Scholarly Project Director: J. Stephan Stapczynski, MD, is an Emergency Medicine Physician who serves as a Scholarly Project Advisor and works primarily on the Scholarly Project portion of the Pathway Scholars curriculum. He reviews the MS2 oral presentations as well as the MS4 poster and thesis submissions and is an invaluable asset to the Scholarly Project team! Dr. Stapczynski has a BS in Physics from MIT and graduated with his medical degree from UCLA. He is the former Director of the Emergency Department at Valleywise Health and former chair at U of Kentucky Medical Center. He is a college basketball fan, an avid reader of biographies and history, and enjoys spending time with his grandkids.
Scholarly Project Team Mentor: C. William Heise, MD, joined the Scholarly Project team in 2020. He is a medical toxicologist and family physician who joined the University of Arizona College of Medicine - Phoenix faculty in 2015. He earned his MD from the University of Iowa. He completed a residency in family medicine and a fellowship in medical toxicology at Banner – University Medical Center Phoenix. His teaching and research interests include critical care toxicology, precision medicine and clinical decision support. He practices with the Department of Medical Toxicology at Banner – University Medical Center and Phoenix Children’s Hospital. He directs the Precision Medicine Theme at the College of Medicine – Phoenix.
Scholarly Project Team Advisor: Steven A. Lieberman, MD, FACP, is the former senior associate dean of Undergraduate Medical Education at the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Phoenix. He maintains an active role with the college, working on student education initiatives, as well as advising on Scholarly Projects and other special assignments. Dr. Lieberman previously was senior associate dean for Educational Innovation and Logistics at the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) School of Medicine in Galveston, where he led the school’s recent efforts in restructuring and improving its medical school curriculum. He has served as professor of Internal Medicine since 2005. Dr. Lieberman received his MD in 1985 from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School in Dallas. He completed his training in internal medicine at the Santa Clara Valley Medical Center in San Jose followed by a clinical and research fellowship in endocrinology at Stanford University Medical Center.
Scholarly Project Team Advisor: Sally Sulliman, MD, Dr. Sulliman is the Assistant professor of medicine for the Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine at BUMC-P. She graduated from York Hospital Internal Medicine residency, and went on to pursue a fellowship in pulmonary and critical care at the University of Louisville, KY. Following her training, she remained at UofL as faculty for several years where she was also the ICU director, and director of the Interstitial Lung Disease Program. Since Joining BUMC-P in 2021, she has been actively engaged in education and research. She currently oversee their divisions research program and was recently appointed Associate program Director for the PCCM fellowship. She have been involved as a SP advisor for the last year where she continues to engage students in research.
Scholarly Project Team Mentor: Anup Shah, MD, MBA, Dr. Shah earned his MD from Semmelweis University Faculty of Medicine, he completed an internship in General Surgery as well as a Residency in Orthopedic Surgery from University of Texas Health Science Center - San Antonio. Dr. Shah also completed a fellowship in Sports Medicine from Baylor College of Medicine and a fellowship in Shoulder & Elbow Surgery from Massachusetts General Hospital - Harvard Medical School. Professionally, he enjoys team coverage, surgeon education, orthopedic research, product development, and delivering value in today’s healthcare environment. Prior orthopedic consultant for professional (Atlanta Falcons and Thrashers, Houston Texans, Astros, and Dynamo) and collegiate (University of Houston, Texas Southern University) teams. Personally, he enjoys family time, following Phoenix sports, traveling, and staying healthy (exercise, tennis, basketball, and golf). Formerly ranked tennis player.
Scholarly Project Senior Coordinator: Sarai Alvarado, MSC, has been with the University of Arizona for over 9 years, originally working with transfer students at UA South’s Pinal location in Casa Grande, AZ. She eventually moved into the Maricopa County area working with the University’s Distance locations, as a regional coordinator for the Near You Network’s UAZ Chandler location. She has her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Arizona State University, and her Masters of Science in Mental Health Counseling from the University of Phoenix. Prior to her time with University of Arizona, she worked as an academic advisor for international students, advising at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. She also worked in the behavioral health and research fields as a project assistant at an Institutional Review Board (IRB) and Hospice of the Valley, providing grief counseling to families and individuals in need. Sarai is originally from Minneapolis, MN, but has lived in the East Valley of AZ for the majority of her life. She has a 4-year old daughter, named Tahlia, as well as a parrot named Loki. In her free time, she likes to sew, as well as hike/kayak in Prescott. Sarai can be reached at salvarado@arizona.edu.
Scholarly Project Research Specialist: Keilana Valdez, MSc, graduated from Arizona State University with her Bachelor’s degree in Global Health Administration and Pre-Medicine. She received her Master of Science degree in Biomedical Diagnostics from Arizona State University College of Health Solutions. During her graduate year, she worked with her mentor Dr. Mullin with the Critical Path Institute to complete her applied project and present her wearable device technology findings for early diagnosis for neurodegenerative diseases to the entire staff in Tucson. In her undergraduate year, she worked in partnership with Mayo Clinic and ASU’s College of Health Solutions on the research team for Obesity Solutions. Keilana is originally from Honolulu, Hawaii, but has lived in Tempe for the majority of her adult life. In her free time, she loves to attend concerts, swimming, traveling, and hiking with her dogs. During her time at ASU, she was chosen to teach in Chennai, India for 3 months with the International Alliance for the Prevention of AIDS which sparked her interest in traveling and she hopes to travel abroad soon. If you have any CITI, DUA, eIRB, or other compliance questions for Keilana, please reach out at keilanavaldez@arizona.edu.
Scholarly Project Program Manager: Stephanie Rosen, MPH, joined the SP team in 2018 and her primary role is to identify and recruit Scholarly Project mentors in the clinical and scientific community. In addition, she helps to develop and retain faculty as SP mentors. She also promotes the visibility of the SP Program, outlines project strategies and mentor responsibilities to the community of researchers. Stephanie works closely with the SP team to track research projects and identify new areas for research productivity. She enjoys skiing, trail running, rock climbing, hiking, camping, and spending time with her husband, daughter, and their pup. If you are interested in becoming a SP mentor, please contact Stephanie at sschott@arizona.edu.
Biostatistician: Chase Irwin, MS, is a newly hired biostatistician at the University of Arizona’s College of Medicine. He is originally from Southern California but now resides in Phoenix, AZ. Chase completed his BS in Biomedical Sciences at Northern Arizona University and his MS in Biostatistics at The University of Arizona. Some of his areas of research include working with complex surveys and propensity scores. In his free time, Chase enjoys playing guitar and exploring national parks. He can be reached for statistical advice by clicking HERE.
Biostatistician: Mehrtash Hashemzadeh, MS, Master of Science (M.S) in Statistics from the University of Connecticut with a progressive and diversified background in theoretical and applied statistics with a concentration in Biostatistics. Strengths include an analytical ability to solve complex problems. Hands-on experience in study designs, SAP creation, and review, data analysis execution, interpretation, protocol reviewing, and report writing. He can be reached for statistical advice by clicking HERE.
Biostatistician: Kory Johnson, MS, PhD, Kory is a biostatistician and member of the Research Office’s Biostatistics and Study Design Services team. Through this role, he provides consultation and support services for research conducted by students, faculty, and Phoenix VA Health Care System researchers. He holds a PhD in Sociology and MS in Statistics from Northwestern University. He can be reached for statistical advice by clicking HERE.