Our Staff
Ali G Hamedani, MD, MHS
Ataxia Clinic Director
Dr. Ali G Hamedani, MD, MHS is an Assistant Professor of Neurology and Ophthalmology at the University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Hamedani directs the Penn Ataxia Clinic and also maintains a neuro-ophthalmology clinic that is focused on patients with visual symptoms due to neurodegenerative disease. He is the site principal investigator for several observational and interventional studies of symptomatic and disease-modifying treatment for spinocerebellar ataxia. He also holds a master's degree in epidemiology and conducts epidemiologic research related to visual impairment in aging and neurodegenerative disease. As a neurologist, he is trained in both movement disorders and neuro-ophthalmology, so he has particular expertise in visual symptoms associated with ataxia and retinal and optic nerve disease associated with certain spinocerebellar ataxias.
Meron Azage, MS, CGC
Genetic Counselor
Meron Azage, MS, CGC is the Associate Director of Genetic Counseling in the Department of Neurology at the University of Pennsylvania. In addition to providing clinical genetic counseling services, she is involved in various research projects through the Penn Neurogenetics Therapy Center. Meron received her Master’s in Medical Genetics from the University of Cincinnati in 2012 and was certified by the American Board of Genetic Counseling in 2013.
Rachel A. Paul, MS, CGC
Certified Genetic Counselor
Rachel A. Paul, MS, CGC is a board-certified genetic counselor in the Department of Neurology at the University of Pennsylvania. She provides genetic counseling services for the Division of Movement Disorders, meeting with patients who have a personal/family history of ataxia, Huntington’s disease, dystonia, Parkinson’s disease, atypical parkinsonian disorders (e.g., DLB, PSP, CBS, MSA), or related conditions. Her research interests include genetic counseling, remote/telemedicine genetic services, and motivations/barriers for genetics utilization. Rachel graduated from Temple University in Philadelphia, and previously worked as the administrative assistant for the Penn’s neurology genetic counselors. She completed her training with the Arcadia University (now University of Pennsylvania) Genetic Counseling Program.
Gavin Villacorta, MSN, CRNP
Neurologic Nurse Practitioner
Gavin Villacorta, MSN, CRNP received his BSN and MSN from Villanova University. He was an inpatient bedside RN for five years and a Unit Based RN Educator for two years at Penn Presbyterian Medical Center in Philadelphia. In April 2023, he joined PDMDC as a CRNP and joined the Ataxia clinic in the fall of 2023. He is excited to be a part of an excellent and dynamic multidisciplinary team providing comprehensive care to the Ataxia population. He has a growing interest in being involved with both Ataxia clinic and research. He is an avid runner, who enjoys exploring Philadelphia with his wife and young son.
Dr. Lauren Hammer, MD, PhD
Neurologist
Dr. Lauren Hammer is a movement disorders neurologist and neural engineer with expertise in neuromodulation and neural interfaces. She received a BS in biomedical engineering, a PhD in biomedical engineering, and an MD from Northwestern University. She then completed neurology residency at Mass General Brigham, and subsequently both a clinical movement disorders fellowship and postdoctoral research fellowship at the University of California, San Francisco. Dr. Hammer has a specific interest in the neurophysiology of cerebellar networks and the potential for using neuromodulation to treat cerebellar disorders such as ataxia. Her laboratory focuses on using invasive and non-invasive neurophysiology techniques to better understand movement disorders and improve therapies such as deep brain stimulation. Dr. Hammer is deeply committed to not only to providing top quality clinical care for individuals with ataxia, but also to advancing our understanding of disease mechanisms and developing novel neuromodulatory treatments.
