Please join us in welcoming these recent additions to the College of Medicine faculty – and watch for introductions of more faculty members who are joining us this summer and fall on the website and in upcoming issues of the COMmunication!
Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Tudor Moldoveanu, Ph.D.
Tudor Moldoveanu, Ph.D., has joined the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology as an associate professor. Dr. Moldoveanu received his doctorate in biochemistry from Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario, in 2002. He completed postdoctoral fellowships at McGill University in Montreal in 2003-2006 and at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis in 2006-2014. Prior to his recruitment to UAMS, Dr. Moldoveanu was a member of the St. Jude faculty in the departments of Structural Biology and Chemical Biology and Therapeutics since 2014.
Department of Geriatrics
Onna Lau, M.D.
Onna Lau, M.D., has joined the Department of Geriatrics as an assistant professor. Dr. Lau received her medical degree from the Medical University of Sofia in Bulgaria in 2015. She completed her family medicine residency training at UAMS and was the recipient of the Outstanding Professional (TOP) Award. Dr. Lau continued her training at UAMS with a fellowship in geriatrics, earning recognition as a Bailey Scholar awardee. Dr. Lau sees patients at the Thomas and Lyon Longevity Clinic in the Donald W. Reynolds Institute on Aging. She will also participate in clinical research on dementia and cognitive impairment.
Department of Internal Medicine
Emily Holthoff, M.D., Ph.D.
Emily Holthoff, M.D., Ph.D., has joined the Department of Internal Medicine as an assistant professor in the Division of General Internal Medicine. Dr. Holthoff received her doctorate in interdisciplinary biomedical sciences from UAMS in 2016, followed by her medical degree in 2018. After medical school, she joined the UAMS Internal Medicine-Pediatrics Residency Program, completing her training this year.
Trilok Shrivastava, M.D.
Trilok Shrivastava, M.D., has joined the Department of Internal Medicine as a hospitalist and assistant professor in the Division of Hematology/Oncology. Dr. Shrivastava received his medical degree from Kathmandu Medical College and Teaching Hospital in Nepal in 2015. He completed his residency in internal medicine at John H. Stroger Jr. Hospital of Cook County in Chicago in June 2022. Prior to his residency, Dr. Shrivastava served as a Research Officer at Mediciti Hospital and Infertility Center in Nepal and as a physician at Star Hospital, AASHA for Nepal, and Missionaries of Charity Nepal.
Department of Neurology
Rashi Krishnan, M.D.
Rashi Krishnan, M.D., has joined the Department of Neurology as an assistant professor on the Stroke and Neurocritical Care team. She sees patients in the UAMS Health Inpatient ICU. Dr. Krishnan received her medical degree from B.J Medical College in Ahmedabad, India, in 2009. She also earned a Master’s in Surgery in otolaryngology from N.H.L. Medical College in Ahmedabad. Dr. Krishnan completed her residency in neurology, followed by a fellowship in neurocritical care, at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center in Memphis.
Dr. Krishnan has published numerous original articles in high-impact journals. Her research currently focuses on ischemic strokes due to large vessel occlusion and factors that can affect outcomes in acute ischemic strokes. She has broad expertise in the field of neurocritical care, including management of acute neurosurgical emergencies, traumatic brain injury, refractory seizures, and ischemic and hemorrhagic strokes.
Dr. Krishnan is a Diplomate of the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology. Her honors during residency training included a Research Scholarship award from the American Academy of Neurology in 2018, Research Resident of the year in 2019, and Best Overall Resident Award. She was the Chief Resident during her otolaryngology training and was awarded a gold medal.
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology
Joel Dickens, M.D.
Joel Dickens, M.D., has joined the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology as an associate professor in the Division of General OB/GYN. Dr. Dickens received a Bachelor of Science in biology at Baylor University in Waco, Texas, and his medical degree at Texas Tech University Health Science Center in Lubbock. He completed a residency in pediatrics at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville and worked as a pediatrician for four years before deciding to pursue a new specialty and completing a residency in OB/GYN at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston.
Dr. Dickens has experience in both private practice and academic settings, including as an assistant professor at Texas Tech University Health Science Center in Amarillo. He also served for four years as a missionary physician in Ghana, where he trained and supervised volunteer physicians, residents and medical students in the areas of tropical medicine, general medicine, pediatrics, general surgery and OB/GYN. Dr. Dickens most recently served as a staff OB/GYN at Valley View Hospital in Glenwood Springs, Colorado, for seven years. His clinical interests include low- and high-risk obstetrics and gynecological surgery.
