Current Members & Spotlights

Dr. Louis-Jacques also serves as the Co-Chair for the CEE Teaching Committee. 

What attracted you to working in academic medicine? What attracted me to and keeps me in academic medicine is the opportunity and privilege to work with the next generation of physicians. I hope that my work and effort will in some way contribute to improved patient care in the future.

What made you decide to call UVA your home? I was drawn to UVA by its commitment to medical education, particularly the Foundations in Clinical Medicine course.

What do you enjoy most about teaching? I think teaching is so much fun. I love the interaction with students, watching them develop skills and confidence.

How would you summarize your philosophy of teaching? I view myself as a guide who helps students become the best versions of themselves. I think it’s important to work with the student in front of you- helping them to leverage their strengths.

How do you spend your free time outside of work? I enjoy spending time with my dog Neko and traveling (next trip is to Ireland in July). I have also been trying to get back to reading for pleasure.

What advice would you give to a new faculty member getting involved in education in the UVA SOM? Join the AEE! It’s probably one of the easiest ways to get connected to med ed at UVA.

What are the benefits for you being an active member of the Academy? The main benefit to being an active member of the Academy the opportunity it gives to be immersed within the medical education community here at UVA which can lead to being involved in initiatives that help elevate the quality of medical education at the institution.

Dr. Shah also serves as the Chair for the CEE Membership Committee.

What attracted you to working in academic medicine? During my internal medicine chief resident year, I realized that I absolutely love teaching medical students and residents.  This pushed me to seek out academic medicine jobs after fellowship.  The variety in my work with patient care, clinical research, medical education, and curriculum development has kept every aspect of my job exciting to me for all of my years at UVA.

What made you decide to call UVA your home? I originally came here to join the exceptional liver transplant group by doing a fellowship in transplant hepatology, when I discovered the opportunities in medical education too.  Through all these channels I found the collegiality of the faculty, the strong trainees, and the academic focus unbeatable from any other place I had trained or worked.  My wife grew up in Charlottesville and her father started the practice she joined (Pediatric Associates), so it became an easy decision to stay.

What do you enjoy most about teaching? I think one of the most rewarding things for me is to meet the first years before they start the GI system, and realize how little they know about clinical medicine.  By the end of our course, I love having deep conversations about very complicated GI topics that they hardly knew about 4 weeks prior.  Then a year later, I can see those same students on the wards as we work together on a team to take care of these complex cases.  Watching this growth over time is something that is very rewarding to me.

What interests do you have in educational research and scholarship? I am interested in the use of technology in medical education and the development of resources that reduce cognitive load.  I have found that learners prefer resources that provide quick take home points in a graphical format.  From this interest, I was fortunate to develop the first set of 600 infographics that are now available as a textbook / e-book.  I have been expanding the topic areas encompass all clerkships.  I am fortunate that these infographics are available in over 90% of medical schools in the US and used in more than 70 countries.  I hope the use of my infographics can reduce the cognitive load for trainees and learners.

How would you summarize your philosophy of teaching Building connections – I think the best learners build connections with their patients, colleagues, and between the diseases and science.  These scientific and humanistic connections are essential to making good physicians.

How do you spend your free time outside of work? My favorite thing to do outside of work is spending time with my wife and our daughters.  I also love photography and taking photos to capture the moment.  Sometimes, I try to mix the two, but my daughters often get frustrated when I am trying to capture the perfect shot – so I have learned to love candids!

What advice would you give to a new faculty member getting involved in education in the UVA SOM? UVA is one of the most collegial places I have ever worked.  Everyone I have met has always been so helpful in trying to help me succeed.  It is important to find the right person to mentor you through this process as you start on faculty, and try to look beyond your own division or department.  Set up times to chat with people over the phone, over zoom, or when we are able….meet for coffee.  I have found informal chats to be the basis of some exceptional projects.

What are the benefits for you being an active member of the Academy? Being an active member of the Academy allows faculty and trainees to expand their connections beyond their own Division/Departments.  It promotes collaboration and mentorship for educators at UVA.  The opportunity to apply for grants to fund research focused on medical education is a unique opportunity only available to Academy members.  I have met many people across UVA Health and expanded my network extensively through the Academy.

