Meet Our Residents and Faculty!
Name: Jean-Luc Germany
Hometown: Boston, MA
College: Boston University
Medical School: Boston University School of Medicine
Career Aspirations/Interests: I’m interested in a lot of things so still deciding! I love cardiology, endocrinology, and global health! Will most likely try to do a combined fellowship after residency, but TBD.
Current Extracurriculars/Research: Pending!
Hobbies: watching movies (highly recommend AMC A-list), exploring Chicago, hanging out with my very talkative siamese snowshoe cat <3.
Other Interesting Facts: I was born and raised in Lebanon so I speak Arabic and French in addition to English!
What I Love About UIC: I love UIC’s commitment to the Chicago community, and I love the people here. Med-Peds has a strong presence among faculty and leadership on both sides, which is a big plus!
Name: Mariya Patwa
Hometown: Winchester, MA
College: Wellesley College
Medical School: Tufts University School of Medicine
Career Aspirations/Interests: I think I would love being a Med-Peds Hospitalist but I’m also open to fellowship – not quite sure which field yet. I’d also like to dedicate a portion of my time to global public health work, transitions of care, and health systems research.
Current Extracurriculars/Research: Currently, I’m on the board of a non-profit based in Boston called Our Bodies Ourselves a reproductive health advocacy organization. Some of the research I’ve done has focused on maternal/child health, HIV/safer conception care, and mental health.
Hobbies: Traveling, Reading, Yoga, Exploring museum/music/arts/restaurant scene in new cities!
What I Love About UIC: The people have been incredibly kind! Moving to a new city for residency was made far less overwhelming by so many supportive and welcoming people.
Name: Hiren Patel
Hometown: Dallas, Texas
College: Rice University
Medical School: UT Southwestern Medical School
Career Aspirations/Interests: primary care, combined hospitalist, and medical education, and or career in global health!
Current Extracurriculars/Research:Looking forward to being a part of the global health tracks on both IM and Peds and starting a longitudinal research project!
Hobbies: Group fitness classes, photography, dance, and exploring Chicago (new restaurants, street festivals, rooftops, bars, clubs, museums, beaches, exploring new neighborhoods, trails, city events, etc)
Interesting Facts/ What I Love About UIC: Never have felt so loved and welcomed to a place like I have when starting residency here! Coming here with no ties, I was worried about building a community here and it really should have been the least of my worries. In the hospital, I love the focus on treating the underserved population of Chicago and the overall diversity of the patients we treat. Hospital vibes here are unmatched! Lastly, Chicago is such a dream location to be in during residency – so much to do daily after work on any given day which has made living here so much fun!
Name: Chang Xu
Hometown: Richmond, Virginia
College: James Madison University
Medical School: Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine – Virginia
Career Aspirations/Interests: Combined Heme/Onc, primary care, LGBTQ+ health
Current Extracurriculars/Research: currently just started getting involved with resident union – would love to be more involved in the Global health track, Leaders for Local Change track, heme/onc research, and UIC band/orchestra!
Hobbies: board game/video game nights, playing my saxophone/violin, exploring new restaurants, karaoke and anything Pokemon!
Interesting Facts: I lived in Milwaukee, Wisconsin when I was in middle school and Chicago used to be our family’s weekend spot for authentic Chinese food.
What I Love About UIC: I felt so welcomed and included as a sub-I and that feeling has only grown stronger for me as an intern! I am surrounded by a group of amazing co-residents (Mariya and the boys!), seniors, faculty/staff, and program leadership. Outside of Med-Peds, I believe we are also well integrated into our IM and Pediatric sides, where everyone has been just as supportive and wonderful. I also love the diverse patient population as I get to learn how to take care of marginalized communities from various backgrounds. Intern year is tough no matter where I go, but I am super thankful that I am at UIC with all the new families here!
Name: Julie Conrad
Hometown: Springfield, Illinois
College: Vanderbilt University
Medical School: University of Illinois at Chicago
Career Aspirations/Interests: Combined hospitalist vs. primary care vs. adolescent? TBD!
Current Extracurriculars/Research: Volunteering to help administer the monkeypox vaccine to the Chicago community- other experiences pending. Finishing up medical school research on preeclampsia health literacy among pregnant patients at UIH.
Hobbies: Reading, board game nights, cuddling with my 2 cats Mack and Jinora, watching reality TV, going to White Sox games, hanging out with my co-residents (#girlgang), and exploring new bars and restaurants with my fiancé Lucas.
