Senior Faculty Scholars

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

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. 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.

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. 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.

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. 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. 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. 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. 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.