Institutional Advancement and Alumni Relations Class Notes

1950s
1960s
1970s
1980s
1990s
2000s
2010s
2020s
Former Residents and Fellows

'50s

Gertrude M. Crum, MD, WMC ’52, celebrated her 95th birthday and was profiled in the Montgomery Independent, a local Alabama newspaper. She and her husband were private practice physicians.

'60s

Members of the Hahnemann University class of 1962 met over Zoom on January 10, 2023. The gathering allowed classmates the opportunity to participate and reconnect with each other, since there was no special celebration for the their 60-year reunion. Many members of HU ’62 support an endowed 1962 scholarship to honor Ron Caputo, who passed away many years ago. His widow, Jean, was able to participate in the January event. In addition to Jean Caputo, attendees included Vincent Zarro, Lionel Mailloux, Bill Young, Ben McAdams, Marvin Derezin, Mark Kramer, Peter Patukas, Andrew Cattano, James Higbee and Casimir Czarnecki, along with members of the Institutional Advancement and Alumni Relations team who assisted in arranging the event, including Mary Waring, Julie Karavan, Kate McGovern and Nikki Bromberg. The class hopes to do a similar Zoom event in June.

'70s

Howard O. Kerpen, MD, HU ’72, an internist and nephrologist with Northwell Health Physician Partners Internal Medicine at Lake Success and Long Island Jewish Medical Center in New York, was recognized as a “Top Doc” by FindaTopDoc.com. Kerpen also serves as the Lorber Professor of Medical Education at the Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell. In addition to being a fellow of the American College of Physicians, he is board certified in internal medicine and nephrology by the American Board of Internal Medicine. In recognition of his clinical expertise, Kerpen has been the recipient of seven Teacher of the Year awards and two Lifetime Teaching Awards from the Department of Medicine at Long Island Jewish Medical Center; he has also earned the 2014 National Outstanding Volunteer Clinical Teacher Award from the American College of Physicians, and has received Compassionate Doctor Recognitions in 2011, 2012 and 2013, and Patients’ Choice Awards in 2012, 2013 and 2018.

Gary Michelson, MD, HU ’75; Orthopedics Residency, HU ’79, was a guest on the Positive Phil Podcast. Michelson is a board-certified orthopedic spinal surgeon and holds nearly 1,000 patents throughout the world related to the treatment of spinal disorders. Michelson is the founder and funder of three private foundations and a recipient of numerous awards. He is among a small group of individuals to be inducted into both the National Inventors Hall of Fame and the National Academy of Inventors.

Sharon A. Ashley, MD, HU ’76, a pediatric anesthesiologist affiliated with UC Davis Children’s Hospital in Sacramento, California, was profiled in an IssueWire article. Ashley is board certified in anesthesiology and pediatric anesthesiology by the American Board of Anesthesiology and is an active member of the American Society of Anesthesiologists, the Florida Society of Anesthesiologists, the National Medical Association, the Society for Cardiovascular Anesthesiologists and the Society of Pediatric Anesthesiologists. Among her most notable achievements, Ashley received the King-Drew Medical Center Alumni Association’s Achievement of Excellence in Educational Improvement Award, and the King-Drew Department of Pediatrics Education Award, both in 2004. She earned the UCLA National Society of Collegiate Scholars’ Outstanding Scholarship, Leadership, and Service Award in 1999, and the UCLA School of Public Health Ann G. Quealey Memorial Award in 2000.

Richard Cohen, PhD psychiatry, MCP ’78, was quoted in an article, “PHMC Opens Penn Medicine-Staffed Health Center at Former Mercy Philadelphia Hospital,“ in the Philadelphia Business Journal.

Stephen J. Pandolph, MD, HU ’78, joined Mount Nittany Physician Group Primary Care at Mount Nittany Health in State College, Pennsylvania. He settled in Centre County, Pennsylvania, as a private practice family physician in 1986 after spending seven years in the U.S. Army at various locations around the country. Pandolph is a diplomate of the American Board of Family Practice and has been involved with the American Diabetes Association.

