New Faculty May-July

Matthew Digman, M.D., Assistant Professor in Pediatric Emergency Medicine, earned his medical degree from University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences in Little Rock, Arkansas. Dr. Digman completed his pediatric residency and Pediatric Emergency Medicine fellowship at Arkansas Children’s Hospital and University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences in Little Rock, Arkansas. His research/clinical interests include procalcitonin and its role in pediatric sepsis.

Emily Gantz, D.O., Instructor in Pediatric Neurology, earned her medical degree from University of North Texas Health Science Center Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine in Fort Worth, Texas. Dr. Gantz completed her child neurology residency at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tennessee. She will be joining the Movement Disorders Program led by Dr. Dure.

Samuel Gentle, M.D., Assistant Professor in Neonatology, earned his medical degree from University of Alabama at Birmingham. Dr. Gentle completed his pediatric residency at Mount Sinai in New York, New York and a Neonatology fellowship at UAB. Areas of interest include both local and statewide quality improvement initiatives, education specifically curriculum development, and a research interest in the relationship between nitrate metabolism and co- morbidities of prematurity.

Emily Johnston, M.D., Assistant Professor in Pediatric Hematology Oncology and Institute for Cancer Outcomes and Survivorship, earned her medical degree from Stanford University School of Medicine in Palo Alto, California. Dr. Johnston completed her pediatric residency and Pediatric Hematology/Oncology fellowship as well as her Masters in Health Service Research at Stanford. In addition, she is working on a Master’s in Health Services Research. She will be joining the solid tumor team in oncology and will continue her research on health disparities in end-of-life care for children. In particular, she is interested in how we determine what good end-of-life care is for children with chronic conditions and how we can ensure everyone has access to the end-of-life care they deserve.

Claire Keith, M.D., Instructor in Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nurition, earned her medical degree from University of Alabama at Birmingham. Dr. Keith completed her pediatric residency at UAB. Her research/clinical interests include: inflammatory bowel disease, constipation and quality improvement.

Michael A. Lopez, M.D., Ph.D., Assistant Professor in Pediatric Neurology, earned his medical degree from University of Michigan Medical School in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Dr. Lopez completed his child neurology residency at Baylor College of Medicine/Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston, Texas and a pediatric neuromuscular fellowship at Stanford University School of Medicine in Palo Alto, California. In addition, he received his Ph.D. in Structural and Computational Biology and Molecular Biophysics from Baylor College of Medicine. His research focus is on childhood-onset neuromuscular disease with particular interest in muscular dystrophies. His prior research involved understanding the role of mechanical signal transduction in skeletal muscle and uncovering its dysregulation in several mouse models of muscular dystrophy. Presently, he is working with Drs. Matt Alexander and Peter King on the role of aberrantly regulated muscle-enriched microRNAs in promoting inflammation in muscular dystrophy. In addition to muscular dystrophies, his clinical interests include congenital myopathies, neuromuscular junction disorders, spinal muscular atrophy, and acquired/inherited polyneuropathies.

Adolfo Molina, M.D., Assistant Professor in Pediatric Hospital Medicine, earned his medical degree from University of Florida College of Medicine in Gainesville, Florida. Dr. Molina completed his pediatric residency and Pediatric Hospital Medicine fellowship at UAB. He served as Chief Resident for the UAB Pediatric Residency Program between his residency and fellowship. His research/clinical interests include: pediatric asthma readmissions and health disparities as well as the care of children who are internationally adopted or in foster care

Swetha Pinninti, M.D., Assistant Professor in Pediatric Infectious Disease, earned her medical degree from Osmania Medical College in Hyderabad, India. Dr. Pinninti completed her pediatric residency at the Children’s Hospital at Saint Peter’s University Hospital in New Brunswick, New Jersey and a Pediatric Infectious Disease fellowship at UAB. Dr. Pinninti previously served as an Assistant Professor in the Division of Pediatric Infectious Disease at UAB and then as an Assistant Professor in the Divisions of Urgent Care and General Pediatrics at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska. Her clinical interests include perinatal infections, vaccine advocacy and pediatric osteoarticular infections. Her research interests include defining the extent of vestibular dysfunction in infants with congenital Cytomegalovirus (cCMV) and determining the association between sexually transmitted infections and Cytomegalovirus in pregnancy.

Erinn Schmit, M.D., Assistant Professor in Pediatric Hospital Medicine, earned her medical degree from University of Alabama at Birmingham. Dr. Schmit completed her pediatric residency and Pediatric Hospital Medicine fellowship at UAB. She served as Chief Resident for the UAB Pediatric Residency Program between her residency and fellowship. Her research/clinical interests include: graduate medical education, specifically faculty evaluation of medical students and procedural competence in pediatric residents, as well as infant safe sleep education

Carter Wallace, M.D., Instructor in Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nurition, earned his medical degree from Mercer University School of Medicine in Macon, Georgia. Dr. Wallace completed his pediatric residency at UAB.

