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Alumni

Alumni’s Performance

We are very proud that our program has a high passing rate for all first-time takers of the Pediatric Gastroenterology Board Certification exam. We also take pride in having developed many successful academic physicians practicing in major academic centers in the United States, both on clinical and research tracks, and participating in significant leadership roles within NASPGHAN and other medical societies.

Two female doctors look at a chart
Three female and a male doctor have a discussion in a hospital hallway

Alumni Perspectives

“The faculty truly has your best interest at heart. I enjoyed working in such a positive environment. It definitely helped me grow and understand the art of medicine even more. My fellowship gave me the opportunity not only to focus strongly on my clinical training but also to spend my second and third year working on a basic science research project. Even though I did not pursue basic science research as a career, the experience taught me to critically think and problem solve. If you come to UTSW, you will inherit a second family. These relationships will remain an indispensable resource throughout your career.“
Sabina Ali, M.D. (Class of 2008)

“So much of the pathogenesis of EoE is still unclear, and I wanted to invest my fellowship years to investigate this disease. I sought out research mentorship from UT Southwestern adult gastroenterologists Drs. Rhonda Souza and Stuart Spechler, who are two of the world’s foremost authorities on GERD, Barrett's esophagus, and esophageal adenocarcinoma research. Within two years of joining their multidisciplinary research team at the Esophageal Diseases Center, I had rapidly achieved a number of scientific accomplishments. I was appointed as a trainee under the NIH T32 gastroenterology/hepatology research training program. I wrote an IRB-approved protocol to establish esophageal squamous cell lines from pediatric patients with EoE, and, as a result, established several esophageal cell lines from EoE patients. I had the opportunity to present my research findings at several international and national meetings including the American Gastroenterological Association (AGA) Digestive Disease Week and North American Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition (NASPGHAN). These opportunities were a critical first step in establishing my career path as an academic researcher.“
Edaire Cheng, M.D. (Class of 2011)

“I really loved my fellowship at Dallas. It was like a family, and I believed the attendings were invested in my growth. I was always passionate about treating childhood obesity, which led me to my work in NAFLD. Aside from the strong clinical foundation the fellowship provides in general GI, I was able to do clinical research specializing in NAFLD. I was very fortunate to have amazing mentors, obtain a research grant and learn how to lead a multidisciplinary team. With the support of my mentors and the program I was able to do extra training at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia in nutrition and obesity. I believe if you are passionate and hardworking this fellowship will help foster your goals and train you to be an amazing gastroenterologist.“
Jennifer Panganiban, M.D. (Class of 2015)