Other Interesting Facts: My cat Mack only has one eye – she was born with microphthalmia! And she’s named after Khalil Mack who unfortunately is no longer on the Bears 🙁 (@_oneeyemack on Instagram)
What I Love About UIC: I chose to stay here at UIC because as a med student I saw firsthand that our hospital truly is committed to serving diverse patient populations regardless of their insurance or background. As a safety net hospital, you get the opportunity to work with vulnerable patient populations who have unique challenges. The people who choose to work here are THE BEST, and, as an added plus, you get to live in the best city in the world!
Name: Susie De la Torre
Hometown: Austin, Texas
College: University of Texas at Austin
Medical School: University of Texas Health Science Center- Houston
Career Aspirations/Interests: Combined outpatient adult and pediatric primary care are my main interests. I would also love to do some adult and/or pediatric hospitalist work at a community hospital if possible. Basically, I want to see anyone in any clinical setting!
Current Extracurriculars/Research: Pending, but I hope to get involved with free/student-run clinics for the unhoused and street medicine, similar to the organization I worked with in medical school.
Hobbies: Trying new coffee shops, re-watching all the Star Wars movies and shows, yoga, shopping, trying to find the best margarita in Chicago, and walking around the city and appreciating all the flowers.
Interesting Facts: I took 4 years off between college and medical school. Also, I have only lived in Texas and Florida. I have always wanted to live somewhere with seasons and snow, so I’m already stocking up on coats and boots!
What I Love About UIC: I love UIC because of its tightknit, friendly, and helpful culture despite it being a large institution. I was nervous moving here from far away, but instantly felt welcomed and at home. I also appreciate UIC’s focus on the community and culture of the city. For example, I LOVE that we have community volunteer days built into our schedules. I missed doing non-clinical volunteering in medical school and I can’t wait to better understand Chicago through these opportunities. Lastly, I love working for a safety net hospital with a very diverse patient population.
Name: Katherine Garcia
Hometown: Tampa, Florida
College: University of South Florida
Medical School: University of Central Florida
Career Aspirations/Interests: Global health for at least a part of my career, likely followed by combined adult/peds hospitalist.
Current Extracurriculars/Research: Volunteering with Make-A-Wish Foundation, hoping to get involved with our student run free clinic.
Hobbies: Trying new restaurants, binge-watching TV shows, and going to the movie theaters.
Interesting Facts: I am completely addicted to Coca-Cola!
What I Love About UIC:I moved to Chicago by myself and immediately found a home with our MedPeds family! From the warm hugs to the frequent check-ins, you truly feel cared for. It has also been a privilege to learn from our diverse patient population and to feel like you are having an impact.
Name: Aline Irihamye
Hometown: Lexington, Kentucky
College: University of Notre Dame
Medical School: University of Cincinnati
Career Aspirations/Interests: MedPeds Primary Care & IM Hospitalist
Current Extracurriculars/Research: Pending- hoping to get involved in the Medical Education and the Peds Community Advocacy tracks!
Hobbies: books, live music, movies, taking my 3-year-old black lab to the dog park!
Other Interesting Facts: I lived in China for four years and was (at one point) pretty fluent in Mandarin.
What I Love About UIC: The people! From day one of intern year, I knew that I’d made the right choice in coming here because everyone is so supportive of your growth, your learning, and your overall wellness.
Name: Hadassa Holzapfel
Hometown: Düsseldorf, Germany
College: Yeshiva University
Medical School: Ben-Gurion University
Career Aspirations/Interests: combined heme/onc, critical care, palliative care
Current Extracurriculars/Research: Transitional Care in IEM, Heme-Onc QI project, medical student mentors program
Hobbies: reading/audiobooks, writing, dancing, traveling
Other Interesting Facts: Trying to teach myself piano!
Name: Michael Hu
Hometown: Orlando, Florida
College: Duke University
Medical School: University of Miami Miller School of Medicine
Career Aspirations/Interests: medical education, primary care or combined hospitalist, maybe a fellowship?
Current Extracurriculars/Research: Part of the Leaders for Local Change Track and work as preceptor for the Student Run Free Clinic. Hoping to get involved with some projects in the School of Public Health soon.
Hobbies: Running, reading, cooking, eating boba, exploring the city
Other Interesting Facts: I play the ukelele! Send me songs to learn.
What I Love About UIC: The people <3 Serving an underserved population and advocating for my patients every day. Support in pursuing my interests. 4+ boba places within walking distance.
Name: Nikita Pillai
Hometown: Chicago, Illinois
College: University of Illinois at Chicago
Medical School: University of Illinois at Chicago
Career Aspirations/Interests: Hospitalist, pediatric heme/onc, adult survivorship, chronic childhood diseases, academic medicine!
