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Alumni Updates
Vignesh Doraiswamy, MD ’15, was recently appointed to associate program director, medicine/pediatrics residency program at The Ohio State University.
Richard Castellano, MD ’99, was awarded a Fast56 award by the USF Alumni Association for his business, ImageLift, in Tampa.
Shreya Narayanan, MD ’16, completed her internal medicine and GI fellowship at USF and recently joined the faculty as an assistant professor, division of digestive diseases and nutrition.
Aloyna Makarova, MD ’21, now in her first year of a neurology residency at USF Health, was the resident on the Tampa General Hospital stroke team recognized for the fastest time from presentation to IV tPA (32 minutes) and stroke alert to interventional radiology and thrombectomy (55 minutes).
Daniel Mathew, GME ’19 and ’22, recently joined USF Health as an assistant professor in the division of pulmonary, critical care and sleep medicine.
Sayeef Mizra, MD ’16, currently in his hematology-oncology fellowship at Yale University, was selected to join the American Society for Transplantation and Cellular Therapy’s Clinical Research Training Course with a focus on bridging chemotherapy to CAR-T.
Dexter Turnquest, MD ’89, was appointed to chair the Texas Medical Association’s Council on Constitution and ByLaws.
Phillip Zegelbone, MD ’12, completed his pediatric cardiology fellowship at Children’s Hospital Colorado and joined Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital as a cardiac hospitalist in cardiac acute care.
Alumni Alpha Omega Alpha Inductees:
Stephanie Goff, MD ’03, is an associate research physician in the general surgery branch of the National Cancer Institute. As senior staff, she shares responsibility for the care and management of patients receiving cell-based immunotherapy for metastatic solid tumors.
Brigadier Thomas Harrell, MD ’92, is the Commander, Air Force Medical Readiness Agency, providing consultative leadership to more than 44,000 personnel and 78 medical treatment facilities.
John Hughes, MD ’75, is an associate medical director of Clinical and Academic Affairs at the Kelsey-Sebold Clinic in Houston, where he continues an active gastroenterology practice.
Col James Sampson, MD ’98, is Chief, Readiness Analysis & Comprehensive Evaluation, Air Force Medical Readiness Agency, supporting AFMRA to ensure the development and sustainment of a ready medical force.
Zach Wilson, MD ’11, is an Air Force reserve flight surgeon at the 859th SOS, Duke Field, FL, and a practicing emergency medicine physician. He is also the chair of the continuing medical education accreditation committee for the Florida Medical Association and a participant in its leadership academy.
Student News:
Zeegan George, MSII SELECT, Frank Lee, MSIV SELECT, RGHS’22, and Gautam Koipallil, MSIII have won the 2022 Golden Bull Award! The Golden Bull Award is one of USF's highest honors given annually in the spring semester to deserving undergraduate and graduate students who exemplify the spirit of USF and have demonstrated its core values. Recipients must embody exceptional leadership and service to the University and the community.
Stephanie Goff ’03, head of clinical operations for surgery branch at the Center for Cancer Research at the National Cancer Institute, participated in the panel "Breaking Bias: Women in Healthcare and Science Leadership" with Admiral Rachel L. Levine, MD, assistant secretary, Department of Health and Human Services.
Catherine O’Connor ’88, was named medical director of the Breast Center at Southern Illinois Healthcare.
Angela Scheuerle ’88, was named director of the Rare Disease Center of Excellence at UT Southwestern in Dallas, where she also serves as a professor of pediatrics and pathology.
Charles Soares ’20, will serve as chief resident, Piedmont Macon Emergency Medicine Residency Program for 2022-2023.
Jane Benton MD ’87, was named to the Board of the Space Coast Health Foundation, a grant-making organization established to the health and wellness of individuals and communities in Brevard County.
Candice Castro ’76 completed her general surgery training at USF in 1981 and went on to serve in the US Army, retiring in 2006 at the rank of colonel. During her time in the Army, she served in Seoul, Korea as chief of the department of surgery from 1999-2002 and was deployed to Afghanistan in 2003 and Iraq in 2005. She continues to be active with the Brooke Army Medical Center Retiree Activities Group and teaches English as a second language to refugees/asylees through the Catholic Archdiocese of San Antonio.
