Faculty and Staff

Shawn Alonso, D.O.

Assistant Professor of Clinical Medicine

Biography: Dr. Shawn Alonso completed his undergraduate studies at the University of South Florida and earned his medical degree from Nova Southeastern University. He went on to complete his residency in Internal Medicine at the University of Miami/Holy Cross Hospital in Fort Lauderdale, where he was honored with the Resident Teacher of the Year Award during his final year. He subsequently...
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Franco Cabeza, M.D.

Associate Professor of Clinical Medicine
Clinical Profile
Biography: Dr. Cabeza Rivera obtained his medical degree in Peru at Cayetano Heredia University to later join the Jackson Memorial Hospital Residency Program as a part of the Harrington Program. His fellowship training in Nephrology was completed at Baylor College of Medicine, followed by Geriatric Medicine and Transplant Nephrology fellowships at the University of Miami. He started...
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Gabriel Nicolas Contreras, M.D., MPH

Professor of Clinical Medicine
Clinical Profile
Biography: Gabriel N. Contreras, M.D., MPH, earned his medical degree in 1984 from the Autonomous University of Guadalajara in Mexico. He trained in Internal medicine, nephrology and hypertension, critical care medicine, and earned a degree of Master in Public Health between 1988 and 2003. In 1996, he joined the Miller School of Medicine at the University of Miami. During his time...
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Adriana Dejman Valdez, M.D.

Assistant Professor of Clinical Medicine
Clinical Profile
Biography: Adriana Dejman, MD is an Assistant Professor of Clinical Medicine in the Katz Family Division of Nephrology and Hypertension at the University of Miami. She earned her medical degree from the Universidad Central de Venezuela – Escuela José María Vargas in 2010, followed by an Internal Medicine residency (2012–2015) and a Nephrology & Hypertension fellowship...
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Yelena Drexler, M.D.

Associate Professor of Clinical Medicine
Clinical Profile
Biography: Dr. Yelena Drexler is an Assistant Professor of Medicine in the Katz Family Division of Nephrology and Hypertension at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. She serves as Associate Program Director of the UM Nephrology Fellowship Training Program and is the Director of the UM ADPKD Clinic, which is recognized by the Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD) Foundation...
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Juan Duque Ballesteros, M.D.

Associate Professor of Clinical Medicine
Clinical Profile
Biography: Doctor Juan Duque is an Associate Professor of Clinical Medicine in the Katz family Division of Nephrology and Hypertension at the University of Miami. Dr. Duque received his medical degree from the University of la Sabana in Colombia in 2009. After medical school he joined the vascular access team at the University of Miami as a research associate, and then completed...
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Tali Elfassy, Ph.D.

Research Assistant Professor
Publications
Biography: Dr. Elfassy’s background is multi-disciplinary. She received her MSPH from George Washington University, after which she worked as a Research Associate for Pfizer and then as a Research Scientist for the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. It was at the New York City Health Department where she gained an interest in population health and broad based...
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Alessia Fornoni, M.D., Ph.D., FASN

Professor
Clinical Profile | Publications
Biography: Dr. Fornoni is a tenured Professor of Medicine and Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. She serves as Director and Chair of the Peggy and Harold Katz Drug Discovery Center. She is also the Co-Director of the MSTP program and of the CTSI/KL2 program and Assistant Dean for Research Training and Development.

Through...
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Warren L. Kupin, M.D.

Professor of Clinical Medicine
Clinical Profile
Biography: Dr. Kupin received a BS in Chemistry from Marquette University in Milwaukee, WI, and attended medical school at the Medical College of Wisconsin graduating in 1980. He did his residency training in Internal Medicine at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, MI followed by a Nephrology Fellowship at the same institution. Dr. Kupin was on Faculty at Henry Ford Hospital as a Transplant...
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Marco Aurelio Ladino Avellaneda, M.D.

Associate Professor of Clinical Medicine
Clinical Profile
Biography: Marco Aurelio Ladino Avellaneda is a distinguished medical professional with a passion for nephrology, transplant nephrology and hypertension care. With a solid academic background, Dr. Ladino Avellaneda completed his Medical Doctor and Surgeon degree at Colegio Mayor de Nuestra Señora Del Rosario in Bogota, Colombia in 2003. He then pursued further specialization...
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Gretchen Lozada, M.D.

Assistant Professor of Clinical Medicine

Biography: Dr. Gretchen Marrero Lozada is an Assistant Professor of Clinical Medicine in the Katz Family Division of Nephrology and Hypertension at the University of Miami. She earned her medical degree and completed her residency in Internal Medicine at the University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine. Dr. Marrero subsequently completed a fellowship in Nephrology at the University...
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Adela D. Mattiazzi, M.D.