Current Extracurriculars/Research: I’m involved in the AAP trainee group, sickle cell research, and currently thinking of potential QI ideas!
Hobbies: Cooking, crocheting, visiting gardens because I can’t keep my own plants alive, watching hockey, re-watching Lord of the Rings, and planning road trips!
Other Interesting Facts: Chicago is an incredible city and I’ve lived downtown for a decade, so I am full of food/drink/activity recommendations if you have any questions!
Name: Priya Kantesaria
Hometown: Somerset, New Jersey
College: Rutgers University – New Brunswick
Medical School: Rutgers New Jersey Medical School
Career Aspirations/Interests: Combined specialty… which one we will have to see!
Current Extracurriculars/Research: Medical Education track. I hope to apply to some of our advocacy-based tracks soon!
Hobbies: Exploring Chicago (especially the expansive food & drinks scene!), reading, raising my plants, planning residency hangouts
Other Interesting Facts: I am a big fan of nature documentaries and try to visit the stingrays at the Shedd when I can!
What I love about UIC: I was drawn to UIC for its commitment to serving the people of Chicago and the variety of experiences we have in such a short period of time. I also love how much UIC loves MedPeds. So many of our faculty, both on medicine and pediatrics, are MedPeds and it really allows you to see the true breadth of what a career in MedPeds can be.
Name: Joe Horowitz
Hometown: Milwaukee, Wisconsin
College: Haverford College (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)
Medical School: Drexel University College of Medicine
Career Aspirations/Interests: Hematology/Oncology with a focus on adolescents/young adults and survivorship. Would like to be involved in medical education at an academic center.
Current Extracurriculars/Research: Medical Education Track, Pediatric Research Track
Hobbies: Planning travel/traveling (most recently Costa Rica), board games, all things Disney, European football, Wisconsin sports
Other Interesting Facts: I recently won a National Scrabble Championship!
What I Love About UIC: We are serving a diverse high-need population. I am surrounded by intelligent, charismatic and dedicated residents, attendings who enjoy teaching, and a never-ending supply of Bubbl’r ®.
Name: Jerry Luo
Hometown: Buffalo Grove, Illinois
College: Northwestern University
Medical School: University of Illinois at Chicago
Career Aspirations/Interests: Combined Heme-Onc or dual hospitalist
Current Extracurriculars/Research: Research on outcomes in hematologic malignancies in AYA patients, sepsis QI project, Peds Research Track, board member for the Danny Did Foundation
Hobbies: Traveling, photography, cooking, food (there’s a “Jelp” list somewhere out there), tech, sneakers, European football, college football
Other Interesting Facts: I have a corgi puppy named Willow! @willowthetri on Instagram
What I Love About UIC: We will see and take care of any patient regardless of background, financial/housing situation, insurance status, immigrant status, etc. + the amazing Med-Peds family we have here at UIC!
Name: Madelyn Perez
Hometown: Upland, California
College: Pomona College
Medical School: Keck SOM of the University of Southern California
Career Aspirations/Interests: IM hospitalist, combined primary care, addiction medicine
Current Extracurriculars/Research: Leaders for Local Change Track, Med-Peds clinic QI
Hobbies: running, tennis, teaching myself how to cook, hanging out with my fam, THE LAKERS
Other Interesting Facts: I taught myself how to knit/crochet, and I love making baby blankets.
What I Love About UIC: I love working with our marginalized population and preparing a career in primary care and addiction medicine. My co-residents are wonderful and we bond over tea parties and pizza nights.
Name: Anita Shanker
Hometown: Frankfort, Kentucky
College: University of Kentucky
Medical School: University of Kentucky
Career Aspirations/Interests: Primary care, adolescent medicine
Current Extracurriculars/Research: Community Health and Advocacy Track, Global Health Track.
Hobbies: Bouldering, reading fantasy novels, trying new recipes with baking (I’m a Great British Bake-Off Addict) and cooking.
Other Interesting Facts: I got stuck in an avalanche without snowshoes, but I somehow made it out with the help of a nice family and the inspirational chocolate they gave me!
Pavan Srivastava, MD is the Program Director for the MedPeds residency program and an Associate Professor of Clinical Medicine and Pediatrics. He has been at the University of Illinois at Chicago since the turn of the century: completing his undergraduate studies, medical school education, and residency training at the institution. He has also served as Chief Resident for the MedPeds and the Pediatrics residency programs at UIC, and currently is a co-director for the longitudinal Synthesis course for pre-clinical students at the College of Medicine. Dr. Srivastava has strong interests in medical education and quality improvement, as well as, primary and preventative health care for underserved adults and children. He supervises residents in clinic and on the medicine and pediatric wards. Dr. Srivastava has received teaching awards from both the Departments of Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, as well as, a Golden Apple Award for excellence in medical education from the College of Medicine.
