We’re pleased to introduce you to
The Neurologic Wellness Institute Team
The Neurologic Wellness Institute employs the largest number of doctors in the world who have received the highest level of training in Functional Neurology / Chiropractic Neurology.
All of our doctors have received extensive post-doctorate training as well as have completed our in-house doctor training program. Our doctors represent the leaders in their profession and commonly travel around the world teaching our unique methods.
Team By Location
LEAD CLINICIANS
Dr. David Traster
DC, MS, DACNB, FABBIR, FABVR, CCSP, PAK
Dr. Traster is a globally recognized expert in the field of neurological rehabilitation. He lectures and consults for doctors of all specialties across the world relating to patients with a variety of neurological disorders. The conditions Dr. Traster works most with are dizziness, dysautonomia, brain injuries/concussions, chronic pain, headaches, walking/balance disorders, movement disorders, cognitive disorders, and developmental disorders.
Dr. Rebecca Oliveira
DC, DACNB
Dr. Rebecca Oliveira was born and raised in Marietta, GA. She attended the University of Georgia for undergraduate studies where she majored in Biology and participated in their Portuguese Flagship Program. She completed her Doctorate of Chiropractic at Life University, where she graduated as the Valedictorian of her class. During her time at Life, she served as a Student Ambassador and as the president of the Functional Neurology Club.
PATIENT CARE COORDINATOR
Mary N.
EXECUTIVE ADMINISTRATIVE DIRECTOR
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NEURO-REHABILITATION THERAPISTS
Meg R.
NEURO-REHABILITATION THERAPIST
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Meg is a dog mom to her two beloved greyhounds and a new kitten, who are not just pets but cherished family members. Meg enjoys spending time with her fur babies, going to the beach and traveling. Meg also does pet sitting on her free time. Meg has over 7 years of experience in healthcare, she has worked in various high-pressure environments including emergency room, surgery, labor and delivery and ICU settings. Armed with a bachelor’s degree, Meg brings a wealth of knowledge to every situation. Through a combination of compassion, skill, and dedication, Meg continues to make a positive impact in the lives of both human patients and her furry friends. With a heart for healing and a love for animals, Meg exemplifies a balance of professionalism and compassion in everything she does.
Vanessa A.
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Zak L.
NEURO-REHABILITATION THERAPIST
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Zak is a dedicated therapist with a special focus on concussion and post-concussion syndrome, driven by his personal experience as a former post-concussion patient. His unique perspective allows him to offer empathetic, tailored care to individuals navigating their recovery journey. Outside of his professional life, Zak enjoys an active lifestyle, often found skateboarding, surfing, or playing Cornhole. He also cherishes time with his dog, Louie, who is his Post-Concussion Emotional Support Animal. Zak’s commitment to both the patients and his own well-being underscores his holistic approach to neurology and rehabilitation.
Rebecca P.
NEURO-REHABILITATION THERAPIST
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As a recent graduate from Florida Atlantic University, Rebecca earned her bachelor’s degree in Neuroscience and Behavior, which has deepened her passion for neurology and the intricate workings of the brain. Driven by a commitment to lifelong learning, she is dedicated to pursuing a career as a medical doctor.
Beyond her academic and professional pursuits, Rebecca is a dedicated dancer with training in ballet and acrobatics.
During her time here at NWI, Rebecca has discovered that patient care is where her true passion lies. She takes pride in learning about each patient’s unique story, ensuring their needs are met with empathy and precision. The skills and insights she has gained at NWI will undoubtedly serve her well in her future medical career.
CHICAGO, IL
LEAD CLINICIANS
Dr. Michael McAuliffe
DC, DACNB
Dr. Michael McAuliffe was born and raised in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan where he developed a love for both sports and science. His passion led him to complete an undergraduate degree in biology from Northern Michigan University before moving to Georgia. Here he spent four years at LIFE University completing a Doctorate of Chiropractic degree, serving as President of the Functional Neurology Club, and dedicating thousands of hours of training through The Carrick Institute and issued a board certification from the American Chiropractic Neurology Board in 2019, the highest level of training in functional neurology.
Dr. Hannah Massey
DC, DACNB
Dr Hannah Massey is excited to bring her expertise to the Neurological Wellness Institute. One of Hannah’s greatest passions in life is helping people. She strives to create a welcoming atmosphere for her patients where they feel supported and validated along their journey of healing.
PATIENT CARE COORDINATOR
Katrina C.
PATIENT CARE COORDINATOR
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Katrina is a new addition to the NWI team but not a newcomer to Patient Care as she has experience in patient-facing roles for over 10 years. She believes that quality patient care starts at the intake process so ensuring that everyone feels welcomed, seen, and heard is essential to her. She is an advocate for Mental Health, and so being part of the NWI team has been a rewarding journey for her.
