Alumni News
1960s
Jere Segrest, M.D., ‘66, Ph.D., ‘69, HS ‘70, BA ‘62, FAC ‘16, has joined the VUSM faculty as a professor of Medicine in the Division of Cardiovascular
Medicine.
Arthur M. Freeman III, M.D., ‘67, has been recognized as a Leading Physician of the World and Top Adult Psychiatrist in Birmingham, Alabama, by The International Association of HealthCare Professionals, an organization that selects doctors of excellence who have demonstrated leadership and achievement in their medical specialty.
1970s
Ed Settle, M.D., ‘71, HS ‘73, has joined Baptist Health Medical Group Family Medicine in
Princeton, Kentucky.
Maj. Gen. Steve Jones, M.D., ‘78, BA ‘74, has concluded his career with the U.S. Army Medical Department Center and School after 38 years of service as a commissioned officer, effective August 2016. “I will be forever grateful to have served with such incredible soldiers,” Jones said in front of a formation of 1,000 soldiers who gathered for a ceremony to mark his retirement.
Jeffrey Carter, DMD, M.D., ‘78, HS ‘80, FAC ‘00, received the AAOMS Committee Person of the Year Award in September 2016, during the opening ceremony of the 98th Annual Meeting, Scientific Sessions and Exhibition of American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons in Las Vegas.
1980s
R. Bruce Shack, M.D., ‘80, has been named dean of the University of Tennessee Health Science Center College of Medicine in Chattanooga and Senior Vice President of the Erlanger Health System.
Samuel DeMent, M.D., ‘82, FAC ‘00, banded and released his 1,000th bird of prey in 2016. While a student at Vanderbilt, he was introduced to avian banding techniques by Katharine Anderson Goodpasture, Ph.D., ‘40. DeMent maintains a Master Personal bird banding permit with the Department of the Interior, United States Geologic Survey, and has published 10 scientific articles related to ongoing avian research.
Russell Howerton, M.D., ‘83, HS ‘84, chief medical officer and vice president of clinical operations at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, is a new member of the Governing Board of the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI).
Sandra Swain, M.D., HS ‘83, has been named associate dean for research development for Georgetown University.
John Marymont, M.D., ‘86, has been named vice president for medical affairs and dean of the College of Medicine at the University of South Alabama. He previously was chair of the Department of Orthopaedics at the Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center at Shreveport.
Bonnie Miller, M.D., HS ‘86, FAC ‘16, Senior Associate Dean for Health Sciences Education and Executive Vice President Educational Affairs, VUMC, traveled to Kenya in October 2016 to visit with Maggie and John Tarpley, M.D.,’70, and to visit VUSM’s training sites in Lwala and Kijabe. There she met with Evelyn Mbugua, medical education director of AIC Kijabe Hospital, about establishing an office to oversee post-graduate training programs.
Gregg Baran, M.D., ‘87, BS ‘83, was presented the Gold Medal Award, the highest honor of the Florida Radiological Society. He was recognized for outstanding meritorious achievements and contributions that have impacted radiology in Florida.
Col. Steve Braverman, M.D., ‘87, retired from the U.S. Army as colonel after nearly 30 years of service. He is the new director/CEO of the Edward Hines Jr. VA Hospital in Chicago.
U.S. Navy Rear Adm. Paul D. Pearigen, M.D., ‘87, assumed command of Navy Medicine West, on Dec. 5, 2016. More than 850,000 beneficiaries are cared for at 10 hospitals and 50 primary care clinics throughout the Navy Medicine West region, which encompasses the U.S. West Coast, Hawaii, Guam and Japan.
Michael Ware, M.D., HS ‘87, joined the board of trustees for Redmond Regional Medical Center. Ware is a cardiologist with Harbin Clinic Cardiology.
Terri Vrtiska, M.D., ‘87, was recognized as a recipient of the 2016 Radiological Society of North America Honored Educator Award. She is an assistant professor of Radiology at Mayo Clinic, where she resides with her husband, Bernie Swenson.
Greg Hendey, M.D., ‘89, joined UCLA in June 2016 as the inaugural chair of the Department of Emergency Medicine at the David Geffen School of Medicine.
