UAMS Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute Expands Services with Addition of 12 Oncologists

By Susan Van Dusen

“We are in a period of significant growth at the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute and are proud to welcome 12 talented physicians joining us in July. Six of these doctors will treat outpatients at our clinics, allowing more Arkansans to access our world-class cancer treatment. The remaining six will serve as hospitalists for cancer patients in the UAMS hospital,” said Michael Birrer, M.D., Ph.D., UAMS vice chancellor and Cancer Institute director.

Oncologists

The following fellowship-trained oncologists will treat outpatients in the Cancer Institute clinics:

Jibran Ahmed, M.D.

Specialty: Gastrointestinal cancer

Ahmed is a graduate of King Edward Medical University in Pakistan and completed his residency in internal medicine at John H. Stroger Jr. Hospital of Cook County Chicago. He recently completed a fellowship in hematology/oncology at Westchester Medical Center/New York Medical College.

Sajjad Bhatti, M.D.

Specialty: Lung cancer

Bhatti earned his medical degree from the Aga Khan University Medical College in Pakistan. After completing his residency in internal medicine at the University of Kansas Medical Center, he was fellowship-trained in hematology/oncology at the University of Kansas Cancer Center.

Abhijit Godbole, M.D., Ph.D.

Specialty: Hematology, autologous and allogeneic stem cell transplant and cellular therapy

Godbole earned his medical degree from B.J. Medical School in Pune, India, and his Ph.D. in molecular oncology from the University of Maryland. He completed his fellowship training in the UAMS Hematology/Oncology Fellowship Program, where he served as chief fellow.

Joyce Habib, M.D.

Specialty: Breast cancer

After earning her medical degree from the American University of Beirut, Lebanon, Habib completed a fellowship in medical oncology at Baylor Medical Center and a residency in internal medicine at Ohio State University. She previously served as the head of Healthbay Polyclinic Oncology Center in Dubai, UAE.

Erika Horta, M.D.

Specialty: Neuro-oncology

Horta earned her medical degree at the University of Sao Paulo in Brazil, where she also served a residency in neurology and completed a clinical fellowship in neuro-immunology. She completed a fellowship in research at the Neuro-immunology Laboratory at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, and a clinical fellowship in neuro-oncology at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit. Horta also served a residency in neurology at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis.

Jumin Sunde, M.D.

Specialty: Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery

After earning his medical degree from the University of Alabama at Birmingham, Sunde served both his internship and residency at UAMS. He was fellowship trained in head and neck oncologic and microvascular surgery at the University of Michigan. Prior to returning to UAMS, he served as an assistant professor at the University of Mississippi Medical Center.

Hospitalists

The following hospitalists are joining UAMS and will treat cancer patients in the UAMS Medical Center:

Sravani Gundarlapalli, M.D.

Gundarlapalli earned her medical degree from Kurnool Medical School in India and served her residency in internal medicine at St. Joseph’s Mercy Oakland Hospital in Pontiac, Michigan. She previously was a hospitalist at Fairview Park Hospital in Dublin, Georgia.

James Lopez, M.D.

Lopez is a graduate of Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center in Shreveport, Louisiana. He completed a residency in internal medicine at UAMS.

Yetunde Ogunsesan, M.D.

Ogunsesan earned her medical degree from the University of Ilorin in Nigeria and completed her residency in internal medicine at Rochester General Hospital in New York.

Yadav Pandey, M.D.

Pandey is a graduate of Katmandu Medical School in Nepal and served his residency in internal medicine at UAMS.

Prasanth Sadaram, M.D.

Sadaram graduated from Rangaraya Medical College in Kakinada, India. He completed a residency in internal medicine at BronxCare Health System (Ichan School of Medicine at Mount Sinai) and is a graduate of the UAMS Geriatrics Fellowship Program.

Lakshmi Yarlagadda, M.D.

Yarlagadda previously served as a hospitalist at the Southeastern Region Medical Center in Lumberton, North Carolina, and as an internal medicine faculty member at Campbell University in Buies Creek, North Carolina. She is a graduate of NRI Medical School in Andhra Pradesh, India, and completed her residency in internal medicine at Howard University Hospital in Washington, D.C.

UAMS is the state’s only health sciences university, with colleges of Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy, Health Professions and Public Health; a graduate school; a hospital; a main campus in Little Rock; a Northwest Arkansas regional campus in Fayetteville; a statewide network of regional campuses; and eight institutes: the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute, Jackson T. Stephens Spine & Neurosciences Institute, Harvey & Bernice Jones Eye Institute, Psychiatric Research Institute, Donald W. Reynolds Institute on Aging, Translational Research Institute, Institute for Digital Health & Innovation and the Institute for Community Health Innovation. UAMS includes UAMS Health, a statewide health system that encompasses all of UAMS’ clinical enterprise. UAMS is the only adult Level 1 trauma center in the state. UAMS has 3,485 students, 915 medical residents and fellows, and seven dental residents. It is the state’s largest public employer with more than 11,000 employees, including 1,200 physicians who provide care to patients at UAMS, its regional campuses, Arkansas Children’s, the VA Medical Center and Baptist Health. Visit www.uams.edu or uamshealth.com. Find us on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), YouTube or Instagram.

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