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

Department of Anesthesiology

Chaya Krishnan, M.D.

Chaya Krishnan, M.D., has rejoined the Department of Anesthesiology as an Assistant Professor. Dr. Krishnan received her medical degree from Sri Ramachandra Medical College and Research Institute in Porur, Chennai, India. She completed a compulsory rotatory resident internship in India before coming to UAMS for her anesthesiology residency. She worked as active staff at a couple of surgery centers and then returned to UAMS an Assistant Professor in the Department of Anesthesiology in 2006-2010. She served most recently as an Assistant Professor at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center in Memphis.

Department of Internal Medicine

Dinesh Edem, M.D.

Dinesh Edem, M.D., has joined the Department of Internal Medicine as an Assistant Professor in the Division of Endocrinology. Dr. Edem received his medical degree from Topiwala National Medical College in Mumbai in 2009. He completed a residency in internal medicine at Johns Hopkins University/Sinai Hospital of Baltimore in 2015 and an endocrinology fellowship at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center in 2017. He most recently served as an endocrinology and obesity medicine physician at Indiana University Health – Arnett.

Gena Miller, M.D.

Gena Miller, M.D., has joined the Department of Internal Medicine as an Assistant Professor in the Division of Endocrinology. Dr. Miller received her medical degree from Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center in 2010. She completed an internal medicine residency in 2014 and an endocrinology fellowship in 2016 at the University of Kentucky. Board certified in internal medicine, Dr. Miller has held positions as an endocrinologist with The Baton Rouge Clinic in Baton Rouge, Louisisana, and the Aspirus Department of Endocrinology in Wausau, Wisconsin, before joining UAMS and the Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System.

Department of Orthopaedic Surgery

Barbara Porchia, DPM

Barbara Porchia, DPM, has joined the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery as an Assistant Professor. A podiatrist from Camden, Dr. Porchia brings more than 20 years of experience in treating foot and ankle conditions to UAMS’ orthopaedic team of foot and ankle providers. She received her Doctor of Podiatric Medicine degree from Kent State University College of Podiatric Medicine in Cleveland. Dr. Porchia completed her residency in primary podiatric medicine at St. Michael Hospital in Cleveland. Read more in the UAMS Newsroom.

Department of Pediatrics

Salim Aljabari, M.D.

Salim Aljabari, M.D., has joined the Department of Pediatrics as an Assistant Professor in the Critical Care Medicine Section. Dr. Aljabari received his medical degree at Al-Quds University Faculty of Medicine in Jerusalem, with Dean’s honors. He completed his residency in pediatrics at Texas Tech University, where he was named Chief Resident. Dr. Aljabari continued his training with a fellowship in critical care medicine at Primary Children’s Hospital /University of Utah, and is currently working toward a master’s degree in health administration. He most recently served on the faculty and as a pediatric intensivist at the University of Missouri-Columbia and MU Health Care. Dr. Aljabari’s clinical and research interests include pediatric respiratory failure, post extubation complications, patient safety and quality of care.

Department of Radiology

Bob Dixon, M.D.

Bob Dixon, M.D., has joined the Department of Radiology as a Professor in the Division of Interventional Radiology. Dr. Dixon received his medical degree from the State University of New York, Upstate Medical University in Syracuse. After training in and practicing Emergency Medicine for a decade, he went on to complete a residency in radiology at Upstate Medical University, where he served as Chief Resident. He continued his training with a fellowship in interventional radiology at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine in Chapel Hill, where he subsequently served on the faculty as Program Director for the Radiology Residency, the Interventional Radiology Residency and the Interventional Radiology Fellowship programs.

Dr. Dixon’s clinical interests include thermal ablation, portal hypertension, vertebral augmentation, superficial venous disease, complex IVC filter retrievals and prostate artery embolization. Passionate about medical education, Dr. Dixon facilitated the initiation of the Interventional Radiology Fellowship at the University of Nairobi. He currently serves a Program Manager for RAD-AID International – Kenya. 

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

Department of Internal Medicine

Kalaivani Sivakumar, M.D.

Kalaivani Sivakumar, M.D., has joined the Department of Internal Medicine as an Assistant Professor in the Division of Cardiovascular Medicine. Dr. Sivakumar earned her medical degree from Thanjavur Medical College in Tamilnadu, India, in 2008. She completed a residency in internal medicine and a cardiology fellowship at Morehouse School of Medicine in Atlanta. Prior to joining UAMS, she continued her training with an advanced heart failure fellowship at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

Shani Worrell, Ed.D.

Shani Worrell, Ed.D., has joined the Department of Internal Medicine as an Assistant Professor in the Division of Community Health and Research. Dr. Worrell received her Master of Science in Computer Science at the University of the West Indies and her Doctorate of Education in Curriculum and Instruction at the George Washington University in Washington, D.C. She most recently served as the Senior Strategy Learning and Evaluation Officer for the Walton Family Foundation in Bentonville, Arkansas.

Department of Neurology

Bhavana Sharma, M.D.

Bhavana Sharma, M.D., has joined the Department of Neurology as an Assistant Professor. Dr. Sharma graduated from Bharti Vidyapeeth Medical College in Pune, India, in 2000. She completed an internal medicine residency at St. Stephen’s hospital in New Delhi. Dr. Sharma later continued her training with a residency in neurology at UAMS, followed by a fellowship in clinical neurophysiology at Kansas University Medical Center.

Dr. Sharma is board certified by the Board of Psychiatry and Neurology with additional sub-certification in clinical neurophysiology. Her expertise and clinical interests include management of neuromuscular disorders, epilepsy, EMG and nerve conduction studies, video EEG monitoring, neuro-modulation with devices such as VNS (vagal nerve stimulator), and other neurological conditions including headache, Parkinson’s disease, stroke and dementia. Dr. Sharma treats patients in the Jackson T. Stephens Spine and Neurosciences Institute’s General Neurology and Neuromuscular Clinic.

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

Department of Biomedical Informatics

Cari Anne Bogulski, Ph.D.

Cari Anne Bogulski, Ph.D., has joined the Department of Biomedical Informatics as an Assistant Professor. Recruited in partnership with the UAMS Institute for Digital Health & Innovation, Dr. Bogulski is based at the UAMS Northwest Regional Campus and collaborates extensively with IDHI Director of Research Hari Eswaran, Ph.D. She also continues to collaborate with the Office of Community Health and Research at UAMS Northwest, where she works on program evaluation and research projects addressing issues of health equity in maternal and child health, food insecurity, diabetes self-management and prevention, and impacts of COVID-19.

Dr. Bogulski received her doctorate in cognitive psychology and language science from Pennsylvania State University. She has over 17 years of experience in research, experimental design, data processing and statistical analysis.

Department of Internal Medicine

John D. Shaughnessy Jr., Ph.D.

John D. Shaughnessy Jr., Ph.D., has rejoined the faculty as a Professor of Internal Medicine and a principal staff scientist in the Myeloma Center. He previously served at UAMS from 1996 to 2010 as Director of the Lambert Laboratory of Myeloma Genetics and leader of the center’s Division of Basic Sciences.

Dr. Shaughnessy’s research in the UAMS Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute is focused on developing new targeted therapies for multiple myeloma, and on the genetic profiles of myeloma patients including extremely long survivors.

Dr. Shaughnessy received his doctorate in molecular biology from the University of Maryland. He completed his postdoctoral fellowship in the Mammalian Genetics Laboratory of the National Cancer Institute’s Frederick Cancer Research and Development Center.

Read more in the UAMS Newsroom.

Department of Pathology

Eric U. Yee, M.D.

Eric U. Yee, M.D., has joined the Department of Pathology as an Associate Professor in the Surgical Division. Dr. Yee received his medical degree at the University of Colorado Denver & Health Sciences Center. He completed his residency and served as Chief Resident at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center/Harvard Medical School in Boston. Dr. Yee continued his training with a fellowship in gastrointestinal and hepatobiliary pathology at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. 

Prior to coming to UAMS, Dr. Yee served as the Director of Surgical Pathology and Associate Professor in the Department of Pathology at the Renaissance School of Medicine, Stony Brook University Hospital in Stony Brook, New York.

Department of Radiation Oncology

Pouya Sabouri Ph.D.

