Fifteen new faculty to join Department of Medicine in August

The Department of Medicine welcomes 15 new faculty members in August, on top of the 11 that started July 1, whether they’ll be serving as attending physicians and/or researchers at the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Tucson, Banner – University Medicine Tucson or one of our many centers and institutes.

And, while it may be the dog days of summer, these new doctors and investigators all come with impressive and diverse pedigrees.

They include three pulmonologists, two hospitalists, two infectious diseases specialists, a cardiologist, dermatologist, endocrinologist, geriatrician, oncologist, and palliative medicine specialist – and two researchers, one studying GI cancers and the other the role of cellular aging (senescence) in age-related bone loss. You’ll find them below listed chronologically by hire date and alphabetically by division – with their titles and backgrounds.

■ This first group starts Aug. 1:

• Iniya Rajendran, MBBS, MPH | Cardiology, Assistant Clinical Professor: A Google Scholar and recently graduated U of A cardiovascular disease fellow (2021-24), Dr. Rajendran was born and spent her formative years in Chennai, India, earned her medical degree (MBBS) at London’s Imperial College School of Medicine, did her internal medicine residency training at Boston Medical Center while earning a master’s in public health from Boston University. Coming to Tucson for her fellowship, she and her husband now have two children and two dogs. She was drawn to cardiology for the variety it offered and potential to provide impactful longitudinal care. Her research interests have included studying health care delivery models to impart lifestyle education, preventive cardiology and integrative medicine. In addition to serving as an assistant professor in the Division of Cardiology and at the Sarver Heart Center, she’ll be a fellow in the Advanced Cardiovascular Imaging Fellowship. Publications.
• Neha Shukla, MD | Dermatology, Assistant Professor, Clinical Scholar: Dr. Shukla just finished her dermatology residency training at Atlanta’s Emory University, where she also did her transitional year as an intern in internal medicine training. She earned her medical doctorate (2017) and a bachelor’s degree (2016) from St. George’s Hospital Medical School at the University of London. She also did a post-doctoral research fellowship with the University of California, San Francisco (2018-20) as part of its NIH T32 training program, and completed gastroenterology, pulmonary/pulmonary, and psychiatry rotations in the Oxford Foundation Training Program for House Officers at Oxford University in England. Publications.
• April Ehrlich, MD, MHS | General Internal Medicine, Geriatrics & Palliative Medicine, Assistant Clinical Professor: Dr. Ehrlich returns to Tucson from Johns Hopkins University, where she completed her internal medicine residency training (2018-21) at the Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center and a Fellowship in Geriatric Clinical Research (2021-24) with the Johns Hopkins University Division of Geriatric Medicine and Gerontology. She also earned a master’s of health sciences degree (2023) through the Graduate Training Programs in Clinical Investigation at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. She also completed a National Institute on Aging T32 Training Program in Health Service and Outcomes Research for Aging Populations (2022-24). Dr. Ehrlich started her medical training right here in Tucson earning both her bachelor’s degree (2014) and medical doctorate (2018) from the U of A College of Medicine – Tucson. Her research focuses on ways to improve hospital care of older adults, particularly those with physical and cognitive frailty. She’s particularly interested in ways to prevent older adults from becoming delirious in the hospital with the hopes of helping them avoid accelerated cognitive decline. Dr. Ehrlich currently sits on the American Geriatric Society Board of Directors as their early career representative. She’s passionate about increasing geriatric education and exposure to early career health care professionals. Publications.
• Krishna Rekha Moturi, MD | Hematology & Oncology, Assistant Clinical Professor: An oncologist, Dr. Moturi earned her medical degree (MBBS) in 2017 from Kasturba Medical Hospital, Manipal, India. She also was a volunteer physician with the SCIO Foundation in Udupi, India (2015-17). After graduating, she was a house officer at Kasturba Hospital briefly before doing a research traineeship at the May Clinic in Rochester, MN. (2017-18). She completed her internal medicine residency training at Cook County Health in Chicago (2018-21), where she was presented with the Resident Humanitarian Award in 2021. Dr. Moturi did her fellowship training (2021-24) at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque. Publications.
• Thomas A. Erwes, MD | Infectious Diseases, Assistant Clinical Professor: Dr. Erwes just completed his fellowship training (2022-24) at the University of Connecticut School of Medicine in Farmington, CT. He also did his internal medicine residency training there (2019-22). He earned his medical doctorate (2019) at St. George’s University School of Medicine, St. George’s, Grenada, and a bachelor’s degree in biology and neuroscience (2014) at McGill University in Montreal, Canada, where he also served on the sailing team. In addition to English, he also speaks French and Dutch. And, among his certifications, he is a Wilderness First Responder through the Wilderness Medical Society. Publications.
• Jordan Morrison-Nozik, DO | Inpatient Medicine, Assistant Clinical Professor: Dr. Morrison-Nozik just completed his internal medicine residency training at the University of Rochester Medical Center (2022-24) in Rochester, NY, where he was recognized as a “Star” employee (2023, 2024) and participated in its Wilmott Weekend Warrior and American Heart Association Heart Walk/Run teams as a captain and coach. He did his intern year (2021-22) as a resident at the University of Vermont Medical Center in Burlington. His medical degree (DO) is from University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine in Biddeford, ME, where he also was a Wilderness Medicine Club event coordinator. His bachelor’s degree is from the State University of New York at Buffalo. A photographer, his works have been published by the University of New England Journal of Creative Expression. Publications (Parts 1, 2 & 3).
• Monisha Das Ireland, MD, FCCP | Pulmonary, Allergy, Critical Care & Sleep Medicine, Assistant Clinical Professor: Dr. Ireland comes to Tucson from Kansas City, KS, where she completed a sleep medicine fellowship (2021-22) at Kansas University Medical Center. Before that, she was director of the medical surgical intensive care unit (2014-21) at St. Luke’s Hospital in Kansas City, MO. She completed a pulmonary and critical care medicine fellowship (2009-12) and her internal medicine residency training (2006-09) at the University of Missouri Kansas City. In 2002, Dr. Ireland earned her medical degree (MBBS) from Bharati Vidyapeeth Medical College, Pune, India. Afterward, she did an internship (2002-03) at the General Hospital in Chandigarh, India, an observership (2004) at West Cumberland Hospital, Whitehaven, UK, and was a senior house officer (2004-06) with Acute NHS Trusts Hospitals in the UK. Publications.
• John C. Ireland, DO, FCCP | Pulmonary, Allergy, Critical Care & Sleep Medicine, Assistant Clinical Professor: Dr. Ireland got his bachelor’s degree in biology from Columbia University and did post-graduate studies in biology at Central Missouri State University in Warrensburg, MO. He earned his medical degree (DO) in 2002 from the Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences College of Osteopathic Medicine in Kansas City, MO. Afterward, he did his internal medicine residency training (2002-05) and pulmonary and critical care medicine fellowship (2005-08) at the University of Missouri – Kansas City School of Medicine. He worked as a pulmonary and critical care physician in the Kansas City area for the next 15 years. Among his honors, he was presented with the Truman Heartland Community Foundation’s Heartland Service Award in 2021 and named among Kansas City’s Top Doctors in 2022. Publications.

