UT Health Sciences Well-Represented Among Exceptional Women in Medicine

The University of Tennessee Health Science Center is well-represented in the Castle Connolly 2026 Exceptional Women in Medicine listing, with dozens of physicians recognized through the peer-nomination process. The achievement is a testament to the exceptional quality of physicians caring for Memphis and the region.

UT Health Sciences faculty honored in this year's awards list published in the Memphis Flyer represent expertise spanning numerous medical specialties and subspecialties, including infectious disease, pediatric cardiology, oncology, neurology, urology, allergy/immunology, dermatology, and surgical critical care.

Castle Connolly, a health care research company, identifies top doctors through a peer-nomination process in which physicians across specialties nominate colleagues they would trust with their own family's care. The Exceptional Women in Medicine are recognized annually based on nominations and outstanding accomplishments in medicine. Only those who receive multiple nominations and meet rigorous screening criteria make the final list.

"These physicians exemplify the clinical excellence that defines our faculty," said Michael Hocker, MD, executive dean of UT Health Sciences' College of Medicine. "They're advancing patient care, conducting groundbreaking research, and training future physicians who will serve communities across Tennessee."

UT Health Sciences faculty recognized in the Memphis Flyer include:

• Violiza Inoa Acosta, associate professor of neurology
• Lanetta Anderson, instructor of obstetrics and gynecology
• Bindiya Bagga, professor of pediatrics, infectious diseases
• Amelia Bailey, assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology
• F. Gwen Beard, instructor of dermatology and physician assistant studies
• Devra Becker, professor of plastic surgery
• M. Michelle Bowden, associate professor of pediatrics, general pediatrics
• Luella Churchwell, assistant professor of dermatology
• Heather Pearson Chauhan, instructor of obstetrics and gynecology
• Lauren Ditta, associate professor of ophthalmology
• Emilee Dobish, associate professor of pediatrics, general pediatrics
• Patricia Dubin, associate professor of pediatrics, pulmonology
• Sara Federico, assistant professor of pediatrics
• Dina Filiberto, associate professor of surgery, trauma/surgical critical care
• Terri Finkel, professor of pediatrics, rheumatology
• Tonia Gardner, assistant professor of pediatrics, pulmonology
• Dana Giel, professor of urology, pediatrics
• Tanjala Gipson, professor of pediatrics, child development
• Karine Guerrier, associate professor of pediatrics, cardiology
• Margaret Colleen Hastings, associate professor of medicine, nephrology
• Mary Hoehn, professor of ophthalmology
• Natalie Kerr, professor of ophthalmology
• Jennifer Kramer, assistant professor of pediatrics, cardiology
• Francis Lawhead, assistant professor of dermatology
• Shirin Mazumder, associate professor of medicine, infectious disease
• Elisha McCoy, associate professor of pediatrics, general pediatrics
• Amy McGregor, professor of pediatrics, neurology
• Christie Michael, associate professor of pediatrics, allergy/immunology
• Marquita Nelson, associate professor of medicine, hematology/oncology
• Purvisha Patel, assistant professor of dermatology
• Sylvia Richey, assistant professor of medicine, hematology/oncology
• Namrata Shah, professor of pediatrics, neurology
• Rebekah Shappley, associate professor of pediatrics, general pediatrics
• Claudette Shephard, associate professor of obstetrics and gynecology
• Hae Won Shin, professor of neurology
• Linda Smiley, assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology, gynecologic oncology
• Rose Mary Stocks, professor of otolaryngology
• Natascha Thompson, associate professor of medicine, general internal medicine
• Malika Tuli, assistant professor of dermatology
• Toni Whitaker, professor of pediatrics, developmental-behavioral
• Catherine Womack, professor of medicine, general internal medicine
• Teresa Wright, professor of dermatology
• Neeraja Yedlapati, associate professor of medicine, cardiology
• Rima Zahr, associate professor of pediatrics, nephrology