Juliana Byanyima graduated from Cornell University with a BA in Biological Sciences and minor in Health Equity. In college, she was a research assistant in the Life History lab where she studied the role of developmental context and early life stress on brain development. During her gap years, Juliana worked at the Center for Studies of Addiction at Penn, where she coordinated neuroimaging studies on alcohol and opioid use disorder.  At Pritzker, Juliana was elected by her class as a Wellness representative and is a member of the mental health subcommittee. She is the Social Media Chair for the Student National Medical Association (SNMA), the i2i (Identity and Inclusion) representative for the Wellness Committee, and a mentor for the Health Professions Recruitment & Exposure Program (HPREP) at Pritzker. Juliana is eager to explore her interests in interdisciplinary care, psychiatry and oncology, and mental health advocacy.

Priscilla Stephanie Molina is a 2020 cum laude graduate of the University of California, Los Angeles, where she received a B.S. in Psychobiology and completed minors in Latin American Studies and Public Health. Upon graduation, Priscilla went on to work as a Health Equity Navigator in Southern California’s largest FQHC, AltaMed Health Services, where her work involved addressing the social determinant needs of patients living with diabetes. She then served as a key intern lead in AltaMed’s COVID-19 vaccine distribution efforts throughout Los Angeles and Orange Counties. Simultaneously, Priscilla co-led Spanish-speaking family support groups at a local mental health advocacy organization, NAMI. She ended her third gap year working as a medical scribe, behavior interventionist & an Assistant Resident Director at UCLA. At Pritzker, Priscilla currently serves as one of the student coordinators for Community Health Clinic, one of Chicago’s largest free clinics, and as the undergraduate mentorship co-chair for Pritzker’s chapter of the Latino Medical Student Association (LMSA). She is also co-chairing the Family Medicine Interest Group and is a member of the team engaging in Pritzker’s chapter of REMEDY, a not-for-profit, nationwide medical student organization dedicated to addressing international health disparities through education and recycling of unused medical equipment. Priscilla looks forward to using her time in medical school to further expand her leadership skills, solidify her passion for community and mental health, and engage in issues surrounding migrant and youth health.

Dr. Monica Malec is an Associate Professor of Medicine and Director of Palliative Medicine clinical programs in the section of Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine. She received her medical degree from the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Medicine and completed her Internal Medicine training at Rush University Medical Center. Dr. Malec is board-certified in Hospice and Palliative Medicine and is a fellow of the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine. An expert in the management of complex pain and non-pain symptoms, she strives to support patients throughout the trajectory of their illness to achieve the best possible quality of life.

Dr. Malec is a University of Chicago Center for Healthcare Delivery Science and Innovation Scholar focused on improving processes for advance care planning and communication with patients about their values and preferences for care. She is working to create educational programs to develop communication skills around serious illness for providers at all levels to promote goal-concordant care for patients.

Jacob A. Fries is 2021 cum laude graduate of the University of Notre Dame, where he received a B.S. in Environmental Sciences with a supplemental major in Latinx Studies. He spent his first gap year as a Health Corps Fellow through the Washington AIDS Partnership in Washington DC, where he worked in HIV prevention, sexual health education, and human-centered design initiatives at the Latin American Youth Center. Jacob then came to Chicago where he worked as a clinical research coordinator at Northwestern Medicine, primarily focusing on the national REACH palliative care study. At Pritzker, Jacob serves as a co-leader of the Geriatrics Interest Group, is a member of LMSA and serves as the LMSA Admissions Liaisons, and is the Faculty Recruitment Coordinator at CommunityHealth Clinic. He is also involved in research with Dr. Harita Shah looking at HIV prevalence and PrEP utilization in Latinx populations across Cook County, IL. Jacob is looking forward to using his time in medical school to further understand the impacts of community-based health interventions and engage with issues surrounding end-of-life care and shared decision making.

Dr. Courtney Cripps is a plastic surgeon and Assistant Professor at the University of Chicago in the Section of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. She earned her medical degree at the Medical College of Georgia before completing a residency in General Surgery at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City. She then completed her Plastic Surgery training at New York University where she obtained comprehensive training in gender affirming surgery. Her clinical expertise lies in gender affirming facial, chest, body, and genitourinary reconstruction. Serving as the Director of the Resident Cosmetic Clinic at the University of Chicago has allowed her to exercise her interests in both aesthetic surgery and resident education. Her research centers on the intersection of surgical innovation and patient experience, particularly in the realm of gender affirming care.

Amber E. Johnson, MD, MS, MBA, FACC is an Assistant Professor of Medicine in the Department of Medicine and Section of Cardiology at the University of Chicago. She joins us here at U of C from the University of Pittsburgh where she was also a Staff Cardiologist at the Veterans Administration Pittsburgh Health System and Faculty Affiliate at the Center for Race and Social Problems, University of Pittsburgh School of Social Work. She completed her undergraduate degree with honors at the University of Pittsburgh. She then completed her medical degree and masters of business administration at Jefferson Medical College/Widener University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. In addition to a year of patient safety and quality improvement training at the Armstrong Institute of Johns Hopkins Hospital, she was an internal medicine resident at Johns Hopkins, Bayview in Baltimore, Maryland. She then returned to Pittsburgh for general cardiology fellowship, a research fellowship, and a masters degree in clinical research.

Dr Johnson’s research at the interface of health equity, social determinants of health, and mobile health technology has resulted in numerous publications and federal grant funding. She is the recipient of local and national clinical and research awards and was recently named one of the National Minority Quality Forum’s 40 Under 40 Leaders in Health and in 2022 was awarded the Women as One Escalator Award for clinical research. Dr. Johnson has served on the Black Equity Coalition-Health Equity Working Group which led equity efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic. Through her work and community engagement, she is committed to addressing racial inequity in cardiovascular care. Her clinical practice here at U of C will include general and preventive cardiology with a focus on women’s health and gender affirming care. She enjoys cooking, running, and spending time with family. She is the mother of two daughters, Leilani and Nia.

Zainab Obaidi is a clinical academic nephrologist and assistant professor of medicine at the University of Chicago. She earned her medical degree from the University of Sharjah in 2011 then completed her internal medicine residency at Southern Illinois University in 2018. She then pursued an academic hospitalist fellowship at Johns Hopkins followed by a 2-year fellowship in nephrology yat the Johns Hopkins Hospital. Her academic work has been focused on clinical excellence and bedside teaching and clinical interest in thrombotic microangiopathies and glomerular diseases.

She enjoys teaching and has been recognized for her teaching skills among residents and fellows by winning several teaching awards. Her other interests include advocating for awareness of kidney disease and is the leader of the UChicago Kidney Club.

Megan Applewhite, MD, MA, FACS, is a board-certified general surgeon who specializes in endocrine surgery. She is also the Associate Director of the MacLean Center for Clinical Medical Ethics. She completed her general surgery residency at the Lahey Hospital and Medical Center in Burlington, MA, and her fellowship in endocrine surgery as well as clinical medical ethics at the University of Chicago. Prior to joining the faculty at the University of Chicago, she was at Albany Medical College, where she was an Associate Professor of Surgery and the John A. Balint MD Chair for Ethics Education and Research.

Dr Applewhite’s clinical practice involves the surgical treatment of benign and malignant diseases of the thyroid, parathyroid and adrenal glands. She focuses her care on engaging in personalized and thoughtful discussions with patients about quality of life and patient reported outcomes for their particular diagnosis.

Her academic interests are in both the quality of care of patients with surgical endocrinopathies, as well as in clinical medical ethics, and the intersection between patient care and bioethics. Specifically, she has an interest in healthcare in the incarcerated patient population, research ethics and informed consent, and military medical ethics.  Since 2020, she has served as a Senior Bioethics Consultant to the Department of Defense Medical Ethics Center, which is charged with the development, evaluation and implementation of a systematic Department of Defense Medical Ethics Program across the entire Military Health System/DoD.

As a dedicated colleague and teacher, Dr. Applewhite enjoys the mentoring trainees and junior faculty. She recognizes the importance of team cohesiveness and support as critical to positive culture and flourishing at work.

Dr. Pathik Amin is an optometrist and an Assistant Professor in the Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Science at the University of Chicago, where he serves as the Director of Optometry.  He earned his optometric degree from the University of Houston and completed a residency in ocular disease at the Albuquerque VA Medical Center. Dr. Amin’s clinical practice focuses on the medical management of glaucoma patients. He is interested in exploring ways to improve glaucoma adherence and outcomes, and was the recipient of the 2022 Bucksbaum Institute National Research Grant. Dr. Amin has a strong interest in education and founded the first optometric residency at the University of Chicago in 2021, for which he serves as the program director. He is a Fellow of the American Academy of Optometry, serves on the executive committee for the Academy’s Glaucoma Section, and is a member of the Optometric Glaucoma Society.

Daniel Johnson, MD, has focused his career on improving access to quality healthcare. In 2010 he created ECHO-Chicago, a telehealth program for community level capacity building using case-based interactive sessions to education primary care providers in the diagnose and management of common chronic complex health conditions. The program has educated thousands of adult and pediatric primary care providers across Chicago and Illinois and contributed to the creation of ECHO programs elsewhere in the US and other countries.

Dr. Johnson is a physician, scholar and educator. He completed his training in 1986 and is certified by the American Board of Pediatrics in Pediatrics and Pediatric Infectious Disease. At University of Chicago Medicine since 2007, he is Professor of Pediatrics in the Department of Pediatrics where he serves as Vice Chair for Clinical Services and Section Chief of Pediatric Infectious Diseases. He has authored more than 100 peer-reviewed articles and abstracts.

Dr. Laura Dickens earned her medical degree from Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta, Georgia.  She then completed her Internal Medicine residency and Endocrinology fellowship at the University of Chicago. 

Her clinical interests include diabetes and osteoporosis.  She is the co-founder of the University of Chicago Diabetes in Pregnancy Clinic (DIPP), a centralized

specialty care program for patients with pregestational type 1 or type 2 diabetes and complex gestational diabetes in pregnancy.  The DIPP program incorporates patient care, education, and research initiatives aimed at improving diabetes care in pregnancy.     At the University of Chicago, in addition to her clinical endeavors, Dr. Dickens is the Associate Program Director for the Endocrinology Fellowship.  She is actively involved in research related to monogenic diabetes and quality improvement for diabetes in pregnancy.

Dr. Rosenberg is currently an Assistant Professor of Medicine at the University of Chicago. He completed his residency in internal medicine at the University of Illinois at Chicago and his fellowship training in medical oncology and hematology at Northwestern University. He is a medical oncologist and clinical investigator focusing on head and neck cancer. Dr. Rosenberg develops and conducts clinical trials that incorporate novel tissue and blood-based biomarkers, and he has a particular focus on novel therapies and immunotherapeutic strategies, as well as developing multimodality treatment paradigms to reduce treatment-related toxicity.

Dr. Walid Hussain is an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics in the Section of Neonatology. Dr. Hussain received his medical degree from Creighton University School of Medicine and completed his pediatric residency training at Children’s Mercy Hospital. Following residency, he completed his fellowship in Neonatology here at the University of Chicago. Prior to returning to the University of Chicago in the summer of 2022, he was an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics in the Division of Neonatology at Loyola University. While in fellowship he developed an academic interest in quality improvement and patient safety, and has completed extensive formal training in QI.

Dr. Hussain’s academic interests are quality improvement in neonatology, specifically in areas of neonatal sepsis and antibiotic stewardship as well as minimally invasive surfactant administration. He also has a special interest in health-care economics. In addition to his academic work, clinical time spent in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Dr. Hussain is also actively involved in medical education. He serves as the Director of Neonatal Quality Improvement.

Dr. Stepan is an orthopedic surgeon who specializes in hand and upper extremity surgery. He has specific clinical expertise in treating in brachial plexus and complex nerve injuries. For patients with these life altering injuries, he has started a multi-disciplinary brachial plexus and complex nerve injury clinic at the University of Chicago.

His research interests include understanding how social determinants of health affect outcomes in hand surgery and creating a better understanding and treatment pathway for ballistic upper extremity trauma, specifically nerve injury. He also has partnered with Community Health to provide hand care and surgery for uninsured patients.

Prior to arriving in Chicago, Dr. Stepan graduated from St. John’s University where he played Division I soccer. He then earned an MD and Masters of Science in Clinical Investigation while completing his NIH TL1 Pre-doctoral grant at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. After medical school he completed an orthopedic surgery residency at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York followed by a hand and microvascular surgery fellowship at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.

Dr. Möller is a Professor of Surgery, Director of the Regional Therapies (HIPEC) Program, and Director of the Surgical Oncology Fellowship Program. Dr. Moller is a highly skilled and experienced surgical oncologist who specializes in performing surgery for cancerous tumors in the digestive tract (stomach, appendix, intestines), soft tissue sarcomas (cancer in fat, muscles, tendons and supporting tissue) and cutaneous cancer (malignant melanoma, Merkel cell carcinoma, squamous/basal cell cancers, desmoid tumors).

Dr. Möller is an expert in both traditional and minimally invasive cancer therapies, including complex cytoreductive surgery and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) for locally advanced and metastatic cancers of the abdomen. HIPEC delivers high-dose heated chemotherapy in the operating room after a surgical removal of visible cancer disease and is effective in a variety of cancers. She also has extensive experience in oncolytic therapies and clinical trials for unresectable and advanced melanomas. In addition to her clinical practice, Dr. Möller is passionate about global surgery, surgical education research and using clinical and translational research to improve care for cancer patients. She has been inducted into the Academy of Master Surgeons Educators of the American College of Surgeons, one of the highest honors given to academic surgeons. Her work has published in multiple peer-reviewed articles in journals, including American Journal of Surgery, JAMA Surgery, Annals of Surgical Oncology, Journal of Surgical Education and Journal of Cancer. She has been a renowned speaker in multiple national and international conferences. This summer Dr. Möller arrived at the University of Chicago following fourteen year surgical career at the University of Miami.

A renowned nephrologist, Arlene Chapman, MD, is dedicated to improving the lives of patients with renal disease. Dr. Chapman’s career has focused on hereditary renal diseases. Dr. Chapman also sees patients with chronic kidney disease of all causes, and those who are pregnant with underlying renal disease.

Dr. Chapman studies personalized or precision medicine and the role that genetic background plays in predicting antihypertensive responses to blood pressure medications used to treat hypertension. Dr. Chapman’s early investigations centered on the renal and systemic changes to blood circulation that occur during preeclampsia. She has received continuous funding for her work from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) over the past 18 years.

Dr. Chapman’s academic contributions include membership on several NIH committees as well as the Scientific Advisory Council for the Polycystic Kidney Disease Research Foundation and the Council for the American Kidney Societies. Dr. Chapman is the current director of the Clinical Resource Center for the Institute of Translational Medicine in the Biological Sciences Division at the University of Chicago. She has published nearly 170 peer-reviewed publications and book chapters, and previously served on the editorial boards for American Journal of Kidney Diseases, Kidney International and the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology.

In addition, Dr. Chapman is a dedicated mentor and educator for medical students, interns and residents. She is actively involved in teaching fellows about various topics in nephrology and guides them in their research.

Jasmine Rios graduated from Yale University in 2021 with a B.A. in History of Science and Medicine. She continued her studies at the Yale School of Public Health, where she received an M.P.H. in Social and Behavioral Sciences in 2022 with a concentration in US Health Justice. Her graduate research focused on health disparities in breastfeeding and nutrition through community-based participatory research. Jasmine’s work in public health outreach sought to address community distrust in healthcare and the social determinants of chronic disease management.

At Pritzker, Jasmine serves as a class representative for the Identity and Inclusion (i2i) Steering Committee and the Community Service Chair for the Latino Medical Student Association. She is the Education and Community Outreach Coordinator for the newly established Southside Free Clinic. In this role, she also serves as a liaison and member of the South Side Community Health Advocate Leadership Program. Jasmine is excited to further explore the relationship between community and health, with a current research interest in comprehensive care.

Zharia Crisp graduated from the University of Maryland in 2021 with a B.S. in Biological Sciences and a B.S. in Psychology. She first became interested in research while studying unethical behavior and cheating in her undergraduate Motivated Cognition lab. Following graduation, she worked in medical optometry while conducting research on antiracism in medical education with the National Anti-Racism in Medicine Curriculum Coalition (NAMCC). With the NAMCC, Zharia studied a piloted Georgetown SOM course on anti-Black racism in clinical settings that was presented at the APA 2022 Mental Health Conference.

At Pritzker, Zharia was elected by her class as a Wellness representative. She serves as an Internal Affairs liaison for the Student National Medical Association (SNMA) and as one of the i2i (Identity and Inclusion) representatives for the Wellness Committee. Zharia is also an Education and Outreach Coordinator for the Washington Park Free Clinic as well as a leader of the Psychiatry Interest Group. Zharia is excited to explore psychiatry and pediatrics, with a particular interest in the mental health of underserved and minority populations.

Dr. Nathan Olson is an accomplished Emergency Medicine physician and educator. He currently holds the position of Assistant Professor in the Section of Emergency Medicine at the University of Chicago Medicine. Dr. Olson his Bachelor’s degree in Microbiology from the University of California, San Diego earned his medical degree from Drexel University College of Medicine in Philadelphia.

Following his medical education, Dr. Olson completed his residency training in the Department of Emergency Medicine at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago. During his residency, he received the Education College Award for Best Procedure Teacher two years in a row. Dr. Olson is an expert in simulation education and held the title of Simulation Program Director for the Emergency Medicine Residency at the San Antonio Military Medical Center. He also served as the Emergency Medicine Clerkship Simulation Director and was responsible for implementing simulation-based training for the residency program.

Currently, Dr. Olson serves as the Simulation Education Director for the Emergency Medicine Residency at the University of Chicago. He has been actively involved in research and has published several peer-reviewed articles in medical journals. His research focuses on topics such as emergency medicine resident grit, non-cognitive characteristics, and wellness curriculum development.

Dr. Olson’s commitment to professional development is evident through his active membership in professional societies such as the American College of Emergency Physicians and the American Academy of Emergency Medicine. He has also received numerous awards and honors, including the Outstanding Emergency Medicine Faculty Educator Award from the University of Chicago.

In addition to his academic and research contributions, Dr. Olson remains actively involved in clinical practice. He currently works as an Emergency Medicine physician at the University of Chicago, where he provides clinical care and mentors residents.

Outside of his professional responsibilities, Dr. Olson has contributed to the field through invited speaking engagements, both nationally and regionally. He has presented on topics such as simulation education, wellness interventions, and resuscitation techniques.

Dr. Olson’s dedication to teaching extends beyond his own institutions. He has been involved in teaching and mentoring medical students, residents, and fellows throughout his career. He has served as a course director, facilitator, and instructor for various educational programs, including simulation sessions, procedural training, and clinical shifts.

Dr. Nathan Olson is a highly accomplished and respected Emergency Medicine physician and educator. His expertise in simulation education, commitment to research, and passion for teaching have made him a valuable asset to the medical community and the community of UChicago Medicine.

Dr. Abid Khan joined The University of Chicago Medicine in 2022 as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Surgery, Division of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery and an Acute Care Surgeon at UChicago Medicine’s Level 1 Trauma Center.

Dr. Khan earned his Medical Doctorate from Wayne State University School of Medicine. Following his medical education, he completed a Residency in General Surgery at the John H. Stroger Hospital of Cook County and Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, Illinois along with a Fellowship in Surgical Critical Care at Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood, Illinois.

Before joining UChicago Medicine, Dr. Khan served as an Assistant Clinical Professor at the University of Colorado School of Medicine and Associate Program Director and Residency Site Director at the University of Colorado General Surgery Residency Program. As a clinician, he has practiced at UCHealth Memorial Hospital, UCHealth Grandview Hospital and Children’s Hospital Colorado in Colorado Springs.

Dr. Khan’s commitment to excellence is recognized by his peers and the medical community as he was honored with the Top Doctor Colorado Springs award by Colorado Springs Magazine in 2021.

Dr. Khan’s scholarly contributions include many authored or co-authored publications on various topics related to trauma and acute care surgery. Some of his notable publications include “Indicators of Survival and Favorable Functional Outcomes After Decompressive Craniectomy: A Multi-Institutional Retrospective Study,” “Clearing the Cervical Spine in Patients with Distracting Injuries: An AAST Multi-Institutional Trial,” and “Utilization of Percentage of Predicted Forced Vital Capacity to Stratify Rib Fracture Patients: An Updated Clinical Practice Guideline.”

In addition to his academic and clinical pursuits, Dr. Khan is an enthusiastic educator. He has delivered numerous presentations as part of grand rounds at various medical institutions, including Rush University Medical Center, Loyola University Medical Center, UCHealth Memorial Hospital, and UChicago Medicine. He has also been invited to speak at conferences and workshops on topics such as acute pancreatitis, surgical emergencies, and traumatic brain injury.

Dr. Lindsay Jaeger is an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics in the Section of Pediatric Emergency Medicine, and the Medical Director of the Comer Children’s Emergency Room. She is also the Medical Directors of the UChicago Medicine sections of Emergency Medical Services and Disaster Preparedness. Dr. Jaeger received her medical doctorate from Tulane University School of Medicine and completed her pediatric residency training at The Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago. Her post-doctoral training also included fellowships in pediatric emergency medicine and emergency medicine ultrasound at Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine and an EMS fellowship at UChicago Medicine.

Dr. Jaeger presented research at several national conventions, including an EMS Telemedicine Pilot project at the National Association of EMS Physicians Annual Meeting. Much of her research experience is multidisciplinary, focusing on pediatrics as well as obstetrics, gynecology, nephrology, and cardiology, among others. Dr. Jaeger also serves on the EMS Medical Directors Consortium committee for Chicago EMS, the EMS for Children Illinois Chapter, and is the Co-Chair of a subcommittee of the National EMS for
Children. Through working with each of these organizations, her focus is on developing EMS protocols, policies, procedures on pediatric cardiac arrest and airway care, transport protocols, and education on medication administration. This focus on pediatric prehospital care reduces health disparities by addressing educational and policy gaps and barriers. As of 2023, Dr. Jaeger has joined the faculty at Emory University.

Andrew Benjamin, MD, a board-certified surgeon, specializes in trauma and acute care surgery, and is an expert in quickly diagnosing and treating patients with traumatic and critical injuries.

Along with his commitment to his clinical practice, Dr. Benjamin is also devoted to improving outcomes for trauma patients through clinical and translational research, with a special interest in machine learning and bioinformatics related to resuscitation for hemorrhagic shock.

Michael Earing, MD, specializes in adult congenital heart disease, Marfan Syndrome, familial aortic aneurysms, pulmonary hypertension and pediatric cardiology. Dr. Earing has a keen understanding of the complex care needed for long-term success, and he is an expert in navigating the challenges pediatric patients face when transitioning to adulthood with congenital heart disease.

As a deeply respected physician-scientist, Dr. Earing is passionate about research and continuously evaluates new and improved diagnoses and treatments for adult and pediatric cardiac patients. His work has been published in several highly regarded, peer-reviewed publications. Dr. Earing has also served as an author on multiple national guideline writing committees focused on the care for both adults with congenital heart disease and the pediatric patient with pulmonary hypertension.

In addition to his clinical and research pursuits, Dr. Earing is an experienced and successful educator. He lectures about current congenital heart disease topics to students and professionals, as well as mentors fellows, residents and medical students to help guide them through their medical careers.

Dr. Royce Lee is an Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience at the University of Chicago Medicine. His clinical interests include major depression, personality disorders, and post-traumatic stress disorder. Dr. Lee’s research and scholarly interest include borderline personality disorder, narcissistic personality disorder, paranoid personality disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder. He has also been engaged with working to understand the complex causes of physician burnout.

Yalini Vigneswaran, MD, MS, FACS, is an advanced minimally invasive gastrointestinal surgeon who specializes in esophageal and gastric disorders, including motility disorders, esophageal and gastroesophageal junction cancers, reflux disease and paraesophageal hernias. She has specific clinical expertise in esophageal surgery, including minimally invasive esophagectomy for both benign and malignant disease as well as bariatric surgery and performs various weight loss procedures. Dr. Vigneswaran uses both advanced laparoscopic and robotic-assisted techniques to approach complex gastrointestinal disorders and weight loss surgery. And leads the field in innovative techniques and procedures. Dr. Vigneswaran conducts clinical research and is committed to improving outcomes for patients with gastroesophageal disorders and patients undergoing weight loss surgery. She has been recognized nationally for her research and has received several awards. She continues to advance the field with specific research interests in reflux disease after weight loss surgery and revisional surgery, paraesophageal hernia surgery, esophageal malignancies and health disparities in obesity medicine.

Mary Rinella, MD, is a board-certified transplant hepatolgist with more than 20 years of experience treating patients with complex liver disease. Dr. Rinella is an expert in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and the Director of the Metabolic and Fatty Liver Disease program, focused on comprehensive liver disease assessment and treatment, including nutritional intervention, the use of medications, endoscopy and clinical trials to deliver the most advanced treatment options. 

As part of her approach to care for liver disease patients, Dr. Rinella is passionate about using research to advance medicine. She has investigated a broad range of topics within NAFLD, including the use of non-invasive measures to minimize the use of liver biopsy, the management of NAFLD before and after liver transplantation and the study of new therapies to treat NAFLD, since there is still no FDA approved treatment. Dr. Rinella has published nearly 150 peer-review articles in prestigious journals, such as Nature Reviews Gastroenterology & Hepatology, Gastroenterology, Hepatology, Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), The Lancet and more.

She is actively involved in the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD), where she has held numerous leadership roles, including councilor-at-large of the AASLD governing board, chair of the AASLD NAFLD Special Interest Group and chair of the AASLD NASH Task Force, which is charged with fostering research collaboration and advancing best practices through collaboration with other medical societies, federal agencies, and patient advocacy organizations to improve outcomes in patients with NAFLD/NASH.  A current focus of the NASH Task Force is to structure and implement health policies to increase NAFLD awareness on a national and global level.
Along with her clinical expertise and research accolades, Dr. Rinella is also dedicated to teaching residents and fellows, providing guidance and mentorship throughout their medical careers.

An aspiring physician-scientist, Hecong completed his undergraduate studies at Sun Yat-sen University in China and a Ph.D. in Bioengineering at UCSF and UC Berkeley. His dissertation research focused on developing and translating novel MRI techniques targeting cancer metabolism to identify aggressive cancers and evaluate therapeutic responses. 

While in the Bay Area, Hecong volunteered as a community healthcare worker at the Berkeley Free Clinic for six years, including two years as a section coordinator. Working with and learning from vulnerable patients at the clinic strengthened his passion for health equity, patient advocacy, and building trust with patients. At the Pritzker School of Medicine, Hecong continues to conduct basic science research and engage in community service. He serves as a class representative to Pritzker’s Identity and Inclusion (i2i) committee, as well as on the board of the Bridgeport Free Clinic and Asian Pacific American Medical Student Association (APAMSA).

Karen Kim is the Sara and Harold Lincoln Thompson Professor of Medicine, Associate Director of the University of Chicago Medicine Comprehensive Cancer Center, and Director of the Center for Asian Health Equity.

As Vice Provost for Research, Kim works with faculty and deans to support and enhance research funding and manage large-scale research infrastructure such as University Research Administration (URA) and the University of Chicago Consortium for Advanced Science and Engineering (CASE), the Office of Research Safety, Research Computing Center, and Research Development Support.

Dr. Kim previously served as Dean for Faculty Affairs for the Division of the Biological Sciences and is the Associate Director of the University of Chicago Comprehensive Cancer Center. She is the founder and director of the University of Chicago Center for Asian Health Equity, the only research center dedicated to the study of Asian health disparities in the Midwest, and a national leader on policies for inclusion of Asian-Americans in research.

With extensive expertise in community-based participatory research (CBPR), dissemination and implementation science, intervention and minority health research, Kim has focused on the rigorous development and evaluation of multi-level strategies to advance health equity supported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Cancer Institute Beau Biden Cancer Moonshot Initiative, and the Department of Health and Human Service’s Office of Minority Health and the National Institutes of Health. Kim’s research has a specific focus on the content domain of colorectal cancer prevention and on the methodological domain of implementation science. Recently, Kim’s research has focused on developing innovative technology-based solutions to address gaps in health care services among federally qualified community health centers.

In addition to her research, Kim is deeply committed to civic engagement and has dedicated significant time to advancing health through service to numerous nonprofit organizations and national boards. Kim has been nationally recognized for her advocacy and policy work and received the International Women’s Leadership Award, the Chicago Foundation for Women Impact Award and the Cancer Prevention Laurel for Increasing Health Equity.

She is a member of the American College of Physicians, American Gastroenterological Association, and the American Medical Association, American Association for Cancer Research and the American Public Health Association.

Aysenur (Ayse) Musaogullari graduated summa cum laude from John Carroll University with a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry and a minor in Peace, Justice, and Human Rights. Prior to joining Pritzker, Ayse performed clinical and translational research in glaucoma at the Havener Eye Institute in Columbus, Ohio. During this time, she also partnered with a non-profit organization and worked on several projects to improve health access and literacy for refugees and asylum seekers.

At Pritzker, Ayse is the Co-Director of the Maria Shelter Free Clinic, which serves women and children experiencing homelessness on the South Side. Currently, she is exploring her research and clinical interests in ophthalmology and global health.

Dr. Perez-Gutierrez is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Surgery, specializing in kidney and liver transplantation.

Dr. Perez-Gutierrez received her medical degree from the University of Veracruz in Mexico, where she graduated summa cum laude. She then completed her General Surgery residency at the National Institute of Medical Science and Nutrition in Mexico City.

Dr. Perez-Gutierrez then spent three years at the Thomas Starzl Transplantation Institute at the University of Pittsburgh performing translational research, focusing on tolerance induction models using cell immune therapy.

She completed an abdominal transplant fellowship and pancreatic islet transplantation fellowship at the University of Chicago and has played an important role in the clinical growth of the Abdominal Transplant Program.

Due to her experience in pediatric transplant surgery acquired during her fellowship, Dr. Perez-Gutierrez is the primary pediatric kidney transplant surgeon at the University of Chicago.

As a Spanish-speaking transplant surgeon, Dr. Perez-Gutierrez is dedicated to helping Hispanic patients and their families who seek the highest-quality transplant care, and she is part of the newly established Hispanic Transplant Program. Her academic work has focused on transplant outcomes and biomarkers. Dr. Perez-Gutierrez has been instrumental in the development of the biorepository of the University of Chicago Transplantation Institute, which has the goal of fostering transplant research and collaborations. At the same time, she continues her own translational efforts, which are demonstrated in her multiple peer-reviewed publications in high-impact journals.

Sarah Shubeck, MD, MS, is a breast surgical oncologist who specializes in the care of patients with benign breast conditions and breast cancer. In addition to Dr. Shubeck’s commitment to her clinical practice, she is also passionate about using research to improve healthcare. Some of her research has included studying the value, variation and quality of surgical care. Dr. Shubeck’s research interests are focused on understanding current cancer care delivery and the development and implementation of evidence-based health care policy that can promote equitable outcomes experienced by individuals with breast cancer and beyond.

Dr. Mitchell C. Posner’s principle clinical and research interests are focused on the management of upper gastrointestinal cancer, the molecular and genetic basis of gastrointestinal malignancy and oligometastases.  The author of more than 250 original articles, published abstracts and book chapters, he has received numerous awards for his investigative efforts and teaching.  These include the Robert J. Baker Award for Excellence in Teaching at the University of Chicago, and both the Basic Science and Clinical Research Award from the Society of Surgical Oncology.  He served as Chair of the Gastrointestinal Committee of the American College of Surgeons Oncology Group (ACOSOG), the only national surgically focused cooperative group dedicated to clinical trials research.

Dr. Posner serves on the Editorial Board of the Annals of Surgery, Surgery, The Journal of the American College of Surgeons and the American Journal of Surgery. He is Deputy Editor of the Annals of Surgical Oncology. He is Section Editor of Gastrointestinal Diseases for the American Cancer Society journal Cancer. He is a member of many national surgical and oncology organizations including the Society of University Surgeons and the American Surgical Association.  He is a Past President of the Society of Surgical Oncology and past President of the Society of Surgical Oncology Foundation.  He has served as a member of the newly created Surgical Oncology Board of The American Board of Surgery.  In 2002, Dr. Posner was appointed as Professor of Surgery and Cancer Research at the University of Chicago.  In 2004, Dr. Posner was named Chief of the Section of General Surgery, Director of the Surgical Residency Program and Vice-Chairman in the Department of Surgery at the University of Chicago.  In 2007 he was awarded the Thomas D. Jones Professorship, becoming one of only five individuals since 1940 (the first being Lester Dragstedt) to be honored with receiving this endowed chair in surgery at the medical school.  In 2012 he was appointed Professor of Radiation and Cellular Oncology.  In 2015 he was named Physician-in-Chief of the University of Chicago Medicine Comprehensive Cancer Center and in 2020 was appointed as Co-Director of the UCMC Cancer Service line.

Dr. Hightower is the Executive Vice President and Chief Digital Technology Officer (CDTO) of the University of Chicago Medicine, and the CEO and co-Founder of Equality AI. She is the former Chief Medical Information Officer (CMIO) and Sr. Director of Health Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion at the University of Utah Health and former CMIO and Chief Population Health Officer (CPHO) at University of Iowa Healthcare. Her executive leadership experience spans healthcare digital transformation strategy and operations, population health, and diversity, equity, and inclusion, with academic medical centers, clinically integrated networks, and accountable care organizations, and early-stage investor financed healthcare tech.

Dr. Hightower is an expert and a nationally sought speaker in Responsible AI and the intersection of digital technology with health equity, diversity, and inclusion. She strives to ensure that the value from digital transformation of healthcare is equitable across all stakeholders, including our most vulnerable.

In addition to leading digital strategy and operations at UChicago Medicine, she leads Equality AI, an early-stage investor backed healthcare tech startup. Equality AI is on a mission to end algorithmic bias in healthcare. Data scientists are the newest members of the care team. Equality AI empowers digitally enabled care teams to achieve health equity goals through responsible AI and tools to develop algorithms that address bias, fairness, and performance.
Dr. Hightower is a champion for health equity, diversity, and inclusion awareness and initiatives. She developed the Healthcare IT Equity Maturity Model (HITEM) to dismantle structural bias hardwired in healthcare IT and develop an inclusive and equity minded healthcare IT culture. Dr. Hightower was recently recognized by Health Data Management as one of the “Most Powerful Women in Healthcare IT” and “25 leading CMIOs at healthcare organizations.” She was recognized by Becker’s Hospital Review as one of “50 hospital and health system CMIOs to know”.

Dr. Hightower received her Medical Degree, as well as a Master of Public Health, from the University of Rochester School of Medicine, followed by residencies in Internal Medicine and Pediatrics at the University of California, San Diego. She also holds an MBA from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School. Dr. Hightower has moved full-time in the CEO role for Equality AI.

Ervin Kocjancic is a skilled reconstructive urologist who specializes in pelvic health, urinary incontinence, and reconstructive surgery for female, male, and transgender patients. He has expertise in gender affirmation surgery and complex reconstructive genitourinary conditions. He is devoted to investigating new and/or better treatments for urologic conditions, as well as mentoring students and improving care for patients. He has received numerous awards and citations for presentations, research, teaching, and clinical service.

He is active in several medical and service organizations, promoting the practice and importance of urology around the world. He serves on the editorial board of the International Urogynecology Journal, and as a member of the International Neuro-Urology Society’s board of directors.  He also served as chair of the International Continence Society’s Education Committee.

Kocjancic holds an MD from the School of Medicine and Surgery at the University of Trieste, Italy. He completed a urology residency at the University of Milan, as well as a fellowship in female and reconstructive urology at the Sava Perovic Foundation—Center for Genito-Urinary Reconstructive Surgery in Belgrade, Serbia. Most recently, he was the Lawrence S. Ross Endowed Professor of Urology at the University of Illinois Chicago.

Yousuf Kyeso is a clinical transplant nephrologist and assistant professor of medicine at the University of Chicago. He earned his medical degree from the University of Jordan in 2011 then completed his internal medicine residency at Rochester Regional Health/University of Rochester in 2017. Soon after, he joined the Johns Hopkins Hospital where he finished his fellowship training in nephrology and kidney transplantation. His academic work has been focused on studying noninvasive methods of detecting kidney transplant rejection and predicting long-term survival. His clinical interests include evaluation of multi organ transplant recipients and management of incompatible kidney transplant recipients. 

He has presented his research at several national meetings including the American Society of Nephrology, the National Kidney Foundation, and the American Transplant Congress. He has published several peer reviewed papers . Dr. Kyeso is heavily involved in the teaching program of his fellows at the University of Chicago and he was awarded by his department for his excellence in education.

Katie Rowland is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Surgery, Section of Pediatric Surgery, at the University of Chicago.  She received her Bachelor of Arts degree from Baylor University, majoring as a University Scholar with an emphasis in biology and the medical humanities.  She earned her Doctor of Medicine and Master of Population Health Science degrees from Washington University in Saint Louis.  She completed her general surgery residency training at Washington University in Saint Louis and fellowship training in pediatric surgery at Oregon Health and Science University.  At the University of Chicago she is a pediatric surgeon with a clinical emphasis on minimally invasive techniques.  She has an interest in quality improvement in the delivery of pediatric surgical care.  She has an academic research focus in moral and professional formation in medical education.  She is a Faculty Fellow at the Hyde Park Institute and the course director of the Scholars in Ethics and Medicine program, where she teaches University of Chicago medical and undergraduate students in the cultivation of character, using a virtue ethics framework to promote flourishing as a physician and in life. 

Dr. Stanford is an Assistant Professor in the Section of Emergency Medicine and the Director of ED HIV and STI Screening at the Chicago Center for HIV Elimination (CCHE). Dr. Stanford received her Doctor of Medicine at Columbia University, followed by a residency in emergency medicine at Harvard MGH/Brigham & Women’s, and then a Master of Public Health degree at Johns Hopkins University. Dr. Stanford is active in social emergency medicine, chairing both state and national Social EM committees. She runs a robust ED HIV screening program and developed an innovative universal syphilis screening program. Her research focuses on the use of the emergency department visit to address the social determinants of health, including infectious diseases, sexual and reproductive health, homelessness, and human trafficking. Utilizing implementation science methods to inform program development, implementation, and expansion, Dr. Stanford hopes to improve early diagnosis and access to care through innovative ED screening and referral programs.

Noa Krugliak Cleveland, MD, is a board-certified physician who specializes in gastroenterology. Dr. Krugliak Cleveland has advanced training in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and sees patient with ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease. She is interested in the use of novel therapies to treat IBD and use of new technologies for the detection and management of cancer and inflammation in IBD including bedside intestinal ultrasound. 

Along with her clinical expertise, Dr. Krugliak Cleveland is also a physician-scientist, whose research focuses on disease outcomes and prevention of IBD complications. She investigates the application of new technology for the detection and prevention of progression of IBD. Her work has been published in several peer-reviewed journals, including Gastroenterology, The American Journal of Gastroenterology, Inflammatory Bowel Diseases, Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Digestive Diseases and Sciences and more.

Dr. Carina Yang is an Associate Professor of Radiology, Vice Chair of Diversity & Inclusion, and the Director of Pediatric Neuroradiology. She also served as the Director of the Neuroradiology Fellowship for 8 years. Dr. Yang is an expert in interpretation of neuroradiological CT and MR examinations, and promotes techniques to minimize radiation exposure and performing imaging without the need for extended sedation for pediatric patients.

A triple major at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dr. Yang completed her medical degree at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, and stayed local to complete her Radiology Residency as well as Neuroradiology Fellowship at Northwestern. She previously worked in Pediatric Neuroradiology at Children’s Memorial Hospital here in Chicago.

Dr. Yang is highly devoted to educating students, trainees, and radiologists from around the world. She was the recipient of the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine Medical Education Research, Innovation, Teaching and Scholarship (MERITS) in 2016-2017. She was also selected as a Semi-Finalist for Most Effective Radiology Educator “Minnies” in 2022 on AuntMinnie.com,

She is a leader in the field of medical simulation in radiology. She developed a simulation program to train radiology residents and fellows in the diagnosis and management of contrast reactions. She also co-directed a similar, larger scale hands-on workshop at the Radiological Society of North America. She also explored image-guided spine procedures using a lumbar task trainer and ImmersiveTouch virtual reality and haptic simulator. Dr. Yang has authored several peer-reviewed articles on the use of simulation in radiology.

Dr. Yang co-founded the Chicagoland Radiology Expo, now in its 7^th year, which provides medical students an opportunity to learn about the field of radiology through a series of interactive panels and hands-on activities. In particular, sessions on underrepresented minorities and women in radiology help to promote diversity in this specialty. She continues to shape the departmental diversity program, with emphasis on recruitment processes and community outreach.

She has completed multiple international visiting professorships imparting pediatric neuroradiology knowledge across the world, including Newfoundland, India, Hong Kong, and most recently Ethiopia, as the 2019 Anne G. Osborn American Society of North America International Outreach Professor. She hopes to continue to further her worldwide educational endeavors.

Brandon Jackson Baird, MD, is a laryngeal surgeon specializing in a wide range of laryngeal diseases with an emphasis on medical and surgical management of voice and swallowing disorders.  He completed residency in Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery at Stanford University and fellowship at Harvard University – Massachusetts General Hospital.  He has spear-headed the office-based laryngology practice at the University of Chicago. His research interests include adjuvant therapy for early glottic cancer and laryngeal dysplasia.