Outside of work, Katrina enjoys crate digging at record stores, live music, cooking, trying out new restaurants and things to do in Chicago, and spending time with her friends and family.
NEURO-REHABILITATION THERAPISTS
Christina M.
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Trudy S.
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Nikki D
NEURO-REHABILITATION THERAPIST
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Nikki is a new member of the NWI Chicago team, spreading her love for excellent patient care. She graduated from Loyola University Chicago in May of 2023 and has been expanding her medical knowledge and patient care experience since. Her ultimate goal is to become a Physician Assistant where she will prioritize her patients and get to the root cause of their symptoms as NWI does.
Outside of work, Nikki enjoys spending time with her friends and cuddling with her orange cat, Obie. She loves the summertime in Chicago where she can bask in the sun and explore coffee shops in the city.
WAUKESHA, WI
LEAD CLINICIANS
Dr. Nicholas Schmidlkofer
DC, DACNB
Dr. Nick has always had a passion for helping others achieve their goals. In healthcare, goals come in a variety of ways with many individuals having complex diseases. Dr. Nick is dedicated to spending time and understanding each individual patient to holistically treat and meet these individual goals. By utilizing clinical neuroscience and nutrition research, his patients feel empowered and gain more control over their lives.
PATIENT CARE COORDINATOR
Chris K.
PATIENT CARE COORDINATOR
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Chris has been working at NWI since 2023. As someone who has had 24 years of front office experience, she was very excited to join NWI because of our history of making such a huge difference in the lives of our patients. She enjoys greeting the patients in a very empathetic and friendly way, and loves seeing them improve during treatment. Chris is a wife and mom of 3 adult children. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her family, camping, hiking, cooking, and performing energy work.
NEURO-REHABILITATION THERAPISTS
Jennifer S.
NEURO-REHABILITATION THERAPIST
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Jennifer is a new addition to the Waukesha NWI team. Jennifer is striving to be a Physician Assistant with specialties geared toward cardiology, neurology and pediatrics. In her free time, she likes to do hiking, traveling, and going to Brewer’s games. She also visits Michigan every now and then to climb the dunes and explore new ones there. Jennifer has a passion for learning and loves growing in everything she does.
WOOD DALE, IL
LEAD CLINICIANS
Dr. George Michalopoulos
DC, DACNB, FABBIR, FABCDD, FABVR
Dr. George Michalopoulos has been in practice for 31 years in Addison and Wood Dale and strives to restore his patient’s health in the shortest period of time. He utilizes a multi-disciplinary approach including, brain-based rehabilitation, physical therapy, diet, and education of the patient’s existing problems.
Dr. Michael Drzewiecki
DC, MS, FABBIR, DACNB, CCSP
Dr. Michael Drzewiecki is a Doctor of Chiropractic specializing in Functional Neurology. He has a strong passion for helping those who have been “everywhere else” and have seemingly lost hope in their condition. Through the use of groundbreaking clinical neuroscience and outside of the box thinking he has been making huge strides in helping people regain their quality of life.
Dr. Kayla Ryan
DC, DACNB
Dr. Kayla fell in love with functional neurology after suffering from several concussions. These experiences enable her to better empathize and empower patients looking for answers and healing. She has spent hundreds of hours studying clinical neuroscience at the Carrick Institute.
Dr. Nathaniel Proce
DC, DACNB
Dr. Nathaniel Proce was born and raised in Knoxville, Maryland. He received a Bachelor of Science degree in Kinesiology from the Pennsylvania State University.
Dr. Proce is a former member of the NCWA Division 1 wrestling team at Pennsylvania State University where he earned the opportunity to attend the NCWA National Championship tournament, obtaining recognition as an Academic All American.
PATIENT CARE COORDINATORS
Dayna V.
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Emily C.
FRONT DESK PATIENT COORDINATOR
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Emily has been on the NWI team since 2019. She has over 13 years of experience in customer-service focused roles. She goes above and beyond to meet patients where they’re at, accommodating patients’ limitations across diverse neurological conditions. Emily says that being the first point of contact has been very fulfilling as it allows her to see how far patients progress and the healing that they receive at NWI. Patients have also praised her for the warmth she brings to the clinic.
Emily is happily married and enjoys going on adventures and seeking out new nature-filled places. She also pursues a healthy and active lifestyle; she enjoys her workouts at the gym or simply going for walks outdoors. In her down time, she loves spending time with those near to her or simply staying in and reading a good book.
CHIROPRACTOR, PHYSICAL & MASSAGE THERAPISTS
Dr. Brian Vincent
DC
Dr. Brian Vincent completed his Doctorate of Chiropractic at Life University. Throughout his time working with patients, Dr. Brian understands the importance of movement and improving your ability to function throughout the day. He is trained to treat musculoskeletal conditions through a multi-disciplinary approach using chiropractic adjustments, soft tissue mobilization, applied kinesiology and exercise rehabilitation.
