Year 1 Residents - Children's Medical Center of Dallas

UT Southwestern / Children’s Medical Center Dallas 

Pediatric PL-1 House Staff, 2012-13

Hebah Aboul-Fotouh, MD 

• UT Southwestern 

• Anthropology p gy major j 

• Health fair organizer for underprivileged 

women and children 

• Mosque based health programs 

outreach in Dallas 

• Languages: Arabic 

• Research: Obesity and gastroesophageal 

reflux symptoms in 

children. 

Interests: General pediatrics international healthcare 

Interests: General pediatrics, international healthcare, 

geopolitics, physicians’ roles in social justice.

Lauren Astrug, MD 

• Technion Israel Institute of Technology 

• Biology, gy, Neuroscience and Bioethics 

majors 

• Volunteer at Haifa, Israel pediatric 

hospital p NICU, , ED and cardiac 

transplant units 

• Languages: Developing fluency in 

Hebrew, , Arabic, , Spanish p 

• Research: Induction of heparance in 

the pathogenesis of tumor metastasis. 

IInterests: t t hematology-oncology, h t l l neonatology, t l academic d i medicine 

di i

Erin Bridgewater, MD 


• International Business and Marketing 

majors j 

• Medical School peer mentor 

• Free health clinic volunteer 

• Camp Reynal counselor 

• Mother of one, preschool age 

• International Rescue Committee – 

fi field ld ttrips i ffor refugee f children hild 

• Hope Youth Corps – New York and 

New Delhi 

• Research: Peripheral blood cell 

signatures in acute glomerulonephritis 

I t t P i ti t d d d 

Interests: Primary care, patient advocacy, underserved 

communities, healthcare practice management

Erin Butler, MD 


• MMusic i major j 

• Voice, music theory and piano 

teacher 

• Music ensemble cantor 

• Languages: French 

• RResearch: h IInflammatory fl t markers k 

in acellular scaffolds for vocal 

cord reconstruction 

Interests: Hematology-oncology, wilderness medicine

Conrad Capili, MD 

• Mayo Medical School 

• Child Learning and Development major 

• USMLE Step 1 Review Instructor 

• Inner-city youth high school tutor and 

mentor 

• Teacher at DFW Center for Autism 

• Medical outreach: Central America and 

Memphis 

• CCoordinator di t – RRochester h t Ed Education ti and d 

Advocacy for Community Health Clinic 

• Research: Asthma and pertussis 

epidemiology id i l 

Interests: Underserved and minority populations patient and 

Interests: Underserved and minority populations, patient and 

community advocacy, international medicine, childhood development

Vanessa Casanova, MD 


• Biological Sciences majors 

• Medical student mentor 

• High School students outreach & 

exposure to health professionals 

• President President, pediatric interest group 

• Health fairs volunteer and translator 

• Agape Clinic volunteer 

• Hospital phlebotomist 

• Languages: Spanish 

• Research: Obesity y & insulin resistance 

in pediatric lupus 

I t t M di l S i h di l f d d d 

Interests: Medical Spanish, medical care of underserved and 

minority populations

Swati Chokshi, MD 

• University of Alabama School of 

Medicine 

• Neuroscience major 

• Medical outreach, via: North Alabama 

Medical Reserve Corps Corps, Himalayan 

Health Exchange, and Equal Access 

Birmingham 

• Languages: Spanish Spanish, Hindi 

• Research: Free Medical Clinic 

development; Klebsiella infection 

complications; neurophysiology 

Interests: Medical Spanish the impact of culture on health care 

Interests: Medical Spanish, the impact of culture on health care, 

academic medicine and medical teaching

Melinda Cory, MD 


• Business Administration major 

• Medical Student Peer Mentor 

• Medical School curriculum committee 

student representative 

• Medical School yearbook co co-editor editor 

• Medical outreach to Belize 

• Organic chemistry lecturer; tutor for 

chemistry, h i t calculus, l l physics, h i bi biology l and d 

accounting 

• Research: Comparison of lupus criteria 

bbased d on gender d and d ethnic th i diff differences 

Interests: Intensive care medicine, acutely ill patients

Rahul Datta, MD, PhD 

• Louisiana State University in New 

Orleans, MD and PhD (Pharmacology) 

• Biology and Chemistry majors 

• Graduate School pharmacology 

lecturer 

• Soccer coach 

• Emergency Room aide 

• Languages: Bengali 

• Research: Roles of Poly (ADP (ADP- 

RIBOSE) Polymerase – 1 in allergic 

and inflammatory processes. 

