Current Residents
CA-1/PGY-2 - Class of 2028
Andrew B. Barboza, M.D.
The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston - McGovern Medical School
Biography:
Dr. Barboza was born in and adopted from Germany, but grew up in Mansfield, Texas,
just outside Arlington. During his upbringing, Dr. Barboza was classically trained
in vocal and piano performance, and continued his training with a minor in music at
BYU, before ultimately deciding to pursue a career in medicine. During his undergraduate
training, Dr. Barboza served a two-year church mission in Germany and later completed
internships in Berlin, where he taught refugee children German and English, as well
as in Latvia where he shadowed a chronic pain specialist. Dr. Barboza has completed
research focusing on multi-drug resistant Staph Aureus, patient outcomes when utilizing
interpretation services, and Texas organ donation trends, particularly donations after
cardiovascular death. Dr. Barboza has presented at both regional and national medical
conferences, including the annual American Urological Association Conference in 2024.
Dr. Barboza's interests in residency include pursuing a Pediatric Anesthesiology fellowship
and completing Quality Improvement projects focusing on improving patient outcomes
and enhancing hospital efficiency. When Dr. Barboza is not working, he spends his
free time with his wife, Katie, and their two children.
Nicholas A. Bohannon, M.D.
University of Nebraska College of Medicine
Biography:
Dr. Bohannon is originally from Northeast Nebraska and received both of his current
degrees from the University of Nebraska system. Over the past several years he has
been integrally involved in a variety of organized medicine roles and plans to continue
his advocacy work during residency as it relates to physician reimbursement and scope
of practice policy. Dr. Bohannon has served in a myriad of leadership positions including
as the Chair of the UNMC Chapter of the American Medical Association (AMA), Regional
Delegate to the AMA’s House of Delegates for the Medical Student Section (MSS), and
Policy Co-Chair of the AMA MSS Committee on Scientific Issues. Additionally, he has
led and co-authored a number of scientific publications and national AMA policies.
Tanner D. Brinley, D.O.
Rocky Vista University - Southern Utah
Biography:
Dr. Brinley grew up internationally living in England, Japan, Holland, Singapore,
Canada and Spain. He graduated from Brigham Young University and then completed medical
school at Rocky Vista University in southern Utah finishing with Sigma Sigma Phi honors.
During that time he published on cancer research and held a number of leadership positions
teaching on financial literacy in medicine.
Evan C. Catton, M.D.
Anne Burnett Marion School of Medicine at Texas Christian University
Biography:
Dr. Catton is originally from Galveston, Texas and has split his life between Texas
and Ohio. He obtained his Bachelor's of Science in Biomedical Engineering at The Ohio
State University with a specialization in medical device design and cell and tissue
engineering. He obtained his MD degree in Fort Worth, TX at Texas Christian University
where he obtained a research distinction while also serving in as class senator, founder
of Healthreference.org, and a director of the 501c3 Dayna's Footprints. Evan has presented his research at multiple national conferences such as the American
Society of Hematology and the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.
Steven Giang, D.O.
Kansas City University
Biography:
Dr. Giang is from Dallas, Texas and has spent most of his life in the DFW area. He
completed his bachelor's degree at The University of Texas at Dallas and went on to
obtain a master's in Biomedical Sciences at the University of North Texas Health Science
Center in Fort Worth. He completed medical school at Kansas City University in Missouri.
During medical school, he held leadership positions in various organizations including
the Anesthesia Interest Club as well as the KCU-Joplin chapter of APAMSA, and graduated
as a member of SSP.
Intern/PGY-1 Class of 2029
Lois Akpati, M.D.
University of Texas Rio Grande Valley School of Medicine
Biography:
Dr. Akpati is a Nigerian American born and raised in Houston, Texas. She earned her
bachelor's degree from the University of St. Thomas in Houston and conducted research
at Baylor College of Medicine’s Center of Excellence, addressing health disparities
in diverse populations.
