The Department of Medicine News and Events 2025

Dear Department of Medicine Community:

It is with best wishes that we announce the retirement of Wadie F. Bahou, M.D., Professor of Medicine and Molecular Genetics, and his transition to the role of SUNY Emeritus Professor.  He has provided 35 years of dedicated clinical and educational service to the Department of Medicine in the Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University.  

Dear Department of Medicine Community:

New research in the Journal of Personalized Medicine is an important collaboration between the Divisions of Cardiology and Gastroenterology and Hepatology in the Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University.

Yao syndrome (OMIM #617321) is an immunoinflammatory disease that was first identified and described by Dr. Qingping Yao and colleagues in 2011. Dr. Yao, from the Division of Rheumatology, Allergy, and Immunology in the Department of Medicine at Stony Brook University, has led a collaborative research project with Dr. Song Wu, PhD—a statistician and biologist in the Department of Applied Mathematics at Stony Brook University—and Dr. Zuoming Deng, PhD, from the Biodata Mining and Discovery Section at the NIH. 

Dear Department of Medicine Community:

We are pleased to announce that Danielle Kelly, DNP, AGNP-C, RN, CDCES, Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, has been appointed to the position of Director of Advanced Practice Providers (APPs) at Stony Brook Medicine. Danielle has served in the interim role since May 2024, providing dedicated leadership and support to our APP community. 

Dear Department of Medicine Community:

We are pleased to announce that Dr. Vivek Kesar has joined Stony Brook University Hospital as Assistant Professor of Medicine and Chief of Endoscopy in the Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology.

The Division of Nephrology & Hypertension Presentations: 

Abdarrhman, Khater

• A Case of severe Lacto and Ketoacidosis with Circulatory collapse managed by dual CVVHDF

Abstract: 4351082

Session Information: AKI: Epidemiology and Clinical Trials

Dear Members of the Department of Medicine:

It is with great pleasure to announce Dr. Anum Muzzafar has been recruited as Assistant Professor of Clinical Medicine for the Division of Rheumatology, Allergy and Immunology, Department of Medicine, Stony Brook University.

Dear Members of the Department of Medicine:

It is with great pleasure to announce Dr. Neha Sanan has been recruited as Assistant Professor of Clinical Medicine for the Division of Rheumatology, Allergy and Immunology, Department of Medicine, Stony Brook University.

Dear Colleagues,

I am pleased to announce that, effective immediately, the Section of Hospital Medicine within the Division of General, Geriatrics, and Hospital Medicine, Department of Medicine, is now a stand-alone division as the Division of Hospital Medicine in the Department of Medicine.  The former division is now Division of General Medicine and Geriatrics, which will continue to serve as the primary care provider in our outpatient arena.

The Department of Medicine is pleased to announce the promotion of Alexandra Guillaume, M.D., Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology to Clinical Associate Professor of Medicine in the Renaissance School of Medicine at the State University of New York at Stony Brook.

Congratulations to Samaneh DiMartino, Ph.D., Division of Nephrology and Hypertension, on receiving an NIH/NIDDK F32 Postdoctoral Fellowship.

Sama’s project is titled: “Alterations of Branched Chain Amino Acid (BCAA) Catabolism in Acute Kidney Injury and Fibrosis”

Dear Department of Medicine Community:

Dear Department of Medicine Community:

We would like to take this opportunity to introduce the new faculty and advanced practice providers that have joined the Hospitalist service this year.  We are excited by our continued success in retaining excellent candidates who have trained at Stony Brook in addition to recruiting experienced candidates from across the region and country. Please join us in welcoming our newest members of the hospitalist team: 

Haibin Zhang, MD

Dear Department of Medicine Community:

Dear Department of Medicine Community:

Dear Department of Medicine Community:

Dear Colleagues,

Dear Colleagues,

Dear Colleagues,

The Department of Medicine is pleased to announce the promotion of Ibrahim Almasry, M.D., FACC, FHRS, to Clinical Associate Professor of Medicine in the Division of Cardiology in the Renaissance School of Medicine at the State University of New York at Stony Brook.

Dear Department of Medicine Community:

Dear Department of Medicine Community:

We are excited to introduce a new faculty member in the Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology. Dr. Chiung-Kuei Huang is an Associate Professor of Medicine and Director of Liver Research in the Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University. 

One of the most critical needs of the Stony Brook Cancer Center is annual funding support for the training of the next generation of outstanding cancer researchers. To help meet this need, Mark and Gloria Snyder have generously committed five years of support to allow the Stony Brook Cancer Center recruit and train two graduate students whose annual stipend will be partially covered by this gift. This year, the Leon and Betty Ajces Memorial gift will also help fund another seven students. 

Dear Department of Medicine Community:

The Division of Cardiology at Stony Brook Medicine is proud to publish ECG Companion for Beginning Experts, a practical, case-based guide created by a dynamic collaboration between cardiology faculty and fellows to make electrocardiography clear, accessible, and useful for healthcare providers and learners at every level. 

The Department of Medicine is pleased to announce that Smadar Kort, M.D., FACC, FASE, FAHA, Division of Cardiology, has been elected as a member of the American College of Cardiology Governance Committee for a 3-year term. 

