support long-term athletic development. Before joining Red Bull, Haley founded and operated her own concierge physical therapy practice in the Los Angeles area, where she worked with athletes—primarily soccer players—as well as active individuals seeking high-level, one-on-one care. During this time, she also served as a Medical Observer for the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL), providing medical support at Angel City FC home matches. Earlier in her career, Haley practiced at an outpatient orthopedic and sports clinic in Santa Monica, California, which served as a residency site for the University of Southern California’s Orthopedic Residency Program. There, she refined her expertise in orthopedic and sports rehabilitation while working in an academic, residency-based environment committed to evidence-based practice and advanced clinical training.

Dr. Ann DeGrey, PT, DPT, SCS graduated from UC Irvine with a B.S. in Public Health Sciences and then continued her educational pursuits at the University of St. Augustine, earning her Doctorate in Physical Therapy (DPT). Dr. DeGrey is currently the Clinic Director of Moti Physiotherapy in Highland Park, Los Angeles and is an active Clinical Instructor for DPT students from multiple physical therapy programs. She is also a Certified Board Sports Specialist and Certified USA Weightlifting Performance Coach, and travels as a medical provider for professional sports organizations, including Team USA Weightlifting, International Weightlifting Federation, USOPC Medical for the Junior Pan American Games, Santa Monica Rugby, AVP Beach Volleyball, and Mountain Dew Skateboarding Tour/Olympic Qualifiers. Dr. DeGrey also volunteered at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs in the summer of 2019 and had the privilege to treat USA Olympians and Para-Olympians. Additionally, Dr. DeGrey is an Adjunct Professor at West Coast University DPT Program, a certified EMR Instructor for American Red Cross, and certified BLS Healthcare Instructor for the American Heart Association. She currently teaches Advanced Sidelines Emergency Responder courses for healthcare professionals nationwide through the Novasport Institute.   

Dr. Joan Rae “JR” Hermosura, PT, PhD, DPT, OCS, SCS, FAAOMPT, is an Assistant Professor at West Coast University’s Physical Therapy Program. She is a Southern Californian native but wanting to explore, she moved to Arizona and graduated from Arizona State University Cum Laude with her Bachelor of Science (BS) in Kinesiology in 2008. Moving back to California, she attended Azusa Pacific University, graduating with her Doctorate in Physical Therapy in 2013.  She completed a Board-Certified Orthopedic Residency program through Kaiser Permanente from 2015-2016 and became an Orthopedic Certified Specialist (OCS) in 2016. Following the pursuit for learning and additional clinical expertise, she continued on to complete a Fellowship in Manual Therapy with an emphasis in sports through Kaiser Permanente from 2016-2017 and obtained a Sports Certification Specialty (SCS) in 2017. In 2020, Dr. Hermosura completed her didactic work to achieve PhD candidacy for Physical Therapy from Loma Linda University earning her PhD in 2024. Her research explores a neurological component relating to the persistence of chronic low back pain utilizing neurological clinical tests and imaging. Dr. Hermosura has dedicated much of her physical therapy to career learning and growing with the profession while working primarily in an outpatient orthopedic clinic. Combining her love for sports and physical therapy, she enjoys training youth athletes, primarily softball. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her family and friends, seeks adventure outdoors including snowboarding, rock-climbing, and camping, and she loves a good DIY home project.

Dr. Arash Maghsoodi, PT, DPT is the co-founder of Prehab, a leading digital physical therapy and preventative rehabilitation platform dedicated to improving access to musculoskeletal care through education and technology. Through free online content, Prehab reached more than 240 million users last year and has built a community of over 2.3 million followers worldwide. In addition to its educational platform, the Prehab App serves more than 70,000 self-pay users, while the Prehab Exercise Library supports over 25,000 patients each month through customized provider-prescribed home exercise programs. Dr. Maghsoodi has also helped lead the growth of Prehab Physical Therapy, the company’s in-person clinic, creating an integrated model that combines digital tools with hands-on clinical care. Centered around the concept of “preventative rehab,” Prehab’s mission is to educate and empower individuals to take control of their health while helping address the growing burden of musculoskeletal conditions within the healthcare system.

