LEARN ABOUT OUR PRESENTERS BELOW AND THEIR DIVERSE BACKGROUNDS!
Dr. Bruce Bonanno
cme cONFERENCE pROGRAM dIRECTOR
SGUSOM graduate 1983, current President of SGUSOM Alumni Association and a member MSNJ (Medical Society of NJ) Opiate Task Force. Recently appointed to the NJ State Trauma System Advisory Committee.
Currently practicing in CentraState Medical Center in Freehold, NJ and is Board Certified in Emergency Medicine. Has been practicing EM for over 30 years in various settings from 12 bed rural hospitals, to a Level One Trauma Center. These hospitals have been in several states including NJ, NY, PA, IA, and SD. Some unusual sites have included an Indian Reservation and a Cruise Ship.
Previously:
Examiner for Board Certification in Emergency Medicine Oral Board.
Chief Medical Consultant for News12NJ and host of a thirty-minute TV medical show.
Spokesperson of the Opiate Task Force of National ACEP and NJ-ACEP,
President of NJ American College of Emergency Physicians (NJ-ACEP), President of National Association of Medical Communicators (NAMC), President of Monmouth-Ocean County Medical Society (MSNJ), and Chairman of National ACEP Public Relations Committee.
Dr. Daniel Herr
cme conference educational director
Daniel L. Herr, MD is the Chief of Surgical Critical care services and Director of the Cardiac Surgery Unit at the University of Maryland. He is responsible for the oversight of the clinical ICU care of cardiac surgery patients, heart transplant, lung transplant, ventricular assist devices and, extracorporeal lung support. Dr Herr serves as an Associate professor of Medicine. Dr Herr’s research interests are in use, of Extra corporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) for lung failure, avoidance and treatment of acute confusional states in the ICU and the use of hypothermia for resuscitation. Dr Herr is boarded in the fields of Internal medicine, Critical Care and certified in Neuro-Critical care.
A Fellow of the American College of Critical Care Medicine, Dr. Herr is an experienced principal investigator with special interest in novel therapies and devices. He is proficient in regulatory compliance, protocol design, and pharmacology. His research findings have been published in prominent medical journals such as JAMA, Journal of Neurosurgery, and Critical Care Medicine. He has also authored two book chapters on the subject of nutrition in critical care and endocrine management of the cardiac surgical patient. Most recently he was one of the authors of the Guidelines for Sedation in critically ill patients.
As a recognized expert in the field of critical care, Dr. Herr is frequently invited to speak at medical conferences on topics concerning novel/new treatments and therapies for crucially ill patients. He has served on several Data Safety Monitoring Boards, and often provides consultative services to pharmaceutical companies. Throughout his career, he has been an active member of several medical organizations.
Dr. Herr received a Masters of Science in Pharmacology from Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, and a Medical Degree from St. George’s University School of Medicine, Grenada, W.I. He completed a residency at York Hospital in York, PA, and completed post-graduate training in critical care (medical, surgical and trauma) at Maryland Institute for mergency Medical Services (MIEMSS), University of Maryland Hospital, Baltimore, Maryland, and Memorial Sloan-Kettering, Cornell University, New York, NY.
Prior to assuming his current positions, Dr Herr was Assistant Vice President of Scientific Affairs at MedStar Research Institute, as well as Director of Critical Care Research, and Medical Director of the Surgical Intensive Care Unit at Washington Hospital Center (WHC) in Washington, DC. Dr. Herr was responsible for all critical care research conducted at WHC, and oversaw all MedStar-administered research projects conducted in Baltimore, Maryland. Over the past several years, Dr. Herr served as a key scientific contributor to MedStar’s Office of Research Integrity and served as Chair of the Institutional Review Board (IRB) for eight years. In addition to his clinical and research responsibilities, Dr. Herr was an Associate Professor of Medicine at Georgetown University. Prior to those appointments, Dr. Herr served as Assistant Clinical Professor of Neurosurgery at George Washington University in Washington DC, and was Medical Director of MedSTAR, the renowned trauma transport and emergency program at WHC.
Dr. leen alblaihed
Dr. Alblaihed graduated from the Emergency Medicine residency training program at the University of Maryland in 2017. After that, she served a year as chief resident for the EM program while also doing an Emergency Ultrasound fellowship with a focus on Echocardiography. Additionally, she completed a fellowship in Academic Emergency Medicine and Faculty Development and is a graduate of ACEP’s Teaching Fellowship. She won numerous teaching awards including ACEP’s Junior Faculty Teaching Award. Leen has lectured numerous times both locally and nationally, her areas of interest are Emergency Cardiology, Echocardiography and Ultrasound. Prior to her Emergency Medicine training, Leen earned her master's degree in healthcare administration from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. She also worked with the Armstrong Institute for Patient Safety and Quality where she led teams and task forces in different aspects related to patient safety and quality.
