Experts Guide
The University of Tennessee Health Science Center Experts Guide is an evolving list of our academic, clinical, and research faculty who are available to speak to the media, on topics that span our six colleges – Dentistry, Graduate Health Sciences, Health Professions, Medicine, Nursing, and Pharmacy – across Tennessee in Chattanooga, Knoxville, Memphis, and Nashville.
If you would like to interview or talk with one of our experts, please contact the UTHSC Office of Communications and Marketing at communications@uthsc.edu or 901.448.5544.

Student Health and Wellness
Jessi Gold, MD, MS
Chief Wellness Officer for the University of Tennessee (UT) System
Associate Professor of Psychiatry, UT Health Science Center
Jessi Gold, MD, MS, a nationally recognized expert on student mental health and wellness, is the inaugural chief wellness officer for the University of Tennessee System and an associate professor of psychiatry at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center.

Sickle Cell Disease
Kenneth Ataga, MD
Director, UT Health Science Center Center for Sickle Cell Disease
Professor, College of Medicine
Dr. Ataga’s clinical interest and expertise focuses on sickle cell disease and related hemoglobinopathies, thalassemia and other red blood cell disorders. His primary research interest is in the development of drug therapies for sickle cell disease.

Access to Dental Care
Orpheus Triplett, DDS
Assistant Dean, Community Oral Health and Outreach
Associate professor, College of Dentistry
Dr. Triplett’s focus is on expanding access to oral care to the underserved.

ACES and Trauma Informed Care for Youth
Altha Stewart, MD
Senior Associate Dean, Community Health Engagement
Associate professor psychiatry, College of Medicine
Former president of the American Psychiatric Association
Dr. Stewart is the director of the Center for Youth Advocacy and Well-Being, which promotes a trauma-informed culture that focuses on preventing trauma to children, helping children exposed to violence, offering peaceful resolutions to conflict, and creating a climate that supports children and fosters collaboration among service providers.

Improving Health Care Delivery
Jim Bailey, MD
Director for the Center for Health Systems Improvement, Tennessee Heart Health Network
Dr. Bailey is working to strengthen and support primary care practices and improve health care delivery and outcomes for medically underserved areas

Health Equity
Michelle Martin, PhD
Professor, College of Medicine, College of Graduate Health Sciences
Dr. Martin is co-founder of the Emotion Well-Being and Economic Burden Research Network (EMOT-ECON) studying the effects of the economic burden of disease on various populations.

Ken Tilashalski, DMD
Dean
Oral and maxillofacial pathology and endodontics
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Orpheus Triplett, DDS
Assistant Dean, Community Oral Health and Outreach
Community oral health, public service, and outreach
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Mojdeh Dehghan, DDS
Associate Dean for Faculty and Student Affairs,
Professor
General dentistry, esthetic and restorative dentistry
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Mustafa K. Dabbous, MS, PhD
Chair, Professor
Dentistry research, student research in dentistry
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K. Mark Anderson, DDS, MS
Chair and Professor Department of Diagnostic Sciences, Director Oral and Maxillofacial Diagnostic Services
Oral and maxillofacial diagnostic services
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Harry Cosby, DDS
Chair, Associate Professor
Endodontics (dental pulp and tissues)
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Waletha Wasson, DDS, MPA, MS, MAGD
Program Director 21st COSP, Professor
General population oral health and wellness
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Jeffrey Brooks, DMD
Department Chair, Program Director, Professor
Oral Surgery and maxillofacial surgery
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Richard A. Williams, DDS, MS
Interim Chair, Program Director, Professor
Orthodontics, orthodontic education
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Clarice S. Law-Eyre, DMD, MS
Chair, Associate Professor
Pediatric dentistry
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David R. Cagna, DMD, MS
Chair, Professor, Associate Dean Postgraduate Affairs, Director Postdoctoral Prosthodontics
Clinical and laboratory prosthodontics (dental prosthetics)
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Donald B. Thomason, PhD
Dean
Medical physiology, dental physiology, study abroad programs in China
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William Mihalko, MD, PhD
Professor
Department of Orthopaedic Surgery
Biomedical Engineering
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Max Fletcher, PhD
Associate Professor
Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology
Biomedical Sciences
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Susan Miranda, PhD
Associate Professor
Department of Orthopaedic Surgery
Biomedical Sciences
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Harry T. Cosby, DDS, MS
Chair, Associate Professor
Department of Endodontics
Endodontics (dental pulp and tissues)
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David R. Cagna, DMD, MS
Chair, Professor, Associate Dean Postgraduate Affairs, Director Postdoctoral Prosthodontics
Department of Prosthodontics
Clinical and laboratory prosthodontics (dental prosthetics)
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James M. Lewis, DMD
Forensic Dentistry

