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 on the website and in upcoming issues of the COMmunication!
Department of Anesthesiology
Jonathan Aronson, M.D., has joined the Department of Anesthesiology as an Assistant Professor. Dr. Aronson received a BA in geology from Carleton College in Northfield, Minnesota, and completed undergraduate work in biology and chemistry at the University of Arkansas-Little Rock and the University of Memphis in Tennessee. He worked as a math and science educator in Memphis before coming to UAMS for medical school. Dr. Aronson completed his residency in anesthesiology at UAMS this year, serving as a Chief Resident in 2021-2022.
Department of Internal Medicine
Ramya Bachu, M.D., has joined the Department of Internal Medicine as an Assistant Professor and hospitalist in the Division of Hematology/Oncology, Multiple Myeloma Section. Dr. Bachu received her medical degree from Dr. P.S.I. Medical College in Chinoutpalli, India, in 2012. Following medical school, she joined Ramesh Cardiology Hospital as a Senior Intern. In 2013, Dr. Bachu became the Medical Officer, Civil Assistant Surgeon at Government Medical Hospital in Machilipatnam, India, until 2014. She recently completed her residency in internal medicine with the Baptist Health-UAMS Internal Medicine Residency Program.
Anusha Jillella, M.B.B.S., has joined the Department of Internal Medicine as an Assistant Professor in the Division of Hematology/Oncology. Dr. Jillella received her medical degree from Gandhi Medical College in Hyderabad, India, in 2015. She completed her residency in internal medicine at UAMS in 2019 and continued her training with a fellowship in hematology/oncology.
Tanvi Patel, M.D., has joined the Department of Internal Medicine as an Assistant Professor and hospitalist in the Division of Hematology/Oncology, Multiple Myeloma Section. Dr. Patel received her medical degree from Government Medical College in Surat, India, in 2013. She trained as a junior resident doctor at Gurat Medical Education and Research Society Medical College from 2013 to 2015. In 2019, Dr. Patel joined the Baptist Health-UAMS Internal Medicine Residency Program.
Cesar Gentille Sanchez, M.D., has joined the Department of Internal Medicine as an Assistant Professor in the Division of Hematology/Oncology. Dr. Gentille Sanchez received his medical degree from Cayetano Heredia University in Lima, Peru, in 2012. He completed a residency in internal medicine in 2018 and a fellowship in hematology/oncology in 2020 at Houston Methodist Hospital. Dr. Gentille Sanchez recently finished his fellowship in blood and marrow transplantation/cellular therapy.
Sunny Singh, M.D., has joined the Department of Internal Medicine as an Assistant Professor in the Division of Hematology/Oncology. Dr. Singh graduated from King George’s Medical University in India in 2013. He completed a residency in internal medicine at John H. Stroger Jr. Hospital of Cook County in Chicago in 2018 and served as Chief Medical Resident the following year. Dr. Singh completed his first hematology/oncology fellowship in 2021 at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, followed by a second fellowship at UAMS.
Chitra Nadagoundla, M.B.B.S., has joined the Department of Internal Medicine as an Assistant Professor in the Division of Hospital Medicine. Dr. Nadagoundla received her medical degree from Gandhi Medical College in 2010. She completed her residency in internal medicine at Canton Medical Education Foundation in 2017. She continued her training with a fellowship in hospice and palliative medicine at the University of Buffalo. Dr. Nadagoundla began her career as a hospitalist at Saint Luke’s South Hospital in Overland Park, Kansas, and as a palliative care physician at Saint Luke’s Hospital in Kansas City, Missouri. She subsequently served as a hospitalist at St. Vincent’s North in North Little Rock.
Venkata Manchala, M.D., has joined the Department of Internal Medicine as an Assistant Professor and transplant nephrologist in the Division of Nephrology. Dr. Manchala received his medical degree from the Prathima Institute of Medical Sciences in India in 2008. He completed his residency in internal medicine at Saint Vincent Hospital in Worcester, Massachusetts. Dr. Manchala began working as an academic hospitalist at Denver Health Hospital in 2013. He went on to serve at St. Vincent’s Medical Center and the Frank H. Netter, M.D., School of Medicine, Quinnipiac University, in Bridgeport, Connecticut. Dr. Manchala subsequently continued his training as a nephrology fellow at UAMS and the Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System.
Emily Newsome, D.O., has joined the Department of Internal Medicine as an Assistant Professor in the Division of Palliative Medicine. Dr. Newsome received her medical degree from William Carey University College of Osteopathic Medicine in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, in 2017. She completed her residency in internal medicine/pediatrics at UAMS and continued her training with a fellowship in hospice and palliative medicine.
Siddharthan Vaithilingam, M.D., has joined the Department of Internal Medicine as an Instructor and Interventional Pulmonary Fellow in the Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care. Dr. Vaithilingam received his medical degree from KAP Viswanatham Government Medical College in Trichy, India, in 2012. He completed his residency in internal medicine at Presence Saint Joseph Hospital in Chicago. Dr. Vaithilingam began his career as a hospitalist at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago in 2018. In 2019, he began a fellowship in pulmonary and critical care at UAMS. During this time, he also worked toward a Master of Science in Clinical Investigation at Northwestern University, which he received in 2022.
Lana Abusalem, M.D., has joined the Department of Internal Medicine as an Instructor and Chief Resident in the Division of General Internal Medicine. Dr. Abusalem earned her medical degree from the University of Jordan in 2016. She served as a research resident with the Center for Palliative and Cancer Care in Conflict before joining the UAMS Internal Medicine Residency Program in 2019.
Husam Salah, M.B.B.S., has joined the Department of Internal Medicine as an Instructor and Chief Resident in the Division of General Internal Medicine. Dr. Salah received his medical degree from Jordan University of Science and Technology in Irbid, Jordan, in 2018. He joined the UAMS Internal Medicine Residency Program in 2019. Dr. Salah has also worked since 2019 as a research collaborator with the Mayo Clinic Department of Cardiovascular Medicine.
Ples Spradley, M.D., has joined the Department of Internal Medicine as an Instructor and Chief Resident in the Division of General Internal Medicine. Dr. Spradley received his medical degree from UAMS in 2019 and then joined the Internal Medicine Residency Program. Dr. Spradley earned several awards throughout his time in medical school, including the Senior Buchanan Key and the Richard V. Ebert Award.
Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology
KyoungHyun Kim, Ph.D., has joined the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology as an Assistant Professor. Dr. Kim received his doctorate in molecular toxicology from Texas A&M University. Prior to his recruitment to UAMS, he served as an Assistant Professor in Environmental and Public Health Sciences at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine. Dr. Kim’s research focuses on the molecular basis of nuclear receptors and non-coding RNAs in toxicant-induced tissue injuries and cancers, with the aim of advancing prevention and therapeutic strategies.
Department of Psychiatry
Payton Lea, M.D., has joined the Department of Psychiatry as an Assistant Professor. A graduate of Hendrix College in Conway, Arkansas, Dr. Lea received his medical degree from UAMS in 2017. He stayed at UAMS for his residency in psychiatry and then continued his training with a fellowship in consult-liaison psychiatry at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville. Dr. Lea sees patients in the UAMS Psychiatric Research Institute’s Walker Family Clinic and on the consult-liaison service.