Recognizing Excellence: 2020 Honors and Awards Celebration

Each year, faculty and staff are nominated for Department of Medicine awards in recognition of their outstanding contributions to their divisions, the department, the School of Medicine, and Emory University. In addition, faculty also receive senior promotions through the School of Medicine’s rigorous promotions process, and clinical distinctions designed to recognize those who have made significant clinical contributions to the department.

This year’s faculty and staff award winners, senior promotions, and clinical distinctions were celebrated during the department’s virtual Honors and Awards Celebration on August 26. Attendees cheered on the award recipients as their names were called and celebrated with colorful Zoom backgrounds.

The celebration also featured a special video tribute including messages of thanks and gratitude from the department chairs, division directors, and David S. Stephens, MD, chair of the Department of Medicine. Watch below:

Please join us in celebrating the below faculty and staff award winners, senior promotions, and clinical distinctions honorees.

Faculty Award Winners

Outstanding Clinician Award
Stephen Pastan, MD
Professor, Division of Renal Medicine

Outstanding Quality Achievement Award
Paulina Rebolledo, MD, MSc
Assistant Professor, Division of Infectious Diseases

Educator Impact Award
Janice Lea, MD
Professor, Division of Renal Medicine

Academy of Medical Educators “Teach 12” Award
Jason Cobb, MD
Associate Professor, Division of Renal Medicine

Diversity and Inclusion Award
Tracey Henry, MD
Assistant Professor, Division of General Medicine and Geriatrics

Nanette K. Wenger Distinguished Service Award – Professor
Carlos del Rio, MD
Professor, Division of Infectious Diseases

Nanette K. Wenger Distinguished Service Award – Associate Professor
Ugochi Ohuabunwa, MD
Associate Professor, Division of General Medicine and Geriatrics

Nanette K. Wenger Distinguished Service Award – Assistant Professor
Marybeth Sexton, MD
Assistant Professor, Division of Infectious Diseases

Shanthi V. Sitaraman Silver Pear Mentoring Awards – Clinician Educator
Shanthi Srinivasan, MD
Professor, Division of Digestive Diseases

Shanthi V. Sitaraman Silver Pear Mentoring Awards – Research
Colleen Kelley, MD, MPH
Associate Professor, Division of Infectious Diseases

Outstanding Scientific Citation Awards – Senior Faculty
Srilatha Edupuganti, MD
Associate Professor, Division of Infectious Diseases

Outstanding Scientific Citation Awards – Basic Junior Faculty
Nicholas Maurice, MD
Assistant Professor, Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine

Outstanding Scientific Citation Awards – Clinical Junior Faculty
Merin Kuruvilla, MD
Assistant Professor, Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine

R. Wayne Alexander Excellence in Research Award
Ighovwerha Ofotokun, MD
Professor, Division of Infectious Diseases

Hidden Gem Awards
Wendy Book, MD
Professor, Division of Cardiology

Nikrad Shahnavaz, MD
Assistant Professor, Division of Digestive Diseases

Georgia Davis, MD
Assistant Professor, Division of Endocrinology, Metabolism, and Lipids

James O’Keefe, MD
Assistant Professor, Division of General Medicine and Geriatrics

Yoo Mee Shin, MD
Assistant Professor, Division of Hospital Medicine

Henry Wu, MD
Associate Professor, Division of Infectious Diseases

Maxwell Weinmann, MD
Assistant Professor, Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine

Anju Oommen, MD
Assistant Professor, Division of Renal Medicine

Alison Gizinski, MD
Assistant Professor, Division of Rheumatology

Staff Award Winners

Excellence in Academic Innovation Award
Ambreen Merchant, Clinical Research Coordinator II
Division of Digestive Diseases

Leadership Excellence Award
Zirka Smith, Division Administrator
Division of Infectious Diseases

Outstanding Service Award
Betty Webb, Administrative Manager
Division of General Medicine and Geriatrics

Unsung Hero Award
Mary Pierre, Program Coordinator
Education/Residency Programs

Senior Promotions – Grant of Tenure

Colleen Kelley, MD, MPH
Francis Eun-Hyung Lee, MD
Ighovwerha Ofotokun, MD, MSc
Jeanie Park, MD, MS

Senior Promotions – Professor

Lisa Berstein, MD
Jonathan Crane, PhD
Mikhael El Chami, MD
Abhinav Goyal, MD, MHS, FACC, FAHA
Michael Lloyd, MD, FACC, FHRS
Kimberly Manning, MD, FACP, FAAP
Kreton Mavromatis, MD
Lesley Miller, MD, FACP
Khusrow Niazi, MD, FACC, FSCAI
Frederic Rahbari, MD, MS, FASN
Nadine Rouphael, MD, MSc, FSSCI, FIDSA
Field Willingham, MD, MPH

Senior Promotions – Associate Professor

Bhavin Adhyaru, MD
Mikhail Akbashev, MD
Sharon Bergquist, MD, FACP
Jonathan Colasanti, MD, MSPH
Barry Fields, MD, MSEd
Ryan Ford, MD
Rachel Friedman-Moraco, MD
Stephan Goebel, MD
Heba Iskandar, MD, MSCI
Sol Jacobs, MD, FACE
Thomas Jarrett, MD, FACP
Ameeta Kalokhe, MD, MSc
Sheetal Kandiah, MD, MPH
James Kim, MD
Cecile Lahiri, MD, MSc
Jennifer Lom, MD
Julia Massaad, MD
Laura Plantinga, PhD, ScM
Stephanie Pouch, MD, MS
Stacie Schmidt, MD
Sara Turbow, MD, MPH
Priyathama Vellanki, MD
Henry Wu, MD

Clinical Distinctions – Master Clinicians

Jennifer Christie, MD
Willie Smith Jr., MD
Ram Subramanian, MD, MBA
Field Willingham, MD, MPH

Clinical Distinctions – Distinguished Physicians

Stephen Brandt, MD
Saurabh Chawla, MD
Dhaval Desai, MD
Ryan Ford, MD
Steven Gorbatkin, MD, PhD
Ali Kashkouli, MD
Arezou Khosroshahi, MD
Julia Massaad, MD
Mohamad Moussa, MD
Patrick Pullin, DO
Emad Qayed, MD, MPH
Preeti Reshamwala, MD
Kavya Sebastian, MD
Hasan Shabbir, MD
Michael Sterling, MD

Clinical Distinctions – Senior Physicians

Reem Ahmed, MD
Ali Al-Zubaidi, MD
Rianot Amzat, MD, MPH
Sivan Ben-Moshe, MD
Sadaf Bhatti, MD
Jason Brown, MD
Emily Cartwright, MD
Ashtar Chami, MD
Kari Esbensen, MD, PhD
Monica Giles, MD
Aaron Gluth, MD
Erica Han, MD
Janelle Holder, MD
Patricia Hwang, MD
Sarah Ann Johnson, MD
Haritha Katakam, MD
Erin Kim, MD
Srividya Koduru, MD
Francis Edward Levert III, MD
Munish Luthra, MD
Nora Oliver, MD, MPH
Anup Patel, MD
Vaishali Patel, MD
Ramzy Rimawi, MD
Colin Swenson, MD
Seema Tekwani, MD
Katina Tsagaris, DO, MPH