Edward R. McDevitt, MD, HU ’79, USN (Ret.), was inducted into the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine Hall of Fame at the society’s 2022 annual meeting in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The society established the Hall of Fame in 2001 to honor members of the orthopedic sports medicine community who significantly contributed to the specialty and set themselves apart. After medical school, McDevitt completed his orthopedics residency at Portsmouth Naval Hospital. He served as an orthopedic surgeon and head team physician at the Naval Academy from 1987 to 1999. He retired from the Navy in 1999 but continued his involvement in the advancement of sports medicine.

Ana L. Pujols McKee, MD, HU ’79, was named a 2022 AL DÍA Archetype in celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month. Pujols McKee is the executive vice president and chief medical officer, and the chief diversity, equity and inclusion officer of The Joint Commission. She is a fellow of the American College of Physicians. She has also served on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Advisory Committee and several committees of the National Institutes of Health.

'80s

Robert D. Auerbach, MD, HU ’84, became chairman of the board at May Health (formerly AblaCare), a clinical-stage medical device company dedicated to helping those living with the endocrine disorder polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Auerbach has had a distinguished career of more than 35 years that includes both clinical practice and extensive experience running large health care companies. Previously, he served as the chief medical officer, chief strategy officer and ultimately president of CooperSurgical. Auerbach is the chairman of the board for Escala Medical, and he is a board member for OCON Healthcare, Aspira Women’s Health, Empress Medical and the Yale University Center for Biomedical Innovation and Technology.

Richard Malamut, MD, HU ’85, became chief medical officer of MedinCell, a pharmaceutical company that develops innovative long-acting injectable medicines in many therapeutic areas. Previously, Malamut was CMO and executive vice president at Collegium Pharmaceuticals and chair of the MedinCell Medical Advisory Board. He also served as CMO for both Braeburn Pharmaceuticals and Avanir Pharmaceuticals.

Daniel Bobrowski, MD, HU ’86; Surgery Residency, HUH ’91, joined Lehigh Valley Physician Group as a general surgeon. He has been practicing in Schuylkill County since 1992, most recently with Integrated Medical Group and previously with Bobrowski & Fisher Surgical Associates. Bobrowski is board certified by the American Board of Surgery and is a member of the American Medical Association, Pennsylvania Medical Society and Schuylkill County Medical Society.

Roman P. Kownacki, MD, HU ’86; MPH, joined Agile Occupational Medicine as vice president of quality assurance. Kownacki most recently served as chief of occupational medicine for Kaiser Permanente Richmond. Before that, he served on the Permanente Medical Group Board of Directors and was medical director of Northern California Occupational Health, overseeing medical services, physicians and staff at numerous clinics within the Permanente Medical Group.

David J. Shulkin, MD, MCP ’86; HD ’19, joined the advisory board of Kaia Health, a global digital therapeutics company. Shulkin is the CEO of Shulkin Solutions and previously served as Secretary of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

Marla Hochfeld, MD, HU ’88, joined Prometheus Biosciences Inc. as senior vice president of clinical development and clinical affairs. She will be responsible for leading and expanding the company’s pipeline of immune-mediated programs. Most recently, she served as vice president and head of clinical development, immunology and fibrosis at Bristol Myers Squibb where, among other achievements, she set the clinical strategy and achieved global approvals for Zeposia as a treatment for multiple sclerosis and ulcerative colitis.

Kurt Kaulback MD, HU ’88; Internal Medicine Residency, HU ’91, Cardiology Fellowship, HU ’92, clinical director of network cardiovascular services for Inspira Health, was mentioned in a Philadelphia Business Journal article about Inspira Health being approved to perform elective coronary angioplasty procedures. The license, granted by the New Jersey Department of Health, gives Inspira Medical Center Vineland the ability to offer elective percutaneous coronary intervention procedures to patients.

Christopher T. Olivia, MD, HU ’88, was listed in Becker’s Spine Review’s list of “Leaders From Rothman Orthopedics to Know.” Olivia became CEO of Rothman in August 2021 and was previously CEO of six health-related entities.

Stephen Higgins, MD, HU ’89, wrote an article, “Tips for Minimizing the Risk of COVID-19 in Children With Asthma” for the Philly Voice. Higgins is the medical director at Independence Blue Cross in Philadelphia.

'90s

James Tursi, MD, MCP ’90, has resigned from the Agile Therapeutics’ Board of Directors to focus more of his time on his role as executive vice president of global research and development for Endo Pharmaceuticals. Tursi previously served as chief scientific officer of Ferring Pharmaceuticals and chief medical officer of Antares Pharma Inc.

