43 New Faculty Members Join 12 Departments

Samara R. Appelstein, DO, is a clinical assistant professor of pediatrics.

She completed a pediatrics residency at SUNY Upstate Medical University. She earned her medical degree at the New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine.

Rachel E. Borlack, MD, is a clinical assistant professor of pediatrics.

She completed a fellowship in pediatric gastroenterology, hepatology and nutrition at Columbia University, where she also completed a pediatrics residency. She earned her medical degree at Albert Einstein College of Medicine.

K. Keely Boyle, MD, is a clinical assistant professor of orthopaedics who has expertise in orthopaedic surgery, specifically lower extremity joint replacement and reconstruction.

Boyle completed an adult reconstruction and joint replacement fellowship at the Hospital for Special Surgery. She completed UB’s orthopaedic residency and earned her medical degree at George Washington University.

Charles T. Camp, MD, is a clinical assistant professor of psychiatry.

He completed UB’s psychiatry residency and the Jacob School’s medical education program.

Ashley M. Chopko, MD, is a clinical assistant professor of surgery who specializes in gastrointestinal surgery, laparoscopic surgery and surgical critical care.

At UB, Chopko completed the surgical critical care fellowship, the general surgery residency and the medical education program.

Natalie A. Emmert, PhD, is a clinical assistant professor of neurology who has expertise in memory disorders, neurodegenerative disorders, neuro-oncology and neuropsychology.

She completed a postdoctoral fellowship in clinical neuropsychology at the Medical College of Wisconsin and earned her doctoral degree at Saint Louis University.

Jill C. Fennell, MD, is a clinical assistant professor of pediatrics.

At UB, Fennell completed the pediatric emergency medicine fellowship, the pediatrics residency and the medical education program.

Allison L. Freeman, MD, is a clinical assistant professor of pediatrics.

At McMaster University she completed an allergy and clinical immunology fellowship and a pediatrics residency. She earned her medical degree at the University of Toronto.

Paola Ghione, MD, is an assistant professor of medicine in the Division of Hematology/Oncology. She specializes in areas including oncology, molecular and cellular biology, gene expression and immunology.

She completed a lymphoma fellowship at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and a hematology oncology fellowship at the University of Turin in Italy. She also earned her medical degree at the University of Turin.

Matthew R. Gondek, MD, is a clinical instructor of emergency medicine.

He earned his medical degree from the Jacobs School.

P. Ben Ham III, MD, is an assistant professor of surgery with expertise in bioinformatics, minimally invasive surgery, oncology, pediatric surgery and thoracic surgery.

Ham completed UB’s pediatric surgery fellowship. He completed a general surgery residency at the Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University, where he also earned his medical degree.

Mohammad Faraz Haq, MD, is an assistant professor of medicine who specializes in nephrology. 

Haq completed an internal medicine residency at Michigan State University. He earned his medical degree from the Aga Khan University in Pakistan.

Maxwell R. Henricks, MD, is a clinical assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology.

Henricks completed UB’s obstetrics and gynecology residency. He earned his medical degree at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

N. Ja Hpa, MBBS, is a clinical assistant professor of pediatrics. She completed UB’s neonatal-perinatal medicine fellowship and a pediatrics residency at New York Medical College.

She earned her medical degree at the University of Medicine 1, Yangon in Myanmar. 

Taosheng Huang, MD, PhD, is a professor of pediatrics and chief of the Division of Genetics. He specializes in translational research and mitochondrial medicine with expertise in areas including clinical biochemical genetics, clinical molecular genetics, genomics and proteomics, inherited metabolic disorders, molecular and cellular biology, molecular basis of disease, molecular genetics and pediatric genetics.

Huang earned his doctoral degree at Mount Sinai School of Medicine, now known as Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. He earned his medical degree at Fujian Medical University in China. 

Chinazom Ibegbu, MD, is a clinical assistant professor of neurology.

He completed a neuro-oncology fellowship at the University of Rochester and a neurology residency at Emory University. He earned his medical degree at Case Western Reserve University.

Michael P. Keenan, MD, is a clinical instructor of emergency medicine. He has research interests in toxicology.

He earned his medical degree from SUNY Upstate Medical University.

Benjamin J. Levy, MD, is a clinical assistant professor of orthopaedics. Levy completed a fellowship in adult and pediatric sports medicine at the University of Connecticut.

He completed an orthopedic surgery residency at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, where he also earned his medical degree. 

