College of Medicine

Physiology & Cell Biology: A New Name and Bright Future for UAMS College of Medicine Department

A basic science department in the College of Medicine at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) has adopted a new name to better represent the expertise of its faculty, research programs and long history of excellent teaching.

Teresita Bellido, Ph.D.

The name change for what is now the Department of Physiology and Cell Biology was one of the first initiatives of Teresita Bellido, Ph.D., who began serving as professor and chair in July 2020. The department was previously known as the Department of Physiology and Biophysics.

The change was unanimously supported by the department’s faculty and was approved by Christopher T. Westfall, M.D., executive vice chancellor of UAMS and dean of the College of Medicine, in December.

“Our new name definitely better reflects the identity of our department and the research and teaching we do,” said Bellido. “We are very actively recruiting new faculty members, and we wanted to have a name that truly represents our faculty. This is also important for recruiting graduate students.”

One of seven non-clinical departments in the college, Physiology and Cell Biology and its faculty members work to discover and advance biomedical knowledge that informs health care. Basic science faculty members teach first- and second-year medical students the foundational scientific concepts that are crucial for the practice of medicine. Basic science faculty also teach aspiring scientists in the UAMS Graduate School.

Physiology is the study of how living organisms function, how their tissues and organs interact, and of the underlying mechanisms at the molecular, cellular and organ levels. Cell biology is the study of the structure and function of the cell, which is the basic unit of organismal life. Understanding the basic biology is indispensable for discovering mechanisms of disease and developing therapeutic approaches. Teaching and research by the department’s faculty cover different aspects of physiology and cell biology.

Coming Home

Bellido’s recruitment to UAMS from the Indiana University School of Medicine, announced in 2019, marked a return to what the Argentina native considers her “second home.”

After completing her doctorate in biochemistry and an initial postdoctoral fellowship in Argentina, Bellido continued her training at Indiana University. There, she worked with Stavros Manolagas, M.D., Ph.D., who subsequently recruited her to UAMS following his own recruitment to Arkansas. Bellido served in the UAMS Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism and the UAMS and VA Center for Osteoporosis and Metabolic Bone Diseases (both of which Manolagas continues to lead) from 1993 to 2008, when she was recruited by Indiana University.

Bellido remained focused on her research while at Indiana as her reputation as an international leader in bone and mineral research continued to grow. She served as president of the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research (ASBMR) in 2019-2020, overseeing the successful conversion of the organization’s annual meeting to a virtual format as the COVID-19 pandemic unfolded. Bellido also has been long active in faculty development and mentorship, both at UAMS and Indiana University, earning her leadership awards at Indiana and from ASBMR.

In 2019, the UAMS College of Medicine began recruiting for a new Physiology and Biophysics chair to succeed Michael Jennings, Ph.D., who was stepping down from the role after 25 years of years of service. Bellido realized she was ready to contribute in a leadership capacity and excited about the opportunity at UAMS.

“This was my home and my university home for 15 years, and the prospect of returning was attractive to me,” Bellido said. “UAMS is a great institution with excellent resources for researchers and supportive leadership.”

In addition to her role as department chair, Bellido was named an Arkansas Research Alliance (ARA) Scholar. The ARA is a public/private partnership that supports recruitment and retention of top researchers, with the aim of bolstering jobs and economic opportunity in the state.

“Dr. Bellido really hit the ground running as chair, and her energy and commitment to understanding the needs of her department have been commendable,” said Westfall. “Despite the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, she has succeeded in engaging her faculty and truly listening to them as she guides the department.”

Building on Strengths

Bellido began working to establish strong communication with her administrative team and faculty in the months preceding her full-time start as chair in July 2020. That March, she appointed a faculty committee, headed by Patricia Wight, Ph.D., to help her assess the department’s faculty recruitment needs.

The department has a major role in medical student education at UAMS. Physiology and Cell Biology colleagues teach in numerous courses, and four faculty members, Mike Jennings, Ph.D., Frank Simmen, Ph.D., Jerry Ware, Ph.D., and Herschel Conaway, Ph.D., are course directors for modules taken by first- and second-year medical students. Jennings also serves on the College of Medicine Curriculum Committee and as co-chair of the Active Learning Steering Committee. Faculty members are also integral to graduate student education at UAMS, with Rosalia C.M. Simmen, Ph.D., serving as director of the Cell Biology and Physiology Track for the UAMS Graduate Program in Interdisciplinary Sciences and as a course director, and Patricia Wight, Ph.D., and Vladimir Lupashin, Ph.D., serving as course directors.

Physiology and Cell Biology is the home of the UAMS Advanced Microscopy Core facility, which is directed by Brian Storrie, Ph.D., and serves the needs of researchers from all UAMS colleges as well as outside clients from Arkansas and beyond.

The department is also home to the faculty leaders of Arkansas INBRE, which has received $78.5 million from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences over the last 20 years to promote and support mentorship-focused biomedical research for undergraduate college students and faculty across the state. Lawrence E. Cornett, Ph.D., serves as principal investigator and director, and Jerry Ware, Ph.D., serves as program coordinator and associate director.

After Dr. Bellido’s recruitment, four faculty members in Physiology and Cell Biology are now contributing to UAMS’ strength in musculoskeletal research. Roy Morello, Ph.D., is an expert in rare bone diseases. Melda Onal, Ph.D., studies gene regulation in bone. Jesús Delgado-Calle, Ph.D., a new recruit recently funded by the National Cancer Institute, studies cancer in bone. Dr. Bellido’s own research spans from osteocyte biology to mechanisms and treatments of bone diseases.

“One of our current strengths is that we have an outstanding group of educators, including senior faculty members who have been teaching for many years,” Bellido said. “We also have strong research programs led by well-established faculty members. However, faculty recruitment is vital for us in order to maintain and build on what we are doing for many decades to come.”

Recruiting is underway for two assistant professors whose research interests will build on existing strengths in the department, including bone biology, intracellular membrane trafficking, platelet physiology, cancer biology and molecular neurobiology. Bellido and her colleagues are particularly interested in recruiting faculty to contribute to the development and expansion of campus-wide centers of excellence in cancer and musculoskeletal biology.

“COVID put the brakes on some of the things we initially wanted to do to jumpstart faculty recruitment last year, but we have been very creative and work around the hurdles of social distancing,” Bellido said, noting that the positions have drawn a flood of applicants who are being interviewed virtually.

“Our faculty and administrative staff are second-to-none,” Bellido said. “I am very excited about what we can accomplish together, and I look forward to growing the department, with the continued support of College of Medicine and UAMS leadership, and to provide opportunities for new faculty members, students and postdoctoral fellows to excel.”

