Lab Members

Chris Lane, PT, DPT, PhD, is a second-year postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery. He is a physical therapist who received his Doctor of Physical Therapy and PhD in Human Movement Science from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He also earned a BS in Health and Exercise Science from Wake Forest University.

His research focuses on health services and disparities, particularly on access to physical therapy services and the social, economic and structural factors that affect access and clinical outcomes for individuals with musculoskeletal and rheumatic conditions. Lane is currently using large data sources (e.g., Medicare data) to examine healthcare access for individuals after total joint replacement. Outside of work, he enjoys running, weightlifting, yoga, dancing, watching sports and trying new restaurants in the city.

Breanna Polascik, MD, is an orthopaedic surgery resident physician at Northwestern University. She earned her Bachelor of Science with distinction in Evolutionary Anthropology from Duke University, with minors in Chemistry and Psychology, and her medical degree from the Duke University School of Medicine. She also spent a year as a Clinical Research Assistant at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York.

In addition to her clinical training, Polascik serves as Chair of Events & Programs on the Northwestern Housestaff Association executive board and has served as a consultant for the Q Business Research Fellows through the Northwestern Querrey InQbation Lab. Her research interests include perioperative care, joint arthroplasty, upper-extremity surgery and clinical outcomes in orthopedic surgery.

Polascik has authored 19 peer-reviewed publications (nine as first author), presented more than 20 abstracts at national conferences and received four institutional research grants. She was awarded the 12th Allied Health Innovative Practice Evidence-Based Practice Award from the Duke–National University of Singapore. She is thrilled to be a member of the research team led by Caroline Thirukumaran, MBBS, MHA, PhD.

James Burns is a senior statistical analyst in the Department of Medical Social Sciences with experience in data analysis focused on health measurement, quality of life and outcomes science. He earned a Master of Science in Biostatistics from the University of Illinois at Chicago and a Master of Science in Nutritional Sciences from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

His skills include longitudinal analysis, mixed and multilevel models, structural equation modeling and item response theory, as well as data collection, aggregation and maintenance.

Tiana Grosskreuz is a medical student at the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry. Her research examines voluntary payment models, particularly the Bundled Payment for Care Improvement Advanced (BPCI-A) initiative, by comparing the characteristics of participating and non-participating hospitals in orthopedic and spine bundles. 

She is interested in what drives participation and how uneven adoption may contribute to health disparities. Outside of school, she enjoys baking, dancing, calisthenics and reading.

Amaar Alwani is an incoming M1 at the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry. He graduated early with a BS in Computational Biology and a BA in Business. His research spans orthopedics, opioid policy and PROMIS outcomes.

His work with the OrthoPOD Lab has focused on the effects of state opioid legislative caps and their relationship to TKA and THA outcomes. Alwani has also developed streamlined clinical recommendations using PROMIS. Outside of school, he enjoys cooking, reading and traveling.

Rachel Knebel is a senior at the University of Rochester, pursuing dual bachelor’s degrees in Biology and Psychology. She is an undergraduate research assistant in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at Northwestern University, where she contributed to a systematic review examining healthcare policy, clinical outcomes and disparities in joint replacement care.

Her broader research interests center on the intersection of psychological and biological factors in health, with an emphasis on improving outcomes for underserved populations. Knebel plans to continue in clinical research after graduation and pursue a PhD in clinical psychology.

Tahia Alexio is a senior at Northwestern University, majoring in biology and psychology, with a minor in Religion. She is an undergraduate research assistant in the OrthoPOD Lab, where she contributed to a project examining associations between hospital characteristics and participation in the American Joint Replacement Registry.

Alexio is interested in understanding how structural and systemic factors influence healthcare access and outcomes, with a focus on reducing disparities in clinical care. Beyond her academic and research pursuits, Tahia enjoys playing soccer, hiking, going to the beach and reading.