Our Staff Physicians
A Specialized Team Ready to Care for You
When you choose Sunnyview Rehabilitation Hospital and St. Peter’s Health Partners for physical rehabilitation, you are in caring and capable hands. Doctors, nurses, and therapists offer a level of service that is not widely available in the Capital Region. Our team includes trusted specialists who use research-based techniques to help you heal.
Meet Our Doctors
Our team is ready to help you on your road to recovery. No matter what issue they are confronted with, our physiatrists shine when it comes to figuring out the most effective treatments and therapy options for each patient
Dr. Sonagere joined Sunnyview Rehabilitation Hospital as a staff physiatrist in 2017 and was named chief medical officer in 2019.
Board-eligible in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Dr. Sonagere's professional interests include brain injury rehabilitation, post-stroke rehabilitation, recovery from spinal and orthopedic injuries, and post-amputation rehabilitation. He also performs electrodiagnostic tests such as Electromyograms (EMG) and Nerve Conduction Studies.
Dr. Sonagere received his medical degree from the University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine in Biddeford, ME, and his Bachelor's Degree in Neuroscience from St. Lawrence University in Canton, NY. Dr. Sonagere completed his residency at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia, where he served as academic chief resident.
Dr. Antiles joined Sunnyview Rehabilitation Hospital in 2018 as a staff physician on the medical-surgical unit and orthopedic unit. Prior to that, she worked at the Glens Falls Hospital Center for Acute Rehabilitation for 13 years.
Dr. Antiles earned her Medical Degree in Osteopathic Medicine from the University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine in Biddeford, ME; and a Bachelor of Science Degree in Biology from the University at Albany. She completed a residency in Internal Medicine at Albany Medical Center; and a residency in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at the Rusk Institute of Rehabilitation Medicine at the New York University Medical Center in New York City, serving as chief resident at Bellevue Medical Center Hospital and Goldwater Memorial Hospital during that time.
Dr. Antiles' professional interests include inpatient rehabilitation, general rehabilitation, and geriatrics.
Michael Chiou, MD, has joined Sunnyview Rehabilitation Hospital as an attending physician in the Brain Injury Unit. He sees patients with a variety of neurological conditions ranging from stroke to traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, concussions, and more.
Dr. Michael Chiou has a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Biology and Economics as well as a Doctor of Medicine Degree from Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey in New Brunswick, NJ. He completed his internship in the Department of Surgery at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School in Newark, NJ, where he also did his residency in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation.
Dr. Chiou grew up knowing that he would be in a field where he could help people. “It’s a pleasure and a privilege to be able to care for patients here at Sunnyview.
We definitely take a lot of pride in helping people get better and achieve their goals to a functional recovery. It’s very rewarding.”
Dr. Douglas joined Sunnyview Rehabilitation Hospital as a physiatrist and sports medicine physician in 2021. He earned his Medical Degree from the University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine in Biddeford, ME; and a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Anthropology from McGill University in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
Dr. Douglas completed his internship in Internal Medicine at Maimonides Medical Center in Brooklyn, NY, and his residency in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at the New York Presbyterian Hospital in association with Columbia University and Cornell University in New York City. After finishing residency, Dr. Douglas spent an additional year completing a Fellowship in Sports Medicine at Maine Medical Center in Portland, ME.
Dr. Douglas also sees patients at St. Peter's Sports and Spine in Latham.
"I am fascinated by the human body and the musculoskeletal system. That's why I chose sports medicine. My passion is helping people recover from their injuries and improve their pain so they can get back to life and enjoy the activities they love. I also try to treat everyone as an individual and listen to what they have to say. Having been a patient myself from injuries I sustained when I was younger, I know how frustrating it can be when patients don't feel like they are really heard by their physicians. So for me, it is a priority to listen to my patients so they feel heard and so that we can ensure a full and effective care plan for the treatment of their injuries."
Dr. Erby joined Sunnyview Rehabilitation Hospital as a physical medicine and rehabilitation physician in 2021. He has a Bachelor of Science Degree in Molecular Genetics from the University of Rochester and a Doctor of Medicine Degree from the Stony Brook School of Medicine. He completed his PGY-1 preliminary residency in Internal Medicine at John T. Mather Memorial Hospital in Port Jefferson, NY; and a residency in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at New York Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Hospital, Weill Cornell Medicine, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, Blythedale Children's Hospital, and Hospital for Special Surgery at Bronx VA.
Dr. Erby is professionally interested in the care of musculoskeletal pain and injuries, pediatric rehabilitation, and adolescent athletes. Dr. Erby also sees patients at St. Peter's Sports and Spine in Latham.
Dr. Lucas First joined St. Peter's Musculoskeletal Medicine office in Latham, now called St. Peter's Sports and Spine, in 2022. He is a physical medicine and rehabilitation (PM&R) physician, specializing in interventional pain medicine.
Dr. First received his Doctor of Medicine from Drexel University of Medicine in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and his Bachelor of Science degree from Union College in Schenectady, New York, with a major in neuroscience and minors in chemistry and Chinese culture & medicine. He also completed field research and his honors thesis at Fudan University in Shanghai, China.
Dr. First did his PM&R residency and served as chief resident at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, completing rotations at Columbia University Irving Medical Center, Weill Cornell Medical Center, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Hospital for Special Surgery, Helen Hayes Hospital, Blythedale Children's Hospital, and James J. Peters Veteran Affairs Medical Center. Additionally, he did an internal medicine internship at Albany Medical Center and a pain medicine fellowship with Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center's Department of Anesthesiology in Lebanon, New Hampshire.
"I look forward to helping patients regain their function and get back to doing the things they enjoy in life. Chronic pain is not something that you have to live with!"
Dr. Linsenmeyer joined Sunnyview Rehabilitation Hospital as a staff physiatrist in 2020. Board-eligible in Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation (PMR), Dr. Linsenmeyer earned his Doctor of Medicine Degree from the Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School in Piscataway, NJ. He also has a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Human Biology from the Stanford University in Stanford, CA. Dr. Linsenmeyer did his PMR Residency at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center in Pittsburgh, PA, where he also completed his Brain Injury Medicine Fellowship.
Dr. Linsenmeyer specializes in Traumatic Brain Injury, Concussion and Spasticity.
Dr. Nicolson formerly served as chief medical officer at Sunnyview from 2007 to 2019, is currently an attending physiatrist. A native of the Capital Region, Dr. Nicolson joined Sunnyview in 1986 beginning a remarkable 36-year career there. In 1988, she was appointed medical director of the Spinal Cord Injury program, a role she continues to serve today. The following year, she was named vice chief of staff, and was promoted to chief of staff four years later. Dr. Nicolson also previously served as chief of physical medicine and rehabilitation.
Dr. Nicolson graduated from St. Lawrence University in Canton, NY, and the Albany Medical College of Union University. She received her post-graduate training at the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Department of Preventive Family Rehabilitative Medicine, Division of Rehabilitation Medicine at Strong Memorial Hospital and Monroe Community Hospital, Rochester, New York.
Rachel M. Santiago, MD, has joined Sunnyview Rehabilitation Hospital as a physical medicine and rehabilitation physician.
Dr. Santiago is specially trained in spinal cord injuries. She is also experienced in treating neurological conditions like stroke and traumatic brain injuries.