Michael Charles, MD is an Associate Program Director and an Assistant Professor in the Departments of Medicine and Pediatrics. As an undergraduate, he studied Human Nutrition and Chemistry at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He went on to complete both medical school and MedPeds residency training at UIC. Michael is passionate about promoting healthy lifestyle habits and also enjoys the management of complex health issues in his primary care clinics. He precepts residents in the Internal Medicine and Pediatric clinics as well as on the medicine wards. As a graduate of the MedPeds Global Health Track, he has worked with health systems strengthening and capacity building through various projects in Senegal. As a College of Medicine Physician House Advisor, he engages students in the exploration of professional development and health, illness, and society. Outside of UIC, Michael spends a lot of time with his family. He likes learning new languages. In fact, he speaks English, French, Haitian Creole, and Spanish. He frequently dreams about being a professional soccer player. Every year, he plays at the intramural soccer league with medical students, residents, and other attendings.
Ana Clara Mauro, MD, MPH is an Associate Program Director and an Assistant Professor of Clinical Medicine at UIC. She was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina and moved to the United States at age 15. She completed her undergraduate degree and master’s degree in Public Health at Florida International University in Miami, Florida. She completed her Med-Peds residency at UIC and served as a Chief Resident in the Pediatrics program. Dr. Mauro sees patients in the Primary Care Plus Clinic, the Med-Peds 2-generation clinic, and supervises residents in the General Medicine Clinic and inpatient Medicine wards. Dr. Mauro is one of the providers in the COIP mobile van clinic, a program focused on management of opioid use disorder in partnership with the UIC School of Public Health. She also serves as a Physician House Advisor for medical students, and as a tutor for the Doctoring and Clinical Skills (DoCS) program at UIC.
Dr. Mauro is deeply committed to addressing health disparities through a career in primary care. She advocates for an environment of diversity, equity and inclusion in medicine. Her academic interests include DEI, global health, medical education, Chief Resident Development, preventative medicine, and opioid use disorder.
CLINIC FACULTY
Rachel Caskey, MD, MPP is the former Program Director for the MedPeds residency program and is now Chief of the Section of Academic Internal Medicine. She is a Professor of Medicine and Pediatrics, and a health services researcher. Dr. Caskey attended Jefferson Medical College for medical school and University of Michigan for residency where she served as the MedPeds Chief Resident. Dr. Caskey completed a health services research fellowship at University of Chicago, and received a Master of Arts in Public Policy. Dr. Caskey holds an affiliate appointment at UIC’s School of Public Health. She precepts residents in MedPeds clinic and serves as an attending on both medicine and pediatric wards. Her research focuses on investigating novel system-level mechanisms to positively impact and incentivize preventive health behaviors which result in improved health outcomes. She has studied adoption of HPV vaccine and timely receipt of contraception among women. Currently, she is studying a novel system-level intervention to co-located care for postpartum women and infants, with the goal of improving outcomes for women.
Erin Hickey, MD is a graduate of the Clinical Leaders and Academic Scholars (CLASS) Fellowship at the University of Illinois at Chicago and is now an Assistant Professor in the Department of Medicine. As an undergraduate, she studied Biology at Northwestern University. She went on to complete medical school at the University of Colorado and MedPeds residency at the University of Chicago. She grew up in Cincinnati, Ohio and she apologizes for her sports allegiances lying in Boston, where she was born. Her medical interests include the care of children and adults with disabilities and other special health care needs, as well as in the health care transition of children and adolescents with chronic conditions into the adult model of care. She precepts residents in MedPeds clinic and serves as an attending on medicine wards.
Leslie Jabine, MD has had a long and successful history here at the University of Illinois at Chicago. She attended medical school and completed her MedPeds residency at UIC and has been a beloved MedPeds attending here for over two decades, now practicing primarily outpatient Internal Medicine and Pediatrics. She has received awards for her teaching skills and patient care. Her clinical interest lies in the transition of care for children with chronic illnesses into adulthood. She currently runs the Adults with Childhood Cancer Survivor Clinic. Being a child who lived outside the U.S. has provided her with cross-cultural perspectives on medicine and health, while being a mother of three has given her daily perspective on pediatrics and parenting.
Katie Mena, MD is an Associate Professor in the Departments of Medicine and Pediatrics. She completed medical school at the University of Toledo College of Medicine in Toledo, Ohio and went on to complete her MedPeds residency training at UIC. She has served as Chief Resident for the MedPeds and Pediatrics residency programs at UIC. Dr. Mena has interests in medical education and is the medical director of the UIC South Loop Physicians Group clinic. She supervises residents in the MedPeds, Peds, and Internal Medicine resident clinics as well as on the medicine wards and newborn nursery.