Department of Ophthalmology
Mohammad Pakravan, M.D., MBA
Mohammad Pakravan, M.D., MBA, has joined the Department of Ophthalmology as an associate professor specializing in neuro-ophthalmology and glaucoma. Dr. Pakravan earned his medical degree in 1992 from Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences in Tehran, where he also completed his ophthalmology residency. After completing a neuro-ophthalmology fellowship at Iran University of Medical Sciences and a glaucoma fellowship at Shahid Beheshti, he continued his training with a research/clinical fellowship in glaucoma and neuro-ophthalmology at Wilmer Eye Institute at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore.
In 2004, he joined the faculty at Shahid Beheshti, where he was Director of the Glaucoma and Neuro-ophthalmology divisions and then Educational Director of the Ophthalmology Division. He remained at Shahid Beheshti until 2019. He most recently served as a neuro-ophthalmology fellow at Houston Methodist Hospital’s Blanton Eye Institute. Additionally, he earned his MBA in 2021 from Westcliff University in Irvine, California.
An internationally recognized expert in neuro-ophthalmology and glaucoma, Dr. Pakravan has authored more than 80 journal articles, four book chapters and is a top contributor to EyeWiki, an online reference maintained by the American Academy of Ophthalmology. He has presented regularly at ophthalmology congresses and meetings worldwide. He is a reviewer for six ophthalmology journals and is a member of the editorial board for the Bina Journal of Ophthalmology and the Journal of Ophthalmic & Vision Research. His medical interests include neuro-ophthalmology, glaucoma, cataracts, and diseases of the cornea and anterior segment.
Riley Sanders, M.D.
Riley Sanders, M.D., has joined the Department of Ophthalmology as an assistant professor and retina specialist. Originally from Georgia, Dr. Sanders started his eye care career as a technician and photographer before attending Valdosta State University and then Mercer University School of Medicine. He came to UAMS in 2016 for his internship and residency in ophthalmology, followed by a retina fellowship.
Through his fellowship, he specialized in treatment of retinal diseases such as macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, retinal detachment, epiretinal membranes and macular holes, as well as the treatment of ocular trauma, complex cataracts and secondary intraocular lens placement. He has special interests in ophthalmic imaging, surgical techniques and video editing. His educational videos regularly appear on the American Academy of Ophthalmology weekly newsletter, reaching an audience of thousands of eye doctors around the world. He has contributed to many scholarly publications on eye disease, surgical techniques and outcomes. In collaboration with the UAMS Department of Anesthesiology, he helped create an eye-safety protocol that has made general anesthesia safer for all patients.
Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery
Janine Amos, D.O.
Janine Amos, D.O., has joined the Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery as an assistant professor at Arkansas Children’s Northwest. She received her undergraduate degree in biomedical engineering from Marquette University and her medical degree from Midwestern University Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine. Dr. Amos completed her residency in otolaryngology-head and neck surgery at McLaren Healthcare/Michigan State University. She continued her training with a pediatric otolaryngology fellowship at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore.
Dr. Amos previously was an attending pediatric otolaryngologist at Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital in Tacoma, Washington. She is board certified in otolaryngology. Her primary clinical and academic interests include general pediatric ear, nose and throat problems, obstructive sleep apnea and pediatric airway.
Samantha Kleindienst Robler, Au.D., Ph.D.
Samantha Kleindienst Robler, Au.D., Ph.D., has joined the Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery as an assistant professor and Associate Director of the Center for Hearing Health Equity. Dr. Robler is nationally recognized for her expertise in telehealth and innovative solutions for improving access to hearing health care. Her work focuses on new and expanded applications of telehealth technology as well as improving hearing health care delivery through policy change. She brings over a decade of clinical and research experience in rural Alaska and continues to serve in Alaska part-time through a population health position at the Norton Sound Health Corporation in Nome.
Dr. Robler earned her bachelor’s degree in communication science disorders and her American Sign Language (ASL) certificate from the University of Pittsburgh. She received her Doctorate in Audiology in 2009 and Doctorate in Philosophy in 2014 from Gallaudet University in Washington, DC. She completed post-doctoral fellowships at Mayo Clinic Arizona in the Aerospace Medical and Vestibular Lab and Mayo Clinic Florida in the Department of Audiology.
Dr. Robler began collaborating with Susan Emmett, M.D., in 2016 on an innovative telehealth solution to improve follow-up care after school hearing screening in rural Alaska. They were awarded federal Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) funding for their work and have been collaborating to address childhood hearing loss ever since. Dr. Emmett joined UAMS as associate professor and Director of the Center for Hearing Health Equity earlier this year.
Robert A. Saadi, M.D.
Robert A. Saadi, M.D., has joined the Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery as an assistant professor. Dr. Saadi earned his Bachelor of Science in Neuroscience at the University of Pittsburgh. He received his medical degree at Penn State University College of Medicine and completed his otolaryngology residency at Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center. He continued his training with a fellowship in otology at UAMS.
