The UAB Department of Pediatrics welcomes eleven new faculty members during the month of August. Please join us in making them feel at home! 

Nitin Arora, M.D., Assistant Professor in Neonatology
Ahmed Asfari, M.D., Assistant Professor in Pediatric Cardiac Critical Care
Jamie Aye, M.D., Assistant Professor in Pediatric Hematology/Oncology
Teresa Cornelius, M.D., Assistant Professor in Pediatric Hospital Medicine
Madhura Hallman, M.D., Assistant Professor in Pediatric Critical Care
Angela King, M.D., Instructor in Academic General Pediatrics
Han Phan, M.D., Associate Professor in Pediatric Neurology
Claudette Poole, M.D., Assistant Professor in Pediatric Infectious Disease
Emily Smitherman, M.D., Assistant Professor in Pediatric Rheumatology
Christine Stoops, D.O., Assistant Professor in Neonatology
Scott Turner, DNP, Assistant Professor in Pediatric Neurology

Nitin Arora, M.D., Assistant Professor in Neonatology, earned his medical degree from Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Medical College in Bangalore, India. Dr. Arora completed his pediatric residency at West Virignia University Hospital in Morgantown, West Virginia and neonatal/perinatal fellowship at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center/Children’s Hospital in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. In addition, he received a Master of Public Health from the University of Alabama at Birmingham in 2008.

Ahmed Asfari, M.D., Assistant Professor in Pediatric Cardiac Critical Care, earned his medical degree from University of Aleppo Faculty of Medicine in Aleppo, Syria. Dr. Asfari completed his pediatric residency at University of Kansas School of Medicine in Wichita, Kansas where he was also a chief resident. He completed his pediatric critical care fellowship at the University of Arkansas for Medical Science in Little Rock, Arkansas and an advanced cardiovascular critical care fellowship at the University of Florida College of Medicine in Gainesville, Florida. His research/clinical interests include: mechanical circulatory support/ clinical and translational research.

Jamie Aye, M.D., Assistant Professor in Pediatric Hematology Oncology, earned her medical degree from Mercer University School of Medicine. Dr. Aye completed her pediatric residency at the University of South Carolina/Palmetto Health Richland and her pediatric hematology oncology fellowship at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Her research/clinical interests focus on improving the outcomes of patients with solid tumors.

Teresa Cornelius, M.D., Assistant Professor in Pediatric Hospital Medicine, earned her medical degree from the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Medicine in Birmingham, Alabama. Dr. Cornelius completed her combined medicine/pediatric residency at UAB. In addition, she received a Master of Public Health from UAB.

Madhura Hallman, M.D., Assistant Professor in Pediatric Critical Care, earned her medical degree from Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta, Georgia. Dr. Hallman completed her pediatric residency at the University of Alabama at Birmingham and her pediatric critical care fellowship at the University of Tennessee in Memphis, Tennessee. Her research/clinical interests include: long-term functional and neuropsychological outcomes in PICU survivors, ICU follow-up models, mentorship of residents and fellows, and health disparities in critical care.

Angela King, M.D., Instructor in Academic General Pediatrics, earned her medical degree from the University of South Alabama College of Medicine in Mobile, Alabama. Dr. King completed her pediatric residency at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Her research/clinical interests include: asthma, childhood obesity and nutrition.

Han Phan, M.D., Associate Professor in Pediatric Neurology, earned her medical degree from Morehouse School of Medicine in Atlanta, Georgia. Dr. Phan completed her intern year at Tulane University and her child neurology residency and sleep medicine fellowship at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Dr. Phan previously served as an Assistant Professor in Pediatric Neurology at UAB and an Assistant Professor at Emory University in Neurology. Her research/clinical interests include: neuromuscular and sleep disorders.

Claudette Poole, M.D., Assistant Professor in Pediatric Infectious Disease, earned her medical degree from the University of Cape Town in South Africa. Dr. Poole completed pediatric residency at Schneider Children’s Hospital in Manhasset, New York and completed a pediatric infectious disease fellowship at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. She has worked as a general pediatrician in the community as well as a hospitalist. Prior to fellowship training at UAB, she held an academic position as Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at Hofstra School of Medicine in New York with her clinical position as an academic hospitalist at Cohen Children’s Medical Center in New York. Her research/clinical interests include: respiratory viral infections in vulnerable patient populations, the role of molecular diagnostics and antivirals. In addition to her clinical role in the division of infectious diseases she will participate in infection prevention both at Childrens' as well as in the RNICU of the Women and Infant's Hospital of UAB.

Emily Smitherman, M.D., Assistant Professor in Pediatric Rheumatology, earned her medical degree from the University of Texas Southwestern in Dallas, Texas. Dr. Smitherman completed her pediatric residency at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina and her pediatric rheumatology fellowship at Cincinnati Children’s Medical Center. In addition, she received a Master’s of Science in Clinical & Translational Research from University of Cincinnati in Cincinnati, Ohio. Her research/clinical interests include: optimizing healthcare delivery for children with chronic rheumatic disease, impact of health system interventions on patient outcomes.

Christine Stoops, D.O., M.P.H., Assistant Professor in Neonatology, earned her medical degree from University of North Texas Health Science Center in Fort Worth, Texas. Dr. Stoops completed her pediatric residency and neonatology fellowship at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Her research/clinical interests include: acute kidney injury risk factors & sequalae in the neonatal population.

Scott Turner, DNP, Assistant Professor in Pediatric Neurology, earned his Bachelor of Science in Nursing and Master of Science in Nursing from Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia. Dr. Turner completed his Doctor of Nursing Practice at the University of Colorado in Aurora, Colorado. Dr. Turner previously served as an Assistant Professor in Pediatric Neurology at the University of Colorado in Aurora, Colorado. His research/clinical interests include: pediatric headache, Tourette syndrome, population health, and quality improvement.