Sidney Dassinger, M.D., Named Chief of Pediatric General Surgery at UAMS

M. Sidney “Sid” Dassinger III, M.D., a professor in the Division of Pediatric General Surgery in the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) College of Medicine Department of Surgery, has been appointed chief of the division.

Dr. Sid Dassinger — M. Sidney “Sid” Dassinger III, M.D.

Dassinger was recruited to UAMS and Arkansas Children’s Hospital (ACH) in 2007 by the previous chief, Samuel Smith, M.D., who recently retired. A dynamic surgeon, Dassinger’s clinical interests include pediatric surgical oncology, congenital anomalies and hepatobiliary disease. He is board certified in General Surgery and Pediatric Surgery by the American Board of Surgery.

A highly regarded educator, Dassinger has served as director of the Pediatric Surgery Fellowship at UAMS and Arkansas Children’s for the past two years. He is also active in research and plans to expand research efforts in the division.

Dassinger received his medical degree at the University of Alabama School of Medicine in 2000. He completed his general surgery residency at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville and continued his training with a pediatric surgery fellowship at Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital/St. Jude Children’s Research Center in Memphis before joining UAMS and ACH.

He is a member of the American College of Surgeons, the American Pediatric Surgical Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Edward T.H. Yeh, M.D., Named Chair, Department of Internal Medicine in UAMS College of Medicine

By Amy Widner

Dr. Edward Yeh — Edward T.H. Yeh, M.D., FACC, a renowned cardiologist and leading expert in the field of onco-cardiology, is the new chair of the UAMS College of Medicine Department of Internal Medicine

Edward T.H. Yeh, M.D., FACC, joined the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) College of Medicine Nov. 1 as Chair of the Department of Internal Medicine and the Nolan Family Distinguished Chair in Internal Medicine.

Yeh succeeds James Marsh, M.D., who will serve as a senior cardiologist on the faculty until his retirement in January. Marsh had been chair since 2004 and leaves UAMS with a distinguished history of leadership and advancing UAMS’ mission in education, clinical care and research.

Yeh also has been nominated by UAMS for the Arkansas Research Alliance (ARA) Scholar Award. As an ARA Scholar, he will lead research that improves health in Arkansas while fostering economic opportunity.

Yeh is a renowned cardiologist and leading expert in the field of onco-cardiology. He currently directs the Center for Precision Medicine and holds the Frances T. McAndrew Chair in Oncology at the University of Missouri School of Medicine, where he also chaired the Department of Medicine from 2016-2019.

“Dr. Yeh brings exceptional clinical, research and academic leadership experience to UAMS,” said Christopher T. Westfall, M.D., College of Medicine dean and UAMS executive vice chancellor. “His unique expertise will also serve as a strong asset in our work to obtain National Cancer Institute designation for UAMS, an effort led by Winthrop P. Cancer Institute Director Michael Birrer, M.D., Ph.D.”

From 2000 to 2016, Yeh served as professor and founding chair of the Department of Cardiology at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, where he made seminal contributions to understanding the relationships between cancer, chemotherapy agents and heart disease. In 2012, his laboratory discovered that Topoisomerase 2b is the molecular basis of anthracycline-induced cardiotoxicity, upending decades of belief that toxicity to this chemotherapy drug was due solely to reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation.

Earlier, Yeh made important contributions in biochemistry, including the discovery of two ubiquitin-like proteins, SUMO/Sentrin and NEDD8. Both of these proteins are important in regulation of hypoxia-inducible factor stability, DNA repair, heart and lymphoid development, cancer pathogenesis, and sudden death and seizure disorders. Yeh has published extensively and lectured internationally on these and other topics in cardiology and medicine.

Yeh received his medical degree from the University of California, Davis. He completed residency training in internal medicine at Children’s Hospital, San Francisco, and Boston VA Medical Center. He continued his training with a research fellowship in immunology at Harvard Medical School, followed by a clinical fellowship in rheumatology at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. Yeh later completed a clinical fellowship in cardiology at the University of Texas Health Sciences Center (UTHSC).

Yeh served as an assistant professor of medicine at Harvard in 1987-1992. He joined UTHSC as an associate professor of medicine in 1992 and was promoted to professor in 1998. He was recruited to the University of Missouri as chair of medicine in 2016.

Yeh is certified in internal medicine and cardiovascular diseases. He is a Fellow of the American College of Cardiology and an elected member of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the Association of American Physicians and the American Society for Clinical Investigation.

Pharmacology and Toxicology Chair to Serve as UAMS College of Medicine Interim Executive Associate Dean for Research

Nancy J. Rusch, Ph.D., professor and chair of the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology in the UAMS College of Medicine, has been appointed to serve as interim executive associate dean for research following the retirement of Richard P. Morrison, Ph.D., at the end of this year.

Dr. Nancy Rusch — Nancy J. Rusch, Ph.D., has been named interim executive associate dean for research in the UAMS College of Medicine

“Dr. Rusch has been a stellar department leader, overseeing growth in research funding and the development of faculty who are nationally recognized in their fields of expertise, major contributors to research at UAMS, and leaders in medical student and graduate student education,” said Executive Vice Chancellor and Dean Christopher T. Westfall, M.D., FACS.

Rusch’s contributions to UAMS extend far beyond her department, which she has led since her recruitment to UAMS in 2005. She is a key leader in the UAMS Translational Research Institute (TRI), where she developed and co-leads TRI’s Health Sciences Innovation and Entrepreneurship (HSIE) Postdoctoral Scholars Training Program and serves as TRI director of translational workforce development. She has served in numerous other leadership roles, including chair of the College of Medicine’s Council of Department Chairs, chair of the Basic Science Chairs and founder of the Cardiovascular Interest Group. She has served on numerous search committees for department chairs, UAMS Chancellors, and other leadership positions.

A leading expert in vascular ion channel remodeling in hypertension, Rusch has served on numerous study sections and special review panels for the National Institutes of Health and the American Heart Association. She is a longstanding member and leader in the American Society of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics and a past president of the organization’s Cardiovascular Pharmacology Division.

Rusch received her doctorate at the Mayo Clinic and University of Minnesota. She completed postdoctoral fellowships in pharmacology at the University of Iowa and in physiology and biophysics at the University of Cincinnati. Rusch served on the faculty at the Medical College of Wisconsin from 1987 until her recruitment to UAMS. She has received numerous honors since joining UAMS, including the Chancellor’s Teaching Award in 2011, the Graduate School Best Faculty Award in 2014, and the College of Medicine Educational Innovation Award this year.

Jennifer Laudadio, M.D., Named Chair of Pathology in UAMS College of Medicine

Jennifer Laudadio, M.D., FCAP, Professor of Pathology in the UAMS College of Medicine, has been named Chair of the Department of Pathology.

