Women in Medicine and Science (WiMS) Committee

Sub-committees have been organized to advance activities and agendas that are central to achieving the overarching WiMS Committee mission. 

• The Salary/Benefits Sub-committee aims to promote salary equity and a benefits package that is appealing for recruitment, and addresses needs of current women faculty.
• The Work-life Balance and Wellness Sub-committee (led by Sasha Yakhkind) aims to foster policies and programs which allow women to maximize professional capacity while being mindful of physical and mental health.
• The Leadership and Career Development Sub-committee (led by Knarik Arkun, MD, and members: Atreyee Basu, MD, and Asma Tariq MD) aims to promote leadership and career development of women in medical sciences at different career stages through mentorship and sponsorship to increase academic parity at Tufts Medical Center.
• The Public Relations and Networking Sub-committee aims to promote and support the overall WiMS mission and agenda, and to communicate the committee’s activities to internal and external stakeholders.

Thank you to all who applied for our WiMS Mentorship Seed Award! Below are the 2022 Awardees and projects. We look forward to our spring mini-symposium where awardees and mentees will share project results.

Amanda French, MD (Mentee: Sophia Boxerman, MD)
"Development and Evaluation of "Period Kits" for Adolescents with Intellectual and Cognitive Disabilities"

Aarti Grover, MD (Mentee: Andrea Fekete, MD)
"Effects of High Flow Nasal Cannula in patients with mild to moderate obstructive sleep apnea"

Rakhi Kohli, MD (Mentee: Deeksha Bathini)
"Analysis of Tufts Medical Center's Real Time Culture Alert System at the Outpatient Parenteral Antimicrobial Therapy (OPAT) Program"

Angie Mae Rodday, PhD (Mentee: Patricia Synnott, MS, MALD)
"The Impact of COVID-19 Lockdown Policies on Opioid Overdose Deaths"

Tamara Vesel, MD (Mentee: Maria Galkin, MD)
"Exploration of Communication Preferences among Chinese and non-Chinese Americans During Cancer Treatment"

Tine Vindenes, MD (Mentee: Majd Alsoubani, MD)
"The epidemiology, demographics, and resistance profile of Nontuberculous Mycobacteria Infections at a tertiary academic hospital in Massachusetts"

Elizabeth Yen, MD (Mentee: Eva Takhalova, MD)
"Non-Invasive Heart Rate Variability and Salivary Cortisol Measurements to Understand the Severity of Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome"

Perrie O'Tierney-Ginn, PhD

Title(s): Executive Director, Mother Infant Research Institute; Research Associate Professor, Tufts University School of Medicine; Chair, Women in Medicine and Science Committee (WiMS)
Department(s): Mother Infant Research Institute
 

Placental nutrient transport and metabolism, Maternal obesity, Fetal growth

Angie Mae Rodday, PhD, MS

Title(s): Assistant Professor of Medicine and Clinical and Translational Science; Biostatistician, Tufts Clinical & Translational Science Institute; Associate Director, Clinical and Translational Science Program, Tufts Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences.
Department(s): Medicine, Institute for Clinical Research and Health Policy Studies, Tufts Clinical and Translational Science Institute
 

Majd Alsoubani, MD

Title(s): Fellow
Department(s): Medicine, Geographic Medicine and Infectious Diseases
Appt. Phone: 617.636.7010
 

Infectious Disease, HIV/STD/STI testing and counseling, Provision of PrEP and/or PEP for patients at risk for HIVHIV care and services

Elizabeth Yen, MD, MA

Title(s): Neonatologist; Past Chair, Women in Medicine and Science (WiMS); Principal Investigator, Mother Infant Research Institute; Assistant Professor, Tufts University School of Medicine
Department(s): Pediatrics, Newborn Medicine
Appt. Phone: 617.636.5322
Fax #: 617.636.1456

Newborn medicine, neonatal abstinence syndrome, neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome, early intervention follow up, neurodevelopmental outcomes

Rina M. Bloch, MD

Title(s): Adult Physiatrist; Associate Professor, Tufts University School of Medicine
Department(s): Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
Appt. Phone: 617.636.5631
Fax #: 617.636.2551

Adult and geriatric rehabilitation, musculoskeletal, brain injury, stroke, rheumatological management, spine care

Rachel J. Buchsbaum, MD

Title(s): Director of the Cancer Center; Chief, Division of Hematology/Oncology; Hematologist/Oncologist, Breast Health Center; Fellowship Program Director, Tufts Medical Center; Dr. Jane F. Desforges, MD, Chair in Hematology/Oncology and Professor of Medicine, Tufts University School of Medicine; Professor of Genetics, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Tufts University School of Medicine
Department(s): Medicine, Hematology/Oncology
Appt. Phone: 617.636.5757
Fax #: 617.636.2342

Breast cancer therapy, risk assessment and prevention

Elizabeth Figuracion, DO

Title(s): Palliative Care Physician; Assistant Professor, Tufts University School of Medicine
Department(s): Medicine, Palliative Care
Appt. Phone: 617.636.7957
Fax #: 617.636.9080

Chayanin "Jing" Chayanin Foongsathaporn, M.D.