Dr. James N. Woodruff is a professor of medicine and Dean of Students for the Pritzker School of Medicine.  In this role, he supports medical students in their professional development, specialty selection and residency application.  A graduate of the Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, Dr. Woodruff completed his internal medicine residency and chief residency in the department of medicine at the University of Chicago.  His 8-year tenure as director of the internal medicine residency program and 6-year tenure as the Department of Medicine’s vice chair for education provide him with broad perspective on the medical training pathway.  Dr. Woodruff remains a core faculty member of the internal medicine residency with responsibility for managing 14 fellowship-training programs. He is a practicing general internist, caring for patients in both ambulatory and inpatient settings on the South Side of Chicago.  His areas of scholarship include medical professional development, complexity in medicine, adaptive behavior, practical wisdom, and diversity & inclusion.

Jasmine graduated summa cum laude from Washington University in 2010 with a BA in anthropology and election to Phi Beta Kappa. As a medical student, under the mentorship of Melissa Gilliam, MD, MPH, professor of obstetrics/gynecology and pediatrics, Jasmine has conducted research on social services used by teenage mothers during their first post partum year.

Jasmine was the co-coordinator of the Maria Shelter Clinic, a student-run clinic for homeless women and children. She served as Academic Co-Chair of the Student National Medical Association and participated as the student liaison to the search committee for the Associate Dean for Multicultural Affairs.

Dr. Taylor Umana is a pediatrician at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia in Philadelphia, PA.

Ashley graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2010 with a B.S. in Public Health, and minors in Mathematics and Chemistry. She spent two years working as a CDC public health associate in infectious disease epidemiology at the New Mexico Department of Health. As a 2013 Schweitzer Fellow, Ashley designed and implemented the first ever overdose prevention program at Cook County Jail. Under the mentorship of John Schneider, a Bucksbaum Faculty Scholar, Ashley has conducted research on the social networks of injection drug users in an HIV outbreak in Athens, Greece.

Dr. Tsang is a family medicine physician in San Francisco, CA.

Kathryn Thompson graduated magna cum laude from the University of Notre Dame with a BS in pre-professional science and theology. As an undergraduate, Kathryn worked as a caretaker for a neighbor with cerebral palsy and was as a mentor-in-faith through the Institute for Church Life. She conducted audiology research at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital and was a part-time surgical technician. She also performed piano bi-weekly at the Holy Cross House retirement home in South Bend, Indiana.

At Pritzker, Kathryn is a laboratory coordinator for the Community Health Clinic and volunteers as a minister of spiritual care at the hospital. She participated in Pritzker’s annual REMEDY service-learning trip to Peru. Under Dr. Bree Andrews and the Preeme+You project, Kathryn researched parent engagement at the NICU bedside. Under the mentorship of Dr. John Yoon, Kathryn conducts a focus group at Montgomery Place, exploring how seniors process aging through the lens of the Christian faith.

Robert graduated from Yale University with a BA in the History of Science, History of Medicine. Following his graduation, he was selected as a Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute Public Policy Fellow in Washington, D.C., where he served in the U.S. Senate in the office of Senator Barack Obama and in the health policy office of Senator Ted Kennedy. After completing the fellowship, he began work as a health policy analyst for the National Council of La Raza (NCLR), the largest national Latino civil rights and advocacy organization in the United States.

As a medical student, Robert is the co-coordinator of Community Health Clinic, a volunteer-run clinic on Chicago’s west side. He also serves as the Admissions Chair for the Student National Medical Association, and sits on the Pritzker Dean’s Council as class representative to the Association of American Medical Colleges. Under the mentorship of Monica Peek, MD, MPH, he completed his research paper “Shared Decision-Making Preferences and Behaviors of Hispanic and non-Hispanic White Patients with Diabetes,” which earned Honorable Mention for Excellence in the Pritzker Summer Research Program.

Dr. Sanchez is an attending physician at Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago.

Alex graduated magna cum laude from Brown University in 2009 with an ScB in Neuroscience. Following his graduation, Alex coordinated the construction of a community clinic in Bamako, Mali.

As a medical student, Alex researched the extent of false fluency in the health care setting as part of the Health Care Disparities course, and he has continued to explore potential solutions related to the lack of translation services. He also has conducted research with Benjamin Van Voorhees, MD, MPH, on the economic feasibility of an online adolescent depression prevention intervention.

Over the course of his first year, Alex helped conceive of a children’s illustrated book — combining information on the flu with artistic illustrations — to expand health literacy for children. He and his fellow students received a grant from the University of Chicago’s Arts/Science Initiative to fund the book’s initial publication and distribution.

Alex spent the 2013-14 academic year abroad in London where he completed a masters of science in public health at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. Alex conducted research on the effectiveness of interventions during humanitarian crises.

Dr. Ruby is an Emergency Medicine physician in El Segundo, CA.

Elizabeth graduated magna cum laude from Harvard College in 2005 with an AB in Economics, a Certificate in Health Policy and election to Phi Beta Kappa. Following her graduation, Elizabeth worked as an associate consultant at Bain & Company and in the Emergency Department of the University of Virginia Health Center.

As a medical student, under the mentorship of William Meadow, MD, PhD, Professor of Pediatrics and Co-Section Chief of Neonatology, and Neethi Pinto, MD, Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, Elizabeth has conducted research on the accuracy of care team prognoses regarding patient outcomes after hospitalization in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit.

Elizabeth has served as the co-coordinator of the Washington Park Children’s Free Clinic, a student-run clinic for underserved children. She also serves as a member of the Pre-Clinical Curricular Review Committee, charged with reviewing the first two years of the medical school curriculum.

Dr. Rhinesmith is a pediatrician at Children’s National Medical Center in Washington, DC.

Liese graduated from Stanford University in 2010 with a BA in anthropology and a BS in biology. She received numerous honors as an undergraduate, including graduation with distinction in biology and anthropology, departmental honors for her senior thesis, and election to Phi Beta Kappa.

As a medical student, under the mentorship of Funmi Olopade, MD, director of the Cancer Risk Clinic and professor of medical and human genetics, Liese has conducted qualitative research on cultural and social barriers to effective breast cancer care in southern Nigeria.

Liese also was selected to serve as a Teaching Assistant for The Human Body course. She is a member of the Pritzker School of Medicine student board and a translator at the Community Health Clinic, a volunteer-run free clinic on Chicago’s west side. Liese also is one of the co-chairs of the International Medicine Interest Group at Pritzker.

Liese received a Doris Duke Clinical Research Mentorship Grant and spent the 2013-14 academic year abroad where she conducted a breast cancer knowledge assessment of healthcare workers near Ibadan, Nigeria.

Dr. Pruitt is a Surgery Resident at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City, UT.

Matt Present graduated from Northwestern University with a B.A. in American History. He taught English for a year in a Japanese fishing village. Upon his return stateside, he wrote advertising and managed a creative team at Groupon for two years before leaving to become the founding editor of Grid, the Chicago Sun-Times Sunday business magazine. He has also worked as a ghostwriter, with work appearing Forbes and USA Today. Matt completed his post-baccalaureate education at Goucher College. At Pritzker, Matt is an executive board member of the Health Professions Recruitment and Exposure Program, works as a mentor in the Chicago Youth Partnership, teaches science to third-graders, and counsels students on human anatomy and healthy living. He also serves on the Pritzker Editorial Committee and the Service of Gratitude Planning Committee. Matt participated in Pritzker’s annual REMEDY medical service trip to Peru. Currently, he is conducting research with Dr. Neda Laiteerapong on individualization of glycemic control goals in patients with Type-II Diabetes Mellitus.

Dr. Present is a Pediatric Resident at the University of Rochester, Golisano Children’s Hospital in Rochester, NY.

Jamila Picart graduated with honors in Psychology and a minor in Biology from the University of Chicago in 2017, where she was selected as a student marshal. Jamila participated in the 3-year Clinical Excellence Scholar Tract (CEST), which is a collaboration between the College and the Bucksbaum Institute. As an undergraduate, Jamila researched the impact of emotion on memory recollection accuracy.

At Pritzker, Jamila is the Physician/Student Volunteer Coordinator for the Maria Shelter Clinic, a student-run clinic that serves homeless women and children on the South Side. She also was the Student National Medical Association (SNMA) Pritzker chapter Vice-President. As Vice-President, she began a dinner series that created spaces for students of color to seek mentorship from faculty of color and helped to plan the 2018 Midwest Regional Medical Education Conference.

Under the mentorship of Dr. Matthew Churpek, Jamila has also conducted epidemiological research to identify differences in characteristics and outcomes of high-risk ward patients evaluated by rapid response teams.

Dr. Picart is currently a surgical resident at University of Michigan Medicine.

Laurie Nosbusch graduated with highest distinction in 2013 from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with majors in Biology and Spanish and a certificate in Global Health. She was captain of the Division 1 women’s soccer team for two years and earned numerous awards, including the Big Ten Medal of Honor. In medical school, Laurie served as a board member for the Washington Park Children’s Free Clinic and a co-president of the Diabetes Prevention and Management Group. Under the mentorship of Kristen Knutson, Ph.D, Laurie investigated the impact of sleep extension on diabetes risk and earned Honorable Mention of Excellence in the Pritzker Summer Research Forum.

Dr. Nosbusch is an Emergency Medicine Resident at Northwestern University in Chicago, IL.

Robert Nolan graduated from the United States Naval Academy with a BS in Chemistry. As a medical student, Bobby has served as a curriculum coordinator for the South Side Science Scholars program, where he helped foster interest in the basic sciences within the Chicago Public School system.

Bobby also served as a co-coordinator of the Washington Park Free clinic, where he was able to incorporate developmental screenings and a program with Reach Out and Read into clinic flow. A Bucksbaum grant helped to support his research this summer, which assessed communication and empathy techniques with patients during conscious procedures.

With the honor and opportunity that this scholarship entails, he hopes to continue to pursue this research while also delving into topics of pre-operative transparency. He also hopes to continue to strengthen Washington Park’s outreach and education programs, as well as to extend support to programs treating PTS within the south side of Chicago.

Nzuekoh Nchinda graduated from Harvard University in 2014 with an AB in Chemistry and a secondary field in Global Health and Health Policy. During college, Nzuekoh served as the National Region II Vice-President of HOSA-Future Health Professionals. Prior to medical school, Nzuekoh performed translational HIV immunology research at the Ragon Institute and served as a medical scribe at Cambridge Health Alliance. She was also a Crisis Services volunteer for Samaritans, Inc.

As a medical student, Nzuekoh is a co-director of Maria Shelter Free Clinic. She is a co-founder and co-leader of Docs and Debates, which hosts documentary viewings and peer-to-peer dialogue on important social issues. She taught third-grade students through South Side Science Scholars and participated in the JOURNEES service-learning trips to rural Mississippi and South Dakota. Under the mentorship of Dr. Jennifer Moriatis Wolf, Nzuekoh is conducting research on tendinopathy risk factors and treatment decision-making in orthopedic care.

Dr. Nchinda is a Surgery Resident at the University of Washington.

Lukas Matern holds a B.A. in Music and Biochemistry from Columbia University, where he completed dual honors theses and graduated Phi Beta Kappa in 2014. His undergraduate pursuits in chamber music and cello performance brought him to venues such as the Yellow Barn Music Festival and Carnegie Hall.

As a medical student, Lukas has served on the board of the Washington Park Clinic and headed the Surgery Interest Group. He has also cultivated an interest in the development and structure of medical training as a representative on the Preclinical Curriculum Review Committee, and he is currently conducting research with Drs. Jeanne Farnan and Vineet Arora on the assessment of core competencies in residency programs. In his spare time, he continues to perform within the University of Chicago’s Department of Music.

Dr. Matern is a Clinical Fellow in Anesthesia at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, MA.

Sunny Kung graduated with Highest Honors from the University of California, Berkeley in 2013 with a B.S. in Bioengineering. As a medical student, she co-lead South Side Science Scholars and Big Ideas in Medicine. Sunny is a co-founder of the Bridgeport Free Clinic and a Huggins Society Ambassador. She also serves the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) as the Central Regional Delegate to the National Committee on Community & Diversity, as well as the Pritzker representative to the Organization of Student Representatives. Under the mentorship of Jonas de Souza, Sunny completed a research project titled “Cost-coping Strategies in Locally Advanced Head and Neck Cancer.”

Dr. Kung is an Internal Medicine Resident at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, MA.

Kathryn Kinasz graduated magna cum laude from the University of Notre Dame in 2010 with a B.A. in English and Psychology and election to the Phi Beta Kappa Society. Following graduation, Kate spent two years working at a strategy consulting firm in Chicago and a year completing her post-baccalaureate pre-medical education at Bryn Mawr College.

Under the mentorship of Daniel Le Grange and with a Medical Student Fellowship from the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Kate has conducted research on the differences between boys and girls who present for eating disorder treatment. As a 2014 Schweitzer Fellow, Kate is working with the Girls in the Game organization to teach young girls in urban settings health and leadership lessons through participation in sports.

Kate also serves as the co-director of the Washington Park Pediatric Clinic, the co-curriculum director for the Adolescent Substance Abuse Prevention program, and the co-director of the Pediatrics Interest Group. Kate recently returned from a medical service trip to Peru with the REMEDY student group.

Dr. Kinasz is a Psychiatry Resident at University of California, San Francisco in San Francisco, CA.

Tae Yeon Kim completed a BA in Anthropology in 2013 at the University of Chicago, where she graduated with Honors and was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. Before medical school, she worked as a Research Assistant at the MacLean Center for Clinical Medical Ethics at the University of Chicago. As a medical student, under the mentorship of Dr. Anna Volerman, Tae Yeon has conducted research to identify factors associated with the carry and use of inhalers by children with asthma in schools. Tae Yeon is on the board as the Interpreter Coordinator for Bridgeport Free Clinic, which serves a predominantly Cantonese speaking immigrant population. She also co-leads Big Ideas in Medicine, Reach Out and Read, and Pritzker Community Service Fellowship. She has served as a Peer Educator for the Health Care Disparities course and is a member of the Identity and Inclusion Steering Committee at the medical school.

Dr. Kim completed her residency at the University of Chicago Medicine and is currently a Pediatric Hospitalist for NorthShore Medical Group in Evanston, IL.

Tyrone Johnson graduated magna cum laude from the University of California, Los Angeles in 2015 with a BS in Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics. He is a former coordinator of the UCLA Mobile Clinic Project, an interdisciplinary street-side free clinic that provides medical and social services to the homeless of West Los Angeles.

As a 2017 Schweitzer Fellow, Ty developed a holistic wellness curriculum for underserved and housing-insecure adults in Chicago’s Uptown. At Pritzker, Ty has served as co-director of the Maria Shelter Clinic, as a board member of the Student National Medical Association (SNMA), and as a member of the Identity & Inclusion Committee.

Under the mentorship of Dr. Lolita Alkureishi, Ty has conducted research on methods of improving patient-centered communication in the Electronic Medical Record era. He is also working with Dr. Elizabeth Tung to investigate the impact of community violence on chronic disease in Chicago’s West and South Side neighborhoods.

Dr. Johnson is a Medicine Resident at the University of California, San Francisco.

Brenna graduated from Dartmouth College in 2009 with an AB in Economics and Environmental Studies. As a medical student, under the mentorship of Marshall Chin and Monica Peek, a Bucksbaum Institute Jr. Faculty Scholar, Brenna has conducted research on ways to improve diabetes care and outcomes on the South Side of Chicago. Brenna has also conducted research in collaboration with Pilar Ortega to assess barriers to Emergency Department utilization of interpreter services.

Dr. Chase is a Pediatric & Urban Health Resident at Children’s Hospital in Boston, MA.

Ashley Hite, graduated from Washington University in St. Louis in 2013 with a BA in Psychology, Neuroscience and Philosophy and a minor in Children‘s Studies. Following graduation, Ashley taught and coached sports teams for a year at a charter school in Newark, NJ.

Under the mentorship of Dr. Beth Plunkett, Ashley completed a research project titled “Exploration of Barriers Facing Physicians in Diagnosing and Treating Obesity.” This summer, under the advisement of Dr. Vela and with two of her fellow classmates, she served as a TA and coordinator for the Chicago Academic Medical Program, where they exposed minority students to the field of medicine through enrichment and mentoring. She also was invited to attend the Hazelden Betty Ford Summer Institute for Medical Students where she gained insight into the approach to treatment of the chemically dependent person through lecture, group therapy sessions and meals with patients with patients and specialty groups.

In medical school, Ashley was the co-President of Students National Medical Association (SNMA) and served on a free clinic board as Education chair of Maria Shelter Clinic, a free clinic for women in Englewood. She also served as the co-director of the Psychiatry Interest Group. Ashley was the fundraising chair for REMEDY, a medical service group, and this summer went on a medical service trip to Peru.

Dr. Hite is a Medicine Resident at the University of California, Los Angeles.

Laura Glick graduated from Tufts University with a B.A. in Psychology and Community Health. At Tufts, Laura was honored with the prestigious Presidential Award for Citizenship and Public Service. Laura conducted clinical and translational research at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School. Under the mentorship of Dr. David Rubin, a Bucksbaum Institute Master Clinician, Laura has conducted research on Crohn’s disease, earning the Joseph B. Kirsner Research Award for Excellence in the Pritzker Summer Research Forum. Additionally, she is working with Dr. Vineet Arora to improve verbal handoffs in the hospital setting. As a medical student, Laura serves as the co-director of the Washington Park Pediatric Free Clinic, an executive board member of the Health Professions Recruitment and Exposure Program, a leadership council member of Peer Health Exchange, and as a member of the Adolescent Substance Abuse Program.

Dr. Glick is a Hospital Resident at the Yale School of Medicine in New Haven, CT.

Sean Gaffney graduated magna cum laude from the University of Notre Dame in 2009 with a BA in Philosophy and Economics. Following graduation, Sean taught for two years at a high school in the Rio Grande Valley while completing a M.Ed. through Notre Dame’s ACE program.

As a medical student, Sean is the co-coordinator of CommunityHealth Clinic, a free clinic on Chicago’s west side. He also serves as a member of the Pre-Clinical Curriculum Review Committee, charged with reviewing the first two years of medical school curriculum.

Under the mentorship of Drs. Vineet Arora and Jeanne Farnan, Sean completed a research project titled “Transitions of Care and Transitioning to Training: Teaching and Assessing a Core Entrustable Professional Activity for Entering Residency,” which earned Honorable Mention for Excellence in the Pritzker Summer Research Program.

Dr. Gaffney is a Medicine Resident at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill, NC.

(1988-2021)

Brooke Gabster graduated summa cum laude from Princeton University in 2011 with an A.B. from the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs. Before medical school, Brooke worked for Deloitte Consulting LLP, where she helped the Military Health System design innovative programs to reduce tobacco use and obesity, and guided Navy Medicine’s implementation and evaluation of a patient-centered medical home model of care at over one hundred clinics. In addition to her domestic health experience, Brooke has worked on global health projects in Germany, Thailand, and South Africa.

At the Pritzker School of Medicine, Brooke is the co-director of the Maria Shelter Clinic, a free clinic in a homeless shelter in Englewood. She also helps evaluate and improve the medical school curriculum as a member of the Pre-Clinical Curriculum Review Committee. Additionally, under the mentorship of Dr. David Meltzer, Brooke is conducting research about how a new model of care designed to increase physician-patient continuity might improve discussions about end-of-life care: her project titled “The Impact of the Comprehensive Care Physician Program on Advance Care Planning” earned Honorable Mention for Excellence in the Pritzker Summer Research Program.

Dr. Gabster is an Internal Medicine Resident at Stanford University in Stanford, CA.

Nicole Dussault graduated summa cum laude and with honors in Economics from Columbia University, where she was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. As an undergraduate, Nicole volunteered as an Emergency Department patient advocate for survivors of sexual assault. After graduation, she conducted healthcare economics research at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. Her work on the financial impact of the Affordable Care Act was featured in Liberty Street Economics.

At Pritzker, Nicole is a Quality Improvement Coordinator for the Maria Shelter Clinic, a founding member of Pritzker TECH, and a part of the University’s Hotspotting team. Nicole and fellow medical students also spearheaded a project to improve patient care for survivors of sexual assault in the University of Chicago ED, working with Drs. Keme Carter and Sonia Oyola. Under Dr. Matthew Churpek, she is also developing a machine learning algorithm to identify infection in hospitalized patients.

Dr. Dussault is currently an internal medicine resident at Duke Health.

Mark Chee graduated from Duke University with a B.S. in Chemistry and minors in Biology and Global Health. Mark is the Patient Satisfaction and Quality Improvement Co-Chair at the Bridgeport Free Clinic, a student-run clinic that serves an Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community on the South Side of Chicago. He also served as the Asian Pacific American Medical Student Association’s National Conference Co-Chair, helping to plan the 2016. Mark has worked on health policy and medical education issues as Pritzker’s representative in both the Illinois State Medical Society and Chicago Medical Society Medical Student Sections as well as the Association of American Medical Colleges Organization of Student Representatives.

Under the mentorship of Dr. Vineet Arora, Mark is conducting research about the barriers and facilitators of generic prescribing among providers and how effective messaging about generics can promote generic prescribing.

Dr. Chee is an Internal Medicine Resident at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, MA.

Anne graduated magna cum laude from the University of Notre Dame in 2007 with a B.A. in English Literature and minors in French Literature/Francophone Studies and International Peace Studies. Following graduation, Anne spent two and a half years as a volunteer social worker at an orphanage in Honduras.

As a medical student, under the mentorship of Dr. Niranjan S. Karnik and with a Summer Medical Student Fellowship from the Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP), Anne has researched the effects of homelessness on the mental health and behaviors of Chicago homeless youth. She presented her initial findings at the AACAP’s annual conference in October.

Anne also serves on the Pritzker student board for the Community Health Clinic, a free clinic in Chicago’s West Town; is Academic Chair for the International Medicine Interest Group; and co-coordinates SAMS, a student-run group that offers practice in medical Spanish.

Dr. Castro is an Assistant Professor in the Anesthesiology Department at the Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee, WI.

Steven graduated from Stanford University in 2012 with a BS in Biology with distinction. In medical school, he has developed an ongoing IRB-approved clinical trial on treating leukemia patients. Currently, Steven is the co-president for the Latino Medical Student Association, the local coordinator for ASAP, a youth substance abuse prevention program, and president of the Oncology interest group.

Dr. Bhutra is currently a Pain Medicine Fellow at the University of Virginia Health in Charlotesville, VA.

Abena Appah-Sampong graduated with honors from the University of Chicago in 2016 with a BA in Public Policy and Biology. As an undergraduate, Abena volunteered childcare and tutoring services at the Maria Shelter. After college, Abena completed a public interest fellowship at the Cook County Health and Hospitals System, where she worked to build infrastructure implementing the health system’s strategic plan and conducted analyses advocating for the addition of bilingual nursing staff.

As a medical student, Abena is the co-director of the Maria Shelter clinic and serves on the Wellness committee. She co-organized a conference for Black and Latina Women in Medicine in the Chicagoland area and was also as a mentor for HPREP, a healthcare pipeline program for underrepresented minorities. She is also working with Dr. Neda Laiteerpong to forecast future racial disparities in diabetes complications using simulation modeling.

Dr. Appah-Sampong is currently a surgical resident at Brigham and Women’s Hospital.

Hasenin Al-Kahersan, graduated with highest distinction and election to Phi Beta Kappa from the University of Michigan in 2013 with a BS in Cell & Molecular Biology and Arabic & Islamic Studies. As a medical student, he has researched the pathophysiology of cataracts with Eric Beyer, MD/PhD. He has also helped to analyze Simfield, a cost-effective glaucoma-screening tool. After his first year, Hasenin travelled to Germany and Poland as a Medical Fellow with the Fellowship at Auschwitz for the Study of Professional Ethics, examining both physician involvement in Nazi crimes and issues in contemporary medical ethics.

Dr. Al-Khersan is an Ophthalmology Resident at the University of Miami Beascon Palmer in Miami, FL.

Dr. Verma is a general internist who specializes in the comprehensive care of adult patients in both the inpatient and outpatient settings. After earning her undergraduate degrees in Chemistry and Public Policy Studies from Duke University, she received her medical training at UNC-Chapel Hill and completed her residency in Internal Medicine at the University of Chicago. She then joined the section of Hospital Medicine as part of the Comprehensive Care Program.

Dr. Verma’s academic interests include health care delivery innovation and quality improvement. She is especially interested in ways to reduce costs and improve clinical outcomes for frequently hospitalized and medically complex patients. Dr. Verma is also active in medical education, and spends time precepting both residents and medical students.

Dr. Verma now practices at the Johnston-Willis Hospital in Richmond, VA.

Audrey L. Tanksley MD was born and raised on the south side of Chicago in the Roseland community. She attended Southern Illinois University Carbondale and received a Bachelor of Arts in Biological-Sciences. Following this she attended Southern Illinois University School of Medicine in Springfield, IL and completed studies in general medical education. During the time in Springfield, Dr. Tanksley, was vice president of the class of 2009, served as a student representative to the AAMC, assisted with LCME accreditation and received a grant to provide health and oral screenings to the people of Sangamon County. Dr. Tanksley returned to the Chicagoland area to complete her Internal Medicine residency training at UIC/ Advocate Christ Medical Center where she also served as chief resident. Upon completion of chief year, Dr. Tanksley transitioned into a 2 year Medical Education Research Fellowship at The University of Chicago Medical Center.

As a Medical Education, Research, Innovation, Teaching and Scholarship (MERITS) fellow at the University of Chicago, Dr. Tanksley’s academic work focused on healthcare disparities, communication, professionalism and resident supervision. She also assisted with investigations of the TEACH pipeline program for high school students. Her scholarly work has been presented at various regional and national conferences, including the Association of American Medical Colleges and the Society for General Internal Medicine. She is currently conducting an analysis of a novel curriculum created to teach residents how to obtain Informed Consent using a culturally sensitive approach. She has also worked on improving patient safety through resident supervision in the ambulatory environment.

As a General Internist, Dr. Tanksley supervises internal medicine residents and students caring for patients in the primary care clinics and general medical floors. She has worked closely with Drs. Arora and Farnan on qualitative research with high school students using focus groups, and is experienced with the use of Atlas software. She has also worked on quantitative projects as well and is experienced with the use of STATA software.

Dr. Tanksley now practices with ACCESS Community Health in Chicago, IL.

Robert Steppacher, MD FACS and assistant professor in the Department of Surgery. Dr. Steppacher specializes in the medical, surgical, and endovascular management of aortic, carotid, and peripheral vascular disease. His interests also include treatment of venous disease and dialysis access. In addition to his clinical pursuits, Dr. Steppacher is also a Medical Director of Informatics at the University of Chicago. He has extensive expertise and interest in improving the electronic health record at UCM. Dr. Steppacher serves on numerous committees and taskforces at the local, regional, and national level. He is the director of arterial quality for the Mid-America Vascular Study Group and the chair of the medication optimization and EHR integration committees for the Society for Vascular Surgery. Dr. Steppacher research interests include using large data sets to foster improvement in vascular care and increasing the usability of the EHR.

In 2016, Dr. Steppacher joined the faculty at the University of Massachusetts Memorial Medical Center in Worcester.

Dr. Silva is an Assistant Professor in the Section of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. She trained at the University of Chicago for Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery and completed an additional Reconstructive Microsurgery Fellowship at New York University.

Her research interests include improving the patient experience and outcomes in head and neck reconstruction. She is specifically interested in long-term outcomes, quality of life, and investigating how reconstructive details such as flap choice, design, and inset can improve outcomes. She is also interested in the benefits of collaboration amongst specialties who overlap in scope of practice and investigating avenues and barriers to collaboration.

Clinically, she focuses on complex reconstruction from head to toe and has a particular interest in head and neck and facial reconstruction for cancer and traumatic defects including facial nerve surgery.

Dr. Silva is the Quality and Patient Safety Improvement committee member for the division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery and is a member of the new formed Department of Surgery Wellness Taskforce.

In 2020, Dr. Silva joined the faculty at the University of Kentucky in Lexington, KY.

Dr. Holly Shiao is an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Director of Emergency Psychiatry. She has a special focus on Psycho-Oncology, providing care to cancer patients both in hospital and clinical settings. She is also an attending on the Consultation/Liaison Psychiatry service.

Dr. Shiao attended medical school at John P. and Kathrine G. McGovern Medical School at the University Health Science Center at Houston. She then completed a General Psychiatry residency at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, followed by a Consultation/Liaison fellowship at Dell Medical School at the University of Texas at Austin.

Dr. Shiao is interested in the benefits of mindfulness and supportive psychotherapy for patients. She also teaches and serves as a mentor for the residents.

In 2020, Dr. Shiao joined the faculty at the University of Washington in Seattle, WA.

Dr. Sharma is a medical oncologist and clinical pharmacologist who focuses on the development of novel therapies for patients with all types of cancer, and gastrointestinal cancers in particular. His research involves computer-based modeling and simulation using data (including patient-reported outcomes) from oncology clinical trials. The broad objective of this research is to improve the development (by informing clinical trial design) and use of anticancer therapies. He has designed and conducted clinical trials that involve genotype-guided dosing of chemotherapy and repurposing of old drugs (such as sirolimus and metformin) as potential anticancer therapies. He is also using model-based phenotypes to develop genomic prediction tools for response to anticancer therapies. In an educational capacity, Dr. Sharma has an interest in improving doctor-patient communication with respect to informed consent for phase I cancer clinical trials.

Dr. Sharma is now a physician at the Cancer and Hematology Centers of Western Michigan.

Dr. Sargis is an Assistant Professor in the Section of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism. He completed his MD/PhD at Rush University before coming to the University of Chicago for his Internal Medicine and Endocrinology training. Rob’s clinical interests focus on diabetes, obesity, and lipid disorders, and in taking care of these patients, he places a strong emphasis on patient empowerment in effecting lifestyle change. In addition to seeing patients, Rob has an active research lab that studies the connections between environmental pollutants and metabolic diseases in hopes of generating sound scientific support for the development of public policy aimed at mitigating the deleterious effects of environmental contaminants on human health.

As of 2016, Dr. Sargis joined the faculty at the University of Illinois in Chicago.

Yasmin Sacro is an outstanding junior clinician-educator who’s been named as a Core Faculty member for the University of Chicago Internal Medicine residency program, based on her superior clinical skills and teaching abilities. She sees a high volume of adult primary care patients and is known by patients as an outstanding clinician. Yasmin teaches residents in the Primary Care Group and also at Community Health — the community-based free clinic, where she’s taking the lead on developing curriculum for residents about providing care in this underserved and very challenging setting.

As of 2015, Dr. Sacro is a physician at Denver Health in Colorado.

Dr. Patrick Reavey is an Assistant Professor of Surgery in the Section of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. He graduated from Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons and completed his general surgery residency at Columbia University Medical Center. During general surgery residency he also completed a two-year Outcomes Research Fellowship at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and obtained a Masters in Biostatistics. He subsequently went on to complete a residency in plastic surgery at New York University and an orthopedic hand fellowship at the University of California-Irvine. Dr. Reavey joined the University of Chicago after completing his training. His clinical focus is on hand surgery and lower extremity reconstruction, including diabetic limb salvage. He is committed to providing patient-centered care and involving patients in shared-medical decision-making to tailor the best treatment plan for each patient. His research interests include the development and utilization of patient-reported outcome measures to evaluate and guide patient care. Dr. Reavey is respected clinical educator, and is actively involved in both resident and medical student training. He is the director of the plastic surgery medical student student clinical clerkship and the Associate Residency Program Director for Plastic Surgery.

In 2012, Dr. Reavey joined the faculty at the University of Rochester in New York.

Dr. Pinto is an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics and Director of the Comprehensive Solid Tumor Clinic at the University of Chicago and a member of the Committee on Clinical Pharmacology and Pharmacogenomics. Dr. Pinto’s research focuses on the role of genetic variation in ethnic disparities and responsiveness to chemotherapy. Dr. Pinto directs the GREAT KIDS research program, an effort to comprehensively sequence the genomes of patients with newly diagnosed or relapsed pediatric cancer in order to gain a broader understanding of gene-environment interactions as well as actionable genetic alterations. Future research goals include improving communication of complex genetic traits and inheritance to patients and families affected by cancer.

Dr. Pinto is a physician at the Seattle Children’s Hospital in Seattle, WA.

Diana Mitchell, M.D. is an Instructor of Pediatric Critical Care. She cares for critically ill patients in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit.

Dr. Mitchell received a Bachelor of Arts in History from Indiana University. She worked for several years as a youth education director for AmeriCorps in Denver, Colorado before entering medical school at Southern Illinois University School of Medicine. Dedicated to working with children from the Southside of Chicago, Dr. Mitchell completed her Pediatric residency, Chief Residency, and subspecialty training in Pediatric Critical Care at The University of Chicago.

Dr. Mitchell’s research interest focuses on multidisciplinary medical education using medical simulation. Simulation based training uses high fidelity computerized mannequins to train members of the pediatric critical care team. Dr. Mitchell implemented and currently runs a curriculum for pediatric residents and nurses that focuses on caring for a critically ill pediatric patient. The goal of this curriculum is to train all members of the medical team to provide competent and compassionate care to the most critically ill children.

2012 Pilot Grant Project (joint project with Dr. Alisa McQueen): Communications During Pediatric Resuscitation

Dr. Mitchell practices at Advocate Children’s Medical Group in Illinois.

Pamela McShane, MD, is a skilled lung specialist with particular expertise in the treatment and study of bronchiectasis.Dr. McShane’s research interests include the origin, microbiology, and treatment of bronchiectasis. She developed a large registry of patients who have bronchiectasis in order to learn more about the natural history of this disease, and to provide opportunities for patients to participate in research trials. Dr. McShane is also investigating the roles of individual factors — such as immune deficiency, autoimmunity, and ethnicity — in the cause and natural history of bronchiectasis.

In 2019, Dr. McShane joined the faculty at the University of Texas Health East Texas in Tyler, TX.

Dr. Kiragu is an Assistant Professor of Medicine in the Section of General Internal Medicine. He received his medical training at Northwestern University and was a medicine resident and chief resident at The University of Chicago at NorthShore. He provides comprehensive primary care to adults and is passionate about preventive health. He currently sits on the committee of the Kidney Transplant Program and provides both evaluation and care for the transplant candidates. He is also interested in systems improvements by identifying factors predictive of poor outcomes among kidney transplant patients. Dr. Kiragu is also involved in training medicine residents and medical students.

In 2015, Dr. Kiragu joined Wilson Medical Group in Wilson, NC.

Dr. Kahn is Assistant Professor of Pediatrics in the Section of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, & Nutrition and is faculty at The MacLean Center for Clinical Medical Ethics. She received her medical degree from New York University School of Medicine and completed her residency and fellowships in pediatric gastroenterology and medical ethics at the University of Chicago.

Dr. Kahn specializes in the evaluation and treatment of digestive diseases in children and adolescents. She has a particular interest in inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), including Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. Dr. Kahn is the founder and Director of the Transitional IBD Clinic, a unique program that provides multidisciplinary specialty care for teens and young adults with IBD. Dr. Kahn’s research focuses on novel treatments for IBD and improving patient care for patients with IBD. Specifically, she is interested on adherence, self-management, and the transition of care from pediatric to adult IBD specialists.

Dr. Kahn is a member of the faulty at Boston Children’s Hospital in Massachusetts.

Jennifer Hofer is an anesthesiologist who specializes in critical care medicine. Jennifer’s affiliation with The University of Chicago has been since college in 1996, through to medical school, residency and fellowship, and now the present as a member of the faculty. She has specific interests in resident education, peri-operative care, and intra-operative coagulopathy including the effects of cell saver administration on bleeding, and outcomes of off-label Factor VII administration.

She has published in Anesthesiology Clinics on “Taking the septic patient to the operating room” and in book chapters on topics including common ICU procedures, electrolyte abnormalities, and pre-operative anesthesia assessments. Jennifer is a Bucksbaum Institute fellow and has an interest in developing the doctor-patient relationship to help physicians become first line responders to identify and stop human trafficking.

2012 Pilot Grant Project: Physicians as First Line Responders Against Human Trafficking

Dr. Gustin is a faculty member of the University of Chicago Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care. He is boarded in both Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine. He was a candidate for the Hospice and Palliative Care Medicine boards in 2012. His background is centered on being a physician educator, which is evident from his multiple teaching awards. His research focuses on the use of high fidelity simulation in medical student, resident, and fellow education.

2013 Pilot Grant Project: An Acute Pain Patient with Advanced Stage Cancer AND A Hospice Patient with Respiratory Distress in the ER: Improving Resident Physician Communications with Patients at the End of Life Utilizing Simulation Training

2012 Pilot Grant Project: Improving Patient Perception During Disclosure Conversations if Unanticipated Outcomes

Dr. Gustin joined the faculty at Loyola University in Chicago, IL in 2015.

Jonathan Emerson Kohler, MD MA is the senior fellow in pediatric surgery at the University of Chicago. Dr. Kohler holds degrees with honors from Brown University, where he studied biology and theatre, and from the Pritzker School of Medicine at the University of Chicago, as well as a masters degree in health communications from Emerson College. Prior to medical school, he worked in theatre and as a health care reporter for the daily Standard-Times in New Bedford, MA. His research interests include the effect of patient and parent expectations on outcomes in pediatric surgery, and on the role of mass media in forming and modulating those expectations. Projects include production of several patient and parent education programs for the University of Chicago, University of Washington, and Boston Children’s Hospital, and development of several medical drama pilots for network television with Imagine Television and CBS Studios. He is the founder of the medical narrative consulting company RxCreative, which helps produce accurate medicine on television, and helps doctors use narrative techniques to teach their patients. He completed his general surgery training at the University of Washington.

Dr. Kohler is a member of the faculty at the University of Wisconsin in Madison.

Dr. Gina Dudley completed her Medicine-Pediatrics residency at the University of Cincinnati in 2004. She currently serves as the director of the Adult Sickle Cell Care Team at the University of Chicago, where she treats patients with sickle cell disease in the inpatient and outpatient settings. She is a faculty preceptor for internal medicine and internal medicine/pediatrics residents and a clinician in the primary care group. Her clinical experiences and interests include transitional care for young adults with chronic diseases and health care for the homeless and vulnerable populations.

2012 Pilot Grant Project: Development of a Patient Care Card for Individuals with Sickle Cell Disease

As of 2013, Dr. Dudley entered private practice in Memphis, TN.

Annie Dude, MD, PhD, is an Assistant Professor in the Division of Maternal Fetal Medicine in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology. A University of Chicago graduate (Pritzker School of Medicine and Harris Graduate School of Public Policy Studies), she was trained at Duke University and the University of Illinois at Chicago in Obstetrics and Gynecology and completed her Maternal Fetal Medicine Fellowship at Northwestern Prentice Women’s Hospital. Clinically, she focuses on the care of pregnancies complicated by maternal medical illness, especially diabetes, HIV, and cardiac disease. She also works with patients through the Fetal and Neonatal Care Center (FNCC) whose pregnancies are complicated by fetal anomalies, often life-threatening. Optimal management for these pregnancies often involves coordinating care across multiple specialties, as well as complex decision-making that takes into account not just medical information, but patient values and goals. Dr. Dude has an interest in medical education, especially improving research during medical education, and serves as the Associate Fellowship Program Director for Maternal Fetal Medicine.

In 2020, Dr. Dude became an Assistant Professor of Maternal-Fetal Medicine at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine.

David Dickerson, MD is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Anesthesia and Critical Care (DACC) and Director of the Acute Pain Service. He is board-certified in anesthesiology and pain medicine. Dr. Dickerson’s clinical interests are acute postoperative pain, peripheral nerve injury, autonomic pain syndromes, and cancer pain. His research interests include continuous neural blockade for joint replacement, patient-centered pain care, and using the electronic health record to track patient postsurgical pain experience. Dr. Dickerson teaches medical students, residents, and fellows in the outpatient pain clinic, on the inpatient acute pain service, and in the operating room. He received the DACC’s teacher of the year award in 2015.

Dr. Dickerson is now the Medical Director of Anesthesia Pain Management Services at NorthShore University Health System in Evanston, IL.

Deirdre De Ranieri, MD,RhMSUS is an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, in the Section of Pediatric Rheumatology. She completed her undergraduate degree in Mathematics at Washington and Lee University, graduated from Tulane University School of Medicine in 2008, and did her medical training, including residency and fellowship, at the University of Chicago. She is currently serving as the Director of the Pediatric Rheumatology Fellowship Program. Dr. De Ranieri has a large clinical practice, mostly comprised of children with Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (JIA), and has been involved in several clinical trials which focus on the treatment of children with JIA. Dr. De Ranieri’s main research interest is in using musculoskeletal ultrasound (MSK US) to diagnose, monitor and treat children with JIA. She is involved in an international collaboration designed to standardize views of children’s joints. This year, she received a grant from CARRA (Childhood Arthritis and Rheumatology Research Alliance) to help identify subclinical disease in children with JIA, in the hopes of providing earlier more aggressive therapy (that is currently limited to polyarticular JIA) to these children, with the goal of minimizing disease sequelae, such as joint deformity, limitation, and pain. She is involved in teaching MSK US to her colleagues and fellows, as well as the Peds ER fellows, and is a part of the American College of Rheumatology MSK US examination certification program, which certifies rheumatologists in MSK US.

In 2020, Dr. deRanieri became an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics (Rheumatology), Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.

