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Downtown campus units

Our Team

Upstate’s Adult Kidney, Pediatric Kidney, and Pancreas Transplant Centers are comprised of a multidisciplinary team of specialists who manage their patients' care throughout the entire transplantation process. Their goal is to provide the highest quality of care, so that patients can quickly return to their daily routines, while maintaining a healthy balanced life.

Reza Saidi


Reza Saidi, MD, FACS, FICS
,
Division Chief


Transplant Services - Surgical Staff

Matthew Garner, MD
Matthew Garner, MD
315 464-8668

Phuoc Le Nguyen, MD
Phuoc Le Nguyen, MD
315 464-8668

Sharon R Loerzel, PA
Sharon R Loerzel, PA
315 464-5413

Diseases/Specialties/Treatments

Immunocompromised Patient and Surgery; Renal Failure; Renal Transplant

Associations/Memberships

  • American Academy of Physician Assistants (AAPA)

Reza F Saidi, MD, FACS, FICS
Reza F Saidi, MD, FACS, FICS
315 464-8668

Education & Fellowships

  • Fellowship: Harvard Medical School, 2009
  • Fellowship: Massachusetts General Hospital, 2009

Diseases/Specialties/Treatments

Surgery; Transplant; Bile Duct Cancer; Bile Duct Injuries; Diabetes; Gallbladder Cancer; more

Research Interests

  • Ischemia reperfusion injury

    Transplant outcomes

Clinical Interests

  • Solid Organ Transplantation (Liver, Kidney, Pancreas)

    Hepatobiliary Surgery

    General Surgery

Associations/Memberships

  • American Society of Transplantation (AST)
  • International Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Association (IHPBA)
  • American College of Surgeons (ACS)
  • American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD)
  • International Liver Transplantation Society (ILTS)
  • American Society of Transplant Surgeons (ASTS)
  • Americas Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Association
  • Association for Academic Surgery
  • Middle East Society of Organ Transplantation (MESOT)
  • Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons

Transplant Services - Medical Staff

Shehzad Ali, MD
Shehzad Ali, MD
315 464-8668

Diseases/Specialties/Treatments

Transplant; Nephrology; Renal Transplant; Pancreas and Kidney Transplantation; Pancreas and Kidney Transplantation

Research Interests

  • Kidney and pancreas Transplation

    Simultaneous Liver and Kidney Transplant

    Simultaneus Kidney Pancreas Transplant

Clinical Interests

  • Acute Antibody Mediated Rejection

    GVHD

    CMV viremia and resistance to therapy- new treatment modalities

    PTLD


Reut Hod Dvorai, PhD F(ACHI)
Reut Hod Dvorai, PhD F(ACHI)
315 464-6786

Education & Fellowships

  • Fellowship: Northwestern University, 2018, Transplant Immunology
  • PhD: Israel Institute of Technology, 2011, Immunology

Diseases/Specialties/Treatments

Histocompatibility

Associations/Memberships

  • American Society for Histocompatibility and Immunogenetics (ASHI)
  • American Society of Transplantation (AST)

Dongmei Huang, MD
Dongmei Huang, MD
315 464-6340

Education & Fellowships

  • Fellowship: University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 2014, Pediatric Nephrology
  • Residency: Newark Beth Israel Medical Center, 2011, Pediatrics

Diseases/Specialties/Treatments

Pediatrics; Pediatric Nephrology; Acute Kidney Failure; Congenital Genitourinary Tract Abnormalities; Hypertension; Nephrolithiasis (Kidney Stones); more

John E Leggat Jr, MD
John E Leggat Jr, MD
315 464-5290

Education & Fellowships

  • Fellowship: University of Michigan Hospitals and Health Centers, Nephrology
  • MPH: University of Michigan
  • MPH: University of Michigan, School of Public Health, 1996, Epidemiology
  • Residency: University of Michigan Hospitals and Health Centers, 1994, Medicine
  • MD: Dartmouth Medical School, 1991

Diseases/Specialties/Treatments

Nephrology; Acute Kidney Failure; Acute Renal Insufficiency; Chronic Kidney Disease; Chronic Kidney Failure; Hypertension; more

