Department of Anesthesiology

David Nagy, M.D., has rejoined the Department of Anesthesiology as an Assistant Professor and Director of Trauma Anesthesia. He received his medical degree and completed an anesthesiology residency at Indiana University in Indianapolis. Dr. Nagy spent several years in private practice before joining UAMS in 2017 as an Assistant Professor. He left UAMS in 2018 to complete a trauma fellowship at Regional One Hospital at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center in Memphis.

Department of Neurology

Sukanthi Kovvuru, M.D., has joined the Department of Neurology as an Assistant Professor and neuromuscular specialist. Dr. Kovvuru received her medical degree at Narayana Medical College in Andhra Pradesh, India. She completed her residency in neurology at UAMS, followed by a neuromuscular fellowship at Yale University. Dr. Kovvuru is a member of the American Academy of Neurology and the American Association of Neuromuscular & Electrodiagnostic Medicine. She has expertise in treating Myasthenia Gravis, Guillain-Barre Syndrome and ALS, and performs EMG testing.

Department of Orthopaedic Surgery

Ramon Ylanan, M.D., has joined the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery as an Assistant Professor and orthopaedic sports medicine specialist in Fayetteville. He previously served for more than seven years as the head team physician for the Arkansas Razorbacks, a key focus of his clinical practice with Advanced Orthopedic Specialists. Since 2015, he has also directed the UAMS Northwest Primary Care Sports Medicine Fellowship, the first Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) accredited sports medicine program in Arkansas.

Dr. Ylanan received his medical degree from Ross University School of Medicine in 2004. He completed a residency in family and community medicine and served as chief resident at the University of Missouri-Columbia. He continued his training as a fellow at the American Sports Medicine Institute at the Andrews Sports Medicine and Orthopaedic Center in Birmingham, Alabama. Read more in the UAMS Newsroom.

Department of Radiation Oncology

Leslie Harrell, D.O., has joined the Department of Radiation Oncology as an Assistant Professor. Dr. Harrell is a graduate of the University of North Texas Health Science Center, Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine in Fort Worth. She completed an internship in internal medicine at the Naval Medical Center in Portsmouth Virginia. She completed her residency in radiation oncology at the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson, and a fellowship in proton and pediatric radiation oncology at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. Dr. Harrell, who previously practiced radiation oncology in Oklahoma City, specializes in pediatric cancer, breast cancer and cancers of the central nervous system. Read more in the UAMS Newsroom.

Department of Surgery

Anna M. Privratsky, D.O., has joined the Department of Surgery as an Assistant Professor in the Division of Trauma, Critical Care & Acute Care Surgery. Dr. Privratsky received her Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine from the Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine in Fort Worth. She completed her general surgery internship and residency as well as her surgical critical care fellowship at UAMS. Dr. Privratsky is board certified by the American Board of Surgery. Her clinical practice will focus on general surgery, acute surgery and trauma surgery as well as surgical critical care. She will see also see patients in the Surgery Clinic.

Department of Anesthesiology

Yasser Salem, M.D.

Yasser Salem, M.D., has rejoined the Department of Anesthesiology as an Associate Professor. Dr. Salem received his medical degree and completed an anesthesiology residency at Ain Shams University in Cairo, Egypt. He then completed an anesthesiology residency at UAMS before joining the faculty in 2005. Dr. Salem served as Director of Neurosurgical Anesthesiology at UAMS from 2012 to 2015, when he relocated to Wayne State School of Medicine and Harper Hospital/Hutzel Women’s Hospital in Detroit. He was a senior staff anesthesiologist with the Henry Ford Health System at Wayne State from 2017 until his recruitment and return to UAMS.

Department of Family and Preventive Medicine

Viviana Suarez, M.D.

Viviana Suarez, M.D., has joined the Department of Family and Preventive Medicine as an Assistant Professor. Originally from Columbia, she graduated from medical school in 1995 and served as a general practitioner there until relocating to the United States in 1998. Dr. Suarez completed her internship and family medicine residency at the UAMS Regional Center in Pine Bluff in 2006. She has been serving Arkansas patients for 15 years as a clinical family practitioner, hospitalist and emergency medicine physician. She currently practices and teaches in Lake Village, Arkansas.

Department of Internal Medicine

Joseph A. Henske, M.D.

Joseph A. Henske, M.D., has joined the Department of Internal Medicine as an Associate Professor and Director of the Diabetes Program in the Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism. Dr. Henske received his medical degree at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio in 2004. He completed his internship and internal medicine residency at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago and continued his training with a fellowship in endocrinology at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville. After completing his fellowship, Dr. Henske began practicing at DuPage Medical Group in Downers Grove, Illinois, where he was promoted to Chair of the Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism Department in 2012.

Ragesh Thandassery, M.D.

Ragesh Thandassery, M.D., has joined the Department of Internal Medicine as an Assistant Professor and transplant hepatologist in the Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology. Dr. Thandassery received his medical degree and completed his internship at the Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research in Pondicherry, India. He completed a residency in internal medicine at the Maulana Azad Medical College in New Delhi, and a fellowship in gastroenterology at the Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research in Chandigarh, India, where he spent an additional year as a senior research associate. Dr. Thandassery continued his training with a liver transplant fellowship at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York. He held a number of academic and clinical positions in India and Qatar from 2012 to 2018, when he began serving as a transplant hepatologist at the John L. McClellan Memorial Veterans Hospital in Little Rock.

Ian Crane, M.D.

Ian Crane, M.D., has joined the Department of Internal Medicine as an Assistant Professor in the Division of Hospital Medicine. Dr. Crane received his medical degree at the University of Vermont College of Medicine in Burlington. He completed his residency in internal medicine at the University of Virginia Medical Center in Charlottesville.

Franklin John Gray Jr., M.D.

Franklin John Gray Jr., M.D., has joined the Department of Internal Medicine as an Assistant Professor in the Division of Hospital Medicine. Dr. Gray received his medical degree from UAMS in 2010. He completed his residency in internal medicine at the UAMS Northeast Regional Campus in Jonesboro. Dr. Gray practiced as a hospitalist at Baxter Regional Medical Center in Mountain Home, Arkansas, until 2016, when he accepted a position at Baptist Health Medical Center in Conway.

