Director Biographies

Carl Backer, M.D.

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• Practice field: Pediatric cardiology
• Position: Division head, Cardiovascular-Thoracic Surgery, Children's Memorial Hospital, Chicago ; A.C. Buehler Professor of Surgery, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago
• Academic rank: Professor of surgery
• Medical school: Mayo Medical School, Rochester, Minn.
• Internship/residency: General surgery, McGaw Medical Center, Northwestern University, Chicago
• Residency: Cardiothoracic surgery, McGaw Medical Center, Northwestern University, Chicago
• Fellowship: Pediatric cardiovascular-thoracic surgery, Children's Memorial Hospital, Chicago

Susheela Balasubramaniam, M.D.

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• Practice field: Allergy
• Position: Chief, Allergy Section, Jerry L. Pettis Memorial VA Medical Center, Loma Linda, Calif.
• Medical school: Madras Medical College, India
• Residencies: Pediatrics, St. Thomas' Hospital, London; Pediatrics, Columbia University Medical Center, New York
• Fellowship: Allergy/immunology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn.

Kenneth Brookler, M.D.

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• Practice fields: Otology and neurotology
• Position: Attending otologist, Lenox Hill Hospital, New York
• Medical school: University of Manitoba Medical College, Winnipeg, Manitoba
• Internship: Winnipeg General Hospital, Winnipeg, Manitoba
• Residencies: Deer Lodge Centre, Winnipeg, Manitoba; Otolaryngology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn.
• Fellowship: Neurotology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn.

Nancy Elwess, Ph.D.

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• Research field: Genetics
• Position: Professor, Department of Biological Sciences, State University of New York, Plattsburgh, N.Y.
• Graduate school: Molecular biology, University of Vermont, Burlington, Vt.
• Fellowship: Research fellow and senior research fellow, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn.

Robert Kazan, M.D.

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• Practice field: Neurosurgery
• Positions: President, West Suburban Neurosurgical Associates, Hinsdale, Ill.; Medical director, Neurosciences, Adventist Hinsdale Hospital, Hinsdale, Ill.
• Academic rank: Assistant professor of neurosurgery
• Medical school: Stritch School of Medicine, Loyola University Chicago, Maywood, Ill.
• Residencies: General surgery and neurologic surgery, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn.

Peter Layer, M.D., Ph.D.

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• Practice field: Gastroenterology
• Position: Chief, Department of Medicine, Israelitic Hospital, University of Hamburg, Germany
• Academic rank: Professor of medicine
• Residency: Department of Medicine, University of Duisburg-Essen, Germany
• Internship: Essen University Hospital, Germany
• Fellowship: Gastroenterology research, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn.

Kevin Madden, M.D.

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• Practice field: Neurology
• Position: Neurologist, private practice
• Medical school: State University of New York Downstate Medical Center, Brooklyn, N.Y.
• Internship: Manhattan VA Hospital, New York University Langone Medical Center, New York
• Residency: Neurology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn.

Gregory Mayer, M.D.

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• Practice fields: Hospice and palliative medicine
• Position: Executive medical director and vice president of clinical operations, Hospice of the Valley, Phoenix
• Medical school: Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans
• Internship/residency: General surgery, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn.

M. Mark Melin, M.D.

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• Practice field: Vascular surgery
• Positions: Director, Park Nicollet Wound Clinic, and vascular surgeon, Park Nicollet, St. Louis Park, Minn.; Adjunct assistant professor, Department of Surgery, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis
• Medical school: University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis
• Residency: Thoracic surgery, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn.
• Fellowship: Vascular surgery, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn.

Nicole Pelly, M.D.

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• Practice field: Pediatric anesthesiology
• Position: Pediatric anesthesiologist, Seattle Children's, Seattle; Acting assistant professor, University of Washington, Seattle
• Medical school: Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, Springfield, Ill.
• Internship: Methodist Hospital, Indiana University, Indianapolis
• Residency: Anesthesiology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn.
• Fellowship: Pediatric anesthesiology, Seattle Children's, Seattle

David Romness, M.D.

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• Practice field: Orthopedic surgery
• Position: Medical director, Joint Replacement Center, Virginia Hospital Center, Arlington, Va.; Clinical assistant professor of orthopedic surgery, Georgetown University, Washington, D.C.
• Medical school: Eastern Virginia Medical School, Norfolk, Va.
• Residencies: General surgery and orthopedic surgery, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn.

Scott Ross, D.O.

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• Practice fields: Physical medicine and rehabilitation and pain management
• Position: Director of pain management, Penrose-St. Francis Health Services, Colorado Springs, Colo.
• Medical school: College of Osteopathic Medicine, Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences, Kansas City, Mo.
• Internship: Naval Hospital Charleston, Charleston, S.C.
• Residency: Physical medicine and rehabilitation, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn.
• Fellowship: Pain management, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn.

Guillermo Ruiz-Arguelles, M.D.

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• Practice field: Hematology
• Position: Director, Hematology and Internal Medicine, and teaching division head, Clinica Ruiz, Puebla, Mexico
• Medical school: Autonomous University of San Luis Potosi
• Residencies: Internal medicine and hematology, National Autonomous University of Mexico/National Institute of Nutrition, Mexico City
• Fellowship: Research fellow, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn.

Marcia Sparling, M.D.

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• Practice field: Rheumatology
• Position: Rheumatologist, The Vancouver Clinic, Vancouver, Wash.
• Medical school: University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta
• Residency: Internal medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn.
• Fellowship: Rheumatology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn.

Mack Sullivan Jr., M.D.

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• Practice field: Plastic surgery
• Position: Plastic surgeon in private practice
• Medical school: Medical College of Georgia, Atlanta
• Residency: General surgery, Howard University, Washington
• Fellowship: Plastic surgery, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn.

Pamela Sylvestre, M.D.

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• Practice field: Gastrointestinal and hepatobiliary pathology
• Positions: Pathologist, Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare, Memphis, Tenn.; Partner, Duckworth Pathology Group, Memphis, Tenn.
• Academic rank: Associate professor of pathology
• Medical school: Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles
• Residency: Anatomic and clinical pathology, Los Angeles County and University of Southern California Medical Center, Los Angeles
• Fellowship: Surgical and medical pathology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn.

Karl Tamussino, M.D.

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• Practice field: Obstetrics and gynecology
• Position: Professor, Medical University of Graz, Austria
• Medical school: University of Graz, Austria
• Residency: Obstetrics and gynecology, University of Graz, Austria
• Fellowship: Gynecologic surgery, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn.

Robert Van Dervoort Jr., M.D.

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• Practice field: Pediatric and adolescent medicine
• Position: Associate professor of pediatrics, Vanderbilt School of Medicine, Nashville, Tenn.
• Medical school: Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago
• Residency: Pediatric and adolescent medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn.

• Oct 26, 2011
• ART877817