UNLV Medicine

Dr. Megumi Akiyama, an assistant professor in the UNLV School of Medicine Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, completed a fellowship in maternal fetal medicine at the University of Hawaii. 

A former staff perinatologist at Desert Perinatal Associates, Dr. Akiyama did her ob-gyn residency training at the University of Nevada, Reno. There, she won the Phillip H. Goodman Resident Competition in Critical Appraisal.

Dr. James M. Alexander, MD is a professor and chair of the department of obstetrics and gynecology. A 1991 graduate of the University of Texas at Houston, he went on to complete his residency at the University of Alabama at Birmingham and completed a fellowship in Maternal Fetal Medicine at the University of Texas Southwestern. After his fellowship, he stayed on as faculty at UTSW where he served in many leadership positions including chief of the obstetrics service.

Dr. John Anooshian, an associate professor in the UNLV School of Medicine Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, received his medical degree from the University of Nevada Reno School of Medicine. 

Anooshian completed his general psychiatric residency at the University of Hawaii School of Medicine. 

Board certified by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology, he is medical director and senior psychiatrist at the UNLV Medicine-Mohave Counseling Center. 

Dr. Ovunc Bardakcioglu, an associate professor of surgery at the UNLV School of Medicine, serves as chief of the Division of Colon and Rectal Surgery.

Dr. Bardakcioglu was educated in Germany and chose to specialize in general surgery during his residency at Beth Israel Medical Center.

He completed a fellowship in colon and rectal surgery at Cedars Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles.

Prior to becoming the clinical director of The UNLV Ackerman Center for Autism and Neurodevelopment Solutions, Dr. Julie F. Beasley was in private practice for 17 years,  providing neuropsychological assessment and treatment for children from birth to 25 years of age.

Dr. John Brosious, an assistant professor of plastic surgery at the UNLV School of Medicine, had the highest score in the country when he took the written exam to become certified with the American Board of Plastic Surgery.

Dr. Burger earned her medical degree from West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine and completed her residency at Lehigh Valley Hospital in Allentown, PA. She has been practicing in Obstetrics & Gynecology since completing her residency in 2016. She graduated from Arizona State University with a Bachelor of Science in psychology. Dr. Burger was the recipient of the 2019 American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists National Faculty Award.

Dr. Carroll is originally from Scottsdale, Arizona.  He received his Bachelors of Science from the University of Arizona where he double majored in Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics as well as Molecular and Cellular Biology.  He continued his education at the University of Arizona for medical school.  He then moved to Grand Rapids, Michigan to complete his surgical residency.  He has always had a passion for the injured patient.  He followed his passion to Las Vegas where he has now completed his fellowship in Acute Care Surgery. 

Dr. Chang, an assistant professor of pediatric surgery at UNLV School of Medicine, is a board-certified general and pediatric surgeon.

Her areas of special interest include surgical disease of the newborn gastrointestinal tract, anorectal malformations, pediatric surgical oncology, minimally invasive surgery, and surgery for inflammatory bowel disease.

Dr. Harry H. Ching, an assistant professor of otolaryngology-head & neck surgery and facial plastic surgery at the UNLV School of Medicine, treats a variety of disorders, including nasal obstruction, sinus disease, smf facial trauma.

His clinical interests also include cosmetic facial surgery – rhinoplasty, facelift, blepharoplasty, brow lift, Asian eyelid surgery, and scar revision. He also specializes in reconstruction of the face for skin cancer, treatment of eyelid disorders, Botox injections and other injectable filler treatments. 

Dr. Laura Culley, the UNLV School of Medicine Associate Dean of Community Engagement, has more than 25 years of experience as a board-certified physician in internal medicine, serving in leadership positions with two medical practices in New York City and Las Vegas.

She previously served as medical director of Volunteers in Medicine of Southern Nevada. For nearly 30 years, Dr. Culley operated a private practice in New York City and then Las Vegas.

Dr. de Guzman is board-certified in obstetrics and gynecology, and practices general obstetrics and gynecology. His main interests include general obstetrics, family planning, contraception counseling, STD screening and treatment, and gynecological surgical procedures.

