Fellows

Nelson Boland, MD

Dr. Boland joined the UCLA Sports Medicine Fellowship Program in July 2022 after completing his Family Medicine Residency at UCLA, where he successfully completed the Sports Medicine Resident Track. He received his medical degree from Baylor College of Medicine where he established a national leadership collaborative focused on the advancement of primary care in medical school curriculums. He received his Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Engineering with Salutatorian Honors from Boston University. Throughout his training, he has provided coverage for multiple high school, college, and mass participation sporting events. As part of his fellowship, Dr. Boland will serve as the head team physician for Santa Monica High School and as a team physician for UCLA Athletics.  He will also serve as the assistant team physician for the Los Angeles Lakers and the Los Angeles Dodgers. His research interests include the effect of sleep on athletic performance and injury prevention in youth distance runners.

Joseph Coppiano, MD

Dr. Coppiano joined the UCLA Sports Medicine Fellowship Program in July 2022. He completed his Family Medicine Residency at the Medical College of Georgia where he served as a Chief Resident and was inducted into Alpha Omega Alpha.  Dr. Coppiano received the “Residents as Teachers Exemplary Award” for his commitment to medical student and resident education. He received his medical degree at the Medical College of Georgia where he was inducted into the Gold Humanism Society and received the Georgia Academy of Family Physicians T.A. Sappington Award. He received his BS in Psychology at the University of Georgia. During residency he served as a team physician at Westside High School and assisted with several mass running events in the state of Georgia. Dr. Coppiano received grant funding to start an intensive lifestyle intervention program in his primary residency clinic geared towards those in low resource communities. He has presented both locally and nationally, including several case studies, journal clubs, and his research on intensive lifestyle interventions. His primary interests include academic medicine, running medicine, and community engagement. Outside of work he enjoys running, kayaking, high-intensity interval training, board games and going on hikes with his family.

Altelisha Taylor, MD, MPH

Dr. Taylor joined the UCLA Sports Medicine Fellowship Program in July of 2022. She completed her Family Medicine Residency Training at Emory University where she helped create a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion curriculum for the program. She was deemed a financial expert by the university after publishing numerous articles on the Career Money Moves blog, starting the Facebook group Financial Grand Rounds, and creating the Personal Finance Guide for Residents and Fellows within the Emory GME department. During her training, Dr. Taylor spent a year serving on the AAFP leadership team and working with other family physicians in Georgia on legislative changes to improve access to care. Dr. Taylor received her medical degree from the University of Florida, her master’s in public health from the George Washington Milken Institute, and her bachelor’s degree in public policy from Duke University. During her time in undergrad, she was a member of the varsity women’s rowing team. Currently, she is a member of AMSSM and is interested in women’s health, sports psychology, and sports nutrition. Along with sports medicine, Dr. Taylor is also a professional speaker and has a passion for promoting physician wellness through financial literacy. In her free time, she enjoys watching sporting events, spending time with family & friends, traveling, and exploring new restaurants.