Program Faculty and Leadership
Med-Peds Primary Care Faculty
Assistant Professor of Internal Medicine and Pediatrics
Program Director
Dr. Bufkin holds a bachelor's degree in biological engineering from Mississippi State University in Starkville, where she graduated summa cum laude. She earned her medical degree from the University of Mississippi Medical Center, graduating magna cum laude, and completed her combined internal medicine and pediatrics training at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, where she served as chief resident. Dr. Bufkin provides primary care to patients of all ages at the William T. and Gay F. Solomon General Internal Medicine-Pediatrics Clinic and has the distinct privilege of working closely with the Med-Peds residents and ambulatory medical students. Her academic interests include health care transition and health equity for persons with disabilities.
Outside of medicine, Dr. Bufkin enjoys spending time with her husband and two children, pelotoning, playing in her family’s fantasy football league, and shopping Dallas-area estate sales/Facebook Marketplace.
Associate Professor of Pediatrics and Internal Medicine
Associate Program Director
Dr. Albin holds a bachelor's degree in religion from Baylor University in Waco, where she graduated summa cum laude. She earned her medical degree at George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences in Washington, D.C., and completed residency training in combined internal medicine and pediatrics at Baylor College of Medicine and then served as chief resident in pediatrics at Baylor College of Medicine and Texas Children's Hospital in Houston. Dr. Albin sees patients of all ages in the William T. and Gay F. Solomon General Internal Medicine-Pediatrics Clinic and also works with Med-Peds interns and Internal Medicine residents at the Parkland Center for Internal Medicine.
Dr. Albin is board certified in lifestyle medicine and is a certified culinary medicine specialist (CCMS), serving on the national advisory board of Health meets Food and in the Teaching Kitchen Collaborative. She seeks to drive positive change at a population health level through community-based innovation in culinary and lifestyle medicine.
Outside of medicine, Dr. Albin enjoys cooking, traveling, being outdoors, and spending time with her husband and two children.
Associate Professor of Pediatrics and Internal Medicine
Division Chief, Combined Interal Medicine and Pediatrics
Associate Program Director
Dr. Walsh holds a bachelor's degree in history from Princeton University, where she graduated cum laude. She earned her medical degree at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, and completed residency training in combined internal medicine and pediatrics at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. A member of the faculty member since 2007, she provides primary care in the William T. and Gay F. Solomon General Internal Medicine-Pediatrics Clinic and both inpatient and outpatient pediatric care at Children’s Health. Her academic interests include adolescent reproductive health, health care transition of youth with special health care needs, and medical education. She has served as Associate Program Director of the Pediatrics Residency Program at Children’s Medical Center/UT Southwestern, and is the founding Residency Program Director and Division Chief for Combined Internal Medicine & Pediatrics at UT Southwestern Medical Center.
In her free time, she enjoys yoga, hiking, reading, and cheering from the sidelines at hockey and soccer games with her husband and three sons.
Assistant Professor of Internal Medicine and Pediatrics
Medical Director of Student Health Services
Originally from St. Cloud, Minnesota, Dr. Broker holds a bachelor's degree in nursing from the University of Minnesota, where he also earned his medical degree. He then completed residency training in internal medicine and pediatrics at the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Phoenix, where he served as chief resident.
Having joined the UT Southwestern faculty in 2019, Dr. Broker focuses on health promotion and wellness. His goal is to bring together the benefits of medical science and the therapeutic context of a person’s life. Additionally, he partners with his patients to form goals to improve health, with a focus on effective and therapeutic communication. His specific interests include general primary care and health promotion, healthcare transition of children to adult care, adolescent and adult sexual health, HIV prevention including pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP), and healthcare provider wellness.
Outside of medicine, he enjoys exercising, practicing yoga, rollerblading, cooking, reading, and spending time with family and friends.
Assistant Professor of Internal Medicine and Pediatrics
Dr. Cullinan holds a bachelor's degree in biochemistry and English from Rice University in Houston, where she also ran middle distance on the track and field team. After teaching seventh-grade English in Houston, she earned her medical degree from UT Southwestern, where she completed her internal medicine and pediatrics residency training. During residency, she served as educational conference chair and developed an interest in medical education and patient-centered primary care. She joined the UT Southwestern faculty in 2023, establishing her primary care practice at the William T. and Gay F. Solomon General Internal Medicine-Pediatrics Clinic. Her academic interest includes medical education, high-quality care for individuals with intellectual disabilities, and transition from pediatric to adult care.