What attracted you to working in academic medicine? As someone with a doctorate in epidemiology, with professional focus on the integration of research methodology, ethics, and regulations, I was attracted to the potential for interprofessional education and collaboration in academic medicine. Bringing together people from different disciplines and professions is fundamental to conducting responsible and respectful research that promotes research integrity, protects research participants, maintains trust in the research enterprise, and ultimately advances science and improves health.

What made you decide to call UVA your home? In many ways UVA was really my first home. I was born in C’ville when my parents were in graduate school, and I even lived in graduate student housing as a baby! Even though I grew up for the most part in the DC area and lived on the West Coast and in New England for graduate school, I always felt strong ties to C’ville and UVA and so was thrilled to have the opportunity to move back when my husband matched for ID fellowship here (he is also SOM faculty now). I especially appreciate the collegiality at UVA and the good hiking and tennis in the C’ville area.

What do you enjoy most about teaching? I love getting to know, and learn from, so many people around the School of Medicine, Cross Grounds, and beyond! My teaching-at the interface of research methodology, ethics, and regulations-spans academic disciplines and professions, and I regularly teach undergraduate and graduate students, clinicians in training, researchers, and study teams. I am also a leader in the Virginia IRB Consortium, which brings together HRPP professionals and researchers from across Virginia for education and collaboration on issues related to human research protections and research integrity.

What interests do you have in educational research and scholarship? I am interested in how education that integrates research methodology, ethics, and regulations can be used to promote research rigor and integrity and protect research participants.

How would you summarize your philosophy of teaching? We can all learn from each other and grow together.

How do you spend your free time outside of work? I love spending time with my family and playing tennis and the piano. Lately I’ve also been trying to learn bridge and resurrect my Spanish. Rereading Agatha Christie mysteries is my guilty pleasure.

What advice would you give to a new faculty member getting involved in education in the UVA SOM? Be creative and explore the possibility of cross-disciplinary and interprofessional collaboration.

What do you look forward to about the new Academy? I look forward to being part of a community of educators that explores integrating innovative educational approaches such as those using technology, case studies and role-playing, and applied practice experiences. 

Dr. Parsons also serves as the Co-Chair for the CEE Educational Research Committee. 

What attracted you to working in academic medicine? I have always enjoyed teaching, but what drew me to academic medicine was the opportunity to help shape how we develop clinical reasoning in future physicians through innovation and scholarship. I am especially motivated by efforts to coach struggling learners and build assessment systems that support their advancement.

What made you decide to call UVA your home? I came to UVA for residency and quickly realized that this was a place where education is truly valued. I chose to stay because of the collaborative people who make each day enjoyable. Also, Charlottesville is a great place to raise a family and enjoy the outdoors.

What do you enjoy most about teaching? I enjoy working alongside learners as they make sense of problems and apply what they know to patient care, both in the classroom and clinical environment. It is meaningful for me to see their thinking become clearer and their confidence grow.

What interests do you have in educational research and scholarship? My research focuses on clinical reasoning, particularly management reasoning—the process of navigating uncertainty to make and implement care decisions in complex settings with finite resources. How do we teach this? How do we assess this? I also focus on coaching approaches that support struggling learners. More recently, I have explored how generative AI can enhance medical education in these areas.

How would you summarize your philosophy of teaching? I believe in providing graduated autonomy by giving learners greater responsibility as they grow – asking questions that encourage reflection on the why (not just the what). My role is to provide structure and feedback that helps them navigate uncertainty and build confidence over time.

How do you spend your free time outside of work? Most of my time outside of work is spent with my family, watching my daughter play soccer or exploring the outdoors together. I also enjoy local restaurants in Charlottesville and attending UVA sporting events.

What advice would you give to a new faculty member getting involved in education in the UVA SOM? Be open to experiences outside your immediate clinical group. Say YES to early opportunities so that you can learn new skills. UVA has a uniquely collaborative culture, and the more connections you make across the School of Medicine, the more rewarding your educational work can become.

What are the benefits for you being an active member of the Academy? The people—seriously. The Academy offers a committed, supportive community of educators. It has provided opportunities for mentorship and collaboration that have strengthened my work in clinical reasoning education and scholarship.