Dr. Jennifer Laudadio — Jennifer Laudadio, M.D., FCAP, has been named chair of the Department of Pathology in the UAMS College of Medicine.

“Dr. Laudadio has excelled in a range of leadership roles since her recruitment to UAMS in 2013, and she has done an outstanding job as Interim Chair since August 1,” said UAMS Executive Vice Chancellor and College of Medicine Dean Christopher T. Westfall, M.D., FACS. “Dr. Laudadio has earned praise for her commitment to quality and safety and her work in graduate medical education, and she will provide strong leadership for one of our most complex departments.”

Laudadio joined the faculty as associate professor and medical director of molecular pathology in 2013. She became vice chair for clinical operations and medical director for the Laboratory/Pathology Service Line in 2015. Other leadership posts in Pathology have included Pathology Residency Program director from 2014 to 2019 and CLIA Laboratory director from 2015 to 2020. She was promoted to professor in July.

Laudadio has also served on numerous department and college committees including the Graduate Medical Education Committee (GMEC) and the Clinical Learning and Environment Review (CLER) Subcommittee, which she chaired for 3 years.

Laudadio received the College of Medicine Residency Educator Award in 2016 and the inaugural Clinical Excellence Award for Quality and Safety this year. Her national honors include the Pathology Advancement Award from the College of American Pathologists (CAP) in 2018. In addition to ongoing leadership roles with the CAP, she has been elected to serve on a variety of committees for the Association for Molecular Pathology and serves on two Test Development Advisory Committees for the American Board of Pathology. She is a Molecular Pathology Section editor on the Editorial Board for Archives of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine.

A graduate of the Medical College of Georgia, Laudadio completed her residency in anatomic and clinical pathology at the Medical University of South Carolina and her fellowship in molecular genetic pathology at Oregon Health & Science University.

Pediatric Cardiologist and Faculty Leader Renee Bornemeier, M.D., Named Interim Chair of UAMS Department of Pediatrics

Renee Bornemeier, M.D., professor of pediatric cardiology, vice chair for faculty affairs in the Department of Pediatrics, and assistant dean for faculty affairs in the UAMS College of Medicine, has been named Interim Chair of the department.

Dr. Renee Bornemeier — Renee Bornemeier, M.D., has been named interim chair of the UAMS College of Medicine Department of Pediatrics.

“Dr. Bornemeier has dedicated her career to UAMS and Arkansas Children’s, providing exceptional cardiology care for the children of Arkansas, outstanding teaching for medical students, residents and fellows, and excellent mentoring and faculty development for her colleagues,” said Christopher T. Westfall, M.D., FACS, executive vice chancellor of UAMS and dean of the College of Medicine.

Bornemeier graduated from UAMS in 1988 and stayed at UAMS and Arkansas Children’s for her pediatrics residency. She completed a fellowship in pediatric cardiology at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and returned to UAMS to serve as an instructor in the Department of Pediatrics in 1994. Bornemeier rose through the faculty ranks and has served as a professor in the Division of Pediatric Cardiology since 2009.

Bornemeier’s clinical leadership roles at ACH have included medical director of the ACH Heart Station from 1995 to 2008, director of the Bale Fetal Heart Center since 2009, vice chief of staff in 2017-2018 and chief of staff since 2019. She also directed the development of the Cardiac 3D Print Lab at Arkansas Children’s.

Bornemeier has become increasingly engaged in faculty development and leadership. She has served on the Pediatrics Promotion and Tenure Committee since 2013. She served on the College of Medicine Promotion and Tenure Committee in 2012-2016 and chaired the committee in 2015-2016. Bornemeier was appointed vice-chair for faculty affairs in the Department of Pediatrics in 2017. She recently was named assistant dean for faculty affairs for the College of Medicine, to provide enhanced services for the college’s Children’s-based faculty from multiple departments.

Bornemeier is board certified by the American Board of Pediatrics Sub Board of Pediatric Cardiology. She is active in national professional organizations including the American College of Cardiology, the American Heart Association, the American Society of Echocardiography and the Fetal Heart Society. Bornemeier will serve as interim chair during the college’s search for the next chair. Former Pediatrics Chair Frederick “Rick” Barr, M.D., assumed a new post as executive vice president and chief clinical and academic officer for Arkansas Children’s on Nov. 16.

Recent Faculty Appointments November 2020

Please join us in welcoming these recent additions to the College of Medicine faculty.

Department of Anesthesiology

Dustin Rumpel, M.D., has rejoined the Department of Anesthesiology as an Assistant Professor. Dr. Rumpel received his medical degree at Loyola University Chicago. He completed his residency in anesthesiology at UAMS and joined the faculty in July 2017. He left UAMS in July 2019 to complete a fellowship in anesthesiology critical care medicine at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation. Dr. Rumpel will be working in critical care medicine and general anesthesiology.

Department of Ophthalmology

Carina Torres Sanvicente, M.D., has joined the Department of Ophthalmology as an Assistant Professor. Dr. Sanvicente received her medical degree at the Universidade Federal Rio Grande do Sul in Brazil. She completed her ophthalmology residency training at Hospital Banco de Olhos-Eye Bank Hospital in Brazil. Dr. Sanvicente continued her training with a glaucoma research fellowship at Wills Eye Hospital in Philadelphia, followed by a glaucoma clinical fellowship at Emory Eye Center in Atlanta. She will specialize in glaucoma treatment in the UAMS Harvey & Bernice Jones Eye Institute.

Department of Pediatrics

Akilah Jefferson, M.D., M.Sc., has joined the Department of Pediatrics as an Assistant Professor in the Division of Allergy and Immunology. Dr. Jefferson received her medical degree from Tulane University School of Medicine in New Orleans and, earlier, her Master of Science in biomedical science policy and advocacy at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. She completed her residency in internal medicine at the George Washington University School of Medicine in Washington, D.C. Dr. Jefferson continued her training with a clinical fellowship in allergy and immunology at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and a post-doctoral fellowship in bioethics at the National Institutes of Health Clinical Center in Bethesda, Maryland. Prior to joining UAMS, she was an Associate Physician in the Division of Allergy, Immunology and Rheumatology in the Department of Pediatrics at The University of California, San Diego, and Rady Children’s Hospital.

Sally Helton, M.D., has joined the Department of Pediatrics as an Assistant Professor in the Division of Emergency Medicine. Dr. Helton received her medical degree from the Medical College of Georgia-Augusta University. She completed her pediatrics residency at UAMS and Arkansas Children’s Hospital.