Dear Department of Medicine Community:

We are excited to introduce a new addition to the Division of Nephrology & Hypertension, Ryan M. Williams, Ph.D., who joined Stony Brook as Associate Professor of Medicine and the Associate Director of Translation and Commercialization. 

The Department of Medicine is pleased to announce the promotion of Edlira Tam, DO, MS, FACC, Division of Cardiology, to Clinical Associate Professor of Medicine in the Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University.

Dear DOM Members,

We write to inform you that Dr. Getu Teressa will be stepping away from his role as the Associate Program Director of Scholarship Oversight Program. He will continue to serve as the Internal Medicine Clerkship Director for medical students and as a teaching hospitalist for the general medicine floors. In his place, Dr. Imran Chaudhri, Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine in the Division of Nephrology and Hypertension, has graciously agreed to assume the role as the Scholarship Oversight APD.

Dear Department of Medicine Community,

I am thrilled to announce that Dr. Sneha Shrivastava has joined us as the new Primary Care Track Associate Program Director starting today.

The Department of Medicine is pleased to announce the promotion of Farah Monzur, MD, FACG, FASGE, to Clinical Associate Professor of Medicine in the Renaissance School of Medicine at the State University of New York at Stony Brook. 

The Department of Medicine is pleased to announce the promotion of John Patrick Reilly, M.D., Division of Cardiology, to Clinical Associate Professor of Medicine in the Renaissance School of Medicine at the State University of New York at Stony Brook.

Dear Department of Medicine Community,

It is with much sadness that I notify you of the passing of Dr. Martin R. Liebowitz, an outstanding teacher and clinician in the Department of Medicine for over 30 years.

The Department of Medicine is pleased to announce the promotion of Jignesh Patel, MD, MSc, Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine to Professor of Medicine with tenure in the Renaissance School of Medicine at the State University of New York at

The Department of Medicine is pleased to announce the promotion of Igor Kravets, MD, FACP, FACE, Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, to Clinical Professor of Medicine in the Renaissance School of Medicine at the State University of New York at Stony Brook. 

Susan Lane, MD, MACP, SUNY distinguished service professor and professor of medicine in the Renaissance School of Medicine (RSOM) at Stony Brook University, has been named to the 2025-26 Class of Fellows for the Hedwig van Amerigen Executive Leadership in Academic Medicine (ELAM) program.

Dr. Sandeep Mallipattu, Chief of the Division of Nephrology and Hypertension in the Renaissance School of Medicine's Department of Medicine, has received a $2.76M NIH grant to study how kidney cells talk to one another—and how that communication might protect against diabetic kidney disease (DKD).

The Department of Medicine is pleased to announce the promotion of Dr. Grace N. LaTorre, Section of Palliative Medicine, Division of Hematology and Oncology, to Clinical Associate Professor of Medicine in the Renaissance School of Medicine at the State University of New York at Stony Brook. 

The Department of Medicine is pleased to announce that Dr. Olga Aroniadis, Chief, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology at Stony Book Medicine is the recipient of the 2025 Rome Foundation Douglas Drossman Award for Communication and Patient-Centered Care in DGBI (disorders of gut-brain interactions.)

The Department of Medicine is pleased to announce the promotion of Shipra Agrawal, Ph.D., Division of Nephrology and Hypertension, to Associate Professor of Medicine with tenure in the Renaissance School of Medicine at the State University of New York at Stony Brook. 

The Department of Medicine is pleased to announce that two of our faculty members were selected to join The Miriam and David Donoho Academy of Clinical & Educational Scholars (ACES.) Congratulations to Dr. Julia Powelson, Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine.

The Department of Medicine is pleased to announce that two of our faculty members were selected to join The Miriam and David Donoho Academy of Clinical & Educational Scholars (ACES.) Congratulations to Dr. Imran Chaudhri, Division of Nephrology and Hypertension.

The Department of Medicine is pleased to announce the promotion of Viraj Modi, D.O., FACP, Division of General, Geriatric and Hospital Medicine, attending physician at the Northport VAMC, to Clinical Associate Professor of Medicine. 

A recent article in the Journal of Personalized Medicine, “Mineralocorticoid Receptor Antagonists and Cognitive Outcomes in Cardiovascular Disease and Beyond: A Systematic Review" showcases an important research collaboration between the Division of Cardiology in the Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University and Columbia University in the City of New York.

The Department of Medicine is pleased to announce the appointment of Olga C. Aroniadis, MD, MSc, FACG, to Professor of Medicine (with Tenure) in the Renaissance School of Medicine at the State University of New York at Stony Brook. 

To Members of the Department of Medicine:

We are pleased to announce the winners of the 2025 Pilot Project Grant awards. We received many meritorious applications and five of the projects were selected for funding.

The funded grants are listed:

Dear Members of the DoM Community,

We are delighted to announce that Silvana Obici, M.D., Chief, Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Professor of Medicine, has been appointed Medical Director of the Diabetes Services at Stony Brook Medicine, after serving as Interim Medical Director since November 2022.

On December 3rd, 2024, Stony Brook University Hospital held the formal dedication of The Dr. Ellinor I. Peerschke Hematology Lab.

From the Stony Brook University Hospital dedication agenda: