Meet the Faculty
Robert H. Thiele, MD
Robert H. Thiele, MD, Critical Care Anesthesia Division Chief
Dr. Thiele is a cardiac anesthesiologist and intensivist (ICU doctor) at UVA. An Assistant Professor of Biomedical Engineering, and an engineer by training, he is particularly interested in transesophageal ultrasonography and critical care ultrasound, as well as the use and development of advanced monitoring technology. He is an at-large member of the Board of Directors for the University Physicians Group, in addition to serving on the Finance Committee and Investment Subcommittee.
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Link to Dr. Thiele’s Publications
Jonathan M. Curley, MD
Jonathan M. Curley, MD
Jonathan Curley is an Assistant Professor of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine in the Department of Anesthesiology at the University of Virginia. He specializes in caring for critically ill patients throughout the peri-operative period. In addition to anesthesiology and critical care medicine, he has specialized training in ultrasonography including perioperative transesophageal echocardiography, point of care ultrasonography, and critical care echocardiography.
Outside of his clinical work he is involved in multidisciplinary education for various intensive care divisions at the University of Virginia and has research interests in clinical bedside ultrasonography, hemodynamic monitoring, and bringing critical care specific clinical skillsets into operating room for the general anesthesiologist.
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Link to Dr. Curley’s Publications
Paul D. Gallo, MD
Paul D. Gallo, MD
Dr. Gallo is a cardiothoracic anesthesiologist and critical care physician. He joined the University of Virginia as an Assistant Professor of Anesthesiology in 2022. Originally from Wisconsin, he received a BSN from Marquette University and a medical degree from Georgetown University. He completed an anesthesiology residency at the University of Wisconsin, and dual fellowship training in critical care and cardiothoracic anesthesiology at Columbia University in New York City.
His professional interests include integrating complex care between the OR and ICU environments, medical education, and interdisciplinary collaboration. Outside of work, he enjoys spending time with his family, running/biking, and cheering on the Green Bay Packers.
Link to Dr. Gallo’s Publications
Ebony J Hilton, MD
Ebony J Hilton, MD
Dr. Ebony Jade Hilton received her MD from the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) in 2008. She remained at MUSC for completion of her Residency in Anesthesia, followed by a Fellowship in Critical Care Medicine. In 2013 Dr. Hilton made history as she was hired as the 1st African American Female Anesthesiologist since the hospital’s opening in 1824. In 2018 she relocated to continue her efforts at the University of Virginia.
Throughout her tenure as a Critical Care Anesthesiologist, Dr. Hilton’s passions have centered on exploring the issue of health disparities, particularly as it pertains to race, and bridging the gap between physicians and the communities they serve. Her efforts have been recognized by the National Newspaper Publishers Association for the 2021 National Leadership Award, as well as the National Medical Association and the National Minority Quality Forum as one of the top 40 under 40 Leaders in Health Care award recipients.
With the advent of the COVID-19 Pandemic, Dr. Hilton seamlessly transitioned her clinical responsibilities covering the ICU to become a leader on public health messaging and strategic design. In addition to orchestrating and participating in numerous town halls she assisted in organizing testing and vaccination centers, and even wrote an award winning children’s book entitled, “We’re Going To Be OK” to promote health literacy during this time of great uncertainty. Dr. Hilton’s was invited to participate as a medical commentator on platforms such as MSNBC, CNN, and CBS, speaking on matters pertaining to health justice, impacts of necropolitics, and influence of the social determinants of health on both acute and long term outcomes. Her efforts were summarized in the literary works of the Pulitzer Prize Winner, Lawrence Wright, in the December 2020 edition of The New Yorker, and his published book, The Plague Year: America in the Time of Covid.
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Link to Dr. Hilton’s Publications
Matthew C. Hulse, MD
Matthew C. Hulse, MD
Dr. Hulse is an Assistant Professor of Anesthesiology in the Division of Critical Care Medicine at the University of Virginia. He serves as medical director of the Thoracic and Cardiovascular
Surgical Intensive Care Unit (TCV-ICU) where he specializes in the post-operative critical care management of patients undergoing complex cardiac, thoracic, and vascular surgery
procedures.