Jessica Curley MD, PhD is a Clinical Associate in pediatric nephrology. She also is the director of the pediatric quality assurance committee. While she has always loved to teach and provide clinical care, she has eagerly helped develop and continuously improve efforts to increase patient satisfaction as well as the quality and safety of care provided at UCM.

2013 Pilot Grant Project: Quality Improvement vs. Research: Controversies and Confusion

In 2014, Dr. Curley joined the Rocky Mountain Kidney Center in Denver, CO.

Sarah Collins, MD, is a specialist in urogynecology. In the Center for Pelvic Health, Dr. Collins works with a multidisciplinary team of experts dedicated to helping patients overcome physical, social and emotional challenges associated with pelvic floor disorders.

Dr. Collins is skilled in open, robotic, laparoscopic, and vaginal surgical techniques. In her research studies, she has investigated ways in which treatment for pelvic floor disorders affect quality of life.

2013 Pilot Grant Project: Predictors of satisfaction with surgical decision-making in elderly women undergoing gynecologic surgery

As of 2016, Dr. Collins joined the faculty at Northwestern University in Chicago, IL.

An adult nephrologist, Dr. W. James Chon is a member of the University of Chicago Medicine’s highly regarded renal transplant team. He specializes in the evaluation of donors and recipients for kidney and kidney-pancreas transplantation. Dr. Chon has extensive experience in post-transplant treatment, particularly in the management of immunosuppressive therapy for these patients.

Dr. Chon has been actively involved in numerous clinical research projects that deal with complex medical issues in renal transplant candidates and recipients. He is also interested in protecting deceased donor kidneys from tissue injury that can occur during the procurement surgery and transport process.

Dr. Chon is now a member of the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Medicine Faculty.

Dr. Caldarelli is a neonatologist specializing in the treatment of premature and critically ill infants in the neonatal intensive care unit. She completed her residency and fellowship at The University of Chicago and now serves on the faculty. In addition to her clinical work, Dr. Caldarelli works on improving the quality of medical care, researching medical outcomes and improvements in clinical care.

Her publications include articles on the long-term outcomes of neonatal intensive care and the effectiveness of new teaching methods. She is a dedicated educator and is interested in developing curricula. She also works with education in simulation centers.

As of 2015, Dr. Caldarelli joined the faculty at Northwestern University in Chicago, IL.

Julia Bregand-White, MD is an Assistant Professor in the Division of Maternal Fetal Medicine in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology. She was trained at the University of Illinois at Chicago in Obstetrics and Gynecology and completed her Maternal Fetal Medicine Fellowship at the University of Pittsburgh, Magee Womens Hospital. Clinically, she focuses on the care of pregnancies complicated by fetal anomalies and has taken the administrative and clinical lead in developing the Fetal and Neonatal Care Center (FNCC). The FNCC is a brand new program which has coordinated the care of over 200 patients in just over a year offering accurate evaluation and diagnosis of complex fetal conditions and facilitating prenatal collaboration with pediatric subspecialists to improve the outcome of these complicated pregnancies. Dr. Bregand-White has an interest in medical education, serves as the Associate Fellowship Program Director and oversees the fourth year sub-internship. She has developed a series of educational initiatives within the Division of Maternal Fetal Medicine to improve evidence based clinical consensus as well as the education of sonographers and trainees.

In 2020, Dr. Bergand-White joined the faculty at the University of California, Irvine Health (UCI) in Orange, CA.

Dr. Danielle Anderson is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience.

She completed her medical degree at University of Chicago’s Pritzker School of Medicine. She received training in psychiatry at the University of Chicago and fellowship training in geriatric psychiatry at The Johns Hopkins Hospital. Her interests include psychiatric complications that arise in dementia, late life depression, and how medical education impacts the empathy of developing physicians. She believes that communication and conveying understanding to diverse populations are essential to clinical excellence.

Dr. Anderson joined the faculty at Northwestern University in Chicago, IL in 2015.

Dr. Susan Ksiazek is a comprehensive ophthalmologist who interests are broad-based. A graduate of Rush Medical College in Chicago, she completed first a neurology residency at the University of Michigan, followed by a neuro-ophthalmology fellowship at Wills Eye Hospital in Philadelphia. She then went onto her ophthalmology residency at Montefiore Medical Center in New York. She is currently board certified in Neurology as well as Ophthalmology. She has experience with a running the Veteran’s Eye Clinic in Indianapolis before coming to Chicago. She continues seeing patients with a wide variety of problems including cataracts, glaucoma, eyelid problems, as well as neuro-ophthalmic disease. Her interests include education and in particular surgical education, specifically wetlab curriculum development. She is a devote educator and care giver. She won an award, Make a Difference in delivery of surgical care in 2015.

Dr. Christoforidis is a Professor of Radiology and Surgery and Section Chief of Neuoradiology. Dr Christoforidis has expertise in interventional neuroradiology (neuroendovascular surgery), and diagnostic neuroradiology of the brain, head, neck and spine. He is skilled in the diagnosis and treatment of patients with acute stroke, aneurysms, arteriovenous fistulas, arteriovenous malformations and other vascular lesions using minimally invasive diagnostic and image guided procedures.

Dr. Christoforidis works with colleagues from many specialties to improve quality of care, improve patient safety and outcomes and facilitate patient education. He has worked to tailor imaging and image guided procedures to address individual patient needs. He devotes special attention to help patients understand their treatment options and the potential risks and benefits of treatment including any recent innovations.

Dr. Christoforidis’ research focuses on endovascular treatment of acute ischemic stroke. He is investigating the formation of collateral blood vessels in the leptomeningeal tissue surrounding the brain and its role in acute ischemic stroke. He has participated in numerous clinical trials that use neurointerventional techniques and has contributed over a hundred articles and book chapters to the scientific literature. In addition, he frequently delivers presentations at national and international conferences.

Daniel Brauner has worked as a geriatrician for 33 years, seeing patients in the clinic, nursing home, hospital and their homes, first at UIC and then at the U of C arriving in 1994 when he also joined the faculty at the MacLean Center. Previously at UIC he also had an appointment in the Department of Medical Humanities where he worked with Suzanne Poirier teaching literature to young students of the health professionals and was among the first to apply critical theory to the medical endeavor, deconstructing the chart and medical presentation in the early 1990s. This was also when he began his obsession with understanding the resonant meaning behind advance directives as embodied by the DNR order. He began this enquiry at the U of C working with Victor Yngve professor of Anthropology and Linguistics where they studied the discourse of persons with dementia, and he ultimately developed an instrument for assessing decision-making capacity using linguistic theory. His most recent work for the past several years has focused on an historical analysis, specifically of resuscitation as a metaphor for understanding the current crisis in American Medicine. As a result of this work he is currently working on a new model for physicians, he calls the Patientist. Among his administrative responsibilities Dr. Brauner has served as the director of the Geriatrics Fellowship Program and is currently the Co-director the MacLean Center for Clinical Medical Ethics, Consult Service and is also a long time Assistant Director of the Center.

Dr. De Souza participates in both clinical and outcomes research studies on malignancies of the upper aerodigestive tract, especially head and neck cancers. His research focuses on the use of novel therapeutic agents along with measurements of financial burden, patients’ preferences, and the trade-offs between the risks and benefits of cancer therapies. His research has sought to integrate outcomes research, patient preferences, health policy, and economics into clinical practice. His ultimate goal is to increase access to essential cancer therapies by providing policy makers and scientific communities with the required information on patient preferences and on barriers that lie between cancer patients and access to care.

De Souza has authored and presented papers and given lectures on head and neck malignancies, reimbursement methods in oncology, and evidence-based care. He is the principal investigator for a trial examining the role of SPECT-CT in the follow-up of patients with locally advanced head and neck cancers.

De Souza earned his MD from the University of Rio de Janeiro State. He completed his residency specializing in internal medicine at the University of Texas Health Science Center in 2008 and a fellowship focusing on hematology/oncology at the University of Chicago in 2011. Dr. de Souza is currently pursuing his MBA at Booth to aid in his research about Cost Communication in Hematologic Malignancies. His ultimate goal is to increase access to essential cancer therapies by providing policy makers and scientific communities with the required information on patient preferences and on barriers that lie between cancer patients and access to care.

Dr. Jonas de Souza is now the Medical Director for Humana in Louisville, KY.

2013 Pilot Grant Project: A Pilot Program of Cost Communication in Hematologic Malignancies

Dr. Neethi Pinto received her Bachelor of Arts in Public Policy from Stanford University. She completed the Jane Addams fellowship in Philanthropy and directed an enrichment program for at risk youth before returning to Stanford for medical school. In 2001, she came to The University of Chicago where she completed a pediatric residency, chief residency, critical care fellowship and a Masters of Science in Health Studies and then joined the faculty. Dr. Pinto cares for patients in the pediatric ICU and on the Pediatric Sedation Service. She serves as a resident faculty advisor and directs a monthly journal club. She has established an evidence based medicine curriculum for pediatrics. She leads a cohort of undergraduate students in the Bucksbaum Institute Clinical Excellence Scholars track. Dr. Pinto’s research interests focus on the long-term outcomes of children who survive critical illness.

Dr. Pinto was appointed as a Senior Faculty Scholar in 2018.

In 2019, Dr. Pinto joined the faculty at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia in Pennsylvania.

Dr. Lyon’s academic interests encompass global health, human rights scholarship and advocacy, social medicine, prisoner health, and medical education. He has collaborated with Partners In Health [www.pih.org] in Haiti and at other sites for more than 18 years. He has been extensively involved in physician, nurse, and community health worker training for more than a decade. He is on the board of the Human Rights Program at the University of Chicago and teaches health and human rights at the College Dr. Lyon is the lead faculty on a University of Chicago Delhi Center funded project to advance “Rights-based Approaches to Tuberculosis” in collaboration with the Law School. Dr. Lyon is the lead faculty for the Global Hospital Medicine Fellowship at the University of Chicago, with fellows now working between Chicago and Haiti, Rwanda, and China.

Closer to home, Dr. Lyon is a primary care and hospital medicine physician in the University of Chicago Comprehensive Care Program. Continuing “global health at home,” Dr. Lyon delivers home-based primary care on the South Side of Chicago providing continuity between house calls and the hospital. Third year Pritzker students are now accompanying Dr. Lyon to learn from house calls during their core Family Medicine Clerkship.

In 2020, Dr. Lyon joined Partners in Health.

In 2016, Dr. Lyon joined the faculty at Heartland Alliance in Chicago, IL.

Alex Langerman is an Assistant Professor of Surgery in the Section of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery and is a specialist in the treatment of head and neck cancer and other diseases of the skull base, throat, and larynx as well as reconstruction of the head and neck.

Alex attended medical school at the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine during which time he also served as a fellow of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. He received his MD with Honors in 2005 and continued at the University of Chicago for his Otolaryngology residency training. He subsequently completed fellowship training in Head and Neck Surgery, Skull Base Surgery, and Microvascular Reconstruction at Vanderbilt University before returning to the University of Chicago as faculty in 2011.

Alex’s research centers on improving the care of head and neck cancer patients. He conducts comparative effectiveness, social science, and translational research on topics including patient decision-making, perioperative management, human tissue specimen workflow, and education in the operating room. As a Bucksbaum Scholar Alex is studying methods to augment the Primary Care Physician-patient relationship in the setting of multidisciplinary referral care for complex diseases. In addition to a busy clinical practice at the University of Chicago Medicine, Alex also participates in yearly humanitarian missions to the Dominican Republic as part of Medical Aid for Children of Latin America and he was recently appointed to the Humanitarian Efforts Committee of the American Academy of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery.

2013 Pilot Grant Project: Dynamic Operational Mapping – Annotation for Patient and Family Education

Dr. Langerman joined the faculty at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, TN.

Raymon Grogan, MD, is a specialist in the surgical management of thyroid, parathyroid, and adrenal gland diseases. He has expertise in the surgical management of endocrine cancers as well as benign endocrine gland disorders.

As a clinician and a scientist, Dr. Grogan is actively involved in clinical, translational, and basic science research. He is currently working on identifying genetic and proteomic biomarkers in thyroid and adrenal tumors. Understanding the genetic and molecular changes in these tumors could lead to better diagnosis and treatment strategies for patients with cancer. The ultimate goal is to improve patients’ lives by translating state-of-the-art research findings into everyday clinical practice.

Dr. Raymon Grogan is the section chief of endocrine surgery at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, TX.

2013 Pilot Grant Project: “A Formal Curriculum in Surgical Professionalism and Ethics”: To enhance and encourage the professionalism of surgical residents and their understanding of the central concepts of surgical ethics

2012 Pilot Grant Project: Understanding of the Psychology of Thyroid Cancer Patients in an Era of Increasing Incidences

Dr. Nir Uriel was the Louis Block Professor of Medicine and the Director of the Heart Failure, Transplant and Mechanical Circulatory Support at the University of Chicago Medicine until 2019. Dr. Uriel is a leader in the field of heart failure, mechanical circulatory support and heart transplantation. He specializes in caring for patients who require mechanical circulatory support, including ventricular assist devices (VADs). Dr. Uriel’s research focuses on advanced heart failure physiology, heart transplant and mechanical circulatory support. He has a strong interest in high-risk transplant populations, including HIV-positive patients and patients who have received mediastinal radiation due to tumors or prior transplants. Through his research, Dr. Uriel has improved treatment protocols and patient care for these high-risk groups. Dr. Uriel has published more than 80 original, peer-reviewed articles.

In 2019, Dr. Uriel was named Director of Advanced Heart Failure and Cardiac Transplantation at New York-Presbyterian Hospital.

Kathryn Colby, MD, PhD was the Louis Block Professor of Ophthalmology and Visual Science and the Chair of the Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Science.

Dr. Colby is an internationally renowned ophthalmologist with expertise in managing complex medical and surgical diseases of the cornea and ocular surface. Dr. Colby has a particular interest in Fuchs’ dystrophy, the most common cause for corneal transplantation in the United States, and is currently pioneering novel treatments for this condition. In addition, she has specific expertise in the management of ocular surface tumors, including conjunctival melanoma and squamous cell carcinoma.

Dr. Colby is an active researcher whose contributions have enhanced outcomes for patients who require keratoprosthesis (artificial cornea) surgery. She has an ongoing interest in corneal infections and has published extensively in this area. Dr. Colby was instrumental in determining the optimal surgical techniques for placement of the implantable miniature telescope, a vision-rehabilitative device for patients with macular degeneration.

Dr. Colby is a passionate educator who trained hundreds of medical students, ophthalmology residents and cornea fellows during the two decades she spent at Harvard Medical School prior to coming to the University of Chicago to lead the Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Science. She lectures around the world on numerous corneal and clinical research topics. She has leadership roles in various national and international societies, including the American Academy of Ophthalmology and the Cornea Society.Dr. Colby is now the Elisabeth J. Cohen, M.D. Professor of Ophthalmology and Chair of the Department of Ophthalmology at NYU Grossman School of Medicine.

In 2020, Dr. Colby was appointed chair of the Department of Ophthalmology at NYU Langone Health.

Monica Vela, MD is an Associate Professor of Medicine and the Associate Dean for Multicultural Affairs at the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine. Since joining the University of Chicago faculty in the Department of Medicine in 1997, Dr. Vela has established herself as a leader in scholarship and education related to health care disparities and diversity in medicine.

Dr. Vela is actively involved in teaching of both medical students and medical house staff. She serves as the Course Director of the Clinical Skills Teaching module for the Pritzker School of Medicine. And in 2006, Dr. Vela piloted and implemented an innovative new curriculum in health care disparities, which has become an important feature of the curriculum at the Pritzker School of Medicine. Her work has been presented nationally and published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine and has gained broad attention as it is one of the few required courses on health care disparities among American medical schools.

Dr. Vela serves as Chair of the national Society of General Internal Medicine’s Disparities Education Task Force. Her other interests include issues of medical professionalism and the doctor-patient relationship. At the University of Chicago, Dr. Vela plays an active role in the recruitment and support of students underrepresented in medicine. She is also meaningfully engaged in a similar role as the Vice Chair for Diversity in the Department of Medicine.

In 2021, Dr. Vela joined the faculty at the University of Illinois College of Medicine.

David H. Song, MD, is an internationally recognized expert in plastic surgery with additional training in reconstructive microsurgery. He specializes in breast reconstruction and oncoplastic surgery—a combination of lumpectomy and reconstructive techniques.

Dr. Song is well recognized for his extensive experience with perforator breast reconstruction procedures, including deep inferior epigastric perforator flap (DIEP), superior gluteal artery perforator flap (SGAP), superficial inferior epigastric artery flap (SIEA), thoracodorsal artery perforator flap (TAP). He is also skilled in the use of acellular dermal matrix (AlloDerm) in implant breast reconstruction and in the reconstruction of abdominal wall defects. Additionally, Dr. Song has pioneered several techniques for the repair and reconstruction of chest wall defects. His research interests focus on outcome improvement in lumpectomy and mastectomy reconstruction. He is involved in several clinical trials exploring advancements in these procedures. In 2008, he received the Arthur G. Michel Clinician of the Year award from the Y-ME National Breast Cancer Organization.

In addition, Dr. Song serves on the board of Medical Aid for Children of Latin America (MACLA), an organization that provides free surgical care for children with congenital deformities in the Dominican Republic. He is a fellow in the American College of Surgeons, and past president of the Chicago Society of Plastic Surgeons. Dr. Song is also a past board member of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) and the Association of Academic Chairmen of Plastic Surgery (AACPS).

Dr. Song received an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, which further equips him to advance healthcare delivery, particularly in the areas of breast cancer awareness, treatment and prevention.

2013 Pilot Grant Project: Dynamic Operational Mapping – Annotation for Patient and Family Education

Dr. Song is now head of plastic surgery at Georgetown University in Washington, DC.

William A. McDade, MD, PhD, specializes in obstetrical anesthesiology, as well as the treatment of sickle cell disease. He works extensively to reduce cultural disparities in medicine and to help patients who have limited access to health services.

Dedicated to increasing opportunities for underrepresented minorities in higher education, Dr. McDade serves as the director of three Pritzker Pipeline Programs designed to introduce local high school and undergraduate students to research and clinical medicine with the aim of helping them develop careers in the biomedical sciences. He also leads two additional pipeline programs for the University that are designed to increase diversity in the professoriate. In 2005, Dr. McDade founded the James E. Bowman Society — an academic medicine mentoring society that provides support for the advancement of minority individuals. He now serves as a Deputy Provost for the University where he focuses on enhancing campus diversity among the faculty.

Dr. McDade has mentored students in his lab, where his work focuses on the biochemistry of sickle cell disease. Early in his career, he established a relationship between the use of nitric oxide and its ability to break down sickle fibers within red blood cells. He currently is the primary investigator of a National Health Lung Blood Institute research training grant that brings students into the lab while simultaneously teaching ethics and scientific literature skills. An active member of the sickle cell community, Dr. McDade serves on the National Institutes of Health Sickle Cell Disease Advisory Committee.

Dr. McDade is also a leader in medical education where he is a member of the American Medical Association’s Council on Medical Education. He is also a director for the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education. Dr. McDade has held many leadership roles at the University of Chicago, previously serving as Associate Dean for Multicultural Affairs in the Pritzker School of Medicine.

Dr. McDade has been a past president for the Chicago Medical Society, the Cook County Physicians Association, the Prairie State Medical Society, and the Chicago Society of Anesthesiologists. He represents the American Society of Anesthesiologists in the AMA House of Delegates and currently serves as the Vice-President of the Illinois State Medical Society.

In 2016, Dr. McDade became the Executive Vice President and Chief Academic Officer of the Ochsner Health System in New Orleans, LA.

Dr. Melissa Gilliam is Professor of Obstetrics & Gynecology and Pediatrics, Chief of the Section of Family Planning & Contraceptive Research, and Associate Dean for Diversity and Inclusion in the Biological Sciences Division, as well as Director of Ci3 at the University of Chicago.

An expert in pediatric and adolescent gynecology, Dr. Melissa Gilliam helps children, teens and women age 25 and younger who have complex gynecologic problems or need routine care. Dr. Gilliam specializes in managing common problems such as bleeding, painful periods, breasts cysts and abnormal pap smears and complex problems requiring pelvic surgery. She has expertise in providing preventive care and providing contraception to adolescents with other medical problems. Dr. Gilliam focuses on providing a youth-friendly atmosphere for girls and young women. She works closely with other specialists across the University.

An active researcher, Dr. Gilliam’s research focuses on contraception, family planning, youth development, and sexually transmitted infections. Specifically, she focuses on contraceptive use among teens and women who are at risk for unintended pregnancy.

In 2021, Dr. Gilliam was named Provost of Ohio State University.

Savitri E. Fedson, MD, is a cardiologist who specializes in heart failure and heart transplantation. Dr. Fedson is part of a team of medical and surgical specialists who provide a full range of treatment options to improve the pumping ability of the heart in patients with heart failure. If transplantation is required, she cares for patients before and after transplant to ensure the best outcome. Dr. Fedson is actively researching comparisons between invasive and non-invasive hemodynamic measurements, and heart failure prevention.

Dr. Fedson joined the faculty at Baylor University in Waco, TX in 2015.

Dr. Culbertson is a Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology and the Vice Chairman of Clinical Affairs. Dr. Culbertson is an expert in the diagnosis and treatment of urogynecologic conditions, including: urinary incontinence; prolapse of the vagina, bladder and/or uterus; and other disorders of the pelvic floor. She specializes in vaginal and minimally invasive surgical treatment of urinary incontinence and prolapse, including robotic surgery. She is part of an interdisciplinary care team in the Center for Pelvic Health.

Dr. Culbertson often lectures on the surgical treatment of urinary incontinence and prolapse at universities and scientific meetings. She has been recognized for outstanding resident teaching and has won the Golden Apple Award for teaching excellence three times at the University of Chicago. Dr. Culbertson is actively involved in increasing public awareness of female pelvic floor disorders through her work with the American Urogynecologic Society.

2013 Pilot Grant Project: Predictors of satisfaction with surgical decision-making in elderly women undergoing gynecologic surgery

Dr. Culbertson is now a physician at Geisinger Caring in Danville, PA.

Dr. Melanie Brown is an Associate Professor of Pediatrics with a focus on Critical Care, Palliative Care, Integrative Medicine and Clinical Medical Ethics. She is the medial director of the Comer Pediatric Comfort Team that has a primary mission of improving the quality of life of children with complex medical conditions. Dr. Brown’s research interests include a Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute funded project, which examines ways to improve communication in the PICU for patients facing life-changing decisions. Dr. Brown is active in medical education and has leadership roles in the Pediatric Residency Program, the medical school, and the South Side community. She is a former Associate Program Director for the pediatric residency program, and currently is Chair of the parallel admissions committee at the Pritzker School of Medicine as well as Chair of the BSD Office of Diversity and Inclusion’s Trainee Committee. Dr. Brown is helping to develop and evaluate novel international curricula in Integrative Medicine.

Dr. Brown is now a physician at Children’s Hospital of Minneapolis in Minneapolis, MN.

Dr. Yolanda T. Becker is a professor of surgery and director of kidney and pancreas transplantation at University of Chicago Medicine. She attended Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and completed her residency at Vanderbilt University. She them completed her transplant fellowship at the University of Wisconsin where she joined the faculty prior to coming to the University of Chicago.

Dr. Becker is a past Board President of the OPTN/UNOS (Organ Procurement and Transplant Network/United Network for Organ Sharing). She has served on the UNOS corporate affairs, nominating committee, and board governance subcommittees. She has chaired the Policy Oversight Committee, setting policy for organ transplantation nationwide. Dr. Becker has served as an elected member of the American Society of Transplantation (AST) board of directors and led several AST committees. In recognition of her work, Dr. Becker was named a Fellow of the American Society of Transplant and has also been awarded the “Friend of Nursing Award by the International Transplant Nurses Society.

Her current research interests include education of patients across the health literacy divide as well as the treatment of obesity in patients with kidney failure. Dr. Becker is committed to education; she have developed curriculum focused on communication, professionalism and practice-based learning, and she has received the Department of Surgery Excellence in Teaching award multiple times since 2011. Please join me in welcoming Dr. Yolanda Becker as a Senior Faculty Scholar.

In 2021, Dr. Becker retired from the University of Chicago and became a consultant at Transplant Solutions, LLC.

Dr. Agnieszka Ardelt is trained in Neurology with sub-specializations in Vascular Neurology and Neurocritical Care. She cares for critically ill patients with brain and spinal cord injuries and participates in clinical trials involving this patient population. In May 2014, Dr. Ardelt became the Director of the Neurosciences Intensive Care Unit and Co-Director of the Comprehensive Stroke Center at the University of Chicago. Her work and research recognize the need to develop comprehensive multidisciplinary and longitudinal approaches to the care of patients. Dr. Ardelt is currently enrolled in a health care MBA program. Dr. Ardelt is committed to educating patient care-providers and is interested in real-time problem solving and communication in order to improve patient outcomes. She hopes to develop a system-wide, high-quality, longitudinal (pre-hospital to post-acute care) multidisciplinary delivery of care to patients with acute catastrophic neurologic conditions.

Dr. Ardelt is now a physician at MetroHealth in Cleveland, OH.

Dr. Anderson is an Associate Professor of Medicine, Director, Advanced Heart Failure Program, and Medical Director, Cardiac Transplant Service. Dr. Anderson is a highly skilled specialist in heart failure and the care of patients before and after heart transplant. He has extensive expertise in the medical management of heart failure and cardiac transplant recipients.

Dr. Anderson is currently researching promising new therapies and techniques to treat the condition. He is actively involved in national studies involving mechanical circulatory support. Here at the University of Chicago, Dr. Anderson works side by side with other medical and surgical heart failure experts to determine the best treatment plan for each patient. Dr. Anderson is known for his excellent patient care and teaching skills.

In 2013, Dr. Anderson joined the faculty at Northwestern University in Chicago, IL.

Dr. Tanya L. Zakrison is an Associate Professor of Surgery and is a member of the Section of Trauma & Acute Care Surgery at the University of Chicago. She is the Director of Critical Trauma Research, which explores the connection between interpersonal trauma, critical race theory and racial capitalism.

Dr. Zakrison attended medical school at the University of Toronto where she completed her residency in General Surgery. After a fellowship year in Adult Critical Care Medicine at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Center, she spent a year at the Ryder Trauma Center, University of Miami for her second fellowship year in Trauma Surgery. After her fellowship years, Dr. Zakrison completed a Master in Public Health from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health with coursework in Baltimore and Barcelona. Dr. Zakrison was faculty at the University of Miami until joining the Department of Surgery at the University of Chicago in 2019.

Since joining the faculty at the University of Chicago, Dr. Zakrison has been awarded the Department of Surgery Excellence in Teaching award in 2019-20. She has mentored numerous medical students, surgical residents, graduate students and junior faculty to research excellence, presenting at national conferences and publishing peer-reviewed manuscripts on topics such as intimate partner homicide, homicides while incarcerated, the ethics of concurrent COVID-19 trials, penetrating brain injury and others. Dr. Zakrison has been awarded a Bucksbaum Institute Pilot Grant to develop a Structural Justice Curriculum for trainees in trauma to improve patient care, reduce moral injury and address the structural causes of intentional, interpersonal trauma.

Dr. Diane Yamada is the Joseph Bolivar DeLee Professor of Obstetrics & Gynecology and Chief of the Section of Gynecologic Oncology at the University of Chicago. An expert in the comprehensive care of women with gynecologic malignancies, Dr. Yamada’s clinical research interests include complex surgery for women with ovarian/fallopian tube cancer and high grade endometrial cancer, the use of intraperitoneal chemotherapy and clinical trials. She is currently the principal investigator for a University of Chicago led multi-institutional randomized phase II placebo controlled clinical trial examining the use of metformin in conjunction with standard chemotherapy followed by metformin maintenance therapy. She is the author or co-author of over 70 publications.

In 2010, Dr. Yamada started the University of Chicago/NorthShore University Health System gynecologic oncology fellowship program and is currently the fellowship program director. She has held a number of national leadership positions including gynecologic oncology division board member for the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology (ABOG), board of directors member for the Society for Gynecologic Oncology (SGO), chair of the communications committee for SGO, and leader of the gynecologic cancer education committee for the American Society for Clinical Oncology (ASCO).

Tao Xie, MD, PhD, specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of various movement disorders, including Parkinson’s disease, progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), multiple system atrophy (MSA), cortical basal ganglionic degeneration (CBGD), Huntington’s disease (HD) and chorea, tremor, dystonia, hemifacial spasm, blepharospasm, tics, and Tourette syndrome. He uses medications, botulinum toxin injection and deep brain stimulation surgery for treatment of these neurological conditions.

In his clinical research, Dr. Xie studies the effectiveness of deep brain stimulation for the treatment of various movement disorders. He is actively involved in clinical trials for Parkinson’s disease, PSP and HD. His laboratory research is focused on identifying and characterizing genes related to Parkinson’s disease and dopaminergic neuron degeneration.

Dr. Xie is a physician in the University of Chicago Center for Parkinson’s Disease and Movement Disorders. Dedicated as a Center for Advanced Research by the American Parkinson Disease Association, this multidisciplinary center combines clinical expertise with state-of-the-art therapies and groundbreaking research.

2012 Pilot Grant Project: Annual Education Event for Support Group of Patients with Parkinson’s Disease

Dr. Kenneth L. Wilson is an Associate Professor of Surgery. He completed his undergraduate degree at Emory University. He graduated from Howard University School of Medicine and completed his residency in General Surgery at Morehouse School of Medicine. His Trauma and Surgical Critical Care fellowship was completed at Henry Ford Hospital. Immediately following fellowship, he joined the faculty at Morehouse School of Medicine and was the Chief of Trauma for Morehouse School of Medicine and an Associate Director of Trauma for the Marcus Trauma Center at Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta, Georgia. He is committed to serving as a trauma surgeon in large urban centers and has been involved in establishing the newly formed trauma center at the University of Chicago.

Dr. Wilson currently holds the rank of Colonel in the United States Army and has multiple deployments to Africa, Kuwait, Iraq and Afghanistan. Dr. Wilson is actively involved in both resident and medical student training and has received several teaching awards. Along with being a teacher, Dr. Wilson is an active researcher, and has been widely published on multiple trauma topics including military trauma and trauma surgical outcomes. He is also interested in the association between race and socioeconomic status on trauma-related health outcomes.

Dr. Brian H. Williams earned a degree in Aeronautical Engineering from the United States Air Force Academy. After six years of military service, he enrolled at the University of South Florida Morsani College of Medicine.

Dr. William completed his general surgery residency at Harvard Medical School/Brigham and Women’s Hospital and a fellowship in trauma surgery and surgical critical care at Emory University/Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta. Dr. Williams served as a trauma and acute care surgeon at UT Southwestern Medical Center/Parkland Memorial Hospital in Dallas where he also taught and mentored students, residents, and fellows.

Dr. Williams is known for his role in treating victims of the July 2016, Dallas police shooting. He was the surgeon working the night seven injured officers were transported to Parkland Memorial Hospital. At a press conference following the tragedy, his heartfelt comments about racism, gun violence, and policing touched thousands.

Dr. Williams’s interests focus on racial inequities in healthcare, diversity in medical education, and addressing the root causes of gun violence. In addition to his work as an academic surgeon, Dr. Williams travels the country speaking and sharing his unique insight on resilience, racial equity, and social justice.

Dr. Stephen G. Weber is the Chief Medical Officer and Vice President for Clinical Effectiveness at the University of Chicago Medicine. He is an Associate Professor in the Section of Infectious Diseases and Global Health.

Dr. Weber received his MD from the New York University School of Medicine and performed his residency in Internal Medicine at the University of Chicago, where he also served as Chief Medical Resident. He completed his subspecialty fellowship in Infectious Diseases at the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, where he also received a Master’s Degree in Epidemiology from the Harvard School of Public Health.

Since returning to the University of Chicago in 2002, Dr. Weber has served in a number of leadership roles focused on clinical quality and patient safety. He was the Chief Healthcare Epidemiologist and Medical Director of Infection Control from 2002-2011, and also served as the Medical Director of the Center for Quality from 2006-2011. He was later elected by the clinical faculty to serve as President of the Medical Staff in 2009. He assumed the position of Chief Medical Officer and Vice President for Clinical Effectiveness in May of 2011.

Dr. Weber has been recognized for his outstanding teaching by the University of Chicago Medicine Residency Program and is a two-time recipient of the Department of Medicine’s Outstanding Clinical Service Award. He has been recognized for his achievement in clinical research by the Infectious Diseases Society of America. His primary focus of investigation is the prevention of infection with multi-drug resistant organisms among hospitalized patients.

Dr. R Parker Ward is a Professor of Medicine (Cardiology) at the University of Chicago. He received his BA at Middlebury College and attended medical school at the University of Pennsylvania. He completed his residency in internal medicine also at the University of Pennsylvania, serving and served as Chief Medical Resident. He then completed his fellowship in cardiovascular disease at the University of Chicago, prior to joining the faculty in 2001. Dr Ward is an expert in cardiac imaging, working in the echocardiography laboratory and serves as Director of Nuclear Cardiology/Stress Testing and Director of the Cardiovascular Disease Fellowship Program.

Dr. Ward has received been selected to receive multiple awards for outstanding teaching in the internal medicine residency program and cardiology fellowship program, and is a past recipient of the national American College of Cardiology W. Proctor Harvey Young Teacher Award. He has also been an annual faculty member/lecturer at the American College of Cardiology Board Review Course, and been named a “Top Cardiologist” by Chicago Magazine annually since 2018. Dr. Ward’s research interests focus on the application and utilization of cardiac imaging testing. He has published extensively on these topics and has co-authored multiple national guidelines aimed at improving the appropriateness and cost-effective use of cardiac imaging in clinical care.

Dr. Vokes is a Professor in the section of Endocrinology. She has a special interest in osteoporosis and metabolic bone disease and is the Director of Osteoporosis Clinic and Huron Clinic. She has an active research program in several areas including the importance of vertebral fractures in clinical care of osteoporosis, non-invasive assessment of bone structure, racial differences in fracture risk, and novel treatments of hypoparathyroidism. Dr. Vokes has a busy clinical practice and promotes an individual-centered approach to osteoporosis care utilizing the state-of the art diagnostic and therapeutic modalities as well as non-pharmacologic interventions geared to each patient’s specific needs.

Dr. Vokes is also a highly regarding teacher working with medical students, as well as residents in Internal Medicine and Obstetrics and Gynecology and fellows in Endocrinology, Rheumatology and Geriatrics. She has developed a new elective course for 4th year medical students entitled “Using Empathy as Clinical Tool”. The objective of this course is closely linked with the principles and goals of the Bucksbaum Institute.

Dr. Lisa Vinci is an Associate Professor in the Section of General Internal Medicine. She has a longstanding interest in quality improvement and medical education. She received her medical degree from Washington University and completed her residency in internal medicine at Northwestern Medical Center. She is currently the Director of the Primary Care Group, the primary practice site for Internal Medicine resident and general internal medicine faculty at the University of Chicago. In addition, she is the Associate Vic-Chair for Ambulatory Operations for the Department of Medicine. Dr. Vinci is actively involved in medical education and has co-directed the Quality Assessment and Improvement Curriculum (QAIC), a required 2 year longitudinal course in quality improvement for Internal Medicine residents for the last 6 years. She is also Co-Director of the Pritzker Scholarship and Discovery Track in Quality and Safety, a longitudinal 4 year program to develop medical students to become future leaders in quality improvement and patient safety.

In addition she serves as a quality advisor to a collaborative of four community health centers and 2 academic practices focused on improving diabetes care on the South Side of Chicago. Her primary clinical focus is on developing care coordination and care management programs for complex patients across settings of care. She recently completed the Master’s Degree in Healthcare Quality and Safety at Northwestern University.

Dr. Sandra Valaitis is dedicated to patient care, medical education and administration. Dr. Valaitis has received a number of honorary educational awards (AOA and Golden Apple, Academy of Distinguished Medical Educators –all awards for excellent teaching) and has held leadership positions in medical education at the University of Chicago including student clerkship director, core faculty for the U of C MERITS program (Medical Education Research Innovation and Teaching Scholarship), and is a member of the University of Chicago Residents as Teachers and FAME Steering Committee. She has given workshops locally and nationally on clinical teaching and urogynecology, and has been an Oral Boards Examiner for ObGyn since 2001. Dr. Valaitis also holds the title of Director of Ambulatory Operations for Ob/Gyn and serves on the Ambulatory Operations Committee for the University of Chicago Hospital. She has been recognized as a Top Doctor in Urogynecology in Chicago annually since 2010. Please join me in welcoming Dr. Sandra Valaitis as a Senior Faculty Scholar of the Bucksbaum Institute.

Gaurav A. Upadhyay, MD, FACC, FHRS is an expert in cardiac rhythm devices and Associate Professor at the University of Chicago Medicine. He cares for patients with arrhythmia, syncope, and heart failure. Dr. Upadhyay focuses on innovative electrical therapies in heart disease, including cardiac resynchronization therapy, conduction system pacing strategies (including His bundle, left bundle branch area pacing, and endocardial LV pacing), autonomic modulation, and machine-based learning to improve heart failure (HF) management. Dr. Upadhyay strives to improve the quality of life for his patients. His goal is to implement pioneering technologies to treat symptoms of heart failure and improve overall health.

Paralleling his focus on patient care, Dr. Upadhyay is an active clinical investigator. An invited national and international speaker, he has authored or delivered over 150 manuscripts, invited talks, and book chapters. He is also deeply committed to teaching, and seeks out opportunities to collaborate and engage trainees in teaching at the bedside as well as in transforming models of care.

Dr. Upadhyay received his medical degree from the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine, then completed his residency at Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School. He remained for an additional Cardiology Fellowship.

Dr. Upadhyay’s publications may be found here.

Dr. Kiran K. Turaga is a renowned surgical oncologist with a specific expertise in metastatic cancers. He grew up in India and completed his medical training from the prestigious All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS). He completed his surgical residency from Creighton University and his fellowship from The Moffitt Cancer Center. He also holds a Master’s in Public Health from Johns Hopkins School of Public Health.

Dr. Turaga is interested in the patient centered management of patients with complex malignancies. Prior to joining the University of Chicago, he was the Sharon Wadina Endowed Professor at the Medical College of Wisconsin. Some of his initiatives have included patient navigation, trimodality prehabilitation for patients undergoing complex cytoreductive surgery and early use of supportive oncology in the management of patients. Along with the regional therapies team, he has successfully created one of the premier programs for cytoreductive surgery and regional therapies in the nation which attracts patients from across the country.

Dr. Turaga’s research has focused on patient outcomes with oligometastatic cancers and he has published over 110 journal articles. He has contributed scholarly works to foremost oncological textbooks about peritoneal surface malignancies and is currently the section editor for the Annals of Surgical Oncology for the regional therapies section. He is interested in disease prediction, modeling and delivery of optimal care for his patients.

He is also the fellowship director for the Complex General Surgical Oncology Fellowship program at the University of Chicago/Northshore program. He has been awarded the Department of Surgery Excellence in Teaching award in 2016-17.

As of 2023 Dr. Turaga joined the faculty at Yale School of Medicine

Dr. Alison Tothy is an Associate Professor of Pediatrics and the Associate Chief Medical Officer for the University of Chicago Medicine. Dr. Tothy serves as the physician leader responsible for working to improve the patient experience at the University of Chicago Medicine. Dr. Tothy provides physician leadership and oversight in development, implementation, and execution of the vision and strategy of the Patient Experience and Engagement Program. Dr. Tothy’s works seeks to promote a culture of patient centered care that emphasizes compassion and outstanding service.

Dr. Tothy’s clinical practice is in Emergency Medicine at the University of Chicago Comer Children’s Hospital where she is the Section Chief and Medical Director of Pediatric Emergency Medicine. Please join me in congratulating Alison Tothy on her appointment as a Bucksbaum Institute Senior Faculty Scholar.

Dr. Marie Tobin is an Associate Professor and is the Director of Consult-Liaison and Emergency Psychiatry. In particular, her practice focuses on the delivery of psychiatric services to medically ill hospitalized patients, and treating the psychiatric morbidity in cancer patients. Additionally, Dr. Tobin is the director of the Emergency Psychiatry Course and the Consult-Liaison Case Conference for residents and fellows, as well as a lecturer for medical students in their clerkship. She is also on the Committee of Task Force to Review Professionalism in the Medical School at the University of Chicago.

Dr. Helen Te is a Professor of Medicine and the Medical Director of the Adult Liver Transplant Program. She earned her Medical Degree from the University of the Philippines and pursued residency training in Internal Medicine at Rush University Medical Center. Dr. Te completed her fellowship training in Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition at the University of Chicago and stayed on to join the faculty.

Her primary clinical interests are in dealing with the complications of cirrhosis to allow for optimal patient management and health restoration following liver transplantation.

Dr. Te serves on the committees of national societies and has gained a reputation for being a compassionate and astute hepatologist. She has been recognized by her peers with the Department of Medicine Clinical Service Award in 2016 and in 2017, and externally as one of America’s Top Doctors consistently since 2011.

Dr. Te’s passion lies foremost in patient care and she finds ways to deliver the optimal personal care that is essential for each patient by earning their trust and placing herself in their shoes.

