Dr. Hoang Q. Pham grew up in northern California. He graduated from high school in San Antonio before attending Harvard College. He graduated summa cum laude in Biological Sciences. Dr. Pham then completed his medical school education at the University of Pennsylvania. He returned to Texas and Houston in 1999 to continue his training at Baylor College of Medicine. He then stayed on at Baylor as an assistant professor of surgery working at Ben Taub General Hospital doing trauma and general surgery. He has been a trauma and general surgeon in the Clear Lake area since 2007, and now is part of the team at UTMB Health.

Katie Standefer, APRN, ANP-C received a bachelor's degree in biology from Centenary College of Louisiana and then joined the UTMB School of Nursing Family for her bachelor's and master's degree in nursing. She has been affiliated with UTMB since 2015 as a Nurse Practitioner and joined the UTMB Bariatric Program in 2023.

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Dr. Christine Shokrzadeh received her MD from the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio and completed her residency in Vasculary Surgery at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston. Clinically her interests relate to aortic disease, carotid artery disease, peripheral vascular disease, venous disease, hemodialysis access creation and management, endovascular and minimally invasive vascular surgery.

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. Uma R. Phatak is an Assistant Professor and Section Chief of Colon and Rectal Surgery in the Department of Surgery at the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) in Galveston, Texas. She is board certified by the American Board of Surgery and the American Board of Colon and Rectal Surgery.

Dr. Phatak obtained her medical degree at New Jersey Medical School in Newark, New Jersey, in 2009. She went on to begin her general surgery resident training at the University of Texas Health Science Center (UTHSC) in Houston, Texas, in 2009.

After her second year of residency in 2011, Dr. Phatak was accepted to be a clinical research fellow in the Center for Surgical Trials and Evidence-Based Practice at UTHSC. Upon completing her fellowship in 2013, she earned her Master of Science in Clinical Research from UTHSC. She then continued her general surgery resident training at UTHSC, which she completed in 2016. She did a fellowship in Colon and Rectal Surgery at the University of Massachusetts in Worcester, Massachusetts, from 2016-2017.

In 2017, Dr. Phatak became an Assistant Professor in Colon and Rectal Surgery at Boston University Medical Center in Boston, Massachusetts. A year later, she became the Clerkship Site Director for MS3 Colorectal Surgery Rotation where she taught medical students.

Dr. Phatak joined UTMB in 2020. She is a member of several national scientific societies in surgery, has authored over 15 peer-reviewed articles in scientific journals and three book chapters, and is a journal reviewer for three scientific journals.

Jill Resendez, MSN, APRN, AGACNP-BC is a board- certified Nurse Practitioner with the Division of Plastic Surgery at UTMB. She completed her Masters of Science in Nursing from The University of Texas at Arlington. She provides patient care at the UTMB Health Plastic Surgery & Aesthetics Town Center, Plastic Surgery Specialty clinic in League City, MD Anderson League City and University Health Clinics in Galveston. Jill specializes in non-surgical aesthetic procedures such as Botox, Dermal fillers, lasers, nipple areola tattooing for breast cancer survivors, treatment of complex wounds, new plastic surgery consultations and assist in the management of post operative patients.

Dr. Jing Bai Qin is the Assistant Professor of Plastic Surgery at the Division of Plastic Surgery at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston. Dr. Jing is a nationally recognized plastic surgeon known for her expertise in hand surgery, plastic surgery, and cosmetic surgery. Dr. Jing received her undergraduate degree from Bates College, where she graduated with summa cum laude, multiple honors, and an unprecedented accomplishment of triple major in biology, economics, and neuroscience, as well as a minor in chemistry. She then attended Boston University Medical School, where she obtained her M.D. degree with Cum Laude distinction and Alpha Omega Alpha honor from the Boston Medical Center.