John Lane, M.D., ‘89, HS ‘92, has been named clinical director of The Heart Center at Akron Children’s Hospital. Lane joined Akron Children’s in 2001 as director of the Health Center’s adult congenital heart service and assumed the additional role of director of pediatric cardiology in 2007.
C. Wright Pinson, MBA, M.D., ‘89, FAC ‘16, deputy CEO of VUMC and CEO of Vanderbilt Health System, will serve as chairman of the board for Nashville Health Care Council for a two-year term.
1990s
Elizabeth Johnson, M.D., ‘90, has been appointed to the board of directors of the medical professional mutual insurance company, Coverys. Johnson is the CEO for Maine Health Accountable Care Organization.
Lee Fentriss, M.D., ‘92, HS ‘95, started a nonprofit, A Step Ahead Foundation of Middle Tennessee, that provides free long-acting, reversible contraception to any woman of childbearing age in Davidson County and its surrounding areas, as well as transportation to the clinic, if needed. The primary outreach is to women without health care insurance and/or access to health care.
John Warner, M.D., ‘92, vice president and chief executive officer of UT Southwestern Medical Center University Hospitals, was named president-elect of the American Heart Association effective July 2016 and will serve as president of the AHA for the 2017-2018 year.
Gregory Henderson, M.D., ‘93, Ph.D., ‘92, is the new president of the American Pathology Foundation for the 2016-2018 term. An anatomic and clinical pathologist, Henderson will also serve on the board of directors.
James O’Mara Jr., M.D., ‘93, has been recognized as the 2016 Mississippi Sports Medicine Person of the Year by the Mississippi Athletics Trainers Association for his longtime commitment to the association’s mission. He is the team physician to Delta State University, Mississippi College and Ridgeland High School.
Cynthia Downard, M.D., ‘97, BA ‘93, was elected president-elect of the Kentucky American College of Surgeons.
2000s
Rachel Gordon, M.D., ‘00, received the Fundamentals Outstanding Teacher of the Year Award from the Columbia University College of Physicians & Surgeons class of 2019.
Noble Maleque, M.D., ‘00, BS ‘96, and his wife, Zeenat Syed, welcomed their second daughter, Nora Amelia, on Oct. 28, 2016. She joins her sister, Zara, 5.
Ron Wells, M.D., ‘00, was recently selected by the U..S Army Medical Corps for promotion to Colonel. His promotion will occur in mid-2018.
Yasmine S. Ali, M.D., ‘01, MSCI ‘07, has been named chief editor of the Congenital Heart Disease section of Medscape Drugs and Diseases from WebMD. She adds this to her chief editor position for the Atherosclerosis section, which she has held since 2009.
Tyler Barrett, M.D., ‘01, MSCI ‘10, FACEP, FHRS, was promoted to medical director of the Vanderbilt University Hospital Adult Emergency Department, effective Jan. 1.
Jeff Giullian, MBA, M.D., ‘01, FE ‘08, has been named vice president of medical affairs for DaVita Kidney Care, a division of DaVita HealthCare Partners Inc.
Rodney Hamilton, M.D., HS ‘01, CEO of DigiChart, has sold the company to the Canada-based health division of the N. Harris Computer Corp.
Oran Aaronson, M.D., HS ‘04, MMHC ‘13, FAC ‘16, joined Saint Thomas Medical Partners as part of the Howell Allen Clinic practice, effective Jan. 1. Aaronson completed his general surgery internship and neurosurgery residency at VUMC, serving as neurosurgery chief resident in 2003 and 2004. He completed his Masters of Management in Health Care at the Owen School at Vanderbilt University, receiving the Dean’s Award for First in Class.
Elise Fallucco, M.D., ‘04, recently accepted a position at the University of Florida (Jacksonville) to build and direct their Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Fellowship Training Program.
Gavin O’Mahony, M.D., ‘06, has joined Miller Orthopedic Specialists in Council Bluffs, Iowa, specializing in hand and trauma surgery.
Ildiko Csiki, M.D., ‘07, HS ‘12, Ph.D., ‘04, will serve as vice president, clinical development, oncology, at Inovio Pharmaceuticals, Inc., responsible for advancing its cancer programs. Prior to joining Inovio, Csiki had been clinical lead and senior director of clinical research at Merck & Co.
