Our Staff
Meet the experienced pros who'll get you functioning again, at home or on the field.
Mark Argento, MPTOwner / Director
Mark Argento is a South Bay native who grew up enjoying the beach, racing bikes and playing soccer. He played soccer at Loyola Marymount University, where he received his Bachelor of Business Administration in 1989. After a few years of investigating the corporate world and searching for the right career, as well as completing his own physical therapy following knee surgery, Mark decided to return to school to become a PT. He earned his Master of Physical Therapy degree from Mount St. Marys College in Los Angeles in 1997 and became licensed in the state of California in early 1998. He worked in Manhattan Beach for about two years before deciding to open a clinic on the peninsula in 2000. Since then Mark has been treating patients from the finest orthopedic surgeons in the South Bay and Los Angeles. Mark strongly believes that manual therapy, focused therapeutic exercises, and patient education, delivered in a friendly and compassionate environment, are the absolute essentials to effective physical therapy. Mark has taken advanced courses in manual therapy, foot and ankle dysfunction, orthotic analysis and casting, the neck and shoulder complex, golf swing mechanics and treatment, and tennis related injuries to name a few.
Dr. Briana Hernandez PT, DPTPhysical Therapist-Women's Health
Briana Hernandez earned her Doctorate of Physical Therapy with honors from the University of St. Augustine. She treats a variety of orthopedic diagnoses and specializes in women’s health. She has furthered her education by taking advanced courses through the Herman and Wallace Pelvic Rehabilitation Institute. She is passionate about postpartum care, urinary incontinence, and pelvic pain. She utilizes a holistic treatment approach to rehabilitation. Dr. Bri uses manual techniques, neuromuscular re-education, functional movement science, current research and best practice methods to treat her patients. She enjoys playing soccer, hiking, and spending time with her husband and family in her free time.
Nicolas Barton PTPhysical Therapist
I am a Southern California native, and grew up in the San Fernando Valley of Woodland Hills. After graduating from El Camino Real High School in 1981, I attended Pierce Community College working in the Athletic Training room, treating and taping the Football and Basketball Teams, and pursuing my Associates Degree in Science, with a state licensed certificate as Physical Therapist Assistant-PTA. I graduated in 1985, and began my career working with Kaiser Permanente in the acute hospital and out-patient clinical settings, for approximately 3 years. Following this, my interest’s started in the private sector of medicine, working for many great out-patient therapy settings to learn as much as I could in the field. I had interests in orthopedics; specializing in post-surgical rehabilitation; total joint, and sports medicine. One clinic was post-surgical foot and ankle therapy, another hand rehabilitation, then one specializing in spine, and this is where I wanted to know more, in learning about manual therapy specialties in treating the spine. I worked for another 3 years, and then decided to go back to further my education. I then went on to complete my Bachelor’s Degree in Health Education, in 1997, from Cal State University Northridge, and following this, on to complete my Master’s Degree in Physical Therapy, graduating from Loma Linda University, in 2000. My philosophy is to treat the whole individual; mental, spiritual, and physical, and include all these aspects of the person in their rehabilitation. I am a manual therapist, specializing in manual techniques to enhance mobility, and encourage return to that individuals goals in returning to their previous level of function, recreational activity, or sport. I have been privaliged to work in a field that I love, and enjoy what I do each day.
Dr. Alison Prunauer, DPTPhysical Therapist
Alison is a South Bay native who spent most of her time playing soccer and volleyball for the local high school and club teams. Her interest in PT began in high school after she herself spent 4 months rehabbing a knee injury. Alison’s passion for physical therapy continued to grow and she graduated with a B.S. in Kinesiology and Exercise Science from Sonoma State University. She then worked as a PT aide at Peninsula Physical Therapy and coached girls’ volleyball at South High before starting PT school. Alison graduated PT school from University of Southern California and has returned to our clinic to work as a Doctor of Physical Therapy. She has a wide variety of experience ranging from general outpatient PT to working in the neurological/trauma intensive care unit. She believes effective physical therapy should include a combination of hands-on manual therapy techniques, patient education and skillfully chosen therapeutic exercise to address the specific goals of each patient and help them return to doing what they love.