Pouya Sabouri Ph.D., has joined the Department of Radiation Oncology as an Assistant Professor. Dr. Sabouri holds undergraduate and graduate degrees in mathematics, physics and nuclear engineering from the University of British Columbia and McMaster University in Canada. He received his doctorate in nuclear reactor physics at the Laboratory of Subatomic Physics and Cosmology (LPSC/INPG/CNRS) in Grenoble, France. Dr. Sabouri completed his residency at the University of Maryland Medical Center, where he subsequently served as faculty, proton physicist and planner for LINAC-based stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS).

Dr. Sabouri’s research interests include motion management, tumor tracking, lung motion models, adaptive radiotherapy and applications of dual energy CT for particle therapy. He is passionate about educational outreach as well as providing high-quality care for cancer patients.

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

Department of Anesthesiology

Kyle Stoner, M.D.

Kyle Stoner, M.D., has joined the Department of Anesthesiology as an Assistant Professor. Dr. Stoner received his medical degree and completed his residency at UAMS. He served as an Associate Anesthesiologist at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics in 2019-2020 and then as a Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Anesthesia at Iowa for a year prior to his return to UAMS.

Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

Eric Enemark, Ph.D.

Eric Enemark, Ph.D., has joined the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology as an Associate Professor. Dr. Enemark is a researcher in the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute, where his expertise centers on the use of X-ray crystallography and cryo-EM to better understand the detailed mechanisms of DNA replication in the context of disease states such as cancer.

Dr. Enemark received his doctorate at Stanford University. He completed his postdoctoral work at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory in New York, where he went on to work as a research investigator in 2002-2008. Dr. Enemark served as an Assistant Member and later as an Associate Member of the Department of Structural Biology at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis from 2009 until his recruitment to UAMS early this year.

Read more about Dr. Enemark’s research. 

Department of Internal Medicine

Ashim Bagchi, Ph.D.

Ashim Bagchi, Ph.D., has joined the Department of Internal Medicine as an Instructor and researcher in the Division of Cardiology.Dr. Bagchi received his doctorate in science/immunology from the University of Jadavpur in India in 2006. He has competed multiple research fellowships in immunology and cardiovascular sciences. Dr. Bagchi most recently served as a research associate at the Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences at St. Boniface Hospital Albrechtsen Research Centre and the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg, Canada.

Munawwar Hussain, M.D.

Munawwar Hussain, M.D., has joined the Department of Internal Medicine as an Assistant Professor and hospitalist in the Hematology/Oncology Division. Dr. Hussain received his medical degree from Punjab Medical College in Pakistan in 2009. He completed an internal medicine residency at Conemaugh Health System in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, in 2016. Dr. Hussain continued his career there as a hospitalist and attending physician.

Jaskirat Sethi, M.D.

Jaskirat Sethi, M.D., has joined the Department of Internal Medicine as an Assistant Professor and hospitalist in the Division of Hematology/Oncology. Dr. Sethi received his medical degree from the University of Alabama in Birmingham in 2017. He recently completed his internal medicine residency at the University of Mississippi.  

Shirisha Ale, M.D.

Shirisha Ale, M.D., has joined the Department of Internal Medicine as an Assistant Professor in the Division of Hospital Medicine.Dr. Ale received her medical degree from Kamineni Institute of Medical Sciences in Narketpally, Telangana, India, in 2010. She was a research fellow in the Department of Nephrology at Cleveland Clinic – Akron General in Akron, Ohio, in 2016. Dr. Ale recently completed a residency in internal medicine and served as Assistant Chief Resident at Saint Peter’s University Hospital, RRWJ Medical School in New Brunswick, New Jersey.

Sindhu Malapati, M.D.

Sindhu Malapati, M.D., has joined the Department of Internal Medicine as an Assistant Professor in the Division of Medical Oncology. Her clinical focus is the care of women with breast cancer. Before joining UAMS, she completed a fellowship in hematology/oncology at Ascension St. John Hospital in Detroit, where she focused on breast oncology. She completed her residency in internal medicine at John H. Stroger Jr. Hospital in Chicago. A native of Goa, India, Dr. Malapati received her medical degree from Goa Medical College in Bambolim, India.

Krishna Kakkera, M.D.

Krishna Kakkera, M.D., has joined the Department of Internal Medicine as an Assistant Professor specializing in critical care in the Pulmonary Division. Dr. Kakkera received his medical degree from Osmania Medical College in Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India, in 2010. He completed an internship in 2013 and residency in 2015 in internal medicine at UAMS and the Central Arkansas Veterans Health System. In 2018, He completed a fellowship in pulmonary and critical care medicine and served as Chief Fellow at UAMS. Dr. Kakkera most recently worked as a pulmonary critical care physician at White River Medical Center in Batesville.

Department of Neurology

Tarek Bakdash, M.D.

Tarek Bakdash, M.D., has joined the Department of Neurology as an Assistant Professor and neurohospitalist. Dr. Bakdash received his medical degree from the University of Aleppo Faculty of Medicine in Syria. He completed residency and fellowship training at the University of Minnesota and affiliated hospitals. Dr. Bakdash is a board-certified neurologist with subspecialty certification in clinical neurophysiology and neuromuscular disease. He provides comprehensive care for patients in the Neurology Inpatient Service at UAMS Medical Center.

Department of Pediatrics

Paul Darden, M.D.

Paul Darden, M.D., has joined the Department of Pediatrics as a Professor in the Division of Community Pediatrics and Director of Population Health for Arkansas Children’s. Dr. Darden has served on national committees for the Environmental Influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) Program under the IDeA States Pediatric Clinical Trial Network (ISPCTN) since 2016 and will continue working with this program at Arkansas Children’s and UAMS.

Dr. Darden most recently served as Section Chief of General and Community Pediatrics at Oklahoma University Health Sciences Center, where he was also the Director of the Academic Generalist Training Program and the CMRI James Paul Linn Endowed Chair. An accomplished researcher in primary care, Dr. Darden founded the Oklahoma Child Health Research Network and served as the Director of the Oklahoma Pediatric Clinical Trials Network. He has worked extensively for much of his career with the American Academy of Pediatrics practice-based research network and the Pediatric Research in Office Settings, where he has conducted many studies regarding vaccines in practice settings, continuity of care, and screenings for development and obesity issues in primary care.

Dr. Darden earned his medical degree from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School. He completed his internship and residency at Children’s Medical Center in Dallas. He continued his training with fellowships in pediatric epidemiology at Montreal Children’s Hospital and in faculty development in general internal medicine and general pediatrics at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. 

Samrat Roy Choudhury, Ph.D.

Samrat Roy Choudhury, Ph.D., has joined the Department of Pediatrics as an Assistant Professor in the Division of Hematology/Oncology. Dr. Roy Choudhury is a researcher in the Arkansas Children’s Research Institute and in the UAMS Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute with special expertise in epigenetics in cancer. His research focuses on the functional understanding of epigenomics that drive an aggressive disease state in subpopulations of pediatric acute myeloid leukemia (AML).

Dr. Roy Choudhury received his doctorate in biotechnology from the Indian Statistical Institute at the University of Calcutta in India. He completed his postdoctoral work with a W.M. Keck Foundation grant in the Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering at Purdue University in Indiana. Dr. Roy Choudhury served as a Research Associate in the Myeloma Center at UAMS in 2016 through 2020.

Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology

Andrew Morris, Ph.D.

Andrew Morris, Ph.D., has joined the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology as a Professor. Dr. Morris comes to UAMS from the University of Kentucky College of Medicine, where he was the Ashwini Anand Endowed Professor of Cardiovascular Research and Director of the Small Molecule Mass Spectrometry Core Laboratory, which supported the analytical core components of several NIH-funded research programs. Dr. Morris was a research investigator at the Lexington Veterans Affairs Medical Center, a position he will transfer to the Central Arkansas Veterans Affair Medical Center.

Over the past 25 years, Dr. Morris’ independent research program has broadly addressed the roles of lipid metabolism and lipid signaling in human diseases. His current research investigates bioactive lysophospholipids as inflammatory mediators that link diet-dependent and genetic risk factors for common cardiovascular diseases including coronary artery disease and aortic stenosis. He has extensive expertise in biomedical mass spectrometry that includes both large-scale analysis of lipids and metabolites (lipidomics and metabolomics) and targeted measurements of biomarkers of diet, nutrition and environmental chemicals. He is currently engaged in collaborative studies using these approaches to measure circulating biomarkers for human diseases and to investigate the human health effects of exposure to certain classes of organic environmental chemicals. Dr. Morris’ laboratory has been an effective training environment, particularly for early-career investigators, and he has an extensive record of service as reviewer on NIH study sections.

