Faculty and Administration | UMHS Medical School

Skilled and credentialed medical educators

UMHS faculty share a love of teaching and are fully committed to each student’s success. They are all highly credentialed and recruited primarily from the U.S. and Canada.

Each faculty member was selected because of their unique academic medicine capabilities. Team members include seasoned practitioners who transitioned from private practice to academic medicine, and veteran educators who have spent their entire careers focused on providing the finest instruction to medical students. Regardless of background, most of the faculty have years of academic experience and have achieved the rank of full professor.

Unlike many other Caribbean schools, UMHS provides students with a personalized education. We achieve this by maintaining a small school environment to ensure an 8:1 student-to-faculty ratio. Our 96% student retention rate is one of the highest in the Caribbean, partly due to the faculty's support services, including advisement, counseling, tutoring, and mentoring.

We have created an academic environment where students can flourish and accomplish their dreams by providing the best faculty, exceptional resources, and the tools to succeed.

St. Kitts Administration

Sudhir Ambati

Sudhir Ambati,
M.B.B.S., MPH
Dean of Student Affairs, Course Director of Epidemiology and Evidence-based Medicine, Professor of Preclinical Science

Dr Craig Ayre

Craig Ayre,
B.Ed., Ph.D.

Assistant Dean of Student Affairs, Associate Professor of Molecular Sciences

Dr. Shivayogi Bhusnurmath

Shivayogi Bhusnurmath,
M.B.B.S., MD Pathology, FRCPath (London, UK)

Dean of Basic Sciences, Professor of Pathology

Norma Ann Celestine

Norma Ann Celestine,
M.L.S., B.A., A.H.I.P.

Director of Library Educational Applications, Assistant Professor of Library Research

Ruth FitzGerald

Ruth FitzGerald,
Ph.D.
Director of Counseling Services

David Graham

David R. Graham,
M.B. Ch.B., M.D., F.R.C.P., F.F.S.E.M.

Provost

Dr. Neilal Isaac

Neilal Isaac,
M.D., MMEd

Assistant Dean of Student Affairs, Assistant Professor, Pre-clinical Sciences and Simulation Lab Director

Mohan Kumar

Mohan Kumar,
M.D., M.B.B.S.

Director of Maine Integrated program, Course Director of ICM I (St. Kitts), ICM II (Maine), Chairman of Pre-Clinical Program - St. Kitts

Caroline Liburd

Caroline Liburd

Housing Director

Prakash Mungli

Prakash Mungli,
M.D., M.B.B.S.

Associate Dean, Chairman of Molecular Sciences, Course Director and Professor of Biochemistry

Ayodeji O. Olujohungbe

Ayodeji O. Olujohungbe,
B.Sc., MCSE

Campus IT and LRC Director

Edwin Purcell

Edwin S. Purcell,
Ph.D.

Associate Dean of Academic Affairs, Professor of Anatomy

Dan Vitalo

Dan Vitalo,
B.A.

Vice President of Facilities

Sherisse Wallace

Sherisse Wallace
BSN, RN

Campus Nurse

Dr Cherrilyn Crawford

Cherrilyn Warde-Crawford
PsyD, CCTP-II
Campus Counselor

St. Kitts Faculty

Mira Ali

Mirza Ali,
M.D., M.B.B.S.

Professor of
Pathology and Course Director of Pathology I and II

Sudhir Ambati

Sudhir Ambati,
M.B.B.S., M.P.H.

Dean of Student Affairs, Course Director of Epidemiology and Evidence-based Medicine, Professor of Preclinical Science

Dr. Anand

Chhitij Anand, M.D.

Associate Professor of Anatomy

Dr Jiji Aravindakshan

Jiji Aravindakshan,
M.D., M.B.B.S.

Associate Professor of Physiology and Pathology

Janak Awasthi

Janak Awasthi
Ph.D.
Assistant Professor and Course Director of Neuroscience

Dr. Craig Ayre

Craig Ayre,
B.Ed., Ph.D.