Jennifer Schulte, MD is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Medicine. As an undergrad, she majored in Anthropology and Science Preprofessional Studies at the University of Notre Dame, and went on to medical school at the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine. She completed her MedPeds training at Harvard’s Brigham and Women’s Hospital/Boston Children’s Hospital Medicine-Pediatric Residency program before returning to her home state of Illinois and joining the faculty at UIC. She sees patient in the MedPeds and Internal Medicine clinics, and supervises residents on the inpatient Medicine wards. Her interests include preventative health, addressing health disparities for underserved populations, and medical education.
Jalene Shoener, MD is an Assistant Professor in the Departments of Medicine and Pediatrics. She completed medical school and MedPeds residency training at UIC. She served as Chief Resident for the MedPeds and Pediatrics residency programs. Dr. Shoener has interests in legislative advocacy, transitional care, and medical education. She supervises residents in the MedPeds and Peds resident clinics and off-site at a Federal Job Corp Training Center caring for adolescents and young adults. She is also a supervising hospitalist in the Clinical Decision Unit, a observation unit for patients who need care beyond the emergency room. Dr. Shoener is the assistant medical director for the Child and Youth Center (pediatrics clinic) which involves both quality improvement and patient education projects.
ADDITIONAL FACULTY
Kelsie Avants, DO is Program Director of the Pediatrics residency program and an Assistant Professor in the Departments of Medicine and Pediatrics. She completed her residency training at UIC and then served as Chief Resident for the Pediatrics residency program. She supervises residents in the pediatrics and Internal Medicine clinics, General Pediatrics wards, Internal Medicine wards, and the Newborn Nursery. She enjoys working with medical students in her role as a College of Medicine Physician House Advisor and a faculty tutor in the Doctoring and Clinical Skills course. In addition to medical education, Dr. Avants has interests in preventative health and chronic disease management for underserved populations, global health, community public health and advocacy, and refugee and immigrant health.
Kruti Acharya, MD is an Associate Professor in the Departments of Pediatrics and Disability and Human Development. Dr. Acharya attended medical school at Boston University. She then completed a MedPeds residency, a Developmental & Behavioral Pediatrics fellowship and a Medical Ethics fellowship, all at the University of Chicago. Her research interests include the role of childhood adversity in the health disparities experienced by individuals with disabilities. Her clinical interests include supporting adolescents and young adults with developmental disabilities as they transition to adult-systems of care. Dr. Acharya is also the Director of the Illinois Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and other related Disabilities (LEND) Program at UIC, a state-wide interdisciplinary training program to develop leaders to care for and advocate for individuals with disability.
Maria Isabel Angulo, MD is an Assistant Professor in the Departments of Medicine and Pediatrics. She earned her undergraduate degree in Molecular and Cellular Biology at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. She then completed her Medical degree and MedPeds residency training at UIC. She is a member of the Gold Humanism Honor Society. Her clinical interests include preventive medicine, minority health and health equity, and women’s health. Her academic interests include medical education and public health. Dr. Angulo supervises residents in the Internal Medicine and Pediatric outpatient resident clinics and Medicine wards.
Michelle Barnes, MD is a former pediatric residency Program Director and the Assistant Dean for Graduate Medical Education. She is an Associate Professor of Clinical Medicine and Pediatrics at UIC. Dr Barnes attended medical school at Loyola University, Stritch School of Medicine, followed by MedPeds residency at Yale-New Haven Hospital. She then did a Chief Resident year in the Department of Pediatrics at Yale-New Haven Children’s Hospital. Dr. Barnes works as a supervising attending on both the pediatric and medicine wards, the Peds clinic, and the newborn nursery. Her interests lie in community outreach and medical education. She is the Director for the Community Health and Advocacy Track and leads the transitions to clerkship curriculum for the College of Medicine. Dr. Barnes has received honors for clinical teaching from the Departments of Pediatrics and Medicine.