Joanne S. Warren, MD, MCP ’91, is being recognized by Continental Who’s Who as a Distinguished Healthcare Professional, acknowledging her excellence as an anesthesiologist at the Martinsburg Veterans Affairs Medical Center.

Yolanda Holmes, MD, MCP ’92, was featured in a “Journey With the Experts” video, part of an educational initiative created by Journey Medical Corporation. In the video, she discussed post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation, including what it is, why it occurs and how those affected can seek treatment from their local dermatology practice. Holmes is a board-certified dermatologist and surgeon with Medical and Cosmetic Dermatology in Washington, D.C.

Amy Murtha, MD, MCP ’92; ELAM ’15, an accomplished researcher and a specialist in maternal-fetal medicine, has been named dean of the Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. Murtha comes to Rutgers from the University of California, San Francisco, where she was professor and chair of the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Services. Prior to serving at UCSF, she was a professor at Duke in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and the Department of Pediatrics, as well as vice chair for research in obstetrics and gynecology. Murtha led the establishment and direction of the Duke Clinical and Translational Science Institute’s Clinical Research Unit and raised the department’s National Institutes of Health funding ranking from 57th to 17th.

Alissa Tran, DMD; MS medical biochemistry, HU ’92, an orthodontist, joined the dentistry team at Iowa Orthodontic Solutions, in Caroll, Iowa. Previously, Tran worked at the Kimball & Beecher Family Dentistry locations in Cedar Falls and Waterloo, Iowa. She also practices at the Iowa Orthodontic Solutions location in Ankeny, Iowa, where she currently resides.

Nevin Elizabeth Gokalp, MD, MCP ’93, was profiled for FindaTopDoc.com. Gokalp is affiliated with Glow Skin Boutique Spa in Phoenixville, Pennsylvania. She has also maintained a solo private practice since 2001. Gokalp began her postgraduate training in general surgery at Graduate Hospital in Philadelphia. After practicing for three years at St. Vincent’s Midtown Hospital in Manhattan, she became a teaching/attending staff member in the Department of Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery at the New York Eye & Ear Infirmary, where she currently maintains an affiliation. She is also a professional/teaching attending staff member at St. Barnabas Hospital.

Chong U. Kim MD, HU ’94, wrote an article about the importance of brain health, which was published in Southbay magazine. The piece covered the causes of dementia, related symptoms and brain health strategies. A board-certified internist who is trained in anti-aging and restorative medicine, Kim focuses on disease prevention and mental health care. He opened Coastal Anti-Aging Medical Group in Torrance, California, in 2007 and maintains an independent hospital practice at Providence Little Company of Mary Medical Center and Torrance Memorial Medical Center.

David W. Stepp, PhD physiology, MCP ’93, was appointed co-director of the University System of Georgia’s MD/PhD program. Stepp is a vascular biologist, the director of the graduate program at the Vascular Biology Center at the Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University, and co-director of the Department of Medicine’s Research Residency Track. He is a co-principal investigator on a $3.4 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to determine how disruption in circadian rhythm impairs cardiovascular function in obesity. In addition, he is the contact principal investigator on a $1.5 million T32 NIH training grant that supports the graduate education of future scientists whose focus is cardiometabolic diseases like hypertension and diabetes. Stepp also leads the Medical College of Georgia training program for the new American Heart Association Cardio-Oncology Strategically Focused Research Network.

Dinesh Govindarao, MD, HU ’97, a medical doctor in the San Ramon, California, area, entered the city’s mayoral race in November 2022. He currently works as chief medical officer for the State Compensation Insurance Fund, and he has served in several volunteer roles. Govindarao is a member of the San Ramon Valley Education Foundation Board and the city’s Library Advisory Committee.

Col. Norman C. Waters, PhD microbiology and immunology, MCP ’97, USA (Ret.), director of the U.S. Army Medical Materiel Development Activity’s Force Health Protection Directorate at Fort Detrick, retired after 31 years of service. He was commissioned in 1991 from the Reserve Officer Training Corps program at the Indiana University of Pennsylvania. After serving in the Reserves, he became an active-duty soldier in 1997. At the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Waters marked the beginning of his career researching infectious diseases, particularly malaria.