Mark Anthony Zanni, M.D., Instructor in Pediatric Hospital Medicine, earned his medical degree from University of Louisville in Louisville, Kentucky. Dr. Zanni completed his pediatric residency at Eastern Virginia Medical School in Norfolk, Virginia. Previously he worked as a neonatal hospitalist at Children’s Specialty Group in Norfolk, Virginia.

New Faculty August-September

Terry Bierd, M.D., Associate Professor in Neonatology, earned her medical degree from the University of South Alabama College of Medicine in Mobile, Alabama. Dr. Beird completed her internship and pediatric residency at the University of South Alabama Medical Center and a neonatology fellowship at the University of Virginia Medical Center in Charlottesville, Virginia. After completing her training, Dr. Beird worked as a neonatologist at Brookwood Medical Center and served as the medical director of the NICU at St. Vincent's Hospital before working with Newborn Care, P.C. in Birmingham, Alabama.

Dean Bruce, M.D., Associate Professor in Neonatology, earned his medical degree from the Medical College of Ohio in Toledo, Ohio. Dr. Bruce completed his internship and pediatric residency at the University of Kentucky in Lexington, Kentucky and completed his neonatology fellowship at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, Virginia. After completing his training, he served as the director of Neonatal Followup and Neonatal Intensive Care at Cabell Huntington Hospital in Huntington, West Virginia. He then joined Newborn Care, P.C. as a neonatologist before becoming the medical director of the NICU at St. Vincent's Hospital in Birmingham, Alabama.

Tamera Coyne-Beasley, M.D., Professor in Adolescent Medicine, earned her medical degree from Duke University School of Medicine in Durham, North Carolina. Dr. Coyne-Beasley completed her internal medicine/pediatric residency at Duke University Medical Center and her clinical scholars fellowship at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. In addition, she received a Master of Public Health in Epidemiology at the University of North Carolina. Dr. Coyne-Beasley was previously a Professor of Pediatrics and Internal Medicine, Director of the North Carolina Child Health Research Network, and Director of Adolescent Medicine Education in the Department of Pediatrics in the UNC School of Medicine. Dr. Coyne-Beasley joins UAB Pediatrics as the division director of Adolescent Medicine and vice-chair of Community Engagement. Her research/clinical interests include: sexual and reproductive health and injury prevention.

Stewart Hill, M.D., Assistant Professor in Pediatric Hospital Medicine and Academic General Pediatrics, earned his medical degree from the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Medicine. Dr. Hill completed his pediatric residency at Louisiana State University/Children's Hospital of New Orleans. From 2013-2017 he was a general pediatrician with Children's of Alabama in Pell City. This past academic year, he was an Assistant Professor in Pediatric Hospital Medicine with the Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee.

Lydia Marcus, M.D., Instructor in Pediatric Neurology, earned her medical degree from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Dr. Marcus completed her child neurology residency at UAB and is currently training in a neuroimmunology and multiple sclerosis fellowship at UAB. Her research/clinical interests include neuroimmunology, pediatric multiple sclerosis and autoimmune encephalitis.

Laura "Katie" Metrock, M.D., Assistant Professor in Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, earned her medical degree from the Medical College of Georgia in Augusta, Georgia. Dr. Metrock completed her pediatric residency, pediatric hematology/oncology fellowship and pediatric neuro-oncology fellowship at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia. She additionally completed a certificate program in translational research at Emory University. Dr. Metrock was previously a pediatric hematology/oncology junior faculty member at Emory Univeristy.

Susan Powell, M.D., Assistant Professor in Academic General Pediatrics, earned her medical degree and completed her pediatric residency from Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas. Upon completing her residency, Dr. Powell has practiced general pediatrics in various private practices in Houston, Texas and San Francisco, California. She worked in the urgent care clinic of the emergency room at Children’s Medical Center of Dallas for 12 years, ultimately serving as the assistant director of the clinic. Dr. Powell was a founding physician of MacArthur Pediatrics in Irving, Texas.

Hope Pritchett Wilson, M.D., Assistant Professor in Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, earned her medical degree from the University of South Alabama College of Medicine in Mobile, Alabama. Dr. Wilson completed her pediatric residency and pediatric hematology/oncology fellowship trainings at Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center/Children’s Hospital of New Orleans in New Orleans, Louisiana. Her research/clinical interests include: disorders of hemostasis and thrombosis.

