Class Notes

Barry J. Materson, M.D. ’62, M.B.A. ’93, was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Consortium of Southeastern Hypertension Control in 2020. He writes, “Biruta and I are very happy living in Winter Park near family.”

George Shorago, M.D. ’64, clinical associate professor of otolaryngology at Stanford Medicine, writes that he is “still seeing patients at age 83!” He lives in Foster City, California.

David J. Singer, M.D. ’64, now living in Aspen, Colorado, writes, “On April 24, 2023, I shall be age 87, which is both astounding and rather amazing, if not incredible. Regretfully, many of my classmates, including dear friends, are no longer alive, and that’s sad, as I remember how young and full life [they were], with great expectations for our futures. My professional life has been one of fulfillment, thanks to the excellent teaching/instruction we received while students at U of M.”

Trisha Rothenberg Roth, M.D. ’69, was recognized as chair of the American Academy of Pediatrics California Chapter 2 Climate Change Committee in 2022. She lives in Santa Monica, California.

William Albert Cates Greene Jr., M.D. ’72, medical director at Lakeshore Tubal Reversal Center in Gainesville, Georgia, writes that he developed a surgical technique to reverse Essure occlusion devices that resulted in the first live birth in 2009.

Jeffrey Phelan, M.D. ’73, J.D., writes that he and Torre Halscott, M.D. ’09, are collaborating on the soon-to-be-published seventh edition of Critical Care Obstetrics, available later this year.

Edward Dauer, M.D. ’75, was recently promoted to clinical professor of Biomedical Engineering, Radiology, and Family Medicine at the Miller School. He has been a member of the faculty for 43 years and a member of the UM Board of Trustees since 1996. His current area of interest is scanning electron microscopy (tissue engineering and artificial organs). He also teaches the radiation biology and radiation physics portion of the accredited medical physics program. He has been a member of the Miller School Admissions Committee for 10 years. Edward and his wife, Joanne, have six children and eight grandchildren. Joanne received her D.N.P. degree from UM in 2013. He wrote and self-published the 75-year history of the UM College of Engineering, which also includes the early history of the University of Miami.

Paul Alan Wetter, M.D. ’75, was recognized by Medical Training Magazine as one of top nine World Patient Safety Advocates for his contribution to patient safety and better outcomes. He is chairman emeritus of the Society of Laparoscopic and Robotic Surgeons.

Martin Menkin, M.D., UM/Jackson Neurology Resident ’76, writes, “When I was a young man I wondered at the skill and dedication of the faculty physicians. It remains clear that if I appear tall it is because I stand on the shoulders of giants.”

Stephen Asmann, M.D. ’78, shares that he has been married to wife Kathryn for 48 years and has four “grandgirls.” He lives in Clermont, Florida.

David A. Hafler, M.D. ’78, professor and chair of the Department of Neurology at Yale School of Medicine, received the 2023 Steinman Award from American Association of Immunologists for his lifetime work in human immunology.

George Moro, M.D. ’78, is loving retirement and spending a lot of time on Catalina Island on his boat.

Bonnie Shelton, M.D. ’78, reports that she is fully retired and serving in multiple ways in her community called Latitude Margaritaville Hilton Head in South Carolina.

Robert W. Thrailkill, M.D. ’78, is an emergency physician at Adventist Hospital Lodi in Lodi, California.

Alan Matarasso, M.D. ’79, is a past president of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons and was recently reelected to the board of directors as the Plastic Surgery Foundation vice president of development.

Nancy Grace Klimas, M.D. ’80, shares, “After retiring from the University of Miami as professor emerita in 2011, I established the Institute for Neuro Immune Medicine at Nova Southeastern University. The institute focuses on clinical care and research for patients with complex medical disorders, such as military toxic injuries, long COVID, and myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome. Our 18 faculty members and 30-plus staff members work to establish the pathogenic basis of chronic illness, develop targeted treatments, and translate this work into clinical trials. It’s a tremendously talented and dedicated group to work with including UM alumnae Irma Rey, M.D. ’89, and Annette Fornos, M.D. ’05. Working in collaboration with the Miami VA Medical Center Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Center, the institute is based at the Miami VA, NSU Ft. Lauderdale, and NSU Kendall.”

Howard R. Bromley, M.D. ’81, M.B.A., writes, “Just as I was looking forward to retirement, I received an offer that I couldn’t pass up. As of February, I am now the owner of the Montgomery Pain Institute located in Clarksville, Tennessee. My wife and I still live in Memphis, but we are looking to possibly move to Nashville next year. My oldest son, Morgan, will graduate from the University of Memphis this spring with a Ph.D. in epidemiology. My youngest son, Gabriel, is in his second year of law school, also at the University of Memphis. My wife, Victoria, continues to publish works of fiction. Her books can be found online at VictoriaHouseman.com. I really enjoy my work in pain management so, maybe I’ll retire in 10 years!”