Dana Suskind, author of the upcoming book, Thirty Million Words: Building A Child’s Brain, (Dutton, September 2015), is Professor of Surgery at the University of Chicago, Director of the Pediatric Cochlear Implant Program and Founder and Director of the Thirty Million Words Initiative. Based on scientific research that shows the critical importance of early language exposure on the developing child, Thirty Million Words helps parents enhance their home language environment in order to optimize their child’s brain development and, therefore, his or her ability to learn. An evidence-based intervention, Thirty Million Words is supported by a broad coalition of public and private partnerships and is an extension of Dr. Suskind’s Project ASPIRE, which she created to assure that her patients from disadvantaged backgrounds reached their full listening and spoken language potentials. Dr. Suskind’s ultimate goal, and that of her dedicated team, is to help all children reach their full potentials and to close the ever-widening achievement gap.

Dr. Mary Strek is Professor of Medicine, Director of the Interstitial Lung Disease Program, and Director of the Pulmonary Medicine Consult Service at the University of Chicago.

Dr. Strek is a pulmonary doctor who studies clinical phenotypes, natural history, outcomes, and therapy in chronic non-malignant lung diseases. Her contributions include the recognition of the role of autoimmunity in airway and parenchymal lung disease and the comprehensive multidisciplinary evaluation of patients with interstitial lung disease (ILD) and bronchiectasis. Her investigations have elucidated the role of ethnicity in patients with ILD and bronchiectasis and mediastinal lymphadenopathy as a “biomarker” prognosticating ILD. Ongoing investigations study the genetic and environmental risk factors associated with chronic lung disease.

Dr. Strek has been an investigator on research supported by the NIH, the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation, and the Duchossois Family Institute. Honors include the international CHEST Distinguished Educator Award, the Authur H. Rubenstein Mentorship in Academic Medicine Award, and selection as a Fellow of the American Thoracic Society and the American College of Chest Physicians. She has mentored numerous junior colleagues and trainees to independent academic careers.

Dr. Christopher Straus M.D. is a board certified radiologist with special interest in musculoskeletal and interventional radiology. He attended the Pritzker School of Medicine at the University of Chicago and then completed his residency and fellowship training at the same institution. He now practices as an Associate Professor in the Department of Radiology. He initially incorporated an administrative interest when first hired when his first chair asked him to preserve his general radiology skills and assist in meeting the more broad departmental needs by interpreting images in numerous departmental subspecialties beyond his initial post graduate training in IR. This more global outlook has led to administrative leadership positions, serving concomitantly as Radiology Medical Director of patient services, Associate Medical Director of Radiology Operations and as the Director of Student Education.

Recently efforts have been concentrated in the realm of education and expanding the role as Radiology Director of education by serving on various committees and task forces, including the invitation to serve on the board of the Alliance of Medical Student Educators in Radiology (AMSER) and board of the Association of University Radiologists (AUR). The radiology department’s role in basic education of medical students has increased significantly with efforts to change how medical imaging is not only taught to medical students but clear attempts to improve patient understanding and effective optimal allocation of these imaging resources.

Administratively, Dr. Straus has a specific interest in patient safety and issues of communication. He has served as a consultant for numerous years and looks forward to expanding these important issues with relative national radiology professional organizations. At the University of Chicago Medical Center he serves on many related committees pertaining to his interests including Forms and Medical records, Patient Safety, Housestaff outreach and the Claims and Review Committee to name a few.

Dr. Scott Stern is Professor of Medicine and Assistant Dean for Technology at the University of Chicago.

Dr. Stern is Co-Director of the Clinical Pathophysiology and Therapeutics, one of the most highly regarded courses in the Pritzker curriculum. Dr. Stern served as Co-Director of the Junior Clerkship in Internal Medicine from 1995-2013. Drawing upon his experiences as clerkship director, Dr. Stern served as the lead author of the textbook, Symptom to Diagnosis: An Evidence Based Guide, now in its 3rd edition.

Dr. Stern’s teaching has been recognized with numerous honors, including twelve-time receipt of a “Favorite Faculty Award”, three time recipient of The Robert and Susan Doroghazi Clinical Teaching Award for outstanding clinical teaching and two-time recipient of the Larry Wood Award for “selfless, tireless, and excellent teaching of medical students.” Dr. Stern was named as one of the six inaugural members of the University of Chicago Academy of Distinguished Medical Educators.

Dr. Sarah Stein is an Associate Professor of Medicine and Pediatrics in the Department of Medicine, Section of Dermatology, where she is the Director of Pediatric Dermatology. She is an expert in the diagnosis and management of childhood skin diseases, including dermatitides, pigmentary disorders, birthmarks, vascular anomalies, disorders of hair and nails, infectious skin conditions, and cutaneous manifestations of internal diseases.

Dr. Stein has a special interest in the presentation of skin disease in children of color. She is a member of the Pediatric Dermatology Research Alliance and collaborates on research initiatives to better characterize and manage pediatric skin disorders.

Dr. Stein is the Dermatology Residency Program Director and has developed initiatives to improve resident continuity of care experiences and adoption of the milestone evaluation process. She is a fellow in the Academy of Distinguished Medical Educators and she has received the Department of Medicine’s Excellence in Education and Clinical Care Award and the Department’s Postgraduate Teaching Award.

Dr. Spitz is the Residency Training Director and Education Mission Director for the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience. She has been a national leader in psychiatric education, serving as President of the Association for Academic Psychiatry, and in educational leadership positions on the program committee of the American Psychiatric Association, and within AADPRT, the Psychiatry Training Directors’ Association. Her clinical interests include the treatment of refractory bipolar and unipolar affective disorders, management of psychiatric disorders in pregnancy, and in psychodynamic psychotherapy. She teaches courses on psychotherapy and on educational methodology for residents, and has received numerous teaching awards.

Dr. Spitz obtained her medical degree from the University of Pennsylvania and completed her residency training and fellowship in inpatient psychiatry at the University of Chicago. She was Residency Training Director and Director of the Inpatient Service at Tufts-New England Medical Center, and spent three years in Norwich, England as a Consultant Psychiatrist for the National Health Service, where she led the Psychiatry Service in Norwich and redesigned the delivery of psychiatric services for that city’s population of 170,000 adults. She is interested in the impediments to delivery of psychiatric services, and a supporter of a single payer system of care.

Dr. Sonali Smith is an expert in the care and treatment of adults with all types of Hodgkin and non-Hodgkin lymphoma. She has a special interest in new agents for lymphoma, as well as stem cell transplantation and its role in improving the survival of patients with relapsed lymphomas.

An active researcher, Dr. Smith is involved in the development of promising agents for patients with non-Hodgkin and Hodgkin lymphoma. She is principal investigator on a number of innovative clinical trials. Many of the trials incorporate the collection of tumor and blood samples to study the effects of treatment on cancer cells through collaborative laboratories.

Dr. Smith frequently lectures to both physicians and patient groups on these topics. She serves on several national committees charged with improving treatment options for patients with lymphoma, providing physician education, and providing reliable information for patients through established websites. Dr. Smith also frequently performs peer reviews of research being considered for publication in major medical journals. Additionally, she has won several teaching awards at the University of Chicago.

Dr. Mindy Schwartz is the co-recipient of this years Faculty Physician Peer Role Model Award. Dr. Schwartz joined the faculty in 1987 as a faculty in the Primary Care Group, and has held a faculty position in the Section of General Internal medicine. She has maintained a busy clinical practice in addition to holding a variety of positions in the medical school and in the internal medicine residency program. Dr. Schwartz has been an award-winning teacher and was elected in 2010 as a Master of the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine Academy of Distinguished Medical Educators. Over the past 10 year she has studied and taught medical history to the medical students and to internal medicine residents. In May 2014, she was the local arrangements chair for the national organization of medical historians – the American Association for the History of Medicine.

In addition to her current academic interests, she has taught Nutrition in Health and disease in the Pritzker School of Medicine from 2001-9.

Dr. Schwartz currently serves as one of the medical school advisors- serving along with Brian Callender as the head of the Coggeshall Society. She also serves as the, Chapter advisor for the Gold Humanism Honor Society and she was Former Associate Program Director and Chair of the Internship Selection Committee for the Department of Medicine from 1994-2004.

(1945-2013)

Dr. Joel Schwab was a Professor of Pediatrics. Dr. Schwab graduated from the University of Michigan in 1967 and received his MD degree from New York Medical College in 1971. He completed his pediatric residency at Northwestern University’s Children’s Memorial Hospital and was an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at Northwestern until 1986 when he came to the University of Chicago. Dr. Schwab maintained a private pediatric practice, the Child Life Center, until 1996. For nine years, Dr. Schwab served as co-director of the Pediatric Clerkship. His outstanding teaching and contributions to humanism in medicine earned him numerous awards and accolades. He was selected as an honoree in the Pritzker School of Medicine’s class composite photograph for nine consecutive years. In 1998 he received the Faculty Teaching Award from the Faculty Dean of Medical Education and was voted Teacher of the Year by Pediatric Residents. In 2002, the Pritzker School of Medicine students nominated him for the American Association of Medical Colleges Humanism in Medicine Award. He also received the Pritzker School of Medicine Outstanding Clinical Teaching Award and the Leonard Tow Humanism in Medicine Award in 2006.

Dr. Schwab’s dedication to medical education spanned the medical career spectrum to include both medical students and undergraduate students. In addition to serving on the Pritzker School of Medicine’s Admissions Committee and Committee on Promotions, for ten years, he was the Faculty Director of the Health Professions Advising Office at the University of Chicago Collegiate Division. And in honor of Dr. Schwab’s contributions to medical education, the Clinical Excellence Track program “On Being a Doctor” has been renamed “The Joel Schwab, M.D. Program On Being a Doctor.”

Joel Schwab, Doctor and Mentor

Michael Schreiber, MD, is an expert in neonatal-perinatal medicine and pediatric critical care. He is a member of a multidisciplinary team of specialists that treats more than 1,000 premature and critically ill babies each year.

Dr. Schreiber’s research focuses on finding new and better therapies to improve the care and quality of life for premature babies. He served as the director of two important studies showing that inhaled nitric oxide reduced the risk of physical and developmental complications related to premature birth. Dr. Schreiber is also interested in ethical issues associated with neonatal and pediatric intensive care.

A popular teacher and speaker, Dr. Schreiber has lectured at universities, hospitals and medical meetings around the world. He is an author on more than two hundred scientific reports. In addition, he serves as an ad hoc reviewer for many medical publications including the New England Journal of Medicine, Lancet, Journal of Perinatology, Pediatric Research, Journal of Pediatrics, and the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.

John Schneider MD, MPH is an infectious disease specialist and epidemiologist in the Departments of Medicine and Health Studies. Clinically, he specializes in adolescent and adult HIV primary care and has a specific interest in provision of high-quality care to LGBT community members. He has extensive experience with advancing the physician patient relationship in resource restricted settings, including his current clinic at a Federally Qualified Health Center on the South Side of Chicago and during his time working in Southern India.

His NIH funded clinical research focuses on how social networks can be leveraged to improve the health of men who have sex with men in resource restricted settings. Specifically, he illuminates network mechanisms by which community members can engage in primary HIV/STI prevention, and on how individuals who are HIV-infected can best be retained in care and adhere to medical regimens.

Dr. Schneider is now a Bucksbaum Senior Faculty Scholar.

2013 Pilot Grant Project: Provider training to improve patient medication adherence in Federally Qualified Health Center settings: The Case of Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis

Christopher Salerno, MD, is a global leader in cardiac surgery and an expert in performing complex surgeries for patients suffering from a wide range of heart conditions. Dr. Salerno’s practice primarily focuses on treating heart failure, mechanical circulatory support (ventricular assist devices) and heart transplantation.

Along with his devotion to his clinical practice, Dr. Salerno is also an avid researcher who investigates treatment and techniques to improve overall care for his patients. He has evaluated long-term outcomes of heart patients to assess which treatments deliver the best results, improve protocols and patient care. Dr. Salerno has also conducted intense research centered on caring for patients with heart conditions during COVID. His research has been published in a number of highly respected, peer-reviewed journals, including Journal of American College of Cardiology, Journal of Cardiothoracic Surgery, American Journal of Transplantation, Annals of Thoracic Surgery and Journal of Heart and Lung Transplantation.

Dr. Rubin is a Professor of Medicine, Co-Director of the Inflammatory Bowel Disease Center, and Associate Section Chief for Educational Programs. Dr. David Rubin specializes in the treatment and assessment of digestive diseases. His clinical expertise includes inflammatory bowel diseases (Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis) and high-risk cancer syndromes.

Dr. Rubin performs clinical research related to outcomes in inflammatory bowel diseases, with particular interest in prevention of cancer associated with these diseases. He is also interested in new therapies for inflammatory bowel diseases; better screening tools for colorectal cancer, and the genetics of inflammatory bowel diseases.

Dr. Helene Rubeiz is Associate Professor of Neurology and has served as the Residency Program Director since 2006. She oversees all aspects of neurology residency training at the University of Chicago. Dr. Rubeiz is a graduate of the American University of Beirut School of Medicine. She did her internship training at the Cleveland Clinic and her Neurology residency training at the University of Chicago. She joined the Neurology faculty at the University of Chicago in 1997. Dr. Rubeiz is routinely involved in supervising/teaching residents and fellows in the clinical setting. Her clinical interests are in general neurology and clinical neurophysiology, particularly electromyography.

Dr. Rossi-Foulkes is an experienced general internist and pediatrician with expertise in transition care and medical education. She has extensive experience with student and resident curricular development and evaluation, inter-professional education and collaboration, practice management and quality improvement in primary care training. Since 2006, Dr. Rossi-Foulkes has been the Program Director of the University of Chicago Med-Peds Residency program. Her excellence in quality improvement was recognized in 2007 with the Department of Medicine Excellence Award in Clinical Care and Education. She was inducted into the UCM Academy of Distinguished Medical Educators in 2009. In 2017 Dr. Rossi-Foulkes was awarded the UCM inaugural Program Director of the Year award from the Graduate Medical Education Committee. She was an advisor to the Illinois Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics in developing their training courses for the Illinois Healthcare Transition Project and has also been on the Illinois Department of Public Health Immunization Advisory Committee since 2005. Nationally, Dr. Rossi-Foulkes is on the Transition Care Committee for the Med-Peds Program Director’s Association, and she was elected to serve four years as the national Secretary-Treasurer for that organization. Dr. Rossi-Foulkes has conducted workshops and been invited to lecture on medical education, quality improvement, and transition care for local, regional and national conferences.

As of November 2022, Dr. Rossi-Foulkes is Director of the Primary Care Track at Cedars-Sinai Health System in Los Angeles, CA.

Lainie Friedman Ross, MD, PhD, is the Carolyn and Matthew Bucksbaum Professor of Clinical Medical Ethics; Professor, Departments of Pediatrics, Medicine, Surgery and the College; Co-Director of the Institute for Translational Medicine, and Associate Director of the MacLean Center for Clinical Medical Ethics at the University of Chicago Clinically, Dr. Ross is a primary care pediatrician at The University of Chicago Comer Children’s Hospital and provides inpatient care of newborns in the Mother-Baby Unit.

Dr. Ross earned her undergraduate degree in Public and International Affairs from Princeton University, her medical degree from the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, and her doctorate in philosophy from Yale University. She trained in Pediatrics at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and New York-Presbyterian Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital.

Dr. Ross’ research portfolio concentrates on ethical and policy issues in pediatrics, organ transplantation, genetics, and human subjects protections. She has published four books and over 200 articles in the peer-reviewed literature. Her fifth book, The Living Donor as Patient was funded by a Robert Wood Johnson Award in Health Policy and will be published by Oxford University Press in 2021. She is currently writing a 6th book examining the ethical issues related to siblings in health care that is funded by the National Library of Medicine. She is a frequent lecturer both nationally and internationally and actively involved in teaching ethics to trainees and staff at the University of Chicago Medicine.

Dr. Ross has served on a wide range of professional organizations including the American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Bioethics, the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) Ethics Committee, the International Pediatric Transplantation Association Ethics Committee, the HHS Secretary’s Advisory Committee on Human Research Protections (SACHRP) and the NIH Recombinant DNA Advisory Committee (RAC).

Dr. Ross was a 2014 recipient of a John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation Fellowship and a 2015 recipient of the American Academy of Pediatrics William G. Bartholome Award for Ethical Excellence.

As of January 2023, Dr. Ross is Professor and Chair of the Department of Health Humanities and Bioethics at The University of Rochester.

Dr. Roggin is an Associate Professor of Surgery and Program Director for the General Surgery residency program. He is a nationally recognized surgical oncologist who specializes in pancreatic cancer, pancreatic cystic neoplasms, gastric cancer, and retroperitoneal sarcomas. He leads a comprehensive, multidisciplinary research program that focuses on clinical and genomic predictors of outcomes in older patients with pancreatic cancer.

Dr. Roggin is an award-winning surgical educator. He has been inducted into several prestigious societies, including the Gold Humanism Honors Society, Alpha Omega Alpha, and the Academy of Distinguished Medical Educators. In addition, he has received the Leonard Tow Humanism in Medicine award, the Robert Baker Golden Apple award, the Excellence in Teaching Award, and was twice named as “Outstanding Faculty Member” by the medical students. He is actively involved in educational scholarship and is considered a national leader in surgical education. He leads the Training Committee of the Society of Surgical Oncology and oversees the curriculum and ongoing accreditation of the SSO’s fellowships and educational programs. He was elected by the society’s international membership to serve a three-year term on the Executive Council as the Councilor-at-Large.

Dr. Russell Reid is a Professor of Surgery and the Bernard Sarnat Scholar of Craniofacial Research. Dr. Reid is a highly skilled surgeon who specializes in pediatric plastic surgery. Each day, he utilizes his clinical expertise in the area of craniofacial and maxillofacial surgery, to improve the lives of children needing surgery of the face, jaw, palate, and skull.

Dr. Reid attended Harvard Medical School; he completed his internship and residency at Northwestern University, and fellowship in craniofacial surgery at the University of Pennsylvania.

Dr. Reid’s research interests include the regeneration of bone for the repair of complex craniofacial defects, the biology of skull and facial sutures, and genetic expression in craniofacial development. He co-directs the multidisciplinary Cleft and Craniofacial Clinic at UCM. Additionally, Dr. Reid leads a team of more than 50 surgeons, nurses, anesthesiologists and other volunteers through the Fresh Start Caring for Kids Foundation, providing free reconstructive surgeries for children impacted by congenital deformities, trauma or abuse.

Dr. Tipu Puri received his MD from Northwestern University. He is a member of the Nephrology Faculty with clinical interests in general nephrology and a particular focus on management and slowing progression of chronic kidney disease (CKD). His clinical activities include direct care of patients with kidney disease in the inpatient and ambulatory settings. Dr. Puri has a strong commitment to the recruitment, education, and mentorship of future physicians and serves as a fellowship Training Program Director and a medical student Career Advisor. At the institutional level, Dr. Puri serves as a point of contact and resource for colleagues and patients in the medical center to help manage resources and improve the quality of care. His current efforts also include work on developing a program that targets highly complex patients, such as patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD), to deliver more effective care, improve patient outcomes, and reduce hospital (re)admissions.

Dr. Prabhakaran is Professor and Chair of Neurology at University of Chicago. He trained at New York Presbyterian Hospital-Cornell for Neurology Residency and New York Presbyterian Hospital-Columbia for Vascular Neurology Fellowship. He also has a MS in Epidemiology from the Columbia Mailman School of Public Health. He is stroke researcher with interests in imaging of intracranial stenosis, stroke systems of care, and stroke epidemiology. He leads numerous research programs including the ongoing MYRIAD study of imaging biomarkers of intracranial atherosclerosis, the E-SPEED study focused on prehospital and inter-hospital barriers to timely stroke treatment in Chicago, and the THESIS study targeting diagnostic error for acute stroke in the emergency department. He is an elected fellow of the American Neurological Association and American Heart Association’s Stroke Council and serves on numerous national guideline committees and working groups to advance stroke care.

Dr. Polite is a Professor of Medicine at the University of Chicago the Deputy Section Chief for Strategy and Network Development, Executive Medical Director for Cancer Accountable Care and a GI oncologist specializing in the treatment of patients with colorectal anal pancreatic and neuroendocrine cancers. He is a past board member of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), is Past-Chair of the ASCO Health Disparities Committee and a two-time chair of the ASCO Government Relations Committee. He served 5 years on the American Cancer Society Cancer Control and Prevention: Health Policy and Health Services (CPHPS) Review Committee including the role of vice-chair and Chair of that committee. He is a graduate of ASCO’s Leadership Development Program, a recipient of an ASCO Career Development Award, and was named a Fellow of the Society in 2018. He is an Associate Editor of the Journal of Oncology Practice and has received awards recognizing his clinical and teaching efforts and was recently chosen as a Bucksbaum Institute Senior Faculty Scholar. He is actively involved at the federal and local level in developing alternative payment models for cancer care. He has authored more than 100 peer-reviewed publications. He currently is the CO-PI of a 5-year NCI Moonshot grant, Accelerating Colorectal Cancer Screening and Follow-up through Implementation Science in Chicago (ACCSIS-Chicago) aimed at improving colorectal screening among Federally Qualified Health Centers in Chicago and Northwest Indiana. Dr. Polite earned his Bachelor and Master’s degree in Public Policy Studies from the University of Chicago, and went on to spend 4 years working on Health Care and Medicare reform policy in Washington DC with the Department of Health and Human Services and with the Office of Senator Bill Bradley. He received his MD from Indiana University and then did his training in Internal Medicine and Medical oncology at the University of Chicago.

Jayant Pinto, MD, FACS, is a Professor of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery. He completed college and medical school at Stanford University, followed by residency training at The University of Chicago. After joining the faculty, he built a research program focused on population studies of olfactory disorders, genetic studies of chronic sinusitis, and translational studies of inflammatory diseases of the airway. Dr. Pinto’s research centers on understanding the causes of chronic inflammatory disorders of the nose and identifying genetic and environmental influences on sensory dysfunction and aging. He is an investigator in the Chronic Rhinosinusitis Integrated Studies Program, supported by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease, and in the National Social Life, Health, and Aging Project, funded by the National Institute on Aging. He trains the next generation of clinicians and scientists, in addition to being a busy surgeon and father.

Sean Pinney is a native of St. Louis, Missouri. He attended Georgetown University where he received both his undergraduate and medical degrees. He completed residency training at Boston’s Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and fellowships in cardiology, heart failure & transplantation at Columbia University. In 2004, he joined the faculty of the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai where he directed the Advanced Heart Failure & Cardiac Transplant Program. In 2015, he was appointed Director of Heart Failure and Transplantation for the Mount Sinai Health System. In 2020, he moved to the University of Chicago where he was appointed Co-Director of the Heart & Vascular Center, Director of Heart Failure & Transplantation and Director of Clinical & Translational Research. Dr. Pinney is an active clinical researcher who has led both NIH and industry-sponsored trials in the areas of heart failure, cardiac transplantation and mechanical circulatory support. He serves on the editorial boards of JACC, JACC Heart Failure, the Journal of Heart & Lung Transplantation and the Journal of Cardiac Failure. He serves on the AST Board of Directors, is a member of the Georgetown Medical Alumni Board and is past President of the New York Cardiothoracic Transplant Consortium.

Amber Pincavage, MD, specializes in adult internal medicine. She is especially interested in primary care for underserved populations.

A dedicated educator and mentor, Dr. Pincavage trains medical students and residents in areas such as physical diagnosis, clinical skills, transitions of care, and health disparities. For example, as a leader in the Chicago Breathe Project, she worked to improve education for physician trainees and minority patients in the use of new asthma inhalers. She also supervises residents in the free clinic at CommunityHealth Englewood.

Amber also was one of the 3 AAMC “Readiness for Reform Healthcare Innovation Challenge Award” winners based on her work on clinic handoffs which was funded in part by grants from the Bucksbaum Institute.

2012 Pilot Grant Project: Engineering Patient-Oriented Clinic Handoffs

Dr. Monica Peek is an Associate Professor in the Division of General Internal Medicine at the University of Chicago where she provides clinical care, teaches and does health services research in the area of health disparities. She received her medical degree and master’s degree in public health from the Johns Hopkins University, and completed her residency training at Stanford University Hospital. She then worked for the National Health Service Corps for two years at a community health center for the medically underserved in Ohio before relocating to Chicago.

As a member of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) program office Finding Answers: Disparities Research for Change, Dr. Peek led the systematic review of health care interventions to reduce disparities in diabetes care and outcomes. She has been funded by RWJF and the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) to explore racial differences in patient/provider communication and to pilot patient-empowerment interventions to enhance such communication among blacks with diabetes. She is the Co-Principal Investigator of grants from the Merck Company Foundation and NIH/NIDDK to improve diabetes care and outcomes among residents on the South Side of Chicago, a predominantly African-American working class community with significant disparities in diabetes health outcomes such as lower extremity amputations. Dr. Peek was part of the NIDDK strategic planning committee whose 2010 report “Advances and Emerging Opportunities in Diabetes Research” set forth the diabetes research agenda for the next 5-10 years.

Dr. Peek also does research on the development and evaluation of community-based, culturally-tailored interventions to promote healthy behaviors and preventive care, including women’s health (i.e. breast cancer screening), physical activity and diabetes self-management.

Dr. Aytekin Oto is Professor of Radiology and Surgery, and Interim Chair of Radiology at the University of Chicago. Dr. Oto has expertise in the imaging of diseases affecting the abdomen and pelvis.

Dr. Oto’s research interest is in the development and clinical application of novel prostate MRI acquisition and interpretation to improve the efficiency of prostate cancer treatments including image guided prostate therapy options for select patients. His research has two primary focus areas: “non-invasive and accurate diagnosis of aggressive prostate cancer using MR imaging“ and “eradication of localized prostate cancer with minimal complications using minimally invasive treatment methods”. His research has resulted in more than 200 publications and over 200 scientific exhibits at national and international meetings.

Dr. Oto has also developed novel MR sequences, pilot CAD software for prostate MRI, and tested MR guided therapy methods such as laser and focused ultrasound ablation in clinical and pre-clinical studies. He has several industry, foundation, and NIH grants and serves at the Editorial Board of Radiology. Dr. Oto has received numerous awards including Distinguished Investigator Award, RSNA honored educator award, and Distinguished Senior Clinician Award.

Dr. Sola Olopade is Clinical Director at the Center for Global Health and director of international programs at the Pritzker School of Medicine. Dr. Olopade graduated from the University of Ibadan Medical School, Nigeria in 1980. He completed his residency in Internal Medicine at Cook County Hospital and fellowship in Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine at the Mayo Clinic. Dr. Olopade holds a Master of Public Health from the University of Illinois at Chicago. He completed an ethics fellowship at the MacLean Center and now teaches responsible conduct of research and ethics of international medicine and research. He assisted the University of Ibadan, in developing their Ethics Board with federal-wide assurance certification. Dr. Olopade has received many honors, including the American College of Chest Physicians Humanitarian Award in 2006 and 2010 and Chicago Magazine’s Top Doctor since 2011.

Dr. Olopade, a board certified internist and medical oncologist, is the Walter L. Palmer Distinguished Service Professor of Medicine and Human Genetics, Dean for Global Health and Director, Center for Clinical Cancer Genetics at The University of Chicago. Dr. Olopade earned her medical degree from the University of Ibadan College of Medicine in Nigeria. She trained in internal medicine at Cook County Hospital in Chicago and in oncology, hematology and cancer genetics at the Joint Section of Hematology and Oncology at the University of Chicago.

A leader in cancer genetics, Dr. Olopade studies familial forms of cancers, molecular mechanisms of tumor progression in high-risk individuals as well as genetic and non-genetic factors contributing to tumor progression in diverse populations. Her current laboratory research is focused on using whole genome technologies and bioinformatics to develop innovative approaches to democratize precision health care for all and thereby reduce global health disparities.

Dr. Olopade is an expert in cancer risk assessment and individualized treatment for the most aggressive forms of breast cancer based on an understanding of the altered genes in individual patients. She stresses comprehensive risk reducing strategies and prevention in high-risk populations, as well as earlier detection through advanced imaging technologies.

Dr. Olopade is an at-large member of the American Board of Internal Medicine Board of Directors. She is also an elected member of the American Society for Clinical Investigation, the Association of American Physicians, the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the American Philosophical Society. She has received numerous honors and awards, including honorary degrees from Bowdoin University, Princeton University, North Central College and Dominican University, Doris Duke Distinguished Clinical Scientist and Exceptional Mentor Award, American Cancer Society Clinical Research Professorship, MacArthur Foundation Fellowship, Officer of the Order of the Nigeria Award, and the Franklin D. Roosevelt Freedom from Want Award. Dr. Olopade currently serves on the Board of Directors for the National Cancer Advisory Board, Susan G. Komen for the Cure and the Lyric Opera.

Douglas Nordli, Jr., MD, is a Professor and Chief of the Section of Child Neurology within the department of pediatrics at the University of Chicago.

After earning his medical degree (AOA) from Columbia University, Dr. Nordli completed a pediatrics residency, followed by a child neurology residency and a postdoctoral clinical fellow in EEG and epilepsy at Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center.

Dr. Nordli has published more than 100 original, peer-reviewed studies with research focusing on epilepsy classification, epilepsy surgery, infantile epilepsy, febrile seizures and the ketogenic diet.

Dr. Edward T. Naureckas is the Vice President of the Medical Staff at the University of Chicago Medicine and a Professor of Medicine in the Section of Pulmonary and Critical Care. He is the Director of the Adult Cystic Fibrosis Program, the Asthma and COPD Center and the Adult Pulmonary Function Laboratory at the University of Chicago. Dr. Naureckas received his MD from Washington University School of Medicine and performed his residency in Internal Medicine at Michael Reese Hospital. He completed his subspecialty fellowship in Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine at the University of Chicago. Dr. Naureckas is a distinguished teacher and clinician, and has received several Outstanding Teacher Awards. He is a recipient of the Leonard Tow Humanism in Medicine Award as well as the University of Chicago Medicine Department of Social Work Humanism award. Nationally, Dr. Naureck has served as the Chair of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation’s Guidelines Steering Committee.

Jennifer Moriatis Wolf, MD was born in Harrogate, Yorkshire, England and grew up in Baltimore, Maryland. She graduated magna cum laude from the University of Maryland, and completed her medical degree at the University of Pennsylvania. She completed her orthopaedic surgery residency and trauma fellowship at Brown University. She went on to do a hand surgery fellowship at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, and has been on the faculties of the University of Colorado and the University of Connecticut. She joined The University of Chicago in 2016, where her clinical and research interests include the impact of hormones on basilar thumb arthritis, lateral epicondylitis, atypical nerve compression, and osteoporosis. She holds a Department of Defense grant to study the impact of Vitamin D on post-traumatic osteoarthritis.

She is currently the deputy editor in chief for the Journal of Hand Surgery, as well as the hand surgery fellowship director at the University of Chicago. She has been on the governing Council for the American Society for Surgery of the Hand for the past 4 years, first as a member-at-large, and as the treasurer.

She spends her free time with her husband and two sons, and enjoys distance running and traveling.

1954-2018

Dr. Anthony Montag was a Professor of Pathology and the Associate Dean of Admissions for the Pritzker School of Medicine. Dr. Montag attended the Medical College of Wisconsin, where he also completed an Internal Medicine internship and Clinical Pathology residency. He completed an Anatomic Pathology residency and Gynecologic Pathology fellowship at Boston’s Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and was recruited to the Pathology and Obstetrics and Gynecologic faculties at the University of Chicago as an Assistant Professor.

Dr. Montag’s academic interests included clinical and translational work on ovarian and uterine carcinoma and bone and soft tissue tumors.

Dr. Montag taught medical and graduate students at the University of Chicago for over 30 years, and trained nearly two hundred Pathology residents and fellows. He received the medical school’s favorite faculty award six times, an AOA teaching award, and election to the Academy of Distinguished Medical Educators. In medical school admissions he focused on increasing the diversity of the matriculating class and recruiting empathetic students with a history of service to others.

Michael Millis, MD, Professor of Surgery at the University of Chicago since 1994 is the Chief of the Section of Transplantation and Director of the University of Chicago Transplant Center. He is certified by the American Board of Surgery in both General Surgery and Surgical Critical Care. He is an internationally renowned expert in pediatric and adult liver transplantation. Dr. Millis has pioneered new techniques of operating on the liver, and has performed more liver transplants than any other surgeon in the region. He is know for his clinical technical skills as well as developing supportive relationships with his patients and their families.

Recognized for his successful interactions with China and other resource challenged areas, lead to his appointment as Vice Chair for Global Surgery at the University of Chicago Medicine in 2015. His goal is to broaden efforts to the increasingly important emerging area of Global Surgery, coordinate and strengthen clinical, research, educational, and humanitarian efforts for faculty, trainees, and students.

Dr. Millis’s research explores the application of cellular technology to patient care. For instance, he is investigating how hepatocyte transplantation, extracorporeal assist technology and stem cells can assist in the care of patients with liver disease or liver tumors. His research interests also include health and policy ethics. He is currently engaged with former Vice Minister of Health of the People’s Republic of China and current Director of the Organ Transplant and Donor Committee, Jiefu Huang, to help improve the practice and policy of transplantation in China, which is supported by the China Medical Board. He has been instrumental in assisting China move from the use of organs from executed prisoners to a voluntary citizen based organ donation system. He has co-authored articles published in high profile journals such as Lancet with Vice Minister Huang regarding changes in transplant regulation and policy in China.

Dr. Millis has been host to dozens of physicians and scientists from China desiring clinical and scientific experience in the United States. His focus in surgical research has been clinical and translational studies aimed primarily on improving graft and patient survival suffering from liver disease. In addition he has organized multiple clinical trials in China and is also a member of Chicago’s Sister City Committee. Dr. Millis has authored or co-authored more than 100 articles in medical journals and has visited and lectured at hundreds of universities and medical centers around the world.

Dr. Miller is the inaugural director of the Center for Community Health and Vitality at the University of Chicago. The Center for Community Health and Vitality’s mission is to improve population health outcomes for residents on the South Side of Chicago through community-engaged research, demonstration and service models.

Prior to joining the University of Chicago in 2009, she served as national program director of New Health Partnerships, a demonstration project funded by The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the California Health Care Foundation on collaborative self-management support. Dr. Miller is also a faculty member of the Institute for Healthcare Improvement in Cambridge, MA. Dr. Miller worked for 5 years as a program vice-president at The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation where she was responsible for strategic planning and program design in the clinical quality improvement area, using clinical and community-based strategies. Programs developed under her direction include demonstration projects designed to help improve the quality of care for people with chronic health conditions such as asthma, diabetes and depression. Dr. Miller’s work in the area of improving asthma outcomes through school and community interventions was noted by the American Academy of Asthma, Allergy and Immunology with a 2006 Special Recognition Award. Dr. Miller was a member of the 2002 Institute of Medicine committee that produced the report, Guidance for the National Healthcare Disparities Report. In 1993 Dr. Miller was recognized by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s Community Health Leadership Program for her community-based efforts in improving the health and well-being of grandparents raising their grandchildren through an initiative called, Grandparents Who Care.

A general internist, Dr. Miller cares for patients in the Primary Care Group at the University of Chicago Medicine.

Dr. David Meltzer is Chief of the Section of Hospital Medicine, Director of the Center for Health and the Social Sciences and the UChicago Urban Health Lab, and Chair of the Committee on Clinical and Translational Science at The University of Chicago, where he is The Fanny L. Pritzker Professor in the Department of Medicine, the Harris School of Public Policy Studies and the Department of Economics. Dr. Meltzer’s research explores problems in health economics and public policy with a focus on the theoretical foundations of medical cost-effectiveness analysis and the cost and quality of hospital care. Meltzer completed his MD and PhD in economics at the University of Chicago and his residency in internal medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. His awards include the Garfield Award from Research America, the AHRQ Eisenberg Excellence in Mentoring Award, and the AAMC Learning Healthcare System Award. He is a member of the National Academy of Medicine.

Dr. Alisa McQueen received her MD from Mt. Sinai School of Medicine and completed her residency at the Boston Combined Residency in Pediatrics and fellowship in Pediatric Emergency Medicine at Boston Children’s Hospital. In 2008, Dr. McQueen joined the UofC faculty and is currently an Associate Professor of Pediatrics and an Attending physician in Pediatric Emergency Medicine at Comer Children’s Hospital. As the Program Director for the newly established fellowship in pediatric emergency medicine, she focuses on graduate medical education and is particularly interested in the use of simulation to help train residents and fellows in pediatric resuscitation, difficult conversations in the emergency department, and facilitating family presence during pediatric procedures and resuscitation. Dr. McQueen is a Fellow of the American College of Emergency Physicians.

Dr. Marcangelo is a consultation-liaison psychiatrist and psychiatric educator. He joined the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience in 2008 and has served as the Director of Medical Student Education in Psychiatry ever since. In this role, he directs the psychiatric clerkship and is the director of the Human Behavior in Health and Illness course for second year Pritzker students. He has researched the use of Objective Structured Clinical Examinations in psychiatric evaluation. He is also a founding member of the Clinical Skills Initiative Taskforce for the Association of Directors of Medical Student Education in Psychiatry. In this role he has participated in the development of nearly a dozen clinical modules that are being used internationally to facilitate psychiatric education of medical students. Clinically, Dr. Marcangelo has served on the inpatient psychiatry consult service at the University of Chicago since 2008, each year providing over 500 psychiatric consultations for patients in the hospital. He has also served as the director of the transplant psychiatry program and evaluates approximately 100 transplant candidates each year. He has worked with the liver transplant team and currently works with the kidney, heart, and lung transplant teams. He also maintains an active psychotherapy practice.

In 2020, Dr. Marcangelo joined the faculty a Northwestern University.

Dr. Hue H. Luu is a professor of Orthopaedic Surgery and Rehabilitation Medicine and the Associate Director of the molecular oncology lab. Dr. Luu attend the Pritzker School of Medicine and completed his internship, residency, and fellowship at University of Chicago Medicine.Dr. Luu specializes in hip and knee replacements as well as the surgical care of bone and soft tissue tumors. He is an expert in both direct anterior approach and mini-posterior approach total hip replacements. Direct anterior approach total hip replacement is a more muscle sparing and less invasive technique that allows for a more rapid recovery.

Dr. Luu also uses the state of the art Robotic Arm Assisted technology for total hip, total knee, and partial knee replacement surgeries. Robotic assistance allows for more precision and less soft tissue damage. He strives to give outstanding care to his patients to help restore their quality of life and function. Dr. Luu works with a multidisciplinary physician team to provide comprehensive care for patients with benign and malignant musculoskeletal tumors.

Dr. Luu’s research interests include the fundamental mechanisms regulating bone biology and bone regeneration as well as outcomes research in total joint replacement patients.

An expert in the fields of population health and sexuality, Stacy Lindau is a practicing gynecologist and physician scientist who focuses on the health and life course of women and people living in poverty. She uses a community-engaged approach, working together with the patients and populations she serves to solve big health problems.

Lindau is the director of the Program in Integrative Sexual Medicine and WomanLab, an effort that aims to educate the public on preserving and restoring sexual function in women affected by cancer and other common health conditions. She also directs the South Side Health and Vitality Studies, including Feed1st, a hospital-based hunger mitigation effort and is President of MAPSCorps, a non-profit organization spun out of her lab that conducts an annual, comprehensive community asset census together with youth from high poverty communities across the U.S.

Lindau is an NIH-funded investigator since 2005 and has published extensively in the highest impact medical journals. She was awarded a 2016–18 Aspen Health Innovators Fellowship and is a member of the Aspen Global Leadership Network.

Dr. Stanley Liauw serves as the Director of Clinical Operations and is the clinical lead for the genitourinary (GU) cancer program, and the gastrointestinal (GI) cancer program within the Department of Radiation and Cellular Oncology at the University of Chicago. In the past 10 years on faculty, Dr. Liauw has developed research programs in these disease sites, with an interest in outcomes research and clinical trials. The central mission of his research is to conduct clinical studies to define current clinical outcomes and areas of need, develop hypotheses, and test novel regimens to reduce the morbidity or mortality of radiation therapy in the treatment of cancer.

A major focus of Dr. Liauw’s efforts include the periodic analysis and reporting of cancer outcomes with radiation therapy. This work, derived from multiple institutional databases of more than 2000 patients, has resulted in numerous abstract presentations and publications in peer-reviewed journals such as Journal of Clinical Oncology, International Journal of Radiation Oncology, Biology, Physics and Cancer. These contributions generally fall into 3 categories of interest: presenting hypotheses to improve the therapeutic ratio of therapy, studying the use of imaging in radiation oncology, and exploring potential markers of response to therapy.

A number of clinical protocols have been opened for patients with genitourinary and gastrointestinal cancers. Dr. Liauw has investigated and initiated trials for a: phase I study of dose escalated stereotactic body RT trial for unresectable pancreatic cancer, phase II quality of life study of oral hormonal therapy with RT for prostate cancer, phase I study for oligometastatic renal cell cancer, and phase I randomized study for hepatocellular carcinoma treated with RT and immunotherapy.

Outside of his research interests, Dr. Liauw has overseen several intradepartmental projects aimed at improving clinical workflow and patient safety, with potential downstream effects on patient and employee satisfaction. He served as the clinical lead for the implementation of intraoperative radiation therapy in 2015, as an Associate Editor for GI cancers for the International Journal of Radiation Oncology, Biology, and Physics, as an examiner and question writer for the American Board of Radiology for GU cancers, and an invited speaker for national and international educational lectures such as through the American Society of Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) and the American Urological Association. He has been an invited Visiting Professor for resident education at multiple institutions, and has been regularly recognized from the University of Chicago training program as a top educator. He has been an ad hoc reviewer of manuscripts for more than 20 scientific journals, including Journal of Clinical Oncology and the New England Journal of Medicine.