Dr. Brian Schwabe, PT, DPT, SCS is a sports physical therapist and performance specialist with experience working across professional sports, entertainment, and high-performance rehabilitation settings. Through his previous role with IO Sports Therapy in partnership with Excel Sports Management, Brian worked with professional athletes across the NFL and NBA, including combine preparation, return-to-play management, and travel support for individual players. His clinical approach integrates rehabilitation, performance training, and objective testing technologies including force plates and dynamometry. Brian currently operates a concierge-based performance and rehabilitation practice in Southern California while also traveling internationally with touring entertainers and high-level clients.

Dr. W. Zach Smith, PT, DPT, is the co-founder of HIDEF Physical Therapy, a sports-focused practice he launched in 2019 with partner Mitch Harb out of the back of a CrossFit gym in Seattle. Since then, HIDEF has grown to seven clinics across the greater Seattle area and was ranked No. 858 on the Inc. 5000 list last year. At HIDEF, Zach oversees the operations side of the business, including paid acquisition, SEO, finance, operations, and clinical standards. He continues to treat patients alongside his team and serves as Team Medical Director for Bigfoot FC (USL League Two and USL W), where he built the club’s medical infrastructure from the ground up. His clinical work spans professional football, baseball, and basketball athletes, as well as collegiate, high school, and recreational athletes. Across every HIDEF location, return-to-sport testing is anchored by Hawkins and Kinvent force plates and handheld dynamometry.

Dr. Christopher Song, PT, DPT, OSC, is an orthopedic specialist who's been practicing in a hospital based out-patient setting for 10 years. He graduated UCLA with a degree in physiological science and USC with his doctorate of physical therapy in 2016. He completed the orthopedic residency program at Adventist Health: Glendale the following year and has continued to develop his practice there. As a classical trombone player of 16 years, he's blended his passion for music with his career to treat musicians with playing related injuries. He has turned his extracurricular passions for music and e-sports into a class on treating the "Unconventional Athlete" for the orthopedic residency program. He also teaches classes on HVLA mobilizations of the spine and Therapeutic Exercise for the residency. He has served as the lead for his clinic's journal club and can be often found deep-diving into random clinical queries or immersed into podcasts on Movement Optimism. Chris has 9 years of experience as a clinical instructor for SPTs throughout the Southern California region. He serves the residency program as a mentor working individually with residents on a weekly basis to challenge and elevate their practice patterns and clinical reasoning from entry-level to specialist quality care. 

Dr. Sharae Tejada, PT, DPT, OCS, SCS is an Assistant Professor of Clinical Physical Therapy at the University of Southern California. With a focus on orthopedics and sports rehabilitation, Dr. Tejada brings a wealth of expertise and passion to her role within the Department of Biokinesiology and Physical Therapy. Dr. Tejada is a board-certified Orthopedic and Sports Clinical Specialist, recognized for her commitment to advancing the field of physical therapy through education and clinical practice. She is a dedicated educator within USC’s entry-level Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) program and a mentor in the sports and oncology residency programs. Dr. Tejada is deeply involved in sports medicine, providing expert care and support to athletes at both the collegiate and professional levels. She has served on the medical staff for the World University Games and the AVP, while also participating in event coverage for USC Club Sports.

Dr. Dustin Willis, PT, DPT earned his Doctor of Physical Therapy degree from Loma Linda University in 2014, where he received the Dean’s Award, Clinical Excellence Award, and Fred B. Moore Mission Service Award. He completed advanced postdoctoral training through Rancho Physical Therapy’s Orthopedic Residency Program, Kaiser Permanente’s Sports and Manual Therapy Fellowship, the Lower Extremity Biomechanics Fellowship at the Movement Performance Institute, and Azusa Pacific University’s Movement Performance Fellowship. Dr. Willis currently serves as an Associate Professor and Student Success Coordinator in the Doctor of Physical Therapy program at Southern California University of Health Sciences while also maintaining a concierge clinical practice through his company, “Will is the Way.” His professional experience includes serving as a physical therapy consultant for the Los Angeles Lakers and spending five years as a sports performance physical therapist with Quantum Performance, where he worked with elite athletes including Kevin Durant during the 2024 Paris Olympics. Dr. Willis recently completed his PhD dissertation at Loma Linda University, focusing on patient-provider interactions and the healing power of compassionate connection. His research received the Graduate Research Award in 2025. He has also been recognized by his alma mater as both a Distinguished Alumni (2022) and Rising Star (2017)