Department of Neurology

Bhawna Jha, M.D.

Bhawna Jha, M.D., has joined the Department of Neurology as an Assistant Professor and pain management specialist in the Neurosciences Service Line. Dr. Jha received her medical degree at Pt. JLN Medical College in India and trained in psychiatry at Cambridge University in the U.K., earning MRCpsych board certification. She completed her residency in neurology at Penn State Hershey Medical Center, followed by an interventional pain fellowship in the Department of Anesthesia. She continued to work in pain management as an Assistant Professor at Penn State for about two years before joining private practice.

Dr. Jha is board-certified in neurology and pain medicine by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology. She is a member of the American Academy of Neurology, the American Society of Interventional Pain Physicians and the Spine Intervention Society. She serves on the editorial board of Pain Medicine, one of the leading pain medicine journals in the United States. Dr. Jha also participates in the International Fellowship Teaching Program, a nonprofit program for pain fellows in developing countries.

Dr. Jha also brings expertise in utilization management. She worked at AIM (Anthem Subsidiary) as Associate Medical Director prior to joining UAMS. In her current role, she will be involved in utilization management and review, along with population health management, and will actively participate in facilitating value-based care implementation across the health system.

Department of Orthopaedic Surgery

Sean Morell, M.D.

Sean Morell, M.D., has joined the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery as an Assistant Professor. Dr. Morell received his medical degree from the College of Medicine in 2013 and stayed at UAMS for his residency in orthopaedic surgery. He received a number of honors during his residency training including the Carl L. Nelson, M.D., Leadership Award. He continued his training with an orthopaedic hand surgery fellowship at the University of Colorado-Denver. He will specialize in hand surgery at UAMS Medical Center, Arkansas Children’s Hospital and Baptist Health in Conway.

Department of Pediatrics

Deepak Choudhary, M.D.

Deepak Choudhary, M.D., has joined the Department of Pediatrics as an Assistant Professor in the Division of Emergency Medicine. Dr. Choudhary received his medical degree at Manipal University in India. He completed his internship at ESIC Hospital in New Delhi before completing additional specialty training and a clinical fellowship in pediatrics in the United Kingdom, where he earned MRCPCH certification. Dr. Choudhary completed an additional pediatric residency program at New York Methodist Hospital, followed by a pediatric emergency medicine fellowship at Women’s and Children’s Hospital of Buffalo.

Ethan Gillett, M.D.

Ethan Gillett, M.D., has joined the Department of Pediatrics as an Assistant Professor in the Division of Emergency Medicine. Dr. Gillett received his medical degree from UAMS, where he also completed his residency in pediatrics. During medical school, Dr. Gillett was awarded two training grants from the National Institutes of Health to study translational training in addiction and systems pharmacology and toxicology.

Farnaz Norozian M.D., M.S.

Farnaz Norozian M.D., M.S., has joined the Department of Pediatrics as an Assistant Professor in the Division of Emergency Medicine. Dr. Norozian completed her Master of Science at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond before receiving her medical degree from Ross University School of Medicine in Dominica, West Indies. She completed her pediatric residency at the University of Nevada School of Medicine and her fellowship in pediatric emergency medicine with the Women and Children’s Hospital of Buffalo and the John R. Oishei Children’s Hospital at the University of Buffalo.

Samuel Boston, M.D.

Samuel Boston, M.D., has joined the Department of Pediatrics as an Assistant Professor in the Division of Gastroenterology. Dr. Boston received his medical degree from the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine. He completed his pediatric residency at the Oklahoma-Tulsa School of Community Medicine and his pediatric gastroenterology fellowship at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center in Oklahoma City. Dr. Boson is a Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Megan Butler, M.D.

Megan Butler, M.D., has joined the Department of Pediatrics as an Associate Professor in the Division of Gastroenterology. Dr. Butler received her medical degree from the University of Mississippi School of Medicine, where she also completed her pediatric residency at the Blair E. Batson Children’s Hospital. She completed her fellowship in pediatric gastroenterology at the University of Miami School of Medicine, Jackson Memorial Hospital. Dr. Butler previously served as an Assistant Professor at Duke University.

Abdul R. Shahein, M.D., M.Sc.

Abdul R. Shahein, M.D., M.Sc., has joined the Department of Pediatrics as an Assistant Professor in the Division of Gastroenterology. He received his medical degree and his Masters of Science from Ain Shams University Medical School in Cairo, Egypt. He completed his initial pediatric residency at the Children’s Hospital of Ain Shams University before completing a medicine clinical fellowship at the Hospital for Sick Children at the University of Toronto and a pediatric internship at Nationwide Children’s Hospital at Ohio State University. Dr. Shahein subsequently trained as a pediatric resident at the K. Hovnanian Children’s Hospital at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and then as a pediatric gastroenterology fellow at John R. Oishei Children’s Hospital at the University of Buffalo.

David Douglass, M.D.

David Douglass, M.D., has joined the Department of Pediatrics as an Assistant Professor in the Division of Hematology and Oncology. Dr. Douglass received his medical degree from Vanderbilt University Medical School, where he also completed his pediatric internship and residency. Dr. Douglass worked in private practice before pursuing a fellowship in pediatric hematology/oncology at UAMS/Arkansas Children’s Hospital.

Julia Killingsworth, M.D.

Julia Killingsworth, M.D., has joined the Department of Pediatrics as an Assistant Professor in the Division of Hospital Medicine. Dr. Killingsworth received her medical degree from the College of Medicine and stayed at UAMS for her residency in pediatrics, during which she was named an Arkansas Children’s Chairman’s Scholar. While completing her undergraduate degree at the University of Arkansas, she was recognized by President Barack Obama as a Champion for Change for establishing a student-driven campus food pantry at the university.

Megan Baber, D.O.

Megan Baber, D.O., has joined the Department of Pediatrics as an Assistant Professor in the Division of Neonatology. Dr. Baber received her medical degree from Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine at Virginia Tech. She completed her pediatric residency at UAMS/Arkansas Children’s Hospital. Prior to her career in medicine, Dr. Baber studied biochemistry and molecular biology at Harding, where she received an undergraduate research grant from NASA. She worked in a medical clinic and as a teacher before completing a global health internship in Jinja, Uganda.

