Eleven new faculty welcomed to Department of Medicine in first week in July

Monday was a big day for 11 Department of Medicine faculty members.

It was their first day on the job here as attending physicians and/or researchers at the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Tucson and Banner – University Medicine Tucson.

Only three of them are joining a division other than Inpatient Medicine, with one each in Cardiology, Dermatology, and Pulmonary, Allergy, Critical Care & Sleep Medicine. Some are former UArizona residents (4), some former fellows (1), others new to the university and state altogether. Two are “Wildcats for Life,” meaning they’ve spent their entire academic careers at UArizona.

You’ll find them listed below alphabetically by division and title, and with a little background on each of them:

• Krishna Amerneni, MD | Inpatient Medicine, Assistant Clinical Professor: Dr. Amerneni earned his medical degree (MBBS) in 2019 from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, or AIIMS, in Bhopal, India. Afterward, he was briefly a junior resident in nephrology at AIIMS Bhopal, before coming to the U.S. to complete his internal medicine residency at Western Michigan University School of Medicine, in Kalamazoo, MI. Among honors, he won first prize in a National Medi Quiz held at AIIMS Raipur and second prize in the National Pharmaquest at AIIMS Bhopal in 2017; and, in 2016, first prize in the National 2nd Autopsy Quiz Forense at AIIMS Bhopal and second prize in the Indian Association of Preventive & Social Medicine World Health Day Quiz, whose theme was “Beat Diabetes” that year. Publications.
• Loai Azar, MD, MS | Inpatient Medicine, Assistant Clinical Professor: Dr. Azar earned a medical doctorate at the University of Jordan in Amman in 2019, having completed a rotation earlier that year in gastroenterology and hepatology at Vanderbilt University Hospital in Nashville, TN. While doing internal medicine residency training at Amman’s King Hussein Cancer Center and later the MedStar Georgetown University Hospital in Washington, DC, he completed a master’s degree in medical nutrition at Arizona State University. Publications.
• Ayeman Basith, MD | Inpatient Medicine, Assistant Clinical Professor: Dr. Basith earned her medical degree (MBBS) from Osmania Medical College in Hyderabad, India, in 2017. After doing an internship at Osmania General Hospital, she worked as a junior physician at a Cardio-Diabetic Clinic in India until 2021. In between, she completed rotations at Owaisi Hospital and Research Centre and the Dr. C.E. Prasad Clinic, also known as the Deccan Hospital, in Hyderabad, India, and with Linden Medical Group in Brooklyn, NY. She then completed her internal medicine residency at the Eastern Virginia Medical School in Norfolk, VA. Publications.
• Mahdieh Jedlowski, MD, PharmD | Dermatology, Assistant Professor, Clinical Scholar: Dr. Jedlowski is somewhat of a “MedCat for Life,” having earned her bachelor’s degree in molecular and cellular biology here in 2011, her pharmacy doctorate here in 2015, and her medical doctorate here in 2020. She did her intern year in internal medicine at TMC, before joining the Advanced Dermatology Residency Program, from which she recently graduated. She’s the recipient of numerous honors and awards, including the UArizona President’s Award for Excellence in 2007, ASHP Local Clinical Skills Competition winner in 2013, Commitment to Underserved People Leadership Award in 2018, and DOM Outstanding Medical Student in Nephrology Award in 2020. Publications.
• Sooraj Kumar, MBBS | Pulmonary, Allergy, Critical Care & Sleep Medicine, Assistant Clinical Professor: Dr. Kumar earned his medical degree (MBBS) from SRM Medical College Hospital and Research Center, in Chennai, India, in 2016. He then did an 18-month diploma course in critical care through the Apollo Hospitals Educational Research Foundation in Chennai. Afterward, he moved to the U.S. where he graduated from the UArizona Internal Medicine Residency Program – South Campus (now part of the Tucson Campus program) in 2021. He also recently completed the Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine Fellowship. In 2019, he was a winner in the ACP Arizona Chapter Doctor’s Dilemma (Medical Jeopardy) competition. And, in 2021, he won the Outstanding Resident in Pulmonary & Critical Care Award. Publications.
• Macklin Loveland, MD, MBA | Inpatient Medicine, Clinical Assistant Professor: Dr. Mackland earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Vancouver in Canada, in 2013, before doing premed coursework at Seattle College in Washington state. He earned his medical doctorate from American University of the Caribbean School of Medicine in Sint Maarten in 2020. He completed his residency internship in general surgery at Henry Ford Health System in Wyandotte, MI. Then, he joined the UArizona Internal Medicine Residency Program – Tucson Campus, earning his master’s degree in business administration as well through the Eller College of Management. A study, “Analysis: 40% of information about liver disease on TikTok is incorrect,” that he reported on at Digestive Diseases Week 2023 went viral that spring and summer, earning well over 200 media mentions. He plans on joining the UArizona Anesthesiology Residency Program next academic year. Publications.  
• April Olson, MD, MPH | Inpatient Medicine, Assistant Clinical Professor: Another MedCat for Life, Dr. Olson earned her bachelor’s degree in physiology from the UArizona College of Medicine – Tucson in 2013. Then, she got a master’s in public health in epidemiology at the Mel & Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health (2016) and a certificate in cellular and molecular medicine via COM-T’s Pre-Medical Admissions Pathway (P-MAP) Program (2017). After earning her medical doctorate here in 2021, she completed the UArizona Internal Medicine Residency Program – Tucson Campus. Publications.
• Trishan Panchal, MBBS | Inpatient Medicine, Assistant Clinical Professor: Dr. Panchal earned his medical degree (MBBS) from St. George’s University of London in 2016, training next in internal medicine until 2018 at Queens Medical Centre University Teaching Hospital, Nottingham, UK. He then served as senior house officer at Grantham District Hospital, Grantham, UK (2018-21). Afterward, he did an internship in internal medicine at the University of Connecticut, in Hartford, CT. He completed his internal medicine residency training at the Moorehouse School of Medicine in Atlanta.
• Tara Tassin, PhD | Cardiology, Instructor, Research Scholar: Dr. Tassin earned her bachelor’s degree in biochemistry from Dallas University in Irving, TX, in 2001. Then, she served as a research technician in molecular biophysics at UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, where she earned her doctorate in that topic in 2010. She did post-graduate research in neuropsychopharmacology at UTSW until 2014, earning certificates in research and advanced research. For two years after, she was a stay-at-home mother. In late 2016, she joined the UTSW Cardiology lab of Pradeep Mammen, MD, where she was an assistant instructor and instructor until 2023, when she joined the lab of Hesham Sadek, MD, PhD, who in May became chief of the UArizona Division of Cardiology and director of the Sarver Heart Center. She’s won several awards for abstracts and posters and has shown a particular interest in muscular dystrophy and musculoskeletal diseases. In 2022, she did an AstraZeneca Industry Postdoctoral Fellowship with the UK Research and Innovation Medical Research Council, and is currently a reviewer for the journal Frontiers in Cardiovascular Medicine. Publications.
• Rebecca Wig, MBBS | Inpatient Medicine, Assistant Clinical Professor: Dr. Wig earned her medical degree from Dr. D.Y. Patil Medical College in Navi Mumbai, India, where she was the class valedictorian and won gold medals for top student in internal medicine and surgery in 2019. She then worked as a research associate (at Johns Hopkins University and India’s INCLEN Trust International and Max Super Speciality Hospital) for a couple of years before joining the UArizona Internal Medicine Residency Program – Tucson Campus. Among honors, she won the Best Paper Award at IMSACON 2022, the 39th Annual Internal Medical Sciences Academy Conference, in India; Best Case Report at the IMRP’s 2023 Research Academic Half Day; and the DOM’s Outstanding Resident in Pulmonary, Allergy, Critical Care & Sleep Medicine Award in 2024. Publications.
• Feng Zhu, MBBS | Inpatient Medicine, Assistant Clinical Professor: Dr. Zhu earned his medical degree (MB) from the Zhongshan School of Medicine at Sun Yat-sen University, in Guangzhou, China, in 2019. He did multiple elective rotations, including at Yale New Haven Hospital’s Medical Oncology Department; the University of Florida Health-Jacksonville’s Endocrinology Division; Florida International University’s Internal Medicine Division at Hialeah Hospital; the University of Alabama at Birmingham Hospital’s GI Division, and the National Institutes of Health’s National Cancer Institute Medical Oncology Service in Bethesda, MD. He recently completed his internal medicine residency training at Detroit Medical Center Sinai-Grace Hospital at Wayne State University. Publications.