Mark McManis, Ph.D., has joined the Department of Pediatrics as an Associate Professor in the Division of Neurology. Dr. McManis received his doctorate in developmental psychology at the University of Florida. He completed a postdoctoral fellowship in developmental psychology at Harvard University and continued his training with a fellowship in psychology neuroscience at the University of Texas Medical School. Prior to joining UAMS, Dr. McManis served since 2015 as a Research Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Texas, Austin, and as Director of the Clinical Magnetoencephalography Program at Dell Children’s Medical Center since 2013. He previously served in the Division of Pediatric Neurology at the University of Tennessee Medical Center and Le Bonheur Children’s Medical Center in Memphis.

Department of Radiology

Satya Patro, M.D., has joined the Department of Radiology as an Assistant Professor in the divisions of Neuroradiology and Interventional Neuroradiology. Dr. Patro completed his medical education and radiology residency at Maharaja Krishna Chandra Gajapati (MKCG) Medical College in Berhampur, Odisha, India. He completed a postdoctoral certificate course in cardiovascular and neuroradiology at Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute of Medical Sciences and Technology in Trivandum, India. Dr. Patro continued his training with a fellowship in neuroradiology at Western General Hospital in Edinburgh, Scotland, followed by fellowships in diagnostic neuroradiology and interventional neuroradiology at the University of Ottawa. Dr. Patro is board certified by the American Board of Radiology.

Prior to joining UAMS, Dr. Patro served as a consultant for the Department of Neuroscience (Neuroradiology Section) at Hamad Medical Corporation in Doha, Qatar, and as an Assistant Professor of Clinical Radiology at Weil Cornell Medicine in Doha. He has worked as a lead in research study groups focusing on areas such as vessel wall imaging and its application in neurovascular disease and rescue stenting in acute stroke related to intracranial atherosclerotic disease. He has authored book chapters and multiple publications in peer reviewed journals.

Department of Surgery

Michail Mavros, M.D., has joined the Department of Surgery as an Assistant Professor in the Division of Surgical Oncology. Dr. Mavros received his medical degree from the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens in Greece. After conducting research at the Alfa Institute of Biomedical Sciences in Athens, he moved to the United States and completed post-doctoral research fellowships at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore and Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School in Boston. Dr. Mavros completed his internship and residency in general surgery at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital-Washington Hospital Center, in Washington, DC. He continued his training with clinical fellowships in complex general surgical oncology and hepato-pancreatico-biliary surgery at the University of Toronto. He is board-certified by the American Board of Surgery in general surgery and board-eligible in complex general surgical oncology.

Recent Faculty Appointments October 2020

Please join us in welcoming these recent additions to the College of Medicine faculty.

Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

Katie Ryan, Ph.D., has joined the Biochemistry and Molecular Biology faculty as an Assistant Professor. Dr. Ryan received her doctoral degree at the University of Birmingham in the U.K. She served as a Research Associate in the department prior to her faculty appointment. Dr. Ryan’s research focuses on the role of Rho GTPase Rnd3, a molecular switch, in normal keratinocyte regulation and melanoma. Rnd3 expression is correlated with progression toward an invasive phenotype in melanoma cells. Dr. Ryan’s lab is working to define Rnd3 mechanisms that promote aggressive, metastatic myeloma.
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Alicja Urbaniak, Ph.D., has been promoted to Instructor in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. Dr. Urbaniak received her master’s and her doctorate in chemistry from Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, Poland. She completed requirements for an additional Ph.D. in sports sciences from the University of Physical Education, also in Poznań. Dr. Urbaniak joined the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at UAMS as a Research Intern in 2016. She went on to serve as a Research Technician and subsequently as a Postdoctoral Fellow. Since September 2019, Dr. Urbaniak has been supported by a grant from the Arkansas Breast Cancer Research Program under the co-direction of Dr. Angus MacNicol and Dr. Tim Chambers. Her work has been honored nationally, and she currently serves on the Executive Committee and as a Communications Officer for the Division of Drug Discovery and Development of the American Society of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics (ASPET).

Department of Microbiology and Immunology

Mark Manzano, Ph.D., has joined the Department of Microbiology and Immunology as an Assistant Professor. Dr. Manzano received his doctoral degree from Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. He completed his postdoctoral fellowship at Northwestern University in Chicago. Dr. Manzano’s research focuses on functional genomics to study host-pathogen interactions and biological processes. His lab uses functional genomics to study primary effusion lymphoma, an aggressive B cell cancer caused by the Kaposi’s sarcoma-associated herpesvirus or human herpes virus 8 (KSHV/HHV8).
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Department of Pediatrics

Steven Dahl, M.D., has joined the Department of Pediatrics as an Assistant Professor in the Division of Infectious Diseases. He received his medical degree and completed his pediatrics residency at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center in Lubbock. He completed his fellowship in pediatric infectious diseases at Children’s Mercy in Kansas City, Missouri. During residency, Dr. Dahl served as a delegate to the American Academy of Pediatrics Section on Medical Student, Resident and Fellowship Trainees. He also served on the Infection Prevention Control Committee at Texas Tech UMC. While a fellow, he received two Trainee Travel Awards for the IDWeek national conference.

Matthew H. Merves, M.D., has joined the Department of Pediatrics as an Associate Professor in the Division of Neonatology. Dr. Merves received his medical degree at Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio. He completed his residency in pediatrics at John Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore. He continued his training with clinical fellowships in neonatal-perinatal medicine at the University of Florida in Gainesville, where he won the Medical Student Teaching Award, and at the University of Colorado, Aurora. Dr. Merves served as an Assistant Professor in the Division of Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine at Emory University in Atlanta from 2014 until his recruitment to UAMS.

Department of Psychiatry

Ming Hwei Yek, Psy.D., has joined the Department of Psychiatry as an Assistant Professor. Dr. Yek received a master’s in clinical psychology from McGill University in Montreal and her doctorate in clinical psychology from Baylor University. She recently completed a fellowship in clinical health psychology at the University of Florida at Gainesville. Dr. Yek sees patients in the UAMS Psychiatric Institute’s Walker Family Clinic. She also provides evaluation and treatment for pre- and post-transplant patients at UAMS.

Recent Faculty Appointments September 2020

Please join us in welcoming these recent additions to the College of Medicine faculty.

Department of Dermatology

Megan Evans, M.D., has joined the Department of Dermatology as an Assistant Professor. Dr. Evans received her medical degree from UAMS in 2011. She completed her residency in dermatology at UAMS and her fellowship in pediatric dermatology at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill. Dr. Evans is board certified in dermatology and pediatric dermatology by the American Board of Dermatology, and she is a fellow of the American Academy of Dermatology. Her clinical interests include pediatric skin diseases and resident education, and she serves as a pediatric dermatologist at Arkansas Children’s Hospital.

