Who we are

Lee Kaplan, M.D., is the chief of University of Miami Sports Medicine and a board-certified orthopaedic surgeon. He is also a professor of orthopaedics, biomedical engineering, and kinesiology and sports sciences at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. Dr. Kaplan is a renowned specialist in sports-related knee, shoulder and elbow injuries and arthroscopic surgery at the Sports Medicine Institute. He earned his medical degree from The George Washington University in Washington, D.C.

Dr. Kaplan’s career highlights include:

• Clinical focus in sports-related knee, shoulder and elbow injuries and arthroscopic surgery
• Board-certified in orthopaedic surgery with a subspecialty certification in orthopaedic sports medicine
• Completed his residency training in orthopaedic surgery at the University of Miami/Jackson Memorial Medical Center
• Completed a sports medicine/shoulder fellowship and a clinical instructor sports medicine and research fellowship at the University of Pittsburgh
• Medical director of the University of Miami Department of Intercollegiate Athletics

Michael Baraga, M.D., is a board-certified orthopaedic surgeon and sports medicine specialist. He is also an associate professor of orthopaedics at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. Dr. Baraga specializes in knee and shoulder surgery, including ACL reconstruction and revision surgery using all types of grafts. He is also involved in ACL injury research regarding ACL graft healing, treatment of partial tears and individualized surgery. Dr. Baraga earned his medical degree from the University of Puerto Rico, Medical Sciences Campus.

Dr. Baraga’s career highlights include:

• Clinical focus in sports-related knee and shoulder injuries, including ACL injuries, knee dislocations and patellar instability
• Board certification in orthopaedic surgery
• Completed his internship and residency training in orthopaedic surgery at the University of Miami/Jackson Memorial Medical Center
• Completed his fellowship training in orthopaedic sports medicine and shoulder surgery at the University of Pittsburgh
• Team physician for the University of Miami men’s and women’s basketball teams, the University of Miami women’s soccer team.
• Medical director and team physician for the Miami Marlins

Julianne Muñoz, M.D., is an orthopaedic surgeon and sports medicine physician at the University of Miami Sports Medicine Institute and assistant professor of orthopaedic surgery and sports medicine at University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. At the Sports Medicine Institute, Dr. Muñoz brings her vast experience in treating and caring for collegiate and professional athletes to help provide comprehensive, expert care to her patients. She earned her medical degree from University of Massachusetts Medical School.

Dr. Muñoz’s career highlights include:

• Clinical focus in orthopaedic surgery and shoulder, elbow and sports medicine
• Residency in orthopaedic surgery completed at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center
• Fellowship in shoulder, elbow & sports medicine completed at New York Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center
• Co-team physician for the University of Miami sports teams and the Miami Marlins baseball team
• Former fellow team physician for the New York City Football Club and New York Yankees

Thomas Best, M.D., Ph.D., is a board-certified family medicine physician at University of Miami Sports Medicine Institute and a professor of orthopedics at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. He is also a research director at the Miller School of Medicine’s UHealth Sports Performance and Wellness Institute. At the Sports Medicine Institute, Dr. Best provides comprehensive patient care using the latest advancements in sports medicine. He earned his medical degree from Western University in London, Ontario, Canada.

Dr. Best’s career highlights include:

• Clinical focus in sports injuries, prevention of injury and treatment of osteoarthritis
• Board-certified in family medicine with a certificate of added qualifications (CAQ) in sports medicine
• Completed his internship at Victoria Hospital in London, Ontario
• Completed his residency training in family medicine at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
• Completed his Ph.D. in biomedical engineering at Duke University
• Team physician for the University of Miami Department of Intercollegiate Athletics and the Miami Marlins

Carolyn Kienstra, M.D., is a board-certified pediatric sports medicine physician at the University of Miami Sports Medicine Institute. She is also an assistant professor of adolescent medicine at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. Dr. Kienstra specializes in caring for young athletes and endurance athletes at the Sports Medicine Institute. She earned her medical degree from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, Missouri.