Maryann Lauletta, MD, HU ’98, chief medical officer for Dina, an AI-powered care-at-home platform and network, was interviewed for First Report Managed Care magazine. In the piece, she discusses implications of the Accountable Care Organization Realizing Equity, Access, and Community Health model, the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ emphasis on accountable care, and how home-based care options will matter for patients nationwide.

Rocio D. Murphy, PhD microbiology and immunology, HU ’98, director and solution team leader, Johnson & Johnson Lung Cancer Initiative, spoke at an event, “You Can Do Anything If You Put Your Heart to It,” hosted by Biopatrika. Prior to her work at Johnson & Johnson, Murphy spent more than two decades at Merck Research Laboratories, where she led teams of scientists supporting development, validation and testing of bioanalytical assays that are used to evaluate specimens from vaccine clinical trials. She was a significant contributor to the successful filings and post-licensure deliverables for numerous marketed vaccine products.

Kela Henry, MD, MCPHU ’99, has been creating a new TV series called Let’s Talk Teens With Kela. She and her team are planning to film their proof-of-concept first episode with the help of sponsors and investors. The new series is an offshoot of Henry’s award-winning book, Nia & The Numbers Game, A Teenager’s Guide to Education, Relationships & Sex. Henry has directly and candidly discussed the ongoing issues of African American teenage girls, including relationships, mental and physical health, and sex via her live chat “Let’s Talk Teens With Kela” on Instagram.

'00s

Monisha Kumar, MD, MCPHU ’00, was promoted to vice chair for quality and safety, Department of Neurology in the University of Pennsylvania Health System, according to a LinkedIn update. She is also a director of the neuro ICU at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania.

Tony Reed, MD, MCPHU ’00, was appointed senior vice president and chief quality and safety officer at Inspira Health. In this position, Reed focuses on executing and expanding Inspira’s role as a high-reliability organization through patient safety, quality and excellence. He has 22 years of experience in health care, most recently serving as the chief medical officer at Temple University Health System. He also served as an adjunct professor at the Temple University Lewis Katz School of Medicine for six years.

Shaifali Sharma, MD ’01, joined Fairfax Radiological Consultants in Fairfax, Virginia, as a subspecialty-trained radiologist. Sharma was previously with Butler Memorial Hospital.

Gina Woods, MD ’01, was a co-keynote speaker at the Bone Health Update 2022 event hosted by the Doris Howell Foundation for Women’s Health Research. Woods is an associate professor in the Division of Endocrinology and director of the Osteoporosis Clinic at the University of California, San Diego.

Jeffrey Nau, PhD; MS medical science ’02, CEO and president of Oyster Point, was interviewed by Contact Lens Spectrum about Oyster Point’s history, new developments and future visions. Nau was also quoted on drugtopics.com about the expansion of patient eligibility to varenicline solution nasal spray and the drug’s commercial performance in the U.S. He was also quoted in a PR Newswire article about Viatris’ acquisition of Oyster Point and his role leading the company’s new Eye Care Division.

Avinash Linganna, MD ’03, joined the Butler Health System Heart Team. Linganna is a board-certified cardiologist with 16 years of clinical experience specializing in noninvasive cardiology, with a particular interest in cardiac imaging and lifestyle medicine.

Denise Torres, MD ’03, has been appointed chair of the Geisinger Surgery Institute after having served as interim chair for the 10 months prior. In this role, Torres will oversee general surgery, trauma, plastics, oral medicine, ophthalmology, transplant and urology throughout the organization. She will also continue to serve as chair of the Department of General Surgery and division chief of acute care surgery. Torres is credited with establishing trauma centers throughout the Geisinger system. Through a partnership with critical care medicine, she created a surgical intensive care unit.

Yanghee Woo, MD ’03, surgical oncologist and associate professor of surgery at City of Hope, joined the Imugene Limited Advisory Board. Woo is an internationally recognized surgeon-scientist with clinical expertise in robotic surgery and gastric cancer. She holds several key positions at City of Hope, including director of the GI Minimally Invasive Therapies program and vice chair of international affairs. She is also a visiting professor at Xiangya Medical School in China. In addition to her clinical and teaching experience, Woo is currently researching gastric cancer inception and viral oncolytic therapy based on the CF33-platform.