Sarah Messmer, MD is an Assistant Professor in the Departments of Medicine and Pediatrics. As an undergraduate, she studied engineering physics at the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign, and then went on to medical school at Harvard Medical School. She completed her MedPeds residency at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. She then returned to her home state of Illinois and joined UIC as faculty. She is additionally board certified in Addiction Medicine and provides primary care and substance use disorder treatment for adults at a syringe service program on the west side of Chicago in partnership with the UIC School of Public Health. She serves as a co-Director and Clinical Lead of the Mobile Medications for Opioid Use Disorder (MOUD) program, which provides low-threshold substance use disorder treatment and general medical care via mobile van on the west side of Chicago. Her additional interests include LGBTQIA+ health, global health, and immigrant and refugee health. Dr. Messmer has also spent several years working in Guatemala and speaks Spanish
Amanda Osta, MD is a former pediatric residency Program Director and is now Associate Dean of Medical Education for the College of Medicine. She is a Professor of Clinical Medicine and Pediatrics. Dr. Osta attended medical school at Loyola Stritch School of Medicine, and did her MedPeds residency at the University of Michigan Health Center in Ann Arbor. She was MedPeds Chief Resident during her fourth year of residency, and then went on to serve as an Internal Medicine Chief Resident at the University of Michigan. Prior to her current role, she served as Assistant Dean of Advising and Career Planning in the College of Medicine. Her clinical interests include the care of urban underserved populations and adolescent health. Dr. Osta often precepts residents in the peds clinic and is a supervising attending on both the medicine and pediatric wards. She is extremely committed to teaching residents and medical students. She has won awards of excellence in clinical teaching from the Departments of Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, as well as national awards from the Academic Pediatric Association (APA).
Andrea A. Pappalardo, MD is an Assistant Professor of Medicine and Pediatrics at the University of Illinois at Chicago. She is board certified in three specialties: internal medicine, pediatrics and allergy/immunology. Dr. Pappalardo serves as the Medical Director in the Coordinated Healthcare for Complex Kids or CHECK program where she oversees a large care coordination program recently chosen by the state of Illinois to service much of Chicagoland’s highest risk patient population. Her research focuses on school and community-based interventions to reduce health disparities in asthma and other allergic diseases. She believes strongly in increasing sub-specialty access in vulnerable populations and provides school-based allergy and asthma specialty care through Mobile Care Chicago’s Asthma Van one day a week in addition to her clinics at the University of Illinois at Chicago.
Sara Smith, MD is an Associate Professor of Clinical Medicine and Pediatrics. She attended the University of Notre Dame as an undergraduate, where she studied anthropology and Spanish. She returned to Chicago to attend the Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern University. She then matched into and completed a combined MedPeds residency at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. After finishing residency, she remained on the faculty at the University of Michigan, then returned to Chicago and joined the faculty at the University of Illinois. At UIC she currently serves as a hospitalist, caring for inpatients in both the departments of Internal Medicine and Pediatrics. She also serves on the physician advisor team for the hospital, helping to optimize hospital throughput and appropriate utilization management. Dr. Smith is also a lead faculty for the M1/M2 curriculum for the sub-theme Healthcare Systems. Her interests include medical education, patient safety, and quality improvement, as well as, caring for underserved populations.
Benjamin Van Voorhees, MD, MPH is a Professor of Pediatrics (and Medicine), Head of the Department of Pediatrics, and Physician-in-Chief of the Children’s Hospital University of Illinois. He received his BA in History from Dartmouth College, his Doctor of Medicine from Vanderbilt University, and his Master of Public Health from Johns Hopkins. Between college and medical school, Dr. Van Voorhees served as an officer in the U.S. Navy. He completed a Combined Internal Medicine-Pediatrics Residency at Vanderbilt University Hospital and a Following residency training, he founded and managed a community primary care practice in Brentwood, Tennessee. He then completed a General Internal Medicine Fellowship at Johns Hopkins. Dr. Van Voorhees has developed a “technology-based behavioral vaccine” model to prevent mental disorders in children and adolescents called CATCH-IT, “Competent Adulthood Transition with Cognitive, Humanistic, and Interpersonal Training.” Other projects have been CURB, “Chicago Urban Resiliency Building,” for African American and Latino youth; “Vets Prevail,” for returning war veterans; “Grasp the Opportunity,” for Chinese youth; a program, focused on Arab youth; and CHECK (Coordinated Healthcare for Complex Kids), which was originally funded by a $19.5 million CMSHCIA award and now has been accepted as an Illinois Integrated Health Home. He has completed NIMH K-08 and NIMH RO-1 funded phase 2, and three clinical trials of CATCH-IT. The comparable effectiveness of CATCH-IT is now being studied with $7.6 million of funding from PCORI. Outcome studies from CMSHCIA and NIMH studies have recently been published in JAMAOpen. Dr. Van Voorhees has a lifetime funding history of more than $32 million in research funding, with more than 70 publications and 100 scientific conference presentations.