Dr. Jaime Almandoz
Jaime Almandoz, MD, MBA, MRCPI, FTOS is an Associate Professor of Internal Medicine and Medical Director of Weight Wellness Obesity Medicine Program at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. Dr. Almandoz is a diplomate of the American Board of Obesity Medicine and board certified in Endocrinology and Internal Medicine. Dr. Almandoz received his medical degree from the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Internal Medicine Residency and Endocrinology Fellowship training at the Mayo Clinic, and a fellowship in Nutrition and Metabolic Diseases at UT Southwestern. Dr. Almandoz’s clinical and research interests include interdisciplinary programs for weight management, post-bariatric weight recurrence and disparities in obesity care.
Dr. linda bockenstedt
Linda Bockenstedt, M.D., is Deputy Dean for Academic Affairs and the Harold W. Jockers Professor of Medicine/Rheumatology at Yale School of Medicine. She served as the Yale Rheumatology Fellowship Program Director for 9 years and was a member of several American College of Rheumatology committees and boards, including the Strategic Advisory Council and Board of Directors of the Research & Education Foundation. She is a Master of the American College of Rheumatology and an elected member of the Kunkel Society and the Interurban Clinical Club. She currently serves on the NIH NIAID Council. As a physician-scientist, she studies the host immune responses to infectious challenges, from silent infection to multisystem disease with rheumatic manifestations. As a practicing rheumatologist, she cares for patients with complex autoimmune and inflammatory diseases and oversees mentorship of medical trainees at all levels.
Dr. Craig Conoscenti
Dr. Conoscenti received BS from Fordham University and his M.D. from St George’s University School of Medicine. He completed his residency and chief residency at Hackensack University Medical Center. Following this he completed his pulmonary critical care medicine fellowship at the Norwalk Hospital/Yale University fellowship program.
He practiced in a clinical academic program at Norwalk Hospital for 18 years serving as a senior consultant in pulmonary and critical care medicine. Additionally, he was research physician in the Hinds Center for Respiratory Research and the director of the diving and hyperbaric medicine division. He was a faculty educator for both the fellowship and residency programs. His specific area of interest clinically and in his research was interstitial lung disease.
Dr. Conoscenti joined Boehringer Ingelheim in 2002 and until 2021 he was the program area lead for the pulmonary fibrosis program and the Medical Expert, Interstitial Lung Disease. He went on to be the Therapeutic Area Head and Executive Director for Interstitial Lung Disease in the Clinical Development and Medical Affairs group. In early November 2023, Dr. Conoscenti took up his current role as Senior Vice President for Clinical Development, Avalyn Pharma, Seattle WA.
He is a Fellow of the American Thoracic Society and the American College of Chest Physicians, where he has held several committee positions, and the European Respiratory Society. He received the Norman S Brady Fellowship where he served sabbatical time at the Brompton Chest Hospital in London studying quantitative and qualitative chest CT analysis.
Dr. daniel culver
Daniel Culver, DO, is Chair of the Department of Pulmonary Medicine at Cleveland Clinic's Main Campus. He holds a joint appointment in the Department of Inflammation and Immunity. His clinical interests include interstitial lung diseases, sarcoidosis, pulmonary alveolar proteinosis, and critical care.
Dr. Culver earned his doctor of osteopathic medicine degree at the Ohio University College of Osteopathic Medicine in Athens, Ohio. After medical school, he did an osteopathic rotating internship at Meridia South Pointe Hospital. He completed his residency in internal medicine and a fellowship in pulmonary and critical care medicine at Cleveland Clinic.
Dr. Culver is a fellow of the American College of Chest Physicians and a member of several professional associations, including the American Thoracic Society, the American Osteopathic Association and the World Association of Sarcoidosis. He is the President of the World Association of Sarcoidosis and Other Granulomatous Disorders.
Dr. Peter Dicpinigaitis
Dr. Peter Dicpinigaitis is Professor of Medicine at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, in New York. He is board-certified in Internal Medicine, Pulmonary Diseases and Critical Care Medicine. He is a faculty member of the Division of Critical Care Medicine at Montefiore Medical Center, and is the founder and director of the Montefiore Cough Center. In addition to experience in all aspects of clinical medicine within the spectrum of pulmonary and critical care, a major focus of Dr. Dicpinigaitis’ clinical research for over 25 years has been in the area of cough. He has authored numerous peer-reviewed journal articles and book chapters on cough, and is considered an authority on the performance of cough challenge studies in clinical research. He served as a co-author on cough management guidelines published by the American College of Chest Physicians as well as the European Respiratory Society, and is the founder and chairman of the biannual American Cough Conference. Dr. Dicpinigaitis also serves as the Editor-in-Chief of the journal LUNG.
Dr. constance guille
Dr. Connie Guille is a tenured Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and Obstetrics and Gynecology at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) and director of the Women’s Reproductive Behavioral Health Division. The focus of her clinical and clinical research is in the integration of mental health and addiction treatment in women’s health, specifically for the treatment of mental health and substance use disorders among pregnant and postpartum women. Since 2011 Dr. Guille has been federally and privately funded to conduct clinical research focused on the development, and rigorous evaluation of patient and provider-informed, technology enhanced, novel treatments for perinatal mental health and substance use disorders. She receives funding from the National Institute of Health, Heath Resources and Services Administration, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute, and private foundations such as the Duke Endowment to develop treatments to improve women’s health.