Paul Manbeck, M.D.

Paul Manbeck, M.D., has joined the Department of Pediatrics as an Assistant Professor in the Division of Neurology. Dr. Manbeck received his medical degree from the University of Kansas School of Medicine. He completed his pediatric residency and fellowship in child neurology at UAMS/Arkansas Children’s Hospital. Dr. Manbeck has started a movement disorders clinic at ACH, the only pediatric clinic of its kind in the state.

Zena Ghazala, M.D.

Zena Ghazala, M.D., has joined the Department of Pediatrics as an Assistant Professor in the Division of Pulmonology. Dr. Ghazala received her medical degree from Weill Cornell Medical College in Doha, Qatar. She completed her pediatric residency at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, where she also completed her fellowship in pediatric pulmonology. Before she started her career in medicine, Dr. Ghazala represented Iraq in international chess tournaments.

Matthew Pertzborn, M.D.

Matthew Pertzborn, M.D., has joined the Department of Pediatrics as an Assistant Professor in the Division of Pulmonology. Dr. Pertzborn received his medical degree from the University of Texas Medical Branch. He completed his pediatric residency and fellowship in pediatric pulmonology at the University of Florida-Gainesville. While at the University of Texas, Dr. Pertzborn had the opportunity to study abroad during a four-week pre-clinical preceptorship in cardiology, gastroenterology and neurology in Riobamba, Ecuador.

Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation

Lindsay Mohney, D.O.

Lindsay Mohney, D.O., has joined the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation as an Assistant Professor. Dr. Mohney received her medical degree at the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine in Bradenton, Florida, in 2014. She completed her residency in physical medicine and rehabilitation at UAMS, serving as Chief Resident in 2016-2017. Dr. Mohney continued her training with a fellowship in traumatic brain injury/polytrauma at South Texas Veterans Health Care System/University of Texas Health Sciences Center at San Antonio. Dr. Mohney will provide inpatient care primarily at the Baptist Health Rehabilitation Institute, with a follow-up clinic in the UAMS Orthopaedic Clinic on Colonel Glenn Road.

Department of Psychiatry

Molly Reeves, M.D.

Molly Reeves, M.D., has joined the Department of Psychiatry as an Assistant Professor in the Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. Dr. Reeves received her medical degree from UAMS in 2013. She completed her psychiatry residency at the University of Texas for Health Sciences in San Antonio and continued her training with a fellowship in child and adolescent psychiatry at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Dr. Reeves will see patients in the UAMS Psychiatric Research Institute’s Child Diagnostic Unit and Child Study Center as well as serve as the consult-liaison psychiatrist for child and adolescent patients at Arkansas Children’s Hospital.

Department of Surgery

Melissa Kost, M.D.

Melissa Kost, M.D., has joined the Department of Surgery as an Assistant Professor in the Division of Trauma/Critical Care Surgery. Dr. Kost received her medical degree from the University Of Florida College Of Medicine in Gainesville in 2012. She completed her general surgery internship and residency at the University of Kentucky in Lexington in 2017 and a fellowship in trauma/surgical critical care at the University of Miami/Ryder Trauma Center in Miami in 2019. She is board certified by the American Board of Surgery. Dr. Kost will focus her clinical practice on general surgery and acute care and trauma surgery, as well as surgical critical care. She will also see patients in the Surgery Clinic.

Department of Anesthesiology

Sarah Margaret “Maggie” Coffield, D.O., has joined the Department of Anesthesiology as an Assistant Professor in the Division of Pediatric Anesthesia. Dr. Coffield received her medical degree from the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine. She interned at UAMS in 2014-2015 and completed her anesthesiology residency at UAMS in 2015-2018. Dr. Coffield most recently completed a pediatric anesthesiology fellowship at Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago. She has received academic scholarships and served as the Residency Improvement Committee Representative for the Anesthesiology Residency Program Class of 2014-2018.

 

Matthew Williams, M.D., has joined the Department of Anesthesiology as an Instructor and Fellow in Obstetric Anesthesiology. Dr. Williams received his medical degree from the College of Medicine in 2015 and completed his residency in anesthesiology at UAMS in June 2019.

Department of Internal Medicine

Angel López-Candales, M.D., has joined the Department of Internal Medicine as a Professor and non-invasive cardiologist in the Division of Cardiology. Dr. López-Candales received his medical degree from the University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine, Rio Piedras Campus, in 1986. He completed his internship and internal medicine residency at the Veterans Administration Hospital in San Juan, Puerto Rico. He continued his training with research and clinical fellowships in cardiology at Jewish Hospital of St. Louis and Washington University School of Medicine, where he went on to serve as an Instructor and then Assistant Professor.

Dr. López-Candales was recruited to the State University of New York at Buffalo in 1996. He directed the Coronary Care Unit at Buffalo General Hospital from 1996 to 2001 and directed the Outpatient Inotrope Infusion Unit from 1997 to 2001. Dr. López-Candales held numerous cardiology leadership positions while on the faculty at the University of Pittsburgh in 2001-2011 and the University of Cincinnati in 2011-2014. He was recruited to the University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine, San Juan, in 2014, and served in multiple leadership positions, including Chief of the Cardiovascular Medicine Division, Program Director of the Cardiology Training Program, Internal Medicine Residency Research Faculty Coordinator and Vice Chair of Research, prior to his recruitment to UAMS.

Subodh Devabhaktuni, M.D., has joined the Department of Internal Medicine as an Assistant Professor and electrophysiologist in the Division of Cardiology. Dr. Devabhaktuni received his medical degree from the Guntur Medical College in Andhra Pradesh, India. He completed his residency in internal medicine and fellowship in cardiology at the University of Nevada School of Medicine in Las Vegas, where he also served as Chief Resident and then as Chief Fellow for Cardiology. Dr. Devabhaktuni continued his training at the Indiana University School of Medicine, where he completed a fellowship in clinical cardiac electrophysiology and then served as Chief Cardiac Electrophysiology Fellow.