Stacie Levine, MD, specializes in geriatric medicine and palliative care with a focus on pain management. She strives to provide the highest level of support to patients and their families during transitions in care.

In addition to her clinical responsibilities, Dr. Levine is a dedicated educator. Under her leadership, fellows learn how to recognize and effectively manage pain, as well as how to foster important conversations about prognosis during end-of-life care.

Dr. Levine has contributed to leading textbooks on the role of palliative medicine in chronic illnesses. She also serves as a reviewer for several prominent scientific journals, including Journal of Hospital Medicine and American Journal of Medicine.

Dr. Lengyel is a gynecologic oncologist who is board certified in general gynecology and gynecologic oncology. He attended medical school at the University of Munich and went to the University of Munich, UCSF, and Stanford for postgraduate training. In 2003, Dr. Lengyel joined the faculty of the University of Chicago. Since that time he has established a clinical practice specializing in radical debulking surgery for ovarian cancer and a translational research laboratory focused on understanding ovarian cancer biology. Recently, his group elucidated how adipocyte/cancer cell interactions promote ovarian cancer metastasis through the metabolic reprogramming of tumor cells. They have also shown that mesothelial cells play a critical role in ovarian cancer metastasis.

Dr. Lengyel has published over 90 peer-reviewed papers, including contributions to Nature, Nature Medicine, JCI, Oncogene, JBC, and Cancer Research. He is also the author of the chapter on ovarian cancer in the current edition of Principles and Practice of Gynecologic Oncology, the standard textbook of the specialty Dr. Lengyel holds 2 RO1 grants, a Burroughs Wellcome Award in translational research, and several other grants from private foundations, including a PPG planning grant from the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund. He is an ad hoc member of NIH study sections.

Dr. Lengyel is the Arthur L. and Lee G. Herbst Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology and is the Chair of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Chicago.

Dr. Raphael C. Lee is the Paul and Allene Russell Professor at the University of Chicago in Surgery (Plastic), Medicine (Dermatology), Translational Medicine and Organismal Biology & Anatomy (Biomechanics). He is a Fellow of the Institute for Molecular Engineering also a cofounder the Chicago Electrical Trauma Rehabilitation Institute. Dr. Lee completed general surgery residency at the University of Chicago and plastic surgery residency at the Massachusetts General Hospital. He has served on the faculty of Harvard University and M.I.T. Dr. Lee’s research is recognized for characterization of the molecular biophysics of tissue damage by electrical forces, ionizing irradiation and thermal trauma. His laboratory has developed synthetic chaperones to recover denatured and aggregated proteins, which have important implications in tissue preservation and thermal trauma. Dr. Lee was the first to describe obturator sensate fasciocutaneous flaps for congenital and acquired perineal deformities. Dr. Lee has been a Schering Scholar, MacArthur Prize Fellow, and a Searle Scholar. Notable awards include the James Barrett Brown Award for “advancing knowledge in the field of Plastic Surgery” and the American Electrical Power Association Award for “Advancing Electrical Safety and Health”.

Dr. Wei Wei Lee is an Associate Professor in the Department of General Internal Medicine. She completed her medical degree at New York University School of Medicine and earned a Masters of Public Health from Harvard. She received her training in Internal Medicine at New York Presbyterian Hospital-Weill Cornell and completed the MERITS Faculty Fellowship in Medical Education at the University of Chicago. She is a clinician in the primary care group and serves as a core faculty member for the internal medicine residency program. Dr. Lee is interested in developing curricula that focus on improving the quality of patient-doctor communication and patient-centered outcomes. She was recently awarded the Gold Foundation Humanism Scholarship to attend the Harvard Macy Institute Program for Educators where she will develop a curriculum to teach patient-centered use of the electronic medical record.

Dr. Michael Lee is an accomplished orthopaedic spine surgeon who treats a broad spectrum of pathology from a simple disc herniation to complex tumor and deformity of the spinal column.

Dr Lee’s research interests are similarly broad. His oft-cited publications include shared decision-making with patients to the stability of the spine using biomechanical cadaveric models to models predicting the safety of spine surgery based on individualized patient and surgical factors. His work led to the SpineSage web model for predicting complication after spine surgery (SpineSage.com). He has presented his research internationally. He has authored 2 textbooks, chaired 4 courses, acquired several grants to support his research and has more than 80 peer-reviewed publications. He also writes a regular column in Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research focusing on patient safety.

In addition to his research accomplishments, he has been an invited speaker at several national courses teaching surgical spine techniques to other practicing spine surgeons. He serves as manuscript reviewer for several journals including Spine and The Spine Journal.

Richard Larson, MD, is a Professor of Medicine in the Section of Hematology/Oncology and Director of the Hematologic Malignancies Clinical Research Program at the University of Chicago. Dr. Larson received his undergraduate degree from Dartmouth College and completed a one year fellowship in nucleic acid chemistry at King’s College, University of Cambridge, UK. He received his medical degree from the Stanford University School of Medicine in 1977, and completed postdoctoral training in Internal Medicine, Hematology, and Medical Oncology at the University of Chicago. Dr. Larson was a Fellow of the Leukemia Society of America and was granted a Clinical Oncology Career Development Award from the American Cancer Society. He has been a member of the faculty in the Section of Hematology/Oncology and the Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of Chicago since 1983. Dr. Larson was Director of the Leukemia Clinical Research Program at the University of Chicago from 1983 to 2000, during which time he established the adult allogeneic bone marrow transplant program at the University of Chicago Medical Center in 1986. He is Board certified in Internal Medicine, Hematology, and Medical Oncology, and has served as a member of the Hematology Subspecialty Board of the American Board of Internal Medicine.

Dr. Larson is a former Councilor on the Executive Committee of the American Society of Hematology (ASH) and served as the Treasurer of ASH from 2011-2014. He was awarded the Henry M. Stratton Medal for Clinical Science by ASH in 2019, and was the co-chair of the Education Program at the 2004 ASH annual meeting. Dr. Larson has been a faculty member at ASH’s Clinical Research Training Institute, and an invited speaker at the Highlights of ASH in North America, Latin America, Asia, and the Mediterranean. He has represented ASH as a member of the National Cancer Policy Forum of the Institute of Medicine (now the National Academy of Medicine), and is a panel member of the ASH Consult a Colleague program.

During 1997-2011, Dr. Larson was the chair of the Leukemia Committee of the Cancer and Leukemia Group B (CALGB), funded by the National Cancer Institute, NIH, to conduct multicenter clinical trials in patients with cancer. He is currently a member of the National Cancer Institute’s Leukemia Steering Committee.

Dr. Larson is also a member of the American Society of Clinical Oncology and an emeritus member of the American Association for Cancer Research. He is a member of the European LeukemiaNet working groups on chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) and acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Dr. Larson has published more than 500 peer-reviewed articles, reviews, and book chapters on clinical and laboratory studies in human leukemias, and in addition, has served on the editorial boards of Blood, the Journal of Clinical Oncology, and Leukemia. He is a Section Editor for Leukemia and one of two Editors-in-Chief for Hematology for UpToDate, the most widely used point-of-care clinical decision resource for physicians.

Dr. Larson continues to maintain an active clinical practice at the University of Chicago Medical Center. He teaches medical students, nurses, medical residents, and trainees in Hematology and Medical Oncology in the Clinic and at the bedside. Dr. Larson is an attending physician on the inpatient Leukemia Service and the Transplant and Cellular Therapy Service. Throughout his career, his research interests have included clinical trials in acute and chronic leukemias and stem-cell transplantation, experimental therapeutics, the determinants of response to therapy in leukemia and myelodysplastic syndromes, and the etiology of therapy-related leukemias.

Dr. Neda Laiteerapong is an Associate Professor of Medicine in the Section of General Internal Medicine at the University of Chicago and Associate Director of the Center for Translational and Policy Research of Chronic Diseases.

Dr. Laiteerapong attended medical school at Boston University. She then completed an Internal Medicine residency and a Masters of Science in Health Studies at the University of Chicago. In 2012, she joined the Department of Medicine at the University of Chicago.

Dr. Laiteerapong is a productive clinical investigator who is committed to improving physical and mental health outcomes for people with chronic diseases. Her research focuses on individualizing care for adults with diabetes with a special emphasis on dissemination and implementation of evidence for the long-term benefits of early glycemic control. She is also interested in the role health policy and clinical guidelines play in the care of patients with chronic diseases. In addition to her clinical practice, Dr. Laiteerapong serves as a mentor for residents and medical students.

Dr. Vinay Kumar is the Alice Hogge and Arthur Baer Distinguished Service Professor and former Chairman of the department of Pathology at the University of Chicago. He has made seminal contributions in the field of medical education and basic research. In 1974 his laboratory identified Natural Killer (NK) cells as a distinct population of lymphocytes with anti-tumor activities. Continuation of this work has led to discovery of NK cell receptors and the immunotherapeutic use of NK cells. He was elected to the American Association Advancement of Science for this “pioneering work on discovery of NK cells”. He is a passionate medical educator and has influenced medical education across the world for the past 35 years as the editor/author of Robbins Pathology text books. He is the senior editor of these books now in their 9th edition. Robbins Pathology is the most widely used medical text in the world with translations into 13 languages. He has served on the US National Board of medical Examiners as test writer and he recently coauthored a report on competency based education commissioned by AAMC/HHMI. He has played an active role in curricular reforms globally with special interest in his native India. He believes that technology can be a powerful democratizing force in medical education and is developing innovative ways to use technology for educating health science professionals.

Dr. Kress is a Professor of Medicine, Director of the Medical Intensive Care Unit and Pulmonary and Critical Care Fellowship. He has clinical expertise in the management of respiratory failure and shock. He is internationally recognized in patient outcomes research in critical care. He has published on strategies to improve the mental and physical function of patients who require mechanical ventilation in the ICU.

Dr. Kress is a distinguished teacher and clinician, and has received several Outstanding Teacher Awards from the University of Chicago Internal Medicine Residency Program.

Matthew Koshy, MD, specializes in the treatment of brain tumors and lung cancer with radiation. His main clinical interest is on the application of stereotactic radiosurgery in the treatment of cancer.

His research involves examining the comparative effectiveness of different radiation strategies and interventions in patients with lung cancer and those with glioblastoma. Several of his studies have specifically looked at the impact of radiation dose escalation on survival. He is also examining how disparities within these populations affect subsequent therapies and oncologic outcomes. Furthermore, he is an investigator on prospective studies which are using total body and total marrow radiation in patients undergoing stem cell transplantation for advanced hematologic diseases.

P. Allan Klock Jr., MD is an anesthesiologist and professor and vice chair for clinical affairs in the Department of Anesthesia and Critical Care. He earned his MD from the University of Connecticut and he completed his residency in anesthesiology at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston. He later completed the Program in Clinical Effectiveness at the Harvard School of Public Health. Dr. Klock has been section chief for urologic anesthesia and medical director of the post-anesthesia care unit and currently serves as Medical Director of his department’s ambulatory clinics. Dr. Klock serves on his department’s quality assurance, education, resident recruitment and executive committees. Dr. Klock’s academic and clinical interests include airway management and he is past president of the Society for Airway Management and is co-director of the Airway Study and Training Center at UofC. Dr. Klock is also interested in educating non-anesthesiologist health professionals about making sedation more effective and safer. Dr. Klock has developed a curriculum entitled, “Safer Sedation and Analgesia” that has been delivered to over 600 medical professionals.

Dr. Klafta is a Professor of Anesthesia & Critical Care and the Vice Chair for Education & Academic Affairs. Dr. Klafta graduated Magna Cum Laude with a degree in Physics from Loyola University in Chicago and received his MD degree from the Pritzker School of Medicine in 1989. He completed his anesthesiology residency at Harvard’s Brigham & Women’s Hospital before joining the University of Chicago faculty in 1993.

Dr. Klafta served as the Director of the Anesthesiology Residency Program from 1997-2006, and was the Clerkship Director for Perioperative Medicine and Pain Therapy from 1997–2002. In recognition of his outstanding teaching skills, he received the Department of Anesthesia and Critical Care Teacher of the Year Award in 1994, ’98, ’03, and ’04, and was elected into the Alpha Omega Alpha Medical Honor Society in 2000. Two years later he received the International Anesthesia Research Society’s Annual Teaching Recognition Award.

2013 Pilot Grant Project: Improving Professionalism for Physicians in Training: A Curriculum based Approach.

Dr. Kirschner is a Professor of Pediatrics and Director of the Pediatric Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) Program at The University of Chicago Comer Children’s Hospital.

She has a longstanding interest in contributing to understanding the pathogenesis of IBD and improving care for children and adolescents with IBD. In this regard, she helped establish the PediIBD Research Consortium and has continued to collaborate with centers and consortia nationally to enhance knowledge relating to the genetics, microbiome and natural history of pediatric IBD. In addition, she is the site principal investigator for several clinical drug trials designed to determine the efficacy, safety and dosing of new therapeutic modalities for this patient population. She, along with colleagues within the Pediatric GI Section, have established one of the largest practices of children and adolescents with IBD and is considered to be an expert in the care of this population.

Dr. Kirschner has published over 130 peer-reviewed articles and book chapters in her field and has lectured nationally and internationally in topics related to pediatric IBD.

In addition to the clinical and research activities described above, Dr. Kirschner greatly enjoys teaching medical students, house staff, fellows and faculty and has been selected to receive an annual Teaching Award from the Pediatric Residents.

Dr. Kelly is an Associate Professor in the Department of Neurology. He completed his medical school training and internship at Rush Medical College. Tom completed his Neurology residency training at the University of Chicago after which he joined the faculty as one its first dedicated general neurologists. Over the years, Dr. Kelly has held the positions of residency training director, outpatient clinic medical director, interim department chair, and co-chair for clinical operations.

As a general neurologist Dr. Kelly has built the outpatient urgent care component of the department as a service to patients who need to be seen quickly. In addition to his clinical dedication he is committed to student and trainee education. Tom supervises outpatient residents in both continuity and urgent care and Neurology residents have voted Dr. Kelly teacher of the year on 4 occasions. Also, each year, he delivers lectures to Pritzker students on the treatment of Parkinson’s disease and migraine, and he co-organizes the annual medical school clinical skills “Neuro Day.” This program is for Pritzker MS 2’s and provides the entire class exposure to neurology patients, neuroradiology, and instructive clinical video materials.

Dr. Michelle Josephson is Professor of Medicine and Surgery, serves as Medical Director of Kidney and Pancreas Transplantation, and is Program Director of the Transplant Nephrology Fellowship.

After receiving her MD from University of Pennsylvania she completed a medical internship, residency and nephrology fellowship at University of Chicago. In 1992 she joined the faculty as the first transplant nephrologist at University of Chicago.

Dr. Josephson’s mission is to improve the care and outcomes of medically complex transplant patients through direct care, education, and clinical research. Her research projects examine the live kidney donor, post-transplant bone disease, BK virus, and post-transplant pregnancy.

Dr. Josephson is deeply committed to education and established University of Chicago’s transplant nephrology fellowship. Dr. Josephson is a member of several national and international working groups, societies, and advisory groups that have developed transplant care guidelines and policies. She served as Councilor for the Board of the American Society of Transplantation (AST) and Chair of American Society of Nephrology’s (ASN’s) Transplant Advisory Group.

Nora Jaskowiak, MD, is a well-regarded professor and surgeon focusing on the surgical management of breast cancer, along with endocrine surgery, thyroid cancer, and parathyroid disorders.

She is surgical head of the University of Chicago Breast Center, which is dedicated to all women’s breast health needs. The Center offers each woman a comprehensive care plan whether they are self- or physician-referred, or seeking a second opinion.

Dr. Jaskowiak has also performed research under the supervision of Ralph Weichselbaum, MD, investigating how blocking the action of vascular endothelial cell growth factor, a substance that encourages the growth of new blood vessels, can dramatically increase the anti-tumor effects of radiation therapy.

Dr. Mahmoud Ismail is a Professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology in the section of Maternal-Fetal medicine. Dr. Ismail is the Co-Director of the UChicago Medicine Perinatal Network and was previously the Section Chief of Maternal-Fetal Medicine.

Dr. Ismail’s areas of interests are infections in pregnancy, twin-to-twin transfusion, and mono-mono twins. Dr. Ismail has received numerous awards and recognitions including: America’s Top Doctors Award, Chicago Magazine’s Top Doctors award for 6 years, and the University of Chicago Distinguished Clinical Award Senior Professor.

Dr. Ismail devotes much of his leisure time to community service and is the founder and trustee of Aqsa School, an Islamic girls’ school, in Bridgeview, IL; and, he is a member of the National Arab American Medical Association.

Dr. Elbert Huang is Professor of Medicine, Director of the Center for Chronic Disease Research and Policy, and Associate Director of the Chicago Center for Diabetes Translation Research at the University of Chicago.

Dr. Huang is a primary care doctor who studies clinical and health care policy issues at the intersection of diabetes, aging, and health economics. Using methods from health economics, the decision sciences, and clinical epidemiology, his research has provided the theoretical and evidence-base foundation for the concept of personalizing diabetes care goals as well as the contemporary natural history of the disease in older people. Dr. Huang’s research has directly influenced modern diabetes care clinical practice guidelines for older people that now emphasize 1) individualization of glycemic goals, 2) the role of patient treatment preferences, 3) the clinical importance of hypoglycemia, and 4) management of geriatric conditions.

Dr. Huang’s research has been supported by the NIH, AHRQ, CDC, American Diabetes Association, and Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. He has received numerous honors including the Research Paper of the Year Award from the Society of General Internal Medicine and elected membership to the American Society for Clinical Investigation.

Dr. Philip Hoffman is an expert in cancers of the lung and breast, and sees patients with all stages of these cancers. The author of more than 80 medical journal articles, Dr. Hoffman’s research interests include clinical trials in small cell and non-small cell lung cancer and breast cancer. Dr. Hoffman has been recognized for many years for his teaching skills in the medical school, as well as the internal medicine residency and hematology/oncology fellowship programs. He has appeared most years on the Pritzker School of Medicine’s graduating class composite portrait as one of their honored faculty, has recently won the Postgraduate Teaching Award of the Department of Medicine, and has been named a Master of the Academy of Distinguished Medical Educators at Pritzker.

Dr. Hoehn attended medical school at University of Kansas, then completed her pediatric residency at University of California San Francisco, followed by a pediatric critical care medicine fellowship at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. She also obtained a Masters in Bioethics from University of Pennsylvania. She has been on faculty at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, St. Christopher’s in Philadelphia, Rush and Comer, plus University of Kansas. She is a national leader in pediatric palliative care, and has started and grown multiple palliative care programs. In addition, she has been a course director and taught a pediatrics ethics course at Kansas City University of Biosciences. She has done research in informed consent, difficult decision making and family support and communication. She serves on the editorial boards of AAP PREP and the journal, Pediatric Critical Care Medicine. She is on the Pediatric Advisory Committee of the FDA, and a national advocate for safe prescribing of opioids. She is an advocate for children, no matter where they are in their journey. Here at the University of Chicago she is director of supportive care, which focuses on pain, palliative and integrative medicine. She is also the co-director of the MacLean Ethics Consultation Service. As a Bucksbaum senior scholar, she is excited to mentor students, residents and fellows on topics of communication, equity and palliative care. In addition, she is working to develop clear connections between ethics and equity. As Amanda Gorman said, ‘just is isn’t always justice.’

Dr. Sherwin Ho is a Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery at the University of Chicago, The Frank and Tang Families Endowed Professor Sports Medicine, and Director of the Sports Medicine Fellowship. He has taught and lectured nationally and internationally, and has served as an official spokesman for the Americian Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS), as well as course faculty and on many committees for the AAOS, the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine, and the Arthroscopy Association of North America. He is a member of the Herodicus Society, a principal reviewer for the American Journal of Sports Medicine, a founding member of the editorial board of the Orthopaedic Journal of Sports Medicine, and Editor-In-Chief for Sports Medicine for Medscape Reference (WebMD, formerly eMedicine). He has served as a team physician for the Chicago Blackhawks of the NHL, the Chicago Sky of the WNBA, and Concordia University Chicago where he was inducted into their Athletic Hall of Fame in 2012. As team physician for the USA Women’s Volleyball national team, he accompanied them to Beijing where they won a silver medal. More recently, as head team physician for the China Women’s national volleyball team, he accompanied them to gold medals at the 2015 World Cup in Japan, the 2016 Rio Olympic Games, and the 2019 World Cup in Japan.

Dr. Rex Haydon is a Professor in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery & Rehabilitation Medicine and Associate Director of the Molecular Oncology Laboratory. Prior to entering medicine, Dr. Haydon was trained in archaeology and physical anthropology, culminating in a PhD in Anthropology in 1993. He then entered medical school, and completed residency training in orthopaedics, followed by fellowships in research and orthopedic oncology. Dr. Haydon has been a faculty member at the University of Chicago since 2003.

Dr. Haydon’s clinical focus is in the treatment of bone and soft tissue tumors of the extremities, and he is part of the Musculoskeletal Oncology Group at the University of Chicago. Dr. Haydon is a superb clinician who seeks to care for his tumor patients with less toxic treatment options, which has lead to identifying novel agents for the treatment of sarcomas and benign tumors.

He serves as the fellowship program director for musculoskeletal oncology.

Dr. Haraf is the Professor of Radiation & Cellular Oncology and the Medical Director of Radiation Oncology. Dr. Daniel Haraf is an expert in the treatment of lung, esophageal, and head and neck cancer. He was instrumental in pioneering the use of intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT)—a highly precise form of three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy. IMRT uses computers to accurately plan and deliver radiation with the fewest possible side effects for patients.

He has become a nationally recognized leader in the treatment of head and neck cancer (HNC). Dr. Haraf has been a major force in developing a program using chemotherapy together with IMRT in the treatment of patients with HNC—reducing or eliminating the need for extensive, debilitating, or mutilating surgery. This program has a long track record curing cancer with preservation of normal organ function as documented in the medical literature. Dr. Haraf is proud that we can actually discuss the expected results with our patients based on detailed analyses of our own treatment program.

Dr. Haraf has also pioneered re-irradiation for patients with recurrent cancer of the head and neck. People with recurrent cancer after radiation often have limited treatment options and little chance of cure. Most radiation oncologists will not consider offering a second round of radiation treatment. Dr. Haraf has found that re-irradiation is possible and offers these people their only chance of cure.

He is active in developing new methods of radiation delivery for patients with lung and esophageal cancer. Cancers in the chest can move while people breathe during treatment. We now have the technology to time the delivery of radiation to a specific part of respiration. The result is greater accuracy in treating the cancer while limiting the amount of normal lung tissue exposed to radiation.

Olwen Hahn, MD, specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer and genitourinary malignancies, including bladder, kidney, prostate and testicular cancers.

In addition to her clinical roles, Dr. Hahn serves as the primary investigator on multiple studies that examine the effectiveness of new drugs in breast cancer and renal cancer. She also is a dedicated educator, teaching medical students and post-graduate trainees on a variety of topics, including how to take a medical history and the importance of effective communication between doctors and patients.

Dr. Hahn has authored numerous articles in scientific journals, and has contributed to a leading textbook on molecular targeting in oncology. In 2011, Dr. Hahn was the recipient of the University of Chicago’s Distinguished Clinician Award.

Dr. Hahn is now a Bucksbaum Senior Faculty Scholar.

2012 Pilot Grant Project: Communication Skills Training Program for Oncology Trainees

Jon E. Grant, MD, JD, MPH is a Professor of Psychiatry & Behavioral Neuroscience at the University of Chicago where he directs a clinic and research lab on addictive, compulsive and impulsive disorders. Dr. Grant’s research has been funded by the NIMH, NIDA, and private foundations. Dr. Grant received his BSA from the University of Michigan, an MA from the University of Chicago, his JD from Cornell University, an MD from Brown University, and his MPH from Harvard University. Dr. Grant is the author of over 400 peer-reviewed scientific articles, 15 books, is on the editorial board of 8 journals, and is the editor in chief of the Journal of Gambling Studies.

Dr. Lawrence Gottlieb is an internationally known reconstructive plastic surgeon. Dr. Gottlieb’s clinical and research interests include: reconstructive microsurgery, the care of patients with burn injuries, difficult wounds, complex reconstructive needs, as well as challenging clinical medical and surgical ethical problems.

Dr. Gottlieb joined the faculty at the University of Chicago in 1984 and is currently Professor of Surgery, Director of the Burn and Complex Wound Center, and a faculty member of the MacLean Center for Clinical Medical Ethics. He works with many different multidisciplinary teams to provide comprehensive state-of-art treatment to a wide variety of patients.

Dr. Gottlieb is an ardent supporter of resident education and academic achievement. He is currently Vice President of The American Society for Reconstructive Microsurgery and has received many honors and awards including: the Department of Surgery ‘Excellence in Teaching Award’, The Section of Plastic Surgery ‘Robert Parsons Golden Apple Teaching Award’, The Illinois Society of Plastic Surgeons ‘Physician Recognition Award’ and ‘Distinguished Physician Award’ as well as the University of Chicago Biological Sciences Division ‘Distinguished Clinician Award’.

Dr. Perpetua Goodall is an Associate Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology. She completed her undergraduate degree in Chemistry at Northwestern University. She graduated from Meharry Medical College and completed her residency in General Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Chicago. Immediately following residency, she joined the faculty in the OB/GYN department at the University of Chicago and has developed one of the largest clinical practices within the department. She is committed to providing comprehensive quality care for women throughout their reproductive lifespan from adolescence to menopause. She is particularly skilled in minimally invasive surgical techniques, including robotic and laparoscopic hysterectomies. She has been involved in clinical trials focusing on alternative treatment options for fibroids. As a respected clinical educator, Dr. Goodall is actively involved in both resident and medical student training and has received several teaching awards. She has held important leadership positions including Assistant Residency Program Director and Division Chief of General Obstetrics and Gynecology.

Dr. Goodall is now a Bucksbaum Senior Faculty Scholar.

Dr. Fernando D. Goldenberg is an Associate Professor in the Departments of Neurology and Surgery (Neurosurgery) at the University of Chicago. He holds the positions of Director of Neuroscience Critical Care Medicine and Co-Director of the Comprehensive Stroke Center.

Dr. Goldenberg earned his medical degree from the University of Buenos Aires School of Medicine in Argentina. He then completed his Internal Medicine residency training in Argentina followed by training in Critical Care Medicine and a fellowship in Neurocritical Care at the Cleveland Clinic. He later joined the University of Chicago in 2002.

Dr. Goldenberg is a contributor to a wide range of research related to the care of critically ill neurological and neurosurgical patients. His current investigations focus on traumatic brain injury, brain death, prognostication after anoxic brain injury and the neurological complications of patients with implanted left ventricular assist devices.

His passion for teaching led him to develop a very successful online educational tool for physicians on Neurocritical Care and Stroke and is currently developing a similar one focused on nursing care.

An active speaker, Dr. Goldenberg has lectured on stroke and brain injury at medical meetings in the United States, Europe, and South America.

Dr. David Glick is a Professor in the Department of Anesthesia & Critical Care. His clinical interests include the anesthetic management of vascular, thoracic and head and neck cancer patients as well as the care of patients in the Post-Anesthesia Care Unit (for which he has been the medical director since 2002). His research interests cover a wide range of clinical questions including the feasibility of processed EEG monitoring to decrease the risk of intra-operative awareness, the incidence of and risk factors for the development of deep venous clots around the time of surgery, ways to facilitate emergence from general anesthetics in children and patients for whom English is not the first language, the value and impact of surgical quality metrics, and the optimization of awake intubation techniques. He has published widely in these areas and students and residents in his lab have presented well over 100 abstracts at national and international meetings. He has received multiple awards for teaching and research mentorship and has been a track leader/cluster group leader for the clinical research tracks of the Pritzker Summer Research Program and the Scholarship & Discovery track for many years.

Dr. Edward Garrity is a Pulmonary and Critical Care Specialist focused on lung transplantation and the management of advanced lung diseases. Dr. Garrity is considered to be among the early adopters of lung transplantation as therapy for chronic lung diseases.

Dr. Garrity was deeply involved in the development of the current system for allocation of donor lungs for transplantation, and helped to reduce mortality of those awaiting the life-giving organs. Ed joined the faculty at The University of Chicago as a Professor of Medicine in 2005.

Dr. Garrity pursued a long-standing interest in Ethics via The MacLean Center for Clinical Medical Ethics fellowship in 2017. He continues to devote energy to the Pritzker School of Medicine Admissions Committee and his own abiding interest in the compassionate care of his patients, including those served through the Bridgeport Free Clinic. Dr. Garrity is recognized as a wonderful doctor, who always does his best for his patients and who works to instill that same desire in his students and trainees.

Marina Chiara Garassino, MD, is an internationally recognized expert in the treatment of thoracic malignancies.

Dr. Garassino graduated from the Medical School of Università degli Studi of Milan, Italy, where she also completed her training in Medical Oncology. After a fellowship at the Christie’s Hospital in Manchester (UK), she served as a physician oncologist in prestigious Italian cancer centers. She has risen to lead the Thoracic Medical Oncology Unit at one the most renowned comprehensive cancer center in Italy, the Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori of Milan.

She leads the strategy for clinical and translational research in advanced and locally advanced NSCLC, mesothelioma, thymoma and thymic carcinoma due to her effort in the research of drugs development, precision medicine and in immuno-oncology. She gave her contribute as author or coauthor to over 200 peer-reviewed publications, including many publications as first or last author in the Lancet Oncology, Journal of Clinical Oncology, Annals of Oncology, and the New England Journal of Medicine. Some of her publications radically changed the treatment paradigm of and treatment guidelines for lung cancer around the world.

In response the COVID-19 emergency, Dr. Garassino established and brought together an international group of physicians and investigators to study the impact of COVID-19 on patients with lung cancer. This led to the initiation of the Thoracic Cancers International COVID‐19 Collaboration, or TERAVOLT, a global registry for patients with thoracic cancers and COVID‐ 19. Currently, 180 centers from 25 countries have joined the consortium. Data from this consortium have already been ascertained and published in Lancet Oncology and Cancer Cell.

Dr. Garassino has been the recipient of many international awards from prestigious organizations like the American Society of Clinical Oncology, and she is the founder and president of Women for Oncology Italy. She provides strong support in gender equalities believing in the importance and value of creating an environment with diversity.

Dr. Fromme is an Associate Professor in the Section of Academic Pediatrics, where she specializes in the care of hospitalized children. Additionally, she is the Associate Program Director of the Pediatric Residency Training Program. She been honored by students and residents for her teaching and is a fellow of the Academy of Distinguished Medical Educators.

The majority of Dr. Fromme’s time away from patient care is dedicated to the development of faculty, residents and students as medical educators. She is the co-director of the Pritzker Scholarship & Discovery Track for Medical Education, a longitudinal program to train students in the skills needed to be medical educators and scholars. She also leads teaching skills courses for students and residents. She is the Director of the one year Medical Education Research Innovation Scholarship and Teaching (MERITS) fellowship for fellows and faculty, and teaches in the Faculty Advancing Medical Education faculty development series.

Dr. Gini Fleming is Professor of Medicine in the Section of Hematology/Oncology, and specializes in the treatment of breast and gynecologic malignancies. She has a longstanding interest in clinical trials and currently serves as chair of the Elderly Working Group in the NRG Oncology and as Principal Investigator for Protocol Operations for the Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology National Clinical Trials Networks groups. Dr. Fleming is an American Society of Clinical Ongology Fellow, and the recipient of the 2016 Harry Long multidisciplinary award for contributions to the field of gynecologic oncology; the 2017 Charles G Moertel Lectureship award for dedication to Clinical Cancer Research; and the 2016 NIH Director’s Service award for co-chairing the Clinical Trials Planning Meeting for Endometrial Cancer. In 2016, Dr. Fleming received the prestigious Distinguished Senior Clinician Award from the University of Chicago and the 2016 Hematology Oncology Fellowship Education Award.

Dr. Kate Feinstein is Professor of Radiology and Surgery. As a general pediatric radiologist, she cares for patients in the Comer Children’s Hospital, teaching medical students, technologists, radiology, urology, and pediatric residents, and faculty. Her research interests include technical parameters in ultrasonography and radiography, contrast media use in fluoroscopy, and the natural history of brain disease in premature patients. Dr. Feinstein serves the medical community at large on the board of directors of the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs. She works on the standards committee, is a site visitor, and is the liaison to the medical assisting education review board. She is an active member of the American College of Radiology and is currently on the Commission of Education involved in identifying educational gaps for practicing radiologists and designing programs to address these gaps.

Dr. Jeanne Farnan is Associate Professor of Medicine and Assistant Dean for Curricular Development and Evaluation at the Pritzker School of Medicine. She currently is leading new initiatives to perform comprehensive curricular review and adoption of competency-based medical education initiatives. Dr. Farnan is also Director of Clinical Skills Education and the Medical Director of the Clinical Performance Center. She is intimately involved with educating medical students in communication and physical examination skills throughout their time at Pritzker, as well as co-directing several well-subscribed electives which help graduating students transition to their graduate medical education training. Finally, Dr. Farnan’s scholarly interests focus on topics including professionalism and social media usage amongst physicians, communication during patient care transitions and supervision during residency training.

Dr. Scott Eggener specializes in the care of patients with kidney, prostate, and testicular cancer. He is an experienced robotic and open surgeon but also has a clinical and academic interest in active surveillance for select patients.

His clinical research focuses on prostate cancer screening and treatment. He is the principal investigator on numerous clinical trials for patients with kidney, prostate, and testicular cancer, and collaborates on laboratory research investigating a novel protein identified in kidney cancer.

Dr. Eggener’s research — which has resulted in 100 publications — has been presented at national and international meetings. He is the chairman of the University of Chicago Cancer Committee and has participated in volunteer educational and surgical missions to Congo, Cuba, Honduras, Morocco, Myanmar, Rwanda, and the Palestinian territories.

Linda Druelinger, MD, is an expert in emergency medicine, providing the highest level of care to acutely ill or injured patients. Her major clinical interests include airway management, maxillofacial trauma, and postpartum emergencies.

Dr. Druelinger has a particular interest in medical education. She has been actively involved in both resident and student education, helping to develop curriculum at both introductory and more advanced levels. She is highly recognized for her outstanding teaching skills and has been named Teacher of the Year by Emergency Medicine residents multiple times. In 2010, she was the recipient of the Pritzker School of Medicine Leonard Tow Gold Humanism Award.

Dr. Donington obtained her bachelor degree from the University of Michigan and her medical degree from Rush University. She completed general surgery training at Georgetown University, cardiothoracic training at the Mayo Clinic, and a surgical oncology fellowship in the Surgical Branch of the NCI. She was on faculty at Stanford and NYU prior to accepting her current position as chief of the section of Thoracic Surgery at the University of Chicago in 2018. Her clinical interest is in the diagnosis and surgical treatment of non-small cell lung cancer. She has unique expertise in the use multimodality therapy for locally advanced lung cancer, clinical trials in lung cancer, and treatment options for medically high-risk patients with lung cancer. She is a past president of the New York Society for Thoracic Surgery and the Women in Thoracic Surgery. She is the surgical chair for the thoracic section of NRG Oncology.

Dr. Andy Davis is a Professor and Associate Vice-Chair for Quality in the Department of Medicine. He is board certified in both internal medicine and in public health, and is a practicing clinician educator with research interests in quality improvement, prevention, and chronic disease. He is a clinician-educator with precepting and direct patient care responsibilities in the Primary Care Group and the University of Chicago Student Health Clinic. He was volunteer Attending of the Year in 2014 for Community Health, and is faculty advisor for the Maria Shelter Free Clinic.

Dr. Davis earned his MD from the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine, with residency at the University of Iowa, and his Masters in Public Health in occupational and environmental health from the University of Illinois at Chicago.

Dr. Davis is a section editor for practice guidelines for JAMA, was a visiting scientist at the CDC, and has led disease management programs for a managed care population of 400,000 individuals. Additional facets of his work include LGBT care, and healthcare disparities, including a national review on cardiovascular health disparities commissioned by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

Dr. John Cunningham is an internationally renowned pediatric hematologist with expertise in caring for adolescent patients requiring hematopoietic stem cell transplantation for malignant and non-malignant diseases of childhood. He has a particular interest in (the hemoglobinopathies,) a disease syndrome resulting from the commonest gene locus defect seen worldwide. He has specific expertise in the use of novel cellular therapeutics to treat leukemia and lymphoma. And recently, Dr. Cunningham has studied the role of stem cell regulatory pathways that are co-opted and perturbed during tumorigenesis.

Dr. Cunningham is an enthusiastic educator who trained students, residents, and fellows for nearly 15 years at St Jude Children’s Research Hospital prior to coming to the University of Chicago to lead the pediatric hematology/oncology program in 2007. He became Chair of the Department of Pediatrics in 2015. He lectures around the world, holds leadership roles in various national and international societies, and is the current chair of the Council of Extramural Grants of the American Cancer Society.

Dr. Kamala Gullapalli Cotts is an Associate Professor in the Department of Medicine. She graduated from Northwestern University Medical School and completed her internal medicine residency training at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics. She is a general internist with expertise in the primary care of developmentally disabled adults. Dr. Cotts established the Adult Developmental Disabilities Clinic at the University of Chicago in 2002. And in 2017, she received the Distinguished Clinician Junior Award for her work in caring for this patient population. Dr. Cotts’ commitment to patients with disabilities has allowed her to have a leadership role in the Bucksbaum Institute’s University of Delhi collaboration. During the 2018-19 academic year Dr. Cotts conducted workshops and traveled to India for this international disability education project.

Dr. Cotts completed a fellowship in the MacLean Center for Clinical Medical Ethics in 2007 and has been serving as Faculty on the Ethics Consult Service since then. She served on the National Society of General Internal Medicine Ethics Committee from 2011-2018. Dr. Cotts received many awards including the Medical Resident Teaching Award in 2018 and in 2019, the 2019 Department of Medicine Diversity Award and the 2019 Society of General Internal Medicine Award for Advocacy and Community Service.

Dr. Cohn is a Professor in the Department of Pediatrics, Director of Clinical Sciences, Dean for Clinical Research, and Acting Section Chief of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology. She has devoted her career to caring for children with neuroblastoma and conducting clinical and translational research focused on understanding the biologic underpinnings of high-risk neuroblastoma to identify new therapeutic targets. The long-term goal of her research is to develop more effective treatment based on the biology of the tumor and host genetics.

A long-term area of research in her laboratory has focused on investigating the role that angiogenesis plays in neuroblastoma pathogenesis and developing treatment that inhibits this process. More recently, Dr. Cohn has collaborated with Drs. Nancy Cox and Eileen Dolan to investigate the genetic variables contributing to racial disparities in survival for children with neuroblastoma. Dr. Cohn also worked with Dr. Andrew Pearson from the United Kingdom to spearhead a collaboration with investigators from around the world to establish an International Neuroblastoma Risk Group Classification System. This system was based on analyses of data collected from more than 8,800 patients. These data are available for investigator-initiated research studies, and in a recent collaboration with Dr. Sam Volchenboum, Chiam Kirby, and other members of the Center for Research Informatics at the University of Chicago, the infrastructure housing the data has been transformed into a live queryable database [the Interactive INRG database (iINRGdb)] using technology that enables connections to other data sources. To date, connections with the Children’s Oncology Group (COG) Biobank and Nucleic Acids Bank have been established, and researchers can now ask complex questions of the data and have instant access regarding sample availability.

Dr. Cohn is an internationally recognized expert in clinical trials and the treatment of neuroblastoma. She holds leadership positions in a number of national and international oncology groups such as Children’s Oncology Group (COG), New Approaches to Neuroblastoma Therapy (NANT), the International Neuroblastoma Risk Group (INRG) Task Force, and American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO).

Dr. Adam Cifu is a Professor of Medicine at the University of Chicago. He earned his BA from Haverford College and his MD from Cornell University. He did his residency in internal medicine and a year as the Primary Care Chief Resident at the Beth Israel Hospital in Boston. Dr. Cifu is a general internist who divides his time between clinical practice, medical student education, and scholarly work. He co-directs the 3rd Year Medicine Clerkship and directs courses for 4th and 1st year medical students. He is the co-author of two books: a textbook on clinical reasoning and a book for the lay audience. He is a deputy editor of JAMA’s Clinical Guidelines Synopsis series. His honors include the Department of Medicine Award for Clinical Teaching in 2006, 2011 and 2016 and the Distinguished Educator/Mentor Award for the BSD. He is a master in the Academy of Distinguished Medical Educators and has been selected as a Favorite Faculty Member by the graduating class of the Pritzker School of Medicine 14 times.

Marshall H. Chin, MD, MPH, Richard Parrillo Family Professor of Healthcare Ethics, is a general internist with extensive experience improving the care of vulnerable patients with chronic disease. He is Director of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Finding Answers: Solving Disparities Through Payment and Delivery System Reform Program Office, Co-Director of the Merck Foundation Bridging the Gap: Reducing Disparities in Diabetes Care National Program Office, and Associate Director of the Maclean Center for Clinical Medical Ethics. Dr. Chin serves on the National Advisory Council to the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Community Preventive Services Task Force. He is a former President of the Society of General Internal Medicine (SGIM), and has won mentoring awards from SGIM and the University of Chicago. He is leading an AHRQ-funded project to improve shared decision making among clinicians and LGBTQ people of color. Dr. Chin is a graduate of Harvard College and the University of California at San Francisco School of Medicine, and he completed residency and fellowship training in general internal medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School. Dr. Chin was elected to the National Academy of Medicine in 2017.

