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Sonia Nimtz is a Nurse Practitioner in General Cardiology. She graduated from UTMB with a bachelor's degree in nursing and then worked as an RN in Cardiology. She later went on to obtain certification as a Family Nurse Practitioner from the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners after graduating from UTMB with a master's degree in Nursing. Sonia is a member of Sigma Theta Tau International Nursing Honor Society, as well as a member of the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners. She has a passion for cardiology – working with patients to help them achieve maximum cardiovascular health through positive health behaviors and knowledge of their medications and disease process. She loves to garden, cook, and bake. She and her husband love to travel and enjoy spending time with family.

Dr. Tony Tran is an Assistant Professor of Medicine in the Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Cardiology. His educational background includes a BS in Biology from the University of Houston - Honors College in 1993. While doing his undergraduate studies, he was involved in various research programs, including an undergraduate internship in the Department of Biology at Argonne National Laboratory in Illinois as well as a summer research fellowship in the Eukaryotic Transcriptional Regulation Section of the National Cancer Institute in Maryland. He also worked in the Division of Biochemistry at the University of Houston for his Senior Honors Thesis.

Dr. Tran completed his MD at UT Southwestern Medical School in Dallas, during which time he was a research fellow twice in the Biomedical Sciences Exchange Program-Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst (BMEP-DAAD) and worked at the Institut Biochimie, Charity Hospital/Humboldt University in 1994 and Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in 1997, both in Berlin, Germany.

He completed the Medical Research Investigator Track (MeRIT) clinical investigator pathway in Internal Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine in 2002, during which time he was involved in basic science research in Dr. Douglas Mann's heart failure laboratory. He also completed his fellowship in Cardiology at Baylor College of Medicine 2004.

Dr. Tran's interests include medical student and resident education as well as patient care. His research interests are in diastolic dysfunction and cardiac imaging. Dr. Tran sees patients at University Cardiology Clinic, Mainland Pavilion Center.

Dr. Kumfa was born in Cameroon, West Africa. He subsequently immigrated to Dallas TX, where he did his undergraduate studies. While at UT Dallas he studied Electrical Engineering and Premed. Thereafter, Dr. Kumfa came to UTMB for medical school. While in medical school he was in the Student Government Association and served as vice president of his class for all 4 years. He stayed at UTMB for Internal Medicine Residency. During residency he was recognized as Outstanding 2nd Year Internal Medicine Resident, and at graduation he was awarded the Don W. Powell Award for Excellence in Internal Medicine Residency. He continued his training at UTMB, where he completed General Cardiology Fellowship and Interventional cardiology. At the end of both fellowship trainings he was awarded the Hutching's Scholarship for Best Graduating Cardiology Fellow. Dr. Kumfa joined UTMB Faculty in 2016 as Assistant Professor in the Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Cardiology, and Interventional Cardiology. He is passionate about coronary artery disease, peripheral vascular disease and structural heart disease.

Dr. Sabayon is an established and highly skilled Cardiac Electrophysiologist. His work was informed by his fellowship training at Emory University's nation-leading electrophysiology center. He is skilled in cutting-edge technology and Cardiac Electrophysiology procedures with demonstrated success in complex device implantation and extraction therapies, simple and complex ablation therapies, and left atrial appendage closure therapies. He is a member of the Heart Rhythm Society and has been a keynote speaker on multiple medical platforms. He currently practices at UTMB Clear Lake and League City Campuses and is the Electrophysiology Lab Director at the UTMB Clear Lake Campus and Interim Electrophysiology Lab Director at the UTMB Galveston Campus.

Dr Khaled Chatila completed his medical school at the prestigious American University of Beirut in Lebanon. He then joined as a post-doctoral research fellow in cardiovascular disease at Baylor College of Medicine where he performed cutting edge basic science research studying the pathogenesis of myocardial infarction in animals. He then joined the Good Samaritan Hospital a Johns Hopkins affiliate in Baltimore where he completed his residency training in internal medicine.

Dr Chatila then moved to Louisville Kentucky for his cardiology training and after completion of general cardiology he stayed on for an additional fellowship in advanced heart failure and transplant where he learned under the guidance of world renowned experts in the field about the care and management of patients with end stage heart failure, mechanical heart pumps (LVAD) and heart transplantation. He then joined UTMB division of cardiology. Along with him was his wife Dr Hania Kassem who also joined UTMB division of nephrology.

