DOM faculty celebration lauds achievements of newly promoted

Lining up for eats in the hall of helmets at the Arizona Sands Club, which overlooks the Arizona Wildcats football field to the south and, to the north, a training field, the main library and Catalina Mountains.

From the right, the Division of Nephrology’s Bijin Thajudeen, MD, Ilyad Mansour, MBChB, and Bekir Tanriover, MD, MPH, MBA (division chief), the Division of Rheumatology’s associate chief Ernest Vina, MD, MS, and his partner.

From left, DOM vice chair for faculty development Serena Scott, MD, MBA, DOM administrator Phet Chen, DOM associate administrator Cynthia Campas, DOM Chair James K. Liao, MD, and vice chair for appointments & promotions (and former chair) Joseph Alpert, MD.

From left, the Pulmonary division’s Daniel Combs, MD, and Saif Mashaqi, MD; Mindy Fain, MD, chief, Division of Geneal Internal Medicine, Geriatrics & Palliative Medicine, with Joy Bulger Beck, MD, MS, and her husband; and Pulmonary chief Sairam Parthasarathy, MD.

From left, Division of Hematology & Oncology chief Rachna Shroff, MD, MS; the Division of Infectious Diseases Alex Perry, MD, MPH, and partner; and Division of General Internal Medicine, Geriatrics & Palliative Medicine’s Amy Klein, MD, and her husband.

With photos of geriatrician Julia Jernberg, MD, MBA, onscreen behind him, DOM Chair Jim Liao, MD, starts off the festivities at the 2025 annual DOM faculty promotion fiesta.

DOM vice chair Serena Scott, MD, MBA, talks about faculty affairs and development programs in the department and efforts to build an esprit de corps among faculty members.

In honor of Alejandro Recio Boiles, MD, his division chief Rachna Shroff, MD, MS, kicks off the accolades portion of the evening by talking about the value he brings to the Division of Hematology & Oncology and U of A Cancer Center.

Hematology & Oncology division chief Rachna Shroff, MD, MS, offers laudatory remarks about Ricklie Julian, MD, who could not attend the evening’s activities due to a prior engagement.

Pulmonary division chief Sairam Parthasarathy, MD, sings the praises of Daniel Combs, MD, who won a $10 million PCORI grant this year to further his studies on sleep apnea in people with Down syndrome.

Sleep Medicine Program director Saif Mashaqi, MD, turns the tables on Pulmonary division chief Sairam Parthasarathy, MD, complimenting him on his role as facilitator for the success of his faculty members.

Pulmonary chief Sairam Parthasarathy, MD, touts the value that Swathi Puthalapattu, MBBS, brings to the division as its representative at the Tucson VA Medical Center and Southern Arizona VA Health Care System.

As his family looks on, Venki Ariyamuthu, MD, listens humbly as Nephrology division chief Bekir Tanriover, MD, MPH, MBA, talks about the multiple ways in which his talents have improved the overall performance of his colleagues.

The Nephrology division’s Ilyad Mansour, MBChB, takes in the words of his division chief, Bekir Tanriover, MD, MPH, MBA, extolling on his contributions to the team.

Internist Joy Bulger Beck, MD, MS, mentions the pleasure she has had working with such a fabulous mentor as Mindy Fain, MD, chief of the Division of General Internal Medicine, Geriatrics & Palliative Medicine and director of the U of A Center on Aging.

As medical director and fellowship director for palliative medicine, Amy Klein, MD, has transformed how the service is run at Banner – University Medicine Tucson as well as the college, much to the happiness of Mindy Fain, MD, chief of the Division of General Internal Medicine, Geriatrics & Palliative Medicine.

Tushar Acharya, MD, MPH, listens as the Division of Cardiology’s Joe Alpert, MD, has nothing but kind words for the work he’s done in his roles as medical director of general cardiology for Banner University Medicine – Tucson, program director of the Advanced Cardiovascular Imaging Fellowship and associate program director of the Cardiovascular Disease Fellowship.

The Division of Cardiology’s Joe Alpert, MD, speaks on the value that Amitoj Singh, MD, brings to the division and the department.

As co-associate clinical chief of the Division of Infectious Diseases and director of Outpatient Parenteral Antimicrobial Therapy (OPAT) program, Alex Perry, MD, MPH, expounds on the joy he’s gotten as a physician here.