Dr. Keegan Checkett received her MD from the University of Missouri – Columbia, and completed her residency in Internal Medicine at the University of California – San Francisco and her residency in Emergency Medicine at the University of Chicago. In 2011, Dr. Checkett joined the faculty at the University of Chicago, where she currently is an attending physician and Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine. Dr. Checkett’s interest lies in emergency care development in low-income regions, particularly in education and training development. She served as core faculty for the Emergency Medicine residency of Muhimbili University, Tanzania from 2011-2014. From 2014-2018, Dr. Checkett worked as the program co-director for the Emergency Medicine residency of University Hospital of Mirebalais, Haiti, where she developed, implemented, and transitioned the curriculum for the first Emergency Medicine residency in Haiti. Additionally, Dr. Checkett is active in the education arm of the African Federation for Emergency Medicine (AFEM), including serving as the lead editor-in-chief for the second edition AFEM Handbook of Emergency Care and as the managing editor of the AFEM Presentation Bank. In 2018, Dr. Checkett developed the University of Chicago Global Emergency Medicine Medical Education fellowship, a novel global EM fellowship for which she serves as fellowship director. Currently, Dr. Checkett serves as the director of global emergency medicine at the University of Chicago; collaborates with the Haitian Society for Emergency Medicine as a Health and Policy Advisor in Emergency Care for Partners in Health; and consults for the World Health Organization COVID-19 Clinical Management team to develop global education and training tools.

Dr. Keme Carter is an Associate Professor of Medicine in the Department of Medicine, Section of Emergency Medicine and Assistant Dean for Admissions at the Pritzker School of Medicine. She obtained her undergraduate degree from Vanderbilt University in 1999 and graduated from the University of Alabama School of Medicine in 2003. Dr. Carter completed her residency training in Emergency Medicine at the University of Chicago and served as Chief Resident from 2005-2006. She subsequently joined the faculty at the University of Chicago and currently serves as the Director of Undergraduate Medical Education for the Section of Emergency Medicine and the Emergency Medicine Clerkship Director. Dr. Carter’s work in undergraduate and graduate medical education has been recognized through her induction as a fellow in the Academy of Distinguished Medical Educators and by several awards including the Doroghazi Outstanding Clinical Teaching Award, the Emergency Medicine Clinical Teacher of the Year Award, and the Biological Science Division’s Distinguished Educator/Mentor Junior Award. In recognition of her empathy towards patients and service as a role model for medical students, Dr. Carter was the recipient of the Leonard Tow Humanism in Medicine Award. Dr. Carter’s research focuses on studying communication practices in the Emergency Department in an effort to optimize patient care.

Dr. Carter is now a Bucksbaum Senior Faculty Scholar.

Dr. Halina Brukner is Professor of Medicine and Associate Dean for Medical School Education. She led the planning and implementation of the Pritzker Initiative curriculum and oversees all aspects of curricular and academic issues for the Pritzker School of Medicine. Dr. Brukner is also the Director of the Academy of Distinguished Medical Educators. A graduate of Yale University and the New York University School of Medicine, Dr. Brukner did her internship and residency training in Internal Medicine at the University of Chicago. She joined the faculty in General Medicine in 1985, and has served as clerkship director in Internal Medicine (1986-1999); Director of the Primary Care Group (1995-99); Vice-Chairman of the Department of Medicine (1999-2004); and Associate Dean for Medical School Education (2004-present). Dr. Brukner was a general internist in the University of Chicago Primary Care Group and is currently enjoying retirement.

Dr. James Brorson is an Associate Professor in the Department of Neurology, Medical Director of the University of Chicago Comprehensive Stroke Center, and Neurology Clerkship Director for the Pritzker School of Medicine. Dr. Brorson is an active clinician and researcher who specializes in stroke prevention and treatment. He research and care of patients has helped make the UChicago Medicine a center for treatment of cerebrovascular diseases and stroke, including leading participation of the medical center in the NIH-sponsored Stroke Trials Network, and in 3 current clinical trials in stroke prevention and treatment.

Dr. Brorson’s laboratory research focuses on the role of excitatory glutamate receptors in neuronal degenerative diseases. His clinical education research is on validation of objective structured clinical examination in neurology. Dr. Brorson was inducted as a Fellow of the Academy of Distinguished Medical Educators, and as an alumni honoree of the Alpha Omega Alpha Society. He has received clinical teaching awards from both medical students and neurology residents.

Diana Bolotin MD, PhD, is an Associate Professor and Section Chief of Dermatology and Director of the Dermatology Ambulatory Practice and Director of Dermatologic Surgery at the University of Chicago where she is actively engaged in patient care, resident teaching and clinical research on cutaneous malignancies. Dr. Bolotin is a graduate of University of California, Berkeley (A.B. with Honors), University of Chicago Biological Sciences Division, Molecular Genetics and Cell Biology (Ph.D.) and University of Chicago, Pritzker School of Medicine (M.D.). She completed an internship in Internal Medicine and residency training in Dermatology at the University of Chicago where she served as chief resident. Subsequent to her Dermatology training, she completed a Procedural Dermatology/ Mohs Micrographic Surgery and Cutaneous Oncology fellowship at Northwestern University. She returned to the University of Chicago as an Assistant Professor and Director of Dermatologic Surgery in 2011.

As a fellowship-trained Mohs micrographic surgeon, Dr. Bolotin has expertise in a wide range of medical and surgical treatments in cutaneous oncology, including Mohs micrographic surgery and excisional treatments of cutaneous neoplasms. Her clinical and academic interests span the field of cutaneous oncology, leadership and trainee and junior faculty mentorship. Having graduate training in skin biology, she is particularly interested in non-melanoma skin cancer (NMSC) biology, clinical behavior and treatments. Her current research focuses on clinical trials and translational research on molecular underpinnings of NMSC as well as novel approaches to advanced NMSC therapy. She is a recipient of a Medical Dermatology Society Mentorship Award, several Chicago Dermatologic Society Research Awards, an American Society for Dermatologic Surgery (ASDS) Cutting Edge Research Award and an ASDS President’s award for her contributions to the specialty.

2014-2015 Senior Faculty Scholar – Retired

Anita Blanchard, MD’90, is a Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology (OB-GYN) at UChicago Medicine and serves as Associate Dean for Graduate Medical Education and Designated Institutional Official, supervising and supporting 133 residency and fellowships programs including 1023 residents and fellows. She maintains accreditation standards, promotes professional development, and fosters strategic initiatives and innovation in medical education. She served as the associate program director in OB-GYN for 5 years and residency program director for OB-GYN for 13 years prior to her promotion to the GME office in 2017. She has devoted 22 years of her career to medical education.

As a practicing gynecologist, Dr. Blanchard specializes in treatment of cervical dysplasia, menopause management, and geriatric gynecologic care. She is a former trustee and past vice president of the board of directors for the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology, a former member of the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) OB-GYN review committee, and the University’s co-PI of the ACGME Pursuing Excellence Initiative.

Dr. Blanchard is committed to enhancing Chicago’s South Side community by increasing the diversity of physicians and building programs to fulfill community needs. She has created innovative community programs including seminars highlighting maternal and adolescent topics. She also founded the Graduate Medical Education Resilience Initiative focused on physician wellbeing. Together with the Urban Health Initiative team, her Graduate Medical Education team launched a new program, Community Champions, facilitating resident and fellow participation in community engagement in Winter 2021.

Dr. Blanchard earned a bachelor’s degree in Neurobiology and Physiology from Northwestern University and completed medical school and her OB-GYN residency at the Pritzker School of Medicine. She is active in many civic organizations and enjoys living in the South Side community she serves with her husband, Martin Nesbitt and their five children.

Dr. Joseph Baron enrolled as an undergraduate at the University of Chicago in 1954. The entirety of his subsequent career was at the University of Chicago except two years as a Research Associate at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Dr. Baron held several administrative positions at the University of Chicago including Chief Medical Resident, Interim Section Chief of Hematology/Oncology, Course Director for Clinical Pathophysiology, Course Director for Physical Diagnosis/History Taking, and Medical Director of the Clinical Coagulation Lab. Dr. Baron was the director of the first clinical trial of human erythropoietin in patients. He received the medical student basic science and Senior Medical Resident teaching awards. Other honors included the first Outstanding Clinical Service Award given by the Department of Medicine in 2006 and he was listed multiple times in Chicago Magazine and Best Doctors of America. Dr. Baron also served as Chairman of the Hospital Transfusion Committee and Interim Director of the Adult Sickle Cell Program.

Joseph Baron, MD, a longtime and highly respected and distinguished faculty member

Dr. Joseph Baron, phenomenal clinician and inspirational teacher

Dr. Awad is the John Harper Seeley Professor of Neurological Sciences, Professor of Surgery, Neurology and the Cancer Center and the Director of Neurovascular Surgery. Dr. Awad is widely recognized for career long contributions and special skills in Neurovascular Surgery. He has made numerous scientific contributions including the characterization of subcortical ischemic lesions in the aged, advances in the understanding of the natural history and biologic behavior of vascular malformations of the brain, and technical advances in neurovascular and epilepsy surgery. His research has been funded by the National Institutes of Health since 1998, focusing currently on molecular mechanisms of cerebral vascular malformations and their biomarkers, and minimally invasive techniques for treating hemorrhagic stroke. Awad’s innovations are changing neurosurgical practice throughout the world, and he has trained scores of neurosurgeons, some of whom are leaders of neurosurgical departments in a number of countries.

Dr. Arora is an Associate Professor of Medicine, Assistant Dean of Scholarship & Discovery, and Director of GME Clinical Learning Environment and Innovation at the University Of Chicago Medicine. As an academic hospitalist, her work broadly focuses on evaluating educational and clinical practice innovations that aim to improve the quality, safety, and value of care delivered by trainees in teaching hospitals. Her work to improve handoffs, supervision, professionalism and teaching value have been widely used by medical educators and has resulted in over 100 peer-reviewed publications, including JAMA and Annals of Internal Medicine, and have been featured in popular press such as the New York Times, CNN, NPR, and the Associated Press. She has provided testimony to the Institute of Medicine on resident duty hours and handoffs, and has testified to Congress on the need for physician payment reform. She is Principal Investigator of an NIH R01 to evaluate the effectiveness of a peer-led social media intervention to boost interest in research careers among youth and of an NIH R25 to train hospital staff to recognize sleep disorders and improve the sleep environment for hospitalized patients.

For her work, Dr. Arora has been recognized as ACP Hospitalist magazine’s Top Hospitalist in 2009, one of “20 People Who Make Healthcare Better” by HealthLeaders Media magazine in 2011, and as a Master to the Academy of Distinguished Medical Educators at the University of Chicago. She has also been recognized both locally and nationally for her outstanding mentorship of trainees and faculty through the SGIM’s Midcareer Education Mentorship Award, and the John D Arnold Mentoring Award and the Senior Faculty Education Mentorship Award at University of Chicago Medicine. As Co-Director of the Medical Education Research, Innovation, Teaching, and Scholarship (MERITS) fellowship, she has also mentored numerous faculty and fellows in their scholarly work. An active user of social media, Dr. Arora regularly tweets about current issues facing medical education @futuredocs.

Dr. Angelos is the Linda Kohler Anderson Professor of Surgery, Chief, Endocrine Surgery, and Associate Director, MacLean Center for Clinical Medical Ethics. Dr. Angelos is a highly regarded surgeon who has extensive experience in surgery of the thyroid, parathyroid, and adrenal glands. He is also an expert in treating endocrine cancers, including thyroid, parathyroid, and adrenocortical cancers, as well as islet cell tumors of the pancreas.

Dr. Angelos has a special interest in minimally invasive endocrine surgery, a type of surgery that is performed through small incisions. Minimally invasive surgery has many benefits for patients—from less scarring and pain, to a shorter hospital stay and a quicker recovery.

An accomplished author, Dr. Angelos has published several journal articles and book chapters on his research into improving outcomes of thyroid and parathyroid surgery, minimally invasive endocrine surgery, and best practices for thyroid cancer treatment.

Dr. Angelos is a recognized expert in medical ethics, and serves as associate director of the University of Chicago MacLean Center for Clinical Medical Ethics. He has written widely on ethical issues in surgical practice and how to best teach medical ethics to surgical residents.

2013 Pilot Grant Project: “A Formal Curriculum in Surgical Professionalism and Ethics”: To enhance and encourage the professionalism of surgical residents and their understanding of the central concepts of surgical ethics

Dr. Bree Andrews is a neonatologist who specializes in complex care after Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) graduation. She directs a complex care clinic at both the University of Chicago and Larabida Children’s Hospital. She is core-faculty in the Department of Pediatrics and a new student cohort leader in the Bucksbaum Institute Clinical Excellence Scholars Track program for undergraduates at the University of Chicago. She has mentored many medical students, residents, and fellows in their scholarly research projects.

Most recently, she has developed a web-application to use at the NICU bedside to improve parenting engagement via Preeme +You. Bree’s Preeme +You project has received Bucksbaum Pilot Grant funding. She is also the neuro-developmental lead for the MIND (the Microbiome of Infant Neuro-Development) project, a translational approach to how the microbiome impacts premature infants over time. She also studies resuscitation at the border of viability (22-23 weeks gestational age), using data around shared decision making, cost, and outcomes to inform practice. The Bucksbaum Institute is please to welcome Dr. Bree Andrews as a Senior Faculty Scholar.

Dr Alverdy is the Sarah and Harold Lincoln Thompson Professor of Surgery and Executive Vice-Chair of Surgery at the University of Chicago. He received his surgical training at the Michael Reese Hospital/University of Chicago program and completed a trauma/critical care fellowship at the University of California San Francisco. He performs a wide variety of gastrointestinal surgery involving the upper intestinal tract and pancreas. He is funded by the NIH to study the pathogenesis of sepsis and currently runs a laboratory that studies the microbial pathogenesis of multi-pathogen sepsis. Most recently he has received an NIH grant to study the microbial basis of anastomotic leak. He is the co-PI on a T32 training grant and has trained over 30 postdoctoral fellows in his laboratory over the last 25 years. He has published over 140 original manuscripts and 20 book chapters. Dr Alverdy is a fellow of the Institute of Molecular Engineering and hold patents on novel anti-infective compounds that target virulence expression across a broad spectrum of problematic intestinal bacteria.

2013 Pilot Grant Project: Dynamic Operational Mapping – Annotation for Patient and Family Education

Ritu Verma, MD, is a highly respected pediatric gastroenterologist who provides compassionate, comprehensive care to children suffering from complex gastroenterology conditions. Dr. Verma is a leading expert in celiac disease and works closely with her patients and their families to manage this condition. She is also committed to ensuring pediatric gastroenterology patients have a seamless continuum of care throughout their journey, which includes a coordinated transition from pediatric to adult gastroenterology programs.

In addition to her clinical practice, Dr. Verma is also passionate about creating a holistic approach to research that merges adult and pediatric robust basic science research in celiac disease, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and food allergies with clinical research so that all of gastroenterology is marching towards to the same goal, providing our patients with the latest therapies and access to innovative treatments.

Dr. Verma takes her responsibilities as educator seriously, and she has served as a course instructor, delivers lectures and participates in rounds to teach medical students, residents and fellows about current pediatric gastroenterology care. Dr. Verma has also been published in several peer-reviewed journals, such as the American Journal of Gastroenterology, Journal of Pediatrics, Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, Gastroenterology, Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Pediatric Diabetes and Nature Genetics.

Selwyn Rogers, Jr., MD, MPH, FACS, has been named the new section chief of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery at the University of Chicago Medicine. Dr. Rogers is an acclaimed critical care surgeon and public health expert who has served in leadership capacities at health centers across the country, including most recently as vice president and chief medical officer for the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston. Dr. Rogers has also served as the chairman of surgery at Temple University School of Medicine and as the division chief of Trauma, Burn and Surgical Critical Care at Harvard Medical School. While at Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH), he helped launch the Center for Surgery and Public Health to understand the nature, quality and utilization of surgical care nationally and internationally.

Dr. Rogers is a prolific researcher, and his work seeks to improve quality and access to care for all patients. Among other topics, his published research has looked at the impact of race and ethnicity on surgical outcomes. He is committed to improving the understanding of disparities in surgical care to close the quality chasm for underserved populations and provide the most patient-centered care possible.

Beyond trauma and surgical critical care, Dr. Rogers has been an advocate for treating intentional violence as a public health problem. In partnership with the Center for Community Health and Health Equity at BWH, he developed a violence intervention and prevention program that worked to address the social factors that put patients at increased risk for trauma and mortality such as poverty, hopelessness, and lack of opportunity. The program partners with organizations in Boston to educate youth about community violence and connects victims with the resources they need to heal.

Dr. Rogers earned his medical degree from Harvard Medical School and completed both his surgery residency and an NIH research fellowship in surgical oncology at BWH in Boston. He completed a surgical critical care fellowship at Massachusetts General Hospital and BWH. Additionally, Dr. Rogers has a master’s degree in public health from Vanderbilt University.

Dr. Milner attended medical school at the University of Pennsylvania and then completed his residency training in General Surgery as well as fellowship training in Vascular Surgery at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. He received numerous teaching awards during his time as a resident and fellow at Penn. At the end of his fellowship, he was awarded the Marco Polo Fellowship from the Society for Vascular Surgery. As the Marco Polo Fellow, he worked at the University Medical Center, Utrecht, The Netherlands studying aortic aneurysmal disease and endovascular therapy. He performed the initial work investigating the value of remote pressure sensor use for surveillance of aneurysms after endovascular repair.

Following the fellowship, he joined the faculty at Emory University first as Assistant Professor and later as Associate Professor and Program Director of the Vascular Surgery fellowship. He moved to Chicago in 2009 after accepting the position of Chief of Vascular Surgery at Loyola University Medical Center. In January 2012, he was recruited to the University of Chicago Medicine as Associate Professor and Co-Director of the Center for Aortic Diseases. He is passionate about the care of vascular patients with a specific clinical and research focus on aortic aneurysm disease.

2013 Pilot Grant Project: “A Formal Curriculum in Surgical Professionalism and Ethics”: To enhance and encourage the professionalism of surgical residents and their understanding of the central concepts of surgical ethics

2013 Pilot Grant Project: Improving Professionalism for Physicians in Training: A Curriculum based Approach.

Jessica J. Kandel, MD, is an expert in pediatric surgery. She specializes in the treatment of pediatric cancers, including Wilms tumor, neuroblastoma and hepatoblastoma, as well as vascular anomalies (hemangiomas, venous malformations, lymphatic malformations).

Dr. Kandel’s research focuses on the development and differentiation of blood vessels (angiogenesis) in solid tumors and vascular anomalies. She was a leader in early studies that suppressed tumor growth by blocking vascular endothelial growth factor, a protein that stimulates angiogenesis. Dr. Kandel’s work contributed to the development of bevacizumab, a drug used to manage metastatic colorectal, lung, and kidney cancers.

As the primary investigator on several long-term studies, Dr. Kandel’s current goal is to understand how tumors become resistant to therapies in order to identify new treatments for refractory cancers. Her research has been funded by notable organizations including the National Cancer Institute, the American Cancer Society, and the Pediatric Cancer Foundation.

Dr. Kandel has contributed widely to medical literature, publishing more than 60 peer-reviewed articles and three book chapters on angiogenesis and tumor growth. She currently serves as an editor for Oncology Letters and as an ad hoc reviewer for several other scientific journals. In addition, Dr. Kandel is a popular speaker and a dedicated educator, mentoring medical students, residents, and fellows on a range of research projects related to tumor modeling.

Dr. Hyman received his BA from the University of Pennsylvania in 1980 and his M.D. from the University of Vermont College of Medicine in 1984. He completed his surgical internship and residency at the Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York, New York, and his colon and rectal fellowship at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation in Cleveland, Ohio.

Dr. Hyman is currently Professor of Surgery, Chief of the Section of Colon and Rectal Surgery and Codirector of the Center for Digestive Diseases at the University of Chicago Medicine. He has authored more than 175 peer-reviewed original articles or textbook chapters.

Dr. Hyman serves on many regional and national committees, and is a member of numerous national organizations and societies. He has been President of the Vermont Chapter of the American College of Surgeons, Associate Editor of Diseases of the Colon and Rectum, Principle Investigator of the New England and Vermont Colorectal Cancer Quality Project, and Chairman of the Standards Committee of the American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons. He is Treasurer of the American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons and its Research Foundation, serves on the Board of Directors of the American Board of Colon and Rectal Surgery, is a member of the Editorial Board of the Journal of Gastrointestinal Surgery and Chairs the ACS Advisory Council for Colon and Rectal Surgery.

He is the recipient of many teaching awards including Clinical Teacher of the Year, University of Vermont, College of Medicine 1993/94, 1994/95 and 1997/98. He has received the Jerome S. Abrams Teaching Award in 1992/93, 1993/94 and 1997/98, the Howe Outstanding Surgery Faculty Award 2000/2001, 2004/2005, 2010/2011 and the Humanism in Medicine Award, University of Vermont, College of Medicine 2001/02. He was designated as Teacher of the Year by the Chief Surgical Residents in 1991, 2007, 2009 and 2014 at UVM, and at the University of Chicago where he received the Robert Baker Award for Excellence in Teaching in 2015.

In 2005, he delivered the Commencement Address at the UVM College of Medicine graduation, was voted as Physician of the Year by the Vermont State Medical Society in 2011, and received the Distinguished Academic Achievement Award from the Alumni Association of the University of Vermont College of Medicine in 2014.

Dr. Yoon is an academic hospitalist and medical educator with research interests in the field of virtue ethics, moral psychology, and the moral and professional formation in medical education. He is currently co-investigator on the Project on the Good Physician, a longitudinal study of medical students funded by the New Science of Virtues Project at the University of Chicago. After completing a Clinical Ethics and Hospitalist Scholars research fellowship at the University of Chicago in 2010, he also completed the MERITS Fellowship in Medical Education devoted to the study of professionalism and moral formation in medical education.

He has recently received grants from the Center of Health Administration Studies at the University of Chicago as well as from the National Center on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NCMHD) to support his work. Dr. Yoon also has an interest in global health and recently returned from a trip to Pyongyang, DPRK to promote academic collaboration in the areas of international medical education and public health.

Dr. Yoon is now a Bucksbaum Senior Faculty Scholar.

2012 Pilot Grant Project: Operationalizing the Virtues for Good Doctor-Patient Relationships

Dr. Shellie Williams is an Assistant Professor of Medicine in the Section of Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine. She practices and teaches housestaff both Geriatric and Palliative Medicine in the hospital, clinic, longitudinal care and home settings. She has a commitment to optimizing the care management of complex elderly patients and improving health literacy and decision making of those with acute and chronic serious illness.

Dr. Williams is a respected educator in her roles as Director of Geriatric Medicine and Palliative Medicine Education at Pritzker School of Medicine, Coleman Palliative Education Faculty, SHARE network community educator and University of Hawai’i Micronesian community educator. Dr. Williams Co-Developed a geriatric skills curriculum, which has trained over 700 Pritzker students and over 170,000 educators & students nationwide. She has also developed a palliative care communication curriculum, which is offered as a patient simulation experiential for medical students entering internship.

Dr. Williams’ current clinical research focuses on cultural influences on dementia awareness, knowledge, and care decision-making. She is a member of the University of Chicago Academy of Distinguished Medical Educators.

Dr. Jennifer Tseng is a board-certified surgical oncologist and Assistant Professor of Surgery with the University of Chicago Medicine. She earned her medical degree from the University of California, Davis and completed her general surgery residency at Oregon Health and Science University. She received fellowship training in clinical immunotherapy at the National Cancer Institute and complex general surgical oncology at the University of Chicago Medicine. She is a senior fellow with the MacLean Center for Clinical Medical Ethics and previously was a theme issue editor for the American Medical Association’s Journal of Ethics. Her research interests include ethical considerations in clinical trials, the use of surrogate decision makers and prophylactic surgery.

Dr. Tseng integrates the latest research in clinical trials in caring for patients with breast cancer, melanoma and sarcoma. She is a prior national resident representative for the Surgery Residency Review Committee of the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) and is an Associate Program Director for the general surgery residency and complex general surgical oncology fellowship. She is an Education Scholar with the American Society of Clinical Oncology and is pursuing a Masters in Health Professions Education with the University of Illinois at Chicago.

As of 2022, Dr. Tseng is a surgeon with City of Hope Cancer Treatment and Research Center in California.

Dr. Jason Strelzow is an orthopaedic trauma and upper extremity surgeon, who provides comprehensive care for patients with fractures and injuries throughout the body with a special interest in upper limb pathology.

Jason completed medical school and orthopaedic surgery training at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada. He then completed additional fellowship training in Hand and Upper Extremity at the Hand and Upper Limb Center in London Ontario, Canada and a Trauma fellowship at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh in Scotland in the United Kingdom.

Along with being dedicated to his clinical work, Dr. Strelzow is the Associate Residency Program Director for Orthopaedic surgery and is heavily involved in clinical research. He is currently exploring research on patient-reported outcomes related to elbow trauma, shoulder trauma, and total elbow replacements. He has an active interest in evaluating the functional outcomes around urban trauma, PTSD and urban ballistic injuries with the goal of improving patient care and returning patients to normal activity as soon as possible. Dr. Strezlow received a 2019 Bucksbaum Institute Pilot Grant with co-PI Dr. Jennifer Wolf a Senior Faculty Scholar. And, he is an associated editor for the Journal of Hand Surgery.

Dr. Sarah Sobotka is Assistant Professor of Pediatrics in the Section of Developmental and Behavioral (DBP) Pediatrics, Department of Pediatrics and Medical Director of the Comer Outpatient DBP Program.

Dr. Sobotka received her medical degree from the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine and Master of Science for Clinical Professionals from the Department of Public Health Sciences. She completed residency training in Pediatrics at Northwestern University/Lurie Children’s Hospital and subspecialty DBP Training at the University of Chicago. Since 2017 Dr. Sobotka has served as Associate Director of the IL Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disabilities (IL-LEND) Program, which provides long-term, graduate-level interdisciplinary training to improve the health and well-being of individuals with disabilities.

Dr. Sobotka is currently funded by the NICHD for a project utilizing mixed methods to study children with invasive home mechanical ventilator assistance and to describe patient, family, and healthcare system factors which influence long hospitalizations and readmissions. Dr. Sobotka is interested in developing interventions for children at risk for severe neurodevelopmental disabilities, particularly those who have survived critical illness, to reach their developmental potentials.

Dr. Olórtegui was born in Poland. She grew up in the countryside outside of Chicago, and eventually moved to the big city.  She received her B.S. From the University of Chicago in 2009, followed by her M.D. from the UChicago Pritzker School of Medicine in 2012. She stayed at UChicago for residency and fellowship, and recently joined the Department of Surgery, Section of Colon and Rectal Surgery as an Assistant Professor. She completed the MacLean Center for Clinical Medical Ethics Fellowship in 2016, and now serves as faculty at the MacLean Center.

Dr. Olórtegui’s clinical interest is in the care of patients with diseases of the colon, rectum, and anus, especially inflammatory bowel disease. She is also passionate about improving the quality of surgical care. Dr. Olórtegui is launching the University of Chicago colorectal surgery clinical outcomes database, and is actively collaborating with researchers at other major academic centers in order to improve our understanding of the intricacies of colorectal diseases, surgeries and their outcomes.

In working with trainees, Dr. Olórtegui developed a special interest in teaching and mentorship. During her training, Dr. Olórtegui was honored with the Hans Frimpong Spirit in Surgery Award, as well as the Golden Apple Teaching Award. She was elected to the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Society by the graduating Pritzker School of Medicine Class of 2019. In her first year as faculty, she was awarded an Excellence in Teaching Award from the Department of Surgery. Dr. Olórtegui is interested in developing a formal curriculum for teaching professionalism to budding surgeons.

Dr. Benjamin Shogan is an Assistant Professor of Surgery within the division of colon and rectal surgery. After completing medical school at New Jersey Medical School, he completed general surgery residency at the University of Chicago followed by a colon and rectal fellowship at the Mayo Clinic. Dr. Shogan treats all colorectal diseases with a particular expertise and interest in colorectal cancer.

In addition to being a busy clinician, Dr. Shogan runs an active NIH funded clinical, translational, and basic research program trying to improve the outcomes in patients with colorectal malignancies. His research focuses on how gut bacteria can be manipulated to decrease the cancer recurrence and the morbidity of surgery. He also has a passion for education and mentorship, mentoring the many medical students, residents, and fellows that rotate through surgical services and the research laboratory.

Dr. Saunders is an Assistant Professor in the Section of General Internal Medicine. Since coming to the University of Chicago, she has completed a combined internal medicine-pediatrics residency, a research fellowship in hospital medicine, clinical medical ethics fellowship at the MacLean Center and medical education (MERITS). In addition to her clinical work in GIM, she serves as the Research Subject Advocate for the Institute of Translational Medicine and the University’s Living Donor Advocate Physician where she works with potential living donors to make sure they have the appropriate medical and psychosocial evaluation as well as a full understanding of the risks of living donation. Dr. Saunders’ research focuses on reducing disparities and improving the quality of care received by patients with advanced chronic kidney disease (CKD). She is currently NIH-funded to develop and test an educational module for hospitalized patients with advanced CKD in order to increase their knowledge about and preparation for renal replacement therapy. She is also the Assistant Dean of Multicultural Affairs at the Pritzker School of Medicine.

Nicola Orlov is an Associate Professor of Pediatrics.  She is the Program Director for the Pediatric Residency Training Program and is the Associate Chair of Education for the Department of Pediatrics. She is a graduate of the Pritzker School of Medicine and where she stayed to complete her Residency Training and Chief Resident year. She completed an MPH at Columbia University and graduated from The Medical Education Research Innovation Teaching and Scholarship (MERITS) fellowship at the University of Chicago. She currently serves as the Chapter Advisor at the PSOM for the Gold Humanism Honor Society.

Dr. Orlov is a Pediatric Hospitalist. Her clinical research focused on improving the sleep and health of hospitalized children. Educationally, she has a strong interest in coaching, feedback, and humanism in medicine.   

Parth Modi is an Assistant Professor of Surgery in the Section of Urology and is a specialist in the management of urologic cancers, especially bladder and prostate cancer.

Dr. Modi attended medical school at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and received his MD in 2011. He completed Urology residency at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School in 2017. He subsequently went on to complete Urologic Oncology fellowship training and an MS degree in Health and Health Care Research at the University of Michigan before joining the faculty at the University of Chicago in 2020.

His research is focused on improving the delivery of health care by informing payment and workforce policy. As a Bucksbaum Scholar, he is studying how to optimize the training and utilization of nurse practitioners and physician assistants in the context of surgical care. In addition to his clinical practice and research, Dr. Modi is a faculty member of the MacLean Center for clinical medical ethics with interests in financial conflicts of interest, informed consent, and the ethical implications of health care policy.

Dr. Dejan Micic earned his undergraduate and medical degrees from the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health. He completed his internal medicine residency at the University of Michigan where he received the Laurie Edmunds Award for his service as an intern. He completed his subspecialty training in gastroenterology at the University of Chicago where he received the Gastrointestinal Research Foundation (GIRF) fellows research award. Dr. Micic completed additional training in Clinical Nutrition at Northwestern University before returning to the University of Chicago to join the faculty in the Section of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition.

His clinical interests include the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and the management of gastrointestinal conditions that result in nutritional disorders, such as short bowel syndrome and celiac disease.

His broad research interests include studying how patients respond to medical therapies in IBD and predicting their health outcomes. He is also active in IBD and nutrition related translational research studies. His interests in nutrition include the management of parenteral nutrition, identification of malnutrition and nutrition education.

Dr. Micic has a strong clinical and educational interest in improving the quality and management of patients requiring nutritional support.

Dr. Nita Karnik Lee is a Gynecologic Oncologist in the University of Chicago Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology who specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of women with gynecologic cancers. Her focus is on providing comprehensive and compassionate surgical, chemotherapy and survivorship care to women diagnosed with ovarian, uterine, cervical, vulvar or vaginal cancers throughout their cancer journey. She is skilled in open and minimally invasive surgery, including robotic surgery for gynecologic cancers and complex benign gynecologic conditions. Dr. Lee believes in a personalized approach to treatment that includes tailored surgery, chemotherapy, clinical trials and supportive care. Her dedication to her patients is one of the many reasons she has been named a Top Doctor in Gynecologic Oncology by Chicago Magazine.

Dr. Lee’s interests include patient centered research in cancer survivorship, supportive oncology and cancer disparities. Areas of interest include: promoting patient survivor advocacy; HPV and cervical cancer patient navigation and education; lifestyle change and weight management after cancer diagnosis; psychosocial and needs of gynecologic cancer survivors to promote quality of life. She also leads the University of Chicago Woman to Woman Program, a peer-to-peer mentoring program for gynecologic cancer survivors.

Dr. Lee serves as the University of Chicago Comprehensive Cancer Center’s Assistant Director of Community Engagement. Through this role, she supports ongoing community collaborative education and research to reduce cancer disparities in the surrounding Chicago communities with a personal focus in gynecologic cancers. She is a passionate patient advocate and partners with organizations and survivors in their advocacy and education efforts. At the national level, Dr. Lee served as the Chair of the Patient Education Committee of the Foundation for Womens’ Cancer and a member of the American Society for Clinical Oncology Survivorship Committee.

2013 Pilot Grant Project: Predictors of satisfaction with surgical decision-making in elderly women undergoing gynecologic surgery

2012 Pilot Grant Project: Endometrial Cancer Survivorship in African-American Women

Dr. Christopher Kramer is an Assistant Professor of Neurology and Neurosurgery in the Section of Neurocritical Care. He received his medical degree from the Chicago Medical School. He then went on to pursue his Neurology residency training at the Mayo Clinic in Arizona followed by his Neurocritical Care fellowship at Mayo Clinic in Minnesota before joining the faculty at the University of Chicago in 2015.

Dr. Kramer has a passion for medical education and serves as the Neurocritical Care Fellowship Program Director and as a member of the Neurology Resident Education Committee and the Clinical Competency Committee. He is currently enrolled in the Medical Education Research, Innovation, Teaching and Scholarship (MERITS) program at the University of Chicago. Nationally, he was involved in the creation of the Essentials of Neurocritical Care, an educational endeavor for providers through the Neurocritical Care Society. He is a faculty advisor to neurology residents, is developing a simulation-based curriculum for learners of various levels and backgrounds on neurological emergencies.

His research interests include the impact of communication on providers and families in the neurocritical care unit, novel treatments for acute ischemic stroke, penetrating traumatic brain injury, prognostication after cardiac arrest, and brain death.

Dr. Golden is Associate Professor, Medical Student Clerkship Director, and Associate Residency Program Director in the Department of Radiation and Cellular Oncology. He completed residency at the University of Chicago. He is a graduate of the Pritzker School of Medicine Medical Education Research Innovation Teaching and Scholarship (MERITS) fellowship and completed a Masters of Health Professions Education (MHPE) at the University of Illinois at Chicago.

Dr. Golden’s clinical practice is at the University of Chicago Medicine Comprehensive Cancer Center at Silver Cross where he treats a broad array of cancers with external beam radiation. Dr. Golden focuses on educating his patients about their disease and treatment process with the goal of reducing anxiety and improving treatment compliance and outcomes.

His academic interests focus on patient and trainee education. In 2017 Dr. Golden received a pilot grant from the Bucksbaum Institute to develop a graphic narrative discussion guide to help providers communicate to patients what to expect during the radiotherapy treatment process.  Along with additional extramural funding from the Radiation Oncology Institute and collaborators at The University of Chicago, IIT Institute of Design, UIC, and Harvard, he has since developed a series of seven Communicating the External Beam Radiotherapy Experience (CEBRE) guides and three Communicating the Gynecologic Brachytherapy Experience (CoGBE) guides. In addition, the CEBRE en Español guides are culturally appropriate translations of the original CEBRE guides in Spanish.  The discussion guides have been downloaded for use internationally.  Dr. Golden also founded the Radiation Oncology Education Collaborative Study Group (ROECSG), which develops, implements, and evaluates radiation oncology curricular innovations using a collaborative group study model. As of 2022 ROECSG has over 600 members representing more than 200 member institutions around the globe.  Dr. Golden enjoys spending time teaching and mentoring medical students and residents and he received the Radiation and Cellular Oncology Resident Physician teaching award in 2015. As of 2023, Dr. Golden has joined the Radiation Oncology staff at Rush University in Chicago, IL.

Ahmeneh Ghavam, MD, MA, attended medical school at the American University of the Caribbean, followed by pediatric residency at the University of Arizona. Following residency, she completed fellowship in pediatric critical care at the Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin/Medical College of Wisconsin. Dr. Ghavam subsequently joined the faculty at the University of Chicago where she is an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics in the section of Critical Care Medicine. While in fellowship she developed an academic interest in pediatric bioethics and has completed a Master’s Degree in Bioethics from the Medical College of Wisconsin. Within bioethics, her area of academic focus lies at the intersection of organ donation and death determination, with a special interest in pediatric donation after circulatory death. In addition to her academic work, clinical time spent in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit and Pediatric Sedation suite, Dr. Ghavam is also actively involved in medical education serving as the associate program director for the Pediatric Critical Care fellowship program.

Dr. Ranjana Srivastava MD,OAM, was educated in India, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Australia. She graduated from Monash University with a first-class honors degree and several awards in medicine. Dr. Srivastava undertook her internship, residency and specialist training at various Melbourne hospitals.

In 2004, Dr. Srivastava won the prestigious Fulbright Award, which she completed at the University of Chicago. She was admitted as a fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians in 2005 and started practicing oncology in the public hospital system. In 2014, Ranjana was recognized by Monash University as the Distinguished Alumni of the Year. She was also appointed an adjunct associate professor in the Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences. Ranjana was included in Westpac’s 100 Influential Women of 2015.

In 2017, Dr. Srivastava was bestowed with the Order of Australia (OAM) for her work and service to medicine, particularly in the field of doctor-patient communication. The Order of Australia is the principal and most prestigious means of recognizing
outstanding members of the community at a national level; the honor was established in 1975 by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

Julia Bregand-White, MD is an Assistant Professor in the Division of Maternal Fetal Medicine in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology. She was trained at the University of Illinois at Chicago in Obstetrics and Gynecology and completed her Maternal Fetal Medicine Fellowship at the University of Pittsburgh, Magee Womens Hospital. Clinically, she focuses on the care of pregnancies complicated by fetal anomalies and has taken the administrative and clinical lead in developing the Fetal and Neonatal Care Center (FNCC). The FNCC is a brand new program which has coordinated the care of over 200 patients in just over a year offering accurate evaluation and diagnosis of complex fetal conditions and facilitating prenatal collaboration with pediatric subspecialists to improve the outcome of these complicated pregnancies. Dr. Bregand-White has an interest in medical education, serves as the Associate Fellowship Program Director and oversees the fourth year sub-internship. She has developed a series of educational initiatives within the Division of Maternal Fetal Medicine to improve evidence based clinical consensus as well as the education of sonographers and trainees.

In 2020, Dr. Bergand-White joined the faculty at the University of California, Irvine Health (UCI) in Orange, CA.

Dr. Zisman is an Associate Professor in the Section of Nephrology and the Clinical Director of the Kidney Stone Prevention Program at the University of Chicago. She also serves as the Ambulatory Clinic Director for the Nephrology clinic. She received her MD at the University of Wisconsin – Madison and completed internal medicine residency training at the McGaw Medical Center of Northwestern University. She received her nephrology fellowship training at the University of Chicago where she has remained on faculty.

Dr. Zeytinoglu’s clinical practice emphasizes management and prevention of endocrine disorders, including diabetes, osteoporosis, and obesity, in older adults.

Individuals’ risk of acquiring these conditions rises substantially with aging, and older adults represent the largest demographic with these diseases. Unlike many younger adults, as individuals age and acquire different medical conditions, their health status often begins to look very different from that of their age-matched peers.

Despite this, there is limited evidence to guide health-care providers and patients in how to optimize care for metabolic diseases in geriatric patients with heterogeneous health conditions — a group which has frequently been excluded from randomized clinical trials. Dr. Zeytinoglu’s research interests are focused on helping to improve this gap and studying methods and treatments for optimizing management of chronic metabolic conditions such as diabetes and osteoporosis in older adults. Dr. Zeytinoglu is now the Executive Medical Director at Eli Lilly and Company.

Dr. Anna Volerman is an Associate Professor of Medicine and Pediatrics at University of Chicago Medicine. She is a primary care physician for both children and adults as well as a health services researcher focused on improving organizational systems and reducing inequities. She received her Bachelors from Northwestern University and graduated summa cum laude from Boston University School of Medicine. She completed her Internal Medicine / Pediatrics residency training at Brigham and Women’s Hospital / Boston Children’s Hospital. At University of Chicago, she leads clinical, community, education, research, and advocacy initiatives focused on health, education, and workforce disparities.

Dr. Sandy Tun is an Assistant Professor of Medicine and is specialized in Palliative Medicine. She attended medical school at the University of Illinois in 2013. She then completed both an Internal Medicine residency and a fellowship in hospice and palliative medicine at Stanford University. She joined the faculty of University of Chicago in 2017.

Dr. Tun has strong interests in palliative medicine curricular development for medical students and residents, as well as improv theater as a medium for communications training, and mindfulness practice.