David K. Ebelke, M.D. ’81, reports, “I closed my corporation after 33 years and have joined an orthopedic group with 12 other ortho surgeons. Plan to practice five more years or so.” He lives in Prairie Village, Kansas.

Joel A. Greenberg, M.D. ’81, is president of Savannah Neurology Specialists in Savannah, Georgia. In 2022, he received the Jack Malitz Levy Award, the highest honor awarded by the Savannah Jewish Federation for lifetime leadership and contribution to the community.

Frederic J. Guerrier, M.D. ’81, is chair of the Department of Family Medicine at Bayfront Orlando Health in St. Petersburg, Florida, and notes that he was recognized as a Boundary Breaker in the field of family medicine by the American Academy of Family Practice. Also, he was recently named 2023 Woodson Museum Legend in African American History. He writes, “Just proud to be a graduate of UM’s best class, 1981!”

Mark S. Erlebacher, M.D., UM/Jackson Internal Medicine Resident ’82, has been practicing primary care internal medicine in Syracuse, New York, first in solo practice and currently with Crouse Medical Practice and a Voluntary Clinical Professor at SUNY Upstate Medical University. He is a past president of the Syracuse Medical Alumni Association and has volunteered with the medical school in various capacities.

John Mullen, M.D. ’82, a radiation oncologist, writes, “Totally retiring this June, unless as always emergency coverage is asked for in Maine. Not unexpected!” He lives in Portland, Maine.

Alan Miller, Ph.D., M.D. ’83, was recently named chief medical officer of Translational Drug Development (TD2), a precision oncology contract research organization based in Scottsdale, Arizona. Prior to joining TD2, Dr. Miller was chief medical director of oncology and associate chief medical director of clinical research at SCL Health.

Jackie Treschuk Bahn, M.D. ’84, is a radiologist at Radpartners in Illinois.

Mohsin Jaffer, M.D., UM/Jackson Family Medicine Resident ’87, now retired, writes, “I was a clinical preceptor all my working life. My three-year residency at UM was a joy, and all my three children are UM alumni.”

Julio Ozores, M.D. ’84, now retired from the University of California, San Francisco, where he was a professor of psychiatry, says he is still volunteering, giving invited lectures on evolutionary psychiatry, and supervising psychiatry residents.

Susan Snodgrass, M.D. ’84, is vice president, medical affairs, for Incyte Corp. She is also immediate past president, Suburban Delaware Valley Chapter, Healthcare Businesswomen’s Association, and Ohio State University College of Pharmacy, Dean’s Council. She is the Healthcare Businesswomen’s Association Suburban Delaware Valley Chapter President, as well as a member of Women in Bio.

Mario Werbin, M.D. ’85, is “celebrating 30 years in primary care at General Practice Associates in Hollywood, Florida.”

Ron Kirsner, M.D. ’88, shares, “Hitting my stride as a solo, outpatient, no insurance/cash only psychiatrist! In practice since 1997 after becoming boarded in internal medicine (too messy for me!), completing a one-year addiction medicine fellowship, and finally, psychiatry residency (whew!). I miss my U of M colleagues.”

Todd Antin, M.D. ’89, reports, “After 30 years on the front lines of clinical and forensic psychiatry in Atlanta, I sold my practice to Foresight Mental Health, where I am now the regional medical director of this large, national multidisciplinary mental health delivery system. Looking forward to retiring very soon and spending my free time catching up with friends and family as I fondly remember all my classmates of the great UM medical school Class of 1989.”

Ashira Johnson, M.D. ’89, recently relocated to St. Petersburg, Florida, and is completing her J.D. degree at Stetson College of Law in Gulf Port. She previously earned a master’s degree in real estate law at UIC John Marshall in Chicago, graduating with Honors in December 2019.

Harlan Bieley, M.D. ’92, M.S., writes that he received a patent for smoking cessation treatment. “There has not been anything new regarding tobacco smoking in over 20 years, until now. Over the past 30 years, about half of the medicines used in society cause drug-induced nutrient depletion. I discovered what micronutrients and antioxidants are depleted from tobacco smoking and secondhand smoke exposure. I then asked, What happens when you replenish these diminished /depleted substances? For a number of them, replenishment has shown a statistically significant decrease in morbidity and mortality, i.e., it gives people a fighting chance of staying well. These replenishments can be used for tobacco smokers, secondhand smoke-exposed persons, pregnant smokers, and for those who make a ‘just-quit’ attempt. I have a one-hour PowerPoint presentation that I am willing to present if invited. All studies are from peer-reviewed (Pub Med) literature.”

