2024 Faculty Promotions

Reeni Abraham, M.D.

Professor, Division of General Internal Medicine
Associate Vice Chair of Undergraduate Medical Education

Dr. Abraham has dedicated herself to enhancing education on campus while also leading national efforts to positively impact internal medicine education. She is consistently one of the highest-rated teachers in the Department, known for being approachable, an outstanding role model, and providing high-yield instruction with useful feedback. This allows learners to grow and develop professional skills safely.

As a general internist, Dr. Abraham balances her clinical duties with teaching. She initially focused on clinical work as a hospitalist, but her reputation as a skilled clinician and communicator led to her recruitment to the palliative care team. Throughout her career, she has modeled team-based, collaborative, and patient-centered care.

Dr. Abraham has focused on curricular innovations, assessment, and the transition from undergraduate to graduate medical education. She is an ardent advocate and mentor, and continuously re-imagines the system to support learners better. Her mentorship has created a new cadre of academic medical educators, many now in leadership positions.

Dr. Abraham holds a bachelor’s degree in biology from Texas A&M University and a medical degree from Texas Tech. She completed internal medicine residency training at Montefiore Medical Center in New York. She also earned faculty development certificates in Clinical Safety & Effectiveness and Mentoring Excellence for Developing Leaders at UT Southwestern and completed the Harvard Macy Institute’s Program for Educators in Health Professions.

Dr. Abraham joined the UT Southwestern faculty in 2017.

John T. Battaile, M.D.

Professor, Division of Pulmonary & Critical Care Medicine
Associate Program Director, Pulmonary & Critical Care Fellowship

Dr. Battaile is a distinguished educator and national expert on hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia (HHT). For 12 years, he led the Pulmonary and Critical Care Fellowship Program, enhancing its size, quality, and reputation. He also fostered mentoring relationships and advocated for trainees.

Recognized for his clinical skills, dedication to teaching, and administrative effectiveness, Dr. Battaile was appointed Chief of the Pulmonary and Critical Care Section at the Dallas VA Medical Center. Above and beyond his full-time duties, he also directs the UT Southwestern HHT clinic, assembling a multidisciplinary team that earned the clinic a designation as an HHT Center of Excellence by Cure HHT, one of only 31 in North America.

Dr. Battaile served as a site PI for the DECAMP study, investigating gene expression biomarkers in long-term cancer risk. Although the biological sample collection has ended, clinical follow-up continues. He also collaborates on clinical studies of HHT.

Originally from Memphis, Dr. Battaile earned his medical degree from the University of Tennessee. He completed his residency in internal medicine and fellowship in pulmonary diseases and critical care medicine at Washington University in St. Louis, where he also obtained a master’s degree in clinical investigation.

Dr. Battaile joined the UT Southwestern faculty in 2009.

Sujata Bhushan, M.D.

Clinical Professor, Division of General Internal Medicine

Dr. Bhushan is a passionate teacher who is deeply invested in medical education. She serves as a mentor in UT Southwestern’s academic colleges, using the opportunity to make a positive impact on students’ clinical and professional development. She takes pride in assuring students gain knowledge and skills from their clinical work that is appropriate to their level and effectively organizes their thinking by highlighting important concepts based on their own learning goals.

Dr. Bhushan has leveraged her clinical expertise, honed at the Dallas VA Medical Center, to develop experiences for students that build skills in the physical exam and develop a sensitive, patient-centered approach to caring for veterans. She has gained a regional reputation in promoting the culture of bedside medicine and created a culture of bedside rounds and bedside teaching for IM Clerkship rotations at the VA.

She has also applied her niche expertise in teaching the physical exam to point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS), successfully establishing a POCUS elective for residents.

Originally from Mumbai, India, Dr. Bhushan holds a bachelor's degree from Bhopal University. She received her medical degree from Gandhi Medical College in Bhopal and then completed postdoctoral training in anesthesiology from Gandhi Medical College and in internal medicine from Norwalk Hospital in Norwalk, Connecticut. 

Dr. Bhushan joined the UT Southwestern faculty in 2002.

Lafaine Grant, M.D.

Professor, Division of Digestive & Liver Diseases

Dr. Grant is a devoted and gifted teacher who has had a positive impact on medical students, residents, and fellows alike. She has been very involved in mentoring students from underrepresented backgrounds, whether at UT Southwestern or at the national level through the American Gastroenterological Association.