Associate Professor of Clinical Medicine
Publications
Biography: Adela D. Mattiazzi MD, FASN is an Associate Professor of Medicine at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. She is a Transplant Nephrologist at the Miami Transplant Institute where she is Director of Therapeutic Plasma Exchange for Solid Organ Transplant, Director of Highly Sensitized Kidney and Pancreas Transplant Program and the Associate Medical Director...
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Vinodh Mechery, M.D.

Assistant Professor of Clinical Medicine
Clinical Profile
Biography: Dr. Mechery is a physician board certified in Internal Medicine and Nephrology. He treats patients with a variety of kidney diseases including acute kidney injury, chronic kidney disease, electrolyte abnormalities, and end stage kidney disease. He received his medical degree from the Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra-Northwell, completing his internal...
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Sandra Merscher, Ph.D.

Research Professor
Publications
Biography: Dr. Merscher obtained her Ph.D. degree in Human Genetics from the University of Saarland, Saarbrucken, Germany. For her postdoctoral fellowship, she joined Dr. Raju Kucherlapati’s Laboratory in the Department of Molecular Genetics at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY and at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA where she worked...
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Zain Mithani, M.D.

Associate Professor of Clinical Medicine
Clinical Profile | Publications
Biography: Dr Zain Mithani is a graduate of the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine class of 2012. After medical school, Dr Mithani continued his training at the University of Colorado Denver for Internal Medicine residency and then a fellowship in Nephrology at New York-Presbyterian / Weill Cornell Medical Center. Dr Mithani has been faculty at the University of Miami...
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Alla Mitrofanova, Ph.D.

Research Assistant Professor
Publications
Biography: During my years as a student and postdoctoral fellow, I have developed a solid background in multiple disciplines, including physiology, cell and molecular biology, biochemistry, genetics, along with very broad technical skills, including unique techniques of surgical manipulations with rodents, glomeruli isolation and podocyte primary cell culture. In the laboratory,...
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Jair Munoz Mendoza, M.D.

Associate Professor of Clinical Medicine
Clinical Profile
Biography: Dr. Munoz Mendoza received his medical degree from the Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos in Lima, Peru. He completed internal medicine residency at Albert Einstein Medical Center in Philadelphia, and fellowship in nephrology at Stanford University in Palo Alto, California. After finishing fellowship, he joined the faculty at the University of Miami, Katz Family...
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Christopher Naranjo, D.O.

Assistant Professor of Clinical Medicine
Clinical Profile
Biography: Dr. Naranjo completed his undergraduate education at Florida International University and obtained his medical degree from Nova Southeastern University College of Osteopathic Medicine in 2019. He went on to complete his residency in Internal Medicine at Broward Health Medical Center in 2022, during which he served as the academic chief resident. He went on to complete...
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Mariella Ortigosa-Goggins, M.D.

Professor of Clinical Medicine

Biography: Dr. Goggins is a Transplant Nephrologist with over 25 years of experience; She is the Medical Director of the Kidney/Pancreas Transplant Program at the Miami Transplant Institute. Dr. Goggins specializes in Kidney and Kidney/Pancreas Transplantation; her area of expertise is advancing pancreas transplant in patients with Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus and Chronic...
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Javier A. Pagan, M.D.

Assistant Professor of Clinical Medicine

Biography: Dr. Javier Pagan was born and raised in Ponce, PR, and attended the Ponce School of Medicine and Health Sciences graduating with honors in 2012. Following medical school, he completed his internal medicine residency and Nephrology fellowship at the University of Miami / Jackson Memorial Hospital. He completed an advanced fellowship in transplant Nephrology at the Miami...
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David Roth, M.D.

William W. Anderson Professor of Nephrology
Clinical Profile
Biography: Dr. Roth attended medical school at the State University of New York Downstate Medical Center. Upon graduation in 1977, he came to Miami for internal medicine training at Jackson Memorial Hospital/University of Miami School of Medicine. His interests in the field of Nephrology were stimulated by the nephrology faculty at the medical center and he remained at UM/JMH for...
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Marie Anne Sosa, M.D.

Associate Professor of Clinical Medicine
Clinical Profile | Publications
Biography: I was born in Caracas Venezuela, where I attended Medical School. After graduation I moved to Boston where I completed my Residency in Internal Medicine and Fellowship. I obtained my Nephrology degree At Tuft and worked at Brigham and Women hospital and at the University of Massachusetts for years. My areas of interest are teaching and Quality Improvement. I am fluent...
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Thilagavathi Venkatachalam, M.D.

Assistant Professor of Clinical Medicine

Biography: Dr. Thilagavathi Venkatachalam is a dedicated and highly skilled nephrologist specializing incomprehensive kidney care, including pre- and post-transplant management, hypertension,and a variety of acute and chronic kidney conditions. She earned her medical degree from TheTamil Nadu Dr. M.G.R. Medical University in Madras, India, and completed her InternalMedicine Residency...
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Yanetsy Olivera, M.D.

Staff Physician/Voluntary Faculty

Fernando Pedraza, M.D.

Staff Physician/Voluntary Faculty