Lea Harracksingh, M.D. ’94, specializes in internal medicine and primary care at AssociatesMD in Plantation, Florida.

Joelle Vlahakis, M.D. ’95, reports, she is a contract medical director with the Government Health Administrators. “I am working on an Innovation Challenge Grant from Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to improve the use of depression screening and chronic care management for Medicare beneficiaries in six states in the Midwest. This includes a special provision to improve use of these programs in areas where health inequities are high. After witnessing firsthand during the pandemic the profound cost of the disparities within our health care system, I have an opportunity to impact access to care in a positive way.”

Brian R. Carter, M.D. ’97, has been a physician-partner at The Orthopaedic Center in Huntsville, Alabama, since 2002.

Keith Ferguson, M.D. ’98, is a body imager in the Department of Radiology of at Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa.

Nina Ferguson, M.D. ’98, is associate professor of medicine in the Department of Medicine and Palliative Care at the Tampa VA Medical Center.

Jason M. Goldman, M.D. ’98, has been in private practice in Coral Springs, Florida, for 20 years. He is a regent of the American College of Physicians.

Mavara S. Agrawal, M.D. ’99, has been reappointed to the board of directors of the Florida Endowment Foundation for Vocational Rehabilitation, also known as The Able Trust.

Suzanne Minor, M.D. ’99, is assistant dean for faculty development at Florida International University.

Laura L. Hayes, M.D. ’01, serves on the board of directors for the American Society of Pediatric Neuroradiology and chairs the American Board of Radiology’s Pediatric Subspecialty Exam Committee. She is a pediatric radiologist/neuroradiologist at Nemours Childrens’ Health in Pensacola, Florida.

Mery J. Lossada, M.D., UM/Jackson Neurology Resident ’01, is chief medical officer of Hospice of Marion County, Florida.

Kara Pepper, M.D. ’05, started her own telemedicine internal medicine practice serving adults across the Southeast, especially those with eating disorders. In addition, she is an executive coach for physicians experiencing burnout and career transition, and she speaks nationally on burnout and organizational transformation. She is based in Atlanta.

Garrett Cuppels, M.D., UM/Jackson Orthopaedic Surgery Resident ’06, is medical director and co-owner of Azuri Aesthetics Medical Center in Miami Beach. He writes, “I am honored to be the medical director at the Azuri Medical Center. We will be centered around providing an unparalleled customer experience utilizing the most advanced medical science with optimized protocols delivered by our exceptionally trained and personable medical staff.”

Julian T. Rojas Caballero, M.D., UM/Jackson Internal Medicine Resident ’05, Pulmonary Disease and Critical Care Medicine Fellow ’09, is ICU director at Providence Alaska Medical Center in Anchorage, Alaska.

Christopher Lee, M.D. ’10, M.S.P.H., is medical director at BayCare Health Systems Employee Health, BayCare Urgent Care. He says he has been living and practicing in Tampa Bay since 2014 and asks you to reach out if you are in the area.

Wendy Glaberson, M.D. ’13, recently became the medical director of Miami Pediatrics, a private concierge and general pediatrics practice in Bay Harbor Islands, Florida. In addition, she continues to work for the University of Miami in the Department of Pediatrics and Pediatric Nephrology.

Ekaterina Kostioukhina, M.D. ’13, teaches space medicine at MIT and is currently doing research on human hibernation for space travel. Find out more about her work at https://esp.mit.edu/teach/teachers/Ekostioukhina/bio.html.

Matthew Markert, M.D. ’13, Ph.D. ’12, shares, “I have been part of a team building out a technology for rapidly deployable EEG for more than five years. This device (Ceribell) is an improvement over existing cost utility and cost benefit standards by at least two orders of magnitude. Our machine learning is FDA approved and can enable access to EEG to the nearly 95% of American hospitals that currently believe it is not possible without hiring technologists or an on-site neurology service. It is changing the standard of care and should be adopted nationwide, immediately.” Dr. Markert is a neurologist at Palo Alto Medical Foundation, Sutter Heath.

Kimberly Ross, M.D. ’13, M.B.A. ’12, is a physician at Kaiser Permanente in Los Angeles.

Cristina Del Toro, M.D. ’15, M.B.A. ’14, shares, “Married with an almost 2-year-old little boy! Still incredibly passionate about health and fitness and nutrition as medicine.” She is an attending physician in the emergency department at Piedmont Atlanta Hospital.

Shane Cherry, M.D., UM/Jackson Anesthesiology Resident ’17, Adult Cardiothoracic Anesthesiology Fellow ’18, is a cardiothoracic anesthesiologist at Trident Anesthesia Group in Charleston, South Carolina.

Daphne Papathomas, M.D. ’17, is an OB/GYN at Montage Medical Group in Monterey, California.