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Dr. Propst is a fellowship trained physician in Primary Care Sports Medicine. His clinical interests include many sports injuries, aches and pains including concussions, sprains, strains, simple fractures. Additionally, his training allows him to investigate nutritional and lifestyle factors that may predispose athletes to repetitive injuries or decrease their performance regardless of their sport.

Dr. Ogunlana joined UTMB as an Assistant Professor in Podiatry for the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Rehabilitation. After completing podiatry school at New York College of Podiatric Medicine, Dr. Ogunlana continued her training in Foot and Ankle Surgery at Our Lady of Lourdes Memorial Hospital in Binghamton, NY.

Dr. Ogunlana then went on to complete a Reconstructive Foot and Ankle Surgery Fellowship in Charcot reconstruction, plastic surgery (diabetic soft-tissue reconstruction), trauma, and deformity correction at The University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio. Following the completion of her fellowship, Dr. Ogunlana joined The University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio as an Assistant Professor. She later relocated to Houston, where she was born and raised, to be in private practice. Her interest in working in academics led Dr. Ogunlana to join UTMB full-time in August 2017.

While treating patients of all ages and a wide variety of foot and ankle disorders, her clinical and research interests are the diabetic foot, diabetic limb salvage, and reconstructive foot and ankle surgery. Dr. Ogunlana stays current with, and utilizes the latest advancements in, foot and ankle surgery to help relieve your pain and get you back to your active lifestyle.

Away from work, she enjoys spending time with her husband and 2 young daughters. Dr. Ogunlana also enjoys exploring Galveston Island, reading, volunteering in the local community, traveling, and watching the great hometown teams—Astros, Rockets, and Texans.

Dr. Namita Bhardwaj is a native Houstonian. She completed her undergraduate studies at the University of Texas at Austin where she completed her undergraduate coursework in biology and earned her Bachelors of Science and Bachelors of Arts. She went on to attend Ross University to complete her medical education and to earn her MD.

Dr. Bhardwaj completed her family medicine residency at UT Health in Houston, TX. She served as chief resident in her final year of training and was recognized as an outstanding PGY 3 resident and awarded the Scholarly Achievement Award. Dr. Bhardwaj then went on to pursue her fellowship training in Primary Care Sports Medicine at Texas Tech Health Sciences Center in El Paso. There she served as team physician for several of the local teams including the El Paso Rhinos, University of Texas at El Paso Division I Sports teams, as well as area high schools covering a wide array of sports.

In her role at UTMB, Dr. Bhardwaj serves as the medical director for Galveston ISD. You can always find her and her team of residents and students on the sidelines at Ball High School football games. Dr. Bhardwaj's scholarly interests include opioids and sports related injuries. She has also served as Physician of the Day for the Texas Legislature. Dr. Bhardwaj enjoys attending sporting events, spending time with family and friends, reading and traveling in her spare time.

Prof. Panchbhavi is a Board-Certified Orthopaedic Surgeon with a special interest in Foot and Ankle Surgery in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at the University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas. He qualified as a physician in 1986 and obtained a postgraduate degree, Master of Science in Orthopaedics, from the Osmania University, Hyderabad, India, in 1989. He received five years of additional postgraduate training in Orthopaedics and Trauma in the United Kingdom. He completed a one-year subspecialty fellowship in Foot and Ankle Surgery at the University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas, USA.

He earned additional credentials awarded by the certifying bodies of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh and England, namely, FRCSEd (Fellow, Royal College of Surgeons, Edinburgh), FRCS (Fellow, Royal College of Surgeons, England) and by the American College of Surgeons, namely, FACS (Fellow, American College of Surgeons). He is currently Board Certified with the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery (ABOS).

Prof. Panchbhavi is internationally recognized for innovative minimally invasive or key-hole techniques he developed in foot and ankle surgery for procedures such as fixation of pilon fractures in the distal tibia, endoscopic gastrocnemius release, harvesting tendons in the foot for grafting, and peroneal tendoscopy, which are traditionally performed through larger open incisions. His special interests include surgery of the foot and ankle, minimally invasive surgical techniques, diabetic foot and ankle disorders, the Ilizarov method of bone deformity correction and bone transport, total ankle replacement, ankle arthroscopy, endoscopy, heel pain, fractures of the ankle, midfoot, Lisfranc injuries, talus, and calcaneus, and trauma and general orthopaedics.