Dr. Morris received his doctorate in biochemistry from the University of Birmingham, England. He completed his postdoctoral fellowship at the University of North Carolina (UNC) at Chapel Hill, where went on to serve as a Research Assistant Professor in 1991-1993. Dr. Morris served on the faculty of the Department of Pharmacological Sciences at Stony Brook University in New York in 1993-2001 and in the Department of Cell and Developmental Biology at UNC from 2001 until his recruitment to the University of Kentucky as a Professor of Internal Medicine in 2005.

Department of Radiation Oncology

Adam Wolfe, M.D., Ph.D.

Adam Wolfe, M.D., Ph.D., has joined the Department of Radiation Oncology as an Assistant Professor. Dr. Wolfe received his medical degree and doctorate in the Medical Scientist Training Program at the University of Texas McGovern Medical School and MD Anderson Cancer Center Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences. He completed his residency in radiation oncology at the Ohio State University. Dr. Wolfe treats patients with gastrointestinal cancers at the UAMS Radiation Oncology Center using state-of-the-art radiation therapy techniques. In the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute, his research focuses on the discovery of novel therapeutic strategies for pancreatic cancer. Learn more about Dr. Wolfe on the Radiation Oncology website.

Department of Surgery

Lindsey Wolf, M.D., MPH

Lindsey Wolf, M.D., MPH, has joined the Department of Surgery as an Assistant Professor in the Division of Pediatric Surgery. Dr. Wolf received her medical degree at the University of California, San Francisco School of Medicine. She completed her general surgery residency at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston while simultaneously earning a Master of Public Health at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. She continued her training with a fellowship in pediatric surgery at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.

Department of Urology

Julie Riley, M.D.

Julie Riley, M.D., has joined the Department of Urology as an Associate Professor and Residency Program Director. Dr. Riley comes to UAMS from the University of New Mexico (UNM) School of Medicine, where she was an Associate Professor, Director of Endourology and Stone Disease, and UNM Lead Renal Transplant Listing Surgeon. She also served as Chair of the Surgical Services Oversight Committee and as Executive Surgeon of Surgical Services. Her clinical interests are surgical and medical management of nephrolithiasis, renal and ureter reconstruction, BPH, renal cancer and renal obstruction.

Dr. Riley received her Doctor of Medicine with Distinction in Community Services from Saint Louis University School of Medicine. She completed her residency in urology at the University of Missouri-Columbia and continued her training with a fellowship in endourology, robotics and laparoscopy at the University of Pittsburgh.

Dr. Riley is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons (FACS) and is active in numerous other national professional organizations including the American Urologic Association and the Society of Endourology. She serves as a reviewer for the Journal of Endourology, Urology and other peer-reviewed publications.

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

Editor’s note: These are some 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

Cynthia Chapman, M.D.

Cynthia Chapman, M.D., has joined the Department of Anesthesiology as an Assistant Professor. Dr. Chapman received her medical degree from the University of Missouri School of Medicine. She completed her anesthesiology residency at UAMS and continued her training with a critical care medicine fellowship at the University of Texas Health Science Center in Houston. She will practice in the UAMS Cardiovascular Intensive Care Unit.

Rami Diab, M.D.

Rami Diab, M.D., has joined the Department of Anesthesiology as an Assistant Professor. Dr. Diab earned his medical degree and a master’s in anesthesia, recovery and intensive care at the University of Jordan. He is critical care certified by the Jordanian Board of Anesthesia. He continued his training with multiple fellowships, including one in cardiothoracic anesthesia at Mount Sinai Hospital, in intensive care medicine at the University of Virginia Health System Hospital, in obstetric anesthesia at Mount Sinai West Hospital, and in pediatric anesthesia at the University of Minnesota. He will practice in the UAMS Cardiovascular Intensive Care Unit.

Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

Sayem Miah, Ph.D.

Sayem Miah, Ph.D., has joined the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology as an Assistant Professor. Dr. Miah earned his undergraduate degree and a master’s in applied chemistry at Rajshahi University in Bangladesh, followed by a master’s in medical biology at Linkoping University in Sweden. He received his doctorate in biochemistry at the University of Saskatchewan in Canada. Dr. Miah completed his postdoctoral fellowship at the Stowers Institute for Medical Research in Kansas City, Missouri. His research centers on how cells perceive signals that vary in healthy and cancer cells, and how this perception regulates the formation of tumors and metastasis of cancer.

Read more about Dr. Miah’s research here. 

Mohammad Rahman, Ph.D.

Mohammad Rahman, Ph.D., has joined the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology as an Assistant Professor. Dr. Rahman received his undergraduate and master’s degrees in biochemistry and molecular biology at the University of Dhaka in Bangladesh. He earned his doctorate in molecular medicine at Nagoya University School of Medicine in Japan, where he worked as an Assistant Professor and staff scientist in 2014-2015. Dr. Rahman completed a postdoctoral research fellowship, focusing on the mechanisms of splicing alterations in cancer, at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory in New York in 2015-2020. For the past year, he served as a Senior Fellow at Cold Spring Harbor, focusing on therapeutic targeting of splicing alterations in cancer.

Read more about Dr. Rahman’s research here.

Department of Internal Medicine

Tushar Tarun, M.D.

Tushar Tarun, M.D., has joined the Department of Internal Medicine as an Assistant Professor and invasive cardiologist in the Division of Cardiology. Dr. Tarun received his medical degree from Rural Medical College in India. He completed a residency in internal medicine and served as Chief Resident at the University of Missouri-Columbia, where he continued his training with a cardiovascular disease fellowship.

Zixue Jin, Ph.D.

Zixue Jin, Ph.D., has joined the Department of Internal Medicine as an Assistant Professor and basic scientist in the Endocrinology Division. Dr. Jin received her doctorate in immunology from the University of Science and Technology of China in Hefei in 2011. She most recently served as an Instructor in the Department of Molecular and Human Genetics at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston.

Felix Tellez-Avila, M.D., Ph.D.

Felix Tellez-Avila, M.D., Ph.D., has joined the Department of Internal Medicine as an Assistant Professor in the Gastroenterology Division. Dr. Tellez-Avila received his medical degree from Universidad Michoacana in Mexico in 1999. He completed residencies in internal medicine, gastroenterology and advanced therapeutic endoscopy at the National Institute of Medical Sciences Salvador Zubirán in Mexico. Additionally, he completed advanced training in endoscopic ultrasound in Marseille, France. While completing his residencies, he earned a Master of Science and doctorate in gastroenterology from National Autonomous University of Mexico.

Dr. Tellez-Avila went on to hold appointments as a staff physician and Research Coordinator for the Gastrointestinal Endoscopy Department at the National Institute of Medical Sciences and as a Professor of Endoscopic Ultrasound at the National University Autonomous of Mexico. He has served as Chief Editor of Endoscopia, the journal of the Mexican Association of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy, since 2012. As a member of the National Systems of Researchers, Dr. Tellez-Avila has published more than 100 papers in the field of gastroenterology and has been awarded several honors for his research.

Hasan Rana, M.D.

Hasan Rana, M.D., has joined the Department of Internal Medicine as an Assistant Professor and hospitalist in the Hematology/Oncology Division. Dr. Rana earned his medical degree at Lahore Medical & Dental College in Lahore, Pakistan, in 2014. He completed a residency at Ascension St. John Hospital in Detroit in 2020. Dr. Rana most recently worked at Ascension St. Vincent Hospital in Indianapolis as a hospitalist and Adjunct Clinical Professor.

Michael Lowry, M.D.

Michael Lowry, M.D., has joined the Department of Internal Medicine as an Assistant Professor in the Division of Infectious Diseases. Dr. Lowry received his medical degree from UAMS in 2014. He completed his internal medicine residency and served as Chief Resident at UAMS in 2018. Dr. Lowry was a Clinical Fellow and Chief Fellow at Vanderbilt University in Nashville from 2018-2020. He practiced in Sarasota, Florida, before returning to UAMS.

Department of Orthopaedic Surgery

Jordan Gross, M.D.

Jordan Gross, M.D., has joined the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery as an Assistant Professor specializing in complex deformities of the spine. Dr. Gross received his medical degree at Boston University. He completed his orthopaedic surgery residency at New York Medical College and continued his training with a fellowship in orthopaedic/spine deformity at Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles/University of Southern California. He will see patients at Arkansas Children’s Hospital in Little Rock and Arkansas Children’s Northwest in Springdale.