Interests: Immunology hematology-oncology biomedical research 

Interests: Immunology, hematology-oncology, biomedical research, 

federal policy

Kristin Disori, MD, MPH 

• Chicago Medical School at Rosalind 

Franklin University, MD 

• University of Michigan, MPH 

(Epidemiology) 

• Microbiology major 

• Evanston, Illinois Health Department 

City Epidemiologist 

• Co-manager, Evanston Medical 

Reserve Corps 

• Co Co-founder, founder international medical aid 

group 

• Moscow orphanage outreach 

• Research: Intracranial pressure and 

trauma, medical entomology 

IInterests: t t Infectious I f ti disease, di public bli health, h lth hhealth lth policy 

li

Rachana Dixit, MD 

• Medical College of Georgia 

• Chemistry major 

• Medical student class officer 

• Refugee Family Services children’s tutor 

and Kaplan MCAT instructor 

• Ph Physician i i lleadership d hi and d advocacy d 

curriculum initiator 

• Diabetes and Obesity Discovery Institute 

SScholar h l 

• Research: Effects of exercise on 

cognition and arterial stiffness in 

childhood hildh d obesity b it 

Interests: Clinical research, academic medicine, public health, 

Interests: Clinical research, academic medicine, public health, 

teaching

Kymberly Gonzalez, MD 


• Business Administration major, Biology and 

Chemistry minors 

• MMedical di l SSchool h l colleges ll peer mentor t 

• AMSA regional grassroots community and 

environmental health chair 

• UTSW community health research 

fellowship 

• Families in Training (FIT) for Health 

co-founder co founder 

• Clinic manager and volunteer at free clinic 


• Research: Medical student-led, student led, efficacy of 

childhood obesity interventions 

I t t C it h lth hildh d b it d i l 

Interests: Community health, childhood obesity, endocrinology, 

advocacy, international medicine, diversity education and academic 

medicine

Kimberly Goodspeed, MD 

• UT Houston 

• Biology major 

• AMA – TMA medical school chapter p 

president, delegate 

• Women’s Shelter volunteer and 

educator 

• Federation of State Medical Boards 

government relations intern 

• MCAT instructor 

• Languages: basic Spanish 

• Research: Juvenile Parkinson’s 

disease; spinocerebellar ataxia; 

outcomes of day treatment in child 

psychiatry 

Interests: Child neurodevelopment, autism, advocacy, leadership

Richard Graham, MD 

• CCase WWestern t Reserve R UUniversity i it 

School of Medicine 

• English major 

• IInstructor/developer t t /d l of f foundations f d ti in i 

clinical medicine seminars 

• Outreach to at-risk Latino young men’s 

group 

• Latin Medical Student Association, service 

chair 

• Father of three, three ages 6 months to 5 years 


• Research: Differences in FMR/signal in 

the brains of patients with movement 

disorders when compared with normal 

controls 

Interests: Medical Spanish, advocacy, underserved Hispanic 

communities, long-term doctor patient relationships

Jeannette Jung, MD, MA 

• Wayne State University, MD 

• Loyola University, MA (Medical Science) 

• Spanish major 

• Medical outreach to Costa Rica, Peru, 

Dominican Republic, Cuba 

• Detroit Hispanic outreach clinics 

volunteer 

• Language: g g Spanish, p , Korean 

• Research: Neuropathic pain and 

chemokine receptors 

I t t C di l d d d d Hi i 

Interests: Cardiology, advocacy and underserved Hispanic 

populations, academic medicine

Meena Kadapakkam, MD 

• Baylor College of Medicine 

• Biomedical Engineering g g major j 

• Oncology interest group founder 

• Research opportunities databases 

organizer 

• Homeless shelter clinic volunteer 

• Language: moderate Spanish fluency 

• RResearch: h DDevelopment l t of f 

nanoparticles for oncology diagnostics 

and drug delivery; cancer genetics in 

ganglioglioma; DNA damage repair 

I t t O l ti it f di l f ilit ti h 

Interests: Oncology, continuity of medical care, facilitating research 

opportunities for trainees

Katherine Keith, MD 

• University of Virginia 

• Art History and Biochemical & Cell 

Biology gy Majors j 

• Medical school pediatrics club leader 

• Girls’ camp counselor 

• Chemistry Chemistry, history and MCAT teacher 

• Community Clinic bilingual ‘Reach out 

and Read’ volunteer 

• MMedical di l outreach t h tto GGuatemala t l 

• Languages: intermediate Spanish 

• Research: Early 20th century lay 

midwifery; The visual culture of 

midwife education 

Interests: Thoughtful communication with patients, medical 

history and humanities, neonatology, hematology-oncology

Charles Knox, MD 

• University of New Mexico 

School of Medicine 

• Exercise Science major 

• Co-president of University of New 

Mexico, Sex Education Project 

• Medical outreach to Indonesia 

(stateside) through medical equipment 

donation and transport 

• Clinical cardiology gy technician 

• Stateside volunteer with Health In 

Harmony, Indonesia 

• Research: Assessment of medical error 

and performance enhancement in sports 

I t t P ti di i h lth d ti t 

Interests: Preventive medicine, health education, sports 

medicine, cardiology

Bruce Koehler, MD, MPH 

• UT Southwestern, MD 

• Boston University, MPH (Epidemiology) 