Alumni

  • 1990
    • Kendall O. Brown, M.D.
      Digestive Health Associates of Texas
      Dallas, TX
    • R. Jeffery Zwiener, M.D.
      Medical Director, Pediatric Gastroenterology
      Dell Children’s Hospital
      Professor of Pediatrics Dell Medical School
      University of Texas at Austin
      Austin, TX
  • 1993
    • Cary P. Cavender, M.D
      Associate Professor of Pediatrics
      University of Tennessee Health Science Center
      UT Le Bonheur Children’s Clinics
      Memphis, TN
  • 1996
    • Cheryl E. Gariepy, M.D.
      Associate Program Director of Research, Gastroenterology Fellowship
      Nationwide Children’s Hospital
      Professor of Pediatrics
      Ohio State University College of Medicine
      Columbus, OH
  • 1998
    • Christopher Jolley, M.D.
      Chief, Pediatric Gastroenterology
      Professor of Pediatrics
      University of Florida
      Shands Children’s Hospital
      Gainesville, FL
    • Alan Sayad, M.D.
      Pediatric Gastroenterology
      Beirut, Lebanon
  • 1999
    • Ben Elizondo, M.D.
      Pediatric Digestive Care
      San Antonio, TX
  • 2004
    • Michael Russo, M.D.
      Digestive Health Associates of Texas
      Dallas, TX
  • 2005
    • Eduardo Beltroy, M.D.
      Pediatric Gastroenterology
      St. Petersburg, FL
  • 2006
    • Ashish Patel, M.D.
      Chief, Pediatric Gastroenterology
      Professor of Pediatrics
      University of Arizona College of Medicine
      Phoenix Children’s Hospital
      Phoenix, AZ
  • 2007
    • Catherine L. Brigman, M.D.
      Pediatric Specialists of Texas
      Methodist Physicians
      San Antonio, TX
    • Rinarani Sanghavi, M.D.
      Associate Professor of Pediatrics
      UT Southwestern Medical Center
      Children’s Medical Center
      Dallas, TX
  • 2008
    • Sabina Ali, M.D.
      Professor of Pediatrics
      UCSF School of Medicine
      UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland
      Oakland, CA
    • Nandini Channabasappa, M.D.
      Associate Professor of Pediatrics
      UT Southwestern Medical School
      Children’s Medical Center
      Dallas, TX
  • 2009
    • Michele Alkalay, M.D.
      Assistant Professor of Pediatrics
      UT Southwestern Medical School
      Children’s Medical Center
      Dallas, TX
    • Meghana Sathe, M.D.
      Professor of Pediatrics
      UT Southwestern Medical School
      Children’s Medical Center
      Dallas, TX
  • 2010
    • Michael Dougherty, D.O.
      GHS Pediatric Gastroenterology
      Greenville Memorial Hospital
      Greenville, SC
    • Charina Ramirez, M.D.
      Associate Professor of Pediatrics
      UT Southwestern Medical Center
      Children’s Medical Center
      Dallas, TX
  • 2011
    • Amal Aqul, M.D.
      Associate Professor of Pediatrics
      UT Southwestern Medical Center
      Children’s Medical Center
      Dallas, TX
    • Edaire Cheng, M.D.
      Adjunct Assistant Professor of Pediatrics
      UT Southwestern Medical Center
      Dallas, TX
  • 2012
    • Lillienne Chan, M.D.
      Digestive Health Associates of Texas
      Dallas, TX
    • Isabel Rojas Santamaria, M.D.
      Associate Professor of Pediatrics
      UT Southwestern Medical Center
      Children’s Medical Center
      Dallas, TX
  • 2013
    • D. Dyer Heintz, M.D.
      Assistant Professor of Pediatrics
      Dell Medical School
      University of Texas at Austin
      Dell Children’s Hospital
      Austin, TX
    • Eduardo Carlin, M.D.
      Pediatric Gastroenterology
      Blank Children’s Hospital, Unity Point Health
      Des Moines, IA
  • 2014
    • Razan Bader, M.D.
      Pediatric Transplant Hepatology and Gastroenterology
      Dhahran, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
    • David Troendle, M.D.
      Associate Professor of Pediatrics
      UT Southwestern Medical Center
      Children’s Medical Center
      Dallas, TX
  • 2015
    • Jennifer Panganiban, M.D.
      Assistant Professor of Clinical Pediatrics
      Perelman School of Medicine
      University of Pennsylvania
      Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
      Philadelphia, PA
    • Luis Sifuentes-Dominguez, M.D.
      Assistant Professor of Pediatrics