Rebecca D. Edmonds, MD ’04, a surgical oncologist specializing in the treatment of diseases of the liver, pancreas, gallbladder, spleen, colon, thyroid and breast, joined the Allegheny Health Network Cancer Institute.

Vincent Ricci, MS medical science ’04, was appointed chief financial officer at Pillar Biosciences, the developer of Decision Medicine, which is the utilization of next-generation sequencing tests to localize testing and reduce time to treatment initiation and overall testing costs. Ricci has two decades of experience as an investment professional focusing on the global health care and life sciences industry. He joins Pillar Biosciences from Davidson Kempner Capital Management LP, where he was responsible for equity investments in the life sciences sector. Previously, Ricci was a portfolio manager for Alliance Bernstein, where he managed investments across the global health care industry. Ricci began his career at Wachovia Bank NA in their Capital Markets Division, where he was a vice president and senior equity analyst covering the small and mid-cap medical device industry.

Kristina Thomas, MD ’04, a board-certified ophthalmologist, joined Novus Clinic and Corrective Eye Center, part of the EyeCare Partners, in Tallmadge, Ohio. In 2012, she was voted one of Northeast Ohio’s Best Doctors by Cleveland Magazine.

Amanda Mullen, MD ’06, was named the new Montezuma County, Colorado, public health medical officer. Mullen has practiced at Southwest Health System’s Primary Care Clinic since October 2021.

Rebecca Brocks, MD ’07, a pediatric surgeon, has joined Albany Medical Center’s Department of Surgery and will also serve as assistant professor of surgery at Albany Medical College in Albany, New York. Most recently, Brocks worked as assistant professor in the Department of Surgery at the University of Montreal. She is a member of the American Pediatric Surgical Association, the American College of Surgeons, the Canadian Association of Pediatric Surgeons and the American Academy of Pediatrics.

William Ding, MD ’07, recently resigned from the board at University of the Sciences over the school’s merger with St. Joseph’s University. He wrote an opinion piece for the Philadelphia Inquirer discussing the reasons behind his resignation. Ding is a board-certified radiation oncologist and the medical director of New Jersey Urology.

Jeegar Patel, PhD pharmacology and physiology ’07, was appointed chief scientific officer of Evommune Inc., a clinical-stage biotechnology company discovering and developing new ways to treat immune-mediated inflammatory diseases. He most recently served as senior vice president, research and nonclinical development at Kadmon Holdings Inc., a Sanofi Company, where he held positions of increasing responsibility and led the research and development organization with a therapeutic focus on fibrosis, immunology and immuno-oncology. He has directly contributed to IND and NDA filings across multiple therapeutic areas, including the development and approval of Rezurock, which received FDA approval in July 2021, leading to Sanofi’s acquisition of Kadmon.

David Abbatematteo, MD ’08, joined the Pain Management Department of Canton-Potsdam Hospital in Potsdam, New York. Board certified in pain medicine and anesthesiology, Abbatematteo was a critical care registered nurse and a combat medic with the U.S. Army National Guard before becoming a physician.

Amaal Starling, MD ’08, co-presented at a Key Opinion Leader webinar on the acute treatment of migraine using DHE and STS101, hosted by Satsuma Pharmaceuticals Inc. Starling is an associate professor of neurology at the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science. She joined Mayo in 2012 and is currently a board-certified consultant within the Department of Neurology. She is also the clinical practice chair of the Division of Headache, the associate program director for the Headache Medicine Fellowship and program director for the Transitional Year Residency program in the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science – Arizona Campus. She is a fellow of the American Academy of Neurology and the American Headache Society, and she is an active member of the American Medical Association and the American Pain Society. Starling serves on the advisory boards of the International Concussion Society, NeurologyLive, the NDPH (New Daily Persistent Headache) Research Foundation, the United Council for Neurologic Subspecialties, the Alliance for Headache Disorders Advocacy and the American Headache Society (AHS). In addition, she has served as co-chair of the American Headache and Migraine Association, chair of the New Investigator and Trainee Special Interest Section and Electronic Media Committee of the AHS. She is the current chair of AHS’s Advocacy Committee.

Shauna Guthrie, MD ’09, a family medicine practitioner, was elected president of the North Carolina Academy of Family Physicians at the academy’s annual winter meeting in December 2022. Guthrie is also chief medical officer of Maria Parham Health in Henderson, North Carolina, and medical director at Granville Vance Public Health, a district health department. In 2021, she opened Sunflower Direct Primary Care in Henderson.