Nitin Arora, M.D., Assistant Professor in Neonatology, earned his medical degree from Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Medical College in Bangalore, India. Dr. Arora completed his pediatric residency at West Virignia University Hospital in Morgantown, West Virginia and neonatal/perinatal fellowship at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center/Children’s Hospital in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. In addition, he received a Master of Public Health from the University of Alabama at Birmingham in 2008.

Ahmed Asfari, M.D., Assistant Professor in Pediatric Cardiac Critical Care, earned his medical degree from University of Aleppo Faculty of Medicine in Aleppo, Syria. Dr. Asfari completed his pediatric residency at University of Kansas School of Medicine in Wichita, Kansas where he was also a chief resident. He completed his pediatric critical care fellowship at the University of Arkansas for Medical Science in Little Rock, Arkansas and an advanced cardiovascular critical care fellowship at the University of Florida College of Medicine in Gainesville, Florida. His research/clinical interests include: mechanical circulatory support/ clinical and translational research.

Jamie Aye, M.D., Assistant Professor in Pediatric Hematology Oncology, earned her medical degree from Mercer University School of Medicine. Dr. Aye completed her pediatric residency at the University of South Carolina/Palmetto Health Richland and her pediatric hematology oncology fellowship at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Her research/clinical interests focus on improving the outcomes of patients with solid tumors.

Teresa Cornelius, M.D., Assistant Professor in Pediatric Hospital Medicine, earned her medical degree from the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Medicine in Birmingham, Alabama. Dr. Cornelius completed her combined medicine/pediatric residency at UAB. In addition, she received a Master of Public Health from UAB.

Madhura Hallman, M.D., Assistant Professor in Pediatric Critical Care, earned her medical degree from Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta, Georgia. Dr. Hallman completed her pediatric residency at the University of Alabama at Birmingham and her pediatric critical care fellowship at the University of Tennessee in Memphis, Tennessee. Her research/clinical interests include: long-term functional and neuropsychological outcomes in PICU survivors, ICU follow-up models, mentorship of residents and fellows, and health disparities in critical care.

Angela King, M.D., Instructor in Academic General Pediatrics, earned her medical degree from the University of South Alabama College of Medicine in Mobile, Alabama. Dr. King completed her pediatric residency at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Her research/clinical interests include: asthma, childhood obesity and nutrition.

Han Phan, M.D., Associate Professor in Pediatric Neurology, earned her medical degree from Morehouse School of Medicine in Atlanta, Georgia. Dr. Phan completed her intern year at Tulane University and her child neurology residency and sleep medicine fellowship at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Dr. Phan previously served as an Assistant Professor in Pediatric Neurology at UAB and an Assistant Professor at Emory University in Neurology. Her research/clinical interests include: neuromuscular and sleep disorders.

Claudette Poole, M.D., Assistant Professor in Pediatric Infectious Disease, earned her medical degree from the University of Cape Town in South Africa. Dr. Poole completed pediatric residency at Schneider Children’s Hospital in Manhasset, New York and completed a pediatric infectious disease fellowship at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. She has worked as a general pediatrician in the community as well as a hospitalist. Prior to fellowship training at UAB, she held an academic position as Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at Hofstra School of Medicine in New York with her clinical position as an academic hospitalist at Cohen Children’s Medical Center in New York. Her research/clinical interests include: respiratory viral infections in vulnerable patient populations, the role of molecular diagnostics and antivirals. In addition to her clinical role in the division of infectious diseases she will participate in infection prevention both at Childrens' as well as in the RNICU of the Women and Infant's Hospital of UAB.

Emily Smitherman, M.D., Assistant Professor in Pediatric Rheumatology, earned her medical degree from the University of Texas Southwestern in Dallas, Texas. Dr. Smitherman completed her pediatric residency at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina and her pediatric rheumatology fellowship at Cincinnati Children’s Medical Center. In addition, she received a Master’s of Science in Clinical & Translational Research from University of Cincinnati in Cincinnati, Ohio. Her research/clinical interests include: optimizing healthcare delivery for children with chronic rheumatic disease, impact of health system interventions on patient outcomes.

Christine Stoops, D.O., M.P.H., Assistant Professor in Neonatology, earned her medical degree from University of North Texas Health Science Center in Fort Worth, Texas. Dr. Stoops completed her pediatric residency and neonatology fellowship at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Her research/clinical interests include: acute kidney injury risk factors & sequalae in the neonatal population.

Scott Turner, DNP, Assistant Professor in Pediatric Neurology, earned his Bachelor of Science in Nursing and Master of Science in Nursing from Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia. Dr. Turner completed his Doctor of Nursing Practice at the University of Colorado in Aurora, Colorado. Dr. Turner previously served as an Assistant Professor in Pediatric Neurology at the University of Colorado in Aurora, Colorado. His research/clinical interests include: pediatric headache, Tourette syndrome, population health, and quality improvement.