Class Notes
By Debby Teich
Jose Garcia, M.D. ’87, participated on a virtual panel for the Miller School of Medicine’s Business of Medicine students who are enrolled as dual M.D./M.B.A. students.
Maria T. Abreu, M.D. ’90, was appointed executive director of the F. Widjaja Inflammatory Bowel Disease Institute at Cedars-Sinai in Los Angeles.
Miguel Perez-Pinzon, Ph.D. ’92, vice-chair for basic science and director of the Peritz Scheinberg Cerebral Vascular Disease Research Laboratories at the Miller School, received the prestigious 2025 Thomas Willis Lecture Award for his pioneering work on ischemic preconditioning.
Thomas A. Albini, M.D., UM/Jackson Internal Medicine Internship ’00, professor of clinical ophthalmology and retina and vitreous diseases specialist, achieved the Robert Z. & Nancy J. Greene Chair in Ophthalmology at Bascom Palmer Eye Institute.
Kendall E. Donaldson, M.D., UM/Jackson Ophthalmology Resident ’03, Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, University of Miami Cornea/External Disease Fellowship ’04, professor of clinical ophthalmology and cornea and external diseases specialist, achieved the Rodgers Clark Chair in Ophthalmology at Bascom Palmer Eye Institute.
Jonathan Slonin, B.S. ’97, M.D. ’01, UM/Jackson Anesthesiology Resident ’05, received a 2024 Distinguished Service Award from the Florida Society of Anesthesiologists. He currently serves on the ASA Board of Directors as the ASA Director from Florida.
Elena Alvarez, M.D., UM/Jackson Breast Imaging Fellowship ’04, is a fellowship-trained breast imaging radiologist at Pavia Breast and Imaging Center, located within Hospital Pavia Santurce in Puerto Rico.
Gordon Chen, M.D. ’05, UM/Jackson Internal Medicine Resident ’08, UM/Jackson Cardiovascular Disease Fellowship ’11, spoke at the annual “The New Face for Aging” conference in Coral Gables, Florida in October 2023.
Ninel Z. Gregori, M.D., Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, UM/Jackson Ophthalmology Resident ’05, Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, University of Miami Vitreoretinal Diseases and Surgery Fellowship ’07, professor of clinical ophthalmology and retina and vitreous diseases specialist, achieved the Lois Pope Endowed Chair for Age-Related Macular Degeneration Research at Bascom Palmer Eye Institute.
Chryso Katsoufis, M.D. ’06, UM/Jackson Pediatrics Internship ’07, UM/Jackson Pediatrics Resident ’09, UM/Jackson Pediatric Nephrology Fellowship ’12, was inducted into the American Pediatric Society.
Eduardo “Eddy” Vadia, M.D. ’06, was the keynote speaker for the Frost Institute for Data Science and Computing 2nd annual IDSC Day.
Jacob C. Warren, Ph.D. ’06, was named director of the University of North Dakota Center for Rural Health.
Juan D. Oms, M.D., UM/Jackson Psychiatry Resident ’08, UM/Jackson Forensic Psychiatry Fellowship ’09, is medical advisor for Psychiatry and Behavioral Health at QHSLab, Inc.
Linda Koshy, M.D. ’14, joined MyCardiologist in Boca Raton, Florida.
Patrick Azcarate, M.D. ’16, joined Baptist Health’s Miami Cardiac & Vascular Institute, where he specializes in general cardiology, cardio-oncology and imaging.
Sarah E. Marmol, M.D. ’18, UM/Jackson Neurology Resident ’22, UM/Jackson Movement Disorders Fellowship ’24, joined Baptist Health Miami Neuroscience Institute.
Britta Gray, D.O., M.P.H., UM/Jackson Obstetrics and Gynecology Resident ’19, joined the Cottage Obstetrics & Gynecology Clinic in Santa Barbara, California.
Natalia Rincon Buendia, M.D., UM/Jackson Neurology Resident ’22, joined Baptist Health Miami Neuroscience Institute, specializing in the treatment of epilepsy.
Gili G. Halfteck, M.D., Ph.D., UM Breast Surgical Oncology Research Fellowship ’22, breast and endocrine surgeon, joined the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute.
Keneisha Smith, M.D., UM/HCA Florida JFK Hospital Internal Medicine Resident ’24, joined Baptist Health Primary Care in Deerfield Beach, Florida.
Passages
Raul E. de Velasco, M.D. ’67, passed away in December 2024. He contributed to the UHealth Ethics Service since its inception, leading “Ethics for Lunch” education sessions and serving on its Ethics Committee. He contributed to the Miller School’s ethics curriculum for medical students and regularly participated in curricular and extra-curricular initiatives to humanize the formation of future physicians.
David Wilkinson, M.D. ’77, passed away in January 2025. He was professor and chairman of the Department of Pathology at Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine from 1993 to 2013, and he remained there as a contributing emeritus professor until his death.
Douglas Roy Kwazneski II, M.D. ’10, passed away in October 2023 in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He was an acute, critical care intensivist trauma burn surgeon who specialized in disaster management emergency preparedness.
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