Sam Wainwright, MD is a recent graduate of the Clinical Leaders and Academic Scholars (CLASS) fellowship at the University of Illinois at Chicago. As an undergraduate, he studied Latin American History at the University of Michigan. He worked in Washington, DC as a health policy analyst for the New America Foundation before ultimately returning to his home city of Chicago to attend medical school at UIC. He completed his MedPeds residency at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, including a year as Chief Resident. He returned to UIC as a physician-researcher looking at maternal-child health initiatives, Medicaid transitions to value-based care, and the sustainable use of coordinated care programs. He supervises residents on the inpatient medicine service, sees patients of all ages in outpatient MedPeds primary care, and cares for new moms and their babies in the UIC Two-Generation health clinic. Ask him about: the appropriate toppings for a hot dog, his deep-seated love of the ACA, and his way-cooler-than-him wife Emilie (and two residency-born kids!)
Saul Weiner, MD is Professor of Medicine, Pediatrics and Medical Education, and Director of the Clinical Leaders and Academic Scholars (CLASS) fellowship at the University of Illinois at Chicago, anddeputy director of the Center of Innovation for Complex Chronic Health Care, Veterans Health Administration. He has served as medical education dean, university vice provost and currently is senior advisor to the provost. He arrived at UIC in 1997 after completing a MedPeds residency at the University of Chicago and, from 1998-2009 served as director of the UIC MedPeds Program. From 2004-2009 he was Head, Division of General Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine.
Dr. Weiner has pursued an extensive program of research at UIC and the Jesse Brown VA Medical Center. His research focuses on identifying and preventing contextual errors in clinical decision making and care planning. He has developed strategies for identifying contextual errors, measuring their impact on health outcomes and costs, and on preventing them. His research extensively employs unannounced standardized patients, patients who audio record their visits, and clinical decision support tools enhanced with contextual information in the electronic medical record. He has led studies funded by the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Agency for Healthcare Research & Quality, and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Dr. Weiner is the University of Illinois at Chicago 2013 Distinguished Researcher of the Year in the Clinical Sciences. His recent book Listening for What Matters: Avoiding Contextual Errors in Health Care (Oxford University Press) received the 2017 American Publishers Award for Professional & Scholarly Excellence (PROSE) in the life sciences from the American Association of Publishers. His most recent book, On Becoming a Healer: The Journey from Patient Care to Caring About Your Patients, was published in 2020 by Johns Hopkins University Press.
Lauren Williams, MD is an assistant professor in the medicine department. She earned her undergraduate degree at Howard University and medical degree at the University of Virginia. She completed her MedPeds residency at UIC and served as Chief Resident during her fourth year. She is the site medical director of Mile Square (UI Health’s FQHC affiliate) Cicero and her clinical interests include preventive medicine, chronic disease management, and optimizing the delivery of primary care.
Class of 2023 MedPeds Graduation Ceremony
2023
Jeff Cohen –> MedPeds Primary Care, San Diego, CA
Adriana Giuliani –> Combined Adult and Pediatrics Infectious Disease Fellowship, UC San Diego
Jessica Hsueh –> Clinical Leaders and Academic Scholars (CLASS) Fellowship, UIC
Aisha Uraizee –> Pediatric Hospital Medicine Fellowship, Medical College of Wisconsin
2022
Paul Cooper –> Pediatric Cardiology Fellowship, Baylor University
Meghan Hudak –> Adult Hospitalist, Advocate Aurora Trinity Hospital, Chicago, IL
Charles Swanson –> Academic MedPeds, Hurley Medical Center, Michigan State University
2021
Jack Flores –> Combined Fellowship in Adult and Pediatric Infectious Diseases, University of Chicago
Zoe Haemer –> Clinical Leaders and Academic Scholars (CLASS) Fellowship, UIC
David Hodge –> Academic Hospitalist, Rush University