Dr. Jerry A. Iavarone
DC, CCSP, CABCDD
Dr. Jerry Iavarone is a Doctor of Chiropractic with over 30 years experience. Dr. Iavarone treats musculo-skeletal conditions that arise from a variety of reasons. Dr. Jerry emphasizes the importance of the underlying cause of a condition rather than just the symptoms it produces.
Suzeth B.
Suzeth graduated in 2001 with a Bachelors of Science in Physical Therapy and has been working for The Neurologic Wellness Institute since 2005. She loves the family and the friendship that she’s gained over the years from working there and returning patients trust in the company. She loves being able to improve her patient’s quality of life. Suzeth has mostly worked in the outpatient ortho setting and some home health.
Pretzel C.
Licensed Physical Therapist
Pretzel started her career 17 years ago after completing her degree for Bachelor of Science in Physical Therapy. Pretzel’s experience is vast, encompassing many aspects of healthcare including skilled nursing facilities, hospitals, and outpatient settings. Particularly, she enjoys treating areas of interest in musculoskeletal, orthopedics and post-operative physical therapy. Pretzel’s skills in soft tissue mobilization, muscle energy techniques, and being Graston certified make her one of the top choices for physical therapy.
Abby A.
Licensed Physical Therapist
Abby graduated with her Doctorate in Physical Therapy (DPT) from Thomas Jefferson University in 2018. Abby found The Neurologic Wellness Institute (NWI) through a friend and has been a part of the team since 2019. She loves the mission of NWI and has a strong passion for functional medicine. Abby has really enjoyed the people and patient’s she has met and loves being a part of the healthcare team at NWI.
Andrea R.
Licensed Massage Therapist
Andrea has been a Licensed Massage Therapist for 8 years. She has been with The Neurologic Wellness Institute since 2013. She enjoys massage therapy because it is a more holistic way of healing. She takes the time to get to know her patients so each massage session is focused for the individual and their problem areas.
Brianna D.
Licensed Physical Therapist
Brianna was born and raised in Itasca, IL, and graduated from Lake Park High School in 2004. Brianna then went on to earn her Bachelor of Science in Exercise Science from the University of Nebraska at Omaha while also playing softball for the Mavericks from 2004-2008. In 2013, Brianna completed PTA school at Nebraska Methodist College in Omaha, NE and has been a licensed PTA since.
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NEURO-REHABILITATION THERAPISTS
Kristen D.
NEURO-REHABILITATION THERAPIST
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Celina O.
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Claire B.
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Amber K.
NEURO-REHABILITATION THERAPIST
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Amber has been working for NWI since May of 2024. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Neuroscience from North Central College. While in undergrad, Amber presented research on executive function at the Association for Psychological Science Annual Convention and had intern experience in a neuropsychological clinic.
Having experience administering neuropsychological tests and neurofeedback therapy, Amber understands the importance of patient experience and care. Working at NWI has allowed her to not only learn more about functional neurology and the mechanisms behind the therapies provided, but also how to create a welcoming and safe environment for patients. When not at work, Amber loves to spend time with her family and friends, try out new soup recipes, watch scary movies, and read.
Dr. Kelsey Brenner
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
DC, DACNB, FABBIR
Dr. Brenner’s passion for brain health began at a very young age. Several of her family members, including her twin sister, have been affected by conditions impacting the brain and she herself experienced multiple concussions while playing soccer through college. These experiences gave her a personal understanding of how a brain injury can affect one’s body, emotions, and cognition.
Dr. Christie Drzewiecki
DIRECTOR OF NEUROFEEDBACK
DC, CFMP
Dr. Christie Drzewiecki was born and raised in Flint, Michigan and is a graduate of the University of Michigan with a degree in Health Science. Following her undergraduate degree, she developed a strong passion for studying nutrition and the role in plays in allowing the body to obtain optimal health both physically and mentally.
Gina R.
DIRECTOR OF BILLING
Gina is happily married and has 2 small children. She enjoys walking and doing yoga and of course loves spending time with her family and friends. She has been with Dr. George and the amazing NWI team for over 20 years. It fascinates her to see how they have helped so many people overcome debilitating illnesses. These joyous life changing results makes it easy to come to work every day. She is very proud to see the office is making a difference and reaches patients from all over the world.
Dr. Diana Albertin
DC, DACNB, FABBIR
REMOTE PATIENT CARE COORDINATOR
Elizabeth D.
HUMAN RESOURCES DIRECTOR
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Mary N.
EXECUTIVE ADMINISTRATIVE DIRECTOR
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Christina M.
DIRECTOR OF NEUROREHABILITATION TRAINING