Patricia Mergo ’88 completed her residency in diagnostic radiology at Eastern Virginia Medical School and a clinical fellowship in body imaging at the University of Florida. She is currently chair of the division of thoracic/cardiac radiology at the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville and has received numerous Certificates of Merit for presentations at national meetings of the Radiological Society of America, in addition to serving as referee for several radiology journals.
David Parda ’88 completed residencies in internal medicine training at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation and radiation oncology at Georgetown University, and is board certified in both. He has acquired noted expertise in collaborative multidisciplinary cancer care and has held many national and regional leadership roles in oncology, including design and oversight of NCI cancer clinical trials, member/vice chair/chair of the NCI CIRB, vice chair of the ASTRO Guidelines committee, past president and board member of the Pennsylvania Society of Oncology and Hematology, and past board member of the American Cancer Society and West Peen Allegheny Health System. He is currently president and CEO of Allegheny General Hospital in Pittsburgh, professor of radiation oncology and system chair, IRB of Allegheny Health Network.
Suzette Peng ’02 completed her internal medicine residency and rheumatology fellowship at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. She is currently a captain in the US Public Health Service, having served multiple assignments on medical disaster response teams, including the Ebola outbreak in West Africa in 2014. During her service in the Army, she was deployed to Iraq where she was awarded the Bronze Start and Army Commendation medals.
Alumni Updates:
Joseph R Grajo, MD, who completed his residency in Radiology at USF in 2014 and is Associate Professor & Chief, Abdominal Imaging, Joint Associate Professor, Urology, Vice Chair, Research, Program Director, Abdominal Imaging Fellowship, is first cover editor on “Abdominal Imaging: The Core Requisites” 1st Edition by Elsevier (scheduled for publication in June). He is also an author on a 2nd textbook, “Abdominal Imaging: Case Review Series 1st Edition by Elsevier (scheduled for publication in May).
Sharon E. Albers ‘89 was elected to Vanderbilt University School of Medicine’s Academy for Excellence in Education based on her excellence in course/curricula/program design and mentorship. She has been at Vanderbilt since 2017 and is associate professor of dermatology and director of pediatric dermatology at Vanderbilt. In 2019, she was the recipient of the Lloyd E. King Jr. Excellence in Teaching Award, the department of dermatology’s highest award in education.
Madeline Snyder Deutsch ’15 has been named the inaugural associate program director of the new internal medicine residency program at Lee Health/Cape Coral Hospital. The program is affiliated with Florida State University and will welcome its first intern class in July 2022.
Al Sadari ’13 has joined Watson Clinic Main in Lakeland. He completed an internship in internal medicine at George Washington University, followed by his radiology residency and nuclear medicine fellowship at the University of Alabama at Birmingham Hospital.
Katryna Thomas ‘21 was named Intern of the Year in the general surgery residency program at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, Texas.
David Winchester ’05 has been elected president of the Florida Chapter of the American College of Cardiology. He has also taken a position with the Veterans Health Administration in Washington as a senior medical advisor for the access office, which works to develop and implement programs that maximize veterans’ ability to access healthcare promptly within the VA and the community.
Jane Benton MD ’87, was named to the Board of the Space Coast Health Foundation, a grant-making organization established to the health and wellness of individuals and communities in Brevard County.
Joseph R Grajo MD, who completed his residency in Radiology at USF in 2014 and is Associate Professor & Chief, Abdominal Imaging, Joint Associate Professor, Urology, Vice Chair, Research, Program Director, Abdominal Imaging Fellowship, is first cover editor on “Abdominal Imaging: The Core Requisites” 1st Edition by Elsevier (scheduled for publication in June). He is also an author on a 2nd textbook, “Abdominal Imaging: Case Review Series 1st Edition by Elsevier (scheduled for publication in May).
Rishi Rane MD, resident in Emergency Medicine, was awarded a Grammy for Best Opera Recording at the 63rd annual Grammy Awards for his performance at the Metropolitan Opera in Porgy and Bess.