Research Interests

  • Outcome of therapeutic decisions in dialysis and transplantation

Clinical Interests

  • Dialysis, transplantation, general nephrology

Scott J Schurman, MD
Scott J Schurman, MD
315 464-6340

Education & Fellowships

  • Residency: Children's Hospital Medical Center, Pediatric Nephrology
  • Residency: Children's Mercy Hospital, Pediatrics
  • MD: Ohio State University College of Medicine, 1987

Diseases/Specialties/Treatments

Pediatric Nephrology; Pediatric Nephrology; Nephrology; Acute Kidney Failure; Chronic Kidney Disease; Hypertension; more

Associations/Memberships

  • American Society of Nephrology (ASN)

Reeba Thankachan, MS FNP-C
Reeba Thankachan, MS FNP-C
315 464-5413

Education & Fellowships

  • FNP: Upstate University Hospital, 2015, Nursing
  • MSN: SUNY Upstate Medical University, 2015, Nurse Practitioner
  • BS: Keuka University, 2010, Nursing
  • RN: Onondaga Community College, 2005, Nursing

Diseases/Specialties/Treatments

Transplant; Renal Transplant; Kidney Transplantation; Pancreas and Kidney Transplantation

Associations/Memberships

  • American Academy of Nurse Practitioners (AANP)
  • Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing (STTI)
  • American Society of Transplant Surgeons (ASTS)

Heather L Wasik, MD, MHS
Heather L Wasik, MD, MHS
315 464-6340

Education & Fellowships

  • Fellowship: Johns Hopkins Hospital, 2019, Pediatric Nephrology
  • MHS: Johns Hopkins University, 2018, Clinical epidemiology
  • Residency: Johns Hopkins Hospital, 2016, Pediatrics
  • MD: University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, 2013

Diseases/Specialties/Treatments

Pediatric Nephrology; Pediatric Kidney Disease and Transplant

Transplant Administrator:

  • Mini Malhotra, FACHE, MBA, MHA

Donor Advocate:

  • Sondra Mott, MS, HAS, RN

Financial Coordinators:

  • Lisa Donovan, CTFC
  • LaTonya Muhammad

HLA Laboratory:

  • Reut Hod Dvorai, PhD, D(ABHI)

Medical Assistant:

  • Lisa Arcaro, LPN
  • Rosalie Bowers, MOA

Assistant Director of Nursing:

  • Pamela Haines, MS, RN

Clinic Nurse:

  • Jeannette Jackson, RN

Office Manager:

  • Amanda Demperio

Patient Service Clerk:

  • Annette Sanders

Receptionist:

  • Zaquia Stanley

Transplant Administrative Assistant:

  • Jazmine Lewis

Pre/Post-Transplant Coordinators:

  • Lavell Jones, MSN, RN, CCTC, Living Donor Coordinator
  • Galina Rivera, BSN, RN, CCTC, Lining Donor-Transplant Coordinator
  • Rebecca Pazzalia, RN, Pediatric Transplant Coordinator

  • Lori Daratt, RN Pre-Transplant Coordinator
  • Ashley Ryan, BSN, RN, Pre-Transplant Coordinator
  • Kaitlyn Gardner, BSN, RN, CPN Post-Transplant Coordinator
  • Tanya Mercurio, MSN, RN, Post-Transplant Coordinator
  • Heidi Smileuske, BSN, RN, CCTC, Post-Transplant Coordinator

Transplant Data Coordinators:

  • Alondria Jeffrey

Transplant Nutritionist:

  • Terry Podolak, RD

Transplant Outreach Coordinator:

  • Linda Curry

Transplant Pharmacist:

  • Christine Yang, PharmD, BCPS, BCTXP
  • Zachary Hayes, PharmD, BCPS

Transplant Quality Assurance Director:

  • Angela Ball, MHA, CPHQ

Transplant Referral Specialist:

  • Becky Dickinson
  • Nicole Ennis

Transplant Social Worker:

  • Megan Mcpeak, LMSW
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