Adrienne Koder, D.O.

Adrienne Koder, D.O., has joined the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery as an Assistant Professor and pediatric orthopaedic surgeon. Dr. Koder received her Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine at New York College of Osteopathic Medicine. She completed her orthopaedic surgery residency at the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine. Dr. Koder is a member of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, the Pediatric Orthopaedic Society of North America and the Ruth Jackson Orthopedic Society. She will see patients at Arkansas Children’s Northwest.

Justin Rabinowitz, M.D.

Justin Rabinowitz, M.D., has joined the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery as an Assistant Professor and shoulder/elbow specialist. Dr. Rabinowitz received his medical degree from Rush University Medical College in Chicago. He completed his orthopaedic surgery residency at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston and continued his training with a shoulder and elbow fellowship at Washington University in St. Louis. He will see patients at the UAMS orthopaedic clinics on Colonel Glenn Road in Little Rock and at Baptist-Conway.

Scott Schoenleber, M.D.

Scott Schoenleber, M.D., has joined the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery as an Assistant Professor and pediatric orthopaedic surgeon. Dr. Schoenleber earned his medical degree at the Mayo Clinic School of Medicine in Rochester, Minnesota. He completed his orthopaedic surgery residency at the Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine at the University of Miami, followed by a pediatric orthopaedic fellowship at Nemours/Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children in Wilmington, Delaware. He comes to UAMS from Nicklaus Children’s Hospital in Miami, where he had practiced since 2015. Dr. Schoenleber will focus on building a limb-lengthening program in Arkansas while also pursuing interests in neuromuscular conditions and providing care at Arkansas Children’s Hospital in Little Rock and Arkansas Children’s Northwest in Springdale.

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

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

Department of Emergency Medicine

Kevan Beth Meadors, M.D.

Kevan Beth Meadors, M.D., has joined the Department of Emergency Medicine as an Assistant Professor. Dr. Meadors received her medical degree from UAMS. She completed her residency in emergency medicine at University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, where she went on to complete a fellowship in medical toxicology. Dr. Meadors served as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Emergency Medicine at UT Southwestern from 2017 until her recruitment to UAMS.

Meredith Von Dohlen, M.D.

Meredith Von Dohlen, M.D., has joined the Department of Emergency Medicine as an Assistant Professor. Dr. Von Dohlen received her medical degree from Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center in El Paso. She completed her emergency medicine residency at UAMS, where she continued her training as the department’s inaugural Medical Education Fellow this past year. Dr. Von Dohlen has been active in local and national emergency medicine professional organizations, committees and emergency medicine education.

Department of Geriatrics

Elizabeth Eoff, M.D.

Elizabeth Eoff, M.D., has joined the Department of Geriatrics as an Assistant Professor. She received her medical degree from the Saint James School of Medicine with clinical training in Chicago. Dr. Eoff completed her residency training in the UAMS Southwest Family Medicine Residency Program in Texarkana. She continued her training with a fellowship in geriatrics at UAMS, where she earned a strong reputation for providing expert, compassionate care for seniors, including the most vulnerable. Dr. Eoff will see patients in the Walker Memory Center of the Thomas and Lyon Longevity Clinic in the UAMS Donald W. Reynolds Institute on Aging. She will also serve as an attending physician at the Pine Bluff Clinical Center and mentor others about the nuances of age-related physical and psychological changes.

Department of Internal Medicine

Rajshekhar Kore, Ph.D.

Rajshekhar Kore, Ph.D., a researcher in the Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, has joined the faculty as an Instructor. Dr. Kore received a Master of Pharmacy in pharmaceutical chemistry at the Government College of Pharmacy in Bangalore, India. He continued his education at UAMS, where he received his Master of Science in physiology and biophysics in 2007 and his doctorate in biochemistry and molecular biology in 2015. Dr. Kore also completed postdoctoral training at UAMS. His research has focused on exomes, exome biology and the role exosomes play in cardiovascular biology, as well the use of stem cell exosomes to repair damage in heart tissues.

Jinendra Satiya, M.D.

Jinendra Satiya, M.D., has joined the Department of Internal Medicine as an Assistant Professor and transplant hepatologist in the Division of Gastroenterology. Dr. Satiya received his medical degree from Grant Government Medical College in Mumbai, India, in 2014. He completed a clinical research fellowship at the Cleveland Clinic Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology in Florida. Dr. Satiya completed an internal medicine residency at the University of Miami, JFK Medical Center Palm Beach Regional GME Consortium in Atlantis, Florida. He then served as a Chief Resident and Instructor at NYC Health + Hospitals and New York Medical College. Dr. Satiya continued his training as an advanced hepatology fellow at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School in Boston. He serves as a reviewer for multiple journals.

Jason Petitjean, M.D.

Jason Petitjean, M.D., has joined the Department of Internal Medicine as an Assistant Professor in the Division of General Internal Medicine. Dr. Petitjean received his medical degree from Louisiana State University Health Shreveport in 2018. He completed his residency in internal medicine at UAMS.

Charles Lavender, M.D.

Charles Lavender, M.D., has joined the Department of Internal Medicine as an Instructor and Chief Resident in the Division of General Internal Medicine. Dr. Lavender received his medical degree from UAMS in 2018 and joined the Internal Medicine Residency Program. His honors have included the Richard V. Ebert Award in medical school and twice receiving the George L. Ackerman Award during his internship and residency.

Lauren Taylor, M.D.

Lauren Taylor, M.D., has joined the Department of Internal Medicine as an Instructor and Chief Resident in the Division of General Internal Medicine. Dr. Taylor received a Post-Baccalaureate Certificate from the UAMS Fay W. Boozman College of Public Health. She went on to earn her medical degree and Master of Public Health at UAMS and joined the Internal Medicine Residency Program in 2018.

Zachary Tilley, M.D.

Zachary Tilley, M.D., has joined the Department of Internal Medicine as an Instructor and Chief Resident in the Division of General Internal Medicine. Dr. Tilley received his medical degree from UAMS in 2018 and joined the Internal Medicine Residency Program. His honors as a medical student included receiving the 2016 Barton Foundation Scholarship.

Samer Ahmad Al Hadidi, M.D., M.S.

Samer Ahmad Al Hadidi, M.D., M.S., has joined the Department of Internal Medicine as an Assistant Professor and myeloma specialist in the Division of Hematology/Oncology. Dr. Al Hadidi received his medical degree from the University of Jordan School of Medicine in Amman, Jordan, in 2011. He completed a residency in internal medicine at Michigan State University in Flint, where he was awarded Resident of the Year in 2013. While completing his residency, Dr. Al Hadidi earned a Master of Science in clinical research and statistical analysis from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. He continued his training with a fellowship in hematology/oncology at the Baylor College of Medicine in Houston.

Jacob Leffert, M.D.

Jacob Leffert, M.D., has joined the Department of Internal Medicine as an Assistant Professor and hospitalist in the Hematology/Oncology Division. Dr. Leffert received his medical degree from UAMS in 2018 and joined the Internal Medicine Residency Program.

Nishanth Thalambedu, M.D.

Nishanth Thalambedu, M.D., has joined the Department of Internal Medicine as an Assistant Professor and hospitalist in the Hematology/Oncology Division. Dr. Thalambedu earned his medical degree at Kurnool Medical College in India in 2011. He most recently completed a residency in internal medicine at Abington Jefferson Health in Abington, Pennsylvania.

Kelsey Besett, M.D.

Kelsey Besett, M.D., has joined the Department of Internal Medicine as an Assistant Professor in the Division of Hospital Medicine. Dr. Besett received her medical degree from UAMS in 2017. She completed a transitional year internship and in 2018 joined the UAMS Internal Medicine Residency Program.

Marina Joseph, M.D.

Marina Joseph, M.D., has joined the Department of Internal Medicine as an Assistant Professor in the Division of Hospital Medicine. Dr. Joseph received her medical degree from the Government Medical College in Kottayam, India, in 2014. She was an extern and research assistant at Mary Breckenridge ARH Hospital in Hyden, Kentucky, in 2017. Dr. Joseph came to UAMS in 2018 to complete her residency in internal medicine.

John “Charlie” Kincaid, M.D.

John “Charlie” Kincaid, M.D., has joined the Department of Internal Medicine as an Assistant Professor in the Division of Palliative Medicine. Dr. Kincaid received his medical degree from UAMS in 2016. He completed his residency in internal medicine at UAMS, followed by a fellowship in hospice and palliative care medicine.

