Program Leadership
Laura E. Meinke, MD | Program Director, University of Arizona Internal Medicine Residency Program – Tucson Campus
Dr. Meinke graduated summa cum laude with her bachelor’s degree in microbiology from the UArizona before heading to California’s Bay Area, where she acquired her medical school degree and completed her internal medicine residency and pulmonary and critical care medicine fellowship training at Stanford University. At that time, she further developed her interest in academic medicine. Dr. Meinke completed the Stanford Faculty Development program in 2006, and has been an active participant in resident education since her return to the UArizona in 2007. An associate professor in the Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, she has developed several quality improvement projects, including central line complications and ultrasound-guided central venous catheterization. Dr. Meinke is board certified in internal medicine, pulmonary disease and critical care medicine.
Robert Aaronson, MD | Associate Program Director, University of Arizona Internal Medicine Residency Program – Tucson Campus at TMC
Dr. Aaronson is an associate program director for the Internal Medicine Residency Program at Tucson Campus. He oversees program activities at Tucson Medical Center (TMC) and throughout the Tucson community. A clinical professor of medicine at the College of Medicine – Tucson, Dr. Aaronson received his bachelor's degree summa cum laude in English literature from New York’s Columbia University, followed by his medical degree from the New York University School of Medicine. He completed his internal medicine residency training at the University of California, San Francisco, and his fellowship training in pulmonary and critical care medicine at Boston University. He is currently executive director of the Tucson Hospitals Medical Education Program (THMEP) and section chief for TMC’s Pulmonary & Critical Care Medicine Division. Dr. Aaronson is board certified in internal medicine, pulmonary medicine, critical care medicine, sleep medicine and neurocritical care medicine.
Bujji B. Ainapurapu, MD | Associate Program Director, University of Arizona Internal Medicine Residency Program – Tucson Campus
Dr. Ainapurapu completed his medical degree from Madras Medical College in Chennai, India in 2002. He subsequently finished his Internal Medicine Residency from All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi and worked in the Emergency Department. In 2007, Dr. Ainapurapu immigrated to the United States and completed his residency in Internal Medicine and Chief Residency from Saint Francis Hospital in Evanston, Illinois. He joined as faculty in the division of Inpatient Medicine in 2010 and served in leadership roles for the Internal Medicine Residency South Campus Program. Dr. Ainapurapu is board certified in Internal Medicine, Hospital Medicine and Hypertension. His interests include diagnostic reasoning, bedside clinical skills and POCUS.
João Paulo "JP" Ferreira, MD | Associate Program Director, University of Arizona Internal Medicine Residency Program – Tucson Campus
Dr. Ferreira received his medical degree from the Faculdade de Medicina da Bahia of the Universidade Federal da Bahia (FMB-UFBA) in Salvador, Brazil. He worked for two years in urban urgent care facilities, rural emergency rooms and for a family health program in Brazil. Dr. Ferreira completed his residency and geriatrics fellowship at the Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Afterward, he worked for the Southern Arizona VA Health Care System as a hospitalist. In October 2013, he joined the faculty at the University of Arizona Medical Center — now Banner – University Medical Center — as a hospitalist. He now plays a vital role in the Internal Medicine Residency Program at Tucson Campus as associate program director. Dr. Ferreira is also in the preliminary stages of planning for a hospitalist fellowship here.
Joshua Malo, MD | Associate Program Director, University of Arizona Internal Medicine Residency Program – Tucson Campus
Dr. Malo graduated cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in biophysics from John Hopkins University in Baltimore, before obtaining his medical degree from Yeshiva University’s Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York City. He completed his postgraduate internal medicine residency and later fellowship training in pulmonary and critical care medicine at the UA. He has been an active participant in resident education since his residency, serving as a chief resident for the Internal Medicine Residency Program – University Campus in 2009-10, and as a chief fellow in 2012-13. As an influential member of our faculty, Dr. Malo serves as associate program director for the Internal Medicine Residency Program at Tucson Campus. He has developed curricula for airway management simulation and critical care ultrasonography for pulmonary and critical care. Dr. Malo is board certified in internal medicine, pulmonary disease, and critical care medicine. His clinical and research interests include resident and fellow education, coccidioidomycosis, extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), and lung transplant.