A skilled hepatologist, Dr. Grant focuses on general hepatology and liver transplant care. Her contributions were essential to growing the liver transplant program from performing 10-20 transplants per year to more than 100 transplants currently. Her clinical expertise has made her a highly regarded consultant in hepatology at both UT Southwestern and throughout our referral network. In recognition of her leadership contributions and abilities, she was appointed clinical director of hepatology at Parkland Memorial Hospital, with responsibility for guiding clinical activities related to hepatology care and has also been invited to serve on several national committees.

Dr. Grant holds a bachelor's degree in biology from Emory University in Atlanta and a post-baccalaureate in biological sciences from Southern Illinois University. She earned her medical degree at Wake Forest University School of Medicine in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, and completed internal medicine residency training at Emory University Hospital. She then completed advanced training through fellowships in gastroenterology at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and in hepatology at Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas.

Dr. Grant joined the UT Southwestern faculty in 2007.

David E. Greenberg, M.D.

Tenured Professor, Division of Infectious Diseases & Geographic Medicine

Dr. Greenberg is an internationally recognized leader in the biology of antimicrobial resistance as well as a leading researcher in the development of novel approaches to manage microbial resistance. He also is an esteemed educator, having developed one of the most highly rated courses in the medical school and growing student interest in the field of infectious diseases.

In recognition of his sustained excellence as an educator, Dr. Greenberg has received 23 awards, either as an individual or as a course director, since he began at UT Southwestern.

He approaches research questions from both therapeutic and diagnostic perspectives. He has developed a number of lead compounds in some of the most difficult to treat human pathogens. He has assembled a strong bioinformatics team to focus on machine learning algorithms to predict antimicrobial resistance. And he has helped develop an innovative, noninvasive treatment for deep infections involving implants such as prosthetic joints.

Originally from Houston, Texas, Dr. Greenberg holds a bachelor's degree in public health from The Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland. He earned his medical degree and completed a residency in internal medicine at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. He then received advanced training in infectious diseases through a fellowship at the National Institutes of Health’s National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases in Bethesda, Maryland.

Dr. Greenberg joined the UT Southwestern faculty in 2010.

Namirah Jamshed, M.B.B.S., M.Sc.

Professor, Division of Geriatric Medicine
Program Director, Geriatric Medicine Fellowship

Dr. Jamshed is a national leader in geriatric medicine in the area of home-based primary care. She developed and now directs the award-winning Care of the Vulnerable Elderly (COVE) clinical program, which provides care for home-bound patients and serves as a primary training site for medical students, residents, and fellows. This program has effectively reduced Emergency Department visits, hospitalizations, and outpatient visits. Moreover, the number of vulnerable or functionally impaired older adults served at home has grown from 70 in 2015 to more than 500 this year.

As a clinician, Dr. Jamshed provides care for medically complex patients with functional impairment. As a role model and mentor, she has actively pursued faculty development opportunities while effectively using knowledge gained to grow as a leader, expand already successful programs, and develop new ones.

Dr. Jamshed earned her medical degree at the Aga Khan University Medical College in Karachi, Pakistan. She completed a residency in family medicine at the Latrobe Area Hospital in Pennsylvania and received advanced training in geriatrics through a fellowship at the University of California-Los Angeles. She later completed a master's degree in healthcare management and leadership at the University of Texas at Dallas.

Dr. Jamshed joined the UT Southwestern faculty in 2015.

Susan A. Matulevicius, M.D., M.C.Sc.

Professor, Division of Cardiology
Associate Dean of Faculty Wellness

Dr. Matulevicius is an accomplished authority in cardiovascular imaging, including both cardiovascular MRI and echocardiography. As a researcher, she has developed an important focus on value in healthcare, spearheading investigations into the clinical impact of excessive echocardiographic testing and inappropriate use of this technology. For seven years, she demonstrated exceptional leadership as medical director of the echocardiography lab, expanding its reach, improving quality assurance, and elevating fellow education in the field to one of the highest-rated experiences. Her contributions to developing reporting software and analysis platforms have had a lasting impact on workflow and patient outcomes.

She has made transformative contributions to enhancing faculty wellness and engagement, leading to her appointment as the inaugural Assistant Dean of Faculty Wellness, She has since received regional and international acclaim for her work, particularly in the area of coaching in academic medicine.

Originally from New Jersey, Dr. Matulevicius holds a bachelor’s degree in biomedical engineering from Duke University. She earned her medical degree at the University of Pennsylvania, where she also completed internal medicine residency training. She then received advanced training through fellowships in cardiology and advanced cardiac imaging at UT Southwestern, where she also earned a master’s degree in clinical science.

