Dr. Jani Lee grew up mostly in Atlanta, Georgia. After graduating with a Biochemistry degree from New York University, she completed her medical school education at Stony Brook University School of Medicine. Dr. Lee graduated from General Surgery Residency training from Mount Sinai West-Morningside Hospitals, and graduated from Vascular Surgery Fellowship training from The Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City.

Dr. Lee has been well trained in all open and endovascular aspects of Vascular Surgery including complex aortic repair, peripheral artery disease, carotid disease, mesenteric disease, dialysis access, and venous disease. She is fluent in Korean and familiar with Spanish.

Orepheus M. Hamilton is a Nurse Practitioner in the Department of Surgery at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, TX. She is board certified by the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners (AANP) and is licensed by the Texas Board of Nursing. As a member of the UTMB Department of Surgery, Ms. Hamilton works in the areas of colorectal and general surgery.

Ms. Hamilton completed her Bachelor of Science in Nursing in 2012 at the Chamberlain College of Nursing in Downers Grove, IL. She went on to complete the Adult/Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner (AGPCNP) program in 2015 at the Maryville University in St. Louis, MO. As an AGPCNP student, she performed clinical rotations at Memorial Hermann-Southeast in Houston, TX.

Ms. Hamilton has over 17 years of nursing experience and is also a member of the American Nurses Association, District TX09.

Dr. Alexander Perez is a Professor of Surgery, Vice Chair of Quality for the Department of Surgery, Chief of the Division of Minimally Invasive and Foregut Surgery, the Surgical Director of the Sealy and Smith Laboratory for Surgical Training Assessment and Research at the University of Texas Medical Branch, and Adjunct Professor at the MD Anderson Cancer Center.

Dr. Perez was born in Bayonne, New Jersey. He completed his Research Fellowship and Internship in General Surgery at the Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School. He then did his Residency in General Surgery at Baystate Medical Center, Tufts University School of Medicine and his Fellowship in Endosurgery at Duke University Medical Center in Durham, North Carolina. Dr. Perez received his Medical Degree at the Bosque University Colombian Medical School in Bogota, Colombia.

Dr. Alexander Perez is board-certified in Surgery, fellowship-trained in Endosurgery and specializes in minimally invasive general and oncologic surgery - hernias, gallbladder, stomach, spleen, adrenal, and pancreas. He has authored over 30 publications in peer-reviewed journals and 10 book chapters in surgical textbooks. Dr. Perez has been honored with several awards for teaching and clinical work and is active in scientific organizations.

Dr. Channa Blakely was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York. She earned her undergraduate degree from Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey. Dr. Blakely then attended the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine, where she made history as the first student to match into an integrated vascular surgery residency. Additionally, she is recognized as the first African American and Doctor of Osteopathy (DO) to secure a position in her residency program. Dr. Blakely completed her training in integrated vascular surgery at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, Texas, where she currently serves as an Assistant Professor.

Dr. Tran grew up in Wichita, Kansas. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Bachelor of Science in Biology at the University of Tulsa. Dr. Tran moved to Texas after her undergraduate studies, where she served two years in AmeriCorps VISTA, a national full-time volunteer service program working in communities of need. She continued her studies at Texas A&M, obtaining her medical degree. She did her general surgery residency at Texas Tech in Lubbock.

Prior to joining UTMB, Dr. Tran was a general surgeon in a rural community in North Texas.

Dr. Whittington grew up in Austin, Texas, attended Baylor University earning a BS in Neuroscience before obtaining his medical degree at Texas A&M College of Medicine. He completed his general surgery residency at the University of Tennessee Medical Center in Knoxville, Tennessee followed by a vascular surgery fellowship at the University of Wisconsin in Madison, Wisconsin.

He has returned to Texas with a focus on treating the broad field of vascular disease with special interest in both open and endovascular surgical repair of complex aortic pathology, renal and mesenteric ischemia, carotid disease, dialysis access, and peripheral arterial disease.

Dr. Zaidi's practice specializes in treating vascular disease with comprehensive treatment options including medical management, minimally invasive endovascular procedures including balloon angioplasty, atherectomy, stent procedures, and open surgical repair including bypass. His interests also include carotid disease, peripheral arterial disease, aortic aneurysms, and complex venous disease. Dr. Zaidi also provides comprehensive dialysis access care including fistula creation and maintenance.

Dr. Tyler's clinical practice focuses on GI cancers, melanoma, and sarcoma. He has pioneered neoadjuvant approaches using chemotherapy and/or radiation to tumors of the stomach and pancreas as well as the application of minimally invasive surgery to tumors of the GI tract. He is an expert in the management of regionally advanced and in-transit melanoma and oversees novel clinical trials to manage this form of disease. Dr. Tyler also has extensive experience managing retroperitoneal and abdominal wall sarcomas.

Dr. Lauren McTaggart, MD is a board-certified general surgeon. She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Administration from the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida. She returned to pursue a career in medicine obtaining her medical degree from the American University of the Caribbean. She completed her internship and residency in General Surgery at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, Texas. She accomplished a fellowship in Minimally Invasive Surgery, Advanced GI and Bariatric Surgery at the University of South Florida in Tampa, Florida.

Dr. McTaggart’s surgical interests include: Minimally Invasive Surgery of the Foregut, Bariatric, and General Surgery. She has experience in bariatric and revisional bariatric surgery, foregut surgery, including esophageal motility disorders, gastroesophageal reflux disease, hiatal and paraesophageal hernias, and gastroparesis. She also has an interest in endoscopy, benign gallbladder disease and abdominal and inguinal hernias. She utilizes minimally invasive surgical techniques through a robotic and laparoscopic approach.

Dr. Lauren McTaggart is a member of the American College of Surgeons, Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons, Association of Women Surgeons, and the American Hernia Society.

Lastly, Dr. McTaggart is passionate about patient care and her community. She is dedicated to helping her patient’s understand disease processes and achieve a better quality of life.

Dr. Michael Silva was born in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, earned his BA from The University of Texas, Austin, Texas and his MD from the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston where he completed his Residency in General Surgery. He also completed fellowships at Columbus Hospital, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois and UMDNJ-New Jersey Medical School, Newark, New Jersey.

Dr. Silva is currently The Fred J. and Dorothy E. Wolma Professor in Vascular Surgery, Professor of Radiology, Chief in the Division of Vascular Surgery and Endovascular Therapy, and Director of the Texas Vascular Center. He is an active member of various committees, which include The International Society for Vascular Surgery, The International Society for Cardiovascular Surgery/Society for Vascular Surgery, American Board of Vascular Surgery and the Society of Vascular Surgery. He is the principal investigator on numerous funded grants. Dr. Silva's interests include the innovations in vascular and endovascular training, carotid angioplasty and stenting, endovascular intervention for aneurysmal disease, occlusive disease, traumatic injury and pediatric indications.

Dr. Silva received awards and honors which include UTMB Ashbel Smith Distinguished Alumnus Award in 2014, Houston's Best Doctors in 2013, and Best Doctors in America from 2008-2013. He is an editorial board member for Vascular, Vascular and Endovascular Surgery, and Perspectives in Vascular Surgery and Endovascular Therapy. His research has been published in various journals such as Journal of Vascular Surgery, Vascular and Endovascular Surgery and has authored chapters in Vascular and Endovascular Surgery and Sabiston's Textbook of Surgery.