Alumni Scholars

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. 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. 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. 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.

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.

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. 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.

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.

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. 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.