Eitan Friedman, M.D., ‘07, HS ‘11, FE ‘16, interventional cardiologist, has joined Centennial Heart at Southern Hills. He will treat patients with cardiovascular and peripheral vascular disease.
Ying Zhang, M.D., FAC ‘07, is leading a team at AbBioSci, a biotech company located in Seattle, in addition to running her own business related to therapeutic antibody development.
Andrew Vranic, M.D., HS ‘09, BA ‘98, and Maria Maguire, M.D., ‘10, HS ‘13, have joined the University of Maryland Community Medical Group.
Rebecca Cook, M.D., ‘11, recently joined UMass Memorial Medical Group. She is board certified in pediatrics and internal medicine.
David Johnson, M.D., ‘11, HS ‘16, FE and Suzanne Bryce Johnson, M.D., ‘11, HS ‘14, BS ‘07, FAC, announce the birth of their daughter, Juliana Bryce, born on June 27, 2016. David is completing his fellowship in interventional radiology at Vanderbilt, and Suzanne is a faculty member in the Department of Emergency Medicine.
Amulya Nagarur, M.D., ‘11, and Muthu Vaduganathan, M.D., were married Nov. 25, 2016, in a ceremony at the Grand Hyatt Atlanta. Nagarur is a hospitalist and an inpatient clinician educator at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. Vaduganathan is a cardiology fellow at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston and a clinical research fellow at Harvard Medical School.
Mica Bergman, M.D., ‘12, HS ‘13, Ph.D., ‘11, is doing a fellowship in ophthalmic plastic and reconstructive surgery at the USC Eye Institute/Eyesthetica Ocuplastic and Cosmetic Surgery Group.
Nick Burjeck, M.D., ‘12, HS ‘13, BE ‘08, graduated from his anesthesiology residency at Northwestern in June 2016. He is now doing a pediatric anesthesiology fellowship at Lurie Children’s Hospital in Chicago. He and Katie Burns, M.D., ‘13, were married on Dec. 19, 2015. She is a resident in emergency medicine at Advocate Christ Medical Center.
Nicole Hames, M.D., ‘12, BS ‘08, who completed her chief resident year at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, is an assistant professor of pediatrics at Emory in Atlanta, working as a pediatric hospitalist.
David Marcovitz, M.D., ‘12, is an addiction psychiatry fellow at MGH/McLean/Brigham while also pursuing a clinical interest in integrated care. His wife, Sabrina Poon, M.D., ‘12, is completing a research fellowship and working toward her MPH degree at Harvard while taking shifts in the ER. The couple recently welcomed their first child, Maya.
Niraj Nathan, M.D., ‘12, HS ‘16, is a glaucoma fellow at Baylor.
Rachael Schulte, M.D., ‘12, HS ‘15, FE, completed a residency in pediatrics at Vanderbilt and is now in her second year of fellowship in VUMC pediatric hematology/oncology.
Adam Shpigel, M.D., ‘12, a second-year cardiology fellow at Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis, married Jamie Brown, M.D., an anesthesiology resident, on Aug. 6, 2016, in Rockleigh, New Jersey.
Aaron Tustin, M.D., ‘12, completed an occupational and environmental medicine residency at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and started a full-time job as medical officer at OSHA in Washington, D.C.
Carol Logan Vincent, M.D., ‘12, joined Western Rockingham Family Medicine. Previously, she served as a resident at the University of North Carolina Hospitals in Chapel Hill.
Allison Martin, M.D., ‘13, is completing her second year of research as part of her general surgery residency. She is living and working in Kigali, Rwanda, to research cancer risk factors and outcomes following surgery.
Rishi Naik, M.D., ‘13, HS ‘16, FE, and Nilam Patel, Pharm D. BCPS, were married May 15, 2016, in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Naik was chair of the Vanderbilt House Staff Advisory Council (2015-2016) and is a fellow in Gastroenterology. Patel is a cardiology pharmacist in her final year of residency at the Nashville VA Medical Center.
Victor Nwazue, M.D., MSCI ‘14, has joined the Nephrology Department at the Jackson Clinic in Jackson, Tennessee.