Dr. Saadi has earned a number of honors including the Hershey Medical Center Department of Surgery Award for Excellence in Surgery and the Head and Neck Society and Endocrine Surgery Section Eisai Research Grant from Centralized Otolaryngology Research Efforts. He is a member of the Alpha Omega Alpha Medical Honor Society. Dr. Saadi has authored numerous book chapters and publications in the field and has presented at national and international meetings. He is board-certified in otolaryngology. His academic and educational interests include hearing loss, cochlear implantation, bone anchored hearing aids (BAHA), eardrum reconstruction and chronic ear infections.
Department of Pediatrics
Linda Dawn Murphy, M.D.
Linda Dawn Murphy, M.D., has joined the Department of Pediatrics as an assistant professor in the Hospital Medicine Division. Dr. Murphy earned her medical degree with honors in Research from UAMS in 2017. She completed her residency training at UAMS and served as a Pediatric Chief Resident in 2021-2022.
Daniel Liu, M.D.
Daniel Liu, M.D., has joined the Department of Pediatrics as an assistant professor in the Clinical Informatics Division. Dr. Liu received his medical degree from UAMS in 2017. He completed his residency in pediatrics at UAMS, where he continued his training with a clinical informatics fellowship. Dr. Liu is currently using machine learning to improve telehealth workflows and patient outcomes.
Department of Psychiatry
Lee Isaac, Psy.D.
Lee Isaac, Psy.D., has joined the Department of Psychiatry as an assistant professor in the Psychology Division. Dr. Isaac received a master’s in counseling psychology at Temple University in 2015 and continued his education at LaSalle University, where he earned a master’s and then a doctorate in clinical psychology. Dr. Isaac completed his psychology internship in the neuropsychology track at the UAMS Psychiatric Research Institute (PRI) in 2020, followed by a two-year fellowship in neuropsychology. Dr. Isaac provides neuropsychological evaluations in the PRI Walker Family Clinic, with a specialty interest in geriatric evaluations.
Caiti Maskrey, D.O.
Caiti Maskrey, D.O., has joined the Department of Psychiatry as an assistant professor. After graduating from the University of California at Santa Cruz with a Bachelor of Science in neuroscience and behavior and a Bachelor of Arts in psychology, she went on to attend the Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences, where she graduated in 2017. Dr. Maskrey completed her residency in psychiatry at UAMS and served as Chief Resident. She continued her training with a fellowship in forensic psychiatry at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland. Dr. Maskrey sees patients and performs forensic evaluations at the Arkansas State Hospital.
Abigail Richison, M.D.
Abigail Richison, M.D., has joined the Department of Psychiatry as an assistant professor. After graduating from Southern Methodist University in 2013, she received her medical degree from the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston. Dr. Richison completed her residency in psychiatry at UAMS, where she also participated in the T31 National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) Addiction Research Training Program. She continued her training with a fellowship in addiction psychiatry at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville. Dr. Richison sees patients in the Psychiatric Research Institute’s Center for Addiction Services and Treatment and in the adult inpatient unit, where she provides care for those with co-occurring disorders.
Department of Radiology
Suryakala Buddha, M.D.
Suryakala Buddha, M.D., has joined the Department of Radiology as an assistant professor in the Division of Diagnostic Imaging. Dr. Buddha, who has a special interest in oncology imaging, received her medical degree and completed a residency in diagnostic radiology at NTR University of Health Sciences in Andhra Pradesh, India. She completed a clinical fellowship in body imaging and intervention at the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio. Dr. Buddha continued her training with an additional diagnostic radiology residency at Basavatarakam Indo American Cancer Hospital & Research Institute, Hyderabad, India. She has received awards for presenting research at the Radiological Society of North America.
Department of Surgery
Lauren Story-Hefta, M.D.
Lauren Story-Hefta, M.D., has joined the Department of Surgery as an assistant professor in the Division of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery. Dr. Story-Hefta received a Bachelor of Science in biology from Henderson State University in Arkadelphia, Arkansas, graduating summa cum laude. She received her medical degree from UAMS in 2017 and then joined the UAMS Vascular Surgery Residency Program.
Sonia Orcutt, M.D.
Sonia Orcutt, M.D., has joined the Department of Surgery as an assistant professor in the Division of Surgical Oncology. She received her medical degree from Boston University School of Medicine, where she graduated magna cum laude and served as President of the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Society. Dr. Orcutt completed a residency in general surgery at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, followed by a fellowship in complex general surgical oncology at Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa, Florida. She is board certified in both surgery and complex general surgical oncology. Dr. Orcutt practiced surgical oncology in Illinois prior to joining UAMS.