Born in California, Dr. Abrahim got to Texas as fast as she could and considers herself a native Texan and true Aggie, as she attended Texas A&M University for both her undergraduate degree and medical school. She completed her Family Medicine residency at UTMB Health and is excited to be on the mainland giving back to the community in which she was raised. She aims to help her patients reach their health goals by providing comprehensive, up-to-date, evidence-based care. In her free time she enjoys exercising, watching movies, learning to cook new meals and traveling with my husband and family.

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.

Melanie Gray was born in Houston, TX and raised in the once small town of Pearland, TX. She initially received her Bachelor's Degree in Nursing from UTMB in 2004, graduating with honors. After working in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit at Texas Children's Hospital and in the Day Surgery Unit at University General Hospital, she pursued her master's degree at UTMB. With two young girls, one on the way, and the help of her husband, she received her Master's of Science in Nursing and became a Family Nurse Practitioner in 2015.

With a passion for primary care, she accepted a position at Texas Gulf Coast Medical Group in 2016. At TGCMG, she grew as a nurse practitioner and served as a preceptor. Recently, she joined the Primary and Specialty Care Clinic at UTMB.

Outside of work, she enjoys spending time with her family and friends. She can usually be found hustling kids to different activities or enjoying time outdoors.

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.

Laura Ellender, MSN, RN, CEN, FNP-C is a graduate of University of Texas Medical Branch - Galveston, where she obtained her Master of Science in Nursing. Laura specializes as an experienced board certified family nurse practitioner as well as a certified emergency nurse. Her clinical interests include all aspects of family medicine.

 Provider is LGBTQIA+ Responsive

Stephen Granger, DO is originally from Lafayette, Louisiana. He received his bachelor’s degree at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette in biology with a minor in chemistry. Following this, he attended medical school at William Carey University College of Osteopathic Medicine in Hattiesburg, MS. He completed residency at Oklahoma State University Medical Center in Tulsa, OK, and was appointed as Chief Resident for the 2020-2021 residency year.

Dr. Granger strives to provide patient-centered healthcare tailored to his patients’ needs. He pursued family medicine because he wanted to care for patients from all walks of life, ranging from birth to late adulthood. He believes that disease prevention is the most important aspect of medicine.

Dr. Granger’s hobbies include exercising, cooking, spending time with family, playing with his dog, and traveling. He is excited to join UTMB and would be happy to see you for all your healthcare needs.

Sonia Sood is a board certified family physician and has been in practice for twenty-five years and has been practicing in the League City area for fifteen years.

She provides comprehensive care for adults of all ages. Her interests include prevention and management of diabetes, hypertension, and other chronic diseases. She believes in personalized counseling and forming a plan for maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

She lives in League City and enjoys spending time with her family. She also enjoys traveling and is an avid marathon runner.

Dr. Ibidapo-Obe joined UTMB Health's Department of Family Medicine in 2019. She is currently an Assistant Professor.

Dr. Ibidapo-Obe earned a Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) from the University of Lagos College of Medicine in Lagos, Nigeria. She then completed post-graduate training and a residency in family medicine at Howard University Hospital where she also served as Chief Resident. She further completed an obstetrics fellowship and family medicine residency with the Altru Hospital System in Grand Forks, North Dakota.

Dr. Ibidapo-Obe is certified by the American Board of Family Medicine.

Dr. Varghese is a physician at the Victory Lakes Town Center Clinic in League City. Dr. Varghese completed his medical residency at the University of Texas Health Science Center in Tyler, Texas, where he served as Chief Resident. While clinically trained in a broad scope of medicine, his expertise includes adult and children's health, minor procedures, and preventative care.

As a physician, my patient care practices are centered around three core beliefs. First, I believe that patient autonomy should be respected. Both patient's beliefs and evidence-based medicine should be incorporated into workup and treatment plans as every patient is different. Secondly, I believe that teamwork is essential to provide the best possible care. I aim to use the knowledge and expertise of other health professionals to do so. Lastly, I believe in the importance of preventative care, which we achieve through education, screening, and counseling.

Ultimately, Dr. Varghese's goal is to address the physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual aspects of health. Dr. Varghese wants to partner with his patients to empower them to restore their wellness.

Dr. Stacy Leung is an outstanding physician holding dual board certifications in Family Medicine and Sports Medicine. She successfully completed her residency in Family Medicine at UTMB and pursued a specialized Sports Medicine fellowship at UTHealth in Houston, as well as an MBA with an emphasis in healthcare. Dr. Leung's clinical expertise spans primary care, musculoskeletal health, sports medicine, and international healthcare.

A native of the Clear Lake area, Dr. Leung feels privileged to contribute to the well-being of the community where she was raised. She approaches her patients with a compassionate and respectful bedside manner, investing time to understand her patients' concerns, and ensuring active patient involvement in the treatment plan. Beyond her medical practice, she actively engages in her local church, assuming various leadership roles and serving as the medical missions coordinator. Her commitment to global health is evident through her participation in mission trips to Mexico, Guatemala, Peru, Brazil, Uganda, and Kenya.