Faculty

Samira Abudinen Vasquez, M.D.

Assistant Professor of Clinical Pediatrics

Biography: Dr. Samira Abudinen Vasquez is a board-certified pediatrician specialized in Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine and Pediatric Palliative Care. Originally from Colombia, she earned her medical degree from Universidad del Norte before completing her pediatric residency and chief residency at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai at Elmhurst. She subsequently completed a Neonatal-Perinatal...
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Susana Agudelo Uribe, M.D.

Assistant Professor of Clinical Pediatrics

Biography: Dr. Susana Agudelo Uribe is an Assistant Professor of Clinical Pediatrics at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. She was commission into the U.S. Navy in 2012 through the Health Professional Scholarship Program and she obtained her medical degree at SUNY Upstate Medical University in Syracuse, NY in 2016. She completed her training in Pediatrics in 2021...
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Eduardo H. Bancalari, M.D.

Professor Emeritus
Publications
Biography: Dr. Eduardo Bancalari is an Emeritus Professor of Pediatrics and past Director Division of Neonatology at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine and Newborn Service at Holtz Children’s Hospital. He is also Associate Chair in the Department of Pediatrics.
He is the author or co-author of more than 350 papers and book chapters in the areas of neonatal respiratory...
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Emmalee S. Bandstra, M.D.

Professor Emeritus

Biography: Dr. Emmalee S. Bandstra is an Emerita Professor of Pediatrics in the Division of Neonatology at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine and Attending Neonatologist in the UM-affiliated Jackson Memorial Hospital-Holtz Children’s Hospital and Jackson North Neonatal Intensive Care Units.

Dr. Bandstra earned her medical degree and completed postgraduate residency...
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Merline Benny, M.D.

Associate Professor of Clinical Pediatrics
Publications
Biography: Dr. Merlin Benny is a neonatologist and physician-scientist with a research interest in the pathogenesis of early origins of vascular morbidities and cardiopulmonary diseases in preterm-born survivors. Dr. Benny completed medical school at T.D Government Medical College in India, Pediatrics residency at Kansas University Medical Center and Neonatology fellowship at Brown...
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Connie Morrow, Ph.D.

Research Associate Professor of Pediatrics

Biography: Dr. Connie Morrow is a Licensed Psychologist, Research Associate Professor of Pediatrics, and the Co-Director of the Perinatal CARE Program at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. She has more than two decades of experience implementing Maternal Child Health (MCH) research and service programs. She is the Principal Investigator of the HRSA funded Healthy...
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Laura Chavez, M.D.

Assistant Professor of Clinical Pediatrics
Publications
Biography: Dr. Laura Chavez is an Assistant Professor of Clinical Pediatrics at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. She completed her pediatric residency and a fellowship in neonatal-perinatal medicine at Jackson Health System. Dr. Chavez continues to serve as a clinical neonatologist, attending the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at Holtz Children’s Hospital and...
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Etze Chotzoglou, M.D.

Assistant Professor of Clinical

Biography: Dr. Etze Chotzoglou is a neonatologist with an interest in neonatal respiratory physiology and disease, associated clinical outcomes, and the application of POCUS in the NICU. She earned her medical degree from Hacettepe University in Ankara, Turkey. She subsequently completed a research fellowship at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, where she investigated early...
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Nelson Claure, M.Sc., Ph.D.

Research Professor of Pediatrics
Publications
Biography: Dr. Nelson Claure is Professor of Pediatrics and Biomedical Engineering at the University of Miami. He is part of the Faculty of the Division of Neonatology and is the Director of the Neonatal Respiratory Physiology Laboratory. Dr. Claure has focused his research on improving the understanding of neonatal respiratory physiology and mechanisms leading to respiratory and...
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Katarzyna Dabrowska, M.D., Ph.D.

Assistant Professor of Clinical

Biography: Dr. Katarzyna Dabrowska is an Assistant Professor of Clinical Pediatrics. She obtained her medical degree in Poland, completed her pediatric residency training in New York and her fellowship training in neonatal-perinatal medicine at Jackson Memorial Hospital.

In 2026, she joined the faculty of Neonatology in the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Miami School...
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Teresa Del Moral, M.D.

Professor of Clinical Pediatrics

Biography: Dr. del Moral earned her MD. (1984) and PhD (1988) degrees from the University of Granada in Spain. After doing her Pediatric Residency training in the Hospital Clinico in Granada, she came to the USA to do basic research at the University of Miami and subsequently stayed for General Pediatric and Neonatal-Perinatal training.

Upon completion of sub-specialty training she...
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Shahnaz Duara, M.D.

Professor of Clinical Pediatrics

Biography: Dr. Shahnaz Duara is a senior faculty in the Division of Neonatology and is responsible for the duties listed above. Administratively, Dr. Duara assists the division director as needed and serves as liaison to OB, Holtz administration, and several other services they collaborate with, most recently with the newly reorganized Fetal Surgery program. Dr. Duara has a significant...
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Dora A. Fernandez, M.D.

Assistant Professor of Clinical Pediatrics

Biography: Dr. Dora Fernandez was born in Havana, Cuba, and pursued her medical education at the University of Seville, Spain. She completed her pediatric residency training at the University of Maryland/Mercy Hospital and later continued her pediatric residency at the University of Miami/Jackson Memorial Hospital, where she also served as Chief Resident.

With over 30 years of experience,...
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Tania Dayane Fontanez-Nieves, M.D.

Assistant Professor of Clinical Pediatrics

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Marta G. Galarza, M.D.

Assistant Professor of Clinical Pediatrics

Biography: Dr. Galarza Graduated Medical School from Ponce Health Sciences University-School of Medicine. She then completed a Pediatric Residency with the University of Florida Health Science Center/Jacksonville, followed by a Neonatal-Perinatal Fellowship at St. Louis University Health Science Center, Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital. Dr. Galarza is board certified in pediatrics...
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Gretell Gomez Zaghmout, M.D.

