New Faculty Introductions 2023-2024

Welcome to West Texas!
The School of Medicine has a passion to provide a prodigious education for our medical students, residents and fellows, along with improving health outcomes in the most unreached, underserved communities in West Texas and around the world. We are excited to have you on board to further our mission.
Amarillo Campus

Jenny Kim Nguyen, MD
Assistant Professor
- Graduate of Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, Texas
- Residency in Integrative Medicine, University of Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine, Tucson, Arizona

Alexis Borden, DO
Assistant Professor
- Graduate of West Virginia School, Lewisburg, West Virginia
- Board Certified in:
- Osteopathic Medicine

Sayyidda Mohammed, MD
Assistant Professor
- Graduate of St. George's University, Grenada, West Indies
- Residency in Pediatrics of Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Amarillo, Texas

Ruth Grant, MD
Clinical Assistant Professor
- Graduate of Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, Texas
- Board Certified in:
- Psychiatry
- Child & Adolescent Psychiatry

Mustafa Hussain, MD
Clinical Professor
- Graduate of Dow Medical College, Karachi, Pakistan
- Board Certified in:
- Psychiatry
- Neurology
- Adolescent Psychiatry

Brandon Willis, AGACNP-BC
Faculty Associate
- Graduate of University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas
- Board Certified in:
- Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner
Lubbock Campus

Zemfira Karamysheva, PhD
Assistant Professor
- Doctorate in Molecular Biology, Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia

Malaiyalam Mariappan, PhD
Associate Professor
- Doctorate in Biochemistry, University of Göttingen, Germany

Quynh Hoa Do, PhD
Research Assistant Professor
- Graduate of Heinrich-Heine University Dusseldorf, Germany - in Structural Biology
- Graduate of Dresden University of Technology, Germany-MScGraduate of Hanoi University of Science, Vietnam National University-BSc

Cameron West, MD, MBA
Assistant Professor
- Graduate of the University of Kansas School of Medicine, Wichita, Kansas – MD
- Graduate of Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas – MBA
- Board Certified
- Dermatology
- Dermatopathology

Karthickrajkumar Kariamanickam, MD
Assistant Professor
- Graduate of Govt. Stanley Medical College, India-Doctorate
- Residency in Internal Medicine, Bronx Care Health System, Bronx, New York

Patti May, MD, MBA
Assistant Professor
- Graduate of Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, Texas - MD
- Graduate of Texas Tech University, Rawls School of Business, Lubbock, Texas – MBA

Marsha Perales-Hull, MD
Assistant Professor
- Graduate of Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, Texas
- Fellowship in Hospice & Palliative Care, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, Texas
- Residency in Obstetrics & Gynecology Residency, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, Texas

Parameswara Yaramala, MD
Assistant Professor
- Graduate of Dr. NTR University of Health Sciences/NRI Medical College
Guntur, Andhra Pradesh India - Residency in Internal Medicine, Garden City Hospital, Garden City, Michigan

Mumtaz Yaseen Balkhi, PhD
Research Associate Professor
- Doctorate in Human Biology, Ludwig Maximilian University (LMU), Munich Germany

Rocio Acosta, MD
Assistant Professor
- Graduate of Universidad Evangelica de El Salvador Facultad de Medicina
- Board Certified in:
- Internal Medicine

Shazia Ahmad, MD
Associate Professor
- Graduate of Government Medical College, Srinagar, India
- Board Certified
- Internal Medicine
- Endocrinology, Diabetes & Metabolism

Anuhya Alapati, MD
Assistant Professor
- Graduate of N.R.I. Medical College, Guntur, India
- Board Certified
- Internal Medicine
- Pulmonary Disease

Thomas Hutson, DO, PhD, PharmD, MPH
Professor
- Graduate of Ohio University - DO
- Graduate of Liberty University - PhD
- Graduate of Northern Ohio University - PharmD
- Graduate of Yale University - MPH
- Board Certified in:
- Medical Oncology
- General Internal Medicine
- Post-doctoral training at Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio
- Fellowship in Experimental Therapeutics

Ehab Saad, MD
Professor
- Graduate of Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt
- Board Certified in:
- Nephrology
- Internal Medicine
- Geriatric Medicine

Brian Schroeder, MD
Associate Professor
- Graduate of University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, Galveston, Texas
- Board Certified in:
- Internal Medicine

Sima Shahbandar, MD
Assistant Professor
- Graduate of American University of Integrative Sciences- School of Medicine, Saint Michael, Barbados
- Board Certified in:
- Internal Medicine

Tushi Singh, MD
Assistant Professor
- Graduate of Andhra Medical College, Visakhapatnam, India
- Board Certified in:
- Internal Medicine
- Pulmonary Disease

Zhaunn Sly, MD
Assistant Professor
- Graduate of Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, Texas
- Board Certified in:
- Cardiovascular Disease
- Internal Medicine

Jose Suarez, MD
Associate Professor
- Graduate of Universidad de El Salvador, San Salvador, El Salvador
- Board Certified in:
- Internal Medicine
- Cardiovascular Disease
- Interventional Cardiology

Ahmad Jezzini, PhD
Assistant Professor
- Doctorate in Neuroscience, Graduate of University of Parma, Parma, Italy

Michael Serra, PhD
Associate Professor
- Doctorate in Experimental Psychology, Kent State University, Kent, Ohio

Jill White, PhD
Assistant Professor
- Doctorate in Biomedical Sciences-Department of Cell Biology and Biochemistry, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, Texas