Department of Medical Humanities and Bioethics

Skye Miner, Ph.D.

Skye Miner, Ph.D., will join the Department of Medical Humanities and Bioethics as an Assistant Professor on September 1. Dr. Miner will bolster the department’s already solid work in research ethics, having completed a postdoctoral fellowship in the Department of Bioethics at the National Institutes of Health Clinical Center. A sociologist, Dr. Miner earned her doctorate at McGill University in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Her research and scholarly work focus on women’s health, reproductive ethics and the ethics of the gathering and use of genetic information.

Department of Neurology

Harshad Ladha, M.D., M.P.H.

Harshad Ladha, M.D., M.P.H., has joined the Department of Neurology as an Assistant Professor. Dr. Ladha specializes in clinical neurophysiology and epilepsy, including comprehensive management of all types of epilepsy in adults, pre-surgical evaluation and invasive EEG monitoring for patients with medically refractory epilepsy, management of neuromodulation devices (VNS/RNS/DBS), and video EEG monitoring.

Dr. Ladha graduated from Dr. V.M. Government Medical College in Solapur, India, in 2011. He obtained a Master’s in Public Health with a focus in epidemiology from the University of Texas Health Science Center in Houston. Dr. Ladha completed the Preliminary Internal Medicine Program followed by the Neurology Residency Program at the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Medicine. He continued his training with fellowships in clinical neurophysiology and epilepsy at Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta. Dr. Ladha is board certified by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology.

Hillary Williams, M.D.

Hillary Williams, M.D., has joined the Department of Neurology as an Assistant Professor. Dr. Williams specializes in movement disorders such as Parkinson’s disease, essential tremor, Huntington’s disease, dystonia and ataxia. She is trained in deep-brain stimulation programming and the administration of botulinum toxin. Dr. Williams places an emphasis on providing inclusive, affirming care for her patients.      

Dr. Williams received her medical degree from UAMS, where she also completed her neurology residency. She continued her training with a two-year fellowship in movement disorders at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. She is board certified by the Board of Psychiatry and Neurology.

Department of Ophthalmology

Alireza Ghaffarieh, M.D.

Alireza Ghaffarieh, M.D., has joined the Department of Ophthalmology as an Assistant Professor and Director of Ophthalmic Pathology Services. Dr. Ghaffarieh’s clinical interests include corneal transplants, refractive surgery, cataract surgery and external diseases of the eye. He sees patients in the UAMS Harvey & Bernice Jones Eye Institute.

Dr. Ghaffarieh received his medical degree and completed his ophthalmology residency, graduating in the top 1% of his class, at Shiraz University Medical School in Iran. He completed a residency in pathology at the University of Indiana and several advanced fellowships, including one in cornea, external disease and refractive surgery at Massachusetts Eye and Ear, the teaching hospital at Harvard Medical School in Boston; in cytopathology at the University of Southern California; and in both ocular pathology and neuro-ophthalmology research at the University of Wisconsin.

Dr. Ghaffarieh is a member of the American Academy of Ophthalmology and Pathology. He holds one full and five provisional patents. He is fluent in English, Azerbaijani, Persian, Turkish and Arabic.

Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery

Patrick Fraley, M.D.

Patrick Fraley, M.D., has joined the Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery as an Associate Professor. Dr. Fraley will practice with Dr. Jeffrey Kirsch in Conway as the UAMS Health Ear Nose and Throat Clinic. The two surgeons formerly practiced as partners at the Ear, Nose & Throat Center of Conway, a general otolaryngology practice offering specialized expertise in sleep-related issues.

Dr. Fraley received his medical degree from UAMS. He completed an internship in general surgery and residency in otolaryngology-head and neck surgery at Washington University in St. Louis.

Read more in the UAMS Newsroom.

Jeffrey Kirsch, M.D.

Jeffrey Kirsch, M.D., has joined the Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery as an Associate Professor. Dr. Fraley will practice with Dr. Patrick Fraley in Conway as the UAMS Health Ear Nose and Throat Clinic. The two surgeons formerly practiced as partners at the Ear, Nose & Throat Center of Conway, a general otolaryngology practice offering specialized expertise in sleep-related issues

Dr. Kirsch received his medical degree at Tulane University School of Medicine in New Orleans. He completed preliminary internship/residency training in general surgery at Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas and returned to Tulane to complete his residency in otolaryngology-head and neck surgery.

Read more in the UAMS Newsroom.

Department of Pediatrics

Jon Bos, Psy,D.

Jon Bos, Psy,D., has joined the Department of Pediatrics as an Associate Professor in the Section of Pediatric Psychology. Dr. Bos completed a pre-doctoral internship at St. Francis Medical Center in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and received his doctorate in psychology at George Fox University in Newberg, Oregon, where he also completed a fellowship in clinical psychology. He continued his training in Chicago as a postdoctoral fellow in pediatric neuropsychology with the Fielding Graduate Institute. Dr. Bos is board certified by the American Academy of Pediatric Neuropsychology (AAPdN).

Dr. Bos has worked in private practice in Grand Rapids, Michigan, where he provided consultation and assessment services for patients with learning disabilities, TBI, seizure disorders, developmental delays and complex medical conditions; in South Carolina, at the Greenwood Genetic Center, and most recently in Flint, Michigan, with patients impacted by the Flint water crisis.

Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology

Abdelrahman Fouda, Pharm.D., Ph.D.

Abdelrahman Fouda, Pharm.D., Ph.D., has joined the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology as an Assistant Professor. A licensed pharmacist and scientist, Dr. Fouda was recruited from the Medical College of Georgia (MCG), Augusta University, where he received his Ph.D. in 2015.  Dr. Fouda’s predoctoral work helped to define the neurovascular protection from stroke provided by the renin-angiotensin system. These studies were recognized by awards from the American Heart Association, International Stroke Conference and other professional organizations.

As a postdoctoral fellow at MCG’s Vascular Biology Center, his research on neuro-inflammation included models of traumatic optic neuropathy, diabetic retinopathy, and the role of macrophages in retinal ischemia-reperfusion injury and protection by arginase 1. The latter studies are the focus of a prestigious K99/R00 Career Development Pathway to Independence Award that Dr. Fouda received from the National Eye Institute of the National Institutes of Health. Dr. Fouda has published more than 30 original manuscripts and looks forward to collaborating with investigators at the Jones Eye Institute and across campus.

Huiliang Zhang, Ph.D.

Huiliang Zhang, Ph.D., has joined the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology as an Assistant Professor. Dr. Zhang was recruited from the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology at the University of Washington (UW) in Seattle. He was awarded his doctorate in biophysics from Peking University before embarking on research as a postdoctoral fellow and Instructor at UW.

Dr. Zhang’s research focuses on cardiac dysfunction in the aging heart with an emphasis on the pathogenic role of elevated proton leak from mitochondria. He explores the strategies of restoring mitochondrial function and stem cell therapies to reverse cardiac dysfunction in preclinical models of aging. Dr. Zhang is the principal investigator of an American Heart Association (AHA) Career Development Award and is an AHA study section member. He has more than 30 original publications and has won several national trainee and junior faculty awards.

Department of Psychiatry

Chrystal Fullen, Psy.D.

Chrystal Fullen, Psy.D., has joined the Department of Psychiatry as an Assistant Professor. Dr. Fullen received her doctorate in counseling psychology from Our Lady of the Lake University in San Antonio, Texas. She completed an internship in clinical neuropsychology at the South Texas VA. She recently completed her postdoctoral fellowship in neuropsychology at UAMS. Dr. Fullen will provide neuropsychological assessments in the Psychiatric Research Institute’s Walker Family Clinic as well as work with patients in need of cognitive rehabilitation. She will also collaborate in multidisciplinary research and supervise neuropsychology and psychology interns. 

Lindsey Roberts, Ph.D.

Lindsey Roberts, Ph.D., has joined the Department of Psychiatry as an Assistant Professor. Dr. Roberts received her doctorate in psychology with concentrations in clinical child and clinical community psychology from Bowling Green State University in Ohio. She completed her clinical psychology internship at UAMS as well as a postdoctoral fellowship in clinical psychology. Dr. Roberts will care for patients in the Child Study Center and the Child Diagnostic Unit in addition to working with the UAMS Psychiatric Research Institute’s clinical psychology internship training program and the Arkansas Building Effective Services for Trauma (ARBEST) program. 