Assistant Professor of Clinical

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Abdul Wasay Khan, M.D.

Assistant Professor of Clinical

Biography: Dr. Abdul Wasay Khan, MD, is a Neonatologist and Pediatric Palliative Care Physician dedicated to caring for critically ill newborns and supporting families during some of life’s most vulnerable moments. He earned his medical degree from Dow Medical College in Pakistan, completed his pediatric residency at the University of Kansas, and pursued fellowship training in Neonatal-Perinatal...
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Shiyu Luo, Ph.D.

Research Assistant Professor of Pediatrics
Publications
Biography: Dr. Shiyu Luo currently works as a Research Assistant Professor in the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine.

After receiving her PhD degree, Dr. Luo worked as a visiting scientist at the Division of Genetics, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center focusing on mitochondrial medicine. In 2019, Dr. Luo joined Dr. Pankaj Agrawal’s...
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Cristina T. Navarrete, M.D.

Associate Professor of Clinical Pediatrics

Biography: Dr. Navarrete is an Associate Professor of Clinical Pediatrics. She obtained her medical degree in the Philippines, completed her pediatric residency training in New York and her fellowship training in neonatal-perinatal medicine at Jackson Memorial Hospital.

In 2004, she joined the faculty of Neonatology in the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Miami School...
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Giulia Pasqualini de Lima, M.D.

Assistant Professor of Clinical

Biography: Dr. Lima is originally from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. She completed medical school in the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, her pediatrics residency at the University of Florida, and her Neonatology fellowship at Boston Children's Hospital/Harvard University.

Her research focuses on data-driven neonatology and predictive analytics, with a particular interest in cardiovascular...
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Maria Peinado, M.D.

Assistant Professor of Clinical Pediatrics

Biography: Dr. Maria Peinado was born in Cuba. Dr. Peinado was educated in Michigan but now lives in Florida.
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Klaus Erich Schmitz-Abe, Ph.D.

Research Associate Professor of Pediatrics
Publications
Biography: Dr. Klaus Schmitz-Abe's area of excellence is investigation. He is an applied mathematician with more than 16 years of experience as a statistical geneticist focused on the determination and development of mathematical models and statistical methods for the localization, detection, and characterization of the genes that underlie human disease.

After Dr. Schmitz-Abe obtained...
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Ilene R. Sosenko, M.D.

Professor of Clinical Pediatrics

Biography: Dr. Ilene Sosenko received her medical school training both at Temple University School of Medicine and UCLA, where she received her MD degree. Dr. Sosenko’s Pediatric Residency commenced at UCLA and completed at Boston Children's Hospital. Dr. Sosenko received her Neonatology training at the Joint Program in Neonatology (Boston Children's Hospital, Brigham and Women's...
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Markus Tauscher, M.D.

Assistant Professor of Clinical Pediatrics

Biography: Dr. Markus Tauscher is an Assistant Professor of Clinical Pediatrics at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, where he specializes in Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine. He also serves as the Director of the Neonatal-Perinatal Fellowship Program at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine based at Holtz Children’s Hospital, overseeing the training of future...
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Zenaida Tauscher, M.D.

Assistant Professor of Clinical Pediatrics

Biography: Dr. Zenaida Reyes Tauscher is an Assistant Professor in Clinical Pediatrics in the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine specializing in Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine. She obtained her Medical Degree from the University of the Philippines Manila, College of Medicine and completed her Pediatric Residency training at UP-Philippine General Hospital. In the US, she completed...
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Jose Nicolas Tolosa, M.D.

Assistant Professor of Clinical Pediatrics

Biography: Dr. Jose Tolosa is an Assistant Professor of Clinical Pediatrics at the University of Miami, specializing in neonatology. He completed his medical education at the University of Uruguay before pursuing a pediatric residency at Texas Tech University in El Paso, TX.

Dr. Tolosa further honed his expertise with a Neonatology Fellowship at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore,...
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Melissa Vick, M.D.

Assistant Professor of Clinical Pediatrics

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Lilliana Villegas, M.D.

Assistant Professor of Clinical Pediatrics

Biography: Dr. Lilliana Villegas is an assistant professor of pediatrics at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine/Holtz Children’s Hospital. Born in Los Angeles, raised in Miami, FL, she earned her medical degree at the University of the Florida, College of Medicine and completed her pediatric residency at University of Miami Miller school of Medicine.

Dr. Villegas has...
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Shu Wu, M.D.

Professor of Clinical Pediatrics
Publications
Biography: Dr. Shu Wu is a Professor of Pediatrics and the Director of the Neonatal Developmental Biology Laboratory in the Division of Neonatology at the University of Miami School of Medicine. She obtained her medical doctoral degree in China, completed residency and chief residency training in the Department of Obstetrics/Gynecology at the Peking Union Medical College Hospital,...
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Karen Young, M.D.

Professor of Clinical Pediatrics
Publications
Biography: Dr. Karen C. Young is Professor of Pediatrics and Director of Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine/Holtz Children’s Hospital. Originally from Jamaica, she earned her medical degree at the University of the West Indies and completed her pediatric residency and neonatology fellowship training at University of Miami Miller school...
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Alexander S. Zusman, M.D.

Assistant Professor of Clinical Pediatrics

Biography: Dr. Alex Zusman is a physician and public health leader with over 15 years of patient care experience as a full-scope Pediatric Hospitalist across both public and private institutions in the San Francisco Bay area. He grew up in Broward county in a Cuban/Peruvian home and is returning to Florida now after 3 years in New Zealand where he served as the Chief Medical Officer...
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