Dr. Hulse writes for the American board of Anesthesiology (ABA) Advanced Written Exam and was inducted into the Academy for Excellence in Education in 2021. His research interests include right ventricular failure, mechanical circulatory support, and quality improvement after cardiac surgery.
Stuart M. Lowson, MBBS Associate Professor
Stuart M. Lowson, MBBS
Dr. Lowson is a tenured associate professor and co-director of the Surgical Trauma ICU. Dr Lowson is also an attending in the Preoperative Optimization and Evaluation Center which ties in with his interest in perioperative medicine – both the pre and postoperative phases. Dr. Lowson has an interest in cardiac
evaluation, peri-operative anemia management blood conservation and serves on the hospital’s transfusion committee.
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Link to Dr. Lowson’s Publications
Nadia Lunardi, MD, PhD
Nadia Lunardi, MD, PhD
Dr. Lunardi is a neuro-anesthesiologist and Critical Care physician, an Associate Professor of Anesthesiology, and the Principal Investigator of a Neuroscience research laboratory. She provides intraoperative and postoperative care to neurosurgical and neurological patients in the operating room and in the Neuro Intensive Care unit. Her laboratory’s research focus is on the interactions between anesthetics and sleep, and the mechanisms of postoperative delirium.
She is recognized as a local and national leader in her field of research, serving as UVa Neuroscience Graduate Program mentor and having received prestigious research awards from the International Anesthesia Research Society and the National Institutes of Health.
Venkat R. Mangunta, MD
During college, after the September 11th terrorist attack, he decided to join the armed forces and was commissioned as an officer in the US Navy and served five years as an active duty medical officer. He completed a year of General Surgery Training at the University of Missouri School of Medicine at the Naval Medical Center San Diego. He served as a Naval Medical Officer and Naval Flight Surgeon with Marine Attack Squadron 542 from 2009-2012.
After military service Dr. Mangunta completed an Anesthesiology residency at the University of Massachusetts School of Medicine. He completed a Fellowship in Critical Care Medicine at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore, and a Fellowship in Cardiovascular Anesthesia at the Baylor College of Medicine/Texas Heart Institute in Houston. He became a Cardiovascular Anesthesiologist and Critical Care Physician at the Saint Luke’s Mid America Heart Institute in Kansas City where he staffed the CVICU and cardiothoracic operating rooms at one of the top 15 busiest heart transplant centers in the nation.
He holds the ABS Certification in Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine from the American Board of Anesthesiology. His research interests include: Airborne Infectious Diseases and Isolation Strategies, Cardiogenic Shock and Microvascular Shock, Operative Crew Resource Management (CRM) and Communication, Mechanical Circulatory Support, and VV ECMO for Pulmonary Failure. He joined UVA in August of 2021.
Michael Mazzeffi, MD, MPH, FASA
Michael Mazzeffi, MD, MPH, FASA
Dr. Mazzeffi is a cardiothoracic anesthesiologist and critical care physician. He also serves as the Vice Chair for Faculty Affairs and Development in the department of Anesthesiology. He completed medical school at Tulane University, residency at Mt. Sinai School of Medicine, and his fellowships at Emory University.
He has Master’s degrees in Public Health and Clinical Research and maintains an active research program in perioperative outcomes research and blood coagulation. His research has been funded by the Society of Cardiovascular Anesthesiologists and Anesthesia Patient Safety Foundation. He is an active member of the Society of Cardiovascular Anesthesiologists and is chair of its ECMO committee. He is also a fellow of the American Society of Anesthesiologists.
Outside of work he enjoys running, traveling, fly-fishing, and spending time with family.