Ram Thotakura, M.D., has joined the Department of Internal Medicine as an Assistant Professor in the Hospital Medicine Division. Dr. Thotakura received his medical degree at the Siddhartha Medical College of Vijayawada, India. He completed his residency in internal medicine at the State University of New York in Buffalo. He served as Medical Co-Director of the Buffalo General Medical Center Hospitalist Group before coming to Little Rock to practice as a direct care hospitalist with the Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System. He completed a nephrology fellowship this year and will spend part of his clinical time on the Nephrology Service.

Hazel Kathryn Liverett, M.D., has joined the Department of Internal Medicine as an Assistant Professor in the Division of Infectious Disease. Dr. Liverett received her medical degree from the College of Medicine in 2005 and stayed at UAMS for her residency in internal medicine/pediatrics. She completed a fellowship in adult and pediatric infectious diseases at UAMS, Arkansas Children’s Hospital and the John L. McClellan Memorial Veterans Hospital in 2013. Dr. Liverett practiced as an infectious disease specialist at National Park Medical Center in Hot Springs, Arkansas, prior to her recruitment to UAMS.

Jose Caceres, M.D., has joined the Department of Internal Medicine as an Assistant Professor and interventional pulmonologist in the Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care. Dr. Caceres received his medical degree from the Universidad Nacional Pedro Henriquez Urena in the Dominican Republic. He completed his residency in internal medicine at the Jacobi Medical Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine in the Bronx, New York. He continued his training with a pulmonary and critical care medicine fellowship at Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey. He came to UAMS in 2018 for his fellowship in interventional pulmonology.

Department of Neurobiology and Developmental Sciences

Edgar Meyer, Ph.D., has joined the Department of Neurobiology and Developmental Sciences as an Assistant Professor. Dr. Meyer received bachelor’s degrees in classical studies and biology at Millsaps College in Jackson, Mississippi, and a master’s degree in teaching at Delta State University in Cleveland, Mississippi. He received his doctorate in clinical anatomy at the University of Mississippi Medical Center (UMMC) in Jackson in 2019. While in graduate school Dr. Meyer assisted in teaching several medical student and graduate school courses. For his dissertation research, he developed stereoscopic and non-stereoscopic models of the middle and inner ear to assess the effectiveness of either visualization format in improving short- and long-term retention of knowledge for first-year medical students. UMMC highlighted Dr. Meyer in an online feature for his leadership roles, service, and passion for anatomy and teaching.

Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology

Kathryn C. Stambough, M.D., has joined the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology as an Assistant Professor in the Division of Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology. A native of Little Rock, Dr. Stambough received her medical degree from Washington University in St. Louis in 2011 and continued there for her residency in OB/GYN, serving as Chief Administrative Resident in 2014-2015. She continued her training with a fellowship in pediatric and adolescent gynecology at Texas Children’s Hospital/Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. Dr. Stambough is a Fellow of both the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology and the North American Society of Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology.

Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery

David Walker, M.D., has joined the Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery as an Assistant Professor. An Otologist/neurotologist, Dr. Walker specializes in disorders of the middle and inner ear and treating hearing loss, including cochlear implantation. He received his medical degree from Rush University in Chicago and completed his residency in otolaryngology-head and neck surgery at the University of Chicago. He continued his training with a fellowship in otology, neurotology and skull base surgery at the Michigan Ear Institute in Farmington Hills, Michigan.

Department of Pathology

Tina Ipe, M.D., M.P.H., has joined the Department of Pathology as an Associate Professor and Medical Director for the UAMS Blood Bank and Transfusion Division. Dr. Ipe received her medical degree from the University of Virginia and completed her residency in clinical pathology and fellowship in transfusion medicine at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. Prior to joining UAMS, Dr. Ipe served as Medical Director of Donor Services and Associate Medical Director of Transfusion Medicine and Blood Banking at Houston Methodist Hospital in Texas.

Luis F. Carrillo, M.D., has joined the Department of Pathology as an Assistant Professor in the Division of Hematopathology. Dr. Carrillo received his medical degree from the Universidad Catolica de Santa Maria in Arequipa, Peru. He completed his residency in anatomic and clinical pathology and fellowship in hematopathology at the Medical College of Wisconsin and Affiliated Hospitals in Milwaukee.

Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology

Yuet-Kin “Ricky” Leung, Ph.D., has joined the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology as an Associate Professor. Dr. Leung received his doctorate in biochemistry from The Chinese University of Hong Kong in 2001 and completed his postdoctoral fellowship at University of Massachusetts Medical School, where his research focused on the contribution of estrogen receptor beta to prostate cancer.

Dr. Leung began his faculty career as an Assistant Professor in the Division of Environmental Genetics and Molecular Toxicology, Department of Environmental Health, at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine in 2005, rising to the rank of tenure-track Associate Professor. He directed the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences-funded Integrative Technologies Support Core of the Center for Environmental Genetics at University of Cincinnati. Dr. Leung is an established investigator in the field of hormone regulation of cancer and is an expert on the developmental origin of cancer risk and the impact of environmental estrogens/endocrine disruption on epigenetics reprogramming. He is a full member of the American Association for Cancer Research and is Co-investigator on two National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences-funded projects.

Department of Radiation Oncology

Faraz Kalantari, Ph.D., has joined the Department of Radiation Oncology as an Assistant Professor. Dr. Kalantari received a bachelor’s degree in atomic and molecular physics at Kharazmi University in Iran in 2004 and a master’s degree in medical physics in 2007 at Tarbiat Modares University in Tehran, where he later earned his doctorate in medical physics in 2012. He worked for three years as a medical physicist and instructor in the Department of Nuclear Medicine at Tehran University of Medical Sciences. Dr. Kalantari moved to the United States in 2012 to join the University of Houston, Biomedical Engineering Department, as a postdoctoral researcher. He continued his training with a second postdoctoral fellowship in 2014 at UT Southwestern, in the Medical Physics Section of the Radiation Oncology Department. He completed a residency in medical physics at UT Southwestern in June 2019. Dr. Kalantari’s research interests include 3D and 4D medical image reconstruction and image guided radiation therapy (IGRT). He is passionate about educational outreach as well as providing high-quality care for cancer patients.

