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Physicians & Health Care Professionals

Sports Medicine Physicians

Nathan Cardoos, M.D., CAQSM

Nathan Cardoos, MD is a Family Physician and Assistant Professor of Family Medicine at Boston University School of Medicine. Dr. Cardoos attended the University of Chicago, where he earned his degree in medicine. He completed his residency in family medicine at Cambridge Health Alliance. Dr. Cardoos continued his training by completing a fellowship in primary care sports medicine at the University of Massachusetts.

Dr. Cardoos is the medical director of the Ryan Center for Sports Medicine, director of the Boston University Primary Care Sports Medicine Fellowship Program, and a team physician at Boston University. He is board certified by the American Board of Family Medicine and has a Certificate of Added Qualification in Sports Medicine. He is a member of the American Medical Society for Sports Medicine and serves on the education and fellowship committees. He has special interests in diagnostic and therapeutic sports ultrasound and concussion.

Xinning Li, M.D. 

Dr. Li, Assistant Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery at the Boston University School of Medicine and Team Physician for the Boston University athletics, has a strong clinical interest in both Sports Medicine and Shoulder & Elbow surgery. Dr. Li completed his first fellowship in Sports Medicine at the Hospital for Special Surgery (Cornell Medical School) in New York City, a world-renowned sports medicine fellowship program and the #1 ranked orthopaedic hospital in the United States. During his fellowship, Dr. Li served as the assistant team physician for the New York Mets. Additionally, he has also provided medical care to several high school and collegiate teams throughout his residency and fellowship training.  Following his sports medicine fellowship, Dr. Li completed a second fellowship in Shoulder & Elbow surgery at the Harvard Medical School (Massachusetts General and Brigham & Women’s Hospital).  Dr. Li has a special interest in the care of athletes as he was a NCAA Division I tennis player himself. He cares for athletes of all ages and at all levels of participation, from the weekend warrior to the high school, collegiate, and professional athlete.  His clinical interests and expertise include primary and revision ACL reconstruction, multi-ligament knee injuries, cartilage loss, meniscus injury, patellar instability, rotator cuff and labral tears, shoulder instability (Bankart repair or Laterjet procedure), pectoralis and distal biceps tendon rupture, shoulder arthritis (total and reverse shoulder arthroplasty), and elbow injuries.

Robert J. Nicoletta, MD

Dr. Nicoletta is the co-director of Sports Medicine in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at the Boston University School of Medicine. He is a Board Certified, Fellowship trained Orthopaedic Surgeon with specialty training in the field of Sports Medicine. He earned his medical degree from Syracuse University and completed his internship and Orthopaedic Surgery Residency at the University of Buffalo. Following a fellowship in Sports Medicine and Arthroscopic Surgery at Boston University, he served as the director of sports medicine at The Cambridge Hospital in Cambridge, MA and Chief of Sports Medicine at St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center in Boston, MA. Dr. Nicoletta has been the Head Team Physician for numerous local high schools, collegiate and professional athletic teams. Most recently he served as a team physician at Boston College, and as head team physician for the Boston Cannons Men’s Professional Lacrosse and the Boston Breakers Women’s Professional Soccer. He has served as the head team physician for Newbury College, Fisher College, Pine Manor College, Lesley University, and UMass Boston Intercollegiate Athletics. He was recently named to the national List of 65 Outstanding Shoulder Surgeons and Specialists by Becker’s Orthopedic and Spine Review. Dr. Nicoletta is dedicated to teaching and education, having been a clinical instructor for Harvard Medical students and Assistant Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery at Tufts University School of Medicine. His clinical interests include arthroscopic procedures of the knee and shoulder including anatomic and double bundle ACL reconstruction, cartilage injuries in the knee, shoulder rotator cuff injuries and instability, and injuries in the overhead athlete. He sees and treats athletes and athletic related injuries in patients of all ages and activity levels.

Christopher R Ma, MD

Christopher Ma is an attending sports medicine physician at Boston University Medical Center. He received his bachelors in biomedical engineering at Syracuse University. He attended SUNY Upstate Medical University for medical school. He completed a general surgery internship at Temple University Health System and family medicine residency training at University of Vermont Medical Center. He completed a fellowship in primary care sports medicine at Boston University Medical Center. He currently sees patients at the Ryan Center for Sports Medicine and Winthrop Specialty Clinic. He is also a team physician for Boston University.

Clinical interests include non-operative fracture management, tendon pathology, injection therapy such as corticosteroid, viscosupplementation, and platelet rich plasma, and procedures such as tenotomy, aspiration and barbotage, and EPAT therapy. Research interests include prevention of ACL injuries, shoulder and knee biomechanics, musculoskeletal ultrasound, and regenerative medicine and orthobiologics for musculoskeletal pathology.

Heli Naik, DO, CAQSM

Dr. Naik is an assistant professor in family medicine and primary care sports medicine. She received her bachelors in kinesiology at McMaster University. She attended Midwestern University Arizona College of Osteopathic Medicine for medical school, followed by family medicine residency training and Cleveland Clinic Akron General. She then went on to complete her primary care sports medicine fellowship at WellSpan Health in York, Pennsylvania. She joined the faculty at Boston University in October 2021. She currently sees patients at the Ryan Center as well as Boston University student health services and the athletic training room. She is a team physician for Boston University. Her clinical interests include non-operative fracture management, tendon pathology, injection therapy (corticosteroid, viscosupplementation, and platelet rich plasma), and procedures such as tenotomy/needle fenestration, aspiration and barbotage. She also has a passion for osteopathic manipulation

BU Physical Therapy Center

James Camarinos, PT, DPT, OMT 

Specialties: Orthopedics, sports medicine, manual therapy

James Camarinos is the clinic manager at the Boston University Physical Therapy Center, which offers comprehensive rehabilitation services to anyone within the community including Boston University students, faculty, and staff.

James is a graduate of the BS/DPT program at Boston University College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences: Sargent College. He has completed a two year post-professional fellowship program specializing in manual physical therapy at the Institute of Orthopedic and Manual Therapy in Woburn, MA.

For a complete list of physical therapy practitioners, please visit the BUPTC website.

Sargent Choice Nutrition Center

Stacey A. Zawacki, DrPH, RD, LD

Specialties: Nutrition, exercise science, weight management, eating disorders, public health

Dr. Zawacki is the director of the Boston University Sargent Choice Nutrition Center (SCNC) and a clinical assistant professor of nutrition at Boston University’s College of Health & Rehabilitation Sciences: Sargent College. She is a licensed, registered dietitian specializing in the spectrum of weight-related health concerns. Zawacki and her team of  registered dietitians at the SCNC lead the way in providing comprehensive nutrition services for Boston University’s varsity athletes. In addition to helping individuals develop behaviors to achieve health and performance goals, these services focus on developing model health promotion programs, such as the Sargent Choice Healthy Food & Education Program.

Zawacki earned a doctoral degree in public health and a master’s degree in exercise science from Boston University. She earned Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Certificates of Training in Childhood and Adolescent, and Adult Weight Management.

For a complete list of Sargent Choice dietitans, please visit the SCNC website.