I enjoy practicing all aspects of Family Medicine. I am board certified in Family Medicine, and have been in practice for over 40 years. I recently joined the primary care clinic in Angleton and enjoy it very much. It reminds of the small town I grew up in, in Oklahoma. I especially enjoy the drive over along the Bluewater highway.

My wife and I moved to Galveston in 2003. We love living on the beach and visiting our grandchildren.

Dr. Katherine Billingsley joined family medicine with special interest in full spectrum care as well as global health and tropical travel medicine. Dr. Billingsley studied global health in medical school and completed a Master's in Public Health followed by a Certificate in Tropical Medicine and Hygiene by the ASTMH. She has traveled to several countries for research and medical mission trips.

She enjoys her primary care practice, focusing on the whole patient as well as the prevention of disease, getting to know the whole family with members of all ages, and working with mothers and their children. She has a personal interest in caring for foster and adoptive families and their children, as she and her husband have fostered children as well.

Dr. Billingsley continues to travel to Kenya with UTMB to work at a rural mission hospital there, teaching students and residents about primary care and global health. She and her husband, Travis, loves to travel, hike, play Frisbee, swim, and connect with friends over a good board game.

Dr. Uzoma Obi-Nwankwo is a Board-certified Family Physician with specialized training in Geriatric Medicine. She received her medical degree from Ebonyi State University, Nigeria. She completed her Family medicine Residency training at DeTar Healthcare system-Texas A&M university program and her Geriatric Medicine Fellowship training at the University of Texas Medical Branch.

Dr. Obi as she is fondly known by her patients and staff is passionate about tailoring individualized quality and compassionate care to her patients and their family’s unique needs through timely value-based care and shared decision making. She loves that she can provide medical care for all age groups and relate and serve them in a one stop, shop all manner. She funnily describes her role as PCP as that of the postal services such that she helps her patients address and bring together all information in their various aspects of health care to clarity and perspective with the goal of a healthier and functional status.

When she is not doctoring, she loves to spend time creating good memories with family and friends. She enjoys volunteering both locally and internationally, traveling, watching wrestling or action and adventure movies, learning American football and crafts and trying out new cultures and food.

Dr. Shakira Dhamotharan was born and raised in the state of New York. She completed all of her academic and medical training at St. Georges University in Grenada, West Indies. There she received a Master's degree in Public Health as well as her MD degree. She finished her residency in Family Medicine at St. Joseph's Hospital in Patterson, NJ. Dr. Dhamotharan held the positions of Assistant Program Director of Family Medicine Residency Program, and Instructor of Family and Community Medicine at New York Medical College where she practiced primary care as well as had an academic role. Additionally, in this position she assisted with research projects, trained residents as well as lectured fundamental family medicine practices to both medical students and residents.

Dr. Dhamotharan is actively involved in volunteering and serves on the Board of Directors for Team Triumphant, a children's charity organization that aspires to educate inner city youth with the necessary skills to graduate high school. Triumphant also assists them in attaining the resources needed to discover colleges and apply to them. She has traveled to Trinidad to volunteer her services with the Ministry of Health to assist with public health matters. She serves as international correspondent for the Sundar Charitable Trust whose primary goal is to bring math and reading supplies to poor villages in Tamil Nadu, India. Every two years, Dr. Dhamotharan and her husband visit this Trust and the local children to determine what steps need to be made to increase literacy rates.

Dr. Dhamotharan currently lives in Sugarland, TX with her husband and two sons. She and her husband are active members in Meenakashi Temple. She is board certified by the American Board of Family Physicians and she's been a member of the American Academy of Family Physicians since 2010.

Dr. Shakira Dhamotharan was born and raised in the state of New York. She completed all of her academic and medical training at St. Georges University in Grenada, West Indies. There she received a Master's degree in Public Health as well as her MD degree. She finished her residency in Family Medicine at St. Joseph's Hospital in Patterson, NJ. Dr. Dhamotharan held the positions of Assistant Program Director of Family Medicine Residency Program, and Instructor of Family and Community Medicine at New York Medical College where she practiced primary care as well as had an academic role. Additionally, in this position she assisted with research projects, trained residents as well as lectured fundamental family medicine practices to both medical students and residents.