MD Alumni:
Ulysses Balis MD ’91, was appointed as Chair of the American Board of Medical Specialties Database and Information Technology Advisory Committee. He is Professor, Informatics; Director, Division of Informatics; Program Director, Pathology Informatics Fellowship in the Department of Pathology at Michigan Medicine.
Courtney Bovee MD ’11, was awarded the Florida Society of Ophthalmology Michael R. Redmond MD Outstanding Young Ophthalmologist Leadership Award. She is a glaucoma specialist practicing at Newsome Eye in Tampa and is currently Vice President of the Florida Society of Ophthalmology.
James Goldenberg MD ’89, was recently named Chief Medical Officer at Headlands Research. He is also Sr. Vice President and Associate Medical Director of JEM Research Institute, a company he co-founded that performs predominantly industry-sponsored Phase II-IV clinical trials to develop new treatments in the area of neurology.
Gilbert Murimwa MD ’19, has been accepted into Training Resident Doctors as Innovators in Science (TARDIS), a program unique to the University of Texas Southwestern where Dr. Murimwa is a second year General Surgery Resident. The program is supported by the Burroughs Wellcome Fund to address a potential shortage of physician-scientists in the future.
MD Future Alumni:
Robert Monsour, Class of 2023, was awarded the Hillsborough County Medical Association/Rivera, Gordimer, & Co. scholarship.
Richa Bisht, Class of 2023, was awarded the Hillsborough County Medical Association Foundation scholarship award.
MD Alumni:
Eva Crooke MD ’08 was elected as Florida Alternate Delegate for the American Medical Association.
Dexter Turnquest MD ’89 was elected the 2021 president-elect of the Harris County Medical Society in Houston, Texas.
Brian Williams MD ’01 was named to the 2020 Black Leaders Worth Watching by the Profiles in Diversity Journal.
Cindy Yag-Howard MD ’93 was named a Patient Care Hero by the American Academy of Dermatology for her work treating veterans with serious service-related skin conditions.
GME Alumni:
Madelyn Butler MD, OB/Gyn GME ‘94 was re-elected as Florida Delegate for the American Medical Association.
Phil Matar MD, Pediatrics GME‘14 received a patent for his drowning prevention device, PoolKnight.
MD Alumni:
Alicia Billington, MD ’14, began a position as Assistant Professor, Division of Plastic Surgery, East Tennessee State University. Dr. Billington also completed her PhD in Biomedical Engineering and her Plastic Surgery residency at USF in 2014 and 2020, respectively.
Daniel Duncanson, MD ’89, published “Healthcare Leadership During a Pandemic” in the Fall 2020 edition of House Calls, the official publication of the Alachua County Medical Society. Dr. Duncanson serves as Chief Executive Officer and Board Chair at SIMEDHealth in Gainesville, FL.
Peter Embi, MD ‘97, received the prestigious designation of Fellow in the International Academy of Health Sciences Informatics (IAHSI), located in Geneva. Dr. Embi serves as President and Chief Executive Officer at Regenstrief, and is also the Leonard Betley Professor of Medicine and Associate Dean for Informatics and Health Services Research at Indiana University School of Medicine, Associate Director of Informatics with Indiana Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute and Vice President for Learning Health Systems with Indiana University Health.
G. Michael Swor, MD ‘81, leads Swor Women’s Care in Sarasota, named a 2020 Top 10 Places to work in Sarasota-Manatee, FL.
USF Health Alumni Faculty/Provider Appointments:
Ali M. Abbas, MD, MPH, joined the faculty as Director of Bariatric Endoscopy at the USF/TGH Bariatric Center & Department of Internal Medicine Division of Digestive and Nutrition. He attended medical school at Al-Kindy College of Medicine and his Internal Medicine residency and Gastroenterology fellowship at USF and returns to USF following an Advanced & Bariatric Endoscopy Fellowship at Harvard University in Boston.
Mark Armanious, MD, joined the faculty as Assistant Professor, Headache and Pain Medicine in the Department of Neurology, Division of Neuromuscular, Headache, and Pain Medicine. Dr. Armanious received his MD from the Morehouse School of Medicine in Atlanta, GA and his Neurology residency at the University of Miami, where he served as Chief Resident. He completed two fellowships at USF, the first in Headache and Facial Pain Medicine and the second in Clinical Neurophysiology.