Dr. de Guzman worked at the Harvard Vanguard Medical Associates and its affiliated Harvard University hospitals for the last 3 years prior to joining the UNLV faculty.

Dr. David Di John, an associate professor of pediatrics at the UNLV School of Medicine, and the program director of the UNLV Maternal-HIV program. 

He has more than 30 years of experience in research and treatment of pediatric infectious diseases, including clinical care for women, infants, children and youth with HIV/AIDS. 

He directed a pediatric AIDS clinic in New York, taught clinical pediatrics for 18 years at New York University Medical Center, and served as director of pediatric infectious diseases for Flushing Hospital Medical Center in New York.

Dr. Nora Doyle, the UNLV School of Medicine Assistant Dean for Ultrasound Education as well as a professor of maternal fetal medicine, was named in 2017 as one of America’s Top Obstetricians and Gynecologists by the Consumers Research Council of America.  

Rajany V. Dy, MD graduated from the De La Salle Health Sciences Institute, Manila, The Philippines in 2007. She trained in Internal Medicine at the Yale New Haven Hospital and Pulmonary / Critical Care Medicine at University at Buffalo. She specializes in pulmonary diseases and the care of critically ill patients. Her interests include interstitial lung diseases, COPD, ARDS and fluid management in the ICU. Dr.

Sabrina Eisinga was born and raised in Las Vegas, Nevada. She attended Arizona State University where she obtained a bachelor’s degree in Kinesiology and a minor in Spanish. Later, she attended Nevada State College where she obtained her Nursing degree. She earned her master’s degree in Nursing with a specific concentration of Family Nurse Practitioner at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. In her free time, she enjoys, traveling, playing tennis, going to the gym, and spending time with her family.

John Fildes, MD, FACS, FCCM, FPCS (Hon) is the Associate Dean for External Affairs at the UNLV School of Medicine. In addition, he is Professor and Inaugural Chair of the Department of Surgery. He served as Interim Dean from September 2019 through April 2020.

Dr. Fontenelle-Gilmer, an assistant professor in the UNLV School of Medicine Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, specializes in child and adolescent psychiatry. Dr. Fontenelle-Gilmer treats patients on the psychiatry consultation service at UMC hospital.

A graduate of the University of Maryland School of Medicine, she completed residencies at Harvard Medical School and Sheppard Pratt Hospital and completed a Master Health Science degree at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. 

Dr. Douglas R. Fraser, is an associate professor in the UNLV School of Medicine Department of Surgery, and is the Trauma Medical Director at University Medical Center in Las Vegas. As the Chief of Trauma, he works daily to ensure the complex operations of the only Level 1 Trauma Center in Nevada.

Dianne Lynn Galgana, who received her doctorate in nursing practice from the University of Cincinnati, is a pediatric nurse practitioner for the UNLV School of Medicine Department of Pediatrics. 

She also received her master’s degree in nursing from the University of Cincinnati. Dianne Galgana completed her bachelor’s degree in nursing from UNLV.

Prior to joining  UNLV Medicine, she worked in Las Vegas for Sunrise Pediatrics, Sunrise Children’s Hospital and Sunrise Hospital and Medical Center.

Dr. Mario J. Gaspar de Alba is responsible for the evaluation and treatment of children with neurodevelopmental disabilities for the UNLV Ackerman Autism Center and Neurodevelopment Solutions. He also assists the UNLV School of Medicine to achieve and maintain a diverse faculty and student body, which in turns creates a culture of inclusion among patients and throughout the entire school.

Dr. Nadia Gomez, an associate professor of gynecology and director of the minimally invasive gynecology surgery division at the UNLV School of Medicine, became in 2015 the first female physician to perform robotic benign gynecological surgery at University Medical Center, where she is currently the vice chair of the robotics committee.

Dr. John Marshall Ham, a professor of surgery at the UNLV School of Medicine, has performed more than 1,000 kidney transplants in his career, recently reaching a career high of 78 in one year.

Josh Harrold, APRN,  is originally from the East Coast. He went to college at Thomas Jefferson University, where he got both his BSN and MSN, with a concentration in pediatric primary care. Josh has a particular interest in developmental pediatrics. 

