Student Affairs Staff

Specialty Advisors work in specific medical specialties, and provide guidance to students interested in that field. You will choose your Specialty Advisor prior to Year 3. Specialty Advisors can give advice on individual programs in their field; review/edit your CV, personal statement, and other residency application materials; and provide letters of recommendation. They are familiar with the application process within their specialty.

Schedule an Appointment

To schedule an appointment with your Specialty Advisor, please contact them directly.

Bujji Ainapurapu, MD
Department(s): Medicine
Assistant Professor, Medicine - (Clinical Scholar Track)
Associate Program Director, UA Internal Medicine Residency Program - South Campus
Director, UA Internal Medicine Residency Program - South Campus

Joseph S. Alpert, MD
Department(s): Medicine
Professor, Clinical Translational Sciences
Professor, Medicine

Richard Amini, MD
Department(s): Emergency Medicine
Assistant Dean, Student Affairs
Professor, Emergency Medicine - (Clinical Scholar Track)

Robert Atencio
Department(s): Medicine
Specialty Instructor

Audrey Baker, MD
Department(s): Otolaryngology
Associate Professor, Otolaryngology
Residency Program Director

Bhaskar Banerjee, MD
Department(s): Medicine
Professor, Biomedical Engineering
Professor, Optical Sciences
Professor, Medicine
Program Director, Gastroenterology Fellowship Program

Shethal Bearelly, MD, FACS
Department(s): Otolaryngology
Assistant Professor, Otolaryngology

Jennifer L. Becker, MD
Department(s): Medical Imaging; Neurology
Interim Division Chief, Neuroradiology
Assistant Professor, Medical Imaging - (Clinical Scholar Track)
Assistant Professor, Neurology
Assistant Professor, Neurosurgery

Maria Curcio Bishop, MD
Department(s): Medicine
Professor, Medicine - (Clinical Scholar Track)

Colleen K. Cagno, MD
Department(s): Family and Community Medicine
Associate Professor, Family and Community Medicine - (Educator Scholar Track)
Service Chief Maternal & Child Health

Janet M. Campion, MD, MPH
Department(s): Medicine
Associate Professor, Medicine

Tara F. Carr, MD
Department(s): Medicine; Otolaryngology
Associate Professor, Medicine - (Clinical Scholar Track)
Associate Professor, Otolaryngology
Director, Adult Allergy Program
Director, Allergy & Immunology Fellowship Program

Pavani Chalasani, MD, MPH
Department(s): Medicine
Associate Professor, Medicine
Associate Professor, Cancer Biology - GIDP
Program Director, Hematology and Medical Oncology Fellowship
Research Member, Therapeutic Development Program, UArizona Cancer Center

Vijay H. Chandiramani, MD
Department(s): Medicine
Assistant Professor, Medicine
Associate Chief, Division of Inpatient Medicine, Tucson Campus

Gregory L. DeSilva, MD
Department(s): Orthopaedic Surgery
Associate Professor, Orthopaedic Surgery
Residency Program Director

Shona Dougherty, MB, ChB, PhD
Department(s): Radiation Oncology
Associate Department Head, Radiation Oncology
Clinical Medical Director, Radiation Oncology
Professor, Radiation Oncology - (Clinical Scholar Track)

Kendra W. Drake, MD
Department(s): Neurology
Associate Professor, Neurology - (Clinical Scholar Track)
Associate Professor, Pharmacy Practice-Science

Mindy J. Fain, MD
Department(s): Medicine
Professor, Medicine
Associate Professor, Nursing
Chief, Division of Geriatrics, General Internal Medicine and Palliative Medicine
Co-Director, University of Arizona Center on Aging
The Anne and Alden Hart Endowed Chair in Medicine

Joao Paulo Ferreira, MD
Department(s): Medicine
Assistant Professor, Medicine - (Clinical Scholar Track)
Associate Director, Internal Medicine Residency Program - Tucson Campus

Albert B. Fiorello, MD, RDMS
Department(s): Emergency Medicine
Associate Professor, Emergency Medicine - (Clinical Scholar Track)

Paul M. Ford, MD
Department(s): Anesthesiology
Program Director, Anesthesiology Residency

