MD ADMINISTRATION AND FACULTY
Meet our experienced health sciences faculty that puts student comprehension first.
Mildred MG Olivier, MD, FACS
Associate Dean, School of Medicine St. Louis Campus
BS – Loyola University of ChicagoMD – Chicago Medical School
Dr. Olivier received her medical degree from Chicago Medical School (CMS). She completed her ophthalmology residency at Columbia University/Harlem Hospital Center in New York and her fellowship in Glaucoma at the Kresge Eye Institute, Wayne State University. Most recently Dr. Olivier served as the Assistant Dean for Diversity and Inclusion in the office of Academic Learning Environment and Professor of Ophthalmology at Chicago Medical School while maintaining a clinical practice specializing in Glaucoma.
The scope of her work involves professional development, retention, academic support, mentoring, and collaborations with local and national medical associations. Her goal is to allow Underrepresented in Medicine (UiM) students to meet the challenges of the healthcare needs in their communities. Her commitment to increasing the diversity of the healthcare workforce is also shown through her work with the National Medical Association, a clinical practice honoring the mission and global ophthalmology initiatives. We welcome students, staff and faculty committed to these goals.
Ferrahs Abdelbaset, DC
Assistant Vice President of Academic Affairs
Assistant Professor – Basic Sciences
BA – St. Louis UniversityDC – Logan College of Chiropractic
Dr. Abdelbaset, licensed in Missouri, has over 15 years of clinical experience and over a decade of higher education experience across an interdisciplinary spectrum of health professions education. His clinical passions focus on wellness and preventative care, as well as pain management. His education passions focus on effective teaching methodology and infusing clinical experiences into the classroom environment.
As Assistant Vice President of Academic Affairs, Dr. Abdelbaset ensures that the highest standards for delivering curriculum, academic services, and student outcomes are met.
Israel Alvarado, PhD
Assistant Chair of Basic Sciences
Assistant Professor, Biochemistry
BS – California State University, San MarcosPhD – University of Nevada-Las Vegas
Dr. Alvarado is a PhD scientist with extensive research experience both in academia and in private industry. He has previously taught at Nevada State College, Arizona College of Nursing, Touro University of Nevada, and the College of Southern Nevada and he has published articles and presented papers at scientific conferences on these topics. He will be teaching courses in the areas of microbiology and biochemistry.
Annessa Blackmun, DPM
MSMS Coordinator, MSMS On Campus
Assistant Course Director, Anatomical Science
Assistant Professor, Anatomy
BS – Kentucky State UniversityDPM – New York College of Podiatric Medicine
Dr. Blackmun is a licensed podiatrist and health care consultant with a special interest in wellness and preventive healthcare. She completed a postdoctoral podiatric medicine and surgical residency at Ochsner Medical Center in Louisiana.
In addition to her clinical work as a podiatrist, she consults with and provides professional services to a variety of nursing homes and assisted living facilities in the St. Louis area. She also provides business development consultation services to various healthcare companies and medical practices. She will be teaching courses in anatomy and medical ethics.
Shannon Green, DC
MSMS Coordinator, MSMS Online
Assistant Professor, Neuroscience
BS – Purdue UniversityDC – Logan University
Dr. Green is a licensed chiropractor with experience working in a fast-paced multidisciplinary practice committed to pain management and overall patient wellness. She brings a wealth of healthcare knowledge to the classroom as a health professions education instructor. At PHSU, she is an assistant professor teaching courses in Neuroscience and Histology.
Md Ashraful Islam, MBBS MD PhD
Assistant Course Director, Infectious Disease
Assistant Professor, Infectious Disease
MD – Dhaka Medical CollegePhD – University of Tokyo
Dr. Md Ashraful Islam is a distinguished medical educator, practicing physician, and cancer researcher with over 20 years of experience. He is known for his outstanding contributions to tutoring medical students and residents and his groundbreaking research on cancer biology and cancer stem cells. He earned his ECFMG (Education Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates) certification after passing all USMLE steps
Dr. Islam earned his medical degree and clinical training from Dhaka Medical College, Bangladesh. He then earned a PhD. in Developmental Biology & Aging Science at the Department of Biochemistry in the University of Tokyo, Japan. After his fellowship at the National Cancer Institute, NIH in USA, Dr. Islam worked as a research scientist in the University of Louisville James Graham Brown Cancer Center.
Dr. Islam is fluent in multiple languages, including English, Arabic, Japanese, Bengali, Hindi, and Urdu. He is an enthusiastic educator who is dedicated to training the next generation of medical professionals. His groundbreaking research significantly contributes to our understanding of cancer and its treatment.
