Dr. Maria P. Nguyen joined the UTMB Pediatric Community Based Clinics in 2001. She completed her residency in pediatrics at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston after earning her doctor of medicine from Saint Louis University Health Sciences Center School of Medicine in St. Louis, Missouri. She earned two bachelor's degrees from the University of California at Irvine, one in biology and one in psychology.

Dr. Nguyen is board certified by the American Board of Pediatrics. Dr. Nguyen's passion is to provide high quality and compassionate medical care.

She has special interests in asthma management and adolescent medicine.

Her dedication to educating medical students earned her the following honors: UTMB Community Preceptor Award in 2012 and Teacher of Distinction (TOP DOC) Award in 2019 and 2012.

Dr. Nguyen is fluent in both English and Vietnamese.

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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. 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. 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. Tyler serves as chairman of the UTMB Health Department of Surgery and is the holder of the John Woods Harris Distinguished Chairman, Department of Surgery.

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. James Yao Doe was born and raised in Ghana. He attended University of Science and Technology in Ghana where he completed his medical training. Upon completion, he worked as a general medical practitioner at Koforidua Regional Hospital and then Battor Catholic Hospital (both in Ghana), before relocating to the United States.

He was a resident in the Department of Family Medicine at University of Oklahoma in Tulsa. After completing residency, Dr. Doe initially worked as a locum doctor both in Oklahoma and in Houston, Texas seeing patients in primary care clinics, urgent care clinics and emergency rooms. He was then employed by the Coastal Health and Wellness Clinic (former 4c's Clinic) and then by University of Texas Medical Branch Correctional Managed Care. Dr. Doe recently joined the UTMB Community Based Clinics in March of 2016.

He is actively involved in Texas Association of Family Physicians Galveston Branch. Dr. Doe and his family are active members of the Ghanaian community in Greater Houston.

Dr. Syed K. Kazmi joined UTMB Pediatric Community Based Clinics in 1994. He is board certified by the American Board of Pediatrics. He received his doctorate from Universidad Technologica de Santiago Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic and his masters of public health from Tulane School of Public Health in New Orleans, Louisiana.

Dr. Kazmi has a special interest in community health education and the uses of homeopathic medicines, earning a diploma in Homeopathy from Galein College, United Kingdom.

In addition to serving as the Medical Director of UTMB Health Pediatrics in Alvin, Dr. Kazmi is the Medical Director of a Houston based charity clinic. He is an active member of the community, working with the Alvin Independent School District as a consultant and as the Alvin City Health Officer.

Dr. Kazmi sees general pediatric patients and is multi-lingual in English, Spanish, Urdu, Hindi, and Punjabi.

Amber Khan grew up and lived in three different countries and moved a lot in pursuit of improving quality of life and chasing her aspirations. From getting her bachelor's in North Carolina, going to PA school in Virginia, she fell in love with Texas and moved here.

She continuously enjoys family practice and has been practicing since 2012. She likes getting to know her patients and their loved ones, and building long lasting relationships. She has a lot of exposure to preventative care and emphasizes that to her patients the most.

After being a Labor and Delivery / Nursery / Postpartum nurse for over 9 years, I decided to further my education and pursue a career in pediatrics. I have been practicing pediatrics in the Brazosport area for the last 3 years. I am passionate about providing quality, compassionate care to children as well as their families. I am married with two children and live in the Brazosport area, where I was born and raised. I enjoy spending time with my family, traveling, anything outdoors, and watching my son and daughter grow and excel in the extracurricular activities they are involved in.