Department of Radiology

Prashanth Reddy, M.D.

Prashanth Reddy, M.D., has joined the Department of Radiology as an Assistant Professor in the Division of Neuroradiology. Dr. Reddy received his medical degree at Kasturba Medical College, Mangalore. He completed his diagnostic radiology residency at M.S. Ramaiah Medical College, Bengaluru. He also completed cardiac imaging and MRI fellowship training at Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Medical Sciences and went on to serve as Junior Consultant and Residency and Fellowship Program Director. Dr. Reddy completed his neuroradiology fellowship at UAMS.

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

Editor’s note: These are some 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

Daniel Bingham, M.D.

Daniel Bingham, M.D., has joined the Department of Anesthesiology as an Assistant Professor. Dr. Bingham received his medical degree at UAMS in 2017. He completed his residency in anesthesiology at UAMS this year.

Elizabeth Blankenship, M.D.

Elizabeth Blankenship, M.D., has joined the Department of Anesthesiology as an Assistant Professor. Dr. Blankenship received her medical degree at UAMS in 2017. She completed her residency in anesthesiology at UAMS this year.

Will McSpadden, M.D.

Will McSpadden, M.D., has joined the Department of Anesthesiology as an Assistant Professor. Dr. McSpadden received his medical degree at UAMS in 2017. He completed his residency in anesthesiology at UAMS this year.

Blake Plyler, M.D.

Blake Plyler, M.D., has joined the Department of Anesthesiology as an Assistant Professor. Dr. Plyler received his medical degree at UAMS in 2017. He completed his residency in anesthesiology at UAMS this year.

Department of Neurology

Scott Lucchese, M.D.

Scott Lucchese, M.D., has joined the Department of Neurology as an Associate Professor. He specializes in headache medicine and is board-certified by the Board of Psychiatry and Neurology and the United Counsel for Neurologic Subspecialties in Headache Medicine. He is a Fellow of the American Headache Society.

Dr. Lucchese graduated in 2006 from the University of Missouri-Columbia School of Medicine, where he went on to complete a preliminary in internal medicine followed by his neurology residency. After completing his training, he joined the staffs at the Harry S. Truman Veterans Administration Medical Center and the University of Missouri-Columbia School of Medicine.

Dr. Lucchese’s expertise and clinical interests include management of all types of headache and facial pain syndromes including migraine, trigeminal neuralgia, cluster headache, facial and cervical dystonia, post traumatic headaches, CSF pressure/volume derangements, secondary headaches and NDPH.

Department of Pathology

Nicholas Zoumberos, M.D.

Nicholas Zoumberos, M.D., has joined the Department of Pathology as an Assistant Professor in the Dermatopathology Division. Dr. Zoumberos received his medical degree at Tulane University School of Medicine in New Orleans. He completed his residency in anatomic and clinical pathology at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, where he also completed a fellowship in dermatopathology. 

J. Stephen Nix, M.D.

J. Stephen Nix, M.D., has joined the Department of Pathology as an Assistant Professor in the Surgical Division. Dr. Nix received his medical degree at UAMS. He completed his residency in anatomic and neuropathology at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore.

Michella Whisman, M.D.

Michella Whisman, M.D., has joined the Department of Pathology as an Assistant Professor in the Surgical Division. Dr. Whisman received her medical degree at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine in Ohio. She completed her residency in anatomic and clinical pathology at UAMS. Dr. Whisman continued her training with a fellowship in surgical pathology and a fellowship in bone and soft tissue pathology at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. 

Department of Pediatrics

Courtney Cox, M.D.

Courtney Cox, M.D., has joined the Department of Pediatrics as an Assistant Professor in the Division of Critical Care Medicine. Dr. Cox received her medical degree and completed her pediatrics residency at Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center School of Medicine, where she was awarded the LSUHSC Outstanding Teaching Resident Award. She continued her training with a fellowship in pediatric critical care at UAMS.

Maher Abulfaraj, M.D.

Maher Abulfaraj, M.D., has joined the Department of Pediatrics as an Assistant Professor in the Division of Emergency Medicine. After receiving his medical degree from Taibah University College of Medicine in Madinah, Saudi Arabia, Dr. Abulfaraj completed a residency in pediatrics at New York Presbyterian Brooklyn Methodist Hospital, where he served as Chief Resident. He completed a fellowship in pediatric emergency medicine at Johns Hopkins University, followed by an additional fellowship in pediatric emergency ultrasound at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.

Ebaa Jastaniah, M.D., M.P.H., M.B.A.

Ebaa Jastaniah, M.D., M.P.H., M.B.A., has joined the Department of Pediatrics as an Assistant Professor in the Division of Emergency Medicine. Dr. Jastaniah received his medical degree from King Saud University College of Medicine in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. He completed a Master of Public Health at Tufts University and a postdoctoral clinical research fellowship in pediatric critical care at Johns Hopkins Children’s Center. Dr. Jastaniah continued his training with a pediatrics residency at Baystate Children’s Hospital, Tufts University School of Medicine, and a fellowship in pediatric emergency medicine at Miami Children’s Health System. Dr. Jastaniah simultaneously completed a Master of Business Administration at the University of Florida Warrington School of Business. He most recently completed a fellowship in point-of-care pediatric emergency ultrasound at Arkansas Children’s Hospital.

Erica Liebelt, M.D.

Erica Liebelt, M.D., has joined the Department of Pediatrics as a Professor and Medical and Research Director of Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology in the Division of Emergency Medicine. She also serves as Associate Medical Director of the Arkansas Poison and Drug Information Center in the UAMS College of Pharmacy. She is an attending physician in the Arkansas Children’s Hospital Emergency Department.

Dr. Liebelt received her medical degree with highest honors from the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine. She completed her pediatric residency at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, where she also served as Chief Resident. Dr. Liebelt completed a fellowship in medical toxicology and pediatric emergency medicine at Boston Children’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School and the Massachusetts Poison Control Center.

Dr. Liebelt has held faculty appointments at Yale University, Johns Hopkins, University of Alabama at Birmingham, University of Washington, and Washington State University’s medical schools. She moved to Arkansas in 2021 after serving as the Executive and Medical Director of the Washington Poison Center, a 501c3 nonprofit organization, for 4 ½ years.

Read more in Dr. Liebelt’s biosketch.

Renita Pushparajah Mak, M.D.

Renita Pushparajah Mak, M.D., has joined the Department of Pediatrics as an Assistant Professor in the Division of Emergency Medicine. Dr. Mak received her medical degree at the Atlantic University School of Medicine. She completed her pediatrics residency at Children’s Hospital at Saint Peter’s University Hospital in New Brunswick, New Jersey, where she was awarded the Excellence Award in Quality Improvement and received a CATCH Grant through the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). She continued her training with a fellowship in pediatric emergency medicine at UAMS and Arkansas Children’s. She currently serves as a contributing member of the Emergency Medical Services Community Outreach efforts at Arkansas Children’s. Dr. Mak is a Fellow of the AAP.

Jurhee Freese, M.D.

Jurhee Freese, M.D., has joined the Department of Pediatrics as an Assistant Professor in the Division of Endocrinology. Dr. Freese received her medical degree fromTexas Tech University Health Sciences Center School of Medicine. She completed her residency in pediatrics at UAMS and continued her training with a fellowship in pediatric endocrinology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

Daniel Mak, M.D.

Daniel Mak, M.D., has joined the Department of Pediatrics as an Assistant Professor in the Division of Endocrinology. Dr. Mak received his medical degree from Ross University School of Medicine. He completed his pediatrics residency at Children’s Hospital at Saint Peter’s University Hospital in New Brunswick, New Jersey. He continued his training with a fellowship in pediatric endocrinology at Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee. Dr. Mak is a Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Phoebe Martin, M.D.

Phoebe Martin, M.D., has joined the Department of Pediatrics as an Assistant Professor in the Division of General Pediatrics. Dr. Martin received her medical degree at St. George’s University School of Medicine. She completed her residency in pediatrics at UAMS, where she was awarded the Rhonda M. Dick Emergency Medicine Intern of the Year award as well as the Debra H. Fiser Award for Excellence in Critical Care.

Aixa Gonzalez Garcia, M.D.