Sidney H. Stein, DMD, MS, PhD
Interim Chair, Professor
Department of Orthodontics
Periodontology
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Richard A. Williams, DDS, MS
Interim Chair, Program Director, Professor
Department of Orthodontics
Orthodontics, orthodontic education
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Simonne S. Nouer, PhD
Associate Professor
Department of Preventive Medicine
Epidemiological study designs, data collection, and analysis, health outcomes and
policy research
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Shelley White-Means, PhD
CHEER Director, Professor
Department of Interprofessional Education
Health equity, social determinants of health, interpersonal education; TennCare
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Meiyun Fan, PhD
Assistant Professor
Department of Pathology
Breast cancer, epigenetic processes in human cancers
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Hassan Almoazen, PhD
Associate Professor
Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences
Tooth enamel erosion, iodide delivery in nutrient efficient patients, dosage design,
delivery and dispensing, pharmaceutical compounding (sterile and non-sterile); drug
solubility and drug stability
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James D. Lewis, PhD
Associate Professor
Department of Audiology and Speech Pathology
Diagnosis of middle-ear pathology, cochlear processing in normal and impaired ears,
and efferent control of cochlear sensitivity
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Ashley Harkrider, PhD
Interim Dean, Professor
The Human Auditory Physiology Laboratory
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Devin Casenhiser, PhD
Acting Department Chair, Professor, and Program Director in Speech Pathology
Language learning and autism laboratory
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Jestina Bunch, MA, CCC-SLP
Clinical Assistant Professor
Cochlear implants, aural habilitation to cochlear implants
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Steven M. Doettl, AuD, PhD, CCC-A
Clinical Professor
Vestibular disorders and the dizziness clinic
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Molly Erickson, PhD
Associate Professor
Singing and voice science lab
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Erinn Finke, PhD, CCC-SLP
Associate Professor
Autism social development
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Jillian H. McCarthy, PhD, CCC-SLP
Associate Professor
Augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) and literacy laboratory, language
and literacy laboratory (L3), language and literacy assessment and intervention strategies
for those individuals who rely on the use of AAC or who have hearing loss
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Patrick N. Plyler, PhD
Professor
Spatial and binary hearing laboratory, Speech production laboratory
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Teresa Vaughn, MA, CCC-SLP
Clinical Associate Professor
Pediatric language disorders
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Jennifer Wilson, MA, CCC-SLP
Clinical Assistant Professor
Feeding and swallowing in children
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Neale R. Chumbler, PhD
Chair
Health data analytics and informatics
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Keisha Brooks Burnett, EdD
Associate Professor,
Program Director Cytotechnology and Histotechnology
Cytotechnology and Histotechnology
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Rebecca Reynolds, EdD, RHIA, FAHIMA
Professor, Program Director Health Informatics
Health data analytics and informatics
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Sajeesh Kumar KR, PhD
Associate Professor
Telemedicine
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Junaith S. Mohamed, PhD
Assistant Professor
Muscle biology and stroke
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Jacen S. Moore, PhD, MA, MT (ASCP)
Assistant Professor
Clinical chemistry, medical laboratory ethics
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Chelsea Peeler, MCP
Instructor
Cytotechnology and Histotechnology
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Michael Weitzeil, MHS, PA(ASCP)
Program Director for the Pathologists’ Assistant Program, Instructor
Anatomy, pathology, and histology
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Wes Williamson, MS, MT (ASCP)
Associate Professor
Clinical chemistry, immunology
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Anne H. Zachry, PhD, OTR/L
Department Chair, Associate Professor
Pediatric occupational therapy, Rachel Kay Stevens Therapy Center
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Stephanie Lancaster, EdD, MS, OTR/L, ATP, CAPS
Program Director, Associate Professor
Assistive technology
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Orli Weisser-Pike OTD, OTR/L, CLVT, SCLV, CAPS
Associate Professor
Low vision
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Lee Williams, OTD, OTR/L
Assistant Professor
Adult occupational therapy
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Barry Dale, DPT, PhD, MBA
Chair, Program Director, Professor
Sports injuries
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Jacque L Bradford, PT, DPT, EdD, MS, CHSE
Program Director, Associate Professor
Physical therapy, acute care
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James A. Carson, PhD, FACSM
Senior Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Studies, Professor
Cancer cachexia and muscle wasting
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Stephen E. Alway, PhD, FACSM
Professor
Aging and muscle physiology
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Emily Shannon Hughes, PT, DPT, EdD, OSC, MTC
Associate Professor
Mobility and function after injury or falls
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Myra Meekins, PT, DPT, OCS, FAAOMPT
Assistant Professor
Low back pain
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G. Nicholas Verne, MD
Interim Executive Dean, Professor
Gastrointestinal diseases, Intestinal permeability, gastrointestinal inflammation,
and intestinal neuroplasticity
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Lynn Dobrunz, PhD
Professor, Chair
Anatomy and Neurobiology
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Mary Billstrand, MD
Professor
Anesthesiology, regional anesthesia
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Steven Boggs, MD
Professor
Anesthesiology
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Arvind Chandrashekar, MD
Assistant Professor, Director Acute Pain Service, Residency Associate Program Director
Chronic Pain
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Jason Buehler, MD
Associate Professor, Residency Program Director
Comprehensive Pain
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Craig Combs, MD
Associate Professor
Anesthesia for General Surgery
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Daniel Sewell, MD
Assistant Professor
Pediatric Anesthesia
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Stephen Strevels, MD
Assistant Professor
Ambulatory Surgery
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Stephanie Vanterpool, MD
Associate Professor
Comprehensive Pain
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O. Lee Wilson, DMD
Associate Professor and Chair, Residency Program Director
General Dentistry
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Tejesh Patel, MD
Chair and Associate Program Director
Dermatopathology
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Emily Jones, MD
Associate Program Director
Hidradenitis Suppurativa
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Whitney Shroyer, MD
Assistant Professor
General Adult Dermatology
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Teresa Wright, MD
Associate Professor
Pediatric Dermatology
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James Richard Walker III, MD
Chair, Associate Professor
COVID-19 hospital capacity, emergency room staffing, emergency procedures
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Sudave Mendiratta, MD
Professor, Chair of Emergency Medicine
Emergency Medicine

