This month we are pleased to introduce more of the faculty members who joined us this academic year. Please join us in welcoming these recent additions to the College of Medicine team!
Department of Family and Preventive Medicine
Katie Thurman Patel, M.D., has joined the Department of Family and Preventive Medicine as an assistant professor. Dr. Patel received her medical degree from the University of Tennessee Health Science Center in Memphis. She completed her residency in family medicine at the University of Tennessee Medical Center at Knoxville. Dr. Patel practices at the Family Medical Center on the UAMS campus.
Tomoko Tanaka, M.D., has joined the Department of Neurosurgery as an associate professor in the Division of Pediatric Neurosurgery. Dr. Tanaka earned her medical degree at Kitasato University School of Medicine in Japan, graduating as valedictorian. She completed a neurosurgery residency at Emory University in Atlanta and a pediatric neurosurgery fellowship at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center. She is board certified through the American Board of Neurological Surgery and is a Fellow of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons (FAANS).
Dr. Tanaka previously was an associate professor at the University of Missouri HealthCare, where she cared for an underserved pediatric neurosurgery population as well as adult epilepsy patients. Her surgical management of epilepsy was integral to the institution achieving Level 4 Epilepsy Center designation. Her national activities include serving on the editorial advisory board for Practical Reviews in Neurosurgery. Dr. Tanaka conducts basic science research into spinal cord injury and recovery, and one of her research projects received the grant award of the North American Spine Society in 2016.
Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology
Neville Tam, Ph.D., has joined the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology as an assistant professor. Dr. Tam received his doctorate from the University of Hong Kong and completed a postdoctoral fellowship in the Department of Surgery at University of Massachusetts Medical School. Most recently he has served as assistant professor in the Department of Environmental Health at the University of Cincinnati.
Dr. Tam’s research interests include the effect of sex hormones and oxidative stress on prostatic aging and carcinogenesis. He has strong expertise in establishing novel animal models for explorations related to oncology, environmental health and toxicology. Current research projects focus on the impact of early-life exposure to environmental stressors on later-life and offspring health outcomes such as cancer risk and fertility, paternal epigenetic inheritance via epitranscriptomic mechanisms, and environmentally induced stem cell carcinogenesis.
Diana Munoz-Mendoza, M.D., has joined the Department of Pediatrics as an assistant professor in the Division of Allergy and Immunology. Dr. Munoz-Mendoza received her medical degree from Medico Cirujano y Partero in Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico. She completed her residency at Women’s and Children’s Hospital in Buffalo, New York, and Louisiana State University. She continued her training with a fellowship in allergy and immunology at Louisiana State University. Dr. Munoz-Mendoza is board certified by the American Board of Pediatrics.
Chanchaldeep (Amika) K. Sood, M.D., has joined the Department of Pediatrics as an assistant professor in the Division of Allergy and Immunology. Dr. Sood received her medical degree from the University of Mississippi Medical Center (UMMC) School of Medicine. She completed her residency at UAMS/Arkansas Children’s Hospital, followed by a fellowship in pediatric allergy/immunology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Scott Gatlin, M.D., has joined the Department of Pediatrics as an associate professor in the Division of Cardiology. Dr Gatlin will assist in supporting and expanding Cardiology services within the Department of Pediatrics, UAMS and Arkansas Children’s. Dr Gatlin received his medical degree from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. He completed his residency at UAMS/Arkansas Children’s Hospital and continued his training with a fellowship in pediatric cardiology and pediatric cardiac critical care at Emory University School of Medicine and Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. He is board certified in pediatrics and cardiology.
Sam Lee, M.D., has joined the Department of Pediatrics as an associate professor in the Division of Cardiology. He serves at the Arkansas Children’s Hospital Jonesboro Clinic. Dr. Lee received his medical degree from the Medical College of Georgia. He completed his residency at Loma Linda Medical Center and his fellowship in pediatric cardiology at the Medical College of Virginia. Dr Lee He joined Children’s Hospital of Richmond in 2005 and has since served as director ot the hospital’s exercise physiology lab. He served as fellowship director for pediatric cardiology at Children’s Hospital of Richmond/Virginia Commonwealth University from 2008 to 2017. Read more in the ACH Newsroom.