Chad Lewis, PhD
Assistant Professor, Behavioral Health
Dr. Lewis is a board-certified behavior analyst practicing across Missouri. His clinical work applies radical behaviorism to diagnose and treat socially significant behavior for adults living with intellectual and developmental disabilities that are highly aggressive. Dr. Lewis also consults across the state to help residential habilitation agencies apply behavioral principles to help their clients live a better quality of life. Dr. Lewis has taught graduate courses for Arizona State University, Pepperdine University, and Truman State University. He will be teaching courses in behavior science.
Felix Matos, PhD
Assistant Course Director, Physiology
Assistant Professor, Physiology
Dr. Matos has a PhD in Biomedical Sciences with a concentration in Neuroscience. During his PhD, he studied the role of glutamate transporters in the hippocampus of rats and how they affect learning and memory. Later, as a post-doctoral fellow at the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP), he studied sex differences in nicotine addiction using a rat model. His research has been presented in many local and international conferences like the Society for Neuroscience. In addition to his research, he is an experienced professor who has taught at the University of Puerto Rico, UTEP and Ponce Health Sciences University.
As a researcher and professor, he likes to keep his classes up to date with the latest scientific findings. He believes this is imperative in the development of future professionals. As a minority and first-generation graduate student, he knows first-hand the struggles of earning a higher education degree. His humble roots have made him a big advocate for students, always supporting them in every way possible. He measures his success by the success of his students.
Murad Odeh, PhD
Assistant Course Director, Microbiology
Associate Professor, Physiology
BS, MS – Yarmouk University, IrbidPhD – Louisiana State University
Dr. Murad Odeh, known as Dr. O by his students, holds the position of Associate Professor at Ponce Health Sciences University, specializing in Medical Physiology, Biochemistry, and Microbiology. Additionally, he serves as the Assistant Course Director for Microbiology; Dr. Odeh is also a visiting scholar at Southern California Health Science University & Jacksonville University. Dr. Odeh’s academic path is adorned with achievements, including a Ph.D. in Microbiology from Louisiana State University & M.Sc. degree in Microbiology. His research has focused on curved DNA in Bacillus subtilis RNA polymerase-promoter interactions.
Beyond his scholarly pursuits, Dr. Odeh has assumed pivotal roles such as Chair of the Biology Department, President of the Council of Chairs, and Administrator of Curriculum & Student Learning at South Texas College. Demonstrating remarkable adaptability, he has showcased his teaching prowess across various platforms, including online, hybrid, and traditional face-to-face formats. Dr. Odeh’s contributions extend beyond the confines of academia; he has collaborated with McGraw-Hill as a Subject Matter Expert, aiding in developing educational tools like Connect and Online Microbiology Laboratories. Additionally, he has lent his expertise as a Digital Faculty Consultant, offering invaluable guidance to faculty members utilizing Connect Products.
Throughout his career, Dr. Odeh’s unwavering dedication to education and the holistic development of his students remains the cornerstone of his scholarly journey.
Devi Prasadh Ramakrishnan, MBBS MS PhD
Assistant Course Director, Clinical Correlation and Research
Assistant Professor, Family Medicine
MBBS – Thanjavur Medical College
MS – Case Western Reserve University
PhD – Case Wester Reserve University
Dr. Devi Prasadh is physician-scientist and practiced at a surgical gastroenterology hospital. His research interests are in the molecular mechanisms of sleep-apnea, oxygen-sensing, hypertension, angiogenesis, atherosclerosis, thrombosis and microparticles with implications in cardiovascular and cancer disorders.
He has published original research in clinical and basic sciences, taught and mentored students in the USA and abroad. At PHSU, he will be training students in clinical and basic medical sciences.
Andrea Reaka, PhD
Assistant Course Director, Pharmacology
Assistant Professor, Biochemistry
BS – University of Illinois – Chicago
MS – University of Illinois – Chicago
PhD – University of Illinois – Chicago
Dr. Andrea Reaka received her PhD. in Biomedical Engineering from the University of Illinois at Chicago where her research focused on Molecular Modeling and Drug Design. She did a Post-doctoral Fellowship at Washington University in St. Louis focusing her researching on beta-turn mimetics for a protein scaffolding library. She has presented and published her work in various media.
Dr. Reaka has previously taught at the School of Pharmacy at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville and Harris-Stowe State University, along with various community colleges including St. Louis Community College and Southwest Illinois College. She will be teaching courses in the areas of biochemistry and pharmacology.