Ben Smith, MD
Professor, Ultrasound Fellowship Director
Point of Care Ultrasound

Muneeza Khan, MD
Chair, Associate Professor
Family Medicine
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Gregg Mitchell, MD
Chair, Associate Professor
Jackson Family Medicine
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Leslie Griffin, MD
Chair of Family Medicine, Associate Professor
Family Medicine
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Ashley Fedusenko, MD
Assistant Professor, Palliative Care Director at Erlanger Health
Palliative Care
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Steven Fox, MD
Associate Professor, Program Director of Family Medicine
Lifestyle Medicine

Anthony Wilson, MD
Chair and Associate Professor
LGBTQ Health
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Kendra Kemmet, MD
Assistant Professor,
Sports Medicine Fellowship Program Director
Primary Care Sports Medicine

Jon Parham, DO
Associate Professor
Occupational Medicine
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David Stockton, MD
Professor Emeritus
Wilderness Medicine and Disaster Medicine

Adam Tyson, MD
Assistant Professor, Hospice and Palliative Medicine Program Director
Hospice and Palliative Medicine

Robert Williams, PhD
Chair, Professor
Precision medicine, Alzheimer's disease, Aging, Psychiatric Brain Disorders
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David Ashbrook, PhD
Assistant Professor
Alzheimer's Disease Behavioral Genetics, Animals Models of Human Disease
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Vincenza Colonna, PhD
Assistant Professor
Population Genetics and Genomics, Reproductive Health, Disparity Health Care
View Profile

Yan Cui, PhD
Professor
Genomics, Disparity Health Care Genetics, Cancer Genetics, Artificial Intelligence
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Athena Davenport, PhD
Associate Professor
Breast cancer disparities in African-American women, Sickle cell disease genetics
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Robert Davis, MD, MPH
Professor
Human genetics and epidemiology, Artificial Intelligence and Health Care Informatics,
Biomedical Informatics
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Kevin Freeman, PhD
Assistant Professor
Cancer Genetics, Developmental Genetics
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Erik Garrison PhD
Assistant Professor
Genomics, Pangenomics, Disparity Health Care Genomics, Artificial Intelligence
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Byron Jones, PhD
Professor
Toxicology, Genetics, Animals Models of Human Disease
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Lu Lu, MD
Professor
Genetic factors of cardiomyopathy, Covid-19, glaucoma, metabolism, stress, alcoholism,
cancer, and neurodegenerative Disease; Animals Models of Human Disease
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Megan Mulligan, PhD
Associate Professor
Substance Use Disorders, Behavioral Genetics, Animals Models of Human Disease
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Pjotr Prins, PhD
Associate Professor
Genomics, High Performance Research Computing, Data Access and Sharing
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Suheeta Roy, PhD
Assistant Professor
Metabolic Disease, Aging, Genetics, Animals Models of Human Disease
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Burt Sharp, MD
Professor
Substance Use disorders in humans and animal models, brain function and genetics
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Claire Simpson, PhD
Associate Professor
Genetic epidemiology of Autism Spectrum Disorder, Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Myopia,
and Preeclampsia, Global Health and Health Disparities, Complex Traits, Gene-environment
interactions
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Wenjing Zhang, MD, PhD
Assistant Professor
Regenerative Medicine, Advanced Cell-Based Assays, Genetics of Wound Healing, Animals
Models of Human Disease
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Harish Manyam, MD
Associate Professor, Interim Chair
Electrophysiology, Cardiology
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Arslan Kahloon, MD
Associate Professor, Program Director for Gastroenterology Fellowship
Gastroenterology
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Patrick Koo, MD
Associate Professor, Pulmonary / Critical Care Division Chief at Erlanger Health
Adult Pulmonary / Critical Care
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Chris Poole, MD
Assistant Professor, Division Chief of Nephrology
Nephrology

Jay Sizemore, MD
Assistant Professor
Infectious Disease
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Wala Abusalah, MD
Clinical Assistant Professor
Vascular and Transplant Surgery

Shaker Barham, MD
Assistant Professor
Gastroenterology

Ben Bevill, MD
Clinical Assistant Professor
Critical Care Medicine

Jeffry Bieber, MD
Assistant Professor, Division of Rheumatology Chief
Rheumatology
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Clay Callison, MD
Clinical Assistant Professor
Cystic Fibrosis

Roberto Fernandez-Romero, MD
Clinical Assistant Professor
Alzheimer's Research

Ronnie Hamrick, MD
Assistant Professor
Dermatology

Kevin Martinolich, MD
Clinical Assistant Professor
Sleep Medicine

Kelly McCaul, MD
Assistant Professor
Bone Marrow Transplant, CAR-T Cell Therapy, Chemotherapy Agents
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Muddassir Mehmood, MD
Clinical Associate Professor
Heart Failure

Annette Mendola, PhD
Associate Professor, Division of Clinical Ethics Chief
Clinical Ethics
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Paul Miller, MD
Assistant Professor
Psychiatry
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Kim Morris, MD
Associate Professor, Division of General Internal Medicine Chief
General internal Medicine
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Ross Nesbit, MD
Assistant Professor
Nephrology