■ This second group starts Aug. 5:

• Suzann Duan, PhD | Gastroenterology & Hepatology, Assistant Research Professor, Medicine - (Research Series Track): Dr. Duan has worked since 2019 as a postdoc with GI Division Chief Juanita L. Merchant, MD, PhD, at the U of A Cancer Center. Her research targets the tumor suppressor protein menin (MEN1), focusing on normal and pre-cancerous changes that lead to a type of cancer called gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors, or GEP-NETs. GEP-NETs comprise a group of rare tumors that can secrete hormones and display neural features. Sometimes called carcinoid tumors or islet cell tumors, they can be benign or malignant. She began her academic career earning a bachelor’s degree (2013) from Boston University, and got her doctorate (2019) at the University of Nevada in cellular and molecular pharmacology and physiology. She considers Reno, NV, her hometown. In 2023, she received a five-year K01 award for $526,000 to study “the role of hedgehog and enteric neural crest cell reprogramming in neuroendocrine differentiation.” Among honors she’s received are the American Association of Cancer Research Women in Cancer Research Scholar Award (2024), North American Neuroendocrine Tumor Society Best Oral Presentation-Basic Science (2023), American Gastroenterological Association Council GRG Basic Science Trainee Award (2022), American Association of University Women American Dissertation Fellowship (2018), and the J.M. Hitchcock, PhD, Student Research Fellowship (2017). Publications.

