Tatiana was born in France and raised in Lebanon where she attended undergraduate and medical school at the American University of Beirut. She enjoys traveling and watching movies and is very excited to join the UF community and enjoy the Florida sun!

Ahmad was born and raised in Syria where he attended medical school and completed his residency at Damascus University. After residency he worked in Saudi Arabia in pediatric ICU. He then moved to the US to complete his pediatric nephrology fellowship at the University of Buffalo, NY. In his spare time, he enjoys spending time with his family and playing soccer.

Nicole is so excited to be rejoining the Gator Nation for her pediatric residency. She lived abroad most of her life in Belgium and Switzerland and loves to travel and experience new foods and cultures. She enjoys swimming, running, cooking, baking, and watching movies.

Pooja grew up in South Carolina and completed her BSE and MD at the University of South Carolina. In addition to her interests in medical education and community service and advocacy, she enjoys reading, crochet, and playing badminton.

Maria is originally from Colombia and have lived in Tampa, Florida for the last 17 years. She attended the University of South Florida for undergraduate and medical school.She took a few years off after undergrad and worked as a microbiologist in a clinical lab, creating an interest in ID. She is very excited to start her pediatrics residency as a Florida Gator!!! In her free time, she enjoys spending time with family and friends, and playing with her pets.

Tim grew up in South Florida and joined the Gator Nation 10 years ago for his undergraduate education. He left Gainesville to attend medical school at Florida Atlantic University, but is excited to be back! The warmth and dedication of the UF Pediatrics family specifically drew him to Shands Children’s Hospital. He has a strong interest in endocrinology and looks forward to continuing to work with Florida Diabetes Camp during his residency. He and his wife met at UF and enjoy all of the natural beauty, good food, and football that the Swamp has to offer.

Ellen is originally from Pennsylvania, but has spent the past 10 years living in New York City and West Virginia She is excited to finally make it down south to UF. She can’t wait to discover all that Gainesville and the Gators have to offer – from outdoor recreation to the foodie scene – all while getting to know a new UF family. She loves all things Lilly Pulitzer, puppies, and babies! Ellen would like to be a neonatologist and is also interested in adolescent medicine, as well as development.

Brian was born in Connecticut and grew up in the suburbs of Tampa, FL. He studied chemistry at the University of South Florida, and then moved north to attend medical school at the University of Pittsburgh. Within medicine, a strong interest is how to discuss complex medical issues with patients and families in a deconstructed and “de-medicalized” fashion. Outside of medicine, his family is a vital interest: he has three older sisters, and among them currently 6 nieces and nephews. He adores them and loves spending time with all of them. He enjoys watching sports, attempting trivia, and finding new outdoor trails to explore.

Courtney grew up in South Florida and enjoys doing arts and crafts, hanging with her dog, playing soccer, and making puns.

Sara was born and raised in Los Angeles, moved to Massachusetts for undergrad at Wellesley College, and made her way down south to Miami for medical school at Florida International University. Although a lifelong USC Trojans fan, she is opening herself up to the Gator nation. Within medicine, she is interested in research. She hashad research experience in adult cancersand hopes to find a project in pediatric cancers. Outside of the hospital, Sara enjoys spending her time with her husband, Albert, and her shiba inu puppy, Arya, named after a Game of Thrones character.

Kevin was born in Tennessee and grew up in Indiana, where he attended Indiana University for undergraduate and medical school. In his free time he enjoys running, cycling, reading (non-fiction, especially American history and politics), and playing Xbox. He’s excited to become a Gator fan!

Marie grew up in Lebanon earned her Medical Degree at the American University of Beirut. It was not until May 2016 that she moved to the United States and landed in San Francisco to work in research at UCSF. She is looking forward to spending the next three years at UF.

Majek was born and raised in Nigeria and attended the University of Ilorin, Nigeria for his medical education. He just completed the MPH program at the University of Memphis with concentration in epidemiology and biostatistics. During leisure time, he loves to spend time with his family, sing, jog and watch sports, especially tennis ( a huge fan of Rafael Nadal).

Shannon was born in Miami, FL and later moved to Clarksville, Tennessee. However, her educational journey has taken her a little bit of everywhere – from Tennessee Sate University where she received her Bachelor’s degree, followed by Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York for her Master’s degree, and finally Saint Louis University for medical school. Within medicine she is passionate about working with undeserved populations and promoting patient education.She is the proud mother of a beautiful six -year-old daughter, Kaylin and newly-engaged to her boyfriend of 7 years, Gregory. She is excited to be returning home to the “sunshine state” to begin the next phase of her career and to officially become a Florida gator!

Sydur Rahman was born in Chittagong, Bangladesh. His family moved to the US when he was 11 months old. Sydur grew up in Brooklyn, New York and spent most of his life there. As a teen, he discovered a love for math and science in high school. In college, he studied biochemistry and math at New York University. He then spent a year teaching physics and organic chemistry as an MCAT Instructor for The Princeton Review. Sydur attained his medical degree from Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, where his research focused primarily on pediatrics – including racial disparities in pediatrics as well as the etiologies of neonatal jaundice. He is very excited to join UF Pediatrics as a member of the Class of 2020. Sydur is passionate about medical education and evidence-based medicine. He plans to pursue subspecialty training after residency.

Maya is a Gainesville native, so she’s proud to finally join her parents and siblings as a Gator! She can’t wait to learn all that UF has to offer about pediatrics, and hopes to use her career to help children with chronic illnesses. In her free time she enjoys hiking, cooking, discovering new books, and backpacking.

Prashanth was born in Erode, South India, and was raised in South Florida. He is a Gator Alum, returning to the Swamp for his residency after having completed his MD in Miami. In his free time Prashanth enjoys comedy/standup, photography, leather working and salsa dancing. He is also an avid Dungeons and Dragons player.

Bedirhan was born and raised in Turkey. Following graduation from Erciyes University School of Medicine in Kayseri, Turkey, he wanted to discover research opportunities in the field of child neurology before starting his clinical practice. To that end, he worked as a postdoctoral fellow at Emory University Department of Pediatrics Division of Neurology. He is very excited to pursue his career in Pediatric Neurology at the University of Florida. He loves spending time with his lovely wife, family and friends. He also enjoys hiking, playing reed flute and watching sports.