Global Health Initiative
The Radiology Department’s Global Health Initiative provides residents, fellows, and faculty opportunities to develop their interpretive skills as they voluntarily provide teleradiology services to some of the poorest parts of the world. As a chapter of the nonprofit aid organization RAD-AID International, the Radiology Department interprets computed tomography (CT) scans for the Hȏpital Universitaire de Mirebalais in Haiti. Partners in Health, a Boston-based humanitarian organization, opened the hospital in March 2013 to serve a population of more than 3 million. The facility also provides education for the next generation of nurses, medical students, and resident physicians.
Program Highlights
While technologists are able to perform imaging tests on-site using ultrasound and CT, there are no on-site radiologists to interpret the scans. The hospital relies entirely on humanitarian teleradiology interpretations from individual volunteers and academic institutions such as UT Southwestern Radiology.
Volunteer faculty members and trainees can participate in bi-monthly reading shifts of scans sent from Haiti. The volunteers read cases and send reports back to the medical staff at Mirebalais, who then develop treatment plans for their patients. This partnership provides a valuable service to the people of Haiti, while also allowing residents the opportunity to learn about rare diseases seldom seen in the United States.
Faculty
Abdominal Imaging
Lakshmi Ananthakrishnan, M.D.
- Assistant Professor
Edward Chen, M.D.
- Associate Professor
Julia Fielding, M.D.
- Chief
- Professor
Community Radiology
Richard Batz, M.D.
- Assistant Professor
Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Gaurav Khatri, M.D.
- Assistant Professor
Ivan Pedrosa, M.D.
- Chief
- Associate Professor
- Research Lab
Neuroradiology
Thomas O’Neill, M.D.
- Assistant Professor
- Radiology Informaticist, Parkland Health & Hospital System
Carlos Perez, M.D.
- Professor
Marco Pinho, M.D.
- Assistant Professor
Karuna Raj, M.D.
- Assistant Professor
Harold Scott, M.D.
- Assistant Professor
Pediatric Radiology
Kevin Cederberg, M.D.
- Assistant Professor
Neil Fernandes, M.D.
- Assistant Professor
Jonathan Friedman, M.D.
- Assistant Professor
Jeannie Kwon, M.D.
- Associate Professor
Kate Louise Mangona, M.D.
- Assistant Professor
Jerry Powell, M.D.
- Assistant Professor
Residents
5th Year
Ali Alian, M.D.
- Hometown:
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma - Undergraduate:
Cornell University - Medical School:
Case Western Reserve University
Jay Coleman, M.D.
- Hometown:
Dallas, Texas - Undergraduate:
University of Oklahoma - Medical School:
UT Southwestern
Michael Collard, M.D.
- Hometown:
Burbank, California - Undergraduate:
University of San Diego - Graduate:
Boston University - Medical School:
University of Missouri, Kansas City
Nathan Dettori, M.D.
- Hometown:
Seattle, Washington - Undergraduate:
University of Washington - Medical School:
Tufts University
Miranda Gleason, M.D.
- Hometown:
Cambridge, Ontario, Canada - Undergraduate:
University of Western Ontario - Medical School:
Case Western Reserve University
Thomas Pacicco, M.D.
- Hometown:
Charlotte, North Carolina - Graduate:
Boston University - Medical School:
New York Medical College
Anish Patel, M.D.
- Hometown:
Purley, United Kingdom - Undergraduate:
Rice University - Medical School:
Baylor College of Medicine
Rehan Quadri, M.D.
- Hometown:
Potomac, Maryland - Undergraduate:
University of Maryland - Medical School:
George Washington University
Endel Aleks Sorra, M.D.
- Hometown:
Albequerque, New Mexico - Undergraduate:
NA - Medical School:
University of New Mexico
Mohammad Toliyat, M.D.
- Hometown:
College Station, Texas - Undergraduate:
Texas A&M University - Medical School:
UT Houston
4th Year
Joseph Cao, M.D.