Adam Walchak, MD ’09, MS medical science ’05, joined Fox Chase Cancer Center as an assistant professor in the Department of Surgical Oncology, where he will work in the Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. He completed his general surgery residency at Temple University Hospital, where he served as chief resident. Previously, Walchak worked as a plastic and hand surgeon at Associates in Plastic Surgery in Media, Pennsylvania.

'10s

Clarence M. Lee Jr., MD ’10; PBC Drexel Pathway to Medical School ’06; MBA, became an official member of Forbes Business Council, according to a LinkedIn update. He is also president and CEO of Exhort Health and founder/CEO of CMLEEJR Companies LLC. Lee earned his MBA from the LeBow College of Business in 2015.

Usman Zafar, MD ’10, was inducted into the Blue Mountain High School All-Sports Hall of Fame. During his four years at Blue Mountain, Zafar excelled on the tennis court, earning four varsity letters before graduating in 2002. The Blue Mountain tennis team were four-time Schuylkill League champions and captured a District 11 team championship. Zafar practices medicine as an anesthesia and pain management specialist in Manassas, Virginia.

Rosemarie Arena, MD ’11; Internal Medicine Residency, Drexel/HU ’12; Gastroenterology Fellowship, Drexel/HU, was awarded the “Top Doctor” recognition from FindaTopDoc.com. She is a gastroenterologist currently affiliated with Hackensack Meridian Mountainside Medical Group, serving patients in Glen Ridge, New Jersey. Her clinical interests include inflammatory bowel disease.

Alfredo Arrojas, MD ’12, was profiled by VeroNews.com, a local Vero Beach, Florida, online news publication. Arrojas, a board-certified orthopedic surgeon with Vero Orthopedics, specializes in total joint reconstruction. He is Mako-certified to perform total and partial knee replacements and total hip replacements.

Rohini D. Samudralwar, MD ’13, was appointed assistant professor of neurology at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and Penn Medicine. In addition, she serves as associate director of the Neurology Residency program and co-director of the Neuroimmunology Fellowship at Penn. She completed residency training at Baylor College of Medicine and a fellowship at Washington University in St. Louis. She also spent time in academic practice at the University of Texas-Houston before returning to Philadelphia. Her clinical practice will be within the Division of Neuroimmunology and Multiple Sclerosis. Her clinical focus is rare neuroimmunological conditions, including neurosarcoidosis.

Visish M. Srinivasan, MD ’13, was appointed assistant professor of neurosurgery at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. Srinivasan returned to Philadelphia after completing his neurosurgery residency at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston and a cerebrovascular fellowship at Barrow Neurological Institute in Phoenix. In addition to his clinical practice focusing on brain aneurysms, stroke and complex cerebrovascular surgery, he is director of the Kim Family Neurovascular Innovations Lab, where he conducts translational research to bring forth new therapies for these conditions.

Jason R. Woloski, MD ’14, was elected to a one-year term as president of the Pennsylvania Academy of Family Physicians in April 2022. Woloski is a board-certified family medicine physician practicing in Wilkes-Barre. He is the assistant program director for the Geisinger Kistler Family Medicine Residency program, assistant professor of family medicine for the Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine and an adjunct clinical faculty member for the Wilkes University Nesbitt School of Pharmacy. He is a past president of the Pennsylvania Academy of Family Physicians Foundation.

Anthony J. Ferrara MD ’15, became a head and neck surgeon at Bassett Healthcare Network, in Oneonta and Cooperstown, New York, according to a LinkedIn update.

Allison Denman, MS forensic science ’16; BSN; RN; SANE-A, is president-elect of the International Association of Forensic Nurses, according to a LinkedIn update. She is also a clinical director and nurse manager of Drexel University College of Nursing and Health Professions’ Philadelphia Sexual Assault Response Center and an adjunct professor at Rosemont College.

Timothy Nacarelli, PhD molecular and cell biology and genetics ’16, Ashley Azar, PhD biomedical science ’17, Manali Potnis, PhD molecular and cell biology and genetics ’22, and faculty members at the College of Medicine, along with colleagues from Absorption Systems LLC, the University of Pennsylvania and the University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences, published “The Methyltransferase Enzymes KMT2D, SETD1B, and ASH1L Are Key Mediators of Both Metabolic and Epigenetic Changes During Cellular Senescence” in the May 1, 2022, issue of Molecular Biology of the Cell.