• CARE International I t ti l researcher h in i South S th 

Africa 

• World Service Corps worker in China and 

MMalawi l i 

• Health services researcher 

• Father of one, newborn 

• Research: Targeted care bundle effects 

on hospital readmission and emergency 

department visit rates; impacts of AIDS 

pandemic on NGO sector in South Africa 

Interests: Health care quality improvement, public health policy and 

advocacy, general pediatrics, local refugee care

Bianca Manuelli, MD 

• University of Wisconsin School of 

Medicine and Public Health 

• Biology gy major j 

• Medical student peer teaching in 

cardiovascular physiology, cell biology 

and immunology gy 

• Boys and Girls Clubs teen mentor 

• Medical outreach in urban schools and 

clinics in Argentina 

• Language: Spanish 

• Research: The effect of shear stress on 

endothelial nitric oxide synthase activity; 

small bowel obstruction secondary to 

cancer recurrence 

Interests: Hematology-oncology, clinical research, cardiology

Abigail Nitschke, MD 

• UUniversity i it of f Wi Wisconsin i SSchool h l of f 

Medicine and Public Health 


• Free medical clinic volunteer 

• Child developmental insights from 

longitudinal work as a swimming 

teacher, nanny and hospital family life 

center worker 

• Languages: Limited conversational 

French 

• Research: Malaria biology, including 

plasmodium antioxidant systems, 

mosquito midgut lysozymes, and 

mouse models of disease. 

Interests: Community health, global heath, busy clinics, effective 

patient care in different settings

Catherine O’Neill, MD 

• University of Connecticut School of 

Medicine 

• Molecular and Cell Biology gy and Spanish p 

majors 

• Medical school admissions interviewer 

• Medical Spanish interest group leader 

• Medical outreach to Ecuador 

• Middle school tutoring program founder 

and director 


• Research: Creating a diabetes registry 

ffor health h lth center t quality lit iimprovement; t 

urate transport in renal brush border 

membrane vesicles 

Interests: Continuity of medical care, clinical research, community 

health, medical Spanish

Gaston Ofman, MD 

• UUniversidad i id d FFavaloro l MMedical di l SSchool, h l 

Argentina 

• Night shift inpatient pediatrics ward 

assistant i t t 

• NICU intern and maternal and infant 

health research assistant, Argentina 

• Leader of health and social issues 

needs assessment survey team, 

Buenos Aires 

• Research: Preterm lung inflammation 

and maturation after combined 

chorioamnioitis and antenatal 

corticosteroids 

ti t id 

Interests: Neonatology, pulmonary biology, mechanistic and clinical 

research, medical education systems development

Alan Poole, MD, PhD 

• UT Southwestern, S th t MD 

& PhD (Molecular biophysics) 

• Physics major; math and biology minors 

• Longitudinal mentor and educator for 

children of divorced families 

• Medical outreach to Mexico 

• Judicial co-chair of university honor and 

ethics council 

• Physics y teaching g assistant 

• Research: The co-evaluation of amino 

acids in proteins; propagated effects of 

mutations on proteins’ p responses p to 

perturbation; sickle cell and hemoglobin 

biophysics 

Interests: Intensive care, cardiology, academic medicine, 

molecular biophysics

Karen Queliza, MD 

• Albany Medical College 

• Biomedical science major 

• Children’s advocacy organization 

president 

• Psychiatric day treatment center 

parental satisfaction investigator 

• Child development center teacher 

assistant; high school math and 

chemistry tutor 

• Research: Button battery 

ingestions and complications 

Interests: Comprehensive care and procedural skills 

Interests: Comprehensive care and procedural skills, 

gastroenterology, advocacy and community needs assessments, 

nurse-physician teamwork, music therapy

Nora Renthal, MD, PhD 

• UT Southwestern Southwestern, MD 

& PhD (Genes and Development) 