Dr. Kienstra's career highlights include:

• Clinical focus in pediatric and young adult sports medicine and endurance athletes
• Board-certified in pediatric sports medicine
• Completed her residency training in pediatrics at the University of Miami/Jackson Memorial Hospital
• Completed her fellowship training in pediatric sports medicine at Baylor College of Medicine
• Team physician for the University of Miami Department of Intercollegiate Athletics and the Miami Marlins
• Rio 2016 Olympics medical volunteer
• Medical Director of U.S. Sailing

Stephen Henry, D.O., M.S., is a double board-certified family medicine and sports medicine physician at the University of Miami Sports Medicine Institute. Dr. Henry specializes in providing care for athletes and sports teams. He earned his medical degree and a master’s degree in neuromuscular medicine from New York College of Osteopathic Medicine in Westbury, New York as well as a master’s degree in physiology from New York Medical College in Valhalla, New York. Dr. Henry regularly gives lectures in the department of Family Medicine at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine.

Dr. Henry's career highlights include:

• Clinical focus in caring for athletes and sports teams
• Board-certified family physician and sports medicine physician
• Residency training was at South Nassau Communities Hospital the Long Island flagship hospital of Mount Sinai health system, in New York
• Recipient of the National Family Medicine Resident Award For Scholarship by the Association of Family Medicine Residency Directors (AFMRD)
• Recipient of the American College of Osteopathic Family Physician Future Leaders Scholarship
• Recipient of the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine Sherry Arnstein Minority Student Scholarship
• Delivered lectures and presentations on a variety of primary care and sports medicine topics in university and hospital settings
• Recipient of the New York College of Osteopathic Medicine Academic Scholarship
• Contributing author of the British Journal of Sports Medicine and Sports Review Journal
• Active Member of the American Medical Society for Sports Medicine, the American College of Sports Medicine, the American Academy of Family Physicians, and the American College of Osteopathic Family Physicians
• Completed a sports medicine fellowship at the University of Miami/Jackson Memorial Hospital
• Team physician for the Miami Marlins, University of Miami athletics department, Hoophall Miami Invitational, and Gulliver Preparatory Schools

Kristopher Paultre, M.D., is a board-certified family medicine physician with sports medicine fellowship training at the University of Miami Sports Medicine Institute. With dual appointments as an assistant professor of orthopaedics and family medicine, Dr. Paultre specializes in providing sports medicine primary care to athletes of all levels. He has presented at several national scientific meetings, and has multiple published research studies.

Dr. Paultre’s career highlights include:

• Clinical focus in caring for athletes and sports teams
• Board-certified family physician
• Multilingual in English, Spanish and Creole
• Earned his bachelor’s in biology from the University of Florida, and his medical degree from the UF College of Medicine
• Fellowship and residency training were completed at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine/Jackson Memorial Hospital
• Served as chief resident of family medicine at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine/Jackson Memorial Hospital
• Won the UF College of Medicine 2016 Primary Care Sports Medicine Award
• Received the 2020 AMSSM Harry Galanty Young Investigator Award
• Team physician for the Miami Marlins and University of Miami athletics department
   

Gillian Hotz, Ph.D., is the director of the University of Miami Sports Medicine Institute’s Concussion Program and a research professor in the Miller School of Medicine’s Department of Neurosurgery. Dr. Hotz is a leading authority on sports-related concussion prevention management and has extensive experience in neurocognitive testing using computerized screening to assess mental status following a concussion. She is a nationally recognized behavioral neuroscientist and expert in pediatric and adult neuro-trauma, concussion management and neuro-rehabilitation.

Under Dr. Hotz’s leadership, the University of Miami Sports Medicine Institute’s Concussion Program addresses the growing concern about concussions in youth sports. The program strives to improve concussion management and awareness among athletic trainers, athletes and their parents by incorporating innovative research, education and community outreach. Each year Dr. Hotz evaluates and treats hundreds of athletes from South Florida high schools and colleges at the sports concussion clinic.

Dr. Hotz is also the director of the Kidz Neuroscience Center and the WalkSafe and BikeSafe programs funded by the Florida Department of Transportation since 2003 and 2009, respectively. Her other distinguished roles include being an active member of numerous boards and advisory groups nationwide, serving as the principal investigator on many national and state grants for injury prevention research projects and clinical trials for children with traumatic brain injury, and being a credentialed ImPACT consultant. Dr. Hotz earned her Ph.D. from Boston University School of Medicine.