Gary Lewis, M.D., has joined the Department of Radiation Oncology as an Assistant Professor. Dr. Lewis completed his undergraduate training in biomedical engineering at the University of Pennsylvania. He received his medical degree from Drexel University College of Medicine in Philadelphia. Dr. Lewis completed residency training in radiation oncology at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, with rotations at MD Anderson Cancer Center and Houston Methodist Hospital. Dr. Lewis will focus on clinical research and clinical trial development in addition to clinical care.

Department of Surgery

Katy A. Marino, M.D., has joined the Department of Surgery as an Assistant Professor in the Division of Thoracic Surgery. Dr. Marino received her medical degree from Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, Shreveport in 2012. She completed her general surgery internship and residency at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center in Memphis and a fellowship in cardiothoracic surgery at the University of Louisville in Kentucky. Dr. Marino will see patients in the Surgical Oncology Clinic at the UAMS Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute. Her clinical practice focuses on minimally invasive surgery of both benign and malignant diseases of the lungs, esophagus, mediastinum and chest wall.

Department of Geriatrics

Amyleigh Overton-McCoy, Ph.D., GNP-BC, APRN, has joined the Department of Geriatrics as an Assistant Professor and Director of the UAMS Centers on Aging, overseeing diverse services for seniors at seven locations across the state for the Donald W. Reynolds Institute on Aging. Dr. Overton-McCoy previously served in the UAMS College of Nursing and as Associate Director for the Texarkana Regional Center on Aging since 2002.

Dr. Overton-McCoy received her Bachelor of Science in Nursing and Master of Science in Nursing as a Geriatric Nurse Practitioner at UAMS. She received her doctorate in psychology at Capella University in 2010.

Dr. Overton-McCoy has presented and published on a wide range of topics including food insecurity, improving rural health care and telemedicine, and Tai Chi. She has received and contributed to several grants including awards for the United Way Texarkana, Schmieding Caregiver Classes, DHS Choices in Living Resource Center Lifespan Respite Training, and DHS Opioid Prevention for Aging and Longevity.

She has received numerous honors including the Top 100 Nurses-State of Arkansas Inaugural Induction in 2017, AY Magazine Readers’ Choice Best Health Care Professional-Geriatrics in 2016, and the American College of Physicians Raise the Rates Champion from 2014-present. She is active in numerous community and professional organizations.

 

Maneetha Kodali, M.D., has joined the Department of Geriatrics as an Assistant Professor. Dr. Kodali earned her medical degree at Osmania Medical College in Hyderabad, Telangana, India. She completed her family medicine residency at UAMS in 2017 and continued her training with a geriatrics fellowship in 2018. She served as a clinical instructor and completed a second year fellowship this year. She has received many academic honors, including the Medical Knowledge Award during her residency in 2015 and 2016. She is the co-author of a published paper on the association of chronic pulmonary disease with mild cognitive impairment and dementia. She is certified by the American Board of Family Medicine.

Erona Reza, M.D., has joined the Department of Geriatrics as an Instructor. Dr. Reza received her medical degree from Dhaka Medical College in Dhaka, Bangladesh, in 2001. She completed her residency in family medicine at the University of Ottawa in Ontario, Canada, where she also obtained a Master of Science in cellular and molecular medicine. She practiced in Ottawa and Windsor, Ontario, prior to coming to UAMS for her fellowship in geriatric medicine. She recently received the Bailey Geriatrics Scholar Award for her academic accomplishments. Her clinical interests include complex conditions of elevated blood pressure in mature adults, with a focus on novel approaches for treating resistant hypertension. She is an experienced clinical educator of residents and medical students and has served as a supervising physician for nurse practitioners.

Department of Internal Medicine

Lakshmi Menon, M.D., has joined the Department of Internal Medicine as an Assistant Professor in the Division of Endocrinology. She received her medical degree from the All-India Institute of Medical Sciences in 2013. Dr. Menon came to UAMS for her residency in internal medicine in 2014-2017, followed by a fellowship in endocrinology, which she completed in July.

Kristen Shealy, M.D., has joined the Department of Internal Medicine as an Assistant Professor in the Division of General Internal Medicine. Dr. Shealy received her medical degree at the University of Alabama School of Medicine in Birmingham in 2015. She completed her residency in internal medicine at Tulane University School of Medicine in New Orleans.

Akash Mukherjee, M.D., has joined the Department of Internal Medicine as an Assistant Professor in the Division of Hematology and Oncology. He received his medical degree from Maulana Azad Medical College in New Delhi, India, in 2011. Dr. Mukherjee completed his residency in internal medicine at Georgetown University/Washington Hospital Center in Washington, D.C., in 2015. He continued his training with a fellowship in hematology/oncology at Houston Medical Hospital in 2015-2018, followed by an extended fellowship in stem cell transplantation and cellular therapy at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston.

Mathew Kottarathara, M.D., has joined the Department of Internal Medicine as an Assistant Professor and hospitalist in the Division of Hematology and Oncology, Myeloma Section. Dr. Kottarathara received his medical degree at the Pushpagiri Institute of Medical Sciences and Research Centre in Thiruvalla, Kerala, India. He completed his residency training at Jamaica Hospital Medical Center in Jamaica, New York, this year.

Richa Parikh, M.D., has joined the Department of Internal Medicine as an Assistant Professor and hospitalist in the Division of Hematology and Oncology, Myeloma Section. Dr. Parikh received her medical degree from the Grant Government Medical College & Sir J.J. Group of Hospitals in Mumbai, India, 2014. She came to UAMS for her internal medicine residency in 2016.

Guido J.K. Tricot, M.D., Ph.D., has rejoined the Department of Internal Medicine as a Professor in the Division of Hematology and Oncology, Myeloma Section. Dr. Tricot initially practiced at UAMS in 1993-1997 and returned to the faculty in 2000 to serve as Director of Clinical Research for myeloma until 2007. While at UAMS he became internationally renowned for his role in developing the Total Therapy Approach, one of the most effective first-line therapies for multiple myeloma.