Frank Bearoff, PhD microbiology and immunology ’17, was one of the authors of “Identification of Quantitative Trait Loci for Survival in the Mutant Dynactin p150Glued Mouse Model of Motor Neuron Disease,” which was published in PLoS One online September 15, 2022. Other authors were from the College of Medicine, Temple University, Stony Brook University, the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and the Jackson Laboratory. Bearoff is currently a postdoctoral research fellow in the Department of Microbiology & Immunology at the College of Medicine.

Brielle Ferguson, PhD neuroscience ’17, a co-founder of Black in Neuro and postdoctoral researcher at the Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute at Stanford University, was interviewed by the institute about her research at Stanford and her passion for activism. In 2021, she was listed as one of Forbes magazine’s 30 Scientists Under 30 for her work studying parvalbumin interneurons.

Sherice Simpson, MS interdisciplinary health sciences ’17, was selected to participate in the National Institutes of Health Medical Research Scholars Program. She is a medical student at University at Buffalo Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences and has been working at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences in Durham, North Carolina.

Michael Briskey, MD ’18, an emergency medicine physician, joined the medical staff of Evangelical Community Hospital. He specializes in rapid recognition and treatment of trauma and acute illness. Briskey is currently completing his fellowship in the Academy of Wilderness Medicine through the Wilderness Medical Society, the highest level of achievement in the field of wilderness medicine.

Nicole Maldari MD ’18, was promoted to chief anesthesiology resident at NYU Langone Health, according to a LinkedIn update.

Andrew Gargiulo, PhD neuroscience ’19, Preeti Badve, MS interdisciplinary health sciences ’15, Genevieve Curtis, PhD neuroscience ’22, and colleagues at the College of Medicine authored “Inactivation of the Thalamic Paraventricular Nucleus Promotes Place Preference and Sucrose Seeking in Male Rats,” which was published in the August 2022 issue of Psychopharmacology.

Katherine C. Locke, MS medical science ’19, now a member of the MD program class of 2023, Margo Randelman, PhD neuroscience ’21, Lyandysha Zholudeva, PhD neuroscience ’18, and colleagues at the College of Medicine and the University of Florida published “Respiratory Plasticity Following Spinal Cord Injury: Perspectives From Mouse to Man” in the October 2022 issue of Neural Regeneration.

Yoon Sung, MD ’19, completed his family medicine residency at Stanford Health Care, O’Connor Hospital, in 2022, having served as chief resident for the final year of his training. He is now a supervising urgent care physician at Carbon Health in Los Angeles. He also currently works as the pastry chef for Hanchic, a contemporary Korean restaurant, and he launched a successful Kickstarter campaign to open a Korean restaurant, Oksusu, which is slated to open in the near future in Los Angeles.

'20s

Samuel Flashner, PhD molecular and cell biology and genetics ’20, Michelle Swift, PhD molecular and cell biology and genetics ’21, Aislinn Sowash, PhD molecular and cell biology and genetics ’16, and College of Medicine colleagues published “Transcription Factor Sp1 Regulates Mitotic Chromosome Assembly and Segregation” in the August 2, 2022, issue of Chromosoma.

Anthony DiNatale, MD, PhD pharmacology and physiology ’21, Maria Sofia Castelli, MS drug discovery and development ’20, Brad Nash, PhD pharmacology and physiology ’17, and faculty in the Department of Pharmacology & Physiology at the College of Medicine authored “Regulation of Tumor and Metastasis Initiation by Chemokine Receptors,” which appeared in the Journal of Cancer online on August 27, 2022.

Pamela Alonso, PhD neuroscience ’21, along with College of Medicine and College of Arts and Sciences colleagues, published “Incubation of Cocaine Craving Coincides With Changes in Dopamine Terminal Neurotransmission” in Addiction Neuroscience in September 2022.

Swati Dass, PhD microbiology and immunology ’22, and colleagues in the College of Medicine published “Transcriptional Changes in Plasmodium falciparum Upon Conditional Knock Down of Mitochondrial Ribosomal Proteins RSM22 and L23” in PLoS One online October 6, 2022.