Josh has been practicing as a primary care pediatric nurse practitioner for five years.

Josh has five years experience in pediatric primary care, three of which he served in the United States Air Force. 

Dr. Sara Hunt, an assistant dean of behavioral health sciences with the UNLV School of Medicine Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, also serves as director of the UNLV Mental and Behavioral Health Coalition. 

She completed her doctorate in psychology at Utah State University. Dr. Hunt completed her pre-doctoral internship in Toronto, Canada. Her research and clinical interests have focused on individuals with chronic health concerns. 

Dr. Jayaraj earned his medical degree from Stanley Medical College, Chennai, Inda. He completed his Internal Medicine Residency training at University of Nevada School of Medicine, Las Vegas. He completed his Gastroenterology Fellowship at University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Dr. Jayaraj’s clinical interest include prevention of colorectal cancer by screening and surveilance colonoscopy, general hepatology and bariatric endoscopy. 

Dr. Jones-Betancourt is originally from Vista, CA located in San Diego county. She was the first person to attend college at the University of California, Berkeley where she studied environmental biology with an emphasis on human health. She attended University of California, Davis for medical school where she was involved with student run clinics and the Latino Medical Student Association. She completed her residency training at University of Southern California Los Angeles county. Dr.

Dr. Oriaku A. Kas-Osoka, an assistant professor in the UNLV School of Medicine Department of Pediatrics, is one of the few Southern Nevada physicians who specializes in adolescent medicine.

With an educational background that includes a fellowship in adolescent medicine from Cincinnati Children’s Hospital and Medical Center, Dr. Kas-Osoka appreciates that working in academic medicine allows her to work with both patients and students.

Dr. Nazia Khan, an assistant professor in the UNLV School of Medicine Department of Internal Medicine, received her medical degree at Dow Medical College in Pakistan.

Board certified in internal medicine by the American Board of Internal Medicine, she completed a residency at the University of Nevada Reno School of Medicine.

Her research includes work done at the LDS Hospital Cardiovascular Research Division in Salt Lake City, UT. 

Dr. Daniel Kirgan, a professor in the UNLV School of Medicine Department of Surgery, is currently vice chair of the department, and chief of the Division of Surgical Oncology. 

A graduate of the George Washington University School of Medicine, he completed his general surgical residency at the University of Nevada Reno School of Medicine. Following completion of his residency, Dr. Kirgan did a two-year surgical oncology fellowship at the John Wayne Cancer Institute in California. 

Dr. David Kuykendall, an assistant professor with the UNLV School of Medicine Department of Family and Community Medicine, is proud of his community-focused and volunteer activities, which include assisting with Volunteers of Medicine of Southern Nevada, the Nevada Obstetrical Charity Clinic and participating in the Nevada Radiation Exposure Screening and Education Program to identify people exposed to radiation at the Nevada Test Site. 

Dr. Eden Lee currently serves as associate director of Psychiatry Residency Training Program for UNLV School of Medicine.

She is a teaching attending for Psychiatry Consultation-Liaison Service at University Medical Center of Southern Nevada. Dr. Lee attended medical school at De La Salle University Health Sciences Institute in the Philippines. She completed her residency at Case Western University-MetroHealth Medical Center in Cleveland, Ohio. Dr. Lee is board certified by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology.

Michelle Lisoskie, M.D. obtained a B.S., cell and molecular biology from University of Washington, and an M.D. from Medical College of Pennsylvania (now Drexel University College of Medicine) in Philadelphia.

She completed PGY-1 and PGY-2 in a pediatrics at North Shore University Hospital (Cornell) in Manhasset, NY, then transferred into the “triple board” residency at Mount Sinai Medical Center, New York, NY.

She is Board qualified in pediatrics, and Board certified in child, adolescent and adult psychiatry.

Dr. Kate Martin, an associate professor in the UNLV School of Medicine Department of Family and Community Medicine, developed a health assessment and promotion program to improve the quality of life for adults with developmental and intellectual disabilities. 

Serving as the medical school’s director of community engagement, Dr. Martin is also the residency program director for the UNLV School of Medicine Department of Family and Community Medicine. 