Elizabeth Lucaj, MD, is a clinical assistant professor of psychiatry. She completed UB’s psychiatry residency and earned her medical degree at St. George’s University.

Diana L. Marchese, MD, is a clinical assistant professor of pediatrics who specializes in developmental pediatrics and rehabilitation.

Marchese completed a fellowship in pediatric rehabilitation medicine at Children’s Mercy hospital. She completed a physical medicine and rehabilitation residency at the University of North Carolina and an anesthesiology and pain management residency at Maine Medical Center. She earned her medical degree at Florida State University.

Brittany C. Montross, MD, is a clinical assistant professor of surgery. She completed UB’s vascular surgery integrated residency and the medical education program.

Kara R. Oliver, DO, is a clinical assistant professor of pediatrics.

She completed UB’s pediatrics residency and earned her medical degree at the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine.

Olga Pletnikova, MD, is a research associate professor of pathology and anatomical sciences. Pletnikova has expertise in autopsy neuropathology, with a focus on neurodegenerative disorders and forensic neuropathology, as well as brain banking.

She completed an internship in forensic pathology at the Moscow Bureau of Forensic Pathology. She earned her medical degree at I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University.

Daesung Shin, PhD, is an assistant professor of biotechnical and clinical laboratory sciences. He has expertise in areas including gene expression, gene therapy, inherited metabolic disorders, molecular and cellular biology, molecular genetics, neurobiology, signal transduction, and transgenic organisms.

Shin earned his doctoral degree from the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology. He comes to the Jacobs School from the Hunter James Kelly Research Institute.

Anil K. Swayampakula, MD, is a clinical assistant professor of pediatrics.

Swayampakula completed a pediatric critical care medicine fellowship at Loma Linda University Children’s Hospital. He completed a pediatrics residency at Bronx-Lebanon Hospital Center, and he earned his medical degree at Mamata Medical College in India.

Stuti J. Tambar, MD, is a clinical assistant professor in the department of surgery.

Tambar completed a breast surgical oncology fellowship at Georgetown University. She completed the general surgery residency at UB, where she also earned her medical degree.

Jill N. Tirabassi, MD, is a clinical assistant professor of family medicine. She specializes in sports medicine, as well as public health and general preventive medicine.

Tirabassi completed a preventive medicine residency at the University of Massachusetts Medical School. She also completed the South Bend-Notre Dame Sports Medicine Fellowship and a family medicine residency at the University of Colorado. She earned her medical degree from SUNY Upstate Medical University.

Zhen Wang, MD, is a clinical assistant professor of medicine in the Division of Hematology/Oncology.

Wang completed a fellowship in hematology/oncology at Maimonides Cancer Center in Brooklyn, NY. He completed an internal medicine residency at Rutgers University and earned his medical degree at Mercer University.

Zachary B. Wikerd, MD, is an assistant professor of medicine in the Division of Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine.

Wikerd completed a geriatric medicine fellowship at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and an internal medicine residency at the MetroHealth System in Cleveland, Ohio. He earned his medical degree at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland. 

Henry M. Bacher, MD, is a clinical assistant professor of emergency medicine. 

Desi R. Carozza, MD, is an assistant professor of medicine.

Jason T. Edwards, MD, is an assistant professor of medicine.

Anant Gopal, PhD, is a research assistant professor of radiation oncology. He earned his doctorate in physics at UB and completed the University of Michigan’s medical physics residency program.

Mohammed Jermoumi, PhD, is a research assistant professor of radiation oncology. 

Samer Kareem, MBBS, is a clinical assistant professor of medicine.

Anna G. Kusche, PhD, is an assistant professor of medicine. She earned her doctoral degree at UB. 

Miriam M. Kwon, MD, is an assistant professor of medicine. 

Annie Mathai, MD, is an assistant professor of medicine. 

Brian A. Monaco, MD, is a clinical assistant professor of emergency medicine. He completed UB’s emergency medicine residency. 

Sebastian Strobel, MD, is an assistant professor of medicine. 

Suchitra Sundaram, MD, is an assistant professor of medicine. 

Jeffrey J. Visco, MD, is a clinical assistant professor of surgery. He completed UB’s colon and rectal surgery fellowship and the general surgery residency. He also earned his medical degree at the Jacobs School. 

Kimberly J. Wilkins, MD, is a clinical assistant professor of family medicine.