Dalia M. Mikhael, MD | Associate Track Director for Clinician Educator Pathway, University of Arizona Internal Medicine Residency Program – Tucson Campus
Dr. Mikhael has been a Tucson native and a UA Wildcat for many years. She attended the University of Arizona where she achieved summa cum laude and honors while obtaining her Bachelor of Science in Molecular and Cellular Biology and minoring in Art History. During and following her undergraduate work she continued research work focused on learning and memory in aging and cancer prevention, after which she earned her medical degree at the University of Arizona College of Medicine. Dr. Mikhael completed her postgraduate internal medicine residency at the University of Arizona Tucson Campus and joined as faculty serving as core faculty before her current role as associate program director. Dr. Mikhael is passionate about medical education at all levels of training and effective communication in medicine. Dr. Mikhael is board certified in internal medicine.
Indu Partha, MD | Associate Program Director, University of Arizona Internal Medicine Residency Program – Tucson Campus
Dr. Partha graduated with a B.S. in Biological Sciences from Stanford University and earned her medical degree at the University of California, San Diego. Her residency training in Internal Medicine was at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles and Northwestern University in Chicago. She moved to Tucson in 2004 and practiced as a primary care internist in the community for many years before joining the UA College of Medicine – Tucson faculty in 2015. A Board-Certified internist, Dr. Partha's professional passions are Primary Care General Internal Medicine, mentoring women in medicine, and medical education.
Anthony Witten, DO | Associate Program Director, University of Arizona Internal Medicine Residency Program – Tucson Campus
Dr. Witten is a Tucson, Arizona native. He attended Arizona State University in Glendale, AZ, where he achieved summa cum laude during the completion of his Bachelor of Science in Biology while simultaneously attaining the Moeur Award for academic excellence. Following his undergraduate work at ASU, he attended Midwestern University in Glendale, Arizona, where he completed his degree in Osteopathic Medicine. Dr. Witten completed his postgraduate internal medicine residency at the University of Arizona Tucson Campus, where he later served as chief resident and core faculty before his current role as associate program director. Dr. Witten is passionate about medical education, evidence-based medicine, and point-of-care ultrasound. He looks forward to continuing to work with other program leadership to further incorporate these essential aspects of medical education into the heart of the University of Arizona program. Dr. Witten is board certified in internal medicine.
Tirdad T. Zangeneh, DO | Associate Program Director, University of Arizona Internal Medicine Residency Program – Tucson Campus
Dr. Zangeneh graduated from the University of Washington in Seattle with a bachelor’s degree in psychology and went on to complete a master’s degree in psychology at California State University in Los Angeles. After working in the field of HIV/AIDS for the City of Los Angeles, Dr. Zangeneh received his medical degree in osteopathic medicine (DO) from Nova Southeastern University in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. His postgraduate training in an internal medicine residency program as well as an infectious diseases fellowship was completed at the University of Miami, Jackson Memorial Hospital, also in Florida. Currently, at the College of Medicine – Tucson, Dr. Zangeneh serves as professor of clinical medicine and associate program director for the Tucson Campus internal medicine residency program. He is board certified in both internal medicine and infectious disease.
Amy Sussman, MD | Associate Professor, Division of Nephrology, and Vice Chair of Education, Department of Medicine, University of Arizona College of Medicine – Tucson
An Akron, Ohio, native, Dr. Sussman earned her medical degree at the College of Medicine – Tucson and completed her residency in internal medicine at the University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, where she also was chief resident and later completed a clinical fellowship and research fellowship in nephrology. Recruited to the UArizona faculty in 2009, she serves as a clinician educator with a strong emphasis in medical student teaching recognized by multiple College of Medicine – Tucson teaching awards. She became director of the Nephrology Fellowship Program in 2013 and director of the department’s Clerkship Program in 2015. In 2016, she was promoted to associate professor. Dr. Sussman maintains an active interest in Glomerulonephritis and is a sub-investigator of the Membranous Nephropathy Trial of Rituxan (MENTOR) clinical trial. She also serves as medical director of DCI Desert Dialysis clinics in South Tucson and Sahuarita, Arizona. In addition, she has developed and is the clinical director of the nocturnal in-center dialysis program at DCI South Tucson. She got her undergraduate degree from Arizona State University.