Dr. Dhamotharan is actively involved in volunteering and serves on the Board of Directors for TeamTriumphant, a children's charity organization that aspires to educate inner city youth with the necessary skills to graduate high school. Triumphant also assists them in attaining the resources needed to discover colleges and apply to them. She has traveled to Trinidad to volunteer her services with the Ministry of Health to assist with public health matters. She serves as international correspondent for the Sundar Charitable Trust whose primary goal is to bring math and reading supplies to poor villages in Tamil Nadu, India. Every two years, Dr. Dhamotharan and her husband visit this Trust and the local children to determine what steps need to be made to increase literacy rates.

Dr. Dhamotharan currently lives in Sugarland, TX with her husband and two sons. She and her husband are active members in Meenakashi Temple. She is board certified by the American Board of Family Physicians and she's been a member of the American Academy of Family Physicians since 2010.

One of the most enjoyable aspects of Family Medicine for Dr. Banga are the bonds that she builds with her patients over the course of their lives and the enjoyment in keeping them healthy and well.

Her clinical areas of special interest are Lifestyle and Preventive Medicine as well as Nutrition.

In her free time, she enjoy music, traveling and gardening.

 Provider is LGBTQIA+ Responsive

Dr. Ibidapo-Obe joined UTMB Health's Department of Family Medicine in 2019. She is currently an Assistant Professor.

Dr. Ibidapo-Obe earned a Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) from the University of Lagos College of Medicine in Lagos, Nigeria. She then completed post-graduate training and a residency in family medicine at Howard University Hospital where she also served as Chief Resident. She further completed an obstetrics fellowship and family medicine residency with the Altru Hospital System in Grand Forks, North Dakota.

Dr. Ibidapo-Obe is certified by the American Board of Family Medicine.

Ms. John joined the Department of Family Medicine in 2017.

Ms. John earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Leelabai Thackersey College of Nursing at SNDT Women's University in Churchgate, Mumbai, India. She also earned earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing, as well as a Master of Science in Nursing, from the Prairie View A&M College of Nursing in Houston, Texas.

She is certified as a Family Nurse Practitioner by the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners (AANP) and is licensed by the Texas Board of Nursing.

Maria Escamilla is a certified nurse practitioner. She graduated with her Masters of Science in Nursing from UTMB and her clinical interests include occupational medicine and family practice medicine.

Melanie Gray was born in Houston, TX and raised in the once small town of Pearland, TX. She initially received her Bachelor's Degree in Nursing from UTMB in 2004, graduating with honors. After working in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit at Texas Children's Hospital and in the Day Surgery Unit at University General Hospital, she pursued her master's degree at UTMB. With two young girls, one on the way, and the help of her husband, she received her Master's of Science in Nursing and became a Family Nurse Practitioner in 2015.

With a passion for primary care, she accepted a position at Texas Gulf Coast Medical Group in 2016. At TGCMG, she grew as a nurse practitioner and served as a preceptor. Recently, she joined the Primary and Specialty Care Clinic at UTMB.

Outside of work, she enjoys spending time with her family and friends. She can usually be found hustling kids to different activities or enjoying time outdoors.

Dr. Raley joined UTMB's Department of Family Medicine as a faculty member in 1999.  She attended medical school at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston.  Dr. Raley completed her residency in Family Practice at The University of Texas at Houston. Her practice is located at the Family Medicine Clinic in Dickinson and is caring and compassionate provider.
  
Dr. Raley is board certified in Family Medicine by the American Board of Family Medicine.  She is an inaugural member of the Academy of Master Clinicians. She is married with two feline children and is a wildlife enthusiast. Dr. Raley's interests are in women's health, preventive medicine and medical student education.