• Joshua N. Farr, PhD | Rheumatology, Associate Professor, Medicine, & Member of the Graduate Faculty: Dr. Farr, who will also hold the title as the Ethel McChesney Bilby Endowed Chair in Osteoporosis at the U of A Arthritis Center, comes to us from the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine in Rochester, MN, where he was an associate research scientist in the Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes, Metabolism, and Nutrition, with appointments also as an assistant professor in the Department of Physiology and Biomedical Engineering and the Division of Gerontology. He also was an active member of the Mayo Clinic Robert and Arlene Kogod Center on Aging, or RAKCA. He earned his bachelor’s degree (2005), master’s degree (2007) and doctorate (2011), all in physiology, at the U of A College of Medicine – Tucson, and completed his postdoctoral research fellowship (2011-14) at the Mayo Clinic Rochester. Starting his career there as a research associate, he was awarded the RAKCA Career Development Award in Aging Research (2014-16), the Mayo Clinic’s Richard Emslander Career Development Award in Endocrinology (2017), and multiple honors from the Endocrine Society and American Society for Bone and Mineral Research. Over the past 10 years, Dr. Farr has been working on the roles of senescent or aging cells and their senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP) in mediating bone loss with aging and diabetes. Senescent cells are unique in that they eventually stop multiplying but don't die off when they should – continuing to release chemicals that can trigger inflammation. His research group was the first to systematically identify senescent cells in the bone microenvironment with aging and to demonstrate a causal role of senescent cells in mediating age-related bone loss. He has multiple ongoing projects focused on targeting cellular senescence to extend health span, targeting cellular senescence and RAGE (receptor for advanced glycation end products) in type 2 diabetes as well as the role of p21 positive senescent cells in radiation-induced skeletal injury and repair. Publications.

■ This third group starts Aug. 12:

• Goitom Abraha, MD | Inpatient Medicine, Assistant Clinical Professor: Dr. Abraha was born and raised in northern Ethiopia’s Tigray state in the ancient city of Axum. He completed medical school in 2015 at Mekelle University School of Medicine, in Mekelle, Ethiopia, where he also practiced as a general practitioner and lecturer. He did a medical internship at the Ayder Comprehensive Specialized Hospital (2014-15), and served as a GP there (2015-16), won a best general medical practitioner award (2016), and worked in general and tropical dermatology (2016-17). He also did away rotations as an intern (2014-15) at Axum’s St. Mary Hospital and lectured at Sheba University (2015-17) in Mekelle on internal medicine and dermatologic topics. Coming to the U.S., he worked in medical support at Atlanta’s Parris and Associates Rheumatology (2019), Athens Heart Center, Athens, GA (2019-20), and WellStar Atlanta Medical Center South Campus, Atlanta (2020-21). He did his internal medicine residency training (2021-24) at Northside Hospital Gwinnett and Academic Internal Medicine Partners in Lawrenceville, GA.
• Domingo L. Maynes III, MD | General Internal Medicine, Geriatrics & Palliative Medicine, Associate Clinical Professor: A palliative specialist, Dr. Maynes did his pre-med studies at Notre Dame University in South Bend, IN, and worked for a family practice in Silver City, NM, before medical school. He earned his medical doctorate in 2007 from Indiana University and did his internal medicine residency training at Mayo Clinic Scottsdale (2007-10). He delayed his fellowship training to work as a locum tenens for the Indian Health Services (2010-11) in Pine Ridge, SD. His hospice and palliative medicine training (2011-12) came at Stanford University in Palo Alto, CA. Afterward, he worked as associate medical director for home palliative care at Hospice of the Valley in Phoenix, staff geriatrician at the Scripps Clinic in La Jolla, CA, associate director for the Elizabeth Hospice in Escondido, CA, and palliative care medical director at the CHI Health – Alegent Creighton Clinic in Omaha, NE. He then became medical director, clinical assistant professor and associate program director of the hospice and palliative medicine fellowship at Banner – University Medical Center Phoenix and the College of Medicine – Phoenix (2017-21). Returning to Omaha, Dr. Ireland next worked as a clinical assistant professor at CHI Health – CommonSpirit Health (2021-24), as executive medical director, division chief for palliative medicine and the hospice and palliative medicine fellowship program director. He was the CHI Health Acts of Human Kindness Award recipient in 2023. Publications.