Dr. Tricot received his medical and doctoral degrees at the University of Leuven in Belgium and later served on the faculties of the Division of Hematology/Department of Medicine at the University of Leuven and in the Department of Medicine and Pathology at Indiana University in Indianapolis.

After his time at UAMS, he launched the Utah Blood and Marrow Transplant and Myeloma Program at the University of Utah’s Huntsman Cancer Institute. He went on to serve at the Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of Iowa Health Care in Iowa City. Read more about Dr. Tricot in the UAMS Newsroom.

Nadia Alqurini, M.D., has joined the Department of Internal Medicine as an Assistant Professor in the Division of Hospital Medicine. Dr. Alqurini received her medical degree at the University of Jordan in Amman in 2009. She completed her residency in internal medicine and a fellowship in nephrology at the University of Jordan Hospital. She came to UAMS to complete a fellowship in nephrology in 2017.

Sara Mohammed, M.D., has joined the Department of Internal Medicine as an Assistant Professor in the Division of Hospital Medicine. She received her medical degree from the University of Khartoum Faculty of Medicine in Sudan in 2005. She completed her residency at the Federal Ministry of Health in Khartoum and then served as a research and primary care provider. She went on to serve as a general practitioner at the Al Fouad Specialized Hospital in Khartoum and at Al Noor Hospital in Abu Dhabi, UAE. Dr. Mohammed was a visiting observer physician at Case Medical Center in Cleveland, Ohio, and at the Cleveland Clinic in West Lake, Ohio, in 2011. From 2012 to 2015 she was a medical practitioner in an urgent care clinic at Al Noor Hospital in Abu Dhabi. She also completed an externship at St. John Hospital in Detroit during this time. Dr. Mohammed most recently completed an internal medicine residency at the Marshfield Medical Center in Marshfield, Wisconsin.

Sagarika Sabbagh, D.O., has joined the Department of Internal Medicine as an Assistant Professor in the Division of Hospital Medicine. Dr. Sabbagh received her Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine at the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine in Suwanee, Georgia, in 2013. She completed her residency in internal medicine at the Franciscan St. James Hospital in Olympia Fields, Illinois. Dr. Sabbagh most recently served as a hospitalist at the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute in Detroit and St. Joseph Mercy Ann Arbor Hospital in Ypsilanti, Michigan.

Roshen Mathew, M.D., has joined the Department of Internal Medicine as an Instructor and Interventional Pulmonary Fellow in the Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine. Dr. Mathew received his medical degree at Sri Siddhartha Medical College in Tumkur, India, in 2005. He completed his internal medicine residency at St. Luke’s Roosevelt Hospital in New York. Dr. Mathew continued his training with a pulmonary and critical care fellowship at Montefiore Medical Center (University Hospital of Albert Einstein College of Medicine) in 2012-2015. Dr. Mathew served as a physician with Pulmonary and Sleep Associates of Huntsville, Alabama, and as a Clinical Assistant Professor at the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Medicine-Huntsville after completing his fellowship.

Department of Neurology

Syed Ali, M.D., has joined the Department of Neurology as an Assistant Professor. Dr. Ali received his medical degree from Aga Khan University in Pakistan in 2009. He continued his training with a clinical research fellowship at Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School before coming to UAMS for his neurology residency. He went on to complete a fellowship in vascular neurology at the University of California, San Diego in 2019.

Dr. Ali received significant awards and honors during his residency including the Medical Student Teaching Award in 2016 and Best Research Abstract Award for 2017-2018. He has worked with nationally renowned vascular neurologists and has produced a number of publications relating to stroke. He joins UAMS as a generalist in neurology with expertise in treating stroke patients.

Department of Ophthalmology

Valeriy Lyzogubov, M.D., Ph.D., has rejoined the Department of Ophthalmology as an Instructor focusing on vision research. Dr. Lyzogubov received his medical degree from the Dnipropetrovsk Medical Institute in the Ukraine in 1992 and his doctorate in cytology and histology from Dnipropetrovsk National University in 2003. He completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Louisiana State University’s Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Baton Rouge in 2005-2006 and came to UAMS for a postdoctoral fellowship in the Jones Eye Institute in 2006-2008. Dr. Lyzogubov served as an Instructor in the Department of Ophthalmology, focusing on research into the etiopathology of retinal disorders, from 2009 to 2015 and as an Instructor working in the UAMS Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute from 2015 to 2019.

Department of Radiology

Kevin Wong, D.O., has joined the Department of Radiology as an Assistant Professor in the divisions of Pediatric Radiology and Pediatric Interventional Radiology. Dr. Wong received his medical degree from Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine in New York in 2012. He completed a residency in diagnostic radiology at Michigan State University in 2017 and continued his training at Phoenix Children’s Hospital in Arizona, completing fellowships in diagnostic pediatric radiology in 2018 and pediatric interventional radiology in 2019.

Department of Surgery

Sagar T. Mehta, M.D., has joined the Department of Surgery as an Assistant Professor in the Division of Pediatric Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. Dr. Mehta received his medical degree at the University of Missouri-Kansas City in 2011. He completed his general surgery residency, plastic and reconstructive surgery residency and a fellowship in craniofacial surgery at the University of Utah Hospitals Affiliates. Dr. Mehta was a clinical instructor at the University of Cincinnati Health prior to coming to UAMS. He will see patients at Arkansas Children’s Hospital and at UAMS.

Department of Pathology

Bobby Boyanton Jr., M.D.

Bobby Boyanton Jr., M.D., has joined the Department of Pathology as Professor and Section Chief of Pathology at Arkansas Children’s Hospital. He previously was a Professor of Pathology at the William Beaumont College of Medicine of Oakland University in Michigan, where he led the clinical microbiology and molecular pathology laboratories and served as Associate Residency Program Director at Beaumont Hospital.

“Dr. Boyanton has a rare blend of expertise in both molecular pathology and medical microbiology and leadership,” said Jennifer Hunt, M.D., M. Ed., Professor and Aubrey Hough Endowed Chair of the Department of Pathology. “His unique skill set, talent and love for mentoring, teaching and education will help us continue to grow and expand our pathology operations and training at ACH.”