Douglas Uchendu, PhD
Assistant Professor, Biostatistics and Epidemiology
Douglas A. Uchendu is a biostatistics and epidemiology instructor at Ponce Health University School of Medicine and a doctoral scholar-practitioner at Walden University. He also works as a health research scientist at Star Global Health and Research Group and Wellston Loop CDC. Dr. Uchendu is an active participant in Ponce Health University School of Medicine clinical trial facilitation, development of comprehensive written data analysis, synthesis, and evaluation of community needs assessment at Star Global Health and Research Group and Wellston Loop CDC in Saint Louis City and County. He is a dedicated professional, volunteer, and community member working with COVID-19, chronic diseases, and drug and alcohol misuse prevention.
Fabián J. Vázquez-Santiago, PhD
Assistant Course Director for Biochemistry and Medical Genetics
Assistant Professor, Biochemistry
PhD – Biomedical Sciences, PHSU
Fabián J. Vázquez-Santiago, PhD is an Assistant Professor and the Assistant Course Director for Biochemistry and Medical Genetics. He holds a PhD in Biomedical Sciences from Ponce Health Sciences University in Ponce, in PR, with sub-expertise Neuro-HIV and Neurocognitive Disorders. He completed research training in Cardiovascular Genetic Epidemiology at the Washington University in St. Louis, MO. He currently advises and counsels students who leverage his mentorship on careers in the medical and life sciences. He is an advocate for youth enrichment-based clubs and a big proponent of early child education in STEAMM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, Math, & Medical). His passions include acrylic painting, financial investing and problem solving.
Anagh A Vora, MD
Assistant Course Director, Pathology
Assistant Professor, Pathology
MD – Royal College of Surgeons, Ireland
Washington University
Dr. Vora is Assistant Professor of Pathology, Psychiatry and Clinical Medicine. He completed his medical training at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland and Washington University in St. Louis. He is board-certified in anatomical, clinical, and cytopathology. Prior to teaching in academia he was Chief Medical Officer of Beckman-Coulter and Head of Medical Affairs at LabCorp Drug Development. He loves to ski, be outdoors, and spend time with his daughters.
Natalee von Keyserling, PhD
Assistant Professor of Physiology and Anatomy
BS – Southern Illinois University
PhD – Southern Illinois University, School of Medicine
“Dr. von Keyserling is an evolutionary neuroscientist and anatomist. Known as Dr. von by her students, she pairs her Doctorate in Physiology from Southern Illinois University with her certificate in Anatomy Education to educate learners across multiple scientific disciplines. At Ponce, Dr. von serves as an Assistant Professor of Physiology, Anatomy, and Neuroscience in the School of Medicine. In a testament to Dr. Von’s focus on student achievement and well-being, she was awarded the Distinguished Student Service Award from her Alma mater, Southern Illinois University, thanks to her exemplary commitment to the support, advancement, and achievement of students, the campus, and the community.
Outside of the classroom, Dr. von continues with her research endeavors into the extraordinary capabilities of nature’s evolutionary outliers. Her previous research ranged from social isolation to tooth loss to naked mole-rat behavior. In addition to research and teaching, Dr. von serves as the District Counselor for the national chemistry fraternity, Alpha Chi Sigma.
Above all else, Dr. von aims to be an integral part of her communities. As a first-generation student and someone from a small, rural town, she understands the importance of having a sound social infrastructure and the resources needed to succeed. At Ponce, this means that she works to ensure that each learner feels seen, supported, and capable of achieving their goals.
Chiedozie Waturuocha, MBBS MD PhD
Assistant Course Director, Pathophysiology and ICS
Associate Professor, Pediatrics
MBBCH – University of Calabar
MS – Oklahoma State University
PhD – Oklahoma State University
Dr. Chiedozie Waturuocha is a Pediatric infectious diseases specialist. He completed his Pediatrics Residency/ Fellowship at the University of Benin teaching hospital in Nigeria. He also holds MS and Ph.D. degrees from Oklahoma State University. He is a dynamic educator that brings almost 20 years of experience in academic/ research/ clinical roles to complement the training of future physicians.
Dr. Waturuocha leans on his professional skills in his interactions with students while integrating his practical clinical experiences into his lectures. He will be teaching courses in Gross Anatomy and Community Medicine.
Dan Welch, PhD
Professor, Neuroscience
BA – California State University, San Bernardino
PhD – University of California, Riverside
Dr. Welch holds a PhD. in Neuroscience. Initially, he taught comparative vertebrate anatomy at the University of California, Riverside. He has been a tenured faculty member at Southern Illinois University, School of Dental Medicine.
At Ponce-St Louis, he has dual appointments in the School of Medicine and PsyD programs, where he teaches both Gross Anatomy and the Neurosciences. His research interests are focused on Event-Related Potentials (ERPs) and rhythmically active networks of nerve cells called “central pattern generators” (CPGs) in the nervous system.
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