Rodrigo Valdes-Rodriguez, M.D., has joined the departments of Dermatology and Pathology as an Assistant Professor. Dr. Valdes earned his medical degree at the Universidad Autónoma de Coahuila in Mexico, after which he completed a dermatology residency at the Universidad Autónoma de San Luis Potosí. He went on to complete a second dermatology residency in the United States at Temple University Hospital in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, followed by a fellowship in dermatopathology at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville. Dr. Valdes specializes in a wide variety of skin conditions and enjoys all aspects of dermatology. He is board-certified in dermatology in both the United States and Mexico.

Department of Family and Preventive Medicine

Sahithi Pothuganti, M.D., has joined the Department of Family and Preventive Medicine as an Assistant Professor. Dr. Pothuganti received her medical degree from the Kamineni Institute of Medical Sciences in Narketpally, India. She completed her residency in family medicine at UAMS. Dr. Pothuganti practices at the UAMS Health Neighborhood Clinic at 1811 Rahling Road in West Little Rock.

Department of Internal Medicine

Sheena W. CarlLee, M.D., has joined the Department of Internal Medicine as an Assistant Professor at the UAMS Northwest Regional Campus. Dr. CarlLee serves as Associate Program Director for the UAMS Northwest Internal Medicine Residency Program and in the Division of Community Health and Research. Dr. CarlLee received her medical degree from UAMS in 2014. She completed her residency in internal medicine and served as Chief Resident at the University of Iowa in Iowa City, where she went on to serve an Assistant Professor in the Division of General Internal Medicine. She subsequently practiced as a primary care physician in Concord, North Carolina.

Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology

Heather R. Williams, M.D., has joined the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology as an Assistant Professor in the Division of Gynecologic Oncology. Dr. Williams received her medical degree from UAMS in 2013. She completed an internship and residency in OB/GYN at the University of Iowa and continued her training with a fellowship in gynecologic oncology at the Medical College of Georgia. While completing her fellowship, she received the GOG Foundation New Investigator award. Dr. Williams’ research interests include clinical trials in gynecologic oncology, rare gynecologic cancers and the molecular genetics of endometrial cancers.

Department of Orthopaedic Surgery

Chelsea Sullivan Mathews, M.D., has joined the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery as an Assistant Professor. Dr. Mathews, who specializes in treating foot and ankle conditions, received her medical degree from Louisiana State University School of Medicine in Shreveport. She completed her residency in orthopaedic surgery at UAMS and continued her training with a fellowship in foot and ankle surgery at the University of Washington. During medical school and her residency, Dr. Mathews was active in education, research, leadership and student interest groups. She received the Resident Teaching Award from the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at UAMS.

Department of Pathology

Katelynn Campbell, M.D., has joined the Department of Pathology as an Assistant Professor in the Dermatopathology Division. Dr. Campbell received her medical degree at the Medical University of the Americas Nevis and St. Kitts, West Indies. She completed her residency in anatomic and clinical pathology and fellowship in dermatopathology at UAMS.

Susan E. Harley, M.D., has joined the Department of Pathology as an Assistant Professor in the Molecular Genetic and Hematopathology divisions. Dr. Harley received her medical degree at the Duke University School of Medicine in Durham, North Carolina. She completed her residency in anatomic and clinical pathology at the University of South Alabama in Mobile. Dr. Harley continued her training with a fellowship in hematopathology at the Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond and a fellowship in molecular genetic pathology at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis.

Camila C. Simoes, M.D., has joined the Department of Pathology as an Assistant Professor in the Gastroenterology/Liver Pathology and Surgical Pathology divisions. Dr. Simoes received her medical degree at the Gama Filho University in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. She completed her residency in anatomic and clinical pathology at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston. Before joining UAMS, Dr. Simoes completed a fellowship in liver and gastrointestinal/pancreatobiliary pathology at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York.

Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation

Sarah Victoria “Tory” Hunton, M.D., has joined the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation as an Assistant Professor. Dr. Hunton received her medical degree from UAMS in 2016. She completed her residency at UAMS and served as Co-Chief Resident in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. Dr. Hunton will practice inpatient rehabilitation and serve as a stroke rehabilitation specialist.

Department of Surgery

Deidre Wyrick, M.D., has joined the Department of Surgery as an Assistant Professor in the Division of Pediatric Surgery. Dr. Wyrick received her medical degree and completed her surgery residency at UAMS. She also completed a pediatric surgery fellowship at UAMS and continued her training with a fellowship in trauma critical care at the Oregon Health Science University.

Raj B. Patel, M.D., has joined the Department of Surgery as an Assistant Professor in the Division of Solid Organ Transplant Surgery. He received his medical degree from Louisiana State University-Shreveport in 2013. Dr. Patel completed his general surgery residency training at the University of Arizona College of Medicine-Phoenix in 2018, and an abdominal transplant fellowship at Northwestern University-Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago in July.

Nolan Bruce, M.D., has joined the Department of Surgery as an Assistant Professor in the Division of Trauma and Critical Care Surgery. He received his medical degree from the University of Oklahoma in 2014. Dr. Bruce completed his general surgery residency training at UAMS in 2019. He completed a fellowship in surgical critical care at the University of Texas Southwestern in July.

Joseph Margolick, M.D., has joined the Department of Surgery as an Assistant Professor in the Division of Trauma and Critical Care Surgery. He received his medical degree from McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, in 2014. Dr. Margolick completed his general surgery residency training in 2019 at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver. He went on to complete a fellowship in Trauma and Surgical Critical Care at the University of Texas Southwestern in Dallas. Dr. Margolick is a Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of Canada (FRCSC).

Matthew L. Roberts, M.D., has joined the Department of Surgery as an Assistant Professor in the Division of Trauma and Critical Care Surgery. He received his medical degree from the University of Missouri, Columbia in 2014. Dr. Roberts completed his general surgery residency at UAMS in 2019 and continued his training at UAMS with a fellowship in trauma and surgical critical care.

Recent Faculty Appointments August 2020

Please join us in welcoming these recent additions to the College of Medicine faculty.

Editor’s note: These are some of the many faculty members joining us this summer and fall. We will continue to introduce new faculty colleagues in the months ahead.

Department of Anesthesiology

Meenakshi Atteri, M.D.

Meenakshi Atteri, M.D., has joined the Department of Anesthesiology as an Assistant Professor in the Division of Pediatric Anesthesia. Dr. Atteri received her medical degree and interned at the Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research in Puducherry, India. She completed her residency training in anesthesiology at the Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research in Chandigarh, India, and at the John H. Stroger Hospital of Cook County in Chicago. Dr. Atteri continued her training with a fellowship in pediatric anesthesiology at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center.

Alfredo Burgos Briceno, M.D.