In her free time, she enjoys trying new exercise classes, cycling (indoors and outdoors), spending time with her family, and reading.
Assistant Professor of Internal Medicine and Pediatrics
Medical Director, Med-Peds Primary Care Practice
Dr. Newman earned his medical degree at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston. He completed his residency training in a combined internal medicine and pediatrics program at the University of Tennessee in Memphis. After serving as pediatric chief resident, he worked as a Med-Peds primary care provider and clinic site leader in an underserved Memphis community for six years. He joined the UT Southwestern faculty in 2014 and serves as the Medical Director of the William T. and Gay F. Solomon General Internal Medicine-Pediatrics Clinic. His academic interests include patient-centered primary care for all ages, quality improvement in health care, and the education of medical students and residents.
Michelle Sandoval Cabanas, M.D.
Assistant Professor of Internal Medicine and Pediatrics
Originally from New Mexico, Dr. Sandoval Cabanas holds a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry and biology from the University of New Mexico, where she graduated summa cum laude and earned her medical degree. She completed her residency training in internal medicine and pediatrics at the University of Cincinnati and Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, where she served as Chief Resident, she was also awarded the Herbert S. Waxman Chief Resident Teaching Scholarship from the American College of Physicians. She joined the UT Southwestern faculty in 2023, providing care for patients of all ages in the William T. and Gay F. Solomon General Internal Medicine-Pediatrics Clinic. Her academic interests include medical education and financial literacy.
Outside of work, Dr. Sandoval Cabanas enjoys running, playing sand volleyball, salsa dancing, and playing with her dogs.
Med-Peds Hospital Medicine Faculty
Assistant Professor of Pediatrics and Internal Medicine
Originally from Buffalo, New York, Dr. Ahmad holds a bachelor's degree in biomedical sciences from the University at Buffalo, where she graduated summa cum laude. She obtained her medical degree from the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine and completed residency training in combined internal medicine and pediatrics at The Ohio State University in Columbus. Dr. Ahmad works as a hospitalist, providing care to patients of all ages at both Parkland Memorial Hospital and Children’s Medical Center Dallas. Her academic interests include health care equity, advocacy, global health and medical education.
In her free time, Dr. Ahmad enjoys traveling, trying new restaurants, and spending time with family and friends.
Assistant Professor of Pediatrics and Internal Medicine
Originally from Goshen, Indiana, Dr. Driver holds a bachelor's degree in biochemistry and music from Goshen College, where he graduated magna cum laude. He obtained his medical degree at Indiana University in Indianapolis, where he also completed his internal medicine and pediatrics residency training. His clinical interests include hospital medicine, medical education and training, transitions of care, and improving outcomes for patients with complex childhood diseases.
Outside of medicine, Dr. Driver enjoys spending time with his wife and dog, roasting coffee, listening to and playing music, cooking, and exploring the outdoors.
Assistant Professor of Pediatrics and Internal Medicine
Director, Med-Peds Hospital Medicine
Originally from South Carolina, Dr. Oakman holds a bachelor's degree with honors in molecular, cellular, and developmental biology from Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut. She earned her medical degree from the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, and completed a residency in internal medicine and pediatrics at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, where she served as chief resident. Her clinical and research interests include medical education, health disparities, advocacy, and facilitating smooth transitions from pediatric to adult care.
Outside of medicine, she enjoys visiting new places, trying new recipes, and spending time with family and friends.
Courtney Shipman-Brownlee, M.D.
Assistant Professor of Pediatrics and Internal Medicine
Originally from Pennsylvania, Dr. Shipman-Brownlee holds a bachelor's degree with honors in biology, with a concentration in ethics and health care, from Villanova University in Villanova, Pennsylvania. She first moved to Texas to complete her Internal Medicine and Pediatrics residency at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. She spent the early years of her career as a Med-Peds hospitalist at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, and served as faculty at Harvard Medical School. With a strong background of caring for both children and adults in tertiary care settings, she joined the UT Southwestern faculty in 2021. Her clinical interests include medical education, transition care for young adult patients, improving care for underserved patients, and legislative advocacy.