Dr Chatila is extremely passionate about teaching medical students, residents and Cardiology Fellows. He is also interested in multiple research topics and currently working on different research projects. Dr Chatila has been selected for three years in a row 2016-2018 by Super Doctors® as one of Texas rising stars physicians. Dr Chatila has two kids a son and daughter with whom he spends most of his free time.

Dr. Masood Ahmad received his medical degree from Kashmir Medical College in Kashmir, India. He completed his residency in Internal Medicine at Euclid General Hospital in Cleveland Ohio and at Long Island Jewish/Queens Hospital Center in New York. Dr. Ahmad completed his fellowship in cardiology at Southwestern Medical School in Dallas, Texas. He is board certified in Internal Medicine and in cardiovascular disease. He is a Fellow of the Royal college of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. Prior to coming to UTMB, Dr. Ahmad was a tenured Associate Professor of Medicine at the University of Missouri Medical Center and served as Director of Noninvasive Laboratories and Chief of the Cardiology Section at the Harry S. Truman VA Hospital in Columbia Missouri.

Dr. Ahmad is the Edward D. and Sally M. Futch Endowed Professor in Cardiology. He is also the Director of the Echocardiography Laboratory.

Dr. Ahmad's research interests are in noninvasive Cardiovascular imaging and he has expertise in 3D echocardiography. Dr Ahmad is a board member of the Houston Chapter of the American Society of Echocardiography. At the national level, Dr Ahmad serves on the FASE committee of the American Society of Echocardiography. In addition, Dr Ahmad serves on the editorial board of Echocardiography, a journal of Cardiovascular ultrasound and Allied techniques.

Dr. Jiwani received his medical degree from Sindh Medical College in Karachi, Pakistan in 1989. He completed his residency in Pediatrics at the Schneider Children's Hospital at Long Island Jewish Medical Center at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New Hyde Park, New York.

He went on to complete a fellowship in Pediatric Cardiology in 1998, as well as a fellowship in Pediatric Echocardiography in 1999 at Schneider Children's Hospital at Long Island Jewish Medical Center. After finishing these fellowships, he was promoted to the rank of Assistant Professor and Attending Pediatric Cardiologist for the Schneider Children's Hospital, the Jacobi Medical Center, and North Central Bronx Hospital of the Albert Einstein College of Medicine where he served until joining UTMB in 2006.

He was promoted to Associate Professor of Pediatrics in September 2012. Dr. Jiwani is board certified by the American Board of Pediatrics in both Pediatrics and Pediatric Cardiology. He sees patients with acquired and congenital heart diseases from the fetal life throughout adulthood. He enjoys teaching and believes in high quality patient care.

Dr. Fatima Khan graduated from Riphah International University in Islamabad, Pakistan. She completed her internal medicine residency at Abington Hospital Jefferson Health in Pennsylvania and her general cardiology fellowship at the Western Connecticut health network at Danbury Hospital in Connecticut. She developed an interest in advanced heart failure and transplant cardiology in her early years of training. She completed her sub-specialty training in advanced heart failure and transplant cardiology at the Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami. Her other areas of interest are infiltrative cardiomyopathy and shock. Outside work, she likes to spend time on the beach and is a food enthusiast.

Dr. Cai completed his residency in internal medicine at Geisinger Medical Center in Pennsylvania. Then he completed his fellowship in cardiology at UTMB and The Methodist DeBakey Heart & Vascular Center in Houston. Dr. Cai joined UTMB Angleton Danbury Campus as an Assistant Professor and medical director in 2014.

Dr. Cai's professional interests include cardiac imaging, clinical cardiology, medical education, and quality improvement in cardiac care. He is board certified in cardiovascular diseases, internal medicine, echocardiography, nuclear cardiology, cardiac CT, and vascular ultrasound. He is a fellow of the American College of Cardiology and the American College of Physicians.

Dr. Cai has been involved in multiple clinical studies and research projects. He has published extensively and serves as a reviewer for a number of medical journals.

Dr. Cai serves cardiac and vascular patients including those with any established cardiovascular diseases. He also provides risk factor management and preoperative evaluation.