Assistant Dean of Student Affairs, Associate Professor of Molecular Sciences

Dr. Bhusnurmaths

Shivayogi Bhusnurmath,
M.D. Pathology, M.B.B.S., FRCPath (London, UK)

Dean of Basic Sciences, Professor of Pathology

Norma Ann Celestine

Norma Ann Celestine,
M.L.S., B.A., A.H.I.P.

Director of Library Educational Applications, Assistant Professor of Library Research

Dr Gareth Davies

Gareth Davies,
Ph.D.
Professor and Course Director of Immunology, Professor and Course Director of Genetics

Arun Dhakal

Dr. Arun Dhakal,
M.D., MS, FAIMER^®

Associate and Course Director Professor of Histology

Lata Gowda

Lata Gowda,
M.P.T., B.P.T., B.A.

Human Simulation Educator

Dr Veera Gowda

Veerabhadra Gowda,
M.B.B.S., M.D., D.C.C.P.

Professor of Pharmacology, ICM & Physical Diagnosis

Cavelle Hobson

Cavelle Hobson,
M.D.

Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine

Neilal Isaac

Neilal Isaac,
M.D., MMEd

Assistant Dean of Student Affairs, Assistant Professor, Pre-clinical Sciences and Simulation Lab Director

Anoop Kumar Jalan

Anoop Kumar Jalan,
M.D., M.B.B.S.

Professor of Pathology

Yogitha Jalan

Yogitha Jalan,
B.Sc., M.Sc.

Instructor of Microbiology

Molly Johannessen

Molly Johannessen,
Ph.D.
Director of Education and Teaching, Associate Professor of Physiology

Annette Kirchgessner

Annette L. Kirchgessner,
M.A., Ph.D.

Course Director and Professor of Anatomy

Mohan Kumar

Mohan Kumar,
M.D., M.B.B.S.

Director of Maine Integrated program, Course Director of ICM I (St. Kitts), ICM II (Maine), Chairman of Pre-Clinical Program - St. Kitts

Dr Neeraj Kumar

Neeraj Kumar,
Ph.D.

Professor and Course Director of Microbiology

Dr Peter Lee

Peter Lee,
Ph.D.

Associate Professor of Behavioral Sciences

Thomas McCracken

Thomas O. Mccracken,
Ph.D. (H.C.), M.S., M.S., B.E.

Professor of Anatomy

Lori Montross

Lori Montross,
Ph.D.

Course Director of Behavioral Sciences

Prakash Mungli

Prakash Mungli,
M.D., M.B.B.S.

Associate Dean, Chairman of Molecular Sciences, Course Director and Professor of Biochemistry

Jagadeesh Nagappa

Jagadeesh Nagappa,
M.B.B.S., D.F.M.

Professor and Course Director of Physiology, Director of Accelerated Review Program

Natalie Osborne

Natalie S. Osborne,
M.D.

Assistant Clinical Professor

Edwin Purcell

Edwin Purcell,
Ph.D.

Associate Dean of Academic Affairs, Professor of Anatomy

Sunil Kumar Rai, Ph.D.

Sunil Kumar Rai, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Cell and Molecular Biology

Bichara Sahely

Bichara S. Sahely,
B.Sc. (Hons), M.D., M.B.B.S., DM (UWI)

Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine

Dr Pinakini Shankar

Pinakini Shankar,
M.D., M.B.B.S.

Course Director and Professor of Pharmacology

Angela Waigand

Angela Unger Waigand,
M.A., Ed.D.

Instructor of Learning Development and Language Skills

Luisa Veloz

Luisa Veloz,
M.D.
Assistant Professor of Preclinical Science

Assistant Professor of Preclinical Science

Frank Wagner

Frank Wagner,
Psy.D., M.A., B.A., B.B.S.