Salvatore J. LoCoco, MD, MBA
Professor
- Graduate of Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center-Lubbock/El Paso, Texas - MD
- Graduate of Bradley University, Theresa S. Falcom Executive MBA Program Foster College of Business - Peoria, Illinois
- Board Certified in:
- Obstetrics & Gynecology

Bo Suh, MD
Associate Professor
- Graduate of Pusan National University, School of Medicine, Pusan, Korea
- Board Certified in:
- Specialized Obstetrics & Gynecology
- Sub Specialized in Reproductive Endocrinology

Alexandra Kasl, OD
Faculty Associate
- Graduate of Western University of Health Sciences, Pomona, California

Luke Sherman, OD
Faculty Associate
- Graduate of University of Houston College of Optometry, Houston, Texas

Tammam Hanna, MD
Assistant Professor
- Graduate of Rostov State Medical University, Rostov-on-Don, Russia-Doctor of Medicine
- Fellowship in Arthroscopic Surgery, Arthroscopy Association of North America
- Fellowship in Orthopaedic Sports Medicine, The Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, Penn State College of Medicine, Pennsylvania

Anceslo Idicula, MD
Assistant Professor
- Graduate of Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, Texas
- Board Certified in:
- General Surgery

Celeste Caballero, MD
Assistant Professor
- Graduate of University of Texas Southwestern Medical School, Austin, Texas
- Board Certified in:
- Pediatrics

Andrew Faniku, MD
Assistant Professor
- Graduate of Obafemi Awolowo University, Nigeria
- Residency in Pediatrics, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Amarillo, Texas

Jonathan Singer, PhD
Assistant Professor
- Doctorate in Clinical Psychology, Ohio State Wexner Medical Center, Ohio

Vadim Yakhnitsa, MD, PhD
Research Assistant Professor
- Graduate of Medical University Zaporozhye, Ukraine - MD
- Graduate of Institute of Physiology Kiev, Ukraine - PhD

Phillip Balfanz, MD, MBA
Assistant Professor
- Graduate of University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas - MD
- Graduate of Naveen Jindal School of Management at UT Dallas, Alliance for Physician Leadership, Richardson, Texas - MBA

Regina Baronia, MD, MEd
Assistant Professor
- Graduate of University of the East-RMMMC, Quezon City, Philippines - MD
- Graduate of Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas-Masters in Special Education on Applied Behavior Analysis - MEd
- Fellowship in Psychiatry-Developmental Disabilities, Queen's University, Kinston, Ontario, Canada

Marina Chavez, MD
Associate Professor
- Graduate of Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center
- Board Certified in:
- Psychiatry

Anastasia Ruiz, MD
Assistant Professor
- Graduate of Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, Texas
- Residency in Psychiatry, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, Texas

Laurel Wolfe Zarnoth, PsyD, LP
Assistant Professor
- Graduate of Spalding University-Clinical Child, Adolescent, & Family Track, Louisville, Kentucky
- Fellowship in Child & Adolescent Psychology, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, Texas

Ahmad Zaghal, MD
Associate Professor
- Graduate of Distinction, Beirut Arab University, Lebanon
- Fellowship in Pediatric Surgery & Pediatric Urology, Chelsea and Westminster Children’s Hospital, United Kingdom
- Fellowship in Pediatric Surgery, University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics
- Residency in General surgery, American University of Beirut, Lebanon
Odessa Campus

Eleazar Cano, MEd, LPC
Clinical Instructor
- Graduate of Sul Ross State University, Alpine, Texas - MEd, with emphasis in Counseling

Sudhakar Konda, MD
Assistant Professor
- Graduate of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) Gandhi Medical College, Hyderabad, India
- Residency in Family Medicine, Southern Illinois University Family Practice, Decatur, Illinois

Audrey Stevens, PsyD
Assistant Professor
- Graduate of Baylor University, Waco, Texas

Vicky Bakhos Webb, MD, MBA
Clinical Assistant Professor
- Graduate of American University of Antigua College of Medicine, Antigua
- Graduate of Plymouth State University, Plymouth, New Hampshire
- Board Certified in:
- Family Medicine

Laura Divine, MD
Clinical Associate Professor
- Graduate of University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas
- Fellowship in Gynecologic Oncology, Washington University in St. Louis/Barnes Jewish Hospital, St. Louis Missouri
- Residency in Obstetrics & Gynecology, University in Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama

Jessica Gillen, MD
Clinical Associate Professor
- Graduate of Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, Texas
- Board Certified in:
- Healing Arts Medical
- Gynecologic Oncology
- Obstetrics and Gynecology

Brandon Sawyer, MD
Clinical Associate Professor
- Graduate of University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado
- Fellowship in Gynecologic Oncology, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado
- Residency in Obstetrics & Gynecology, University of California, Irvine Orange, California

John Garza, PhD
Associate Professor
- Graduate of University of Texas in Austin

Kranthi N. Seelaboyina, MD
Assistant Professor
- Graduate of Rangaraya Government Medical College, Kakinada, N.T.R. University, Andhra Pradesh, India
- Board Certified in:
- General Pediatrics

Madhuri Jakkam Setty, MD
Assistant Professor
- Graduate of Sree Gokulam Medical College and Research Foundation, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India
- Board Certified in:
- Psychiatry

Faye Gladys Armstrong-Paap, MD
Associate Professor
- Graduate of University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, Galveston, Texas
- Board Certified in:
- General Surgery
Got Questions?
We're here to help. Contact us if you have questions.
Office of Faculty Recruitment, Affairs & Development
806.743.3010
som.facdev@ttuhsc.edu