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.

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. Konofaos is Professor of Plastic Surgery at the Division of Plastic Surgery at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston. Dr. Konofaos received his MD degree in the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in Thessaloniki Greece. Dr Konofaos obtained the Greek Plastic Surgery Boards in 2010 and the European Board of Plastic Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery (EBOPRAS) in 2014. He completed a 2-year fellowship training in brachial plexus, facial paralysis and peripheral nerve reconstruction at Eastern Virginia Medical School in Norfolk Virginia. Dr Konofaos also completed fellowship training in Microsurgery (1 year) and in Pediatric Plastic and Craniofacial Surgery (2 years) at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center.

Dr. Konofaos’ clinical practice focuses on peripheral nerve microsurgery (with emphasis on facial paralysis, brachial plexus, migraines and surgical treatment of pain) in pediatric plastic surgery and craniofacial surgery along with reconstructive microsurgery and facial aesthetics. Dr. Konofaos is a member of national and international Plastic Surgery associations and several Plastic Surgery committees related to Plastic Surgery research and education. Dr Konofaos serves on multiple editorial boards for plastic surgical journals, and he is actively involved in clinical research. Dr Konofaos has published over 130 peer-reviewed articles and co-edited several book chapters.

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.

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. H. Colleen Silva is currently a Professor in the Department of Surgery at the University of Texas Medical Branch where she also attended medical school and completed an internship in General Surgery. She completed her residency in General Surgery at Columbus Hospital, an affiliate of Northwestern University in Chicago, Illinois and her fellowship in Surgical Oncology at The University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey. Dr. Silva is Director of Breast Health and Medical Director at the UTMB Health Breast Health and Imaging Center. Dr. Silva's special and research interests include the treatment of breast disease and breast cancer.

Dr. Silva has received awards and honors, which include Houstonia Magazine Top Doctors and an American Cancer Society Physician Award for Outstanding Cancer Care. She is author or co-author of various publications and abstracts in several medical journals specializing in cancers.

Dr. J. Patrick Walker is a Professor in the MIS/Foregut Surgery Division in the Department of Surgery at the University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas. Dr. Walker holds the James C. Thompson, MD, Distinguished Chair in Surgery, is Vice Chair for Surgical Operations and is Surgical Director of Perioperative Services.

He completed his internship and residency at the University of Texas Medical Branch where he became Chief Resident. He earned his Bachelor of Science in Biology and his Bachelor of Arts in Chemistry at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas. Dr. Walker earned his MD at the University of Texas Medical Branch.

Dr. Walker is a member of the Southern Surgical Association, the Texas Surgical Society, the Texas Medical Association, and the American College of Surgeons. He is a past Director of the American Board of Surgery and a current Governor of the American College of Surgeons. He has been honored with the Ashbel Smith Distinguished Alumni Award at the University of Texas Medical Branch and the Arthur Ellenberger Award from the American College of Surgeons.

Dr. Walker's special interests include surgical education, rural/community surgery, endoscopy, acute care surgery, evaluation of abdominal complaints, gall bladder disease, hernias, colorectal surgery and complex surgical problems.

Dr. Anthony D’Andrea is an Assistant Professor in the Section of Colon and Rectal Surgery, Department of Surgery, at the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) in Galveston, Texas. He grew up in Houston, and received a Bachelor in Business Administration at Baylor University in Waco, Texas. He then went on to the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine where he graduated with a dual Doctor of Medicine (MD) and Master of Public Health (MPH). As a medical student he was inducted into the Alpha Omega Alpha National Medical Honor Society. He completed residency training in surgery at the Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City and fellowship training in colon and rectal surgery at the Cleveland Clinic in Weston, Florida.

Dr. D’Andrea’s training in colorectal surgery is longstanding. Prior to medical school, he worked as a clinical research associate at the Lankenau Medical Center in Wynnewood, Pennsylvania, under the guidance of Dr. John Marks. His research focused on minimally invasive laparoscopic colorectal surgery featuring radical sphincter preservation for rectal cancer after neoadjuvant chemoradiation. During medical school at the University of Miami, Dr. D’Andrea’s public health work involved the study of colorectal cancer survivorship and improving patients’ quality of life after treatment. In general surgery residency at the Mount Sinai Hospital, he spent a dedicated year of research under the mentorship of Dr. Patricia Sylla where he focused on minimally invasive laparoscopy, robotic surgery, and transanal endoscopic surgery for rectal cancer, as well as Crohn’s disease, and ulcerative colitis. Dr. D’Andrea’s training culminated at the Cleveland Clinic Florida where he had the opportunity to learn from longtime leaders in the field of colorectal surgery. Dr. D’Andrea is now privileged to return to Texas joining the faculty at UTMB where he can help serve the health and population of his home state with the highest quality of care.

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Dr. Sarah Samreen is the Surgery Clerkship Co-Director and the Director of Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery in the Department of Surgery at the University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas.

Dr. Samreen earned her Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery from the Aga Khan University Medical College in Karachi, Pakistan. She completed her internship in General Surgery at Berkshire Medical Center in Berkshire, Massachusetts and completed her residency in General Surgery at the Geisinger Medical Center in Danville, Pennsylvania where she was an Administrative Chief Resident. She accomplished her fellowship in Advanced GI, Minimally Invasive and Bariatric Surgery at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha, Nebraska.

Dr. Samreen is a member of the Association of Women Surgeons, American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery, Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons, and the American College of Surgeons.

Dr. Samreen's clinical interests include complex esophageal motility disorders including achalasia, GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease), paraesophageal and hiatal hernias, bariatric surgery, gall bladder disease, inguinal hernias, and ventral hernias. She uses a minimally invasive approach through laparoscopy and robotic surgery.