Anne Beckett-Fedarko, MS, OTR/L
Ataxia Clinic Coordinator
Anne Beckett-Fedarko, MS, OTR/L coordinates the monthly ataxia clinics and serves as a resource for patients and families. She also assists with ongoing clinical research studies for ataxia. She attended Occidental College for her undergraduate studies and earned her MS in Occupational Therapy from Temple University in 2016. She previously has worked clinically with pediatric, young adult, and geriatric patients with neurologic and psychiatric conditions. She maintains her professional license and works clinically with children and families in Philadelphia.
Gloria Williams, MSW
Social Worker
Gloria Williams, MSW is a graduate of Delaware State University, where she received her Master of Social Work in 2023. She completed her advanced field placement at Community Behavioral Health working with the community to promote the importance of mental health support. Gloria has spent the last two years working as a crisis response technician at a local emergency crisis center. Gloria began to discover her passion for working with patients and families living with a neurological condition. Gloria is excited to join the team and is looking forward to providing psychosocial support to patients and their families at Penn’s Movement Disorder Center.
Megan Reid, MOT, OTR/L
Occupational Therapist
Megan Reid, MOT, OTR/L obtained her Master's in Occupational Therapy from Temple University in 2019. Megan has had experience in acute care, inpatient rehabilitation, and outpatient rehabilitation settings. This diversity makes Megan uniquely skilled in working with individuals with complex medical backgrounds and those who have progressed through the continuum of care. She has worked with diverse diagnoses; some of which include Parkinson’s Disease, Huntington’s Disease, dementia, ALS, TBI, MS, stroke, and orthopedic conditions. Megan has established a special interest in the neurologic population. She serves as the occupational therapist for several multidisciplinary clinics including COPE clinic for individuals with Atypical Parkinsonism's, ALS clinic, Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) clinic, HD clinic, and now Ataxia Clinic. She has a passion for providing individualized care as part of an interdisciplinary team of providers at Penn Therapy & Fitness' Dan Aaron Parkinson's Rehabilitation Center at Pennsylvania Hospital.
Victoria Gonzalez, MS, CCC-SLP
Speech Therapist
Victoria Gonzalez, MS, CCC-SLP has received her Master’s of Science in Communication Sciences and Disorders in 2022 at Columbia University, where she was initially exposed to movement disorders populations (Parkinson’s Disease, atypical parkinsonian disorders) in the Laboratory for Upper Airway Dysfunction as a graduate research assistant and clinical intern. She has her Certificate of Clinical Competence from the American Speech Language Hearing Association (ASHA) and maintains Speech Language Pathology state licensure to assess and treat patients in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York. She has worked with patients with a wide variety of medical diagnoses (e.g., Parkinson’s disease, Huntington’s Disease, Multiple Sclerosis, Myasthenia Gravis, Head and Neck Cancer, dementia, TBI, stroke) seeking assessment and treatment for cognitive-communication, swallowing, voice, speech, language, and augmentative and alternative communication (AAC). Further, she has worked with patients seeking gender-affirming voice therapy. Victoria has seen these diverse patient populations across the healthcare continuum, including acute care, inpatient rehabilitation, and outpatient rehabilitation settings. She is certified in LSVT LOUD therapy. This range of experience makes Victoria skilled in working with individuals who have complex medical backgrounds. She participates as a team member in multidisciplinary clinics including pre-DBS screening, Huntington’s Disease Clinic, Comprehensive Outpatient Parkinsonism Evaluation (COPE) Clinic, and Ataxia Clinic.
Casey Hasenbein, PT, DPT
Physical Therapist
Casey Hasenbein, PT, DPT completed her undergraduate degree in Exercise Science at The University of South Carolina in 2019 and earned her Doctorate in Physical Therapy from The Ohio State University in 2022. Since graduating she has worked in outpatient neurologic rehab at Ohio State and joined the Dan Aaron Parkinson’s Rehab Center in February 2024. Her experience includes a wide range of neurologic conditions including neurodegenerative diseases, stroke, brain injury, MS, and vestibular conditions. She currently focuses on movement disorders and is part of the ataxic clinic team at Penn’s Movement Disorder Center.