Aixa Gonzalez Garcia, M.D., has joined the Department of Pediatrics as an Assistant Professor in the Division of Genetics. Dr Gonzalez Garcia received her medical degree from University Central de Venezuela, Luis Razetti School of Medicine. She completed residencies in pediatrics at Nicklaus Children’s Hospital in Miami and in medical genetics and genomics at Emory University in Atlanta. She continued her training as a fellow in medical biochemical genetics at Emory. Dr. Gonzalez Garcia is fluent in Spanish and English.

Kristen Mitchell, M.D.

Kristen Mitchell, M.D., has joined the Department of Pediatrics as an Assistant Professor in the Division of Hospital Medicine. Dr. Mitchell received her medical degree from UAMS, where she also completed her internship and residency and most recently served as Chief Resident. Her honors during residency included the Chris E. Smith Award for Excellence in Hospital Medicine, the Rhonda M. Dick Admitting Resident of the Year Award, and Hospital Medicine Outstanding Resident of the Month.

Cindy Nguyen, M.D.

Cindy Nguyen, M.D., has joined the Department of Pediatrics as an Assistant Professor in the Division of Hospital Medicine. Dr. Nguyen received her medical degree at the University of Texas Medical Branch. She completed her pediatrics residency at UAMS, where she received the 2021 Chris E. Smith Award for Excellence in Hospital Medicine. Dr. Nguyen is conducting research under the advisement of Rebecca Cantu, M.D., involving diagnostic evaluation in children with complex febrile seizures.

Zain Alamarat, M.D.

Zain Alamarat, M.D., has joined the Department of Pediatrics as an Assistant Professor in the Division of Infectious Diseases. Dr. Alamarat received her medical degree at the University of Jordan, in Amman, Jordan. She completed her residency in pediatrics at Michigan State University, where she was selected as Chief Resident. Dr. Alamarat continued her training with a fellowship in pediatric infectious disease at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston. She has a passion for medical education and clinical research, particularly the study of group A streptococcus, for which she received the 2020 ID Week Trainee Award. Dr. Alamarat is a Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Department of Radiology

Patrick Jennings, M.D.

Patrick Jennings, M.D., has joined the Department of Radiology as an Assistant Professor in the Division of Breast Imaging. Dr. Jennings received his medical degree from the University of Tennessee Health Science Center in Memphis. He completed his residency in diagnostic radiology at the University of Tennessee Medical Center in Knoxville and continued his training with a breast imaging fellowship at UAMS.

Rachel Taylor, M.D.

Rachel Taylor, M.D., has joined the Department of Radiology as an Assistant Professor in the Division of Breast Imaging. Dr. Taylor received her medical degree from University of Tennessee Health Science Center in Memphis. She completed her residency in diagnostic radiology at the University of Tennessee Medical Center in Knoxville and continued her training with a breast imaging fellowship at Baylor Scott & White Medical Center in Temple, Texas. 

Memoona Mian, M.D.

Memoona Mian, M.D., has joined the Department of Radiology as an Assistant Professor in the Division of Neuroradiology. Dr. Mian received her medical degree from Allama Iqbal Medical College in Lahore, Pakistan. She completed her radiology residency and fellowship training in PET/CT Imaging at Shaukat Khanum Cancer Hospital & Research Center in Lahore, Pakistan, where she also later served as a staff radiologist and Associate Program Director for the Radiology Residency Program. She then did a fellowship in emergency and trauma radiology at Vancouver General Hospital, University of British Columbia, Canada before joining the Radiology Residency Program at UAMS. Dr. Mian continued her training at UAMS with a fellowship in neuroradiology.  She is a Fellow of the College of Physicians and Surgeons, Pakistan, and a Fellow of the Royal College of Radiologists, UK.

Shobhit Sharma, M.D.

Shobhit Sharma, M.D., has joined the Department of Radiology as an Assistant Professor in the Division of Neuroradiology. Dr. Sharma received his medical degree from Kasturba Medical College, Mangalore (Manipaul University). After medical school, he completed residency training at the Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Allied Sciences in New Delhi, India. He went on to complete the Diagnostic Radiology Residency Program at UAMS and fellowship training in neuroradiology at the University of Washington in Seattle.

Joshua Eichhorn, M.D., Ph.D.

Joshua Eichhorn, M.D., Ph.D., has joined the Department of Radiology as an Assistant Professor in the Division of Nuclear Medicine and Body Imaging. Dr. Eichhorn received his medical degree and doctorate in biochemistry and molecular biology from UAMS. He is the second person to graduate from the combined Diagnostic Radiology/Nuclear Medicine Residency at UAMS. Dr. Eichhorn returns to UAMS following completion of a cancer imaging fellowship at Harvard Medical School-affiliated Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston.

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

Department of Microbiology and Immunology

Matthew Jorgenson, Ph.D.

Matthew Jorgenson, Ph.D., has joined the Department of Microbiology and Immunology faculty as an Assistant Professor. Dr. Jorgenson received his doctorate from the University of Iowa. He completed his postdoctoral fellowship at UAMS and served in a non-tenure track faculty position prior to his current appointment. Dr. Jorgenson’s research relates to the shape of bacteria that is determined primarily by a rigid casing known as the peptidoglycan wall. His work focuses on understanding how cells produce and maintain the peptidoglycan layer, by studying cytoskeletal proteins, peptidoglycan modifying enzymes and other morphological mechanisms.

Department of Pathology

Bolni Marius Nagalo, Ph.D.

Bolni Marius Nagalo, Ph.D., has joined the Department of Pathology as an Assistant Professor in the Experimental Pathology Division. Dr. Nagalo received his undergraduate degree, a master’s in molecular genetics and his doctorate in molecular biology from the University of Ouaga-JKZ in Burkina Faso, West Africa, where he went on to serve as a fellow in the Department of Genetics and Molecular Biology. He completed a postdoctoral fellowship in the Department of Molecular Medicine at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, and joined the Mayo faculty. He served in a number of research positions at Mayo’s Rochester and Scottsdale, Arizona, campuses and was an Assistant Professor of Oncology and of Molecular Medicine at the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science from 2019 until his recruitment to UAMS.

Dr. Nagalo’s research interests include translational virotherapy and gene therapy for patients with advanced  hepatocellular carcinoma and pancreatic cancers, and addressing health disparities in liver cancer, cancer therapy and cancer-focused research. He has received numerous honors during his training and career to date, including a Mentored Research Scientist Career Development Award (K01) from the National Institutes of Health/National Cancer Institute in 2018, the Welcome Trust Mobility and Skills Training Award from Cardiff University in 2018, and the Kathryn H. and Roger Penske Career Development Award at Mayo Clinic’s Arizona Campus in 2019.

Department of Psychiatry

Tisha Deen, Ph.D.

Tisha Deen, Ph.D., has joined the faculty as an Associate Professor in the departments of Psychiatry and Internal Medicine. Dr. Deen practices in the Integrated Behavioral Health Program in the Integrated Medicine Service Line. She also supervises psychology interns in the Department of Psychiatry.

Dr. Deen was a clinical psychologist and primary care mental health integration (PCMHI) psychologist with the Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System (CAVHS) for five years prior to joining UAMS.

She received her bachelor’s in psychology and master’s and doctorate degrees in clinical psychology at the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville. Dr. Deen completed her clinical internship in the UAMS Psychiatric Research Institute. She continued her training as a VA Health Services Research and Development (HSR&D) postdoctoral fellow in the Center for Mental Healthcare and Outcomes Research (CeMHOR) at CAVHS.

Greer Sullivan, M.D., MSPH

Greer Sullivan, M.D., MSPH, has rejoined the faculty as a Professor in the Department of Psychiatry. Dr. Sullivan initially joined the department as an Associate Professor in 1997 and in 2002 was promoted to Professor in the Center for Health Services Research and the UAMS Fay W. Boozman College of Public Health. She moved to California in 2014 to become a professor at the University of California Riverside School of Medicine and an adjunct senior scientist with the RAND Corporation.

Dr. Sullivan returned to UAMS in April and sees patients in the Psychiatric Research Institute (PRI) Walker Family Clinic and the AR-Connect program. She also directs the Department of Psychiatry’s Research Academic Track and serves as Medical Director of PRI’s Center for Trauma Prevention, Recovery & Innovation (CTPRI).

Dr. Sullivan received her medical degree from the University of Mississippi School of Medicine in Jackson. She interned at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas, and completed her residency in psychiatry at the UCLA Neuropsychiatric Institute and West Los Angeles VA Hospital.

Samidha Tripathi, M.D.