      UT Southwestern Medical Center
      Children’s Medical Center
      Dallas, TX
  • 2016
    • Niviann M. Blondet, M.D.
      Transplant Hepatology
      Assistant Professor of Pediatrics
      University of Washington School of Medicine
      Seattle Children’s Hospital
      Seattle, WA
    • Marina Panopoulos, M.D.
      Assistant Professor of Pediatrics
      University of Washington School of Medicine
      Seattle Children’s Hospital
      Seattle, WA
  • 2017
    • Joshua Carroll, M.D.
      Assistant Professor of Pediatrics
      University of Arizona College of Medicine
      Phoenix Children’s Hospital
      Phoenix, AZ
    • Ricardo Medina, M.D.
      Assistant Professor of Pediatrics
      University of Arizona College of Medicine
      Phoenix Children’s Hospital
      Phoenix, AZ
  • 2018
    • Diana Montoya-Melo, M.D.
      Assistant Professor
      University of Alabama School of Medicine
      Birmingham, AL
    • Huyen Nguyen, D.O.
      Assistant Professor
      Baylor College of Medicine
      Texas Children’s Hospital
      Houston, TX
  • 2019
    • Christina Baldwin, M.D.
      Assistant Professor of Pediatrics
      University of Florida Health
      Shands Children’s Hospital
      Gainesville, FL
    • Sarah Hassan, M.D.
      Pediatric Transplant Hepatology
      Mayo Clinic
      Rochester, MN
    • Megha Mehta, M.D.
      Assistant Professor of Pediatrics
      UT Southwestern Medical Center
      Children’s Medical Center
      Dallas, TX
  • 2020
    • Lauren Lazar, M.D.
      Assistant Professor of Pediatrics
      UT Southwestern Medical Center
      Children’s Medical Center
      Dallas, TX
    • Sherief Mansi, M.D.
      Neurogastroenterology and Motility Disorders
      Cincinnati Children’s Hospital
      Cincinnati, OH
    • Elaine Odiase, M.D.
      Assistant Professor of Pediatrics
      University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
      Arkansas Children’s Hospital
      Little Rock, AR
  • 2021
    • Nonyelum Ebigbo, M.D.
      Instructor of Pediatrics
      UT Southwestern Medical Center
      Children’s Medical Center
      Dallas, TX
    • Annette Medina, M.D.
      Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology
      Nicklaus Children’s Hospital
      Miami, FL
    • Claudia Phen, M.D.
      Assistant Professor of Pediatrics
      UT Southwestern Medical Center
      Children’s Medical Center
      Dallas, TX
  • 2022
    • Derek Ngai, M.D.
      Assistant Instructor of Pediatrics
      UT Southwestern Medical Center
      Children’s Medical Center
      Dallas, TX
    • Jacobo Santolaya, M.D.
      Assistant Professor of Pediatrics
      UT Southwestern Medical Center
      Children’s Medical Center
      Dallas, TX
    • Joseph Woolley, D.O.
      Assistant Professor of Pediatrics
      University of Arizona College of Medicine
      Phoenix Children’s Hospital
      Phoenix, AZ
  • 2023
    • Phinga Do, M.D.
      Faculty
      McLane Children's Hospital
      Temple, TX
    • Aayush Gabrani, M.B.B.S.
      Assistant Professor of Pediatrics
      University of Minnesota
      Twin Cities, MN
    • David Willcutts, M.D.
      4th Year Fellow - Transplant Hepatology
      University of Colorado
      Boulder, CO
  • 2024
    • Nicholas Norris, M.D.
      4th Year Advanced Endoscopy Fellow
      Cedars Sinai Medical Center
      Los Angeles, CA
    • Liane S. Sadder, M.D.
      Associate Physician
      Kaiser Permanente Los Angeles Medical Center
      Los Angeles, CA
    • Tiffany Freeney Wright, M.D.
      Assistant Professor
      Vanderbilt University Medical Center
      Nashville, TN

Contact Us

Meghana Sathe, M.D.

Meghana Sathe, M.D.

Professor

Director, Pediatric Gastroenterology Fellowship Program

Email

Charina Ramirez, M.D.

Charina Ramirez, M.D.

Associate Professor

Associate Director, Pediatric Gastroenterology Fellowship Program

charina.ramirez@childrens.com

 Allison Miles

Allison Miles

Coordinator, Pediatrics Gastroenterology Fellowship Program

Phone: 214-867-2058

allison.miles@utsouthwestern.edu

Mailing Address

UT Southwestern/Children’s Medical Center
2350 North Stemmons Fwy., Suite F4500
Dallas, TX 75207
Phone: 214-456-0117
Fax: 214-456-8006