Ty Prince, MD
Allergy

Renju Raj, MD
Assistant Professor
Bone Marrow Transplant, CAR-T Cell Therapy, Chemotherapy Agents
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Rod Ramchandren, MD
Professor, Division of Hematology / Oncology Chief
Hematology / Oncology
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Steven Rider, MD
Clinical Assistant Professor, Division of Neurology Chief
Epilepsy

Mahmoud Shorman, MD
Professor, Division of Infectious Diseases Chief
Infectious Diseases

Russell Smith, MD
Associate Professor
Infectious Diseases
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Urath Suresh, MD
Clinical Assistant Professor, Division of Nephrology Chief
Nephrology

Chris Tolleson, MD
Clinical Associate Professor
Movement Disorders

Amit Vora, MD
Associate Professor
Endocrinology
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Brian Wiseman, MD
Assistant Professor
Neurology

Michael Whitt, PhD
Associate Dean and Chair Medical Education, Professor
Molecular virology research, academic medicine, training of medical students
View Profile

Catherine Womack, MD
Associate Dean of Student Affairs, Professor
Student Affairs
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Jim Bailey, MD
Director CHSI, Professor
Health equity, social determinants of health, health care best practices
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Sara Cross, MD
Associate Professor
Infectious diseases
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Samuel Dagogo-Jack, MD
Division Chief, Professor
Endocrinology, diabetes, pre-diabetes, diabetes prevention
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James Dale, MD
Professor Emeritus
Infectious diseases, strep vaccine development
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Mansour Parsi, MD
Chief of the Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Professor
Benign and malignant pancreatic disease, cholangiocarcinoma
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Neil Hayes, MD, MPH
Division Chief Hematology and Oncology, Professor
Hematology and oncology clinical care research, cancer DNA, The Cancer Genome Atlas
View Profile

Colleen Jonsson, PhD
Director of the Regional Biocontainment Laboratory, Professor
COVID-19 research, virology research, director Regional Biocontainment Laboratory
View Profile

Dipen Kadaria, MD
GME Research Director, Associate Professor
Pulmonology
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Julio A. Lanfranco Molina, MD
Division Chief and Program Director - Pulmonary Critical Care and Critical Care, Associate
Professor
Pulmonology
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Darryl Quarles, MD
Professor Emeritus
Nephrology, kidney disease, research
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Amber Thacker, MD
Site Director Regional One Health, Assistant Professor
Medicine, internal medicine, COVID-19 trials
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Cyrilyn Walters, MD
Assistant Professor
Post-Covid-19 clinic, COVID-19 trial, medicine-general medicine
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Haewon Shin, MD
Department Chair, Semmes-Murphey Professor
Neurology
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Khalid Alsherbini, MD
Associate Professor
Epilepsy, Intracranial hemorrhage, subarachnoid hemorrhage, Neurocritical care
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Tulio Bertorini, MD
Fellowship Program Director, Professor
Neuropathy, neuromuscular disease
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Violiza Inoa, MD
Associate Professor
Endovascular Intervention, Stroke
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Balaji Krishnaiah, MD
Program Director, Associate Professor
Medical student education in Neurology
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Katherine Nearing, MD
Assistant Professor
Neurology, stroke, UTHSC Mobile Stroke Unit, Health Equity
View Profile

Mahmoud Salhab, MD
Assistant Professor
Epilepsy
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Mounzer Yassin-Kassab, MD
Professor, Chair of Neurology
Neurology
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Adam Arthur, MD
Chair, Professor
Neurosurgery

John Schorge, MD
Chair, Professor
Gynecologic cancers, minimally invasive surgery
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Linda Moses, MD
Vice-Chair Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
DEI

Pallavi Khanna, MD
Division Chief, Associate Professor
Menopause
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Claudette Shephard, MD
Associate Dean of Diversity and Inclusion, Associate Professor
Medical school diversity and inclusion, adolescent gynecology and pregnancy
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Paul Wendel, MD
Division Chief, Professor
High-risk obstetrics, MFM, HTN in pregnancy
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Nicole Findlay, MD
Assistant Professor
Simulation
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Owen Phillips, MD
Professor
Reproductive genetics
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Marina Santa Cruz, MD
Assistant Professor
Cervical dysplasia, abnormal Pap smears
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Stephen DePasquale, MD
Professor, Chair of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Director of Women's Health at Erlanger
Health
Gynecologic Oncology
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Larry Kilgore, MD
Professor, Chair
Gynecologic Oncology
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Kimberly Fortner, MD
Professor, Fellowship Director,
Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine Director; Obstetric Operations and Quality Vice
Chair
Maternal Fetal Medicine
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John D. Gordon, MD
Assistant Professor, Division Director
Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility
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Nikki Zite, MD
Professor, Education and Advocacy Vice Chair
Family Planning, Education, and Advocacy
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Matthew Wilson, MD
Chair, Director, Professor
Cervical dysplasia, abnormal Pap smears
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Aaron Ashe, MD
Assistant Professor
Cornea and refractive
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Lauren Ditta, MD
Associate Professor
Neuro ophthalmology, pediatrics
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Joe Fong, MD
Assistant Professor
Neuro-ophthalmology
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Brian Fowler, MD
Associate Professor
Oculoplastics, orbital surgery, resident education, ocular trauma
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Mary Ellen Hoehn, MD
Professor
Pediatric Ophthalmology
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Brian Jerkins, MD
Assistant Professor
Glaucoma
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Natalie Kerr, MD
Professor
Pediatric Ophthalmology/ Medical Student Education
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Ben King, MD
Assistant Professor
Diabetic Retinopathy / Macular Degeneration / Ocular Trauma

April Lao, MD
Assistant Professor
Neuro-ophthalmology
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William Mihalko, MD
Professor
Basic Science and Total joint replacement
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Fred Azar, MD
Professor, Director Sports Medicine Fellowship
Sports medicine
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James Beaty, MD
Professor
Pediatric Orthopaedics and Ortho Dept inquiries
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Robert Heck, MD
Associate Professor
Musculoskeletal Tumor
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Andrew Murphy, MD
Associate Professor
Foot and Ankle
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Kirk Thompson, MD
Spine Surgery

Quin Throckmorton, MD
Professor, Residency Program Director
Total Shoulder Arthroplasty

John Weinlein, MD
Assistant Professor, Director of Trauma Fellowship
Orthopaedic Trauma at ROH

Jeremy Bruce, MD
Chair, Professor
Sports Medicine
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Daniel Doty, MD
Assistant Professor
Total Shoulder
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Jesse Doty, MD
Associate Professor
Foot and Ankle
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Mark Freeman, MD
Assistant Professor, Medical Director for Orthopedics, Erlanger Health
Total Joint
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Robert Quigley, MD
Assistant Professor, Associate Residency Program Director of Orthopedics
Pediatric Orthopedics
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Ryan Voskuil, MD
Assistant Professor, Associate Residency Program Director of Orthopedics
Orthopedic Tumors
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Boyd Gillespie, MD
Chair, Professor
Head and neck surgery, snoring, swallowing disorders, salivary gland issues, endoscopic
salivary surgery, sleep apnea
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Anthony Sheyn, MD
Associate Professor
Pediatric ENT
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Abdallah Azouz, MD
Assistant Professor

Zeinab Hasan, MD
Assistant Professor
Cytopathology and Surgical pathology fellowship
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Lawrence Pfeffer, PhD
Professor
Glioblastoma, cancer stem cell, JAK-STAT signaling, SWI/SNF chromatin remodeling complex,
anticancer drug development
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Nour Yadak, MD
Assistant Professor
GI Liver and Transplant Pathologist
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Stuart Van Meter, MD
Chair, Associate Professor
Pathology
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Terri Finkel, MD, PhD
Interim Chair of the Department of Pediatrics at the UT Health Science Center, Pediatrician-in-Chief
at Le Bonheur Children's Hospital
Rheumatology and genome sequencing as a diagnostic tool
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Sandy Arnold, MD
Division Chief of Pediatric Infectious Diseases, Professor
Pediatric infectious diseases
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John Bissler, MD
Division Chief of Pediatric Nephrology, Professor
Pediatric nephrology, tuberous sclerosis
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Chester Brown, MD, PhD
Division Chief of Pediatric Genetics, Professor
Genetics, genomics, ethics of research in minorities
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Mark Corkins, MD
Division Chief, Fellowship Program Director, Professor
Pediatric gastroenterology
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Melody Cunningham, MD
Professor
Palliative care and end of life
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Trey W. Eubanks, III, MD
Division Chief of Pediatric Surgery, Professor
Pediatric surgery

Gerald Jerkins, MD
Associate Professor
Pediatric urology

Ajay Talati, MD
Sheldon B Korones Chair, Chief, Fellowship Program Director, Professor
Neonatology
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Jeff Towbin, MD
Division Chief of Pediatric Cardiology, Professor
Cardiology, heart failure, transplant
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Jim Wheless, MD
Division Chief of Pediatric Neurology, Professor
Seizures / epilepsy, child neurology, CBD products
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Jason Yaun, MD
Division Chief of General Pediatrics, Associate Professor
General outpatient pediatrics, early childhood reading, vaccines
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Karla Garcia, MD
Associate Professor
Pediatric Forensics
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Marvin Hall, MD
Assistant Professor, Chief Medical Officer for TC Thompson Children's Hospital
Pediatric Critical Care