Samidha Tripathi, M.D., is rejoining the Department of Psychiatry as an Assistant Professor in July. Dr. Tripathi will help develop a Consult Liaison Psychiatry Fellowship as well as serve as Co-Director of the Psychiatry Clerkship for third-year medical students.

Dr. Tripathi served as an Assistant Professor in the department and attending psychiatrist in the Psychiatric Research Institute for four years before relocating to the University of Washington in Seattle in July 2020. She received honors while at UAMS for her work in the Psychiatry Clerkship and resident education. She also received the Early Career Development Award from the Association of Academic Psychiatry in 2019 and the Irma Bland Award from the American Psychiatric Association in 2020, and was appointed as a Fellow in the American Psychiatric Association last January.

Dr. Tripathi received her medical degree from Kasturba Medical College in Mangalore, Karnataka, India. She completed her residency in general psychiatry at Einstein Medical Center in Philadelphia and a fellowship in psychosomatic medicine/consultation and liaison psychiatry at the University of Pennsylvania.

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

Department of Internal Medicine

Saira Hassan, M.D.

Saira Hassan, M.D., has joined the Department of Internal Medicine as an Assistant Professor in the Division of Hematology/Oncology. Dr. Hassan specializes in gastrointestinal and genitourinary cancer. She received her medical degree at the King Edward Medical College in Lahore, Pakistan.

After completing internal medicine residency training at the University of Texas in Houston, she accepted a position as a staff physician at the Veterans Affairs Hospital in Dallas. Dr. Hassan continued her training with a fellowship in hematology/oncology at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston and went on to practice as a locum tenens physician. In 2010, Dr. Hassan began serving as a consultant for hematology/oncology at Shaukat Khanum Cancer Hospital in Lahore, Pakistan.

Department of Neurology

Taqi Taimur Zafar, M.D.

Taqi Taimur Zafar, M.D., has joined the Department of Neurology as an Assistant Professor in the Adult Epilepsy Program. A fellowship-trained epilepsy specialist, he will see patients in the UAMS Health Epilepsy and Neurology Clinic, the state’s only Adult Level 4 Epilepsy Program.

Dr. Zafar received his medical degree at Shifa College of Medicine in Islamabad, Pakistan. He completed a neurology residency at SUNY Upstate Medical University in Syracuse, N.Y., followed by an epilepsy fellowship at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston.

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

Department of Anesthesiology

Julius Balogh, M.D., M.H.A.

Julius Balogh, M.D., M.H.A., has joined the Department of Anesthesiology as an Assistant Professor and Interim Division Chief and Director of the UAMS Cardiovascular ICU scheduled to open in August 2021. In this role, Dr. Balogh will assist in the recruitment of intensivists, protocol development, and interprofessional team-building education as part of the UAMS Cardiovascular Service Line.

Dr. Balogh received his medical degree from the Trinity School of Medicine in St. Vincent and the Grenadines and his Master of Health Administration from Kaplan University in Davenport, Iowa, where he had earlier received a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. He matched for residency at Houston Methodist Hospital, where he completed four years of general surgery residency and a surgical research fellowship in immunology and liver transplant. Dr. Balogh continued his training with an anesthesia residency followed by a fellowship in anesthesia critical care at the University of Texas at Houston.

Department of Internal Medicine

Gaurav Dhar, M.D.

Gaurav Dhar, M.D., has joined the Department of Internal Medicine as a Professor in the Division of Cardiovascular Medicine and Director of Interventional Cardiology. Dr. Dhar received his medical degree from the University of Jammu, Jammu and Kashmir, India. He completed his residency in internal medicine and served as Chief Resident at the University of Chicago/Louis A. Weiss Memorial Hospital. After completing a fellowship in cardiology at the Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center in Chicago, Dr. Dhar accepted positions as a staff cardiologist at the John D. Dingell VA Medical Center and Assistant Professor of Medicine at Wayne State University School of Medicine in Detroit. He continued his training with a fellowship in interventional cardiology at the University of Chicago Medical Center.

Dr. Dhar comes to Arkansas from Michigan State University in East Lansing, where he was a Professor of Medicine and was named Teacher of the Year three times. He was also the Medical Director of the Structural Cardiac Interventional Program for the Sparrow Healthcare System in Lansing, as well as the Associate Program Director for the Cardiovascular Disease Fellowship Program at Michigan State.

Read more in the UAMS Newsroom.

Department of Orthopaedic Surgery

Brad Reeves, M.D.

Brad Reeves, M.D., has joined the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery as an Assistant Professor with the Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine team in Northwest Arkansas. Dr. Reeves, a specialist in knee and shoulder reconstruction and trauma, also brings extensive experience as a team physician at the professional and collegiate levels. He currently serves as medical director and head physician for Sanford MMA, a professional mixed martial arts team.

After receiving his medical degree at UAMS, Dr. Reeves completed an orthopaedic surgery residency at the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson, followed by an AO Trauma Fellowship at the Elizabethian Hospital in Mainz, West Germany, and Triemlispital in Zurich, Switzerland. He continued his training with a specialized sports medicine fellowship in knee and shoulder reconstruction at the Oklahoma Center for Athletes in Oklahoma City.

Read more in the UAMS Orthopaedic Surgery Newsroom.

Department of Pathology

Yong-Chen “William” Lu, Ph.D.

Yong-Chen “William” Lu, Ph.D., is joining the Department of Pathology as an Assistant Professor in the Experimental Pathology Division. Dr. Lu received his doctoral degree in medical biophysics from the University of Toronto. He completed postdoctoral training in cancer immunotherapy at the National Institutes of Health.

Prior to joining UAMS, Dr. Lu served as a staff scientist in the Surgery Branch at the National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, where he received an NCI Director’s Innovation Award. His research focuses on T-cell immunotherapy for treating cancer patients.

Department of Pediatrics

Shruti Niketan Tewar, M.D., M.P.H.

Shruti Niketan Tewar, M.D., M.P.H., has joined the Department of Pediatrics as an Associate Professor in the Developmental Pediatrics Section. Dr. Tewar received her medical degree at B.J. Medical College, Gujarat University, in Ahmedabad, India. She completed residency training and then served as Chief Resident in Pediatrics at Children’s Hospital at Albany Medical Center in New York. Dr. Tewar received her Master of Public Health from West Chester University of Pennsylvania. She continued her training with a fellowship in developmental and  behavioral pediatrics at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, where she also was a Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities (LEND) fellow. She served as a Clinical Assistant Professor at the University of Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital in Iowa City prior to her recruitment to UAMS.

Arunkumar Modi, M.D., M.P.H.

Arunkumar Modi, M.D., M.P.H., has joined the Department of Pediatrics as an Associate Professor in the Hematology/Oncology Section. Dr. Modi received his medical degree at B.J. Medical College, Gujarat University, in Ahmedabad, India. He completed his residency in pediatrics at Children’s Hospital at Albany Medical Center in New York. He continued his training with fellowships in pediatrics hematology/oncology at Cleveland Clinic Children’s and in in pediatric bone marrow transplantation and cellular therapy at St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis. Dr. Modi received his Master of Public Health at the School of Rural Public Health, Texas A&M University Health Science Center. Prior to joining UAMS, Dr. Modi served as a Clinical Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital in Iowa City.

Adrianne Parkey, M.D.

Adrianne Parkey, M.D., has joined the Department of Pediatrics as an Assistant Professor in the Neurology Section. Dr. Parkey received her medical degree from George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences. She completed residency training and served as Chief Resident in Child Neurology at Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville. Dr. Parkey continued her training at Vanderbilt with a fellowship in pediatric neurophysiology/pediatric epilepsy. She is a recipient of the American Academy of Neurology Excellence in Neurology Award.

Department of Psychiatry

Elissa Dougherty, Ph.D.

Elissa Dougherty, Ph.D., has joined the Department of Psychiatry as an Assistant Professor. Dr. Dougherty is a former child psychology pre-doctoral intern and post-doctoral fellow in the Division of Psychology and UAMS Psychiatric Research Institute. She graduated from the University of Texas at San Antonio with a bachelor’s in psychology. She obtained her master’s in psychology and doctorate in clinical psychology from Texas Tech University.

Dr. Dougherty sees patients in the Child Study Center and the Child Diagnostic Unit in addition to continuing her work with Arkansas Building Effective Services for Trauma (ARBEST), a state-funded program in the UAMS Psychiatric Research Institute that aims to improve outcomes for traumatized children and families through clinical care, training, advocacy and evaluation.