Sara Garcia, MD, joined the faculty as Assistant Professor in the Division of General Pediatrics. Dr. Garcia completed her MS in medical sciences and her MD with a concentration in international medicine at USF. She was named TGH NICU of the year in 2018.
Alexander Haas, MD, joined the faculty as Assistant Professor, Morsani College of Medicine Department of Neurosurgery & Brain Repair. Dr. Haas attended the University of Illinois Chicago College of Medicine and completed his Neurosurgery resident, including a Chief Resident year, at USF.
Natalie Moreo, MD, joined as Assistant Professor in the Department of Neurology, Multiple Sclerosis Division. She attended Ross University College of Medicine and completed her residency in Neurology and a Multiple Sclerosis fellowship at USF. While at USF, she also served as Chief Resident of Quality Improvement and Patient Safety Liaison.
New Alumni Faculty/Provider appointments:
Anthony P. Cannella, MD ’06 joined the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine in May 2020 as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Infectious Disease and International Medicine. He is also part of the Hospital Epidemiology and Antimicrobial Stewardship Programs at the James A. Haley VAMC and joins the Moffitt Cancer Center ID team. Most recently, Dr. Cannella was on faculty at the University of Florida College of Medicine and a member of the UF Emerging Pathogens Institute.
Waldo Guerrero, MD ’08 returned to USF Health Morsani College of Medicine in August 2020 as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Neurosurgery and Brain Repair, Neuroendovascular Division. After receiving his medical degree from USF in 2008, he completed a vascular neurology clinical research fellowship at the University of Texas Medical School at Houston and an endovascular surgery fellowship at the University of Iowa. Most recently, he was at St. Luke’s Hospital in Milwaukee, WI.
Charles J. Bailey, MD (Vascular and Endovascular Surgery ’14) became an Assistant Professor of Vascular Surgery at the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine in February 2020. Previously, he was a surgeon with Cardiac Surgical Associates in the Tampa Bay region. He completed his medical degree at Wayne State University, his residency at Emory University, and a fellowship in Vascular and Endovascular Surgery at USF. became an Assistant Professor of Vascular Surgery at the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine in February 2020. Previously, he was a surgeon with Cardiac Surgical Associates in the Tampa Bay region. He completed his medical degree at Wayne State University, his residency at Emory University, and a fellowship in Vascular and Endovascular Surgery at USF.
Ju Hee Katzman, MD (Internal Medicine ’18, Infectious Disease ’20) joined the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine as an Assistant Professor of Internal Medicine and Assistant Program Director of the Infectious Disease Fellowship Program. Dr. Katzman received her medical degree at De La Salle Health Sciences Institute before coming to USF for a residency in Internal Medicine and a Fellowship in Infectious Disease.
Robby Wu, DO (Cardiology ‘20) joined the USF Health as an Advanced Heart Failure and Transplant Cardiology Provider. Prior to completing cardiology and advanced heart failure and transplant cardiology fellowships at USF Health Morsani College of Medicine, he earned his medical degree at the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine and completed an internal medicine residency at Danbury Hospital, Yale School of Medicine.
MD Alumni:
Nicholas DeVito, MD ’12 received a 2020 Outstanding Young Alumni Award from the USF Alumni Association. He created the USF Morsani College of Medicine’s peer-taught Step 1 medical licensing exam course and physician shadowing program, and he is currently an oncologist and immunotherapy researcher at Duke Cancer Institute. He is also the recipient of the 2018 Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation’s Physician-Scientist Training Award.
Madeline (Snyder) Deutsch, MD ’15 is an Assistant Professor of Internal Medicine at Albert Einstein College of Medicine. She received the Outstanding Teacher Award from Jacobi Medical Center in the Bronx, NY, in June 2020.
John D. DeNigris, MD ’16 has joined the Yag-Howard Dermatology and Aesthetic Center in Naples, FL, led by Cyndi Yag-Howard, MD ’93. Dr. DeNigris was the chief resident for the USF Morsani College of Medicine Department of Dermatology and Cutaneous Surgery and also completed a fellowship in internal medicine at MCOM. He is a member of the Alpha Omega Alpha Medical Honor Society.
Chelsea Frost, MD ’16 had an abstract, “Is adjacent segment disease following instrumented short lumbosacral fusion influenced by postoperative sagittal alignment?,” accepted for podium presentation at the National Association of Spine Surgery 35th annual meeting and an abstract, “Spontaneous Regression of a Foraminal Discal Cyst: Case Report,” accepted for poster presentation at the Spine Intervention Society’s 2020 annual meeting. She completed her residency in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at the University of Virginia and is beginning a fellowship at Emory University.
Gilbert Murimwa, MD ’19 is a general surgery resident at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas. His first paper as a resident, “Comparative Outcomes of Adenosquamous Carcinoma of the Gallbladder: An Analysis of the National Cancer Database,” was published in the Journal of Gastrointestinal Surgery in July 2020.
Ali Wells, MD ’20 was the second place winner for the Florida Academy of Family Physicians scholarly poster presentation at the FAFP Family Medicine Summer Forum with her poster, “Cost Savings of HPV Testing Alone Versus Co-Testing in Cervical Cancer Screening at a Medical Student-Run Free Clinic.”
GME Alumni:
Shailesh Rajguru, DO, FACN (GME ’99) is a neurologist and executive board member at the Bond Clinic in Winter Haven, FL. He is a member of the Bureau of Osteopathic Specialists for the American Osteopathic Association and was appointed member of several leadership committees and task forces for the association, including single residency accreditation with AOA and ACGME programs. He was the neurology and stroke medical director at Bartow Regional Medical Center in Florida from 2011-2015.
Dr. Chinyere Okpaleke, MD (Family Medicine ’18) received a 2020 Outstanding Young Alumni Award from the USF Alumni Association. She is a family medicine hospitalist physician for BayCare Health System and an international medical missionary. She is the founder of Reality Speaks, a nonprofit serving student-athletes and people in need, and the owner of Be Dope Do Yoga, a free community yoga program. Dr. Okpaleke is also the recipient of BayCare Medical Group’s Golden Compass Award for Service.
Abu-Sayeef Mirza MD ’16 received a 2020 College of Public Health Outstanding Alumni Award.
Craig Singer MD ’98 has published his first novel, More Than Bones (Twin Rabbit Books, 2019), a suspenseful and humorous coming-of-age story about a medical school graduate.
Timothy Boyett MD ’02, radiologist and integrative medicine fellow at University of Florida and Valor Network, married USF graduate Kristal PhD '02. They live in Florida with their two sons, Denver (11) and Wesley (7) and enjoy homeschooling their boys, traveling, and spending time with their family.
Daniel Dent MD ’90, professor of surgery and residency director, UT Health San Antonio, was elected secretary of the board of governors of the American College of Surgeons.
C. Christopher Pittman MD ’88, chief executive officer and medical director of Vein911® Vein Treatment Centers, has been elected to the American College of Phlebology board of directors. Read more about Dr. Pittman here.
James Wilkinson MD ’78 recently started a new position at Vanderbilt University as the director of the Center for Clinical and Translational Research.
Sion "Bill" Carter MD '87, radiologist and chair of the MCOM Alumni Society Board, participated in a legacy ceremony with his daughter, Bethany, on May 6 at Emory University in Atlanta just prior to her graduation. Bethany majored in philosophy & religion and minored in Spanish and is a third generation Emory graduate, following in her father and grandfather's footsteps.
Brian Williams MD '01 FACS, trauma surgeon and associate professor of surgery at University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, spoke at the USF Diversity Lectures Series titled Reflection at the Intersection of Race and Medicine, addressing race relations and how they have shaped his life, citing the recent Dallas police shooting in 2016. On the event: "The main point I want the students to take away from my experience is that you cannot remain silent. Without good people speaking up to take a stance, they will continue to occur unabated.” Read about and watch Dr. William's Diversity Lectures Series feature on the USF Health News site.
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