Hillary Franke, MD, MS
Department(s): Pediatrics
Associate Professor, Pediatrics - (Clinical Scholar Track)
Associate Professor, Pharmacy Practice-Science
Clinical Investigator, Viper Institute
Director, Pediatric Residency Program

Joel T. Funk, MD, FACS
Department(s): Urology
Associate Professor
Chief of Surgical Services at Banner University Medical Center - South Campus
Director of Urology at Banner University Medical Center - South Campus
Vice Chair of Clinical Operations, Department of Surgery

Carlos A. Galvani, MD, FACS
Department(s): Surgery
Associate Professor, Surgery
Vice Chair, Operations
Medical Director, Perioperative Services

Dorothy Gilbertson-Dahdal, MD
Department(s): Medical Imaging
Interim Governance Council Member
Vice Chair of Education
Director, Residency Program
Division Chief, Pediatric Imaging
Professor, Medical Imaging - (Clinical Scholar Track)
Professor, Pediatrics - (Clinical Scholar Track)

Holli A. Horak, MD
Department(s): Neurology
Professor, Neurology - (Educator Scholar Track)

Julia Indik, MD, PhD
Department(s): Medicine
Professor of Medicine, Division of Cardiology
Flinn Foundation and American Heart Association Endowed Chair in Electrophysiology and Heart Disease Research
Director, Cardiovascular Disease Fellowship Program

Karl B. Kern, MD
Department(s): Medicine
Professor, Medicine
Chair, Sarver Heart Center Resuscitation Research Group
The Gordon A. Ewy, MD, Distinguished Endowed Chair for Cardiovascular Medicine, UA College of Medicine

Muhammad Awais Khan
Department(s): Neurology
Assistant Professor, (Clinical Scholar Track)

James L. Knepler, MD
Department(s): Medicine
Professor of Medicine, Clinical Scholar
Program Director, Pulmonary & Critical Care Fellowship
Associate Chief, Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, Critical Care & Sleep Medicine
Director, Interventional Pulmonology, Banner – University Medical Center Tucson

Ken Knox, MD
Department(s): Medicine
Associate Dean, Faculty Affairs-Development-COM Phx
Professor, Internal Medicine
Professor, Medicine
Professor, Immunobiology
Research Director, Lung Institute

Karyn B. Kolman, MD
Department(s): Family and Community Medicine
Associate Professor Family and Community Medicine - (Clinical Scholar Track)
Vice Chair for Education, Family and Community Medicine

Monica Kraft, MD
Department(s): Medicine
Professor, Medicine
Chair, Department of Medicine
The Robert and Irene Flinn Endowed Chair of Medicine, UA College of Medicine – Tucson
Deputy Director, UA Health Sciences Asthma and Airway Disease Research Center

David M Labiner, MD
Department(s): Neurology
Department Head, Neurology
Professor, Neurology
Professor, Neurosurgery
Professor, Pharmacy Practice-Science

Kwan S. Lee, MD
Department(s): Medicine
Associate Professor, Medicine
Associate Chief, Division of Cardiology
Associate Program Director, Cardiovascular Disease Fellowship Program
Associate Program Director Cardiovascular Fellowship
Cardiovascular Service Line Director, Banner University Medical Group Tucson
Director, Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory and Cardiology Clinic, Banner – University Medical Center South

Joshua Malo, MD
Department(s): Medicine
Associate Professor of Medicine, Clinical Scholar
Associate Director, Internal Medicine Residency Program - Tucson Campus

Laura E. Meinke, MD
Department(s): Medicine
Associate Professor of Medicine, Clinical Scholar
Internal Medicine Residency Program Director - Tucson Campus

Joseph M. Miller, MD, MPH
Department(s): Ophthalmology and Vision Science
Department Head, Ophthalmology
Professor, Ophthalmology
Professor, Optical Sciences
Professor, Public Health

Amy L. Mitchell, MD
Department(s): Obstetrics and Gynecology
Associate Professor, Obstetrics and Gynecology
Vice Chair of Education, Obstetrics and Gynecology
Residency Program Director, Obstetrics and Gynecology

Bernard Morenz, MD
Department(s): Psychiatry
Associate Professor, Psychiatry - (Clinical Scholar Track)