- Hometown:
Charleston, South Carolina - Undergraduate:
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill - Medical School:
University of South Carolina, Columbia
Samantha Castillo, M.D.
- Hometown:
Azle, Texas - Undergraduate:
Baylor University - Medical School:
UT Southwestern
Jesse Conyers, M.D.
- Hometown:
Charlotte, North Carolina - Undergraduate:
Wake Forest University - Medical School:
University of North Carolina
Hector Marquez, M.D.
- Hometown:
Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua - Undergraduate:
UT at El Paso - Medical School:
UT Southwestern - Transitional Year:
Providence Sacred Heart in Spokane
Joseph McDevitt, M.D.
- Hometown:
Lake City, Minnesota - Undergraduate:
Saint Olaf College - Medical School:
Northwestern University
3rd Year
Class of 2021
Merissa Harris, M.D.
- Hometown: Austin, Texas
- Undergraduate: University of Houston
- Medical School: George Washington University
Lee Hewett, M.D.
- Hometown: Charleston, South Carolina
- Undergraduate: Duke University
- Medical School: Medical University of South Carolina
Tianshen Hu, M.D.
- Hometown: Dallas, Texas
- Undergraduate: University of Texas at Austin
- Medical School: UT Southwestern
Xiaozhou Liu, M.D.
- Hometown: Hefei, Anhui Province, China
- Undergraduate: Michigan State University
- Medical School: University of Cincinnati
Joy Matsui, M.D.
- Hometown: Aiea, Hawaii
- Medical School: University of Hawaii, John A. Burns School of Medicine/Penn State University, University of Iowa
- Graduate School: Penn State University and University of Iowa
Akshita Mehta, M.D.
- Hometown: Gaithersburg, Maryland
- Undergraduate: University of Maryland
- Medical School: George Washington University
Lee Morris III, M.D.
- Hometown: Orlando, Florida
- Undergraduate: Claflin University
- Medical School: Medical University of South Carolina
Ryan Murphy, M.D.
- Hometown: Memphis, Tennessee
- Undergraduate: University of Memphis
- Medical School: University of Tennessee
John Odeghe, M.D.
- Hometown: Abiriba, Nigeria
- Undergraduate: South Carolina State University
- Medical School: Medical University of South Carolina
Desi Schiess, M.D.
- Hometown: Plovdiv, Bulgaria
- Undergraduate: Purdue University
- Medical School: Indiana University School of Medicine
Robert Sibley III, M.D.
- Hometown: Shreveport, Louisiana
- Undergraduate: Texas A&M University
- Medical School: UT Southwestern
William Smith, M.D.
- Hometown: Monroeville, Alabama
- Undergraduate: Spring Hill College
- Medical School: University of South Alabama College of Medicine
Janelle West, M.D.
- Hometown: Birmingham, Alabama
- Undergraduate: Birmingham–Southern College
- Medical School: University of Alabama
James Yoon, M.D.
- Hometown: Los Angeles, California
- Undergraduate: University of California at Berkley
- Medical School: University of Southern California
Staff
Bridgette Young
- Administrative Support
Former Volunteers
Faculty
April Bailey, M.D.
- Assistant Professor
2018
Richard Ahn, M.D.
- Hometown:
Hastings, Minnesota - Undergraduate:
University of California, Berkley - Medical School:
Northwestern University
Julie Birch, M.D.
- Hometown:
Milton, Massachusetts - Undergraduate:
Boston College - Medical School:
Georgetown University
Ramapriya Ganti, M.D., Ph.D.
- Hometown:
Hyderabad, India - Medical School:
University of Tennessee, Memphis - Graduate:
University of North Carolina at Charlotte
Adam Jaster, M.D.
- Hometown:
Bedford, Texas - Undergraduate:
Baylor University - Medical School:
Texas A&M Health Science Center
Eric Jones, M.D.
