22 Faculty Members Join 10 Medical School Departments

By Dirk Hoffman

Zuhair Alam, MD, is a clinical assistant professor of medicine.

He specializes in hematology, internal medicine and oncology.

Alam completed a fellowship in hematology and medical oncology at the University of Rochester, and an internal medicine residency at the University of Cincinnati.

Raad Alhaj Tahtouh, MD, is a clinical assistant professor of medicine.

He is a nephrologist with training in internal medicine and nephrology across Syria, Qatar and the United States.

His clinical interests include acute kidney injury, electrolyte disorders, dialysis and glomerular disease.

Alhaj Tahtouh completed an internal medicine residency at the Hamad Medical Corporation and received his medical degree from the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences.

Christian J. Binns, MD, is a clinical assistant professor of psychiatry.

He is an adult psychiatrist working at the Comprehensive Psychiatric Emergency Program (CPEP) of Erie County Medical Center and treats a wide variety of acute mental health issues.

Binns completed a psychiatry residency at the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences.

He received his medical degree from the Jacobs School.

Rachel Chidester, DO, is a clinical assistant professor of pediatrics.

She received her DO degree from the University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine.

Alicia N. Drago, MD, is a clinical assistant professor of pediatrics.

She completed a pediatrics residency at the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences.

Drago received her medical degree from Trinity College Dublin in Ireland.

Shelby L. Hall, MD, is a clinical assistant professor of pediatrics.

She completed a pediatric emergency medicine fellowship at the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences.

Hall completed her residency training in pediatrics at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh.

She received her medical degree from the Jacobs School.

Matthew J. Kabalan, MD, is a clinical assistant professor of otolaryngology.

He completed a rhinology and skull base surgery fellowship at the Cleveland Clinic.

Kabalan completed an otolaryngology-head and neck surgery residency at the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences.

He received his medical degree from the Jacobs School.

Stavros Lalos, MD, is an assistant professor of emergency medicine.

His academic interests include EMS systems, prehospital trauma care, medical education, and the improvement and education of prehospital bystander CPR in the community. 

Lalos currently serves as an attending physician at Erie County Medical Center, Buffalo General Hospital, and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs in Buffalo, NY.

He completed his emergency medical services fellowship at the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, following his residency in emergency medicine at Good Samaritan University Hospital in West Islip, New York.

Lalos earned his medical degree from the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland.

Dustin Morgan, MD, is a clinical assistant professor of orthopaedics.

He completed an orthopaedic trauma fellowship at Rutgers Health — New Jersey Medical School.

Morgan completed an orthopaedic surgery residency at the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences.

He served as a general surgery intern at Orlando Health.

Morgan received his medical degree from the Mercer University School of Medicine.

Jill K. Paterson, PhD, is a clinical instructor of biotechnical and clinical laboratory sciences.

Her research focus is on membrane proteins, mitochondria and monoclonal antibodies.

Paterson completed an American Cancer Society fellowship at Purdue University and a fellowship at the National Cancer Institute of the National Institutes of Health.

She received her doctoral degree in chemistry from Indiana University.

Michael L. Pirics, MD, is a clinical assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology.

His specific areas of specialty include cervical dysplasia (pre-cancer), vulvar disorders, minimally invasive surgery, and transgender care. 

Pirics completed an obstetrics and gynecology residency at Houston Methodist Hospital.

He received his medical degree from the Baylor College of Medicine.

Aditi M. Shaily, MD, is a clinical assistant professor of pediatrics.

She cares for children with a wide range of rheumatic diseases such as juvenile idiopathic arthritis, systemic lupus, juvenile dermatomyositis, Sjogren’s syndrome and vasculitis.

Shaily completed a pediatric rheumatology fellowship at the University of South Carolina.

She completed a pediatrics residency at SUNY Upstate Medical University and received her medical degree from St. George’s University School of Medicine.

The biographical information in the faculty profiles of the following new hires was incomplete at the time of publication:

Masihullah Barat, MD, is a clinical assistant professor of medicine.

Ryan J. Elnicki, MD, is a clinical instructor of emergency medicine.

Justine M. Forrest, MD, is a clinical assistant professor of psychiatry.

Ashley L. Gugino, MD, is a clinical instructor of emergency medicine.

Wenxin Liu, MD, is a clinical assistant professor of medicine.

Kaitlin Ritter, MD, is a clinical assistant professor of surgery.

Shengtian Sang, PhD, is an assistant professor of biomedical informatics.

Edward Y. Shi, MD, is a clinical assistant professor of medicine.

Jesse Slone, PhD, is an assistant professor of pediatrics.

Dylan Tanzer, MD, is a clinical assistant professor of surgery.