Alfredo Burgos Briceno, M.D., has joined the Department of Anesthesiology as an Assistant Professor in the Division of Pediatric Anesthesia. Dr. Burgos received his medical degree from the University of Carabobo in Valencia, Venezuela. He began his residency training in general surgery at the Indiana University School of Medicine and went on to complete a residency in anesthesiology at the University of Florida, Jacksonville, followed by a fellowship in pediatric anesthesiology at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.

Srinivasa Govindarajan, M.D.

Srinivasa Govindarajan, M.D., has joined the Department of Anesthesiology as an Assistant Professor in the Division of Pediatric Anesthesia. Dr. Govindarajan received his medical degree from Madurai Medical College in Tamil Nadu, India. He completed residency training in anesthesiology and served as Senior Resident (Registrar) at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences in New Delhi. He continued his training at the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio, where he completed a clinical research fellowship in outcomes research, a residency in anesthesiology and a clinical fellowship in pediatric anesthesiology.

Matthew Green, D.O.

Matthew Green, D.O., has joined the Department of Anesthesiology as an Assistant Professor in the Division of Pediatric Anesthesia. Dr. Green received his medical degree from the Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences in Kansas City, Missouri. He came to UAMS for his anesthesiology residency in 2015 and continued his training at UAMS and Arkansas Children’s with a fellowship in pediatric anesthesiology in 2019-2020.

Felipe Medeiros, M.D.

Felipe Medeiros, M.D., has rejoined the Department of Anesthesiology as an Assistant Professor in the Division of Pediatric Anesthesia. Dr. Medeiros received his medical degree from Faculdade de Medicina de Petropolis in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. He completed a residency in internal medicine at the University of Tennessee Medical Center in Knoxville, where he also served as a Chief Resident. He completed residency training in anesthesiology at the Federal University of Mato Grasso in Brazil and at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, where he went on to serve as an Assistant Professor in 2013-2017. Dr. Medeiros came to UAMS in 2017 and served as an Assistant Professor for two years before resuming training as a pediatric anesthesiology fellow at UAMS and Arkansas Children’s in 2019-2020.

Prabhat Mishra, M.D.

Prabhat Mishra, M.D., has joined the Department of Anesthesiology as an Assistant Professor in the Division of Pediatric Anesthesia. Dr. Mishra received his medical degree from the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. He completed his residency in anesthesiology and fellowship in pediatric anesthesiology at Washington University in St. Louis. Dr. Mishra practiced at the University of Mississippi Medical Center – Batson Children’s Hospital in Jackson in 2018-2020, serving as Director of Pediatric Anesthesia for Pediatric Renal Transplantation in 2019-2020.

Kavya Narayana Reddy, M.D.

Kavya Narayana Reddy, M.D., has joined the Department of Anesthesiology as an Assistant Professor in the Division of Pediatric Anesthesia. Dr. Reddy received her medical degree from M.S. Ramaiah Medical College in Bangalore, India. She completed a residency in anesthesiology and served as Chief Resident at J.S.S. Medical College in Mysore, India, followed by a fellowship in pediatric anesthesiology and service as Chief Resident at Indira Gandhi Institute of Child Health in Bangalore. In 2012-2015 Dr. Reddy was a visiting clinical researcher in the Department of Pediatric Anesthesiology at Washington University in St. Louis. She continued her training at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School with a surgery internship and residency in anesthesiology. Dr. Reddy most recently completed a fellowship in pediatric anesthesiology at Washington University.

Jarna Shah, M.D.

Jarna Shah, M.D., has joined the Department of Anesthesiology as an Assistant Professor in the Chronic Pain Division. Dr. Shah received her medical degree from the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Medicine. She completed her anesthesiology residency at the University of Illinois Hospital and Health Services and her interventional pain medicine fellowship at Johns Hopkins University.

G. Lawson Smith, M.D.

G. Lawson Smith, M.D., has joined the Department of Anesthesiology as an Assistant Professor in the Chronic Pain Division. Dr. Smith received his medical degree and completed his anesthesiology residency at UAMS., where he served as Chief Resident. He became the first multidisciplinary chronic pain fellow at UAMS in 2019.

Department of Family and Preventive Medicine

Paige Beck, M.D., Ph.D.

Paige Beck, M.D., Ph.D., has joined the departments of Family and Preventive Medicine and Geriatrics as an Assistant Professor. Dr. Beck received her doctorate in neurobiology and her medical degree at UAMS. She completed her family medicine residency at UAMS and served as Chief Resident. Her honors during residency included the STAR Professionalism Award and the Goss Physician/Patient Relationship Award. Dr. Beck continued her training at UAMS with a fellowship in geriatrics. Dr. Beck will serve as Medical Director for the UAMS House Calls Program, teach in the Baptist-UAMS Family Medicine Residency Program, and practice at the Thomas and Lyon Longevity Center in the Donald W. Reynolds Institute on Aging.

Aruna Malladi, M.D.

Aruna Malladi, M.D., has joined the Department of Family and Preventive Medicine as an Assistant Professor. Dr. Malladi received her medical degree from Gandhi Medical College in India. She completed her family medicine residency at UAMS, where she received the 2018 Medical Knowledge Award and served on the UAMS Clinical Documentation Committee. Her scholarly activities included poster presentations at the 2018 American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPI) Annual Conference and the 40^th Annual Family Medicine Intensive Review Course. Dr. Malladi is particularly interested in preventive medicine. She practices at the UAMS Health Neighborhood Clinic on Rahling Road in West Little Rock and as an attending at the Family Medical Center on the UAMS campus.

Amber Norris, M.D.

Amber Norris, M.D., has joined the Department of Family and Preventive Medicine as an Assistant Professor. Dr. Norris received her medical degree at UAMS. She completed her residency in family medicine at John Peter Smith Hospital in Fort Worth, Texas. Dr. Norris practices at the UAMS Health Neighborhood Clinic at 1401 W. Capitol Ave. in downtown Little Rock.

Department of Internal Medicine

Don E. Willis, Ph.D.

Don E. Willis, Ph.D., has joined the Department of Internal Medicine as an Assistant Professor in the Division of Community Health and Research at the UAMS Northwest Regional Campus in Fayetteville. Dr. Willis earned his doctorate in sociology at the University of Missouri in Columbia. He serves on the research team in Northwest Arkansas with a focus on addressing health disparities.

M. Landon Crouch, M.D.

M. Landon Crouch, M.D., has joined the Department of Internal Medicine as an Assistant Professor in the Division of General Internal Medicine. Dr. Crouch received his medical degree from UAMS in 2016. He completed his residency in internal medicine-pediatrics at Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood, Illinois. Dr. Crouch will provide care at various clinics across the UAMS and Arkansas Children’s campuses, with his primary practice at the newly opened UAMS Health Neighborhood Clinic at 11300 Financial Centre Parkway in West Little Rock.