Dr. McNickle, an Assistant Professor at the UNLV School of Medicine Department of Surgery, is the Section Chief of Emergency General Surgery.

Dr. McNickle earned her medical degree from Rush Medical College and completed her General Surgery Residency at the University of Illinois-Chicago at Mount Sinai Hospital. She completed her Acute Care Surgery Fellowship at University of Nevada-Las Vegas. Dr. McNickle is Board-certified in general surgery and surgical critical care.

Dr. Rebecca Meyers joined the UNLV faculty in 2017 as a pediatric hospitalist. 

Her primary clinical roles include caring for hospitalized children at University Medical Center in Las Vegas. In addition, she is involved in medical education by instructing resident physicians and medical students during their inpatient service. Dr. Meyers’s professional interests include the care of medically complex children and pediatric transplant recipients, as well as quality improvement. 

Dr. Evelyn Montalvo Stanton, who completed a research fellowship in pediatric pulmonology at Columbia University’s College of Physicians and Surgeons, the New York City medical school where she later taught, is the chair of the UNLV School of Medicine Department of Pediatrics.

A graduate of  Rutgers New Jersey Medical School — she subsequently held an appointment there as a clinical associate professor of pediatrics — Dr. Montalvo Stanton also served in New Jersey as Barnabas Health Medical Group’s Division Director of Pediatric Pulmonology.

Beverly A. Neyland, professor of Pediatrics at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas School of Medicine, earned the B.S. degree from Bennett College in Greensboro, North Carolina, and the M.D. degree from Meharry Medical College in Nashville, Tennessee. Additional training includes an externship at the University of Zagreb in Yugoslavia; an internship at the Long Beach Memorial Children’s Hospital, Long Beach, California; and pediatric residency at the UCLA/Harbor General Hospital in Torrance, California. She is Board Certified by the American Board of Pediatrics.

Dr. Gordon Ohning, a professor in the UNLV School of Medicine Department of Internal Medicine, graduated from the Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine

He completed a residency in internal medicine at the University of Iowa and a fellowship in gastroenterology from UCLA. 

After 30 years as a professor at UCLA — he also was a prolific researcher with the CURE: Digestive Diseases Research Center there — Ohning said the opportunity to help create the new UNLV School of Medicine was too good to pass up. 

Dr. Charissa A. Olson, an assistant professor in the UNLV School of Medicine Department of Obstetrics/Gynecology, has had her research published on women’s chronic pelvic pain in the Journal of Clinical Outcomes Management. 

A graduate of the University of Connecticut School of Medicine, she completed her residency at Wright State University School of Medicine in Ohio. 

Dr. Lianne Ong, an assistant professor in the UNLV School of Medicine Department of Family & Community Medicine, has served as the UNLV Student Health Center Latent Tuberculosis Treatment Program Coordinator. 

Board certified in family medicine, she said she appreciates that academic medicine allows her to work with medical students and to provide her patients with evidence-based care. 

Her medical interests are providing care to women, adolescents, and children. 

Dr. David Parks, a pediatric pulmonologist and associate professor in the UNLV School of Medicine’s Department of Pediatrics, believes that patient education and establishing rapport with patients and their families are essential to the art of medicine.

For asthma patients, he developed a two-page “asthma action plan” that details what they should do while living with asthma, how to use an inhaler, and the actions to take when different symptoms arise.

Dr. Fateh Peera, who at the University of Arizona College of Medicine studied the importance of calories obtained from beverages as a contributing factor to obesity in children, joined UNLV Medicine as a pediatrician in 2018. 

A 2007 graduate of the University of Arizona College of Medicine where he also completed his residency program in pediatrics, he worked as a pediatrician in Tucson, AZ for five years before becoming an assistant professor of pediatrics at Texas Tech University in 2015. 

Dr. Pistorio is originally from Maryland. She worked in biomedical research for ten years prior to medical school.  She completed her undergraduate degree at Thomas Edison State College in animal science and her master’s degree in biotechnology at Johns Hopkins University.

Dr. Aron Rogers, an associate professor in the UNLV School of Medicine Department of Family and Community Medicine,  left a private practice in Las Vegas with 2000 patients for the opportunity to teach. 

