Please join us in welcoming these recent additions to the College of Medicine faculty.
Department of Dermatology
Patrick Phelan, M.D., MPHS
Patrick Phelan, M.D., MPHS, has joined the Department of Dermatology as an Assistant Professor. Dr. Phelan received his medical degree from Washington University in St. Louis, where he also earned a Master of Population Health Sciences in clinical epidemiology. He completed his residency in dermatology at UAMS, serving as Academic Chief Resident in his final year. During this time, he developed curricula for both surgical dermatology and inpatient consultative dermatology.
Dr. Phelan’s clinical interests include medical and surgical adult dermatology and patient education. His academic interests include medical education, statistics and research methodology, and medical ethics.
Department of Orthopaedic Surgery
Simon Mears, M.D., Ph.D.
Simon Mears, M.D., Ph.D., has rejoined the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery as a Professor. A hip and knee specialist, he previously served at UAMS from 2015 to 2024. Dr. Mears earned his medical degree and doctorate in neurobiology at the University of Pittsburgh. He completed his orthopaedic surgery residency at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. He continued his training with a fellowship in orthopaedic traumatology at the R. Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center at the University of Maryland and an additional fellowship in hip and knee replacement at the Mayo Clinic.
Dr. Mears practiced at Johns Hopkins for ten years and served as Chair of Orthopaedic Surgery at the Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center before his initial recruitment to UAMS. After serving at UAMS for nine years, he relocated to the University of Florida, where served as Division Chief of Adult Arthroplasty and Joint Reconstruction in 2024. Read more about Dr. Mears here.
Department of Radiation Oncology
J. Scott Cordova, M.D.
J. Scott Cordova, M.D., Ph.D., has joined the Department of Radiation Oncology as an Assistant Professor. Dr. Cordova earned his medical degree and doctorate at Emory University in Atlanta, where his doctoral research focused on advanced imaging techniques, including quantitative molecular imaging, to optimize treatment delivery and assess therapeutic responses. He completed his residency in radiation oncology at Washington University in St. Louis/Barnes-Jewish Hospital, with extensive training in brachytherapy, stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT), online adaptive radiotherapy, and proton beam therapy.
An Arkansas native, Dr. Cordova is committed to bringing advanced treatment technologies to his home state and enhancing Arkansans’ access to cutting-edge cancer care. He is a member of the American Society for Therapeutic Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) and the American Brachytherapy Society. Dr. Cordova’s research interests include developing and validating new clinical technologies, integrating advanced imaging into treatment planning and response assessment, and exploring how machine learning and artificial intelligence can improve the efficiency and effectiveness of cancer care.
Department of Surgery
Mark O. Hardin, M.D.
Mark Hardin, M.D., has joined the Department of Surgery as an Assistant Professor in the Division of Cardiovascular Surgery. Dr. Hardin received his medical degree from UAMS in 2007. He completed general surgery residency training and a research fellowship at San Antonio Military Medical Center and went on to serve in the U.S. Army as a general surgeon while stationed in Afghanistan, Kuwait and Syria.
Dr. Hardin continued his training with a fellowship in thoracic surgery at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville in 2018-2021. He comes to UAMS from the Arkansas Heart Hospital, where he had served as a cardiovascular and thoracic surgeon since 2021.
Michaela (Mikki) Kollisch, M.D.
Michaela (Mikki) Kollisch, M.D., has joined the Department of Surgery as an Associate Professor in the Division of Pediatric Surgery. Dr. Kollisch completed medical school and general surgery training at SUNY Upstate Medical University in Syracuse, New York. She continued her training with a pediatric surgery fellowship at UAMS and Arkansas Children’s Hospital. After completing her fellowship, Dr. Kollisch returned to SUNY Upstate and served for four years as an Assistant Professor of Pediatric Surgery and Director of the Pulmonary and Critical Care Laboratory.
With funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and Department of Defense (DOD), Dr. Kollisch’s research has focused on sepsis, inflammation and lung injury. She will continue her grants and research in the Arkansas Children’s Research Institute while serving as a pediatric surgeon at Arkansas Children’s. She will also work with UAMS medical students, residents and fellows, and is interested in supporting trauma simulation training through her lab.