2012-2013 Chief Residents

Joga Ivatury, MD
Dr. Ivatury is a dual degree student in medicine and health administration (M.H.A. and M.D.); fluent in Telugu; comes from a family of physicians; worked in conjunction with The Princeton Review as an MCAT Instructor where he prepared 16 students in physics for the MCAT.

Matthew McHale, DO
Dr. McHale has volunteered with the International Medical Mentoring Program where he acted as a short-term Medical Missionary in Russia (work included the final treatment plan and dispensation of appropriate medications for all patients; also assembled temporary clinics in severely underserved rural areas of southern Russia); worked in conjunction with Gospel Team Outreach in Haiti to erect temporary clinics in severely underserved rural areas of Haiti. During summers off, worked as a roofing laborer.

Gregory A. Lamaris, MD
Dr. Lamaris graduated the University of Crete Medical School in Heraklion, Greece in 2005. Following graduation he completed a two year post doc research fellowship at The University of Texas M.D Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, TX, Department of infectious diseases, infection control and employee health, conducting research in the field of fungal infections. Among others, his projects included the establishment of "mini-host" animal models for the study of invasive fungal infections, as well as the study of the immuno-pharmacologic properties of the echinocandins, a new class of antifungals. After completing his residency, he will pursue a fellowship in trauma and surgical critical care.

Meeghan Lautner, MD
Dr. Lautner is a member of the Alpha Chi National Collegiate Honor Society as well as the Alpha Mu Gamma National Foreign Language Honor Society; volunteered with the Big Sib/Little Sib program as well as Code Blue, which is a program in which medical students visit inner city elementary students in Detroit (discuss issues varying from personal hygeiene to interpersonal relationships).

Mark Muir, MD
Dr. Muir received his undergraduate degree in Chemical Engineering from The University of Texas at Austin; completed a year-long Doris Duke Clinical Research Fellowship at UT Southwestern Medical School at Dallas between third and fourth years of medical school.

Susannah Nicholson, MD
Susannah Nicholson is a General Surgery Resident working in Dr. Robert Johnson's laboratory in the Trauma and Emergency Surgery Division of the Department of Surgery at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio. Dr. Nicholson completed her medical training at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio in 2005. Dr. Nicholson recently started her research rotation working with Dr. Robert Johnson identifying pathophysiological roles for endogenous carbon monoxide during trauma.

Ruchir Puri, MD
Dr. Puri went to medical school at GSVM Medical College in Kanpur, India and subsequently did his postgraduate training in surgery. While in training he was the spokesperson for Resident Doctor's Association. Before coming to UTHSC, San Antonio he was working at Artemis Health Institute in India where he was their first "Employee of the Month." Ruchir is a big Spurs fan and he loves traveling.

Amita Shah, MD, PhD
Dr. Shah received her medical degree from the University of Texas Medical School at San Antonio and is completing the final year of her surgery residency with the Department of Surgery at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio. Currently, she is also a research fellow in the UTHSCSA Department of Surgery and the Institute for Surgical Research focusing on angiogenesis and bone regeneration. Dr. Shah has also earned her PhD through the Biomedical Engineering doctoral program at University of Texas in San Antonio under the mentorship of Dr. C. Mauli Agrawal.

Past chief residents: 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012