Chair & Professor of Behavioral Science

Portland, Maine Administration

Mohan Kumar

Mohan Kumar,
M.D., M.B.B.S

Director of Maine Integrated program, Course Director of ICM I (St. Kitts), ICM II (Maine), Chairman of Pre-Clinical Program - St. Kitts

Molly Johannessen

Molly Johannessen, Ph.D.
Director of Education and Teaching, Director of the Biological Basis of Clinical Medicine course, Associate Professor of Physiology

Donna Thompson

Donna Thompson,
M.D.C.M.

Associate Dean of Clinical Sciences, Professor of Clinical Medicine

Robertson Heather

Heather Robertson, MHS, PA-C
Director of ICM II Clinical Skills Lab & Preceptorship Program

Matthew Michaud

Matthew Michaud, ND, M.A.
Director of Maine Operations, Associate Director of Academic Support and Learning Development

Jovana Kakuca

Jovana Kakuca,
B.S.

Educational Services

Julie Rice

Julie Rice,
B.A.

Program Coordinator and Facilities Manager

Portland, Maine Faculty Preceptors

David Burke, MD
Alison Daigle, DO
Thomas Morrione, MD
Louis Di Salvo, MD
Minda Gold, MD
Lisa Lucas, DO
Aaron Perrault, MD
Annamarie Pond, MD
Joanna Rulf, DO
Karen Saylor, MD
Diane Zavotsky, MD
Bethany Picker, MD
Stephen Saylor, PA-C
James Gillen, PA-C

Portland, Maine Campus Faculty

Mohan Kumar, MD
Teresita Maguire, MD
Bruce Kenney, DO
Margaret Shepp, MD
Patrice Thibodeau, MD
Shannon Deschenes, DO
Marly Biermann, MD
Sandra Harris, MD
Laurin Koskinen, MD
Alfred Riel, MD
Shapir Rosenberg, MD
James Schneid, MD
Judith Ziegler, DO
David Burke, MD
Elizabeth Morgan, MD
Shannon Hanna, PsyD
Mark Alexander, DO
Lisa Parsons, DO

CSL Instructors

Heather Robertson, MHS, PA-C
Jay R. Souder, APRN
Kevin Ball, NRP
Kathy Johnson, NRP
Tom Lafferty, NRP
Stella Collin

Clinical Administration

Photo of Dr. George H. Shade Jr.

George H. Shade Jr., M.D.

Dean of Clinical Science, Clinical Chair, Professor of Clinical Medicine

Steve Caplan

Steve Caplan, M.D.
Clinical Chair, Chief of Pediatrics

Charles Herrick

Charles Herrick, M.D.
Clinical Chair, Chief of Psychiatry

Robert Levine

Robert Levine, M.D.
Clinical Chair, Chief of Family Medicine

Elizabeth Morgan

Elizabeth Morgan, M.D.
Clinical Chair, Chief of Surgery

Khalid Zakaria

Khalid Zakaria, M.D.
Clinical Chair, Chief of Internal Medicine

Board of Trustees

Photo of James Williams

James Williams, Ph.D.

Chairman, Board of Trustees

Photo of Thomas Last

Thomas Last, Ph.D.

Board of Trustees

Photo of John Doelp

John Doelp, M.S.

Board of Trustees

Photo of Orrin Lippoff

Orrin Lippoff, M.D.

Board of Trustees

Photo of Beverly Bonaparte

Beverly Bonaparte, Ph.D., RN

Board of Trustees

Photo of Gabrielle Thurman

Gabrielle Thurman
Trustee Administrative Assistant

Board of Trustees

George Shade Jr

George H. Shade Jr., M.D.

Dean of Clinical Science, Clinical Chair, Professor of Clinical Medicine

Steve Caplan

Steve Caplan, M.D.
Clinical Chair, Chief of Pediatrics

Charles Herrick

Charles Herrick, M.D.
Clinical Chair, Chief of Psychiatry

Robert Levine

Robert Levine, M.D.
Clinical Chair, Chief of Family Medicine

Elizabeth Morgan

Elizabeth Morgan, M.D.
Clinical Chair, Chief of Surgery

Khalid Zakaria

Khalid Zakaria, M.D.
Clinical Chair, Chief of Internal Medicine