Caleb Guthrey, M.D.

Caleb Guthrey, M.D., has joined the Department of Internal Medicine as an Assistant Professor in the Division of General Internal Medicine. Dr. Guthrey received his medical degree from UAMS in 2016. He completed his residency in internal medicine-pediatrics at UAMS this year. Dr. Guthrey will provide care at various clinics across the UAMS and Arkansas Children’s campuses, with his primary practice at the newly opened UAMS Health Neighborhood Clinic at 11300 Financial Centre Parkway in West Little Rock.

C. Preston McCormack, M.D.

C. Preston McCormack, M.D., has joined the Department of Internal Medicine as an Assistant Professor in the Division of General Internal Medicine. Dr. McCormack received his medical degree at UAMS in 2015 and remained at UAMS for his residency in Medicine-Pediatrics. He served as a Pediatric Chief Resident in 2019-2020. Dr. McCormack will provide care for adults and children with Down syndrome at the UAMS Health Rahling Road Clinic and the Arkansas Children’s Hospital Our House Shelter Clinic.

Morgan Moore, M.D.

Morgan Moore, M.D., has joined the Department of Internal Medicine as an Assistant Professor in the Division of General Internal Medicine. Dr. Moore received her medical degree at UAMS in 2016. She completed her residency in internal medicine-pediatrics at UAMS this year. Dr. Moore will provide care at various clinics across the UAMS and Arkansas Children’s campuses, with her primary practice at the newly opened UAMS Health Neighborhood Clinic at 11300 Financial Centre Parkway in West Little Rock.

Jibran Ahmed, M.D.

Jibran Ahmed, M.D., has joined the Department of Internal Medicine as an Assistant Professor in the Division of Hematology and Oncology. He will focus on patients with gastrointestinal and genitourinary cancer. Dr. Ahmed received his medical degree from King Edward Medical University in Pakistan. He interned at the Mayo Hospital in Lahore, Pakistan, and completed his residency in internal medicine at the John H. Stroger Hospital of Cook County in Chicago. He recently completed a fellowship in hematology/oncology at the Westchester Medical Center, New York Medical College in New York.

Sravani Gundarlapalli, M.D.

Sravani Gundarlapalli, M.D., has joined the Department of Internal Medicine as an Assistant Professor in the Division of Hematology and Oncology. She will serve as a hospitalist in the Myeloma Section. Dr. Gundarlapalli received her medical degree from the Kurnool Medical College in India. She completed her internship and residency in internal medicine at St. Joseph’s Mercy Oakland Hospital in Pontiac, Michigan. Dr. Gundarlapalli previously was a hospitalist at Fairview Park Hospital in Dublin, Georgia.

Joyce Habib, M.D.

Joyce Habib, M.D., has joined the Department of Internal Medicine as an Assistant Professor in the Division of Hematology and Oncology. She will focus on clinical care and research related to breast cancer. Dr. Habib received her medical degree from the American University of Beirut in Lebanon. She completed internal medicine residency training at the American University of Beirut Medical Center and Ohio State University. Dr. Habib continued her training with a fellowship in medical oncology at Baylor Medical Center in Texas, followed by breast oncology training at the Jules Bordet Institute in Brussels, Belgium. In 2016, Dr. Habib began practicing as a medical oncologist at Fouad Khoury Hospital, Makassed General Hospital and Sacre Coeur Hospital in Beruit. The following year she also assumed a part-time position as consultant and head of the Oncology Center at HealthBay Polyclinic in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

Aasiya Matin, M.D.

Aasiya Matin, M.D., has joined the Department of Internal Medicine as an Assistant Professor in the Division of Hematology and Oncology. Dr. Matin specializes in bone marrow transplant for blood cancers and blood disorders. She completed a residency in in radiation oncology at the King George Medical University in Lucknow, India. Dr. Matin completed a residency in internal medicine at Wayne State University in Detroit. She came to UAMS in 2014, earning a Graduate Certificate in Clinical and Translational Sciences before completing her fellowship in hematology/oncology. Dr. Matin recently completed an advzahidanced bone and marrow transplant fellowship at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota.

Yetunde Ogunsesan, M.D.

Yetunde Ogunsesan, M.D., joined the Department of Internal Medicine as an Assistant Professor in the Division of Hematology and Oncology. She will serve as a hospitalist for the Section of Myeloma. Dr. Ogunsesan received her medical degree from the University of Ilorin in Ilorin, Nigeria. After medical school, Dr. Ogunsesan served as a medical officer at the Eti-Osa Local Government Primary Health Centre in Lekki, Nigeria, and then at Pediatric Partners Hospital in Lagos, Nigeria. After coming to the United States, she completed an internship and residency in internal medicine at Rochester General Hospital in Rochester, New York.

Chandra Dasari, M.D.

Chandra Dasari, M.D., has joined the Department of Internal Medicine as an Assistant Professor in the Division of Hospital Medicine. Dr. Dasari received his medical degree at the Osmania Medical College in Hyderabad, India. He completed his residency in internal medicine at the Canton Medical Education Foundation in Ohio. Dr. Dasari went on to work as a hospitalist and nocturnist at Coshocton County Memorial hospital in Ohio, the Cleveland Clinic in Akron, Ohio, and Mercy Hospital in Buffalo, New York. In 2018, he started a research fellowship in gastroenterology at the Kansas City VA Medical Center in Missouri.

William T. Atchley, M.D., Ph.D.

William T. Atchley, M.D., Ph.D., has joined the Department of Internal Medicine as an Assistant Professor in the Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine. Dr. Atchley received his medical degree and his doctorate in interdisciplinary biomedical sciences at UAMS. He completed his residency in internal medicine at UAMS and continued his training with a fellowship in pulmonary and critical care medicine at University of North Carolina Healthcare in Chapel Hill.

Abhishek Kumar, M.D., M.P.H.

Abhishek Kumar, M.D., M.P.H., has joined the Department of Internal Medicine as an Instructor in the Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine. He will teach in the Interventional Pulmonary Fellowship. Dr. Kumar received his Master of Public Health from the Harvard University School of Public Health in Boston. He received his medical degree from Bangalore Medical College and Research Institute in India. Dr. Kumar completed his residency in internal medicine, including a year as Chief Resident, at Brookdale University Hospital and Medical Center in Brooklyn. He continued his training with a fellowship in geriatric medicine at the Montefiore Medical Center/New York Medical College in Bronx, New York, followed by a fellowship in pulmonary and critical care medicine at State University of New York (University at Buffalo). Dr. Kumar previously served as an Assistant Professor in pulmonary and critical care medicine at Mercy Medical Center in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

Department of Neurology

Erika Horta, M.D.