Chief Residents
For the 2023-2024 Academic Year, Chief Residents include:
Brendan Andres, MD | Medical School: University of Cincinnati College of Medicine | Cincinnati, Ohio 2020
Hometown: Cleveland, Ohio. I was born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio where I spent much of my childhood playing soccer and later rugby during my high school years. For better or worse this led me to become a passionate fan of the Cleveland Guardians, Cavaliers, and Browns. At Miami University, I majored in biochemistry and minored in classical humanities. Most importantly, I met my wife, Bri, freshman year. I subsequently attended the University of Cincinnati for medical school and was extremely excited to couples match with Bri here at the University of Arizona. We love Tucson because a good hiking trail is never far away and there are so many good restaurants here that serve as a reward. My hobbies include traveling, especially to national parks and monuments, hiking, biking, and spending time with our bernedoodle, Benny. My professional goals include becoming a Gastroenterologist and pursuing academic medicine to continue fulfilling my passion for medical education.
Mario Jaramillo, MD | Medical School: Albany Medical College | Albany, New York 2020
Hometown: Cathedral City, CA. I was born in Palm Springs, CA and moved to North Attleboro, MA when I was in middle school. After that, I went to the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester for my undergraduate and then took a gap year working in a microbiology lab and Starbucks before getting my MD at Albany Medical College in New York. I couples matched with my partner into the Tucson program for residency for a variety of reasons and we couldn’t be happier with our decision. I play soccer and pickleball in my free time, support Manchester United, play video games, and love the outdoors. We have a dog named Fry that we adopted from a shelter in Tucson and he has been an abundance of happiness during the tough times of residency. I value medical education and mentorship and plan to pursue future careers in Med-Ed and Infectious Diseases. My favorite Tucson breakfast and carne asada burritos can be found at Paco’s on the cross-streets of Grant and Craycroft.
Vinita Kusupati, MD | Medical School: Albany Medical College | Albany, New York 2020
Hometown: Round Rock, TX. I was born in Santa Clara, CA, and moved a LOT. I've lived in California, Arizona, Texas, Colorado, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and New York. I went to college at Union College followed by medical school at Albany Medical College in New York and then found my way back to Tucson AZ for Residency. For fun, I bake, craft, and play with my dog Fry. Recently, I've started rock climbing and boxing! My goals include becoming a Pulmonary Critical Care physician. My favorite part of Tucson besides the hikes, is that there are so many hidden and unassuming restaurants that serve food full of flavor and authenticity. I've lived here for 3 years and am still discovering new places to eat!
Kevin Joseph Moynahan, MD | Medical School: University of Arizona College of Medicine | Tucson, AZ 2020
Kevin is a native of Tucson and graduated from the University of Arizona with a degree in Physiology and an intent to pursue medicine. He worked for several years as an exercise instructor in group classes aimed at restoring functional strength and mobility to individuals with Parkinson's disease. He then attended the UA College of Medicine and graduated in 2020, moving on to couples match in Internal Medicine with his partner, Audriana Hurbon, with whom he is now married. Outside of medicine, he has an array of interests including writing, performing, and producing music; photography; cycling, running, and hiking; cooking (particularly Italian and Hispanic cuisine); computer and board games. He is an avid plant dad.
Chelsea Takamatsu, MD | Medical School: University of Arizona College of Medicine | Tucson, AZ 2020
I was born and raised in Scottsdale, Arizona, where I grew up participating in competitive swimming, basketball, track, and volleyball. Since moving a couple of hours south along the I-10 to attend The University of Arizona for my undergraduate studies in 2011, I have called Tucson “home.” I graduated Summa Cum Laude with Honors in 2015, receiving a Bachelor of Science degree in Health Sciences, majoring in Physiology and Medical Sciences, and minoring in Mathematics. Prior to applying for medical school, I spent a year working as a Kumon Learning Center instructor, volunteering at local hospices, traveling, and spending time with family. I began medical school at The University of Arizona College of Medicine – Tucson in 2016. Ultimately extending my time in the Sonoran Desert, I could not be happier nor prouder of my decision to stay in Tucson for Internal Medicine Residency training. I love inspiring medical students and residents to compassionately care for and appreciate their patients as much as the pathophysiology behind their disease processes. I prioritize transitions of care, advocate for patient safety and quality improvement, and foster an inclusive, fun work environment to maximize all interdisciplinary team members' personal and professional growth. Outside of work, I enjoy making memories with family and friends, cuddling with my energetic Maltese puppy, propagating indoor plants, running, shooting hoops, cheering on the Phoenix Suns and U of A basketball teams, searching for the best sushi and dessert spots, and spending time outdoors in hopes of seeing Tucson’s breathtaking sunsets.