Carol Graduated summa cum laude from the University at Buffalo in 1987 with a BS in Occupational Therapy. Following graduation, she was employed at St. Peter's Hospital Rehabilitation where she became the Manager of the Occupational Therapy department until 2000. While there, Carol developed her skills working with orthopedic and neurological disorders and was part of the ALS team to provide OT services for ALS patients. She developed a program for OT in the NICU including pediatric orthotic fabrication, worked with anesthesiologists treating CRPS patients and developed the OP program to include Hand Therapy patients. Carol was actively involved with NYSOTA in various positions including newsletter Editor and Vice chairperson. Carol has loved and participated in global outreach programs with medical mission work in Guatemala and Jamaica where she provided OT services. In 2000, Carol came on board with Thomas Nicolla Consulting Services where she became the Director of the Hand and Upper Extremity Clinic. She is a Certified Hand Therapist and has been working in Hand Therapy/Orthopedics and Rehabilitation for over 34 years. She has a passion for helping people recover from complicated hand related injuries and is considered a specialist in orthotic fabrication and pain related syndromes. Carol feels very fortunate to be a part of such an amazing hand therapy team.

Dana graduated with her BS and MS in Occupational Therapy from Russell Sage Colleges in 1999. In addition, Dana graduated with a BA in marketing from Texas Christian Univeristy prior to attending Sage Colleges. She began working for Thomas Nicolla PT associates in 2000 at the Hand and Upper Extremitiy Clinic of Norhteast and became a Certified Hand Therapist in 2006. She enjoys working with orthopaedic and neurological conditions, fabricating static and dynamic orthosis, attending conferences for ongoing education, and observing surgical procedures. Dana believes close communication with patient's physicians is important and is beneficial in the patient's recovery process.

Taylor attended the Occupational Therapy program at Touro College Health and sciences. An exemplary leader, Taylor acted as the president of her schools Student OT Association and received numerous leadership awards. After specializing in hand therapy and adult rehabilitation, she graduated with an MS in Occupational Therapy in 2021. Taylor is passionate about hand therapy and became a Certified Hand Therapist in 2024. In her free time, she enjoys traveling and experiencing different cultures

Julia graduated from Bay Path University with a MS in occupational therapy in spring 2022 and joined the Hand and Upper Extremity Clinic in the fall of 2022. Julia is a licensed massage therapist and a certified yoga teacher who worked at the Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health for 18 years prior to becoming an OT. Julia is passionate about wellness, and strives to help her clients improve their health and vitality. She is excited to integrate her skills as a massage therapist and an occupational therapist as she practices within the hand therapist specialty and works towards becoming a certified hand therapist. Julia is interested in helping people regain function and independence after injury and improving outcomes for individuals with repetitive use injuries. Julia enjoys spending time outdoors with her husband and three children.

Kara graduated with her Doctorate in Occupational Therapy from Western New England University in Springfield, Massachusetts in 2022. As part of the program requirements, she completed a doctoral capstone project entitled "A retrospective study comparing the effects of Dynamic Tape in addition to treatment on adults with upper extremity tendinopathy versus treatment alone: A focus on wrist and hand tendinopathies". Kara’s passion for hand therapy and her goal to become a certified hand therapist was cemented after participating and creating new avenues for this project. Kara is excited to use her creative abilities to develop new opportunities and potential solutions for patients with various upper extremity conditions and injuries. In her leisure time, Kara enjoys kayaking local lakes, hiking in the Adirondacks, as well as completing DIY projects such as flipping furniture and making home décor.

Chris joined the Hand and Upper Extremity Clinic in August of 2009. She received her Bachelors and Masters of Science degree in Occupational Therapy from The Sage Colleges in 2002. She then obtained her hand therapy certification by the Hand Therapy Certification Commission in 2013. Chris has a diverse background in occupational therapy, having previous experience working in acute care at Level 1 and 2 hospital facilities in addition to pediatrics, early intervention and previous outpatient hand therapy clinics. Chris is a member of the American Society of Hand Therapists.