Howdy, my name is Farha Syed and I am practically Texas born bred and a proud Aggie! I had an amazing medical school journey that allowed me to travel and provide care in rural mountain and island areas. This eventually led me back home to Houston, where I’m glad to be giving back to my community. I served as co-chief at UTMB Family Medicine Residency Program and helped develop and deploy the COVID response team, providing support and leadership during a challenging time in our world. I have grown a special interest in guiding people through the challenges of COVID recovery, while maintaining a focus on the rest of their general health. I love helping my patients reach their healthcare and preventative medicine goals such as losing weight, dietary changes and lifestyle modifications. When I’m not participating in patient care and my passion for medicine, you can find me biking the trails of Bayou and Memorial park, finding new home improvement projects I have to start right away, and helping my husband work on our cars.

Rosana Draper, PhD, MSN, FNP-BC is a graduate of University of Texas Medical Branch - Galveston, where she obtained her MSN as well as her PhD. Rosana specializes as an experienced board certified nurse practitioner. Her clinical interests include family medicine, healthy lifestyles and diabetes care.

I am excited to be back in the Galveston County area! I am originally from Dickinson, Texas, and my family still resides there. I received my Bachelor of Science Degree in Biochemistry with a minor in German Lingual Studies from Southwestern University in Georgetown, Texas, and my Doctorate of Osteopathic Medicine from The Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine in Fort Worth. I completed my rural family medicine training at Waco Family Medicine where I worked at a Federally Qualified Health Center for the medically underserved. I am currently board certified in Family Medicine.

My interests within medicine include taking care of infants through older adults. I also really enjoy preventative medicine and making sure that my patients have a well balanced life physically and spiritually. My interests outside of medicine include singing, cooking, and enjoying time with my family.

 Provider is LGBTQIA+ Responsive

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. 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.

Dr. Nicanord joined The UTMB Health Department of Family Medicine in 2017. Dr. Nicanord earned a Bachelors of Science in Biology from the Oakwood University in Huntsville, Alabama, and a Doctorate of Medicine from Ross University School of Medicine in Dominica. Dr. Nicanord graduated from the UTMB Family Medicine Residency Program and continued his training by earning a fellowship in Geriatrics, also at UTMB.

Emily Smith was born and raised in Beaumont, TX. She received a Bachelor's degree in Biology from the University of Texas at San Antonio in 2010. She then went on to pursue nursing and received her Bachelor's in Nursing from the University of Texas Health Science Center San Antonio in 2012.

She worked as an emergency room nurse at St. Elizabeth Hospital and then for five years worked for Memorial Hermann Texas Medical Center as a trauma nurse. While working full time as a trauma nurse, she went back to school for her Master's degree at UTMB. She graduated with a 4.0 GPA with her Master's in Nursing, specializing in family practice. She has worked urgent care for UTMB since 2017 and began working full time at Webster Adult Primary Care in 2018.

Emily is board certified as a Family Nurse Practitioner by the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners. She enjoys spending her spare time with her husband and daughter.

Katie Cotta is a Family Nurse Practitioner who has been in the medical field for 12 years. She was born and raised in Texas where she obtained her degree in nursing. Katie began her career in 2010 as an RN where she first worked on Tele units for 2 years. Then in 2012 she continued her educated and obtained her bachelors in nursing. From 2012 to 2018, she worked as an RN for UTMB in Galveston. While working, in 2016 she obtained her Master's degree as a Family Nurse Practitioner through UTMB. Since starting her career as an FNP she has had 2 years in GI and 1 year in Family Practice where she was seeing women, children, and adult patients. Katie is passionate about helping others and making a difference.

Leslie Nabors was born in Mississippi and moved to Texas early in her childhood. She stayed in this great state and pursued a Bachelor's of Science in Health at Texas A&M University. After graduating from Texas A&M, she worked for a year in the Texas Medical Center where she prepared for enrollment into the physician assistant program at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, Texas. She finished her training and graduated with a Masters of Physician Assistant Studies in August 2015. She is currently treating patients at the UTMB Health Family Medicine clinic in Angleton, Texas.

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.