Our Residents
Amy Claypool, PT, DPT, SCS, CSCS (2019-20)
Dr. Amy Claypool received her Bachelor of Science in electrical engineering from Purdue University and earned her Doctor of Physical Therapy from Columbia University in 2013. In 2012, she became a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist. Dr. Claypool applied and was accepted into the highly selective American Academy of Sports Physical Therapy Traveling Fellowship, which she completed in April 2018. Earlier this year, Dr. Claypool became a Board-Certified Specialist in Sports Physical Therapy.
Dr. Claypool has worked in all stages of sports and orthopedic rehabilitation, from acute post-surgical to sports performance. She has also volunteered for the Columbia University Division I football team and has served as a physical therapist for elite U.S. military forces. She collaborated with the human performance team to provide care beyond injury recovery to enhance physical and mental performance. Dr. Claypool also has a special interest in optimizing female athletic performance.
Outside the clinic, Dr. Claypool loves outdoor activities with her family—hiking the national parks, downhill skiing, campfires and cooking out. She’s also a six-time marathon finisher and has completed two half Ironman triathlons.
Karlie Gross, PT, DPT, OCS (2019-20)
Dr. Karlie Gross earned her Bachelor of Science degree in kinesiology from San Diego State University. She earned her Doctor of Physical Therapy from Columbia University in 2019, graduating at the top of her class. At Columbia, she took advanced coursework in orthopedics and specialized courses in hand and wrist, women’s health, vestibular, and sports rehabilitation. Dr. Gross has been involved with research that culminated in platform and poster presentations at national conferences.
Her research interests include injury prevention, understanding movement patterns in individuals with and without low back pain, and the relationship between the hip and upper extremity in adolescent baseball pitchers. She is passionate about movement and understanding how the body works as a unit.
In terms of clinical expertise, Dr. Gross's areas of focus are general orthopedics, sports rehabilitation, and chronic pain management. During the 2019 NFL combine season, she had the opportunity to rehabilitate top collegiate athletes as they prepared for the NFL combine, and assisted at the combine in Indianapolis. Dr. Gross's clinical affiliations provided diverse experiences that spanned a variety of orthopedic diagnoses and acute cardiopulmonary conditions. She has worked with pediatric and adult oncology exercise wellness programs and gained international physical therapy experience in Ireland and Guatemala.
Outside of the clinic, Dr. Gross loves to play soccer, hike, spend time with friends and family, and travel.
Kynaston Schultz, PT, DPT, OCS, NCPT (2020-21)
Dr. Schultz received her undergraduate degree in Psychology with a minor in Ballroom dance from Brigham Young University. Thereafter, she received her Doctor of Physical Therapy degree from Columbia University, where she took advanced coursework in orthopedics, hand, foot, and ankle, performing arts, and sports. At Columbia, Dr. Schultz was also involved in research on injury prevention screening in adolescent dancers, resulting in platform presentations at national conferences. Dr. Schultz completed her final clinical affiliation at Harkness Center for Dance Injuries, where she gained experience treating all types of dancers in the clinic and backstage. After graduation, she completed a clinical residency in Orthopedics with Columbia University.
Following residency, Dr. Schultz took on a position as a Lecturer of Clinical Rehabilitation and Regenerative Medicine (Physical Therapy) at Columbia University Irving Medical Center, a practicing physical therapist at the Columbia Physical Therapy Faculty Practice on the CUIMC campus, and an educator in the Programs in Physical Therapy. Dr. Schultz specializes in delivering individualized physical therapy treatment to patients of all ages, with a particular focus on treating the musculoskeletal injuries of performing artists, as she has an extensive dance background, grounded in classical ballet and ballroom, with experience in many other genres. Dr. Schultz is a nationally certified Pilates teacher and integrates Pilates into the treatment of her patients. She believes in a patient-centered approach, focuses on helping people get back to doing what they love to do.
Outside of clinical practice, Dr. Schultz enjoys spending time with her family and friends, cooking, hiking, cycling, and dancing!
Charlie Weng, PT, DPT (2020-21)
Dr. Charlie Weng received the Bachelor of Science in nutrition science from University of California, Davis and earned the Doctor of Physical Therapy from A. T. Still University in 2020.
There, Dr. Weng conducted research on dual-task attention, and multi-limb control in people with Parkinson’s Disease. In 2020, Dr. Weng was accepted to the prestigious Clinical Residency in Orthopedic Physical Therapy (CROPT) at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons. During the residency training, Dr. Weng led the post-doc research on the effect of implementing manual therapy for people with Parkinson’s Disease and back pain and followed by completing the residency in 2021 at Columbia University Irving Medical Center - New York-Presbyterian Hospital in New York City.
Dr. Weng has strong interests in orthopedic physical therapy, advanced manual technique, shoulder pathology, preventive care, virtual healthcare, rehab products, and healthcare business. Dr. Weng also has extensive clinical experience in rehabilitation medicine. Dr. Weng currently holds a senior position in the outpatient orthopedic clinical setting at Kaiser Permanente San Jose Medical Center in the rehabilitation services department. Dr. Weng is a team-player, an all-around nice guy and an excellent clinician specializes in providing individualized treatments to patients with musculoskeletal dysfunction in both in-person and virtual environments. Dr. Weng makes access to care smooth and provides quality care to help patients achieve better health outcomes, better care experiences and better recovery.