Dr. James Donovan, DPTPhysical Therapist
James is a native New Yorker who has been in sunny California for over a decade completing his dream of becoming a physical therapist. His first experience with PT was as a patient following a fractured arm while hiking in 2004. Throughout his youth James was active in baseball, football, weight lifting, and snowboarding. James completed his Bachelor of art in kinesiology: Pre-physical therapy at CSU Dominguez Hills. While in college he worked at Peninsula Physical Therapy as an aide before finishing his doctoral degree at the University of St. Augustine. Following his graduation he has worked in skilled nursing, home health, and returning to Peninsula Physical Therapy. He has continued his education with courses in shoulder rehab for overhead athletes, chronic pain, and low back pain. When not treating you can find James playing baseball, softball, volleyball, on his motorcycle, or spending time with his cats Cannoli and Elvis.
Dr. Uriah Maimone, DPT, CSCSPhysical Therapist
Dr. Uriah Maimone, a South Bay native, initially worked as a PT aide at Peninsula Physical Therapy before returning as a Physical Therapist. He holds a Master of Science in Kinesiology from Cal Polytechnic Humboldt (CPH) with a focus in Exercise Science Human Performance, earned in 2016. His thesis at CPH, the first of its kind, compared elite and amateur Mixed Martial Art (MMA) Fighters in terms of various physical attributes, including body composition, skill-related physical tests, and muscular fitness. This research was submitted for publication in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning. During the summers from 2014 to 2016, Dr. Maimone interned at an Elite Performance Center in Montreal, Quebec, specializing in athletic performance enhancement for top-level athletes, including those in the UFC and NHL. In 2019-2021, he pursued further education and obtained his Doctorate in Physical Therapy from the University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences in San Marcos, CA. Dr. Uriah's extensive training includes manual techniques, movement-based approaches, and weight training methods. He utilizes functional movement assessments and current research to create personalized rehabilitation programs for patients, helping them manage pain and disease, regain movement, and prevent future injuries and disabilities. Outside of his work, Dr. Uriah is deeply involved in MMA, with over 20 years of experience in training and participation. He also enjoys movies, Marvel and DC comics, exercise, and spending time with family and friends. His unique perspective and experiences drives his commitment to pushing boundaries and advancing the field to better serve others.
Ashley Monico PTAPhysical Therapist Assistant
Ashley Monico
Eric Dewhirst, PT, FAFSPhysical Therapist
Eric is a native of the South Bay growing up in the local school system and playing sports. His passion was in soccer where he played throughout club, high school, college and amateur/PDL levels. He graduated El Camino Junior College construction tech program and worked for the family business in residential construction over ten years. He returned to college to pursue study in physical therapy and graduated CSULB in 1998 with a Bachelors degree in physical therapy. Eric has studied numerous manual therapies most notably osteopathic spinal manipulation and has graduated a fellow of the world renowned Gray Institute of Functional Movement. He is a strong believer in corrective therapy in treating patients with orthopedic injuries.
Robin Taylor, PTAPhysical Therapist Assistant
Robin Taylor was born and raised in the South Bay, growing up in Manhattan Beach, spending most of her time at the beach and playing club soccer. Robin attended California State University, Fullerton, where she received her Bachelors of Science in Kinesiology, with a focus in Clinical Exercise Science. She then received her Physical Therapist Assistant license for the state of California after completing the Physical Therapist Assistant Program from Cerritos College. There she received the honor of Valedictorian and the Clinical Excellence Award upon graduation. Robin is a firm believer in maintaining a healthy and active lifestyle, and takes great joy in being able to help others heal and recover so they can get back to the things they love. In Robin's free time she enjoys participating in half marathons, local sprint triathlons and 10k runs with her father, enjoying the beautiful South Bay beaches, and spending time with her family.
Dr. Erik Hernandez, PT, DPT, Cert. VRSPhysical Therapist
Dr. Erik Hernandez is a South Bay native, who worked for Peninsula Physical Therapy as a PT aide and has now returned as a Physical Therapist. He received his undergraduate degree from Cal State University Fullerton with a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology with an emphasis in Clinical Exercise. He continued his education and received his Doctorate in Physical Therapy with Honors from University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences in San Marcos, CA. Dr. Erik has learned a variety of manual techniques and movement-based approaches throughout his formal and clinical education. He utilizes functional movement assessments and current research to formulate a specific rehabilitation program tailored to each individual patient. He is a strong believer in movement re-education and functional therapeutic activities to progress his patients’ toward their goals. When not treating patients, you can find him on the soccer field. He has played for over 20 years, playing for local club teams and semi-professional soccer organizations. Dr. Erik also enjoys playing basketball, rooting for the Lakers, going to the beach, and spending time with friends and family.
