Faculty & Staff

Dr. Carmel Bitondo Dyer

Dr. Carmel Bitondo Dyer is professor and director of the geriatric medicine division at the University of Texas Medical School at Houston. She is a 1988 graduate of Baylor College of Medicine, where she completed her Internal Medicine residency and Geriatrics Fellowship. She founded the geriatrics program at the Harris County Hospital District and the Texas Elder Abuse and Mistreatment Institute. Her research and publications have been in the area of elder mistreatment. She was a delegate to the 2005 White House Conference on Aging and has addressed the U.S. Senate. She has received national and local recognition for her teaching abilities and her dedication to the health care of older persons.

 

Dr. Andrew Achenbaum

Dr. Achenbaum received his undergraduate in American Studies from Amherst College and his doctorate in History from the University of Michigan. He is the author of five books; the most recent one published in November, 2005 is entitled Older Americans: Vital Communities—Toward a Bold Vision of Societal Aging. A new book, Aesop’s Guide to Aging Boomers is currently under review. In addition, he is the author of numerous peer reviewed articles and the co-author of nine books.

 

Dr. Kathryn Agarwal

Dr. Kathryn Agarwal received her medical degree from Baylor College of Medicine, where she also completed her residency training in Internal Medicine. She completed a Fellowship in Geriatric Medicine at Harvard Medical School. She is also board certified in Hospice and Palliative Care Medicine. Dr. Agarwal coordinates the geriatric consult service at Memorial-Hermann. Additionally, she is actively involved in geriatric education for physicians and nurses; her research interest is in improving this educational process.

 

Dr. Nasiya Ahmed

Dr. Nasiya Ahmed is a 2002 graduate of University of Texas Medical School in Houston. She completed her Internal Medicine Residency and Fellowship in Geriatric Medicine at the University of Arizona. She currently sees patients at the UT Physicians clinic as well as in the inpatient setting at Memorial-Hermann hospital ACE Unit. She also coordinates the geriatric didactics and clinical rotations for the residents.

 

Dr. Tom Cole

Thomas R. Cole is the McGovern Chair in Medical Humanities and Director of the McGovern Center for Health, Humanities, and the Human Spirit at the University of Texas Health Science Center in Houston. He is also a Visiting Professor in Religious Studies at Rice University. Cole graduated from Yale University (B.A. Philosophy, 1971), Wesleyan University (M.A., History, 1975) and the University of Rochester, (Ph.D., History, 1981).

 

Dr. John Halphen

Dr. John Halphen received his medical degree from the University of Texas Medical School at San Antonio.  He completed his residency in Family Medicine at St. Joseph Hospital in Houston.  He has recently completed a Fellowship in Geriatric Medicine at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston.  He was a practicing pharmacist and lawyer prior to attending medical school.  Currently, Dr. Halphen coordinates the geriatric services at LBJ, including consults and clinic.

 

Dr. Cheves Smythe

Dr. Smythe was educated at Yale, and graduated from the Harvard Medical School in 1947. He was trained in internal medicine at the Boston City Hospital in Boston and Bellevue and Presbyterian Hospitals in New York. Research fellowships in the study of hepatic and renal physiology followed.

He is certified in both Internal Medicine and Geriatrics. In addition to his interest in medical school organization and management, he has been recognized as a devoted and appreciated teacher of clinical medicine. His current efforts are to participate in and strengthen the medical teaching at Lyndon Baines Johnson Hospital as well as to assist in the development of a program in geriatric medicine.

 

Dr. Chris Ojeih

 Dr. Chris Ojeh received his medical degree from The University of Texas-Houston Medical School.  He completed his residency in Family Medicine at The University of Texas-Houston Medical School. Dr. Ojeih is Board Certified with the American Board of Family Medicine and CAQ Geriatrics.

 

Dr. Grace Varas

Dr. Grace Varas is a graduate of University of North Texas Health Science Center-Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine in Fort Worth. She completed her Internal Medicine residency at Plaza Medical Center in Fort Worth. She furthered her post-graduate training with a fellowship in Palliative Medicine at UNTHSC. Dr. Varas is Board Certified in Internal Medicine and Board Eligible in Palliative Medicine. She coordinates the Palliative Medicine service at Memorial Hermann Hospital.

 

Jason Burnett

Jason Burnett earned his Master of Science degree in Experimental Psychology from the University of Louisiana at Monroe in 2003. He joined the CREST research team in February 2005. His main interests include understanding the associated effects of depression, pain, and physical performance with self-neglecting behaviors in the elderly. He has co-authored multiple publications on the phenomenon of geriatric self-neglect and continues to dedicate his career to improving the lives of at risk elderly.

 

Susan Gorman

Susan Gorman completed her Bachelor of Science in Nursing in 1986 from the University Of Texas School Of Nursing in Austin, and her Masters of Science in Nursing in 1995 form The University of Texas Health Science Center School of Nursing in 1995. She has been certified and practicing as a Gerontological Nurse Practitioner since January 1996. Her role with the University of Texas Medical School Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine Division is outpatient management of patients through clinics and our home visit program at Memorial Hermann Hospital and LBJ.

 

Shannon Pearce

Shannon Pearce is a dual board certified Adult/ Geriatric Nurse Practitioner who received a Master’s of Nursing Science from the University of Texas Health Science Center (UTHSC) in Houston. She has clinical experience in clinic and long term care settings, and has focused her practice primarily on the care of older adults. Currently, she is pursuing a Doctorate in Nursing Practice at UTHSC, and has a special interest in developing expertise in treating urinary incontinence of the geriatric population. She is proud to be a member of the UT Medical School Geriatric and Palliative Medicine Department and is dedicated to promoting the independence, dignity, and quality of life for older adults at Memorial Hermann Hospital.

 

Sabrina Pickens

Sabrina Pickens obtained her Bachelor of Science degree in nursing from the University of Incarnate Word in 1995. In 2002, she earned her Master of Science degree in nursing from the University of Houston Health Science Center’s School of Nursing allowing her to practice as a Gerontological Nurse Practitioner. She has successfully completed more than 20 clinical trials in the field of cardiac research and has worked as a house call ANP/GNP. Currently she works as a research nurse practitioner under CREST and continues to do house calls at LBJ.

 

Laura Prati

Laura Prati holds a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from the University of St. Thomas, a Masters in Social Work from the University of Houston, a Masters in Education with an emphasis on Instructional Technology from American Intercontinental University and is currently pursuing a PhD. in Education at Walden University. She is the project manager for the Consortium for Research in Elder Self-neglect of Texas (CREST) and is adjunct faculty in the department of Social and Behavioral Science at Lee College.