Outside of clinical practice, Dr. Weng enjoys participating in team sports, such as basketball, badminton, and table tennis. Outside of physical activity, Dr. Weng enjoys practicing calligraphy, playing piano, watching NBA, and Formula 1 racing.
Eldon Graham, PT, DPT, OCS (2021-22)
Eldon Graham is currently employed as a staff clinician at Corewell Health in West Michigan. Eldon has a Bachelor of Science in Exercise Science with a focus on Kinesiology from Central Michigan University, where he also completed his Physical Therapy education. He has a passion for treating orthopedic and sport-related conditions and enjoys spending his leisure time outdoors with friends and family. After completing our program he worked in professional hockey, and eventually accepted a position in an ambulatory outpatient clinic to serve the rural community that he grew up in.
Alex Neufeld, PT, DPT, OCS (2021-22)
Alex Neufeld is a lifelong New Yorker, originally calling Brooklyn home. He received his B.S. in Biochemistry from Stony Brook University in Long Island and earned his Doctorate of Physical Therapy from Mercy College in Dobbs Ferry, NY. During his time at Mercy College, he was the Graduate Assistant for the PT program and helped to run the motion capture laboratory for interdisciplinary research. He started his professional career in March 2020, just before the COVID pandemic, in the acute care, hospital setting. After seeing how patients struggled to function with COVID, he wondered if there was a more effective way to intervene within the scope of physical therapy.
However, after a year and a half of working with some of the most seriously ill, he began to seek out opportunities to begin mastery of orthopedics. He applied for orthopedic residencies around the NYC area and was accepted to the Clinical Residency in Orthopedic Physical Therapy at Columbia University. Over the course of his residency year, he completed his clinical duties in 2 outpatient clinics within the NYP-Columbia hospital system, acted as a lab instructor to the entry-level DPT students, and completed several case reviews.
Currently, Alex can be found treating in the heart of the city, at Optum/Orthology on West 57th street. His clinical interests include orthopedics, manual therapy, and exploring novel ways of decreasing treatment time. After recently obtaining his board certification in orthopedics (OCS), he is taking some time to figure out what the next fun career goal to tackle is.
Alexei Vitrak, PT, DPT, OCS (2021-22)
Alex Vitrak received his Bachelor’s in economics, Master’s in statistics, and Doctor of Physical Therapy degrees from Rutgers University. In 2022, he completed a clinical residency in Orthopedic Physical Therapy at Columbia University and, the following year, became a Board-Certified Orthopaedic Clinical Specialist. At present, Dr. Vitrak practices at the Columbia University Physical Therapy Faculty Practice as a full-time staff physical therapist.
In his youth, Dr. Vitrak was a competitive gymnast, having experienced first-hand many of the injuries that he now treats as an orthopedic physical therapist. Motivated to stay current on latest research and trends in physical therapy, Dr. Vitrak frequently takes continuing education courses seeking to integrate traditional approaches with the most current evidence in patient interventions, to ensure superior patient outcomes. Dr. Vitrak also relishes his role in training DPT students to be future leaders in orthopedic physical therapy.
Outside of clinical practice, Alex enjoys spending his time outdoors in active pursuits like running, hiking, and climbing.
Meredith Craig, PT, DPT (2022-23)
Dr. Meredith Craig received her Doctorate of Physical Therapy from Northeastern University. She also received her Bachelor's from Northeastern in Rehabilitation Sciences in addition to minors in psychology and music. During her time at Columbia, she completed her clinical hours at Spear Physical Therapy in Tribeca.
Meredith has had a lifelong interest in the performing arts. She currently treats at Neurosport in Manhattan, where she is also the resident physical therapist for Aladdin on Broadway. Meredith recently presented at the Combined Sections Meeting and serves as a clinical instructor for entry-level physical therapy students. Outside of the clinic, she enjoys attending spin class, seeing shows on Broadway, playing the viola and walking her dog around the city.
Meg Tsai, PT, DPT (2022-23)
Born in Manhattan and raised in Bergen County, Meg attended Rutgers University for her bachelor’s degree, double-majoring in Biological Sciences and Psychology. She went on to receive her Doctorate in Physical Therapy from Rutgers School of Health Professions, formerly known as the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey. She continues to teach as an adjunct instructor at her alma mater.
Meg completed her clinical residency in orthopedic physical therapy at Columbia University in September 2023. She is currently a physical therapist at Holy Name Medical Center, she works with outpatient orthopedic patients and provides pelvic floor care for all genders. She is fortunate enough to have experience with a variety of diagnoses across the lifespan, with patients aged anywhere from 2 months old and up. In her free time, she enjoys embroidery, rock climbing, hiking, and strength training.
Pablo Meilicke, PT, DPT (2023-24)
Kimberly Smith, PT, DPT (2023-24)