Title(s): Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Fellow
Department(s): Psychiatry
Appt. Phone: 617.636.8527
Fax #: 617.636.4852

Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Family Therapy, Teaching, Consult-liaison Psychiatry

Karen Freund, MD, MPH

Title(s): Physician-in-Chief, Department of Medicine, Tufts Medical Center; Chair and Sheldon M. Wolff Professor, Department of Medicine, Tufts University School of Medicine; American Cancer Society - Harry and Elsa Jiler Clinical Research Professor
Department(s): Medicine, Internal Medicine and Adult Primary Care; Tufts Clinical and Translational Science Institute
Appt. Phone: 617.636.5400
Fax #: 617.636.9712

Adult primary care, women's health, breast cancer screening

Amanda V. French, MD

Title(s): Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecologist; Assistant Professor, Tufts University School of Medicine
Department(s): Obstetrics and Gynecology, Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology
 

Pediatric and adolescent gynecology, including abnormal vaginal bleeding in children and adolescents, pelvic masses, congenital reproductive tract anomalies, and pediatric vulvar complaints.

Haiyun Gong, MD

Title(s): Pediatrician; Assistant Professor, Tufts University School of Medicine
Department(s): Pediatrics, Pediatric Primary Care
Appt. Phone: 617.636.1337
Fax #: 617.636.7719

General pediatrics, adolescent medicine

Deborah Green-LaRoche, MD

Title(s): Director of Clinical Research, Department of Neurology; Neurointensivist; Past Chair, Women in Medicine and Science (WiMS); Associate Professor, Tufts University School of Medicine
Department(s): Neurology
Appt. Phone: 617.636.4948
Fax #: 617.636.8199

Neurocritical care, vascular neurology

Aarti Grover, MD

Title(s): Medical Director, Center for Sleep Medicine; Program Director, Sleep Medicine Fellowship; Sleep Attending and Intensivist; Assistant Professor, Tufts University School of Medicine
Department(s): Medicine, Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine
Appt. Phone: 617.636.7689
Fax #: 617.636.1649

General pulmonary, critical care medicine, Adult and pediatric sleep medicine, sleep disordered breathing, insomnia, narcolepsy

H. Ozlem Kasaroglu, MD

Accepting New Patients

Title(s): Director, Neonatology, Signature Healthcare Brockton Hospital; Clinical Associate Professor, Tufts University School of Medicine
Department(s): Pediatrics, Newborn Medicine
Appt. Phone: 617.636.5322
Fax #: 617.636.1456

Neonatal infections, neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS)

Tara A Lavelle, PhD

Title(s): Assistant Professor of Medicine at Tufts University School of Medicine
Department(s): Institute for Clinical Research and Health Policy Studies, Center for the Evaluation of Value and Risk in Health (CEVR)

Cost and value of health care services delivered in the United States

Jana Leary, MD

Title(s): Pediatric Hospitalist; Assistant Clinical Professor, Tufts University School of Medicine
Department(s): Pediatrics, Pediatric Inpatient Specialists
Appt. Phone: 617.636.8824
Fax #: 617.636.8820

Inpatient pediatrics, mentorship, systems improvement

Michelle Richardson, PharmD

Title(s): Special and Scientific Staff; Director Division Communications; Director, Outcomes Monitoring Program; Assistant Professor of Medicine, Tufts University School of Medicine
Department(s): Medicine, Nephrology
Appt. Phone: 617.636.9947
Fax #: 617.636.7890

Rachana Singh, MD, MS

Title(s): Associate Chief, Newborn Medicine; Program Director, Neonatal - Perinatal Medicine Fellowship; Professor of Pediatrics, Tufts University School of Medicine
Department(s): Pediatrics, Newborn Medicine
Appt. Phone: 617.636.5322
Fax #: 617.636.1456

Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine

Agnieszka Trzcinka, MD

Title(s): Cardiac Anesthesiologist; Clinical Associate Professor of Anesthesiology, Tufts University School of Medicine
Department(s): Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, Division of Cardiac Anesthesiology
Appt. Phone: 617.636.6044
Fax #: 617.636.8384

Anesthesia

Rodica M. Turcu, MD

Title(s): Medical Director, Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU); Neonatologist; Associate Program Director, Neonatal Medicine Fellowship
Department(s): Pediatrics, Newborn Medicine
Appt. Phone: 617.636.5322
Fax #: 617.636.1456

Neonatal perinatal medicine

Tamara Vesel, MD

Title(s): Chief of Division of Palliative Care; Clinical Associate Professor of Medicine and Pediatrics, Tufts University School of Medicine
Department(s): Medicine, Palliative Care
Appt. Phone: 617.636.7957
Fax #: 617.636.9080

Pain and non-pain symptom management, communication, interdisciplinary medical education, clinical hypnosis, end of life care, medical education and capacity building in low resource settings (Nepal, India, Bhutan)

Mithila Vullaganti, MD

Title(s): Neurologist; Assistant Professor, Tufts University School of Medicine
Department(s): Neurology
Appt. Phone: 617.636.5848
Fax #: 617.636.8199

Neuromuscular diseases, EMG