Dr. Matulevicius joined the UT Southwestern faculty in 2009.

Heather L. McArthur, M.D., M.P.H.

Professor, Division of Hematology & Oncology
Clinical Director, Breast Cancer Program

Dr. McArthur has emerged as an international leader in breast cancer immunotherapy, having pioneered a research program focusing on combining immune therapy with local strategies like cryoablation and radiation to make breast tumors more responsive to immunotherapy. Her studies have shown enhanced anti-tumor immune responses and systemic changes in lymphocyte populations, leading to new therapeutic approaches that could complement or replace traditional chemotherapy. Additionally, she is exploring macrophage differentiation agents and CSF-1R inhibition, with her leadership recognized in global clinical trials. She is currently the global Principal Investigator for two phase 3 clinical trials, and her work is highly anticipated to impact clinical practice.

Beyond her research, Dr. McArthur is a dedicated mentor and clinician, providing comprehensive care to her patients.

Originally from Canada, Dr. McArthur received her bachelor's degree from the University of British Columbia in Vancouver. She earned her medical degree at the University of Toronto and completed internal medicine residency training at the University of Calgary. She then received advanced training through a medical oncology fellowship at the University of British Columbia and an advanced clinical research fellowship in breast cancer at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York. She also holds a master’s degree in public health from Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Dr. McArthur joined the UT Southwestern faculty in 2021.

Jennifer Thibodeau, M.D., M.S.C.S.

Professor, Division of Cardiology
Medical Director, Heart Failure Program

Dr. Thibodeau has gained a national reputation for being a leader in the field of heart failure, as a strong clinician, clinical researcher, scholar, and educator.

As a clinician, she specializes in advanced heart failure, cardiac transplantation, and left-ventricular assist devices (LVADs), working in the advanced heart failure services, heart and lung clinic, and cardiac catheterization lab. Notably, she is the only physician at UT Southwestern capable of performing level 3 cardiopulmonary exercise tests in the catheterization lab.

Dr. Thibodeau has pioneered a research program focusing on the hemodynamic aspects of physical examinations. She identified a new heart failure symptom called bendopnea, which is shortness of breath within 30 seconds of bending forward. This symptom is now widely recognized and included in heart failure guidelines. Additionally, she highlighted the limitations of clinical exams in predicting hemodynamics in complex heart failure patients, emphasizing the need for invasive assessments. Dr. Thibodeau also explored remote physical exams, proving the feasibility of assessing jugular venous pressure virtually.

Dr. Thibodeau holds a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry from Georgetown University. She earned her medical degree at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, where she also completed internal medicine residency training and served an additional year as Chief Resident. She then gained advanced training through fellowships in cardiology and advanced heart failure/transplant cardiology at UT Southwestern, where she also obtained a master’s degree in clinical sciences.

Dr. Thibodeau joined the UT Southwestern faculty in 2011.

David M. Wojciechowski, D.O.

Professor, Division of Nephrology
Medical Director, Kidney Transplantation Program

Dr. Wojciechowski has become an internationally recognized leader in clinical care and clinical trials, focusing on kidney transplantation, immunosuppression protocols, immune response monitoring, and post-transplant infection management.

As Program Director of the Transplant Nephrology Fellowship, he revamped the curriculum to include lectures, comprehensive outpatient rotations, procedural training, and bi-monthly mentorship for research projects.

As Medical Director of the Kidney Transplant program, he has implemented strategies to expand kidney transplantation access, increasing annual transplants in the last five years from 50 to over 200, with improved patient and graft survival outcomes. He has successfully merged clinical care with clinical trials to expand access to transplantation. Under his management, the Division of Transplant Surgery increased clinical trial activity from four trials since his arrival to almost 20.

Dr. Wojciechowski has served as Institutional PI on numerous multi-center trials. His research focuses on expanding transplantation access, developing new immunosuppression regimens, infection prophylaxis and treatment, and employing immune monitoring diagnostics to personalize immunosuppression.

Originally from Reading, Pennsylvania, he holds a bachelor’s degree in biology from St. Joseph’s University and a medical degree from the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine. He completed his internal medicine residency and nephrology fellowship at Georgetown University Hospital/Washington Hospital Center, followed by a transplant nephrology fellowship at the University of California, San Francisco.

He joined the UT Southwestern faculty in 2019.