Twenty-five faculty members in the Department of Medicine earn promotions

Come July 1, there will be two dozen and one University of Arizona Department of Medicine faculty members who will get title upgrades due to promotions for the new academic year at the College of Medicine – Tucson.

Included are six for the Inpatient Medicine division, five each for the divisions of Hematology & Oncology (or Hem-Onc) and Pulmonary, Allergy, Critical Care & Sleep Medicine (or PACCS); two each for the divisions of Cardiology and General Internal Medicine, Geriatrics & Palliative Medicine (or GGP); and one each for the divisions of Endocrinology, Gastroenterology & Hepatology (or GI), Infectious Diseases, Nephrology and Rheumatology.

The number, 25, tops the 15 promotions from the last academic cycle (2024-25) for faculty with primary appointments in the DOM. Two more with secondary DOM appointments earned promotions last year, too. It’s not yet known how many dual-appointment DOM faculty might have earned promotions in this cycle.

“I am delighted to see our DOM faculty being recognized for their accomplishments through the promotion process,” said James K. Liao, MD, department professor and chair, the Robert S. and Irene Flinn Endowed Professor in Medicine, and a member of the Sarver Heart Center and U of A Graduate Faculty. “This is something money cannot buy and is the greatest honor bestowed at an academic institution. Congratulations to our promoted faculty!”

Among the DOM current crop of faculty receiving promotions are:

Adnan A. Abbasi, MBBS — associate clinical professor to clinical professor, PACCS division, and sleep lab medical director, Southern Arizona VA Health Care System; 

Avin Aggarwal, MBBS — assistant clinical professor to associate clinical professor, GI division, associate program director, GI Fellowship, and medical director, Endoscopy Services, Banner – University Medical Center South; 

Bujji Ainapurapu, MD — associate clinical professor to clinical professor, Inpatient Medicine division, and Internal Medicine Residency Program – Tucson associate director;  

Akshay Amaraneni, MD — assistant clinical professor to associate clinical professor, Hem-Onc division, Hematology & Medical Oncology Fellowship program director, and Arizona Hemostasis & Thrombosis Center director, and U of A Cancer Center member; 

Junaid Arshad, MD, MS — assistant professor to associate professor (Clinical Scholar Track), Hem-Onc division;

Muhammad Husnain, MD — assistant professor to associate professor (Clinical Scholar Track), Hem-Onc division, and U of A Cancer Center member; 

Michael B. Insel, MD — assistant clinical professor to associate clinical professor, PACCS division, and PCCM/CCM Fellowships associate program director; 

Sharad Khurana, MD, MSc —  assistant professor to associate professor (Clinical Scholar Track), Hem-Onc division, and U of A Cancer Center member; 

Rajesh Kotagiri, MD — associate clinical professor to clinical professor, Inpatient Medicine division, and IM Residency Program – Tucson associate director, DOM;  

Saad Kubba, MD — assistant clinical professor to associate clinical professor, Cardiology division, and a Sarver Heart Center member; 

Joshua Malo, PhD — associate professor to professor (Clinical Scholar Track), PACCS division, and IM Residency Program – Tucson associate director, DOM;  

Laura Meinke, MD — associate professor to professor (Clinical Scholar Track), PACCS division, and IM Residency Program – Tucson  director and associate vice chair of education, DOM; 

Talal Moukabary, MD — associate clinical professor to clinical professor, Cardiology division, and a Sarver Heart Center member; 

Karen Parker, MD, PhD — assistant clinical professor to associate clinical professor, GGP division, and Geriatric Inpatient Consult Service director, Banner – UMC Tucson;  

Indu Partha, MD — associate clinical professor to professor, GGP division, IM Residency Program – Tucson associate director, DOM, and chair, Academy of Medical Education Scholars Chapter, College of Medicine – Tucson;  

Anil K. Potharaju, MD — associate clinical professor to clinical professor, Inpatient Medicine division, of which he’s also associate chief and medical director, Inpatient Medicine, Banner – UMC South;  

Talha Riaz, MD — assistant clinical professor to associate clinical professor, Infectious Diseases division, DOM, and Department of Orthopedic Surgery;  

Venkata Rokkam, MD — assistant clinical professor to associate clinical professor, Inpatient Medicine division; 

Aaron J. Scott, MD — associate professor to professor (Clinical Scholar Track), Hem-Onc division, and co-leader, Clinical & Translational Oncology Program, U of A Cancer Center;

Puneet Shroff, MD — associate clinical professor to clinical professor, PACCS division, DOM, and Department of Otolaryngology, and allergy clinic associate director, Banner – University Medical Group Tucson;  

Jennifer H. Stern, PhD — assistant professor to associate professor (tenured), Endocrinology division, DOM and departments of Physiology, Cellular & Molecular Medicine and Nutritional Sciences & Wellness;  

Tejo Vemulipalli, MD — associate clinical professor to clinical professor, Inpatient Medicine division, of which he’s the chief and also the vice chair of patient quality for DOM;

Ernest R. Vina, MD, MS — associate professor to professor (Clinical Scholar Track), Rheumatology division, and interim division chief and Rheumatology Fellowship program director, and interim co-director, Arizona Arthritis Center; 

Anthony Witten, DO — assistant clinical professor to associate clinical professor, Inpatient Medicine division, and IM Residency Program – Tucson associate director, DOM; 

Ryan C. Wong, MD — assistant clinical professor to associate clinical professor, Nephrology division, and IM Sub-Internship director and IM Residency Program – Tucson associate director, DOM.

To find out more about advancing your career in the Department of Medicine, please reach out to Joseph Alpert, MD, DOM vice chair for appointments and promotion, and Terri Buchanan, DOM faculty appointments coordinator.

ALSO SEE: 
“DOM faculty celebration lauds achievements of newly promoted” | Posted Oct. 14, 2025
“Six divisions split 17 promotions for DOM faculty members in 2025” | Posted May 27, 2025
“Nine DOM faculty win title upgrades via promotion” | Posted May 28, 2024
“Thirteen faculty get promotions, tenure in Department of Medicine” | Posted May 22, 2023
“Eleven Department of Medicine Faculty Approved for Promotion and Tenure Advancement” | Posted May 20, 2019
“Baker’s Dozen Get Promotions among UA Department of Medicine Faculty” | Posted June 19, 2018
“Four from DOM among Promotions Announced at COM-T General Faculty Meeting” | Posted Nov. 14, 2017
“Nine Faculty Physicians Receive Promotions in Department of Medicine” | Posted Aug. 19, 2016