Subspecialty: General Pediatrics

Erin adores her dog Minnow and her husband Paul. She lives in a little green house with a big garden and a chicken coop. She has an encyclopedic knowledge of the series Gilmore Girls, loves painting with bright colors, and is fascinated by ancient oak trees.

Subspecialty: Child Neurology

Kirsten is originally from Hickory, North Carolina where she attended UNC Chapel Hill for undergrad and attended Liberty University of Osteopathic Medicine for medical school. Since her undergraduate years, she has been involved in educational community outreach teaching children about the brain and hopes to continue this outreach at UF. When Kirsten is not pursuing her dream of becoming a pediatric neurologist, she loves to watch comedy/stand-up, cheering for the UNC Tarheels basketball team, and playing the ukulele.

Subspecialty: GI

Samantha grew up in the Tampa Bay area and became the first in her family to attend college. She earned her undergraduate degrees from the University of South Florida and didn’t stray too far from home to attend medical school at the University of Florida. She is excited to be a double gator as she moves forward with her residency training here at UF. She enjoys playing flag football, cave exploring, hiking, visiting beaches, and spending time with family and friends.

Subspecialty: Undecided

Taylor is from Nahunta, GA, which is a small, rural town just north of the Florida state line. She attended Mercer University in Macon, GA for undergrad and Mercer University in Savannah, GA for medical school. Taylor is very passionate about primary care but is excited about exploring different specialties and possibly pursuing a fellowship! Taylor loves spending time with her and her husband’s family, going to the beach, and cooking!

Subspecialty: Endocrinology

Melissa was born and raised an Indiana Hoosier. She graduated from Indiana University School of Medicine. She is an avid sports fan and is excited to make the leap to the Sunshine State and to cheer for some Gator football!

Subspecialty: Child/Adolescent Psychiatry or PICU/NICU

Matt is from Somerset, Kentucky, and completed his undergraduate training at Liberty University before attending medical school at the University of Kentucky (Go CATS!). He is a huge fan of ultimate frisbee, and also enjoys running, hiking, playing drums, pretending to play instruments that aren’t drums, watching sports and Pixar movies, and eating. He and his wife, Dawn, do not have any pets, but they do have a four-year-old named Ben.

Subspecialty: Cardiology

Mahmoud was born and raised in Jordan and went to medical school in Pakistan. I moved with my wife Ghadeer to Gainesville to join her while she pursued her pediatrics residency. Outside of medicine I like soccer,hosting people,barbecuing and reading. I am very excited to join UF pediatric residency program and officially become a member of the gator nation.

Subspecialty: Cardiology / Endocrinology

Dana grew up in Miami, FL and has a Syrian-Turkish background. She attended the University of Miami for undergraduate school and is very excited to become a UF Shands pediatrician and gator. Her favorite pastimes include spending time with her fiance and family, trying new recipes, traveling, and making new friends!

Subspecialty: General Pediatrics

Ann Marie was born and raised in Dallas, TX. She studied Physics at Gonzaga University and went on to Medical School at Texas A&M. She is excited to fulfill her lifelong dream of being a Pediatrician and helping children grow.

Subspecialty: Hosptialist / Emergency Medicine

Harman grew up in Clinton, MS and attended Ole Miss (Go Rebs!) for undergrad and medical school but is now ready to be a Gator! During her free time, she likes to cook and spend time with her puppy, Rogue, outdoors. She is excited to be a pediatrics resident at Shands and ready to explore all that Gainesville has to offer!

Subspecialty: Undecided

Monika is a Polish native, now a Polish and U.S. citizen, who came to the U.S. to continue her education at Virginia Commonwealth University, where she received Master of Science degrees in Physics and in Physiology and Biophysics. While teaching at the Physics Department, she began the process of becoming a physician, and after getting married and moving to Florida she attended medical school at Florida State University College of Medicine. She loves spending time with her husband and two young children and is thrilled to be at University of Florida for residency!

Subspecialty: Undecided

Ketialie grew up in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. She attended Florida International University for her undergraduate education then Meharry Medical College for a Masters in Health Sciences and medical school. In her spare time, she enjoys watching movies and spending time with family and friends.

Subspecialty: NICU

Will Lester is from Huntington, West Virginia. He did his undergraduate studies in chemistry at the University of Kentucky and received his MD from the Marshall University Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine. Outside of medicine, he enjoys watching soccer and playing guitar and piano.

Subspecialty: Hospitalist / NICU

Shazia is a native Floridian, born and raised in the Tampa Bay area, and attended undergrad at USF followed by medical school at UCF. Her medical interests include preventive medicine, health education, and advocacy. In her free time, she enjoys cooking and baking, as well as spending time with family and friends. She is very excited to continue making her way across Florida to join the UF family and serve the pediatric population of her home state, while also exploring all that Gainesville has to offer!

Subspecialty: Research / Undecided

Deji is originally from Lagos, Nigeria. He completed his medical education at the Lagos State University College of Medicine. He is excited to be a triple gator! He enjoys watching basketball, traveling and making friends.

Subspecialty: Research / Undecided

Giulia was born and raised in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and attended medical school at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro. Her academic interests include research and pediatrics infectious disease. She is really excited about her new life in Gainesville with her husband Fernando and their two rescued pups. She loves having her house full of friends and family and spends her free time taking her dogs out.

Subspecialty: Cardiology / Critical Care

Aaron is from rural eastern New Mexico, and is coming to Florida after having lived his entire life in the deserts of the southwest. In his free time, Aaron enjoys hiking/climbing really tall mountains, training for and running marathons, and watching college sports (Wreck ’em Texas Tech!). He is excited to be at Shands for residency as he continues toward his academic and professional goals!

Subspecialty: Hospitalist

Jo Thota grew up in Galveston, TX but has lived in Nashville, TN for more than a decade. She completed her Bachelor of Science at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville before returning to Nashville to complete medical school at Meharry Medical College. Jo took an additional year in between her 3rd and 4th year of medical school to pursue research sponsored by the CDC and through the New Vaccine Surveillance Network at Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt. Outside of medicine, Jo’s interests include hiking, baking, yoga, and trying out new restaurants and cafes. Jo is excited to return to a university in the SEC and honored to serve the children and families at UF Health Shands Children’s Hospital.