- Hometown:
Paducah, Kentucky - Undergraduate:
Western Kentucky University - Medical School:
University of Kentucky
Kelly Tornow, M.D.
- Hometown:
Plano, Texas - Undergraduate:
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill - Medical School:
UT Southwestern - Transitional Year:
John Peter Smith Hospital
2017
Brice Andring, M.D.
- Hometown:
Katy, Texas - Undergraduate:
University of Texas, Austin - Medical School:
UT Southwestern
Stephen Fisher, M.D.
- Hometown:
Bedford, Texas - Undergraduate:
Southern Nazarene University - Medical School:
University of Texas at Houston
Mohit Gupta, M.D.
- Hometown:
Cincinnati, Ohio - Undergraduate:
NA - Medical School:
University of Cincinnati
Faraz Jeelani, M.D.
- Hometown:
Pikeville, Kentucky - Undergraduate:
University of Louisville - Medical School:
University of Louisville - Preliminary Year:
University of Louisville
Ankaj Khosla, M.D.
- Hometown:
St. Louis, Missouri - Undergraduate:
Northwestern University - Medical School:
Mayo Medical School
David Reading, M.D.
- Hometown:
Plano, Texas - Undergraduate:
University of Tulsa - Medical School:
UT Southwestern - Preliminary Year:
Texas Health Presbyterian in Dallas
Rajiv Srinivasa, M.D.
- Hometown:
Austin, Texas - Undergraduate:
Texas A&M University - Medical School:
UT Southwestern
Benjamin White, M.D.
- Hometown:
NYC, New York and Dallas, Texas - Undergraduate:
Harvard University - Medical School:
University of Texas Health San Antonio
Joseph Zerr, M.D.
- Hometown:
D'Hanis, Texas - Undergraduate:
Texas A&M University - Medical School:
Baylor College of Medicine
Testimonials
Ali Alian, M.D.
It is a privilege in radiology to help provide answers to those with ambiguous health issues. Advanced imaging however may be cost-prohibitive and near inaccessible in underdeveloped nations. I joined the global health initiative to give the underserved a chance to understand what is making them ill and possibly reduce morbidity.
April Bailey, M.D.
Caring for those most in need is a privilege as a physician. Being able to provide our unique care (radiology specialty) to patients in another country is not only rewarding to us, but hopefully helps the patient be directed toward and receive the best care possible in their area.
Michael Collard, M.D.
It is an exciting and unique opportunity to be able to provide radiological services and expertise to patients typically with access to only basic care. I joined not only to help these patients but to expand the ability of radiology to help patients across the globe.
Julia Fielding, M.D.
It is important to help others who are less fortunate and to demonstrate altruistic behavior to our trainees.
Adam Jaster, M.D.
Our Global Health Initiative effort is an opportunity to do our little part to act on a call to help those in need.
Ankaj Khosla, M.D.
I wanted the opportunity to serve internationally and learn about how radiology can serve the international community.
Thomas O’Neill, M.D.
I am grateful to be able to give back to medically undeserved people in our global society with the skills and knowledge I have had the privilege of learning and I value the experience of practicing radiology for a population unlike our own. After visiting Haiti as a medical student, the Haitian people and culture are special to me, and I enjoy being able to serve them.
Carlos Perez, M.D.
I was taught through example of the importance of charitable contributions, whether they be monetary, or through service. I have been very fortunate in my life, and strongly believe it is important to give back in any way that I can.
Marco Pinho, M.D.
Our global health initiative allows us the unique opportunity to positively impact lives of individuals in some of the most destitute communities in the globe, while offering hands-on learning opportunities to our trainees and faculty.
Mohammad Toliyat, M.D.
This project allows our institution to have a global impact and provide services to a hospital with very few resources, while providing a valuable educational experience to residents.
Bridgette Young
I believe that the most important part of my job is to help faculty help others. By assisting with the scheduling, our faculty do not have to worry about the smaller tasks and can focus their energy on the bigger picture and helping make our world a better place.