• Plan II Liberal Arts major from UT Austin 

• UT Southwestern Clinical Research Society 

founder and president 

• Teaching assistant in immunology and in 

ob/gyn clinic 

• Medical outreach in India 

• Neena Schwartz young investigator award in 

basic science; Ida Green Award for research 

and d community it service i 

• Callier Preschool Board of Directors 

• Mother of two, ages 2 to 5 

• RResearch: h MMechanisms h i underlying d l i uterine t i 

contractility in the initiation of labor; 

microRNAs regulation of inflammatory 

genes; g ; neuroendocrinology gy 

Interests: Endocrinology, development, teaching, clinical 

research, metabolism, advocacy

Rashmi Shringer, MD 


• Pre-medicine and Plan II majors 

• Volunteer in free medical clinics in 

Abilene and Dallas 

• University student health organization 

officer 

• Co-developer of nurse advice line for 

students 

• Languages: Kannada 

• Research: Transfusions and long-term 

functional outcomes in traumatic brain 

injury; cardiovascular outcomes in 

patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus 

I t t H t l l di i HIV 

Interests: Hematology-oncology, emergency medicine, HIV 

outreach, therapeutic relationships with and support of critically ill 

patients

Andrew Tran, MD, MS 

• Case Western Reserve University 

School of Medicine, MD 

& MS (Anatomy) 

• Biology and Psychology major 

• Co-chair of medical school Christian 

medical di l and d dental d t l association i ti 

• Ethics in medicine preceptorship 

• Languages: Vietnamese 

• Research: Experimental models for 

hypothermia and intravascular 

warming in patients 

Interests: Academic medicine, structure-function relationships 

and medical problem solving, medical ethics, cardiology

Hadassah Troen, MD 

• Hadassah Medical School, Israel 

• Psychology and Biology majors 

• Israeli medical internship, p Hadassah 

Hospital 

• Medical outreach to Ghana 

• Hospice p caregiver g 

• Team leader for Israel Defense Forces 

Intelligence Corps 

• Mother of four, ages 2 to 9 years 

• Languages: Hebrew, rudimentary Arabic 

• Research: Development of the 

vertebrate nervous system; temporal 

variation in honeybee group 

aggressiveness 

Interests: Academic medicine, fellowship training, hematologyoncology

Grace Tung, MD 


S th t 


• Coordinator for health professions 

exposure program for high school 

students 

• Med student orientation counselor 

• Community health fair and free clinic 

volunteer 

• Medical outreach to Panama 

• Biology, chemistry and calculus tutor 

• Languages: Mandarin 

• Research: Anatomical changes in 

the amygdala related to learning and 

memory 

Interests: Teaching, academic medicine, community health and 

outreach

Natalia Vasco, MD 

• UT Houston H t 

• Bioengineering major 

• Organized medical outreach to 

Honduras; outreach to Ghana 

• Medical school student senator 

• Pre-med basic sciences tutor 

• Volunteer hospital Spanish 

translator 


• Research: Effects of hyaluron 

synthases on collagen biomaterial; 

low-voltage low voltage optical device design for 

low-resource clinic settings 

Interests: Medical Spanish, international medicine, advocacy, 

gastroenterology, neonatal intensive care unit, emergency medicine

Wiata Weeks, MD 

• Howard University College of Medicine 

• Education major 

• School teacher, of: 3rd grade math, 6th g 

and 7th grade science, high school 

algebra 

• Medical school dean selection 

committee member 

• Organizer for Haitian earthquake relief 

• Physicians y for Human Rights g coordinator 

• Mentor and tutor, National Center for 

Children and Families 

• Research: Iron deficiency y anemia, , motor 

skills development among infants in 

Ghana 

Interests: Hospitalist medicine, community and international 

health systems, child protective services

Kortney West, MD 

• Louisiana State University in 

Shreveport 

• Biological Sciences major 

• Medical school student affairs class 

representative 

• Neurology interest group president 

• Undergraduate student government 

senator 

• Research: Value of MTR: FLAIR 

plaque volume ratio in the 

measurement of multiple sclerosis 

progression 

I t t M ltidi i li f hild ith d l t l 

Interests: Multidisciplinary care of children with developmental 

disabilities, autism, spectrum disorders, general pediatrics

Ming Yang, MD 

• UT San Antonio 

• Biochemistry major 

• Medical student mentor and tutor in 

clinical exam skills and 

pharmacology 

• Homeless shelter volunteer 

• Languages: Mandarin 

• Research: Genetic regulation of 

growth and development in 

Drosophila; Glial regulation of 

neuronal arborization in response 

to systemic insulin levels in 

Drosophila 

Interests: Endocrinology; research; academic medicine

Year 1 Residents - Children's Medical Center of Dallas

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