John Heise, MD
Assistant Professor
Adolescent Medicine, Eating Disorders
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Joani Jack, MD
Assistant Professor
Childhood Obesity
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Joel Ledbetter, MD
Associate Professor
Cystic Fibrosis, Pediatric Pulmonary Disease
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Cathy Stevens, MD
Professor
Medical Genetics
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Alex M. Dopico, MD, PhD
Van Vleet Chair of Excellence, Professor
Effects of alcohol and other neurotoxicants on the brain; ion channels; membrane lipids;
cholesterol; circulating steroids
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Anna N. Bukiya, PhD
Professor
FASD, cannabis and endocannabinoids, fish oil and cholesterol, ion channels and brain
blood supply
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Hao Chen, PhD
Professor
Genetics, Genomics, Bioinformatics on substance use disorders with a focus on nicotine
and opioids
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George Cook, PhD
Professor
Pharmacology Education
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Marshall Elam, III, PhD, MD
Professor
Clinics of lipids, hypertension, statins
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Changhoon Jee, PhD
Assistant Professor
Genetics and molecular signaling in compulsive drug-seeking behaviors; C. elegans
model
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Dean Kirson, PhD
Assistant Professor
Sex-specific neurobiological mechanisms that underlie substance use disorders and
stress; electrophysiology and behavioral pharmacology
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Francesca-Fang Liao, PhD
Vice Chair, Professor
Neuronal, cerebrovascular and inflammatory signaling in AD and other dementias
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Kafait U. Malik, DSc, PhD
Professor
Neurohormonal mechanisms of sex differences in hypertension, inflammation and associated
pathogenesis
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Edwards A. Park, PhD
Professor
Regulation of brown adipose tissue metabolism by phospholipases and lipids. Regulation
of transcription.
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Jeffery D. Steketee, PhD
Professor
Neurochemistry of substance use disorders with a focus on cocaine using rodent models
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Wenlin Sun, MD, PhD
Associate Professor
In vivo electrophysiological and behavioral studies on cocaine and alcohol use disorders
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Trevor W. Sweatman, PhD
Professor
Pharmacology Education
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Steven J. Tavalin, PhD
Associate Professor
Glutamatergic neurotransmission and localized signaling complexes; in vitro electrophysiology
and confocal microscopy
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Brendan Tunstall, PhD
Assistant Professor
Neurobiology of alcohol and opioid dependence; behavioral pharmacology
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Thiru Vaithianathan, PhD
Assistant Professor
Synaptic vesicle dynamics and calcium signaling in the retina ribbon synapses; zebrafish
model; multiphoton microscopy
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Kristopher Maday, MS, PA-C, DFAAPA
Program Director, Associate Professor
PA education; role of the PA on the medical/surgical team; virtual learning techniques
(Blogs, etc) in Medical Education
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Stephanie Storgion, MD, FAAP, FCCM
Department Chair, Professor
Pediatric Critical Care; PA education; role of the PA on the medical/surgical team
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Zhongjie Sun, MD, PhD, FAHA
Department Chair, Professor
Molecular mechanism of hypertension and diabetes; epigenetic regulation of cardiovascular
and renal function.
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Jonathan Jaggar, PhD
Maury Bronstein Endowed Professor
Physiological functions and pathological alternations in vascular ion channels.
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Ki-Suk Kim, PhD
Assistant Professor
Investigating the whole-body metabolism through the lens of bariatric surgery study
and endocrine physiology.
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Djamel Lebeche, PhD
Professor
Diabetic cardiomyopathy, functional-molecular genomics and cardiometabolic disorders,
calcium signaling, myocardial fibrosis, genetic instability, heart failure, and Investigational
drug discovery for heart failure, diabetes, and ER stress complications.
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Salvatore Mancarella, PhD
Associate Professor
Understanding the cellular signaling that drives maladaptive heart remodeling and
heart failure.
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Helena Parfenova, PhD
Professor
The roles of heme oxygenase and carbon monoxide, the heme oxygenase derived endogenous
gaseous mediator in regulating blood flow to the brain and in promoting survival of
brain endothelial cells during cerebral vascular insult caused by seizures and oxidative
stress.
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Kaushik Parthasarathi, PhD
Professor
Inflammatory responses in lung microcirculation; Role of junctional proteins as mediators
of proinflammatory signaling.
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Gadiparthi Rao, PhD
George and Elizabeth Malloy Professor
Gene regulation, cell signaling and vascular wall remodeling; Phospholipases, eicosanoids,
cytokines and endothelial cell barrier function and pathological angiogenesis
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Radhakrishna (RK) Rao, PhD
Professor
Regulation of epithelial tight junctions and adherens junctions by intracellular signal
transduction with special emphasis on protein phosphorylation.
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Donald Thomason, PhD
Professor, Dean of the College of Graduate Health Sciences
Mechanisms controlling potassium content and volume of muscle
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Gabor Tigyi, MD, PhD
Harriet Van Vleet Endowment Professor
Lipid growth factors in health and disease, radiomitigators that protect animals from
lethal levels of irradiation
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Junwang Xu, PhD
Associate Professor
Wound healing, response to injury, and regenerative medicine, specifically elucidating
the mechanisms involved in the regenerative response, the role of stem cells in tissue
repair, and the correction of abnormal healing in the adult.
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Mark Brzezienski, MD
Professor, Chair of Plastic Surgery
Plastic Surgery
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Karen C. Johnson, MD
Professor
Women’s health studies, clinical trials, SPRINT Study
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William C. Cushman, MD
Professor
Hypertension, Cardiovascular disease
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Michelle Martin, PhD
Professor
Cancer prevention and control, health disparities research
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Phyllis Richey, PhD
Professor
Exercise physiology, clinical trial interventions focusing on healthy lifestyle behaviors,
physical activity, mobility, treatment of obesity, amputee rehabilitation
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Fridtjof Thomas, MD
Professor
COVID-19 data tracking, health data tracking
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Ronald Cowan, MD, PhD
Chair, Harrison Distinguished Professor
Neurobiology of motivated behavior, addiction, pain, depression
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Valerie Arnold, MD
Associate Professor
Child and adolescent mental health, aggression in youth, disruptive behavior in childhood,
ADHD, pediatric anxiety disorders, mood disorders in children and adolescents, suicidal
behavior in youth.
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Alicia Barnes, DO
Associate Professor
Child and adolescent mental health, aggression in youth, disruptive behavior in childhood, ADHD, pediatric anxiety disorders, mood disorders in children and adolescents, suicidal behavior in youth.