Matthew J. Meyer, MD
Matthew J. Meyer, MD
Dr. Matthew Meyer is a critical care anesthesiologist and Assistant Professor of Anesthesiology. He is co-chair of the UVA Health Sustainability Committee and treasurer of the Virginia Clinicians for Climate Action.
His research interest includes perioperative efficiency. He promulgates the message that sustainable healthcare is high-value healthcare through writing, speaking and advocacy.
Bhiken Ishwarlal Naik, MD
Bhiken Ishwarlal Naik, MD
Dr. Naik is a tenured Associate Professor of Anesthesiology and Neurological Surgery, Associate Medical Director of the Nerancy Neuroscience Intensive Care Unit and Anesthesiology Vice-Chair of Clinical Research.
He is board certified in Anesthesiology, Critical Care and Neurocritical Care through the American Board of Anesthesiology. His clinical practice encompasses patients with neurological diseases in the operating room and intensive care unit. Dr. Naik’s research interest includes predictions of postoperative complications, creating data equity for low-middle-income countries and developing recovery trajectories after surgery using mHealth technology.
Dr. Naik is the Principal Investigator for the Multicenter Perioperative Outcomes Group at UVA and is currently completing his Masters in Clinical Research at the School of Public Health. He serves on multiple national committee’s including the American Society of Anesthesiologist, Society of Neuroscience in Anesthesiology and Critical Care and the North American Spine Society.
Joshua Roach, MDJoshua Roach, MD
Joshua Roach, MD, is board-certified in anesthesiology as well as adult critical care medicine, and completed a fellowship in cardiothoracic anesthesiology in June, 2022. Dr. Roach grew up in West Virginia and earned his medical degree from West Virginia University. He completed residency training in anesthesiology at the University of Virginia, and completed fellowship training in critical care and cardiothoracic anesthesia at The Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in Baltimore.
His professional interests include the neurocognitive and cardiac rehabilitation of patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve procedures, as well as becoming a leader in the education of tomorrow’s providers. In his spare time, he enjoys running, gardening, hiking, and spending time with his partner and two dogs.
D. Keegan Stombaugh, MD
D. Keegan Stombaugh, MD
Dr. Stombaugh is a cardiothoracic and critical care anesthesiologist at UVA. He specializes in the care of patients undergoing cardiac, thoracic, and vascular procedures. In addition, he works as an intensivist in the cardiovascular and thoracic surgical ICU. His primary academic interest is medical education.
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Link to Dr. Stombaugh’s Publications
Danny J Theodore, MD
Danny J Theodore, MD
Danny Theodore is the Fellowship Director of the Anesthesia Critical Care Fellowship and the Director of Respiratory Therapy. He is an Associate Professor of Anesthesiology and specializes in critical care and neurocritical care. He is dual board certified in neuro critical care.
Dr. Theodore is heavily involved in the Society of Critical Medicine as a member of the neurocritical care subcommittee and the respiratory care subcommittee. He is also currently the SCCM national representative for respiratory care and holds the title of Fellow of the American College of Critical Care Medicine. His current research interests are in traumatic brain injury and acute respiratory distress syndrome.
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Link to Dr. Theodore’s Publications
Mohamed Tiouririne, MD
Mohamed Tiouririne, MD
Dr. Tiouririne is a professor in the Department of Anesthesiology at the University of Virginia. He is a trained Obstetrician and Gynecologist, Anesthesiologist and a Critical Care Medicine Doctor. Dr. Tiouririne is considered an expert in Obstetric Anesthesiology and holds a dual appointment with the department of Obstetrics and Gynecology. His interests expand beyond the labor and delivery unit and encompass critical care medicine with a specific interest in maternal critical care.
He is the medical Director of our Surgical Admission Suite and Post Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU). Dr Tiouririne served as the Director of Obstetric Anesthesiology for many years and served as the Co-chair for the establishment of the Society of Obstetric Anesthesia and Perinatology recommendation for ERAS after Cesarean section. He was the recipient of the Dean’s Clinical Excellence Award in 2017.
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Link to Dr. Tiouririne’s Publications