He has published extensively in peer-reviewed journals such as the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, Foot and Ankle International, Foot and Ankle Surgery, Techniques in Foot & Ankle Surgery, British Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, and Injury. He regularly presents his work and speaks at international orthopedic conferences and association meetings. He has organized symposiums and moderated sessions in national level conferences. He has been an invited speaker at national meetings with international attendance, such as the American Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Society, the AAOS, the IFAS and as Visiting Professor at renowned Universities in USA and abroad.

He is currently the Editor-in-Chief of the journal Techniques in Foot and Ankle Surgery and editorial board member on journals such as the Foot and Ankle International, Internet-based education sites such as Orthopedia.com, Footeducation.com, and reviewer for a number of additional journals, including the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery and Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research. He has a keen interest in education and served as Chairman of the Post Graduate Training Committee at the national level in the American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society. He continues to serve on several committees in this and other organizations such as on the Instructional Course Committee of the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons.

He is a member of the General Medical Council, American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society, American Association of Orthopaedic Surgeons, American Orthopedic Association and Orthopedic Trauma Association, as well as Fellow of the American College of Surgeons.

 Provider is LGBTQIA+ Responsive

Dr. Lindeman joined the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Rehabilitation in 2019 as an Assistant Professor in Shoulder and Elbow Surgery. He received his Bachelor of Science degree in Biomedical Engineering from Texas A&M University in College Station, TX, and was awarded his Doctor of Medicine from The University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX. He completed his residency training in orthopaedic surgery at The University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, TX, followed by a fellowship in Sports Medicine at the Mississippi Sports Medicine and Orthopaedic Center in Jackson, MS.

He is a member of the Texas Orthopaedic Association, the Galveston County Medical Society, the Texas Medical Association, and the Bexar County Medical Association. He is licensed to practice medicine in Texas.

Dr. Jie (Jay) Chen grew up in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. He went to Duke University for undergraduate studies and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill for his medical education. In medical school, Dr. Chen decided to pursue a career in orthopaedic surgery because of the tremendous satisfaction associated with returning patients back to their baseline functionality. He also obtained a Master of Public Health degree to better understand disease at the population level and also to further develop his research abilities. He completed his orthopaedic surgery residency at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, Texas where he fell in love with the culture and people of Texas. While in residency, he won numerous awards including the departmental nominations for intern and overall outstanding resident of the year, a resident teaching award, and several research awards.

Following residency graduation, Dr. Chen returned to Duke University where he completed a fellowship in orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Surgery. He trained under the guidance of Dr. Mark Easley, Dr. James Nunley II, Dr. James DeOrio, Dr. Samuel Adams, Dr. Selene Parekh, Dr. Annunziato Amendola, and Dr. Karl Schweitzer. He has advanced training in total ankle replacement, complex mid and hindfoot reconstruction, bunion correction including minimally invasive techniques, ankle arthroscopy, and ligament and tendon tears. At Duke University, he became well-versed in 3D-printed solutions for complex salvage situations and also performed around 100 total ankle replacement procedures. He also was involved in over a dozen research projects and book chapters. During fellowship training, he found himself desiring to return to Texas and so decided to join the University of Texas medical Branch as an Assistant Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery specializing in Foot and Ankle Surgery.

Dr. Chen's philosophy is to develop a thorough understanding of a patient's goals and individual situation so that together, a shared treatment plan can be developed and executed. Dr. Chen believes in minimizing harm while maximizing the chances of success and thus, surgery is just one of several possible treatments that can be utilized. He is well versed in all conditions of the foot and ankle and also in the repair of broken bones throughout the body. He is a member of numerous professional societies including the American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society, the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, the American Orthopaedic Association Emerging Leaders Program, and the Texas Orthopaedic Association. He has over 50 publications, book chapters, and presentations given at local, regional, and national conferences.

Dr. Britt joined UTMB in 2018 as an Assistant Professor of Adult Reconstruction for the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Rehabilitation. He received a Bachelor of Science degree at Angelo State University in San Angelo, TX, and was awarded his Doctor of Medicine from The University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX. His residency training took place at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, TX and the University of Missouri, Kansas City. Dr. Britt had fellowships in surgical infectious disease and adult reconstruction and arthritis surgery at The University of Texas Medical Branch and the Florida Orthopaedic Institute in Tampa, respectively.