Erin Bennett, M.D., M.P.H., has joined the Department of Pediatrics as an assistant professor in the Division of Critical Care. Dr. Bennett received her medical degree from University of Kansas School of Medicine in Kansas City. She completed her residency and fellowship in pediatric critical care at the University of Utah, Salt Lake City. She was nominated as Physician of the Year by Primary Children’s Hospital in Salt Lake City in 2017. Dr. Bennett is a Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics (FAAP).
Kimberly Macferran, M.D., has joined the Department of Pediatrics as an associate professor in the Division Developmental Pediatrics. Dr. Macferran received her medical degree from Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine. She completed her residency and her fellowship in developmental/behavioral pediatrics at UAMS/Arkansas Children’s Hospital. She is board certified by the American Board of Pediatrics in developmental-behavioral and general pediatrics.
Ryan C. Kwong, M.D., M.P.H., has joined the Department of Pediatrics as an assistant professor in the Division of Emergency Medicine. Dr Kwong received his medical degree from St. George’s University in Grenada, West Indies. He completed his residency at State University of New York Upstate Medical Center in Syracuse and his fellowship in pediatric emergency medicine at Children’s Hospital of Michigan.
Adrian Chapa-Rodriguez, M.D., has joined the Department of Pediatrics as an assistant professor in the Division of Gastroenterology. Dr. Chapa-Rodriguez received his medical degree from Medico Cirujano y Partero, Universidad de Monterrey, in Mexico. He completed his residency at John H. Stroger Jr. Hospital of Cook County in Chicago and continued his training with a fellowship in pediatric gastroenterology, hepatology and nutrition at the Digestive Disease and Nutrition Center, University of Buffalo, New York.
Sarah R. Sobik, M.D., M.P.H., has joined the Department of Pediatrics as an assistant professor in the Division of General Pediatrics. Dr. Sobik received her medical degree from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. She completed her residency at UAMS/Arkansas Children’s Hospital. During her residency, Dr Sobik received the Outstanding Intern Award, which is selected by co-residents in the program.
Archana Balamohan, M.D., has joined the Department of Pediatrics as an assistant professor in the Division of Infectious Diseases. Dr. Balamohan received her medical degree from American University of Antigua College of Medicine. She completed her residency at the Children’s Hospital at Saint Peter’s University Hospital New Brunswick, New Jersey, and continued her training with a fellowship in pediatric infectious disease at Cohen Children’s Medical Center-NSLIJ, Northwell Health, New Hyde Park, NY. Dr. Balamohan is a Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics (FAAP).
Timothy R. Onarecker, M.D., has joined the Department of Pediatrics as an assistant professor in the Division of Infectious Diseases. Dr. Onarecker received his medical degree from the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center. He completed his pediatric residency at UAMS/Arkansas Children’s Hospital and his fellowship in pediatric infectious diseases at Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh.
Stephanie G. Korff, M.D., has joined the Department of Pediatrics as assistant professor in the Division of Neonatology. Dr. Korff received her medical degree from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. She completed her pediatric residency at UAMS and Arkansas Children’s Hospital and her fellowship in perinatal-neonatal medicine at the Medical University of South Carolina. Dr. Korff is board certified by the American Board of Pediatrics and is a Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics (FAAP).
Zackary Shearer, M.D., has joined the Department of Pediatrics as an assistant professor in the Division of Neonatology. Dr. Shearer received his medical degree from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. He completed his residency at UAMS/Arkansas Children’s Hospital. Dr Shearer previously practiced at Commonwealth Healthcare Corp. in Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands, where he provided inpatient and outpatient general pediatric care as well as maintaining an emphasis on NICU and Nursery in the inpatient setting.
Gwen Weatherspoon White, M.D., has joined the Department of Pediatrics as an assistant professor in the Division of Neonatology. Dr. White received her medical degree from the University of Alabama School of Medicine, Birmingham. She completed her residency at UAMS/Arkansas Children’s Hospital. Dr. White is a Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics (FAAP).
Shelby Dib, D.D.S., has joined the Department of Pediatrics as an assistant professor in the Division Pediatric and Special Needs Dentistry. Dr. Dib received her Doctor of Dental Surgery from the University of Oklahoma College of Dentistry, where she was the recipient of the J. Dean Robertson Scholarship. She completed postdoctoral training at the Ohio State University College of Dentistry.