FYI: The University of Arizona is hosting a New Faculty Orientation event on July 30. Learn more about that here.

Look forward to a similar orientation session in the near future coming with the Department of Medicine. And sign up here today with your personal email account for the Department of Medicine e-newsletter, Internal Digest. Read back issues here.

For those hunting for additional support from the College of Medicine – Tucson:

Looking for a career boost?

If you’re new faculty member or one seeking help with your career development, there’s a solution for you. The College of Medicine Peer Advancement Societies, or COMPAS, program in Tucson is a five-month commitment that augments your department’s mentoring program with networking, professional relationships development and collaboration across departments. Learn more and apply.

ALSO SEE:
“Drs. Jenn Plitt and Julia Cremer return to Tucson” | Posted July 12, 2023
“UA Sarver Heart Center, Banner – University Medicine Tucson Welcome New Cardiologists” | Posted Oct. 5, 2020
“Promoted, New Faculty Recognized at College’s Summer General Faculty Meeting” | Posted Aug. 18, 2019
“Two New Internal Medicine Specialists Join Faculty as UA-Banner Clinician Educators” | Posted March 14, 2019
“Packed House, Agenda Make for Eventful Fall 2018 DOM General Faculty Meeting” | Posted Nov. 9, 2018
“UA Division of Cardiology, Sarver Heart Center, Banner – UMC Welcome Three New Faculty Members” | Posted Oct. 2, 2018
“A Dozen New Physicians Join Faculty in 7 Divisions in Department of Medicine” | Aug. 3, 2017
“Thirty New Faculty Begin UA Careers in Department of Medicine since July 1” | Posted Sept. 29, 2016
“Host of New Department of Medicine Hires Named, More to Come” | Posted June 9, 2016