Lilah F. Morris-Wiseman, MD, FACS
Department(s): Surgery
Clinical Assistant Professor, Surgery - (Clinical Series Track)
Associate Program Director, General Surgery Residency

Kevin Moynahan, MD, FACP
Department(s): Medicine
Deputy Dean, Education
Professor of Medicine

Valentine N. Nfonsam, MD, MS, FACS
Department(s): Surgery
Professor, Surgery
Interim Chief, Division of Surgical Oncology
General Surgery Residency Program Director

Sairam Parthasarathy, MD
Department(s): Medicine
Professor, Medicine
Chief, Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine
Director, Center for Sleep and Circadian Sciences, UA Health Sciences
Medical Director, Center for Sleep Disorders, Banner – University Medical Center Tucson

Mikin V. Patel, MD, MBA
Department(s): Medical Imaging
Assistant Professor, Medical Imaging - (Clinical Scholar Track)

Anil Potharaju, MD
Department(s): Medicine
Assistant Professor, Medicine
Associate Chief, Division of Inpatient Medicine, South Campus
Medical Director, Inpatient Medicine, Banner – University Medical Center South

John Racy, MD
Department(s): Psychiatry
Professor, Psychiatry

Heather A. Reed, MD
Department(s): Obstetrics and Gynecology
Assistant Professor, Obstetrics and Gynecology
Medical Student Clerkship Director
Vice-Chair of Quality, Obstetrics and Gynecology
Medical Director of Labor and Delivery

Demaretta S Rush
Department(s): Pathology
Associate Professor, Pathology - (Clinical Scholar Track)

Shana E. Semmens, MD
Department(s): Family and Community Medicine
Assistant Professor, Family and Community Medicine - (Clinical Scholar Track)

Sundeep Shenoy, MBBS
Department(s): Medicine
Fellow, Cardiovascular Disease, 2018-2021

James Sligh, MD, PhD
Department(s): Medicine
Division Chief, Dermatology
Associate Director, Skin Cancer Institute
Professor of Medicine, Clinical Scholar

Kathy W. Smith, MD
Department(s): Psychiatry
Assistant Dean, Student Affairs
Associate Professor, Educator Scholar Track

Linda Snyder, MD
Department(s): Medicine
Professor of Medicine (Pulmonary/Critical Care and Palliative Medicine)
Program Director, Pulmonary and Critical Care Fellowship
Program Director, Hospice and Palliative Medicine Fellowship
Faculty, UA Reynolds Program in Applied Geriatrics

Raed Sukerji, MD
Department(s): Medicine
Assistant Professor, Medicine
Director, Adult Medicine Outpatient Clinics at South Campus

Amy Sussman, MD
Department(s): Medicine
Associate Professor, Medicine
Program Director, Nephrology Fellowship
Clerkship Director, Department of Medicine
Vice Chair of Education, Department of Medicine

Allison Lee Thoeny
Department(s): Anesthesiology
Associate Program Director

Eugene A. Trowers, MD, MPH, FACP
Department(s): Medicine
Professor, Medicine - (Clinical Scholar Track)
Director, UA Internal Medicine Residency Program - South Campus
Director, Gastrointestinal Services, Banner – University Medical Center South

Lisa M. Truchan, MD
Department(s): Orthopaedic Surgery
Associate Professor, Orthopaedic Surgery - (Clinical Scholar Track)

Christian O. Twiss, MD, FACS
Department(s): Urology
Director, Female Urology, Pelvic Medicine, and Pelvic Reconstructive Surgery
Associate Professor of Surgery

Monica R. Vandivort, MD
Department(s): Medicine
Associate Professor of Medicine, Clinical Scholar
Medical Director, Home Care
Faculty, UA Reynolds Program in Applied Geriatrics

Jonathan R. Walker, MD
Department(s): Surgery; Urology
Associate Professor, Surgery

Andrew M. Yeager, MD
Department(s): Medicine
Professor Emeritus, Medicine
Professor Emeritus, Pediatrics

Tirdad Zangeneh, DO, FACP, FIDSA
Department(s): Medicine
Associate Professor, Medicine - (Clinical Scholar Track)
Associate Program Director, Internal Medicine Residency Program - Tucson Campus
Director, Infectious Disease Transplant Program, Banner UMC - Tucson