Among her career highlights, Dr. Hotz:

• Chaired the Florida State Concussion Task Force, which worked on legislation passed in March 2012 for the management of youth concussions
• Developed a countywide concussion program in Miami-Dade and partnered with Countywide Concussion Care and now Concussion Legacy Foundation to implement educational programs
• Initiated the first partnership with the Miami Dolphins Foundation to assist in supporting the Countywide Concussion High School Management Program
• Continues to be the principal investigator on many national and state studies/grants, including: General Electric & NFL, MRI and Neurocognitive Outcomes, Brainscope EEG, Scythian Biosciences, Effects of Cannabinoids on MTBI/Concussion
• Presents at many conferences at the local, national and international levels, as well as publishing in peer-reviewed journals and books
• Authored two neurocognitive tests, the Brief Test of Head Injury for adults and the Pediatric Test of Brain Injury for children and adolescents
• Leads the WalkSafe program for elementary school age children which has shown to reduce the pediatric pedestrian-hit-by-car rates by more than 67 percent in the studied age group
• Leads the BikeSafe program to evaluate curriculums and educate middle school children

Abraham A. Chileuitt, M.D., M.Sc., is a board-certified neurologist, an assistant professor of clinical neurology, and the director of sports and performance neurology at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. Dr. Chileuitt is fellowship trained in traumatic brain injury and sport neurology, has extensive experience in sports and exercise sciences, and has published and has participated in research on numerous subjects related to exercise sciences, sport neurology, and traumatic brain injury. He is leading the efforts to start the first sports neurology fellowship in Souther Florida, and serves as medical director of the UConcussion program at the Miller School of Medicine.
 
Dr. Chileuitt’s career highlights include:

• Clinical focus on neurologic and traumatic brain injury care and rehabilitation for athletes of all levels
• Board-certified in neurology
• Bilingual in English and Spanish
• Attended the University of Florida in Gainesville, Fla. where he graduated Cum Laude with a bachelor’s in exercise and sport sciences, and a master’s in clinical exercise physiology
• Earned his medical degree from the American University of the Caribbean (AUC) School of Medicine in St. Maarten, N.A.
• Completed his internal medicine internship at Nassau University Medical Center in East Meadow, N.Y.
• Completed neurology residency training at Medical College of Georgia in Augusta, Ga., where he served as chief resident and was recognized as resident of the year
• Attended the Barrow Neurological Institute in Phoenix, Ariz. for his fellowship training in in sports neurology and traumatic brain injury
• Honored with the Karl Stockhausen Medical Student of the Semester Award
• Received the Eben J. Carey, M.D. Anatomy Award
• Member of the Phi Chi Honor Medical Society
• Member of the American Academy of Neurology with involvement in the sports neurology, neurohealth and integrative neurology sections
• Member of the UM Department of Neurology Committee on Diversity

Jean Jose, D.O., is an attending physician and associate chief of the musculoskeletal imaging section of the University of Miami Radiology Department, currently serving as director of imaging for the University of Miami Sports Medicine Institute and director of radiology at The Lennar Foundation Medical Center. He is board-certified by the American Board of Radiology and holds medical licenses in Florida and New York.

In addition to his medical training, Dr. Jose holds a bachelors in cellular biology and a masters in molecular biology. He completed his diagnostic radiology residency at the Mount Sinai Medical Center in 2007, where he served as chief resident from 2005-2007. In 2007, Dr. Jose received The Evelyn and Harry Indursky Award for Outstanding Radiology Resident. Dr. Jose completed a musculoskeletal radiology fellowship at the Hospital for Special Surgery, Weil Cornell Medical College in New York City, where he was distinguished with the 2008 Fellowship Education Award. Upon the completion of his fellowship, he accepted the position at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, now serving as an associate professor of clinical radiology and orthopedic surgery.

Dr. Jose is a member of the University of Miami Institutional Review Board (IRB) Committee and is actively involved in several research studies at UM. As attending physician, Dr. Jose has been awarded several teaching awards and recognitions by the departments of radiology and orthopaedic surgery. His research interests are diagnostic and interventional musculoskeletal imaging, magnetic resonance imaging of articular cartilage and sport related injuries. He has published more than 76 articles in peer-reviewed medical journals, co-authored book chapters on orthopedic imaging, and has presented at more than 30 national and international medical conferences and more than 40 scientific meetings.