Paul Hill, MD
Assistant Professor
Geriatric psychiatry, addiction, general psychiatry
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Khyati Kothari, MD
Assistant Professor
Women's mental health; general psychiatry
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Andres Ramos, MD
Assistant Professor
Child and adolescent mental health, aggression in youth, disruptive behavior in childhood,
ADHD, pediatric anxiety disorders, mood disorders in children and adolescents, suicidal
behavior in youth.
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Altha Stewart, MD
Associate Professor
Adverse Childhood Experiences, juvenile mental health, former president of the American
Psychiatric Association, health equity, social determinants of health
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Ferrell Varner, MD
Assistant Professor
Depression, adult ADHD, general psychiatry
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David Schwartz, MD
Department Chair, Professor
Radiation Oncology
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Rashad Daker, MD
Assistant Professor
Breast Imaging
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Ian Gray, MD
Radiology Residency Program Director, Associate Professor
Neuroradiology
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Jacob Noe, MD
Assistant Professor
Neuroradiology
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Chris Stephens, MD
Assistant Professor
Interventional Radiology
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David Shibata, MD
Chair, Professor
Colorectal cancer, director UTHSC Cancer Program, minimally invasive surgery, robot-assisted
surgery
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Nia Zalamea, MD
Professor
Global and multicultural healthcare, surgery
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Ben Dart, MD
Professor, Chair of Surgery, Chief of Surgery at Erlanger Health
Trauma and General Surgery
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Joseph T. Chun, MD
Associate Professor, Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Chief
Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
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Jeffrey Cloyd, MD
Clinical Assistant Professor
Emergency Medicine

Brian Daley, MD
Professor, Division of Trauma and Critical Care Surgery Chief, Associate Program Director
of General Surgery
Trauma / Critical Care Surgery
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Raymond A. Dieter, MD
Professor, Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery Chief
Cardiothoracic Surgery
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Oscar Grandas, MD
Professor, Division of Transplant Surgery Chief
Transplant Surgery
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David Harris, MD
Clinical Professor, Division of Ophthalmology Chief
Ophthalmology

Jeffrey Hecht, MD
Associate Professor, Division of Surgical Rehabilitation Chief
Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
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William Horton, MD
Clinical Assistant Professor
Otolaryngology

James Killeffer, MD
Associate Professor, Division of Neurosurgery Chief
Neurosurgery
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James M. Lewis, MD
Professor, Division of Surgical Oncology Chief
Surgical Oncology
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Matthew L. Mancini, MD
Professor, Division of General Surgery Chief
General Surgery
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Tom Masi, PhD
Assistant Professor
Regenerative Medicine
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Andrew J. Russ, MD
Associate Professor, General Surgery Program Director, Division of Colorectal Surgery
Chief
Colorectal Surgery
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Scott Smith, MD
Clinical Assistant Professor, Division of Orthopedic Surgery Chief
Orthopedics

W. Glaze Vaughan, MD
Clinical Assistant Professor, Division of Pediatric Surgery Chief
Pediatric Surgery

Robert Wake
Chair, Professor
Men’s health, prostate cancer, minimally invasive surgery, reconstructive urology
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Nikhil Gopal, MD
Assistant Professor
Robotic genitourinary surgery, urologic cancers
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Chris Ledbetter, MD
Program Director, Associate Professor
Female urology, infertility, robotic surgery
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Lynn Patterson, MD
Professor
Bladder cancer, stone disease
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Ava Saidian, MD
Assistant Professor
Robotic genitourinary surgery, urologic cancers
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Amar Singh, MD
Professor, Chair of Urology
Urologic Oncology, Robotic Urology
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Wesley White, MD
Professor, Chair
Urology
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Wendy Likes, PhD, DNSc, APRN-Bc, FAANP, FAAN
Dean
Nurse leadership, the state of nursing, women’s health, lower genital tract disease,
HPV, high-resolution anoscopy
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Sara W. Day, PhD, RN, FAAN
Professor, Assistant Dean Center for Community and Global Partnerships
Pediatric oncology, nursing collaboratives, global nursing
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Charleen McNeill, PhD, MSN, RN
Professor, Executive Associate Dean of Academic and Student Affairs
Emergency preparedness and response
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Ansley Stanfill, PhD, RN, FAAN
Associate Professor, Associate Dean of Research
Genomics, stroke, concussion, social determinants of health
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Mona Wicks, PHD, RN, FAAN
Professor, Chair of the Department of Health Promotion and Disease Prevention
Family caregiver and women’s health within the context of chronic disease; health
promotion/risk reduction; and health disparities
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Sally Humphrey, DNP, APRN, CPNP-PC
Assistant Professor, Pediatric Primary Care NP Concentration Coordinator
Pediatric endocrinology
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Laura Reed, DNP, APRN, FNP-BC
Associate Professor, FNP Concentration Coordinator
Transplant and primary care
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Jackie Sharp, DNP, APRN, PMHNP-BC
Assistant Professor, PMHNP Concentration Coordinator
Psychiatric mental health
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Nina Sublette, PhD, APRN-BC
Assistant Professor
HIV
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Christina Wills, DNP, APRN, CPNP-PC
Assistant Professor
Sickle cell disease
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Dwayne Accardo, DNP, CRNA, FAANA
Associate Professor, DNP Nurse Anesthesiology Concentration Coordinator
Nurse anesthesia
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Anne W. Alexandrov, PhD, AG-ACNP-BC, RN, CCRN, ANVP-BC, NVRN-BC, FAAN
Professor
Stroke, UTHSC Mobile Stroke Unit, cardiovascular disease, hemodynamics
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Bobby B. Bellflower, DNSc, NNP-BC, FAANP
Professor, DNP Program Director
Neonatal nursing
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Jami Smith Brown, DHEd, RN, CNN
Associate Professor, Traditional BSN Concentration Coordinator
Nephrology
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Carrie Harvey, PhD, APRN-BC, ACNP, CHFN
Associate Professor
Heart rhythm and heart failure
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Elizabeth Paton, DNP, RN-BC, PPCNP-BC, CPNP-AC, CPEN, FAEN
Assistant Professor, Director of Advanced Practice Nursing
Primary and acute pediatric care, emergency pediatric care
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Andrea Sebastian, DNP, APRN, CPNP-PC, AFN-C, SANE-C
Assistant Professor
Forensic Nursing
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Donna Lynch-Smith, DNP, ACNP-BC, APRN, NE-BC, CNL
Associate Professor, Adult-Gerontology Acute Care NP Concentration Coordinator
Acute care, gerontology
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Sarah Jane Rhoads, PhD, DNP, WHNP-BC, RNC-OB, APRN, FAAN
Professor, Chair Department of Community and Population Health
Maternal health and neonates, telehealth/telemedicine, rural health, and perinatal
quality improvement
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Lisa D. Beasley, DNP, APRN, NP-C, RN
Assistant Professor
Rural health
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Diana Dedmon, DNP, FNP, BC
Assistant Professor, Director of Clinical Affairs
Michael Carter Endowed Professorship
Rural health
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Kate Fouquier, CNM, PhD, FACNM
Professor
Midwifery, maternal care, childbirth
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Christie Manasco, PhD, RN
Assistant Professor
Rural health
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Michelle Rickard, DNP, CPNP-AC
Assistant Professor, Pediatric Acute Care Concentration Coordinator
Pediatric acute care
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Keesha Roach, PhD, MSN, BSN
Assistant Professor
Sickle cell disease
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Janet Tucker, PhD, RNC-OB
Assistant Professor
Maternal health
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Reginald Frye, PharmD, PhD, FCCP
Dean
College of Pharmacy’s statewide reach, pharmacogenetics, clinical pharmacokinetics
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Memphis Campus