Dr. Syed F. Saquib, an assistant professor of trauma and critical care at the UNLV School of Medicine, works at University Medical Center in Las Vegas, primarily in trauma, burns and critical care.

Heavily involved in UMC’s Lions Burns Care Center, he works closely with fellows, residents, and students in providing the best patient care possible.

Dr. David Savarese, an associate professor in the UNLV School of Medicine’s Department of Pediatrics, was director of a community health center in Connecticut that offered medical care, behavioral health care and dental health care to children and their families who were traumatized by the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School Shooting in Newtown, Conn. That tragedy took the lives of 20 children and six adults.

Dr. Rebecca Scherr,an associate professor of pediatrics at the UNLV School of Medicine, is the division chief of pediatric gastroenterology, hepatology and nutrition. 

She is also vice chief of pediatrics at University Medical Center Children’s Hospital of Nevada. 

Dr. Scherr treats patients with general GI concerns as well as complex issues including inflammatory bowel disease, liver disease and patients requiring nutritional support.

Dr. Gary Shen, an assistant deal of clinical education at the UNLV School of Medicine, is also an associate professor of surgery and associate program director for the general surgery residency program at the medical school. 

A graduate of the University of Rochester School of Medicine, he completed his general surgery residency training at the University of Arizona, and his transplant fellowship in Stanford University.

Dr. Aditi Singh, an associate professor in the UNLV School of Medicine Department of Internal Medicine, is associate medical director of the internal medicine residency program. 

A graduate of the University of Nevada Reno School of Medicine, she cares for patients in the areas of preventative medicine, diabetes, hypertension management and women’s health. 

Director of ambulatory education in the internal medicine program, Dr. Singh is board certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine. 

Dr. Charles St. Hill, an assistant professor with the UNLV School of Medicine Department of Surgery, has pursued research in cancer surgery/clinical trials program development.

A graduate of the University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine, he offers clinical trials for patients who fit the criteria for certain studies. “We’ve done several sponsored clinical trials that have helped patients who don’t have the resources, which help to advance the research while offering more options for patients.”

Dr. Mark Suhany, an associate professor in the UNLV School of Medicine Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, attended the University of Missouri School of Medicine. 

He completed a residency in psychiatry from the University of Texas Health Science Center in Dallas. 

Board certified by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology, he is a former president of the Nevada Psychiatric Association. 

Dr. John Varras, is a professor at UNLV School of Medicine Department of Internal Medicine. He attended medical school at Creighton University in Nebraska, where he also completed his residency. 

He is the former chair for the department of internal medicine at the University of Nevada Reno School of Medicine. Under his leadership, the department of internal medicine expanded the size of the residency training program and started three new fellowships in cardiology, gastroenterology, and pulmonary and critical care.

Dr. Robert H. Wang completed his medical school education at the University of Alabama in Birmingham after he finished his graduate school education at the University of New Mexico with a PhD degree in immunology. 

He then received his OB/GYN residency training at the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center in Lubbock.  After his training, Dr. Wang engaged in his solo practice in Houston for several years before he relocated to Las Vegas.  

Dr. Miracle Wangsuwana offers a full scope of general adult neurological care, he most often sees patients diagnosed with epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, migraines, headaches and carpal tunnel syndrome.

Dr. David Weismiller, a professor in the UNLV School of Medicine Department of Family and Community Medicine, is known nationally for educating his colleagues through many learning activities and venues. 

He has developed and presented continuing education courses to physicians through the AAFP “Board Review Express Course Series” since 2005. He also has educated colleagues through an AAFP webcast series covering multiple topics, ranging from geriatrics and primary care to treatment of blood cholesterol and sports concussions.

Ji Won Yoo, MD, is the Nevada Interprofessional Healthy Aging Network Program Director and Assistant Professor in the Department of Internal Medicine at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV), School of Medicine (SOM). Nevada is a very popular place to retire, especially, with the baby boomer generation. At the same time, the number of providers of medical care in Nevada has not kept pace with the overall population and specifically, not with the geriatric population.  For example, Nevada ranks 48th out of 50 states in primary care provider shortage.