Erika Horta, M.D., has joined the Department of Neurology as an Assistant Professor. Dr. Horta received her medical degree from the University of Sao Paulo in Brazil, where she also completed a residency in neurology and a clinical fellowship in neuro-immunology. Dr. Horta continued her training with a research fellowship in the Neuro-immunology Laboratory at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, and a clinical fellowship in neuro-oncology at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit. She also completed a residency in neurology at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis. Dr. Horta sees multiple sclerosis patients in the UAMS Health Epilepsy and Neurology Clinic and patients with brain and spine tumors in the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute. Read more in the UAMS Newsroom.

Salman Zahoor, M.D.

Salman Zahoor, M.D., has joined the Department of Neurology as an Assistant Professor. Dr. Zahoor received his medical degree from Rawalpindi Medical College of Pakistan. He completed his neurology residency at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, Michigan, where he served as Chief Resident. Dr. Zahoor continued his training with fellowships in clinical neurophysiology and epilepsy at Vanderbilt University Medical School in Nashville, where he served as a Chief Fellow. Dr. Zahoor provides comprehensive care for adults with epilepsy. Read more in the UAMS Newsroom.

Department of Orthopaedic Surgery

P. Shea Brannan, M.D.

P. Shea Brannan, M.D., has joined the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery as an Assistant Professor with the Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine team in Northwest Arkansas. Dr. Brannan received his medical degree from UAMS and completed his orthopaedic surgery training at San Antonio Uniform Services Health Education Consortium in Texas. He continued his training with a fellowship at OrthoCarolina Hand Center in Charlotte, North Carolina. He served most recently as Chief of Orthopaedic Surgery at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida. Recently retired from the military, Dr. Brannan brings extensive expertise as a combat surgeon and hand and upper-extremity surgeon. Read more in the UAMS Newsroom.

Tyler CarlLee, M.D.

Tyler CarlLee, M.D., has joined the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery as an Assistant Professor with the Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine team in Northwest Arkansas. Dr. CarlLee received his medical degree from UAMS in 2014. He completed his orthopaedic surgery residency at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics and continued his training with a sports medicine and shoulder elbow fellowship with OrthoCarolina. Read more in the UAMS Newsroom.

Department of Pediatrics

Shae Anderson, M.D.

Shae Anderson, M.D., has joined the Department of Pediatrics as an Assistant Professor in the Division of Cardiology. Dr. Anderson received her medical degree from East Carolina University Brody School of Medicine. She completed her pediatrics residency at the University of Texas Southwestern/Children’s Medical Center. She continued her training with a fellowship in pediatric cardiology at Emory University School of Medicine, followed by a fellowship in cardiology advanced imaging at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center. In 2019, Dr. Anderson was an American Academy of Pediatrics Section on Cardiology and Cardiothoracic Surgery Young Investigator Award nominee.

Elaine Odiase, M.D.

Elaine Odiase, M.D., has joined the Department of Pediatrics as an Assistant Professor in the Division of Gastroenterology. Dr. Odiase received her medical degree from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, where she also completed her pediatrics residency and a fellowship in pediatric gastroenterology, hepatology and nutrition with a special focus on pediatric and advanced endoscopy. Dr. Odiase is the co-founder and Co-President of Twin Missions International (TMI), a nonprofit that provides charitable services domestically and internationally including pediatric and adult medical care and health care education for the underserved.

Ashley Lauren Lynch, M.D.

Ashley Lauren Lynch, M.D., has joined the Department of Pediatrics as an Assistant Professor in the Division of Neonatology. Dr. Lynch received her medical degree from UAMS, where she stayed for her pediatrics residency and neonatology fellowship. Dr. Lynch was the recipient of an Arkansas Children’s Research Institute Postdoctoral Grant Award in 2018.

Department of Radiology

Scott Harter, M.D.

Scott Harter, M.D., has joined the Department of Radiology as an Associate Professor in the Division of Breast Imaging. Dr. Harter received his medical degree at Louisiana State University School of Medicine. After three years of surgical residency training, he completed his residency in diagnostic radiology and a fellowship in magnetic resonance imaging at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. He joined Radiology Consultants of Little Rock in 1992 and worked as a staff radiologist at multiple hospitals throughout Arkansas. He served as President and CEO of Radiology Consultants for 11 years prior to joining UAMS. Dr. Harter is a past President of the Arkansas Radiology Society.

Erin Priddy, M.D.

Erin Priddy, M.D., has joined the Department of Radiology as an Assistant Professor in the Division of Interventional Radiology. Dr. Priddy received her medical degree from the University of Louisville School of Medicine in Kentucky. She trained in general surgery for two years before completing her diagnostic radiology residency at the University of Louisville School of Medicine. Dr. Priddy continued her training with a fellowship in vascular and interventional radiology at the University of Michigan School of Medicine in Ann Arbor.

Surjith Vattoth, M.D.

Surjith Vattoth, M.D., has joined the Department of Radiology as an Associate Professor in the Division of Neuroradiology. Dr. Vattoth completed his medical education and radiology residency at Calicut Medical College in Kerala, India. He continued his training with a fellowship in neuro- and vascular radiology at Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology in Trivandrum, Kerala, India, and fellowships in neuroradiology, vascular and interventional radiology, and nuclear medicine at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB). Dr. Vattoth served as an Assistant Professor of Neuroradiology at UAB, and most recently as Associate Professor of Clinical Radiology at Weill Cornell Medicine and Senior Consultant Neuroradiologist at Hamad Medical Corporation in Doha, Qatar.

Dr. Vattoth is an active clinical educator and author with many peer-reviewed publications. He has served on the Education Committee of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA). Among many honors, he has received the RSNA Honored Educator Award and multiple top-ten faculty awards at UAB. He is a lead author in the Elsevier Diagnostic Imaging (DI) series Head and Neck book, cover author for the DI Brain, DI Pediatric Neuroradiology, and Imaging Anatomy series Head and Neck book, and in STATdx, a popular comprehensive diagnostic support tool used by radiologists and residents around the world.

Fathima Fijula Palot Manzil, M.D.

Fathima Fijula Palot Manzil, M.D., has joined the Department of Radiology as an Assistant Professor in the Division of Nuclear Medicine. Dr. Manzil received her medical degree and completed a residency in radiotherapy at Calicut Medical College in Kerala, India. She also completed a nuclear medicine residency at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Dr. Manzil previously served as an Assistant Professor of Clinical Radiology at Weill Cornell Medicine and Consultant in Clinical Imaging at Hamad Medical Corporation in Doha, Qatar. Dr. Manzil is currently authoring multiple chapters in the Elsevier Diagnostic Imaging Nuclear Medicine book, which will also be available online in STATdx.