During medical school, she held many positions such as serving as president of her medical school's SNMA chapter and as the ASA Delegate for her school’s Anesthesiology Interest Group.
Outside of medicine, Dr. Akpati enjoys arts and crafts, baking, and spending time with her friends and family.
Charles (Casey) Byrum, M.D.
Marshall University Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine
Biography:
Casey Byrum is an outgoing and active individual from West Virginia with a deep commitment
to both medicine and community service. He earned his medical degree from Marshall
University, where he served as president of the Anesthesiology Interest Group and
participated extensively in the university's rural medical outreach program, providing
care to underserved communities across the state.
Outside of medicine, Casey enjoys spending time with his wife, their dog, and close friends and family. He has a wide range of interests that reflect his energetic and well-rounded personality, from outdoor activities to sports and travel. His approachable nature, leadership experience, and dedication to improving rural health care continue to guide his path as a physician.
Mason Grimm, M.D.
University of Oklahoma College of Medicine
Biography:
Dr. Grimm was raised in the Mid-South, earning his MD from the University of Oklahoma
College of Medicine after completing a degree in Biology at the University of Arkansas.
Following graduation, he completed a transitional year residency at Lakeland Regional
Health in Central Florida before beginning anesthesiology training in Texas. He also
currently serves as a Captain in the United States Air Force and plans to practice
as a military anesthesiologist after residency. Dr. Grimm has contributed to a range
of scholarly work and has presented projects at both state and national conferences.
Outside of the hospital, he enjoys international travel, personal finance, and playing/watching
sports.
Jerome Hanna, D.O.
Sam Houston State University College of Osteopathic Medicine
Biography:
Dr. Hanna was born and raised in Houston and has spent most of his life in Texas.
He obtained his bachelor’s degree from Baylor University before venturing outside
of Texas for medical school at Lincoln Memorial University – DeBusk College of Osteopathic
Medicine in Knoxville, Tennessee. After completing his pre-clinical education, he
transferred to Sam Houston State University – College of Osteopathic Medicine to complete
his medical training closer to home. Beyond medicine, Dr. Hanna is deeply devoted
to his faith, family, and service. In his free time, Dr. Hanna enjoys playing and
watching a plethora of sports including basketball, football, mixed martial arts,
volleyball, and tennis.
Ivie Izekor, M.D.
Texas A&M University Naresh K Vashisht College of Medicine
Biography:
Dr. Ivie Izekor was born in Nigeria, spent her early years in Boston, and grew up
in Houston, which she proudly calls home. She earned both her undergraduate and medical
degrees from Texas A&M University through Aggie Pre-Med Fellow early assurance program.
During her time in Bryan, she was an active member and held leadership positions in
Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, where she focused on community service and
engagement. In medical school she was the president of the TAMU chapter of Student
National Medical
Association. Her research and academic interests include perioperative nutrition and racial disparities in medicine and she has presented at conferences such as SOAP and ASA. Dr. Izekor hopes to remain involved in physician and patient advocacy through her membership in the Texas Medical Association (TMA), Texas Society of Anesthesiologists (TSA), and American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA). She is committed to amplifying underrepresented voices in medicine and contributing to a more inclusive healthcare system. Outside the hospital, Dr. Izekor enjoys reformer Pilates, strength training, traveling, and finding new food spots to explore.
Alisha Valdez, M.D.
University of Texas Rio Grande Valley School of Medicine
Biography:
Dr. Valdez is from the Rio Grande Valley and completed her bachelor's and medical
degrees at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. While in medical school, she
took on leadership roles in the Anesthesia Interest Group and the Women’s Health Interest
Group. Additionally, she was actively involved in the Area of Health Education (AHEC)
Scholars Program, where she organized health fairs and provided preventative counseling
for underserved communities and colonias across the RGV. Dr. Valdez has experience
in both clinical and bench research, including studies on pediatric MASLD, peripheral
nerve blocks in diabetic patients, liver cancer biomarkers, and antibiotic targets
in C. difficile. In her free time, she enjoys playing tennis and pickleball.