Melissa Tesher, MD is an Associate Professor of Pediatrics, in the Section of Pediatric Rheumatology. She cares for children with juvenile arthritis, lupus, and a wide variety of other complex chronic diseases. Dr. Tesher has a long-standing commitment to caring for underserved children. Following her residency in Social Pediatrics at the Children’s Hospital at Montefiore in the Bronx, Dr. Tesher came to the University of Chicago as a pediatric rheumatology fellow, then joined the faculty in 2011. She has a particular interest in helping patients navigate the psychosocial aspects of coping with chronic disease, especially chronic pain. In addition to providing patient care, Dr. Tesher serves as the director of the Pediatric Rheumatology fellowship training program at the University of Chicago and also directs the rheumatology elective rotation.

Dr. Tang is an Assistant Professor of Medicine and Comprehensive Care Physician in the Section of Hospital Medicine. Her clinical work is devoted to providing longitudinal primary care across inpatient and ambulatory care settings for a panel of patients with high health needs and frequent hospitalization. She leads qualitative research efforts for the Comprehensive Care Program, with a focus on patient perspectives and preferences related to care, the doctor patient relationship, and reasons for variation in patient response to the program. She also developed and leads an educational program called the Patient Centered Longitudinal Experience, in which first year medical students are partnered with patients with complex chronic disease, with whom they co-navigate their patients’ clinical care experiences across multiple settings.

Dr. Mark Slidell is an Associate Professor of Surgery in the Section of Pediatric Surgery at The University of Chicago. He earned his medical degree from Brown University School of Medicine and went on to complete his general surgery residency at Georgetown University Hospital in Washington, DC. During his residency, Dr. Slidell completed a Master’s in Public Health at The Johns Hopkins University, Bloomberg School of Public Health with a concentration in Epidemiology and Biostatistics. He subsequently went on to complete a fellowship in Pediatric Surgery at Children’s National Medical Center in Washington, DC. Following that, Dr. Slidell joined the faculty at The University of Chicago Medicine.

Dr. Slidell has specific expertise in advanced minimally invasive surgery in children and newborns, and he applies these skills to the treatment of children with a broad range of diseases such as pediatric pancreatic, liver and bile duct diseases, aerodigestive diseases such as GERD, and to chest wall reconstruction for patients with pectus excavatum and carinatum deformities. Dr. Slidell frequently collaborates with other surgeons and clinicians across disciplines to enhance the care we can provide to pediatric patients. He is a co-founder of The Chest Wall Deformity Program at the University of Chicago, and the Pediatric Aerodigestive Center at The University of Chicago. Dr. Slidell also partners with adult general and transplant surgeons to offer total pancreatectomy with islet cell autotransplantation (TP-IAT) for children with genetic forms of chronic pancreatitis.

Dr. Slidell is also the Director of Pediatric Trauma at Comer Children’s Hospital, which is a high acuity Level One Pediatric Trauma Center. He is currently involved in conducting patient safety, quality improvement and clinical outcomes research to improve the quality of trauma care provided to injured children. He is also an active member of the Outcomes and Evidence Based Practice Committee, of the American Pediatric Surgical Association.

Dr. Slidell is a dedicated educator and mentor, and is passionate about educating and training the next generation of physicians, surgeons and scientists. He has been the recipient of numerous teaching awards throughout his academic career.

Dr. Skondra, Associate Professor of Ophthalmology and Visual Science at the University of Chicago. Dr. Skondra is the Director of the J. Terry Ernest Ocular Imaging Center who focuses on the medical and surgical treatment of vitreoretinal diseases. She in an expert in delivering care for diabetic eye disease, age-related macular degeneration, retinal detachment, retinal vein occlusions, eye trauma, proliferative vitreoretinopathy and intraocular infections, with advanced training and expertise in surgical repair of complex diabetic retinal detachments.

As a physician-scientist, Dr. Skondra is dedicated to investigating methods to improve prevention, diagnosis and treatment strategies for retinal conditions with special focus on the role of microbiome in age related macular degeneration and retinal disorders. Throughout her career, Dr. Skondra has received several prestigious awards for her translational research on diabetic retinopathy, ocular angiogenesis and age related macular degeneration, including the Retina Society Raymond Margherio Award, Harvard /Alcon Clinical Scholar Award, AUPO Research Award, ARVO/Alcon Early Career Clinician Scientist Award, Joslin/Tonseth Research Fellowship Award and the Knights Templar Award. She trained at Weill Cornell Medical College (residency) and Harvard Medical School (postdoctoral research fellowship and vitreoretinal surgical fellowship).

Ruchi Singla, MD, is an Assistant Professor in the section of Allergy/Immunology. She is board certified in providing care to both pediatric and adult populations with allergic diseases and congenital immune deficiencies.

She received her undergraduate education at The Ohio State University and attended medical school at Northeast Ohio Medical University. She completed pediatrics residency at the University of Michigan and specialized in allergy/immunology at The Ohio State University and Nationwide Children’s Hospital before joining the faculty of the University of Chicago.

She is actively involved in resident and medical student education and serves as the director of trainee elective rotations to provide exposure to the field of allergy/immunology. She is currently working to establish the first ever allergy/immunology fellowship training program at the University of Chicago.

She has special interest in removing penicillin allergy labels, which have been shown to lead to inferior treatments and increased healthcare costs and complications. She is dedicated to engaging multiple disciplines across the healthcare system to de-label such allergies and ultimately improve patient care. She is equally passionate about patient education and continually seeks ways to improve provider and patient communication.

Sachin Shah, MD, provides comprehensive primary care to adults and children of all ages in both inpatient and outpatient settings. He also has an active interest in global health.

Dr. Shah is working to improve meaningful use of electronic health records. He hopes that this work will lead to improved communication between physicians and patients, and better outcomes in the medical management of chronic disease.

Committed to teaching medical students and residents, Dr. Shah serves as the Associate Director for Education in the Med-Peds Residency Program. He works closely with trainees, emphasizing the foundations of clinical medicine, clinical reasoning, and the role of humanities in medicine.

Dr. Namrata Setia is an Associate Professor in the Department of Pathology and specializes in gastrointestinal pathology and cytopathology. Her clinical interests are focussed on medical and neoplastic gastrointestinal disease diagnoses. She is a dedicated educator and works closely with fellows and residents, mentoring them in clinical outcomes research. In her clinical research, Namrata is working on developing prediction models for personalized medicine in gastric carcinoma with a goal to integrate advanced genomics in routine clinical practice. She is also working on promoting international academic and diagnostic collaborations. As a part of this effort, she is establishing a working group focused on inflammatory bowel disease with the support of the University of Chicago’s Global Engagement program.

Dr. Neil Sengupta is an Assistant Professor in the Section of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition. He completed his medical degree at the University of Florida College of Medicine, and his residency training in Internal Medicine at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. He subsequently completed his fellowship in Gastroenterology and Hepatology at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.

Dr. Sengupta’s research interests lie in optimizing the care and outcomes of patients hospitalized with gastrointestinal bleeding. He has conducted work defining the role of endoscopic and radiologic testing in patients with lower gastrointestinal bleeding, and has specific interests in complications of patients who have bleeding while on systemic anticoagulation. In addition, Dr. Sengupta serves as the Quality Improvement director for the Section of Gastroenterology, and has several active projects focusing on improving the quality of colorectal cancer screening at a local and institutional level. He is currently mentoring medical students, residents, and fellows in outcomes research, as well as quality improvement research initiatives.

Dr. Sandra Rose is an Assistant Professor of Neurology at the University of Chicago. After completing her undergraduate degree in psychology at Michigan State University, Dr. Rose attended medical school at Wayne State University and completed her medical intern year at Sinai Grace Hospital in Detroit. She then moved to the University of Chicago, where she completed her neurology residency, clinical neurophysiology fellowship and epilepsy fellowship before joining the faculty.

Dr. Rose’s clinical interests lie in the care of adult patients with epilepsy, with a special interest in patients transitioning for pediatric to adult care. She is also the medical director of the neurophysiologic monitoring service. She is also very interested in education, and acts as the director of the adult and pediatric tracks of the epilepsy fellowship.

Dr. Charles Rhee is an Assistant Professor of Medicine in the Section of Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine. He received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Biology from Stanford University and his M.D. from the University of Illinois at Chicago. He completed his residency in Internal Medicine at the University of Chicago followed by a fellowship in Hospice & Palliative Medicine at Northwestern University. He returned to join the faculty at the University of Chicago in 2014 and currently serves as the Director of the Hospice & Palliative Medicine Fellowship program as well as the director of the cardiac palliative care program, which he started. His work has focused on integration of palliative care with cardiology, with an emphasis on advanced heart failure patients. He is currently working on development of a primary palliative care curriculum which includes basics of symptom management and communication skills for cardiology providers. He also lectures frequently on the principles of palliative care to learners of all levels, from medical students to attendings.

Mary Qiu, MD, is an ophthalmologist who specializes in glaucoma and cataract surgery. She completed her ophthalmology residency at the Wilmer Eye Institute at Johns Hopkins and her glaucoma fellowship at the Cole Eye Institute at Cleveland Clinic. Her clinical practice focuses on the surgical and medical management of complex glaucoma patients, and she has brought new minimally invasive glaucoma surgical techniques to the University of Chicago. In addition to her clinical roles, Dr Qiu is initiating a clinical trial and editing a textbook about neovascular glaucoma. Her other academic work is related to glaucoma residency education, outcomes after both minimally invasive as well as traditional glaucoma surgical techniques, and interdisciplinary collaborations with pharmacy and bariatric surgery. Dr. Qiu has authored numerous articles in peer-reviewed scientific journals and presented her work nationally and internationally. Dr Qiu is also dedicated to resident and medical student education; she directs the resident glaucoma rotation, volunteers as a longitudinal preceptor for the first-year medical students, and teaches medical students on the ophthalmology clerkship.

Dr. Press is an Associate Professor of Medicine and Pediatrics, Executive Medical Director Specialty Value Based Care, and Medical Director of the Care Transitions Clinic at the University of Chicago. Dr. Press received her medical degree and master of public health in health management and policy degree at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. She completed her internal medicine and pediatrics residency training and health services research fellowship training at the University of Chicago.

Dr. Press’ research is focused on developing, testing, and implementing patient and system level interventions to improve the quality and value of care for patients with chronic diseases across care transition settings. Her areas of focus include improving communication between patients and clinicians through interventions that are tailored to patients’ health literacy and technology literacy, ensuring interventions meet the needs of diverse patient populations, and optimizing systems to provide resources and interventions to the right patients at the right time. She currently serves as principal investigator for two Research Project grants (R01s) from the National Institutes of Health’s National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, which are both focused on improving care for patients with COPD by utilizing patient and system centered and tailored interventions to reduce revisits to the emergency department and/or hospital after hospitalization for COPD exacerbations.

In addition to these federal grant awards, Dr. Press has an active research portfolio with the Bucksbaum Institute having received several pilot awards focusing on improving the patient and clinician communication and care for patients with low health literacy and e-health literacy, chronic diseases including chronic lung disease and sickle cell, particularly around optimizing technology-based approaches to education and self-management.

Dr. Abdullah Hasan Pratt, is an Assistant Professor and Emergency Medicine Physician at the University of Chicago Medical Center. Known as “Dee”; Dr. Pratt’s goal has always been to have a career advocating for underserved communities and addressing systemic healthcare disparities. Though 2021 will mark his 11th year on the campus of The University of Chicago, it has been the 31 years of experiences over his lifetime as a resident of Chicago’s Southside that have shaped and guided his career to this point. He attributes this commitment to his childhood experiences witnessing the poor health conditions, premature deaths, and day to day struggles from a lack of access to proper healthcare by the people he cared about. This was most evident in the wake of his older brother’s murder secondary to gun violence, where in coping with the loss, he dedicated his efforts towards mentoring at risk youth, coaching youth football, and community organizing around violence prevention. As an Emergency Medicine physician, he continues to vigorously work to improve health literacy and emergency preparedness through teaching South-Side residents how to properly respond to cardiac arrests, penetrating traumas (gunshot victims), and strokes prior to the arrival of medical assistance.

A pivotal point in Dr. Pratt’s career came in the year between his third and fourth years of medical school, where he directed his actions toward advocating for a new Level One Trauma Center for Chicago’s Southside. It would be the experiences he gained during this work with both the protesting community organizations as well University of Chicago administration, that would fuel Dr. Pratt’s desire to have a career within Emergency Medicine. In this capacity, his daily exposure to gun violence, drug abuse, and emergencies related to chronic diseases could direct his community outreach efforts to prevent these Emergencies from taking place. As an Emergency Medicine Physician, he has vigorously worked to improve health literacy and emergency preparedness through teaching Southside residents how to properly respond to cardiac arrests, penetrating traumas (gunshot victims), and strokes prior to the arrival of medical assistance.

From serving as a ringside/sideline team physician, to cultivating the next generation of healthcare professionals, to simply fighting to preserve lives both in and out of a level one trauma center; it isn’t important to Dr. Pratt what activities he engages in, but rather where and to whom he dedicates his time. He is truly a believer that it is for those suffering most from the ills of healthcare disparities, where the most of his pursuits should exist. By initiating events first within the underserved communities closest to his home and hospital where he works, he hopes to help bring change by playing a small roll with others, with hopes of making an impact for all.

Priya Prakash MD, FACS, is a trauma and acute care surgeon at the University of Chicago’s Level 1 Trauma Center. She specializes in the care of complex multisystem injuries in an underserved patient population, specifically affected by the gun violence epidemic. Her primary interests are in delivery of compassionate and equitable care to the South Side community, trauma systems development, and institution of best practices in clinical care. She has been actively involved in research to better understand the impact of UChicago’s Trauma Center on access to care for violently injured patients in our catchment area as well as collaborated with the Booth School of Business to understand operating room efficiency at the medical center. She is also dedicated to teaching and serves as the faculty advisor for the Pritzker medical students during their clerkship rotation. In addition, she is the vice-chair of the Process Improvement and Patient Safety Committee and is dedicated to advancing the care of critically injured patients on the local, national, and global level.

Dr. Poston is a critical care physician, pulmonologist, and medical educator. His clinical scholarship focuses on interdisciplinary care and communication to promote optimal outcomes from critical illness. Dr. Poston also dedicates himself to the education of medical students, and directs several innovative courses that teach the clinical skills of doctor-patient communication, physical examination, professional development, and critical medical thinking.

Tamar Polonsky, MD, MSCI, an Associate Professor and is a general cardiologist. She treats a wide range of cardiac conditions, including coronary artery disease, hypertension, hyperlipidemia (high cholesterol), and valve disease.

Dr. Polonsky also specializes in the management of heart disease in cancer patients. She works closely with oncologists and surgeons to take care of patients with preexisting heart disease and to help monitor for potential cardiac complications from chemotherapy and radiation. Dr. Polonsky has research expertise in cardiovascular epidemiology and prevention. She has experience analyzing data from large cohort studies, with the aim of finding novel ways to predict a person’s risk of developing heart disease.

Tiffany Patton, MD is an Assistant Professor in the Division of Pediatrics, Section of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition. She completed her training in Pediatrics at John H. Stroger, Jr Hospital of Cook County, where she also served as chief resident. Dr. Patton completed her fellowship in Pediatric Gastroenterology at the University of Chicago before joining as faculty.

Her clinical interests include eosinophilic gastrointestinal disease, non-IgE food allergies, abdominal pain, inflammatory bowel disease, constipation, nutritional deficiencies, and fecal microbiota transplantation. Dr. Patton is committed to medical education, serving as the Pediatric Gastroenterology clerkship director for medical students, faculty mentor for pediatric residents, and a member of the scholarship oversight committee for Pediatric Gastroenterology fellows.

Her research interests include eosinophilic gastrointestinal disease, intestinal microbiome, and fecal microbiota transplantation. Specifically, she is focused on early life risk factors contributing to alterations of gut bacterial populations and how this effects development of gastrointestinal diseases. Dr. Patton serves on several national committees focused on promoting patient knowledge and scientific advancement in these fields. She is the author of several book chapters and peer-reviewed journal articles.

Dr. Pritesh Patel is an Assistant Professor of Radiology with specialization in Abdominal and Pelvic Imaging. He joined the University of Chicago in 2014 after completing an Abdominal Imaging fellowship at Harvard University’s Massachusetts General Hospital.

He is actively involved in medical student, resident, and fellow education and serves as the Director of Quality Improvement and Patient Safety for the department of Radiology.

His research interests are centered in leveraging new and existing technology, including artificial intelligence, to improve the quality of patient care and educational content. Given his passion for quality improvement, he is currently working on projects to significantly reduce error rates in oncologic imaging, reduce IV contrast dosage on patients with renal insufficiency, reduce radiation dose by utilizing spectral CT over conventional CT, and appropriately triaging patient for STAT imaging studies in collaboration with the department of Internal Medicine. Other research interests include prostate, liver, and gynecologic imaging.

Most recent publication topics include prostate MRI and the use of natural language processing in radiology reports. Dr. Patel has also presented numerous educational exhibits at major radiologic conferences, and been an invited lecturer to international conferences.

Dr. Patel is an Assistant Professor of Medicine and Associate Program Director of the Pulmonary/Critical Care Fellowship Program. As an academic clinical trialist, she specializes in complex multidisciplinary interventions aimed at improving outcomes in patients with respiratory failure. Her overall hypothesis is that many ICU complications are perpetuated by current standard care practices and that choosing mobility over immobility, mental animation over sedation, and spontaneous versus controlled respiration will improve outcomes. Her research career is built on this “less is more” approach to inform investigational trials that rely on collaborative team building, innovation, and program development. This approach has inspired her investigations of early mobilization in mechanically ventilated patients and helmet ventilation in ARDS, which was recognized as among the top three clinical research achievements of 2016 by the Clinical Research Forum and referenced internationally to guide COVID-19 pandemic response. Her efforts and commitment to medical education has also been recognized in teaching awards from the University of Chicago Internal Medicine Residency.

Sonia Oyola, MD, is an Assistant Professor of Family Medicine and currently serves as the Medical Education Director, Clerkship Director and co-director of the Culinary Medicine Programs for the University of Chicago’s Department of Family Medicine. Dr. Oyola earned her MD from the University of Illinois, College of Medicine at Chicago in 1997 before pursuing her residency in Family Medicine at John H. Stroger, Jr. Hospital of Cook County. She is an Andrew Weil Integrative Medicine Fellow and has Homeopathy Certification through the Center for Education and Development of Homeopathy. Her clinical practice is at Heartland Health Centers where she provides Primary Integrative Family Medicine and Integrative Medicine Consults. For her work to promote, trauma-informed care, social justice and challenge inequities in health and health care, Dr. Oyola was recently selected as an awardee from the Health & Medicine Policy Research Group, and has been identified by Pritzker students to receive the Arnold P. Gold Foundation’s Leonard Tow Award, a nomination for the AAMC Humanism in Medicine Award and most recently, been inducted into the Alpha Omega Alpha (AΩA) Honor Medical Society AΩA Society. Additionally, Dr. Oyola is the Founder and President of the Chicago domestic violence non-profit, Be Alright, since 2009.

Peter H. O’Donnell, MD, specializes in the treatment of genitourinary malignancies, including prostate, kidney, and testicular cancers — with particular expertise in bladder cancer.

Dr. O’Donnell is a well-published researcher with advanced training in pharmacology and pharmacogenomics (the study of genetic traits that cause differences between patients in drug responses and side-effects). He has an interest in the study of individualized care, which involves considering each patient’s genetic profile when determining chemotherapy and other therapeutic decisions. Dr. O’Donnell has several ongoing research projects. Currently, he is investigating how genetic factors affect chemotherapy drug outcomes — specifically for patients receiving the widely used chemotherapy drugs cisplatin and capecitabine, and for patients receiving chemotherapy as part of their treatment for bladder cancer.

Additionally, Dr. O’Donnell serves as principal investigator of the “1200 Patients Project,” a clinical study operated through the Center for Personalized Therapeutics at the University of Chicago. In this role, he leads an initiative exploring the possibility and benefit of incorporating broad pharmacogenomic testing into routine clinical practice for patients with any type of disease.

Dr. O’Donnell is also a member of the University of Chicago Committee on Clinical Pharmacology and Pharmacogenomics. This committee aims to expand the educational mission of conducting research and training the next generation of scientists in clinical pharmacology, principles of therapeutics, molecular pharmacology, and pharmacogenomics.

2012 Pilot Grant Project: The 1200 Patients Project

Dr. Rochelle Naylor is an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics with a secondary appointment in Medicine, Section of Adult and Pediatric Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism. Dr. Naylor completed medical school training at Mayo Clinic in 2005. She has been at the University of Chicago since that time, completing pediatrics residency training, a chief resident year and pediatric endocrine fellowship prior to joining the faculty at the University of Chicago in 2012.

Dr. Naylor is a co-Investigator of the US National Monogenic Diabetes Registry housed at the University of Chicago. Her research focuses on maturity-onset diabetes of the young (MODY) – addressing delays in accurate genetic diagnosis and appropriate management of various subtypes, and racial and ethnic inequities in who benefits from diabetes precision medicine. She has an interest in other forms of atypical diabetes, and is an investigator in the Rare and Atypical Diabetes Network (RADIANT). She has mentored all levels of trainees, from undergraduate to post-graduate, in diabetes research.

Dr. Naylor also serves as an Associate Program Director for the Pediatrics Residency Program. She is actively involved in resident and fellow education and training. She additionally serves as an advisor to medical students, resident and fellows.

Michele Nassin, MD, MS, is an Assistant Professor in Pediatrics in the Section of Pediatric Hematology Oncology and the Clinical Director of the Pediatric Stem Cell Transplant Program. Her academic and clinical work focuses on curative strategies in treatment of sickle cell disease and understanding immune reconstitution post stem cell transplant. She has worked closely with mentors to develop a novel haploidentical stem cell transplant approach for patients with sickle cell disease and that investigator initiated study is currently underway. A dedicated educator, Dr. Nassin also serves as the associate program director for the pediatric hematology/oncology fellowship. Today, Dr. Nassin is an attending physician at The University of Utah Health.

Elizabeth A Murphy, MD, SFHM, completed her medical school and residency at the University of Michigan and is currently an Assistant Professor in the Section of Hospital Medicine at the University of Chicago. She serves as Director of Clinical Service Development for the section and her main responsibility is to develop and mentor multiple clinical service leaders. She broadly champions professional and leadership development, job satisfaction and retention within the section. She collaborates closely with the QI Director to embed QI priorities into clinical services and service leader responsibilities. Elizabeth is Director of Hiring for the section and partners with section leadership to recruit, hire, orient and onboard new hospitalists. Elizabeth co-created and runs the Passport to Clinical Teaching with the section’s Medical Education Director—a program designed to develop excellent clinical teachers and support developing clinician educators. She is a member of the SHM Academic Hospitalist Committee, the SGIM Academic Hospitalist Commission and the SGIM Women and Medicine Commission.

Dr. C. Maxwell Medert is an ophthalmologist, who will serve as a Glaucoma specialist in the Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Science at the University of Chicago as an Assistant Professor. He completed his medical degree at Emory University School of Medicine before completing his residency in Ophthalmology at the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute in Miami, Florida. He has dedicated himself to a fellowship in Glaucoma and Advanced Anterior Segment Surgery at Washington University in St. Louis. He is interested in creating educational tools for patients with Glaucoma to help them understand their disease, their care, and the surgical options available to them. He also has an interest in education and hopes to develop the first Glaucoma fellowship at the University of Chicago.

Dr. McNeer is an Associate Professor of Pediatrics in the Section of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology/Stem Cell Transplant. She attended medical school at New York University School of Medicine, and completed her residency and fellowship training at Children’s Memorial Hospital in Chicago. She joined the faculty of the University of Chicago in 2009.

Her clinical and research interests are in the treatment of children, adolescents and young adults with hematologic malignancies, especially those with high-risk or relapsed disease. She is an active member of the Children’s Oncology Group, and co-directs the Adolescent and Young Adult Oncology Clinic at the University of Chicago.

Dr. McNeer has been involved in the leadership of the Fellowship in Pediatric Hematology/Oncology at the University of Chicago since 2011, and assumed the role of Fellowship Director in 2013. She is dedicated to the education of future hematologists/oncologists, not only in terms of medical knowledge and procedural skills, but also as it relates to excellent communication between providers, patients, and families.

Edwin K. McDonald IV, MD, is dedicated to improving the health of individuals and communities through nutrition education. He works with patients with small bowel diseases, obesity and other conditions affecting the digestive system.

Dr. McDonald’s interest in the effects of nutrition on health and disease stem from his experience with Project Brotherhood — an innovative clinic dedicated to providing accessible, affordable care for black men on Chicago’s South Side. While training barbers to serve as health educators, he became keenly aware of the impact of social determinants of health, including the role of nutrition. In 2012, Dr. McDonald received a certificate in professional cookery from Kendall College School of Culinary Arts.

Dr. McDonald also is an active researcher. He recently investigated the effects of vitamin deficiency in patients requiring parenteral nutrition (intravenous feeding) and studied the usefulness of fecal calprotectin in patients with inflammatory bowel disease. He also created a web-based mobile program to assess the utility of applications in managing inpatient hepatology patients. Dr. McDonald’s work has been funded by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK).

Dr. Mak has expertise in providing surgical care for children of all ages. She specializes in the surgical treatment of neonatal diseases and congenital malformations, anorectal malformations, inflammatory bowel disease, and pediatric oncology. Dr. Mak is also highly skilled in pediatric minimally invasive surgery.

Her academic interests include surgical education, particularly involving the pediatric surgical fellows. As the Program Director of the Pediatric Surgery Fellowship, she has worked with many national committees to improve the education of pediatric surgical fellows and develop the new Milestones for Pediatric Surgery.

Dr. Mak’s research interests include advancement in minimally invasive techniques, innovations in surgical education, and health care disparities. Specifically, she is currently developing a curriculum for the families and care givers of patients with complex anorectal and colorectal malformations. The goal is to improve the education and understanding of these families to provide not only better overall patient care but also enhance the physician patient relationship and allow the families more autonomy.

Dr. Nicole Leong is an Assistant Professor in the Section of General Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Chicago. After attending Stanford University for her undergraduate degree, Dr. Leong completed medical school at Northwestern University and residency in obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Chicago. Immediately after residency, she joined the faculty at the University of Chicago where she cares for women through all stages of their reproductive health from adolescence to menopause. She has a special interest in female pelvic pain and is currently developing a comprehensive program of clinical care for women with this common but undertreated condition.

In addition, Dr. Leong is also dedicated to resident education, serving as director of the obstetrics and gynecology intern seminar series. In this role, she plans the curriculum, provides learning opportunities, and serves as a mentor for first-year residents in obstetrics and gynecology. She was awarded the Golden Apple Award for Excellence in Resident Teaching in 2015 and again in 2018.

Dr. Ricardo Lastra is an Assistant Professor of Pathology. He completed with medical training at the Universidad Central de Venezuela, and subsequently completed his residency in Anatomic and Clinical Pathology at Pennsylvania Hospital. This was followed by Surgical Pathology and Cytopathology Fellowships, both at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, and the Advanced Specialty Training Program in Gynecologic Pathology at the Johns Hopkins Hospital.

Dr. Lastra joined the University of Chicago in 2015, and participates in the gynecologic pathology and cytopathology services in the Department of Pathology. He is actively involved in medical student, resident, and fellow education, and is currently section co-coordinator for the Obstetrics and Gynecology Section of the Clinical Pathophysiology and Therapeutics Course at the Pritzker School of Medicine of the University of Chicago. Additionally, he is the program director for the recently approved Gynecologic and Breast Pathology Fellowship at the University of Chicago.

His primary research interest is in the fields of gynecologic pathology and cytopathology, and he has focused on evaluating the use of distinctive morphologic, immunohistochemical, and molecular features in the characterization of gynecologic tract lesions.

Grace Berry LaShore, MD, is an Internal Medicine physician in the Comprehensive Care Program in the Section of Hospital Medicine, specializing in the care of complex adult patients in both the inpatient and outpatient settings. After earning her undergraduate degree in Biology at Yale University, she received her medical degree at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, and completed her residency at NY Presbyterian Hospital- Columbia University. Upon completing her residency, she moved to Chicago to join the Comprehensive Care Program at the University of Chicago, where she now serves as the Director of Clinical Operations. During her time at UChicago, she has also been a faculty scholar with the LUCENT program, a program that provides skills to become leaders in transforming primary care in underserved, urban settings. Her interests include clinical operations, healthcare delivery innovation, healthcare disparities, improving transitions of care between the inpatient and outpatient settings, and quality improvement. Dr. LaShore is also the course director for the Comprehensive Care Program 4th year medical student elective and a preceptor for 1st year medical students for the Patient Centered Longitudinal Experience.

Dr. Landon Mawdsley’s research is focused on improving care, specifically reducing the risk of healthcare-associated infection and optimizing antimicrobial utilization. She seeks to study interventions to reduce risk for HAI including use of the novel electronic hand hygiene monitoring system to evaluate the impact of direct, individual-level feedback on hand hygiene behavior compared with currently employed aggregate feedback based on limited human observations as a strategy to improve compliance with hand hygiene policies and prevent HAI. Additional opportunities exist in contributing to the rational and appropriate prescription of antimicrobials.

2013 Pilot Grant Project: Quality Improvement vs. Research: Controversies and Confusion

Dr. James LaBelle is an Associate Professor Pediatrics in the Section of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology/Stem Cell Transplantation. Dr. LaBelle received his undergraduate degree from Lawrence University and completed a combined MD/PhD program at the Medical College of Wisconsin where his graduate work centered on anti-tumor immunology and stem cell transplantation. He completed his internship and residency in pediatrics at the Boston Children’s Hospital/Boston Medical Center combined residency program followed by pediatric hematology/oncology fellowship and post-doctoral training in cancer chemical biology at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.

Dr. LaBelle’s research focuses on manipulating the immune system using peptide-based therapeutics against T cell-intrinsic proteins and small molecules targeting the BCL-2 family of apoptotic proteins with a particular focus on reactivating anti-tumor immune responses. He also works closely with nanotechnologists and chemical engineers at the Institute of Molecular Engineering to overcome physiological barriers to efficient and clinically effective intracellular delivery of peptide therapeutics. In addition to his efforts in the laboratory, Dr. LaBelle is the Director of the Pediatric Stem Cell Transplant Program at Comer Children’s Hospital where he focuses on the treatment of graft-versus-host disease and works collaboratively with scientists, clinicians, and patients to make inroads in treating children suffering from refractory malignancies.

Ram Krishnamoorthi, MD, MPH, is an Internal Medicine physician in the Comprehensive Care Program at the University of Chicago. His clinical work focuses on care for people with complex medical and social problems and behavioral health in primary care. His academic interests include medical education, health services research, and health policy. As Illinois state director for Doctors for America, a non-profit organization of physicians who advocate for improved access to quality health care for all Americans, he has given talks and written on the topic of health care reform. At the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine, he co-directs a course for medical students on the American health care system.

Dr. Kelly Nelson Kelly is an Assistant Professor in the Section of Neonatology at The University of Chicago Comer Children’s Hospital. After attending The University of Notre Dame for her undergraduate degree, Dr. Kelly completed medical school at Loyola University Chicago, and then went on to complete her residency and fellowship at The University of Chicago. Since finishing her training, Dr. Kelly has been working in the Comer Children’s Hospital NICU as an attending neonatologist. Her additional interests include prenatal counseling through the Fetal and Neonatal Care Center (FNCC) as well as participation in the MacLean Center for Clinical Medical Ethics.

Dr. Kavitt is an Associate Professor in the Section of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition and Medical Director of the Center for Esophageal Diseases. He received his MD at the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine and completed internal medicine residency at the University of Chicago. He received his gastroenterology fellowship training at Vanderbilt University Medical Center and also earned a Master of Public Health degree while at Vanderbilt.

Dr. Kavitt’s clinical and research interests focus on benign esophageal disorders, including eosinophilic esophagitis, GERD, esophageal motility disorders including achalasia, and the evaluation of patients with dysphagia.

Dr. Jani is an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics in the section of Critical Care Medicine. She completed her medical school training at Rush University College of Medicine and her Masters in Public Health at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Committed to working with an underserved population, she came to the University of Chicago where she completed her residency and fellowship prior to joining the faculty. Dr. Jani cares for patients in the both the Pediatric Intensive Care unit and on the Pediatric Sedation service.

Dr. Jani’s scholarly interests focus on using simulation-based medical education to improve resuscitation quality and outcomes. She is highly invested in resident education and directs a simulation-based curriculum to increase competency in resuscitation skills and knowledge. She also serves as the chair of the pediatric Resuscitation Quality Review and Improvement committee and is an active participant in the PediRES-Q network, a national collaborative dedicated to producing evidence-based solutions for quality improvement initiatives and outcomes during pediatric cardiopulmonary arrest. Serving as the current president of the Chicago Simulation Consortium, she leads a multidisciplinary group of simulation-based health professions educators across the Chicagoland area in sharing resources, enhancing professional development and facilitating collaborative research.

Dr. Shilpa Iyer is an Assistant Professor of Female Pelvic Medicine and Reconstructive Surgery (Urogynecology) in the department of Obstetrics & Gynecology. She first completed a joint degree in medicine and public health with a focus on epidemiology and biostatistics at the University of Illinois at Chicago. She then completed her residency in Obstetrics & Gynecology at the combined program at Massachusetts General Hospital/ Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, MA. She then returned to Chicago to complete a fellowship in FPMRS at the University of Chicago before joining the faculty in July 2017. Her clinical focus is pelvic organ prolapse, overactive bladder, stress incontinence, bladder pain, fistulas, and other complex pelvic floor disorders. She often has medical students, residents, and fellows in her clinic and operating room and enjoys clinical and surgical teaching. Her research interests include the pathophysiology and treatment of overactive bladder and bladder pain as well as long term clinical outcome measures. She has presented at national and international meetings, published in urogynecology journals, and is most proud of mentoring trainees in their research endeavors.

Dr. Issa is an assistant professor in the Department of Neurology, specializing in adult epilepsy. He received his doctoral degrees at the University of Texas – Southwestern, completing a research fellowship at UCSF and his neurology residency and clinical neurophysiology fellowship at the University of Chicago.

His teaching focus is on preclinical neurology education, including neuroanatomy and neural systems, and he directs the medical neurobiology course in the Pritzker School of Medicine. With a background in neuroimaging and cortical physiology, his research centers around developing non-invasive techniques for the early diagnosis of central nervous system disorders like temporal lobe epilepsy and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

Dr. Kelly Hynes earned her medical degree from the Memorial University of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. She then went on to complete her Orthopaedic Surgery residency at the University of Ottawa in Ontario, Canada. She completed her Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Reconstruction Fellowship at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada.

Her clinical interests are foot and ankle trauma surgery, adult foot deformity correction and reconstruction and Arthroscopic surgery of the Foot and ankle. She sits on several committees at a national and international level including the Canadian Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society Executive Committee, the Ruth Jackson Orthopaedic Society Mentoring Committee and the American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society Young Physicians Committee.

At the University of Chicago, she is the Ambulatory Medical Director for Orthopaedic Surgery, Medical Director of Informatics and a core member of the Quality Committee for Orthopaedic surgery. She is interested in improving efficiency and quality of care through informatics.

Dr. Harmath is a radiologist subspecialized in abdominal imaging, with emphasis in Magnetic Resonance Imaging. She received her medical degree from the Pontifica Universidade Catolica do Parana in Brazil and completed her diagnostic radiology residency at Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood, Illinois, where she served as chief resident from 2002 to 2003, and received the 2002 Radiological Society of North America Resident Research award. She holds a fellowship in body imaging/MRI from Northwestern Feinberg School of Medicine. She has been appointed to the rank of Assistant Professor of Radiology at the University of Chicago in August 2017, with clinical responsibilities in the Section of Abdominal Imaging, and has become the Abdominal Imaging Section Chief in 2020. Her clinical and research interests include oncologic imaging, CT and MRI imaging of the digestive system and transplant imaging, as well as multidisciplinary contribution to patient care. She is involved in numerous research projects within her department and in collaboration with colleagues in surgery, OBGYN, urology and medicine. Educational interests include learning facilitation and improvement in medical communication, mentoring and goal achievement. She received The Marc Ronald Tetalman Memorial Award for Outstanding Teaching in 2018 and the Senior Class Teaching Award in 2019. She has been invited for several internal educational lectures in the departments of medicine, such as hepatology and nephrology, as well as surgery. She believes that interdisciplinary communication, trust and knowledge share is key to patient care and the collegial approach with other subspecialties contributes to best healthcare outcomes and lower costs. Dr. Harmath has worked extensively with the radiology departmental Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) committee and BSD the Diversity and Inclusion office developing plans in mentorship, longitudinal DEI goals, and DEI on recruitment.

Dr. David A. Hampton earned Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science and a Minor in Writing from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He graduated from Washington University School of Medicine in Saint Louis and completed General Surgery Residency at Oregon Health & Science University, and Trauma-Critical Care and Acute Care Surgery Fellowships at the R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center. He performed additional trauma training at Groote Schuur Hospital at the University of Cape Town, South Africa. Dr. Hampton is currently an Assistant Professor of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery and a Commander in the US Naval Reserves assigned to the 4th Marine Logistic Group, Surgical Company Bravo.

Dr. Hampton’s research interests include improving surgical outcomes in austere environments, trauma-critical care resuscitation, compassion fatigue and medical education. He has extensively published and presented at numerous national and international conferences on these topics. Dr. Hampton also serves as the Associate Program Director for the Adult Surgical Critical Care Fellowship and as the Third-year Medical Students’ Associate Surgical Clerkship Director.

Dr. Zhen Gooi is an Associate Professor of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery. He completed his residency in otolaryngology-head and neck surgery and fellowship in advanced head and neck surgical oncology at the Johns Hopkins Hopsital. His clinical focus is on patients with head and neck cancers. He has a special interest in the use of minimally invasive surgical techniques to preserve speech and swallowing function in the treatment of these patients. Dr. Gooi believes that head and neck cancer care is most effective when delivered in a multi-disciplinary setting. In this regard, he is an active collaborator in novel treatment de-intensification protocols to reduce the side effects of head and neck cancer treatment with University of Chicago medical and radiation oncologists. He is passionate in raising the profile of head and neck cancer in the larger medical community and is involved in efforts to increase the awareness of national guidelines pertaining to the treatment of head and neck cancers.

Dr. Rebecca Garza earned her medical degree from the University of Illinois and then went on to complete an integrated plastic surgery residency at Stanford University. She then pursued an additional fellowship year of training in reconstructive microsurgery at the University of Chicago before joining the faculty as an Assistant Professor in the Section of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery.

Dr. Garza’s primary clinical focus is on breast reconstruction, lymphedema surgery, and complex reconstructive surgery of the head and neck, extremities, and trunk. She has additional expertise in cosmetic surgery and is working to strengthen resident education in this facet of plastic surgery.

Dr. Garza’s research interests include clinical outcomes in breast reconstruction and lymphedema surgery, as well as studying gender issues and parenthood in surgery.

Andrew Fisher, MD, specializes in obstetric and gynecologic medicine and delivers comprehensive care to women, transgender, and gender diverse patients. Dr. Fisher treats a wide range of conditions affecting these individuals, including abnormal uterine bleeding, opioid use disorder in pregnancy, hormone therapy for gender affirming transgender patients and more. He currently serves as the medical director for the Trans CARE Program (Clinic for Affirmation and Reproductive Equity). Dr. Fisher is also an expert in transabdominal cerclage (TAC) for patients who suffer from cervical insufficiency in pregnancy. To elevate his clinical practice, Dr. Fisher evaluates new and improved treatments and techniques to enhance the lives of his patients. His current Bucksbaum-sponsored research examines the intersection of transgender and gender diverse patients with pregnancy, including doula models of care and group prenatal care. Dr. Fisher’s work has been published in several highly respected peer-reviewed journals, including Fertility and Sterility, Neurourology and Urodynamics, and Biophysical Journal.

Dr. Asim V. Farooq is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Science. He received his medical degree from the University of Illinois College of Medicine where during his time there, he was awarded a grant from Research to Prevent Blindness, allowing him to devote a year to study the pathogenesis of herpes simplex virus (HSV) infection in the cornea. Following, he then completed ophthalmology residency training at the University of Illinois Eye and Ear Infirmary, and a fellowship in cornea and external disease at the Washington University in St. Louis. During his fellowship, Farooq trained under Dr. Todd Margolis, an expert in herpetic corneal disease.

Dr. Farooq has published 40 peer-reviewed articles and 3 book chapters. His clinical and research interests are focused on ocular surface disease, corneal manifestations of autoimmune disease, as well as corneal infections, especially those caused by HSV, herpes zoster virus (HZV), and cytomegalovirus (CMV). His goal is to better understand the pathogenesis of these viruses, as well as to improve diagnostic accuracy.

Dr. Edens is currently an Assistant Professor at the University of Chicago where she is an adult and pediatric rheumatologist and the pediatric rheumatology fellowship program director. She is originally from New Mexico where she graduated from medical school. She completed her combined Internal Medicine and Pediatrics residency at the University of Michigan and adult and pediatric rheumatology fellowship at University Hospitals/Rainbow Babies and Children’s Hospital. Her clinical and research concentration lies in the interplay between the pregnancy, sexual health, contraception, and rheumatic diseases across ages but particularly in teens and young adults. She is active in the American College of Rheumatology Reproductive Health Initiative and the co-leader/founder of the Childhood Arthritis and Rheumatology Research Alliance Reproductive Health Work Group. She is also interested in health care transition for those with pediatric-onset rheumatic diseases.