In her free time, Dr. Shipman-Brownlee enjoys being with her family, reading, listening to music, practicing yoga, and exploring the Dallas-Fort Worth area.
Assistant Professor of Pediatrics and Internal Medicine
Originally from Louisiana, Dr. Saadat holds a bachelor's degree in cellular and molecular biology from Louisiana State University in Shreveport, where she graduated summa cum laude. She earned her medical degree from Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center in Shreveport and completed residency in internal medicine and pediatrics at the University of Tennessee Health Sciences Center in Memphis. Dr. Saadat worked as a Med-Peds hospitalist in New Orleans, LA for three years. She currently works as a hospitalist at Parkland Memorial Hospital and Children’s Medical Center Dallas. Her clinical and research interests include quality improvement, patient experience, and medical education.
Outside of medicine, she enjoys spending time outdoors, walking her dog, reading a plethora of books, attending different sporting events, and visiting with friends and family.
Associate Professor of Internal Medicine and Pediatrics
Dr. Waters holds a bachelor's degree in molecular and cellular biology from Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee, where she graduated magna cum laude. She earned her medical degree from the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio and completed internal medicine and pediatrics residency training at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. She then obtained advanced training in global health through the Global Health Hospitalist/ Health Equity, Action and Leadership (HEAL) fellowship at the University of California San Francisco. As a part of this fellowship, she spent six months of each year working in rural Liberia with Last Mile Health, a non-governmental organization dedicated to ensuring health access to those in remote communities. Having joined the UT Southwestern faculty in 2016, she treats patients of all ages as a hospitalist at both Parkland Memorial Hospital and Children’s Medical Center Dallas. In addition, Dr. Waters is the Interim Director of Global Health Education for the Pediatrics Residency Program and continues to work with Last Mile Health as the Director of Clinical Excellence, Health System Strengthening. In addition to global health, her professional interests include medical education, population health, advocacy and transitions of care.
Outside of medicine, Dr. Waters enjoys cooking, cycling, reading, watching college football, and traveling.
Associate Professor of Internal Medicine and Pediatrics
Originally from Illinois, Dr. Zhang holds a bachelor's degree in biochemistry from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign where she graduated magna cum laude. She earned her medical degree from the University of Illinois Chicago, and completed residency training in combined internal medicine and pediatrics at UT Southwestern. She joined UT Southwestern faculty in 2024 and provides care to patients of all ages at Parkland Memorial Hospital and Children's Medical Center Dallas. Her academic interests include improving healthcare access for underserved patients and facilitating pediatric-to-adult transition of care for young adults.
Outside of medicine, Dr. Zhang enjoys spending time with her family, traveling, and trying new restaurants.
Med-Peds Faculty Partners
Michael Bowen, M.D., M.P.H., M.S.C.S
Associate Professor
Internal Medicine, Pediatrics, and Peter O'Donnell Jr. School of Public Health
Division of General Internal Medicine
Dedman Family Scholar in Clinical Care
Originally from Arrington, Tennessee, Dr. Bowen holds a bachelor's degree in biology with minors in chemistry and English from Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennesee, where he also earned his medical degree and completed internal medicine and pediatrics residency training. Following residency, he completed the VA National Quality Scholars Fellowship Program, receiving advanced training in outcomes and health services research and quality improvement. He also holds a Master of Public Health degree from Vanderbilt, a Master of Science in Clinical Science degree from UT Southwestern, and a Certificate in Biomedical Informatics from the University of Texas Health Science Center School of Biomedical Informatics at Houston. With a strong interest in primary care and chronic disease management, Dr. Bowen joined the UT Southwestern faculty in 2012. His research focuses on early diagnosis and treatment of type 2 diabetes.
In his free time, Dr. Bowen enjoys being with his family, running, cooking, and fishing.
Christy Boling Turer, M.D., M.H.S.