Ashley Zilberstein –> Pediatric Dermatology Fellowship, Lurie Children’s Hospital and Northwestern University
2020
Trinh Khong –> Medicine Hospitalist, Hoag Memorial Hospital, Orange County, CA
Ana Mauro –> Pediatric Chief Resident, UIC; Academic MedPeds, UIC
Shuvani Sanyal –> Pediatric Hospitalist Medicine Fellowship, Texas Children’s Hospital/Baylor College of Medicine
Melissa Zimmerman –> Clinical Leaders and Academic Scholars (CLASS) Fellowship, UIC
2019
Alex Arges –> Medicine Chief Resident, UIC
David Leone –> Pediatric Cardiology Fellowship, Yale University
Xixi Luo –> MedPeds Hospitalist, University of Chicago & AMITA Health St. Alexius Medical Center
Sarah Sefcovic –> MedPeds Hospitalist & Primary Care, St. Anthony Hospital, Chicago, IL
2018
Michael Charles –> Academic MedPeds, UIC
Nishi Dedania –> Academic MedPeds, Brown University
Jorge Ramallo –> MedPeds Primary Care, 16th St Community Health Center, Milwaukee, WI
Lily Rotman –> MedPeds Hospitalist, Massachusetts General Hospital and Cape Cod Hospital, MA
2017
Kelsie Avants –> Pediatric Chief Resident, UIC; Academic MedPeds, UIC
Justin Choi –> Medicine Hospitalist, Torrance, CA
Adriana Herrera –> MedPeds Hospitalist/Global Health Fellow, University of Florida and Innovating Health International
Nili Seleski –> Pediatric Hospitalist, Silver Cross Hospital; Medicine Hospitalist, UIC
2016
Isabel Angulo –> MedPeds Primary Care, UIC Miles Square Health Center
Nancy Choi –> Medicine Chief Resident, UIC; Academic MedPeds, UCSF
Hannah Nam –> Adult Infectious Disease Fellowship, Northwestern University
Pamela Stamegna –> MedPeds Primary Care, NH
2015
Sae-Rom Chae –> Epidemic Intelligence Service, CDC
Lauren Greene –> MedPeds Hospitalist, Geisinger Medical Center, PA
Jalene Shoener –> Pediatric Chief Resident, UIC; Academic MedPeds, UIC
Jennifer Vu –> Pediatric Chief Resident, UIC; MedPeds Community Practice, NC
2014
Olabunmi Agboola –> Allergy-Immunology Fellowship, Duke Unversity
Katie Mena –> Pediatric Chief Resident, UIC; Academic MedPeds, UIC
Caroline Skolnik –> MedPeds Hospitalist, Chicago, IL
Clemence Sullivan –> MedPeds Primary Care, Minneapolis, MN
2013
Amber Brown –> Pediatric Chief Resident, UIC; MedPeds Community Practice, Nebraska
Denise Dewald –> Adult Infectious Disease Fellowship, UIC
Gina Mathew –> MedPeds Primary Care, Elk Grove, IL
Joseph Poterucha –> Pediatric Cardiology/Congenital Heart Disease Fellowship, Mayo Clinic
Lauren Williams –> MedPeds Primary Care, Washington, DC
2012
Nathan Bolden –> MedPeds Hospitalist, DuPage Medical Group, IL
Daina Roberson –> Primary Care, MacNeal Hospital, Berwyn, IL
Linda Steeb –> MedPeds Primary Care, Chinatown Practice, Chicago, IL
2011
Shanna Butts –> Medical Genetics Fellowship, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, NY, NY
Sarah Joseph –> MedPeds Primary Care, Peoria, IL
Pavan Srivastava –> Pediatric Chief Resident, UIC; Academic MedPeds, UIC
Aziz Valika –> Adult Nephrology Fellowship, Yale University
2010
Alyssa Cook –> Pediatric Chief Resident, UIC; Medical Education Fellowship,
University of Chicago; MedPeds Faculty, Johns Hopkins University
Amy Huang –> Pediatric Chief Resident, UIC; Academic MedPeds, UCSD
Yazen Joudeh –> Primary Care and Weight Management Clinic, Suburban Chicago
Orhan Sancaktar –> Adult Cardiology Fellowship, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI
2009
Kelly Riggs –> MedPeds Primary Care, Anderson, IL
Yasser Said –> MedPeds Hospitalist, DuPage Medical Group
Tasin Shuaipaj –> MedPeds Hospitalist, Hinsdale, IL
Garret Yam –> MedPeds Primary Care, Redmond, WA
2008
Jessica Diethelm –> General Internal Medicine, Rush Medical Center, Chicago, IL
Ashish Goyal –> MedPeds Primary Care, Honolulu, HI; Founder of Pediatrics Board Review
Julien Pham –> Adult Nephrology Fellowship, Harvard/Mass General Hospital, Boston, MA
2007
Thomas Chweh –> MedPeds Hospitalist, Melrose Park, IL
Alicia Fernandez –> MedPeds Primary Care, Ripon, WI
Anjum Hussaini –> MedPeds Primary Care, Mt. Vernon, IL
Anna Mathew –> Adult and Pediatric Nephrology, University of California San Diego
2006
Naina Bhalla –> International Emergency Medicine and Global Health Fellowship, UIC;
Doctors’ Without Borders
Sejal Dave –> Adult Heme-Onc, Arlington Heights, IL
Richard Fernandez –> Combined Pediatric Critical Care and Cardiology Fellowship,
Children’s Memorial Hospital, Chicago, IL