Meet the Team
Merry Thornton, Founder, PA-C
Merry is a board-certified New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut-licensed Physician Assistant. She earned her Master's degree in Physician Assistant studies at Weill Cornell and has spent the past decade working alongside leading dermatologists and plastic surgeons. She earned her Bachelor of Science at the University of Maryland and her Master of Business Administration from NYU Stern School of Business.
Prior to founding Element Medical Aesthetics, Merry gained experience in medical and cosmetic dermatology, developing a passion for skincare and the aesthetics field. Helping patients feel more confident in their skin is the most fulfilling part of her job. Merry stays on the forefront of new technology, trends, techniques, and procedures by regularly attending conferences and training sessions with field experts. Merry uses an individualized approach to each patient, thoroughly consulting with the patient, oftentimes employing a combination of treatments to achieve patient goals.
Merry served as an investigator on FDA clinical trials for Allergan, Merz, and Galderma and was a medical speaker for Pfizer. In her free time, Merry can be found spending time with her husband and two children, hiking, and singing karaoke. She also has a passion for animal welfare and is a mom to a dog and two cats.
Gregory L. Boris, D.O., Medical Director
Dr. Boris is an award-winning Emergency Medicine physician with 25 years of clinical experience. He is the Vice President of Medical Affairs at High Watch Recovery Center. Within the past decade, Dr. Boris developed a passion for aesthetic medicine and has been sharing his enthusiasm in this field by helping patients look their best. His favorite treatments to perform are filler and neurotoxin and he uses an individualized approach to get natural results and bring confidence to his patients.
Dr. Boris was the former Chairman of the Emergency Department in a busy mid-sized acute care community hospital. He has worked in numerous community and academic emergency departments and completed residency training in a busy urban-based trauma center in New York City. He is also an Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine for Quinnipiac School of Medicine, regularly lecturing medical students and teaching clinical medicine.
Diana Kuen - Practice Director
Diana comes with years of experience in starting and growing businesses. She also founded and leads a program called SurviveOARS, a breast cancer survivor rowing program. With a background in marketing, event planning, sales, business administration, fundraising, and philanthropy, Diana is dedicated to ensuring smooth operations and exceptional service at our practice.
Kailey, Board - Certified Aesthetician
Kailey is a board-certified, New York and Connecticut licensed aesthetician. She received her certification from the New York School of Aesthetics in White Plains. Kailey is skilled in facials, dermabrasion, HydraFacial, dermaplaning, and chemical peels.
In June 2022 Kailey obtained her certification in advanced brow mapping and shaping. Always eager to learn, October 2024 Kailey honed her skills even further with a certification in lash lifting, tinting and brow lamination.
Kailey’s interest in skincare partly began when her mother was diagnosed with melanoma. Going through this experience has made her empathetic to her clients’ skincare concerns. She became accustomed to slathering herself in sunscreen at a young age!
Ashley Abbatantono, Nurse Practioner
Meet Ashley, a dedicated Nurse Practitioner with over seven years of diverse experience spanning surgical intensive care, medical dermatology, and aesthetics. With a strong clinical foundation and a passion for patient-centered care, Ashley brings a unique blend of expertise, precision, and compassion to every patient interaction.
Ashley began her healthcare journey after earning her Bachelor’s degree in Nursing from SUNY Brockport. She launched her career in the fast-paced environment of the Surgical Intensive Care Unit at the University of Rochester’s Strong Memorial Hospital, where she spent two years honing her critical care skills.
Ashley completed her Master of Science in Nursing at CUNY Hunter College, specializing as an Adult Primary Care Nurse Practitioner. During her clinical training, she completed three rotations under the mentorship of Dr. Spizuoco at True Dermatology, gaining hands-on experience in both medical and cosmetic dermatology.
Ashley is known for her thoughtful, personalized approach to care—whether managing complex skin conditions or performing advanced aesthetic treatments. She is now welcoming new patients and looks forward to helping them achieve healthy, radiant skin.
Caitlyn McNiff, PA-C
Caitlyn has been an Emergency Medicine PA for over 12 years in both New York City and CT. She attended Fairfield University as an undergraduate and is a graduate of the Seton Hall University PA program.
Caitlyn is passionate about making her patients feel comfortable in their own skin. Her goal is to make patients feel good inside and out by listening to their specific needs and goals.
She is married, a mom to two girls and in her free time enjoys cooking, baking, kickboxing, and spending time outdoors with her family.
Caitlyn is excited to work in the field of aesthetics and help you reach your skin goals!
Alyssa Raines, PA-C
Alyssa is a board-certified Connecticut-licensed Physician Assistant. She earned her Master's degree in Physician Assistant studies at the University of Bridgeport and has spent the past 3 years working alongside two of Connecticut's finest board certified plastic surgeons.
She started her career in cosmetic plastic surgery and aesthetic medicine directly upon graduation. Her operative training has augmented her artistic eye and she truly takes pride in her work. Her passion is integrating non-surgical modalities into her treatment plans to help her patients feel radiant and refreshed. Alyssa's philosophy is to enhance natural beauty and she feels that the most
Element Medical Aesthetics' warm, inviting space perfectly meshes with Alyssa's friendly, calm demeanor and is looking forward to collaborating with Merry to meet your aesthetic needs.
Some of Alyssa's favorite things to do in her spare time are traveling, gardening, spending time at a vineyard and snuggling with her cat.