■ This fourth group starts Aug. 18 and after:

• Ramiro E. Cardenas, MD | Endocrinology, Diabetes & Metabolism, Assistant Clinical Professor: Dr. Cardenas just completed his fellowship training (2022-24) at the College of Medicine – Tucson. He earned his medical doctorate (2012) from the Universidad de Cuenca, Facultad de Ciencias Médicas, in Cuenca, Ecuador. Afterward, he served as director of a rural health care center (2012-13) in Ayapamba and Zaruma, Ecuador. Then, he did observerships (2015-16) with Union Square Medical Associates, Elizabeth, NJ, and Summit Medical Group/St. Mary’s General Hospital, Passaic, NJ. He did his internal medicine training at NYC Health + Hospitals/Metropolitan in New York City (2016-19) and, afterward, served as an attending physician and hospitalist there, as well as an assistant clinical professor at New York Medical College, until 2022.
• Eduardo Sanchez, MD | Infectious Diseases, Assistant Clinical Professor: Dr. Sanchez earned his medical doctorate in 2014 at the Universidad Autónoma de Baja California, Facultad de Medicina Mexicali, in Mexico. Afterward, he did a rotational intern year (2014-15) at Hospital ISSSTECALI in Mexicali and a research service year (2015-16) at the Salvador Zubiran National Institute of Medical Sciences and Nutrition, Department of Infectious Diseases and Molecular Virology, HIV Clinic, in Mexico City. He was a faculty member at the UABC in the physiology lab (2017-18). Then, he did an observership at the Universitätsklinikum Regensburg, Klinik und Poliklinik für Innere Medizin II, in Regensburg, Germany. His internal medicine residency training (2018-21) was at the Jefferson Einstein Philadelphia Hospital in Philadelphia. He did his infectious diseases fellowship training (2021-23) at the University of Washington in Seattle, with an advanced fellowship year in immunocompromised host infectious diseases (2023-24) at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center there. Publications.
• Bhargav Patel, MD | Pulmonary, Allergy, Critical Care & Sleep Medicine, Assistant Clinical Professor: Dr. Patel earned a bachelor’s degree in biology (2012) from the University of Houston and worked for GE Healthcare afterward until he decided to get a medical doctorate (2018) at Texas Tech’s Paul L. Foster School of Medicine. He did his internal medicine training (2018-21) at the College of Medicine – Tucson, where he also did his fellowship training in pulmonary and critical care medicine (2021-24). In 2023, he was presented with the First in Service Award by the Southern Arizona VA Healthcare System and in 2024, he was named the Outstanding Research Fellow. Publications.

At least 10 more new DOM faculty are anticipated to start in September. Look for details on them coming soon.

For your calendar

The College of Medicine – Tucson will host a New Faculty Retreat on Aug. 16. Learn more here.

University of Arizona is hosting a New Faculty Orientation event on Aug. 19. Learn more here.

Look forward to a similar orientation session in the near future coming soon with the Department of Medicine.

News you can use!

Sign up today with your personal email account for the Department of Medicine e-newsletter, Internal Digest. Read back issues here.

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.

For direct assistance in the Department of Medicine, contact Terri Buchanan, coordinator for faculty appointments (terrib@arizona.edu), or personnel affairs coordinator Heather Hendrych (hhendrych@arizona.edu).

ALSO SEE:
“Eleven new faculty welcomed to Department of Medicine in first week in July” | Posted July 1, 2024
“Drs. Jenn Plitt and Julia Cremer return to Tucson” | Posted July 12, 2023