Dr. Boyanton received his medical degree from the University of Oklahoma College of Medicine in 2002. He completed residency training in anatomic and clinical pathology at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center in 2002-2003 and at Baylor College of Medicine in 2003-2006. He continued his training with a molecular genetic pathology fellowship at Baylor and recently pursued additional training in laboratory management, receiving certification from the American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP) and American Pathology Foundation’s Lab Management University.

During his time at Beaumont, Dr. Boyanton led numerous clinical and research initiatives. As the laboratory director he brought in many new state-of-the-art clinical assays and novel testing platforms. His initiatives included implementation of high-throughput molecular biology testing and expansion of reference laboratory capabilities at Beaumont Hospital. Honors included being featured in HOUR Detroit magazine’s 2016 list of Top Docs.

Zhiqiang Qin, M.D., Ph.D.

Zhiqiang Qin, M.D., Ph.D., has joined the Department of Pathology as an Associate Professor. Dr. Qin received his medical degree and his doctorate in microbiology at the Fudan University and Fudan University Medical School in Shanghai, China. He trained as a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Medical University of South Carolina, where he went on to become a Staff Scientist and a Research Assistant Professor.

Dr. Qin served on the faculty at Louisiana State University health Science Center in New Orleans from 2011 until his recruitment to UAMS. His research focuses on cancer oncology and microbiology. He has an active National Institutes of Health/National Cancer Institute research award for a project titled “Periodontal bacteria enhance oral KSHV pathogenesis and Kaposi’s Sarcoma development in HIV+ patients.”

Department of Pediatrics

Fernando Vargas, M.D., M.P.H.

Fernando Vargas, M.D., M.P.H., has joined the Department of Pediatrics as an Assistant Professor in the Division of Developmental Pediatrics. Dr. Vargas received his medical degree and his Master of Public Health at the University of Michigan, where he also completed his residency. He recently completed a fellowship in pediatric rehabilitation at Children’s Mercy Hospital in Kansas City.

Department of Surgery

Kalenda Kasangana, M.D., RPVI

Kalenda Kasangana, M.D., RPVI, has joined the Department of Surgery as an Assistant Professor in the Division of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery. Dr. Kasangana received his medical degree from St. George’s University School of Medicine in Grenada in 2008. He completed his residency in general surgery and fellowship in vascular surgery at Maimonides Medical Center in Brooklyn, N.Y., where he received the Fellowship Achievement Award for outstanding performance, clinical expertise and his commitment to medical training and patient care.

Dr. Kasangana is board certified in general and vascular surgery and is a Registered Physician in Vascular Interpretation. His clinical expertise includes open and endovascular treatment of aortic, visceral, carotid, extremity arterial disease, vein disease, hemodialysis access creation and maintenance, wound care and interpretation of non-invasive vascular studies.

Department of Internal Medicine

Muhammad Asim Khalil, M.D.

Muhammad Asim Khalil, M.D., has joined the Department of Internal Medicine as an Assistant Professor in the Division of Medical Oncology. Dr. Khalil received his medical degree from Khyber Medical College in Peshawar, Pakistan. He completed his internal medicine residency at Beaumont Hospital in Dearborn, Michigan. Before joining the oncology team at UAMS, Dr. Khalil practiced hospital medicine in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

Department of Pediatrics

Omar Salem, M.D.

Omar Salem, M.D., has joined the Department of Pediatrics as an Assistant Professor in the Division of Emergency Medicine. He received his medical degree from UAMS and completed his pediatric residency at UAMS and Arkansas Children’s Hospital.

Becca Perin, M.D.

Becca Perin, M.D., has joined the Department of Pediatrics as an Assistant Professor in the Division of General Pediatrics. She received her medical degree from McGovern Medical School at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston and completed her pediatric residency at UAMS and Arkansas Children’s Hospital.

Hannah Renno, M.D., M.P.H.

Hannah Renno, M.D., M.P.H., has joined the Department of Pediatrics as an Assistant Professor in the Division of General Pediatrics. She received her medical degree from the University of Arizona College of Medicine and her Master of Public Health from the University of Arizona College of Public Health. Dr. Renno completed her pediatric residency at the University of Florida Shands Children’s Hospital.

Megha Sharma, M.D.

Megha Sharma, M.D., has joined the Department of Pediatrics as an Assistant Professor in the Division of Neonatology. She received her medical degree from SMS Medical College in Jaipur, India. Dr. Sharma completed her pediatric residency at Saint Peter’s University Hospital in New Brunswick, New Jersey and continued her training with a fellowship in neonatology at the Medical College of Wisconsin. She is a Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Erhan Ararat, M.D.

Erhan Ararat, M.D., has joined the Department of Pediatrics as an Assistant Professor in the Division of Pulmonology. He received his medical degree from Hacettepe University in Ankara, Turkey. He completed his pediatric residency at Case Western Reserve University Metro Health Hospital in Cleveland, followed by a fellowship in pediatric pulmonology at Boston Children’s Hospital.

Department of Pediatrics

Markus Renno, M.D., M.P.H.

Markus Renno, M.D., M.P.H., has joined the Department of Pediatrics as an Assistant Professor in the Division of Cardiology. He received his medical degree from the University of Arizona in Tucson and completed his residency at the University of Florida in Gainesville. Dr. Renno went on to complete his Master of Public Health, pediatric cardiology fellowship and pediatric cardiovascular imaging fellowship at Vanderbilt University in Nashville. He is a Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics (FAAP).

Liza Murray, M.D.

Liza Murray, M.D., has joined the Department of Pediatrics as an Assistant Professor in the Division of Children at Risk. She received her medical degree from UAMS and completed her residency in pediatrics at UAMS and Arkansas Children’s. Dr. Murray continued her training with a fellowship in child abuse pediatrics at Children’s Mercy Hospital in Kansas City.

Chenia Eubanks, M.D., M.P.H.

Chenia Eubanks, M.D., M.P.H., has joined the Department of Pediatrics as an Associate Professor in the Division of Community Pediatrics. She received her medical degree from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine and completed her residency at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.  Dr. Eubanks subsequently earned her Master of Public Health at the Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University, where she focused her studies on maternal and child health. She is a Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics (FAAP).