Dr. brian houston
Dr. Brian Houston is a cardiologist specializing in the management of advanced heart failure, including the care of patients before and after heart transplantation or left ventricular assist device (LVAD). After graduating from Emory University School of Medicine, Dr. Houston completed residency at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland. He was invited to serve as an assistant chief of service of the Thayer Firm at Johns Hopkins Hospital, and he spent that year caring for patients and instructing residents and medical students. He remained at Johns Hopkins for his general cardiology fellowship and spent an additional year of fellowship there training in the care of advanced heart failure, LVADs, and transplantation. Dr. Houston has been invited to present his research work at international scientific meetings. He has a particular interest in cardiac sarcoidosis and in the effects of LVAD support on the gastrointestinal tract, blood, and the right side of the heart. He was honored to be named a finalist for the American Heart Association's Young Clinician Award in 2015. Dr. Houston believes that each patient with heart failure is unique and that, to live their best life, they require a caring and comprehensive approach from a dedicated medical team. Dr. Houston has board certifications in Internal Medicine, Cardiovascular Disease, Advanced Heart Failure and Transplant Cardiology.
Dr. Lisa Lancaster
Lisa H. Lancaster, MD, is the Medical Director of the Interstitial Lung Disease Program and the Associate Professor of Medicine at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Dr. Lancaster is board-certified in Internal Medicine, Pulmonary Medicine, and Critical Care Medicine. She holds a medical degree from the Medical College of Georgia. Dr. Lancaster completed her internship and residency in Internal Medicine and her fellowship in Pulmonary and Critical Care at Vanderbilt University. Dr. Lancaster’s clinical interests include idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, lung transplantation, cystic fibrosis, and sleep medicine.
Dr. Joseph Mammarappallil
Dr. Joseph Mammarappallil is a Cardiothoracic Imaging Specialist and Radiologist in Durham, NC and is affiliated with Duke University Hospital, Duke Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance (MRI) Center. He received his medical degree from Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center. He is experienced in pneumonia and cardiac ct / mri. Dr. Mammarappallil is board certified in Diagnostic Radiology
Dr. joseph MArtinez
Dr. Martinez is a Professor of Emergency Medicine and Medicine at the University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM). He completed a combined residency in Emergency Medicine and Internal Medicine at the University of Maryland in 2003 and joined the faculty of both departments at UMSOM. Dr. Martinez currently serves as Associate Dean for Medical Education and Student Experience at UMSOM. In addition to his clinical and administrative duties, Dr. Martinez is an active lecturer on the local, national, and international level, with a particular interest in abdominal and gastrointestinal emergencies, as well as medical student education.
Dr. neal reynolds
Dr. H. Neal Reynolds graduated in 1970 with his electrical engineering degree from the University of Maryland, College Park. He continued his education at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. He became board certified in Internal Medicine after residency at the University of Hawaii. He later obtained certification in Critical Care Medicine from Wayne State School of Medicine in Michigan, and is recently retired from practicing at the University of Maryland Shock Trauma Center in Baltimore.
At the onset of the pandemic, due to an underlying health condition, Dr. Reynolds was unable to continue working in the hospital. Instead, he maintained visits with patients, including Covid patients, by creating a robotic telehealth program. From his home more than twenty miles from his unit, he is able to control a robot with an attached computer screen. The robot, known as “Fast Freddy,” can be directed into a patient’s room so that Dr. Reynolds can communicate with patients and on-site health care workers. Robotic health care has been in use for about 16 years, but the current pandemic has highlighted its usefulness.
By drawing on his education in electrical engineering, Dr. Reynolds has done extensive work in using robotic technology as part of TeleHealth and Tele-ICU programs. He has spoken about his work at state, national and international levels; published numerous writings; and has taught TeleHealth to medical students, residents and practitioners. In addition, he has worked with the Maryland General Assembly on establishing laws supporting reimbursement and simplifying credentials for Telehealth and has created a state-wide alliance focused on the further development of TeleHealth programs in Maryland. He is currently studying the use of Infra-Red image enhancement to strengthen the quality of technology used in TeleHealth examinations
Dr. nirav shah
Dr. Shah graduated from the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill, North Carolina with a BS in Biology with Honors and a Minor in Chemistry and then went on to pursue his medical education at St. George's University School of Medicine in Grenada, West Indies. Upon graduating from St. George's University with Honors, he did his internship and residency in Internal Medicine at the Georgetown University Hospital/Washington Hospital Center Program in Washington, D.C. He completed his fellowship in Critical Care Medicine at the National Institutes of Health and his fellowship in Pulmonary Diseases at the University of Maryland Medical Center. Dr. Shah is board certified in Pulmonary Diseases and Critical Care Medicine and currently serves as the Associate Chief of the Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine and the Assistant Dean for Medical Education at the University of Maryland School of Medicine where he has received numerous teaching awards and been selected as a Baltimore Magazine Top Doc for the last 5 years.