Christopher K. Finch, PharmD, FCCM, FCCP
Chair, Clinical Pharmacy and Translational Science
Clinical pharmacy, drug induced disease, critical care, pulmonary medicine, health
system pharmacy services
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Chasity M. Shelton, PharmD, FCCP, BCPS, BCPP
Assistant Dean, Student Success
Interprofessional education, simulation, pediatrics, student success, community engagement
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Ted Cory, PharmD, PhD
Assistant Professor
HIV/AIDS, immunology, macrophage function
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Shannon Finks, PharmD, FCCP, BCPS, BCCP, AHSCP-CHC
Professor
Cardiovascular prevention, cardiometabolic health, cardiovascular pharmacology, weight
loss and obesity pharmacotherapy, lipidology, hypertension, pharmacotherapy
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Joanna Hudson, PharmD, BCPS, FASN, FCCP
Professor
Acute kidney injury, chronic kidney disease and secondary complications, pharmacokinetics
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Knoxville Campus

Leslie Hamilton, PharmD, FCCP, FCCM, FNCS, BCPS, BCCCP
Associate Professor
Critical care, neurocritical care, clinical pharmacy, status epilepticus, sedation,
analgesia, and delirium, stroke, infectious diseases
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Shaun Rowe, PharmD, MS, BCCCP, FNCS, FCCP
Director of Faculty Affairs, Associate Professor
Epidemiology, coagulopathy, stroke, neurology, interprofessional education
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Nashville Campus

Tracy Marie Hagemann, PharmD, FCCP, FPPA
Associate Dean, Professor
Immunizations for adults and children/adolescents, medication interactions with exercise
and the non-elite athlete, women's health, pediatric pharmacotherapy (hematology/oncology,
pain management, nutrition support, and supportive care)
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Alina Cernasev, PharmD, PhD
Assistant Professor
Substance abuse disorder care, opioid use disorder, HIV and pre-exposure prophylaxis
(PrEP), social determinants of health
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Joel Marrs, PharmD, MPH, BCACP, BCCP, BCPS
Professor and Coordinator of Clinical Outreach
Cardiology and cardiometabolic disease states, cardiovascular prevention therapy,
safety and effectiveness of cardiovascular medications, evaluation and expansion of
clinical pharmacy services
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Jeremy Stultz, PharmD
Associate Professor
Pediatric infectious diseases, computerized clinical decision support, medication
safety
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Santosh Kumar, PhD
Assistant Dean, Scholarly Integration and Collaboration
HIV/AIDS, NeuroAIDS, substance use/abuse, alcohol, smoking, opioids, HPV-HIV Interactions,
extracellular vesicles/exosomes, health disparity
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Bernd Meibohm, PhD, FCP, FAAPS
Associate Dean, Graduate Programs and Research
Vaccines, toxicology, pharmacokinetics (PK) and pharmacodynamics (PD), pediatric pharmacotherapy,
drug development
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Duane D. Miller, PhD
Professor Emeritus
Drug discovery, research, patents
*If you would like to submit someone for our experts list, please email communications@uthsc.edu.