Dr. Jing completed her plastic surgery residency at the University of Massachusetts Integrated Plastic Surgery Residency Program, where she received multiple in-service awards and served as the Chief Resident at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center. She then received additional specialized training in Hand and Microsurgery at the prestigious New York University, where she learned exceptional skills from the leading experts in plastic surgery and participated in the world’s first successful face and double hand transplant in history. Additionally, Dr. Jing has authored numerous publications and has been invited to present her research in plastic surgery innovations at numerous regional and national plastic surgery conferences.

Dr. Jing offers a wide range of reconstructive plastic surgery and hand surgery procedures. She treats a variety of hand and wrist problems, including carpal tunnel syndrome, trigger finger, arthritis, fractures, sprain, De Quervain's tenosynovitis, ganglion cyst, mucous cyst, dupuytren's contracture, tendon injury, nerve injury, and deformity, amongst other pathologies. She is experienced in treating patients of all ages – including children, adults, and elderly patients - and she is the Director of Pediatric Plastic Hand Surgery at UTMB. Additionally, she frequently treats common skin problems such as skin tags, benign skin lesions, malignant skin cancer, and complex tissue reconstruction.

Dr. Jing performs a wide range of cosmetic plastic surgical procedures for the face, body, breast, and chest. She uses the latest techniques in facelift, neck lift, eye lift (blepharoplasty), eyebrow lift, ear pinning (otoplasty), rhinoplasty, and facial implants for the chin, jaw, and cheeks. She offers the most state-of-the-art minimal-incision breast augmentation, breast lift, breast reduction, tummy tuck (abdominoplasty), liposuction, mommy makeover, labiaplasty, fat grafting or fat transfer with enhancement, body contouring, facial rejuvenation, and hand rejuvenation treatment using a variety of cutting-edge surgical and non-surgical modalities. For her male patients, she provides a variety of treatment modalities for gynecomastia removal and other enhancement options of the male chest, body, arms, and legs.

Dr. Jing has a strong interest in volunteering and philanthropy and is passionate about giving back to her community. She has been recognized nationally for her volunteer work and she is the recipient of several national Gold President’s Volunteer Service Award – the highest honor for volunteerism in the United States. She also volunteers for medical missions and has traveled abroad to treat children and adults in developing countries around the world.

Dr. Vaghjiani complete his undergraduate education at Brown University with a Sc.B. in neuroscience. He received his M.D. from Brown University and completed general surgery residency at the Albert Einstein COM/Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx, NY. During that time, he also completed a thoracic surgery research fellowship focusing on solid tumor immunology at the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York, NY. He received subspecialty clinical training in complex general surgical oncology at the Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center in Buffalo, NY before joining the faculty at UTMB.

His clinical interests include the treatment of a wide variety of cancers including: gastric, esophageal, small bowel, pancreas, bile duct, adrenal, thyroid/parathyroid, sarcoma, melanoma, and breast. He is also well versed in minimally invasive/robotic techniques.

Dr. Vaghjiani is a member of the American College of Surgeons, the Society of Surgical Oncology, and the Americas Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Association.

Outside of work, he enjoys spending time with his family (including his dogs Mango and Chutney), camping, and cars.

Dr. Laurel L. Humphrey is an Assistant Professor in the Division of MIS/Foregut Surgery in the Department of Surgery at the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB). Prior to practicing at UTMB Dr. Humphrey was in private practice in General Surgery and Endoscopy in Dallas, Crockett, and La Grange, Texas.

Dr. Humphrey earned her Bachelor of Arts in Biology and Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry at the University of Texas in Austin, Texas. Her residency in General Surgery was completed at Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center School of Medicine in New Orleans, Louisiana. She received her Doctorate of Medicine at the University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas.

Dr. Humphrey has been a part of scientific societies such as the Brazoria County Medical Society, Colorado-Fayette County Medical Society, Tarrant County Medical Society and membership in the Texas Medical Association and the American College of Surgeons.

Dr. Humphrey's specialties include endoscopy, breast and colon cancer, thyroid, hernia repair, gall bladder, appendectomy, and emergency surgery.