Vincent A DiMaggio, MS, MD, is a physician who practices in both the inpatient and outpatient settings at the University of Chicago. After completing graduate and medical education at Georgetown Univeristy, he went on to residency at the University of Chicago. Dr. DiMaggio is trained in both internal medicine and pediatrics, sometimes referred to as “Med-Peds.” This practice includes care for patients from newborns to the elderly. His specific clinical interest involves the Transition from pediatric to adult general care of adolescents and young adults with chronic medical conditions of childhood. Academically, Dr. DiMaggio is a dedicated medical educator with ambitions to focus on the doctor-patient relationship. Notably, he completed a Fellowship in Clinical Medical Ethics at the MacLean Center of the University of Chicago in his last year of residency and completed a Chief Residency in Pediatrics in the following year. During residency, he was admitted to the Alpha Omega Alpha Honors Society as a resident educator by the Pritzker School of Medicine. Currently, he remains at the University of Chicago as Assistant Professor of Medicine and Pediatrics in the Comprehensive Care Program providing longitudinal care for high risk patients in both primary care and hospital medicine settings.

As of 2022, Dr. DiMaggio had joined the faculty of Brown MED-PEDS.

Dr. Ami Desai is an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics in the Section of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology and Stem Cell Transplantation. Dr. Desai earned a BA in economics, with highest honors, from Rutgers University and an MD from the Rutgers-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School (7-year Baccalaureate/MD Program). She completed her internship and residency in pediatrics at Yale-New Haven Children’s Hospital and a fellowship in pediatric hematology/oncology at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. She also completed the Master of Science in Clinical Epidemiology (MSCE) Program at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, with a concentration in pharmacoepidemiology, during her fellowship.

Dr. Desai’s research focus is on clinical drug development for childhood and young adult cancers, and understanding treatment-related toxicities, particularly with regard to solid tumors such as neuroblastoma and sarcomas. She is also interested in the discovery and use of biomarkers of drug toxicity and disease response in drug development and treatment paradigms. Dr. Desai has served as an Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation Developmental Therapeutics Scholar, among other honors. In addition to her efforts in the solid tumor program and developmental therapeutics, Dr. Desai serves as the Director of the Pediatric Cancer Risk Program.

Arlene Ruiz de Luzuriaga is an Assistant Professor of Medicine in the Section of Dermatology, and Vice-Chief for Dermatopathology Operations. She is a graduate of Duke University School of Medicine. Dr. Ruiz de Luzuriaga also holds an MPH from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and an MBA with honors from the University of Chicago, where she received the Vashee Promising Entrepreneur Award from the Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation in 2017. She completed her dermatology residency at the University of Chicago, serving as Chief Resident in her final year of residency, and then also completed her dermatopathology fellowship. Dr. Ruiz de Luzuriaga is a dermatologist and dermatopathologist. She is interested in epidemiologic studies in dermatology and dermatopathology, clinical informatics, and the use of information technology for the improvement of patient care, diagnosis and treatment algorithms, quality improvement, and medical education. Her clinical focus is on total body photography, dermatoscopy, skin cancer surveillance, and melanoma prevention and early detection. She hopes to explore the decision-making experience surrounding ambiguous melanocytic neoplasms, and how patients and dermatologists incorporate additional data from novel ancillary diagnostic tests for melanocytic lesions.

Paramita Das, MD, MS is a neurosurgeon who specializes in skull base and trauma neurosurgery. She completed her residency at the University of Minnesota and her skull base training at Cleveland Clinic. As the Director of Surgical Neurotrauma she is an integral part of the team caring for traumatic brain injury patients at the University of Chicago. Her academic work is related to outcomes after traumatic brain injury. She has an interest in biomarkers in traumatic brain injury. She is also involved in resident and medical student education serving as faculty advisor for the medical student interest group.

Wendy S. Darlington, MD, MAPP, is a Clinical Instructor in the Section of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology who specializes in benign hematology and the malignant diseases of childhood. During her time as a fellow Dr. Darlington completed a Master’s at the Harris School of Public Policy at the University of Chicago. She has developed, in conjunction with others, the Chicago Sickle Cell Disease Research Group. This is a multifaceted group of clinicians and researchers dedicated to all avenues of research surrounding sickle cell disease. She currently focuses her research in understanding the interplay of public policies with the social determinants of health and health outcomes among patients with sickle cell disease, especially in the transition from pediatric to adult care.

Allison Dalton, MD attended medical school at the University of Illinois. She completed an anesthesiology residency at the University of Chicago where she was the chief resident. Following residency, she completed a fellowship in critical care before joining the faculty at University of Chicago.

Dr. Dalton specializes in the perioperative care of critically ill patients. In conjunction with her surgical and medicine colleagues she optimizes preoperative patients for surgery in the anesthesia preoperative clinic. She has expertise in the perioperative care of patients with pheochromocytoma, ALS, and the postoperative care of cardiothoracic surgical patients. In addition, Dr. Dalton has recently been named the director of anesthesia for urologic surgery.

Dr. Dalton is the co-director of Foundations in Clinical Medicine, an intensive course that specifically prepares second year medical students for their clinical curriculum. She is the associate director for Vignettes in Physiology, a course designed to interactively discuss advanced physiology for medical students during their fourth year. In addition to medical student teaching, Dr. Dalton is the associate director of the core anesthesia residency and the director of the anesthesia critical care fellowship.

Dr. Dalton is passionate about wellness and has developed and implemented a peer support program in the department of anesthesia to combat the second victim phenomenon in trauma.

Dr. Adrianne Dade works at the University of Chicago as an Associate Professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Generalist Section. She received her medical degree from the University of Illinois at Chicago and completed her residency training at the University of Chicago. Currently, Dr. Dade also serves as the Associate Residency Program Director. She practices general Obstetrics and Gynecology with specific interest in preventative medicine, abnormal uterine bleeding, uterine fibroids, normal pregnancy, and DaVinci Robotics. Dr. Dade organizes and leads the DaVinci simulation program for the University of Chicago OB/GYN residents. Dr. Dade has a special interest in medical education with a current focus on resident education and interprofessional relations. She is a former APGO Scholars and Leaders Fellow. Dr. Dade is also a past University of Chicago MERITS Fellow, which is a program that focuses on medical education and research. Dr. Dade is an ABOG Oral Board Examiner and a SASGOG Board member. She serves on the APGO Diversity and Inclusion Task Force and the University of Chicago-Wide Student Disciplinary Committee.

Dr. Patrick Cunningham is an Assistant Professor of Medicine in the Section of Nephrology. His clinical interests are focused on kidney transplantation, including the selection of appropriate kidney transplant recipients and living donors, as well as managing the many complications of patients after they receive a kidney transplant. Additionally, he runs a subspecialty clinic caring for patients with glomerulonephritis and other inflammatory diseases of the kidney, including lupus nephritis. As part of this work, he performs many kidney biopsies and is working with collaborators on a project designed to improve the safety of this procedure. Relevant to both transplant and glomerulonephritis, Dr. Cunningham is conducting clinical research into the consequences of mutations in the APOL1 gene, which have been found to greatly increase the risk of various kidney diseases in African Americans. The availability of genetic testing for APOL1 mutations raises several ethical questions which he intends to explore. His past scientific research has studied the molecular mechanisms of acute kidney injury and immune mediated glomerular diseases and he continues an active role in peer review in these areas.

Dr. Megan Conti Mica, assistant professor of Orthopaedic Surgery in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Rehabilitation Medicine at the University of Chicago Medicine, has extensive expertise in the surgical management of hand and upper extremity surgery including athletic injuries, trauma, arthritis, congenital deformities and complex reconstruction. With her special interest in hand, wrist, elbow and shoulder pathology, Dr. Conti Mica utilizes both minimally invasive (arthroscopic) and microvascular (microscopic) techniques. She is the dedicated hand surgeon for the sports service and works actively with high level athletes.

Dr. Conti Mica obtained her undergraduate bachelor’s degree at University of Washington in Seattle, Washington and graduated from the University of Arizona School of Medicine with Honors in Research. She completed her Orthopaedic Residency at Loyola University in Chicago and two post-graduate fellowships. She successfully completed the Fellowship in Hand and Microvascular Surgery at The Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota and was awarded the Schwartz Travelling Fellowship, an opportunity to expand her education in shoulder and elbow surgery with experts in Europe. Dr. Conti Mica joined the University of Chicago in 2015.

Dr. Conti Mica has a personal interest in international medicine having participated in several international medical missions. She has trained under the instruction of renowned Orthopaedic experts in the United States and abroad. As of 2023, Dr. Conti Mica has joined the staff of OrthoArizona.

Jennifer T. Cone, MD, MHS, FACS, earned her undergraduate degree at the Johns Hopkins University and her master’s degree at the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health. She graduated from medical school at Tulane University and completed general surgery residency at Tulane.

Dr. Cone has an expertise i33n trauma, acute care surgery and surgical critical care. She has been an integral part of the opening of University of Chicago’s Adult Level 1 trauma center, developing many of the protocols that are used to guide clinical practice. She has an active interest in resident education and is an Associate Program Director of the General Surgery Residency Program. She has won the Golden Apple award for excellence in teaching and serves as a mentor and advisor for both clinical and research residents. Dr. Cone leads surgical intern bootcamp and a monthly intern skills club. Her academic work has focused on trauma outcomes and violence prevention research. Additionally, she serves on several national committees related to surgery.

Julie Chor, MD, MPH, is an Assistant Professor in Obstetrics and Gynecology in the Section of Family Planning and Contraceptive Research and an Assistant Director of the MacLean Center for Clinical Medical Ethics at the University of Chicago. Her academic and clinical work focuses on understanding and addressing barriers that adolescents and young adults face in seeking and obtaining reproductive health care. Her research is informed by her clinical work in Family Planning and Adolescent Gynecology and by her fellowship training in Clinical Medical Ethics. Dr. Chor has received both private foundation and NIH funding for her work, including for the development of lay health worker interventions to help individuals engage in sustained use of contraception and preventive reproductive health care. More recently, Dr. Chor has conducted research into individual’s experiences with pelvic examinations. This work has underscored the importance of improving patient-provider communication around pelvic examinations. A dedicated educator, Dr. Chor also serves as the co-Director for the Pritzker School of Medicine’s first year Doctor-Patient Relationship course and as the Assistant Director for the MS3 Obstetrics and Gynecology Clerkship.

Dr. Brian Callender is an adult hospitalist in the section of Hospital Medicine and an Associate Professor of Medicine. He attended the Pritzker School of Medicine and continued at the University of Chicago for his residency training in internal medicine. He is a graduate of the Medical Education Research Innovation Teaching and Scholarship (MERITS) fellowship and the MacLean Center for Clinical Medical Ethics fellowship.

An academic hospitalist, Dr. Callender is interested in how the health humanities can improve the patient experience, provider-patient relationships, and our understanding of the illness experience and the practice of medicine. These interests have led to the development of a number of courses that explore the phenomenology of illness and the visual culture of medicine including: The Body in Medicine and the Performing Arts; The Narratives and Aesthetics of Contagion: Knowledge Formation and the COVID-19 Pandemic; Graphic Medicine: Comics Creation as Knowledge Formation; Graphic Medicine: Concepts and Practice; The Art of Healing: Medical Aesthetics in Russia and the US; Death Panels: Exploring Dying and Death Through Comics; and [Re]Framing Graphic Medicine: Comics and the History of Medicine

His interest in the visual culture of medicine has resulted in the co-curation of several exhibitions at the University Library’s Special Collections Research Center: Imaging and Imagining: The Human Body in Anatomical Representation (2014); The Fetus In Utero: From Mystery to Social Media (2019); [Re]Framing Graphic Medicine: Comics and the History of Medicine (2022)

Dr. Callender is particularly interested in the field of graphic medicine, defined as the intersection of comics, health, and medicine. These interests include teaching graphic medicine courses, using comics in patient education and science communication, conducting workshops on comics-making for patients and providers, and researching the historical and contemporary uses of comics within healthcare. He is a co-editor of the Graphic Medicine Series at the Penn State University Press and was co-chair of the 2022 Graphic Medicine conference held at the University of Chicago.  

Dr. Brennan obtained her medical degree from the University College Dublin, Ireland. She completed her pediatric residency at Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York, NY, followed by a fellowship in neonatology at New York Presbyterian Weill Cornell, New York, NY. Prior to coming to the University of Chicago, Dr Brennan was a Visiting Assistant Professor of Clinical Pediatrics in the Division of Neonatology at the University of Illinois Chicago. Dr Brennan has been an Assistant Professor in Pediatrics at University of Chicago since 2016. Her areas of interest at medical simulation and medical education. She is the Director of Neonatal Simulation and the associate program director for the neonatology fellowship program.

Trissa A. Babrowski, MD, is a vascular surgeon who specializes in limb preservation. Since her appointment, Dr. Babrowski has been instrumental in spearheading the innovative UChAmPP (University of Chicago Amputation Prevention Program) to afford patients an opportunity to save their limbs in the face of aggressive peripheral vascular disease. This multi-disciplinary team focuses on all aspects of patients’ health essential for limb preservation. Her work has earned her national coverage. Dr. Babrowski is also an active researcher, exploring the role the microbiome plays in the development and expansion of abdominal aortic aneurysms.

Gastroenterologist and hepatologist Andrew Aronsohn, MD, is a specialist in the diagnosis and management of liver diseases. Dr. Aronsohn has particular expertise in treating hepatitis C and in evaluating patients for liver transplantation. He is a member of the University of Chicago Center for Liver Diseases, a multidisciplinary center nationally known for its broad experience, research discoveries, and treatment innovations related to liver diseases and transplantation.

Dr. Aronsohn researches and evaluates new treatments for liver disease. He is currently studying different types of therapies for elderly patients with hepatitis C. Also a medical ethicist, Dr. Aronsohn is investigating the principles involved in the allocation of organs for transplantation.

Dr. Mim Ari is an Assistant Professor in the Section of General Internal Medicine at the University of Chicago. After attending Georgetown University for her undergraduate degree, Dr. Ari completed medical school, residency in internal medicine (primary care track) and a chief medical resident year at the University of Colorado. After working at Denver Health and Cook County, she joined the Department of Medicine at the University of Chicago in 2017. She is currently a clinician-educator interested in the integration of substance use disorder recognition and treatment into internal medicine practice, behavioral health and underserved/stigmatized populations. She is actively involved and interested in both resident and medical student training. She is currently completing the MERITS Faculty Fellowship in Medical Education at the University of Chicago.

Lolita (Maria) Alkureishi, MD, is an Associate Professor of Pediatrics, in the Section of Academic Pediatrics. Following her residency at UCSF, Dr. Alkureishi served as the Pediatric Medical Director for the San Mateo County Keller Center for Family Violence Intervention. Since joining the University of Chicago as faculty in 2011, she has continued her commitment to caring for underserved children and her outpatient clinical time is based at the Friend Family Health Center Pulaski location, a Federally Qualified Health Clinic which serves primarily underserved Spanish-speaking patients. Dr. Alkureishi has a particular interest in advocating for and developing curricula to improve patient-centered technology use in order to enhance, rather than compete with, communication and the patient-doctor relationship and she has received a number of awards and grants in recognition of her work.

Dr. Alkureishi also serves as the Clerkship Director for Pediatrics, and oversees all fourth year sub-internships and electives within the Department. Dr. Alkureishi is a Fellow of the Academy of Distinguished Medical Educators and was a recipient of the Leonard Tow Humanism in Medicine Award, the Richard M. Rothberg Faculty Award for Excellence in Patient Care and Resident Education, and was an AOA Faculty Inductee.

Dr. Jason Alexander is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Medicine. He received his undergraduate and medical degrees from Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia. He then completed his medical residency at the University of Chicago and subsequently completed a chief residency at MacNeal Hospital in Berwyn, Illinois. He is currently a clinician-educator in the primary care group and serves as core faculty and director of the evidence-based medicine curriculum for the University of Chicago Internal Medicine Residency Program. Dr. Alexander has academic interests in developing curricula that focus on evidence-based medicine and clinical reasoning.

Dr. Ahn is an Associate Professor of Medicine in the Section of Emergency Medicine and is faculty for the GME Scholars Training Program. He attended medical school at Jefferson Medical College and completed his emergency medicine residency and medical education fellowship at the University of Chicago. As Associate Director for the Emergency Medicine Residency Program, he has worked on multiple regional and national panels focusing on technology in education and milestone assessment. Dr. Ahn’s research interests focus on medical education, specifically in the areas of curriculum assessment, millennial education, and procedural competency.

Dr. Osman Ahmed is currently an Assistant Professor in the section of Vascular and Interventional Radiology at the University of Chicago. He completed medical training at the University of Illinois College of Medicine before attending the University of Chicago for Diagnostic Radiology residency. He subsequently completed his VIR fellowship at Stanford.

Dr. Ahmed has been recognized as a leader in the community of IR, having recently been selected to attend the SIR’s leadership and development academy and received the society’s Young Investigator award for 2020. He also contributes as Social Media Editor for SIR’s flagship editorial, the Journal of Vascular and Interventional Radiology. He has also been recognized by the journal as a Top Reviewer for the years 2016-2020. His clinical and research interests include catheter-based treatments for venous thromboembolism, caval filter retrieval, health economics, embolization, and interventional oncology.

Dr. Afzal is a Child & Adolescent Psychiatrist and an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience. He is the Director of Pediatric Consultation–Liaison Service at Comer Children Hospital. He was trained at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso for his Adult Psychiatry Training and completed Child and Adolescent Fellowship at the University of Chicago. His research interests include mental health awareness in minority population, posttraumatic stress symptoms in newly diagnosed pediatric cancer population and role of social media in mental health. Clinically, he focuses on the psychiatric and psychosomatic presentations of medical illnesses and creative family interventions for depressive, anxiety, ADHD and disruptive behavior disorders. Dr. Afzal has presented his clinical and research interests both nationally in the U.S. and internationally, in the Middle East and South East Asia. His Child & Adolescent Mental Health Awareness Questionnaire for Parents has been translated in Arabic, French and Chinese languages.

Dr. Afzal is the didactic course director of child psychiatric interviewing, advanced psychopharmacology and family therapy/interventions for child and adolescent fellows.

Tiffany Xie graduated from Indiana University in 2020 with degrees in English and Biology. Following graduation, she taught English in Changhua, Taiwan on a Fulbright fellowship. She is a writer and a member of the Soupbone Collective, a digital humanities collaborative. As a medical student, Tiffany co-leads the book club and the barbell club. Under the mentorship of Dr. Elizabeth Tung, Tiffany is currently developing an epidemiological research project on housing and health, studying the geographic distribution of affordable housing and health resources.

Nikhil Umesh graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2015 with a B.S. in Environmental Health Science and a minor in Chemistry. Prior to joining Pritzker, Nikhil worked as a violence prevention educator and community health researcher, instructing courses in political economy, race, and the history of social movements. In his free time, he enjoys deepening his interest in cooking, gardening, and propagating fruit trees.

Nikhil serves as a Co-Director of the Maria Shelter Clinic, which serves women and children experiencing homelessness on the South Side. He is also a Student Representative on the Pre-Clinical Review Committee, Community Grand Rounds Student Liaison, and a Student Leader of Students for a National Health Program and Chicago Homelessness Health Response Group for Equity.

Under the mentorship of Dr. Elizabeth Tung and Dr. Monica Peek, Nikhil is conducting research on the urban geography of plasma donation centers and their association with race, place, and poverty. He hopes his work will bring greater public awareness to the global supply chain of plasma, where poor, racialized communities have become a central link.

Frazer Tessema graduated from Yale University in 2017 with a BA in History as a premedical student. In college, Frazer researched behavioral psychology at the Yale Decision Neuroscience Lab and translational medicine at the Yale Cardiovascular Research Center.

From 2017-2020, Frazer worked as a research assistant at the Harvard Program On Regulation, Therapeutics, And Law (PORTAL) at Brigham & Women’s Hospital publishing peer-reviewed papers focused on finding solutions to lower prescription drug prices, improving access to pharmaceuticals, and reforming regulatory practice to better patients’ lives. He co-authored 13 papers, including a law review article on the causes of high generic drug prices. From 2017-2020, Frazer also served as a hospice volunteer in the Boston metro-area, playing requested piano music for end-of-life patients. At UChicago, Frazer researches the pathophysiology of microvascular dysfunction in heart failure and health policy initiatives related to sickle cell anemia. Frazer also continues ongoing research with PORTAL.

Russell Simons graduated magna cum laude from Boston College with a B.S. in biology and a minor in medical humanities. At Boston College, he was a recipient of the Gabelli Presidential Scholarship, a four-year merit-based award, and served as president of the student body.

As a medical student, Russell is co-coordinator of CommunityHealth Clinic, which provides medical care free-of-charge to uninsured Chicagoans on the city’s west side. He is co-founder and co-leader of Pritzker Humanities & Medicine, which hosts events for medical students that explore the connections between the humanities and clinical caregiving. Following his first year at Pritzker, Russell was a recipient of the University of Chicago Pozen Family Center for Human Rights’ summer internship award. He subsequently worked as a researcher at Human Rights Watch in New York City where he helped investigate human rights abuses related to the opioid epidemic, the development of universal health coverage systems, and HIV/AIDS care for transgender men and women.

Camron Shirkhodaie graduated with honors from Vanderbilt University in 2019 with a B.S. in Biological Sciences and Medicine, Health and Society and a minor in Chemistry.

At Prtizker, Camron was the co-director of Maria Shelter Free Clinic, where he, along with the rest of free clinic leadership, were able to implement telemedicine to continue seeing patients during the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, Camron was also a part of Reach Out and Read, Students for a National Health Program, and Middle Eastern and North African Student Association.

Under the mentorship of Dr. John Blair, Camron conducted research on outcomes of and risk factors associated with patients with concomitant deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism who receive catheter-directed therapy.

Maria completed her undergraduate studies Washington University in St. Louis, receiving a bachelor’s degree in Anthropology and Biology. In college, she developed her passion for working with Latinx communities through her work at Casa de Salud and at Nurses for Newborns. After graduation, María spent a year in Guatemala working with an NGO that promotes health and educational equity for individuals with disabilities. She then embarked her Global Health Corps fellowship at Community Pediatric Programs of Montefiore in the South Bronx, where she worked to facilitate access to medical care and legal services for children and immigrants.

In medical school, Maria was the Chair of the Dean’s Council, serving a liaison between school leadership and the student body. She also served as co-president of the Latinx Medical Student Association. In this role, she supported various COVID-19 relief efforts for Spanish speaking communities in Chicago, and launched an anti-racism reading program for incoming first year medical students. Under the mentorship of Dr. Julie Chor, she is conducting an interview study to understand the experiences of LGBTQ individuals with the first pelvic exam. To honor her service, María was selected as the 2020 Valerie Bowman Jarrett Scholar in Medical Education.

Reem Hamoda graduated from the University of Pittsburgh in 2016 with a Bachelor of Science in Microbiology and Community Health Assessment; she continued her studies at the Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University, where she received a Master of Public Health in Epidemiology in 2018. Reem is passionate about improving access to and reducing racial/ethnic and socioeconomic disparities in healthcare for chronic disease patients. Her previous volunteering work includes management of a free clinic social services program in Pittsburgh and designing and implementing a quality improvement initiative aimed to improve interpreter services at an Atlanta refugee clinic. As a graduate student and junior epidemiologist, Reem contributed to numerous research and quality improvement projects related to improving access to transplantation for end-stage renal disease patients.

At Pritzker, Reem served as the referrals coordinator for Washington Park Free Clinic, admissions liaison for the Student National Medical Association (SNMA), and mentor for the HPREP program. Under the mentorship of Dr. Milda Saunders, Reem currently conducts epidemiological research elucidating racial/ethnic and gender-specific disparities in placement on the deceased donor waiting list for renal transplantation.

Romy graduated from the University of Chicago in 2020 with a B.A. in Biological Sciences. Before medical school she conducted translational gastroenterology research with Dr. Vivian Lee and Dr. Micah Prochaska at the University of Chicago Medical Center, where she focused on the etiology of inflammatory bowel disease. After starting medical school, she began working with Dr. Tanya Zakrison and her team to develop a curriculum for trauma surgery trainees that addresses the structural racism and inequities that their patients face and teaches them how to be active anti-racism advocates. Romy is the Co-Interpreter Coordinator of Community Health Clinic, a free clinic at Pritzker. This year, she has worked to develop a standardized interpreter curriculum for the students and interpreters at the clinic. She also co-leads the Vascular Surgery Interest Group and is the Co-Mentorship Chair for the Pritzker chapter of LMSA. Romy will be working with Bucksbaum Faculty Scholar, Dr. Anna Volerman this summer. She will focus on evaluating a pilot program that embeds community health workers into elementary schools with the purpose to improve asthma management and outcomes for children.

Itzel Jazmín López-Hinojosa graduated cum laude from Washington University in St. Louis in 2017 with a BA in Biochemistry and American Culture Studies. At WashU, Itzel led educational and policy discussions related to health disparities as a peer mental health counselor. In addition, she wrote a thesis exploring the experience of Latinx undergraduates with mental health. After college, Itzel returned to her alma mater, Illinois Math and Science Academy, and served as a residential counselor.

As a 2019 Albert Schweitzer Fellow, Itzel developed healthy eating and exercise curriculum for 3rd and 4th graders, and an empowering and mentorship curriculum for high school girls living in Back of the Yards. At Pritzker, Itzel is the Co-President of the Latino Medical Student Association, a laboratory coordinator for the Community Health Clinic, and the curriculum development chair for the Chicagoland Clinic Consortium. She co-organized both the annual Black and Latina Women in Medicine Forum and the Annual Regional LMSA conference.

This summer Itzel traveled to Peru to provide cervical cancer screenings with REMEDY, a service-learning program. As a Medical Organization for Latino Advancement scholar, she works with Dr. Pilar Ortega to assess a ten-module medical Spanish curriculum for clinical interviews and physical exams using pre- and post- assessments. She is currently working with Dr. Elizabeth Tung to understand the lived experience of Spanish speaking immigrants with violent political rhetoric and its implications on health.

Diana Li graduated from Johns Hopkins University in 2017 with BAs in Biophysics and Writing Seminars. They also received an MFA in Poetry from Rutgers University-Newark in 2019, where they taught English Composition.

At Pritzker, Diana served as co-president for OUTPatient (LGBTQ+ People in Medicine), as well as the Community Outreach Director for both the Bridgeport Free Clinic and the Asian Pacific American Medical Students Association. They currently serve as a class representative for Pritzker’s Identity & Inclusion (i2i) committee. As a second-year medical student, Diana has also coordinated lesson plans and served as a guest facilitator for two modules of the first-year “Health Care Disparities and Advocacy” course: 1) allyship training and 2) LGBTQ+ intersectionality.

Under the mentorship of Dr. Marshall Chin and Dr. Scott Cook, Diana is conducting community health research on improving the healthcare experiences of transgender people of color as part of the Your Voice! Your Health! project.

Robert Hight graduated from Emory University with a BS in Biology and a minor in Japanese. He also received his MS in Cellular and Molecular Biology from Tulane University. He was the recipient of both the Gates Millennium Scholarship and the Martin Luther King Jr. Scholarship which were merit-based awards that covered all of the expenses for both his undergraduate and graduate school degrees. Additionally, he helped co-found an organization, while at Emory, which was dedicated to providing first aid/medical supplies for low-income elementary and middle schools in the Atlanta area.

As a medical student, Robert serves as the Treasurer for Dean’s Council and as a mentorship/community service co-chair for the Student National Medical Association (SNMA). Under the mentorship of Dr. Daniel Golden, Robert worked on a research project which sought to examine the dynamic of the doctor-patient relationship in the context of the Electronic Health Records (EHR) system among radiation-oncology physicians as well as work-life balance among those physicians.

Chloe grew up in Albuquerque, NM. She graduated summa cum laude from Princeton University in 2011 with a BA in Religion and Creative Writing. After graduation, Chloe spent two years in Indonesia as a Princeton in Asia Fellow at an NGO that fosters peacebuilding in post-conflict communities. In 2013, she returned to New Mexico, where she spent three years working directly with adolescents in schools as a Planned Parenthood sexual health educator and program manager. She completed post-baccalaureate coursework at Bryn Mawr College in 2017. While applying to medical school, she worked as a Medical Assistant at a federally qualified health center in New Mexico.

In medical school, Chloe serves on the board of Chicago Street Medicine, which provides outreach to the Southside’s unsheltered homeless community. She is the Curriculum Director for SHARE, which trains medical students to teach sex ed to adolescents at Woodlawn Charter School. She assisted with writing and research for the Winter 2019 Regenstein Library Special Collections exhibition, The Fetus in Utero. In Summer 2019, she returned home to New Mexico to research pregnant women with opioid use disorder and to study the association between different addiction treatment models, prenatal care access and neonatal health outcomes.

Alvin Gordián-Arroyo graduated from Harvard University in 2017 with a Bachelor of Arts in Human Evolutionary Biology while completing a secondary field in Global Health and Health Policy. He continued his studies at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, where he received a Master of Public Health in Sociomedical Sciences in 2019 with a certificate in Sexuality, Sexual and Reproductive Health. His research focused on highlighting disparities among people living with HIV (PLWH) and evaluating the efficacy of technology-based solutions for improving health outcomes among PLWH and sexual minority adolescents at higher risk for HIV transmission.

At Pritzker, Alvin serves as co-chair of the Emergency Medicine Interest Group and class representative for the Identity and Inclusion (i2i) Steering Committee. He is also a volunteer at the free CommunityHealth Clinic and is a mentor with the Health Professions Recruitment and Exposure Program (HPREP).

Kristen Chalmers graduated summa cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa from Dartmouth College in 2017 with a B.A. in Anthropology and a minor in Neuroscience. Following graduation, she spent three years conducting qualitative research on emergency department design at Build Health International and adolescent diabetes care at Seattle Children’s Hospital. She also began volunteering as a rape hotline crisis counselor with the Boston Area Rape Crisis Center, where she now works as a staff counselor and shift supervisor.

At Pritzker, Kristen is the co-chair of Physician Advocates for Survivors of Sexual Assault and the Emergency Medicine Interest Group. She is also collaborating with fellow medical students on a project to identify disparities and improve care for survivors of sexual assault in Chicago-area emergency departments with Drs. Keme Cater, Sonia Oyola, and Jeanne Farnan. Under Dr. Julie Chor, she is also working on a qualitative research project aiming to develop trauma-informed abortion care principles for survivors of sexual assault, interpersonal violence, and adverse childhood experiences.

Isaiah Brown graduated from the University of Kentucky in 2019 with a B.S. in Neuroscience. In 2018, Isaiah was the recipient of a summer internship award from the University of Southern California Summer Program in Diabetes and Obesity Research. This experience sparked his interest in health disparities research, which led Isaiah to become a post-baccalaureate fellow at the National Institute of Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD). At the NIMHD, Isaiah was primarily involved in research focused on identifying the relationships between health access and health seeking behaviors to explain the disparities among those living with chronic diseases, such as Type 2 Diabetes.

At Pritzker, Isaiah serves as the Co-President of the Student National Medical Association (SNMA) and as the Director of Operations for the Health Professions Recruitment and Exposure Program (HPREP). He also serves as the Quality Improvement Co-Chair of the Washington Park Free Clinic and as a member of the Choosing Wisely STARS in which he hopes to promote health care value in medical education.

Mikhayla Armstrong graduated from Williams College in 2019 with a B.A. degree in Biology with Honors and a concentration in Africana Studies. Her passion for research began in college when she was an Allison Davis Research Fellow. Upon graduating, she continued conducting research as a clinical research assistant in ophthalmology at Boston Children’s Hospital. During this time she also volunteered as a Big Sister and served as a co-leader of the Health Disparities and Inclusion group.

At Pritzker, Mikhayla was elected by her class as the AAMC representative. She is on the OUTPatient (for LGBTQ+ people in medicine) board and the Ophthalmology Interest Group board. She also serves as one of the i2i (identity and inclusion) representatives for OUTPatient and SNMA. She is currently exploring her research interests, through projects in ophthalmology and otolaryngology.

Daniel Ahn graduated from the University of Chicago in 2018 with a B.S. in biology and a minor in human rights. In 2017, Daniel was a recipient of a summer internship award from the University of Chicago Pozen Family Center for Human Rights. He worked as a researcher at the Hastings Center in Garrison, New York, on access to dialysis among undocumented immigrants with end-stage renal disease.

As a 2019-20 Schweitzer Fellow, Daniel is running a year-long program on gender justice and immigrant youth empowerment for young men of color at the HANA Center. At Pritzker, Daniel serves as president of the Asian Pacific American Medical Students Association and helped organize the University of Chicago’s inaugural Asians in Medicine conference in May 2018, which brought more than 70 medical students and faculty from Chicago. He also served as a mentor for HPREP and participated in the JOURNEES trips to Mississippi and South Dakota.

Under the mentorship of Dr. Milda Saunders, Daniel has conducted research on factors associated with the quality and frequency end-of-life care planning among African American hemodialysis patients.

Satendra Singh, MD is an Associate Professor of Physiology at University College of Medical Sciences (UCMS), University of Delhi. He is also Executive Member as well as member of the Ethics Committee of the Delhi Medical Council which is a statutory body under the Government of Delhi.

He is a noted disability rights activist and is the first person from India to be awarded the Henry Viscardi award in 2017 which honors exemplary leaders in the disability community who, through the example of their professional accomplishments and advocacy efforts, are reshaping societal perceptions and making significant changes in the quality of life of people with disabilities.

Ten years ago, a series of serendipitous events propelled him and his mentors Navjeevan Singh and Upreet Dhaliwal, to explore the Medical humanities. They founded the Medical Humanities Group at UCMS in 2009 which was the first such initiative in a medical institution in India. Along with Bucksbaum Institute, the group framed disability competencies for health professions education to improve doctor-patient relationship. He is also working on supported decision-making among marginalized population specially people with disabilities.

Dara graduated summa cum laude and with election to Phi Beta Kappa from the University of Pennsylvania in 2009 with a BA in Biological Basis of Behavior and Hispanic Studies. Following graduation, Dara worked in consulting for three years at Bain & Company. As a medical student, Dara has conducted research with Vineet Aurora on the relationship between patient satisfaction and communication among their providers.

Dr. Adams completed an Otolaryngology Residency the University of Chicago and is currently a Fellow in Rhinology and Skull Base Surgery at Mass Eye and Ear in Boston, MA.

Dr. Amanda Adeleye is a reproductive endocrinologist and an Assistant professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology in the section of reproductive endocrinology and infertility. She completed her medical degree at Columbia University. Dr. Adeleye completed a residency in obstetrics and gynecology at Columbia’s New York Presbyterian Hospital. She pursued a fellowship in reproductive endocrinology and infertility at the University of California San Francisco. She is interested in health care disparities in fertility care as well as the reproductive considerations for transgender and non-binary people. Dr. Adeleye also has an interest in patient education and is on the American Society of Reproductive Medicine, Patient Education committee and Society for Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility Medical Student and Resident education committee.

Dr. Lisa Cannon earned her medical degree from the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry. While there, she took a year to focus on narrative medicine and received a distinction in medical humanities. She also received the John J. Morton and John H. Morton Memorial Scholarship for her focus on patient care.

Dr. Cannon went on to complete her general surgery residency at New York Presbyterian/Columbia University Medical Center. She completed her colon and rectal fellowship at the University of Chicago, and stayed on as faculty. She serves on several committees for the American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons. Her clinical interests include inflammatory bowel disease and benign colorectal disorders, implementing enhanced recovery pathways for the section, and prudent use of minimally invasive techniques.

Dr. Cannon has a strong interest in the patient-physician interaction and surgical quality with emphasis on safe patient handoffs and interdisciplinary team communication. She is the recipient of the Department of Surgery Excellence in Teaching Award ’16.

In 2012, Dr. Cannon joined the faculty at the University of Rochester in New York.

Dr. Kunle Odunsi is the Director of the University of Chicago Medicine Comprehensive Cancer Center (UCCCC), and Dean for Oncology, Biological Services Division at the University of Chicago. As the Director of UCCCC, he has strategic and broad oversight responsibility for all programmatic aspects of cancer at the University of Chicago including the three primary missions of research, patient care and education. Dr. Odunsi sets the strategic direction of UCCCC, which emphasizes basic, translational and clinical research efforts, collaborative cancer discovery and care, outreach to and engagement of the catchment area, and expansion of development opportunities for early career and promising cancer researchers. His transition to UCCCC brings his experience as Deputy Director of Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center from 2015-2021 where he also served as the Chair of the Department of Gynecologic Oncology, and the Executive Director of the Center for Immunotherapy. As Deputy Director, Dr. Odunsi provided operational oversight for the scientific, clinical research and educational missions of Roswell Park, and monitored all research-related initiatives, steering development of strategies, programs and policies designed to transfer scientific discoveries to clinical settings His research activities in tumor immunology and immunotherapy have focused upon the mechanisms of immune recognition in human ovarian cancer and the pre- clinical and clinical development of tumor antigen targeted therapies. These research activities have been supported by multi-investigator and often multi-institutional awards from the Cancer Research Institute / Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research and by the NIH. Dr. Odunsi was also Principal Investigator of the Roswell Park Specialized Program of Research Excellence (SPORE) in Ovarian Cancer (P50CA159981), and a New York State Stem Cell Science Program (NYSTEM) to pioneer a novel adoptive T cell therapy concept of reprograming human hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells (hHSC) for continuous generation of long lived and durable antigen-specific T cells for sustained anti-tumor response in ovarian cancer patients. As PI of a T32 training grant in surgical oncology at Roswell Park, he has considerable experience mentoring students, post- doctoral fellows, and junior faculty. As the Director of UCCCC, Dr. Odunsi is fully committed to diversity, equity and inclusion, and plans to build a culture of inclusive excellence, and facilitate the recruitment and mentorship of a pipeline of world-class cancer physicians and scientists from underrepresented populations.

Douglas R. Dirschl, MD, is a highly accomplished surgeon and an expert in orthopaedics. He specializes in caring for patients with musculoskeletal trauma and fractures, as well as other injuries and diseases of the bones, joints and muscles.

Dr. Dirschl’s research focuses on the assessment of factors that influence reliability in classifying fractures. He has studied the quality of radiographs, as well as the use of decision-making strategies to enhance reliability. Dr. Dirschl also studies the biological basis of surgery, including the relationship between hemorrhage in pelvic fractures and pelvic bleeding. His research has been funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

A leader in medical education and health policy, Dr. Dirschl teaches medical students, residents and physicians about orthopaedic trauma, musculoskeletal pathophysiology and fractures. He has authored three books, more than 30 book chapters, and more than 75 peer-reviewed scholarly articles. In addition, Dr. Dirschl sits on editorial and review boards for several notable scientific journals, including the Journal of Orthopaedic Research, Journal of Orthopaedic Trauma, and Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery.

Dr. Dirschl previously served as president of the American Orthopaedic Association.
As of 2023, Dr. Dirschl is the Chair of the Orthopaedic Surgery Department at Baylor College of Medicine.

Dr. Nishant Agrawal attended Rutgers College, where he graduated 1st in his class. He graduated from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine where he stayed to do an Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery residency. Dr. Agrawal worked with Drs. Sol Snyder and Bert Vogelstein, two of the leading scientists of our time. He went to Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center for a head and neck surgical oncology fellowship. In 2009, Dr. Agrawal joined the faculty at Johns Hopkins and was then recruited to the University of Chicago in 2015. At the University of Chicago, his clinical area of focus is head and neck surgical oncology and his research interest is in the genetics of head and neck cancers and circulating tumor DNA as a biomarker. Dr. Agrawal is nationally/internationally recognized clinician, teacher, and research with seminal findings in head and neck cancer. He is Professor of Surgery and Director of Head and Neck Surgical Oncology.

Michael R. Bishop, MD, specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of lymphomas and leukemias. In particular, he cares for patients with hematologic malignancies that have not responded to first-line treatments. An expert in hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (bone marrow transplantation), Dr. Bishop and his team are working to address the unique social, economic, physiological and biological issues that patients face while undergoing this treatment.

Dr. Bishop’s research focuses on the prevention and treatment of relapse after stem cell transplantation. Relapse is the primary cause of treatment failure and death after stem cell transplantation. He has served as the primary investigator on studies designed to prevent and treat disease recurrence after transplantation. Specifically, he works on ways to enhance immune effects of the transplanted cells against cancer.

An active contributor to medical literature, Dr. Bishop has authored more than 150 peer-reviewed articles, in addition to more than 30 book chapters and two books on cancer treatment and research. He also serves on the editorial board of numerous scientific journals, including Biology of Blood and Marrow Transplantation.

Dr. Bishop is a dedicated mentor, teaching residents and fellows in classroom, clinical and research settings. Many of his past trainees hold leadership roles in medical oncology and immunology at academic medical centers or at the National Cancer Institute in Bethesda, Maryland.

Since 2001, Dr. Bishop has consistently been named one of the “Best Doctors in America” by Best Doctors, Inc. He previously served as a senior investigator and as the clinical head of stem cell transplantation for the National Cancer Institute at the National Institutes of Health.

2013 Pilot Grant Project: A Pilot Program of Cost Communication in Hematologic Malignancies