He is a diplomate with the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgeons, and is a fellow of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons and the American Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons. Dr. Britt is licensed to practice medicine in Texas.

Dr. Carmichael was born and raised in Dearborn, Michigan. He completed his undergraduate training at Grand Valley State Colleges (now Grand Valley State University) in Allendale, MI on a wrestling and later an academic scholarship. Upon completion of his BS at Grand Valley he stayed an additional year to obtain a secondary teaching certificate.  He then moved to Raymondville, TX where he taught high school biology, chemistry and physics for 5 years. He also was the science curriculum director for the Raymondville school district and was nominated for Texas Teacher of the Year during his last year of teaching.  While teaching he attended graduate classes at Pan American University (now The University of Texas at Pan American) in Edinburg, TX. He obtained a MS degree in Botany and Marine Biology.

In 1990 Dr. Carmichael left teaching to attend medical school at The University of Texas Medical Branch. Upon graduation from medical school he stayed on at UTMB to complete a residency in Orthopaedic Surgery. He finished residency in 1999 and stayed an additional year of fellowship at UTMB in Pediatric Orthopaedic Surgery. He has remained at UTMB since then and specializes in Pediatric and General Adult Orthopaedics. He is and has been active in several committees including graduate medical education and operative and other invasive procedures committees where he was the chair and subcommittee chair.

Dr. Carmichael is an avid runner and outdoor enthusiast. He is also a board member of the non-profit organization Operation Rainbow which is a non-profit organization that provides free orthopaedic care to the people of developing countries.  He has been on about 25 mission trips where he also takes residents.  He has authored or co-authored 35 peer reviewed publications and 7 reviews/book chapters.

Dr. Somerson joined The University of Texas Medical Branch as Assistant Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery in 2016. He is a board-certified orthopaedic surgeon with special fellowship training in shoulder and elbow surgery. His philosophy is to treat every patient as he would like his family members to be treated, developing individualized treatment plans and listening carefully to the needs of each patient. Dr. Somerson is experienced with minimally-invasive arthroscopic surgery of the shoulder and elbow, rotator cuff problems, treatment of arthritis, joint replacement, repair of torn tendons, treatment of unstable joints, and repair of broken bones. He is currently the only member of the American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons society to serve Galveston and the Bay Area, and is fluent in both Spanish and German.

If non-surgical treatments are unsuccessful, Dr. Somerson uses the latest minimally-invasive techniques for treatment of shoulder problems, including rotator cuff tears and shoulder dislocations. He has extensive training in treating shoulder arthritis and is a high-volume shoulder replacement surgeon. For patients who have had prior shoulder replacement and are having difficulties, he is experienced with revision shoulder replacements.

He underwent residency training at The University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio, a high-volume regional trauma center, where he gained experience in treating a wide range of orthopedic injuries, from high-impact motor vehicle collisions to everyday falls. He has a special interest in broken bones of the shoulder and elbow region and has published research and given lectures at national conferences on this topic. He also repairs a wide range of other broken bones, including hip, knee, ankle, and hand injuries.

During residency, Dr. Somerson had the opportunity to train in the management of difficult elbow problems, including fractures, instability of the joint, ligament and tendon tears, and arthritis, with Dr. Anil Dutta and Dr. Bernard Morrey, two renowned surgeons in the field of complex elbow reconstruction. He underwent an elective rotation at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN to further his knowledge regarding advanced elbow surgical problems, including elbow replacement and elbow arthroscopy.

He then completed a fellowship in shoulder and elbow surgery at the University of Washington Medical Center. Under the guidance of Dr. Frederick Matsen, he gained advanced training in the fields of primary and revision shoulder replacement and in-depth experience in the fields of rotator cuff repair, shoulder and elbow stabilization surgery, elbow replacement, and repair of humerus fractures. Dr. Somerson is trained in the ream-and-run procedure, a radically conservative treatment option for selected patients desiring a high level of activity after shoulder replacement.

Dr. Somerson is actively engaged in research to further our understanding of shoulder and elbow problems. With over 50 peer-reviewed publications and book chapters, he is frequently invited to lecture on topics including reverse shoulder replacement and management of shoulder arthritis in active patients.

My clinical areas of interest include primary care, musculoskeletal, and international medicine. Medicine is my calling and I am blessed to be practicing in the Houston area as I grew up here locally.