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Associate Junior Faculty Scholars

Each year, the nomination process for Junior Faculty Scholars consistently generates many exceptional candidate recommendations from all clinical departments. In an effort to retain involvement from these superb faculty, the position of Associate Junior Faculty Scholar was created in 2012. Associate Junior Faculty Scholars are eligible to participate in all Bucksbaum Institute programs and each spring they may apply for funding through the Bucksbaum Institute Pilot Grant Program.

Walid Hussain, MD

Walid Hussain, MD

2023-2024 ASSOSCIATE JUNIOR FACULTY

Department of Pediatrics
Bio

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.

Ari Rosenberg, MD

Ari Rosenberg, MD

2023-2024 ASSOCIATE JUNIOR FACULTY SCHOLAR

Department of Medicine
Bio

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.

Laura Dickens, MD

Laura Dickens, MD

2023-2024 ASSOCIATE JUNIOR FACULTY SCHOLAR

Department of Medicine
Bio

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.

Pathik Amin, OD

Pathik Amin, OD

2023-2024 ASSOCIATE JUNIOR FACULTY SCHOLAR

Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Science
Bio

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.

Zainab Obaidi, MD

Zainab Obaidi, MD

2023-2024 ASSOCIATE JUNIOR FACULTY SCHOLAR

Department of Medicine
Bio

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.

Courtney Cripps, MD

Courtney Cripps, MD

2023-2024 ASSOCIATE JUNIOR FACULTY

Department of Surgery
Bio

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.

Cuoghi Edens, MD

Cuoghi Edens, MD

2021–2022 ASSOCIATE JUNIOR FACULTY SCHOLAR

Department of Pediatrics
Bio

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.

David Hampton, MD

David Hampton, MD

2021–2022 ASSOCIATE JUNIOR FACULTY SCHOLAR

Department of Surgery
Bio

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.

C. Maxwell Medert, MD

C. Maxwell Medert, MD

2021–2022 ASSOCIATE JUNIOR FACULTY SCHOLAR

Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Science
Bio

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.

Brandon Baird, MD

Brandon Baird, MD

2022-2023 ASSOCIATE JUNIOR FACULTY SCHOLAR

Department of Surgery
Bio

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.