Heather Bullard-Manbeck, D.O., M.A.

Heather Bullard-Manbeck, D.O., M.A., has joined the Department of Pediatrics as an Assistant Professor in the Division of Emergency Medicine. She received her medical degree from Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences. Dr. Bullard-Manbeck completed her general pediatrics residency at UAMS and Arkansas Children’s.

Carl W. Dowden, M.D.

Carl W. Dowden, M.D., has joined the Department of Pediatrics as an Assistant Professor in the Division of Emergency Medicine. He received his medical degree from the University of Mississippi in Jackson. Dr. Dowden completed his residency at UAMS and Arkansas Children’s.

Travis Ayers, M.D.

Travis Ayers, M.D., has joined the Department of Pediatrics as an Assistant Professor in the Division of Gastroenterology. He received his medical degree from the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston. Dr. Ayers completed his pediatric residency at Tulane and his pediatric GI and nutrition fellowship at the University of Maryland in Baltimore.

Alex Ramirez, M.D.

Alex Ramirez, M.D., has joined the Department of Pediatrics as an Assistant Professor in the Division of Gastroenterology. He received his medical degree from the University School of Medicine in Guatemala City, Guatemala. Dr. Ramirez completed his postgraduate training in pediatrics at the State University of New York in Buffalo and his fellowship in pediatric gastroenterology with Baylor College of Medicine at Texas Children’s Hospital.

Joana Mack, M.D.

Joana Mack, M.D., has joined the Department of Pediatrics as an Assistant Professor in the Division of Hematology. She received her medical degree from Ross University. Dr. Mack completed her residency and her fellowship in pediatric hematology/oncology at UAMS and Arkansas Children’s.

Sara Camp Sanders, M.D.

Sara Camp Sanders, M.D., has joined the Department of Pediatrics as an Assistant Professor in the Division of Hospital Medicine. She received her medical degree from UAMS and completed her residency at UAMS and Arkansas Children’s.

David Matlock, M.D.

David Matlock, M.D., has joined the Department of Pediatrics as an Assistant Professor in the Division of Neonatology. He received his medical degree from Louisiana State University in Shreveport. He completed his residency and his fellowship in neonatal-perinatal medicine at UAMS and Arkansas Children’s.

Ankita Shukla, M.D.

Ankita Shukla, M.D., has joined the Department of Pediatrics as an Assistant Professor in the Division of Neonatology. She received her medical degree from the Sikkim Manipal Institute of Medical Sciences in India. She completed her residency at St. Peter’s University Hospital in New Brunswick, New Jersey. She continued her training with a fellowship in neonatal-perinatal medicine at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland.

Rachel Millner, M.D.

Rachel Millner, M.D., has joined the Department of Pediatrics as an Assistant Professor in the Division of Nephrology. She received her medical degree from UAMS. Dr. Millner completed her residency at Vermont Children’s Hospital and continued her training with a fellowship in pediatric nephrology at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio.

Sarah Cobb, M.D.

Sarah Cobb, M.D., has joined the Department of Pediatrics as an Assistant Professor in the Division of Neurology. She received her medical degree from UAMS and went on to complete her pediatric residency, neurology residency and child neurology residency at UAMS and Arkansas Children’s.

Tara Johnson, M.D.

Tara Johnson, M.D., has joined the Department of Pediatrics as an Assistant Professor in the Division of Neurology. She received her medical degree from Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore. Dr. Johnson completed her residency at St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children in Philadelphia and her fellowship in neurodevelopmental disabilities at the Kennedy Krieger Institute/Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore.

Bittu Majmudar, M.D.

Bittu Majmudar, M.D., has joined the Department of Pediatrics as an Assistant Professor in the Division of Neurology. She received her medical degree from the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine. Dr. Majmudar continued her training by completing a residency in pediatrics and a residency in neurology with the Washington University School of Medicine at St. Louis Children’s Hospital.

Aravindhan Veerapandiyan, M.D.

Aravindhan Veerapandiyan, M.D., has joined the Department of Pediatrics as an Assistant Professor in the Division of Neurology. He received his bachelor of medicine and bachelor of surgery from the Tamil Nandu Dr. MGR Medical University in India. Dr. Veerapandiyan completed his residency and his fellowship in pediatric neurology at Rutgers University in Newark, New Jersey.

Seth Sorensen, Ph.D.

Seth Sorensen, Ph.D., has joined the Department of Pediatrics as an Assistant Professor in the Division of Psychology. He received his master’s and doctoral degrees in school psychology from the University of Arizona in Tucson. Dr. Sorensen completed a fellowship in psychiatry with Harvard Medical School at Massachusetts General Hospital followed by a fellowship in neuropsychology at Children’s Neuropsychological Services in Andover.

Department of Microbiology and Immunology

Youssef Aachoui, Ph.D., has joined the Department of Microbiology and Immunology as an Assistant Professor. Dr. Aachoui received his doctorate from Indiana State University in Terre Haute. He recently completed a postdoctoral fellowship in immunology under the tutelage of Edward Miao, Ph.D., at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill.

Dr. Aachoui’s research focuses on the mechanisms by which the innate immune system detects and responds to intracellular pathogens, with special emphasis on caspase and inflammasome activation.

Department of Psychiatry

Melissa Zielinski, Ph.D., has joined the Department of Psychiatry as an Assistant Professor in the Division of Health Services Research. Dr. Zielinski received her master’s in psychology and doctorate in clinical psychology at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville. She completed her postdoctoral fellowship in clinical psychology as a National Institute of Drug Abuse-sponsored T32 trainee in the UAMS Psychiatric Research Institute (PRI) Brain Imaging Research Center.

Dr. Zielinski will lead program evaluation efforts for the Pulaski County Regional Crisis Stabilization Unit, see patients via telehealth through the PCORI-funded SPIRIT study, and serve as a Co-Investigator on National Institute of Mental Health-funded research linking jail detainees to PrEP services upon release. She will also serve as a clinical attending at the burn unit at Arkansas Children’s Hospital and supervise psychology interns in both the burn unit and PRI’s Walker Family Clinic.