Associate Professor of Internal Medicine and Pediatrics
Originally from Salt Lake City, Utah, Dr. Boling Turer holds a bachelor's degree with high honors in natural science from Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, California. She received her medical degree from Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland, and completed a combined internal medicine and pediatrics residency, a fellowship program in health services research in primary care, and a master's degree in clinical research at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina. With a research interest in primary-care weight management, she joined the UT Southwestern faculty in 2010. Her clinical work focuses on primary care in the UT Southwestern Multispecialty Clinic.
Outside of medicine, she enjoys spending time with her husband and children.
Associate Professor of Internal Medicine and Pediatrics
Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine
Dr. Goss holds a bachelor's degree from Baylor University in Waco, Texas, where she graduated summa cum laude. She earned her medical degree at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. She then completed a combined residency in internal medicine and pediatrics at Indiana University in Indianapolis, followed by a fellowship in pulmonary and critical care medicine. Dr. Goss joined the UT Southwestern faculty in 2020. She has developed unique lifespan expertise in the long-term cardiopulmonary effects of preterm birth. Her overall research goal is to address the effect of preterm birth on the development of late cardiopulmonary sequelae, including pulmonary hypertension, lung disease, and impaired cardiopulmonary reserve.
Clinical Associate Professor of Pediatrics
Division of Pediatric Cardiology
Dr. Kane earned his medical degree at Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine and completed an internal medicine and pediatrics internship and residency at Christiana Care Health System in Newark, Delaware. He then obtained advanced training through a fellowship in pediatric cardiology at Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta.
In his free time, Dr. Kane enjoys running, biking, and competing in triathlon races, including the Ironman, known as one of the most physically demanding sporting events in the world. He also enjoys spending time with his family, including his two sons, who also play sports.
Assistant Professor of Internal Medicine
Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine
Originally from Singapore, Dr. Krishnan holds a bachelor’s degree in biology with a concentration in neurobiology and behavior from Cornell University. He earned his medical degree at UT Southwestern after which, he completed a residency in combined internal medicine and pediatrics at Duke University. He stayed on at Duke as the internal medicine chief resident for quality and safety, where he led multiple quality improvement and patient safety initiatives at the Durham VA hospital. He then completed fellowship in pulmonary and critical care at Duke, where he continued conducting GME and health system-wide initiatives to improve health equity and outcomes. In addition to his work in healthcare innovation, Dr. Krishnan has also been the recipient of multiple awards for resident and medical student education. This passion for teaching, along with opportunities to participate in health system innovation, as well as being closer to family, brought him back to UT Southwestern as faculty in 2024. His academic interests focus on generating innovative solutions to improve health equity in critical care and post-ICU care. He is also interested in the transitions of pediatric patients with chronic respiratory failure into adulthood. He works in the Parkland MICU, UTSW clinics, and the Center for Innovation and Value at Parkland.
Outside of medicine, he enjoys hiking, kayaking, and doing anything outdoors with his family.
Associate Professor of Internal Medicine
Division of Cardiology
Originally from Corpus Christi, Texas, Dr. Navar holds a bachelor's degree in Spanish from the University of Texas at Austin. She earned her medical degree at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina, while also completing her Ph.D. in global disease epidemiology and control from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. While at Duke, she completed a residency in internal medicine and pediatrics and a fellowship in cardiology, as well as a research fellowship at the Duke Clinical Research Institute. Prior to joining the UT Southwestern faculty in 2021, she served for five years on the faculty at Duke University.
Assistant Professor of Internal Medicine
Division of Cardiology
Originally from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Dr. Tan holds a bachelor's degree in biology with minors in Spanish and chemistry from Duke University in Durham, North Carolina, where he graduated cum laude. He earned his medical degree at Duke University School of Medicine. He completed a residency in internal medicine and pediatrics at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), where he also received advanced training through fellowships in adult cardiovascular disease, adult congenital heart disease, and adult interventional cardiology. He also holds a master’s degree in public health from the Gillings School of Global Public Health at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Specializing in adult congenital heart disease, adult congenital transcatheter interventions, and transition of care from adolescent to adult congenital cardiology, Dr. Tan joined the UT Southwestern faculty in 2021.