Tulane School of Medicine Class Notes Fall 2020
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1970s
Christy A. Montegut, MD (M ’77), reached a milestone of 40 years in private practice in family medicine in her hometown of Laplace, Louisiana, in July 2020. She was also re-elected without opposition to her ninth term as parish coroner in St. John the Baptist Parish and has served 32 years as coroner.
Thomas C. Kelly, MD (M ’78), recently joined Mercy Clinic General Surgery in Booneville, Arkansas, performing outpatient procedures. He and his wife, Jennifer, live in Fort Smith, Arkansas, and have two children: a son, Andrew, and a daughter, Jade.
David R. Silvers, MD (A&S ’72, M ’79), recently joined the practice of Metropolitan Gastroenterology Associates in New Orleans.
1980s
David H. Sibley, MD (A&S ’76, M ’81), is director of the Cardiac Catheterization and Interventional Cardiology Lab at the Chief Division of Cardiology at Princeton Baptist Medical Center in Birmingham, Alabama.
Rachel L. Levine, MD (M ’83), currently serves as Pennsylvania’s secretary of health, in addition to serving as professor of pediatrics and psychiatry at the Penn State College of Medicine. She was recently inducted into the Northern Appalachian Folk Festival Hall of Fame in the category of Public Health. The NAFF is committed to preserving the past, promoting the present, and securing the future of Appalachian regional music, art and food.
Richard D. Smith Jr., MD (R ’84), is currently practicing as an internist at St. Francis Medical Center in Monroe, Louisiana.
Frederick M. Azar, MD (M ’89), is an orthopedic specialist with Campbell Clinic in Memphis, Tennessee. He was named a 2020 Memphis “Top Doctor” in June.
1990s
Jack A. Zamora, MD (M ’98), was recently appointed chief medical advisor of Vitro Biopharma. He has been practicing in Denver for the last 16 years and is renowned worldwide for the creation of subdermal plasma energy as a novel technique in skin tightening.
2000s
Tallat Mahmood, MD (F ’00), was recognized in August 2020 by Continental Who’s Who as a Top Leader in the field of hematology and oncology, in acknowledgement of her exceptional contributions as an oncologist with Karmanos Cancer Institute. Mahmood has 20 years of experience in treating all cancers, as well as in supportive care. Her special interests include colon and breast cancer, in addition to non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.
Heather L. Haddad, MD (M ’01), is a fellowship-trained radiologist with extensive training and experience in complex body imaging. She recently joined the team at Radiology Associates in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
Edward D. McCoul, MD (G ’00, M ’05, PHTM ’05), recently participated in a population-based, cross-sectional study regarding the prevalence of eustachian tube dysfunction in the U.S. elderly population.
F. Beau Swann, MD (E ’06, M ’07, M ’13, R ’15), is a board-certified, fellowship-trained ophthalmologist specializing in cataract and refractive surgery, as well as cornea and external ocular diseases. He recently joined Brazos Eye Surgery of Texas in Waco, and practices alongside his father, Russell E. Swann, MD, FACS (A&S ’69, M ’75).
Daniel “Dan” Murariu, MD (TC ’03, M ’08, PHTM ’08), was recently appointed director of Microsurgery and Lymphatic Surgery at Allegheny Health Network in Pittsburgh. He practices plastic and reconstructive surgery with a focus on microsurgical reconstruction of head and neck, breast, and trauma defects, as well as supermicrosurgery for lymphedema and robotic reconstruction. He is currently enrolled in the executive MBA program with a focus on health care at the Katz School of Business at the University of Pittsburgh, and is due to graduate in December 2020.
2010s
Joshua “Josh” L. Denson, MD (TC ’06, SE ’08, M ’11), is currently serving as assistant professor of medicine as well as a pulmonary and critical care medicine physician at Tulane School of Medicine. He was recently the lead investigator in a study regarding understanding metabolic syndrome in Black patients and their increased risk of adverse outcomes during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Christopher (Chris) D. Malone, MD (M ’11), is currently assistant professor of radiology in the Interventional Radiology Section at the Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.
Andrea T. Murina, MD (R ’11), recently received the UMCNO 2020 Educator of the Year Award, in addition to the 2020 Teaching Scholar Award from Tulane University School of Medicine.
Nakhle S. Saba, MD (F ’12), is an associate professor of clinical medicine at Tulane School of Medicine. He is currently a principal investigator on a trial to treat severe COVID-19 in hospitalized cancer patients.
Aaron C. Denson, MD (SE ’08, M ’13), recently joined the Advanced Cancer Treatment Center in Brooksville, Florida, as a hematologist and medical oncologist. He is the author of several publications in basic science and clinical research.
Nidal Abi Rafeh, MD (F ’13), recently joined North Oaks Cardiology in Hammond, Louisiana, as an interventional cardiologist. He is known for his expertise in performing complex chronic total occlusion percutaneous coronary intervention, a minimally invasive technique that treats patients with total blockages of coronary arteries.
Tashfin S. Huq, MD (M ’15, R ’15), specializes in the treatment and diagnosis of various neurological conditions including stroke, epilepsy, Parkinson’s, and Alzheimer’s. A native of Kenner, Louisiana, Huq recently joined Thibodaux Regional Health System as a neurologist.
Christopher Brent Porter, MD (M ’17), is the newest physician at Midway Medical Center in Clyde, North Carolina.
Kristen Waterfield Simon, MD (M ’17, PHTM ’17), is currently a physician specializing in pediatrics, public health and weight management at Children’s Hospital of the King’s Daughters Medical Group in Norfolk, Virginia.
