Our Faculty
When people are in the position of having to teach others, they're going to take a closer look at how they're practicing. It just creates an environment for optimal, gold-standard health care. And this community deserves that.
Priya W., Class of 2025
Suzanne Brandenburg, MD, FACP
Associate Dean for Medical Education, Fort Collins Branch
Director Interprofessional Education
Professor, Department of Medicine, CUSOM
Clinical: Anschutz Medical Campus Internal Medicine Clinic
Dr. Suzanne Brandenburg grew up in Buffalo, New York. She followed her family to Colorado after college and completed medical school and residency training at the University of Colorado. She became a faculty member
right out of residency and has been a clinician educator at the University of Colorado for her entire career. She is currently leading the CU SOM at CSU start-up. She also oversees interprofessional education on the Anschutz Medical Campus and previously
served as Director of the Medicine Residency Program and as Vice Chair for Education in the Department of Medicine. She enjoys teaching, mentoring and building programs, and feels privileged to care for patients as a general internist. Outside of
medicine, she spends much of her time with family – her husband of over 30 years, her son and his fiancée, her parents and lots of in-laws. She likes to cook, eat, read and travel.
Christie Reimer, MD
Assistant Dean, Fort Collins Branch
Associate Professor, Department of Medicine, CUSOM
Clinical: Snow Mesa Internal Medicine, UCHealth Medical Group
Dr. Christie Reimer grew up in South Dakota where she graduated from Augustana College and the University of South Dakota School of Medicine. She completed her residency and was a chief resident at the University of Kansas School of Medicine – Wichita and finished a fellowship in primary care faculty development at Michigan State University. She was on faculty and worked in graduate medical education at KU and then the University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine before moving to Colorado in 2008. She has been actively involved in leadership at UCHealth and in the American College of Physicians, and thus values participation of physicians (and students) in leadership roles in our communities on behalf of our patients. She is an ambulatory general internal medicine physician, providing primary care for adults at the UCHealth Snow Mesa Internal Medicine clinic in Fort Collins. She enjoys interacting with students in the classroom and clinical settings and hopes to role model excellence in patient-centered care and promote individualized career exploration and wellbeing for medical students. Her free time is spent with her two children and partner, and she loves good company, good food, good music, and sunshine.
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Gregory C. Amberg, PharmD, PhD
Professor, CSU Department of Biomedical Sciences
MS1 (Plains) & Basic Sciences Curriculum Director, CUSOM Fort Collins Branch
Dr.
Gregory Amberg was born in Columbus, Ohio, and raised in Temple City,
California. Subsequently, he resided in Idaho, Nevada, Washington, and
Colorado. He completed his BS in Biology (University of California
Riverside/Idaho State Univ.), PharmD (Idaho State Univ. College of Pharmacy),
PhD (Cell & Molecular Pharmacology & Physiology; Univ. of Nevada Reno),
and Postdoctoral Fellowship (Cardiovascular Physiology & Pathophysiology;
Univ. of Washington).
His
involvement in teaching at the CU SOM at CSU Branch Campus stems from a
long-standing interest in promoting and integrating the basic biomedical
sciences within modern medical education curricula.
His
teaching areas of interest include Physiology, Pharmacology, Cell &
Molecular Biology, Biochemistry, and Pharmacotherapeutics. His research
areas of interest include using electrophysiology and advanced imaging to study
localized calcium and oxidant signaling mechanism in smooth muscle cells,
neuroendocrine cells, and neurons. Greg’s non-academic interests include
listening to music, cooking and baking, woodworking, and spending time in the
mountains.
Ellen Aster, PhD
Education Specialist, Fort Collins Branch
Ellen grew up in the small town of Socorro, New Mexico. Drawn to the rainy and green Pacific Northwest, she obtained her B.S. in Geological Sciences from the Clark Honors College at University of Oregon, M.S. in Geological Sciences from the University of Oregon, and Ph.D. in Science Education from Oregon State University.
Ellen enjoys working with educators to identify and implement meaningful learning experiences for students, particularly those in the science, technology, and engineering and mathematics (STEM) disciplines. She is passionate about cultivating welcoming and rewarding learning experiences that build off students’ funds of knowledge and speak to students’ learning interests and professional goals. She considers it a great gift to collaborate with the excellent faculty, staff, and students at CUSOM, Fort Collins Branch at CSU. Ellen also enjoys road biking, kayaking on Horsetooth Reservoir, watching movies at The Lyric, drawing landscapes with oil pastels, tending to her 30+ houseplants, reading Mary Oliver, and hanging out with her partner, Grant, and their two tuxedo cats, Phil Claw-ins and Oswald.
Rebecca Bade, M.D.
Health Systems and Community Leadership Trail Director, Fort Collins Branch
Clinical: Northern Colorado Hospitalists
Dr. Rebecca Bade is a Colorado native and grew up in Fort Collins. She did her undergraduate training at Colorado School of Mines before attending medical school in Baltimore at The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. She completed residency training in internal medicine at the University of Colorado and then was delighted to join the Northern Colorado Hospitalists team in her hometown.
Dr. Bade’s professional interests include medical education and curriculum development, clinical reasoning, and hospital quality improvement. In her role as the Health Systems and Community Leadership Trail Director, she hopes to equip students with tools to serve as exemplary leaders throughout the entirety of their medical careers. Outside of work, she loves to spend time with her husband and son, read, and enjoy the beautiful state of Colorado.
Karen Chacko, MD
Director of Admissions, Fort Collins Branch
Professor, Department of Medicine
Associate Dean for Clinical Outreach, CUSOM
Clinical: Anschutz Medical Campus Internal Medicine Clinic
Dr. Karen Chacko attended UC San Diego for both undergraduate and
medical school. She moved to Colorado in 1996 for residency in the Primary Care
Internal Medicine program at the University of Colorado. She did a chief
residency, and then joined faculty to work in academics and specifically to
work with learners throughout her career. Karen was the program director for
the Primary Care IM residency for over 15 years and the senior associate
program director for the categorical IM residency for 10 years.
Karen
currently holds roles as the Associate Dean of Clinical Outreach as well as the
Medical Director of Digital Health for the School of Medicine faculty at the
Anschutz Medical Campus in addition to being the Director of Admissions for the
CU SOM at CSU Medical Branch Campus. Her greatest joys in her career include
caring for her patients and working with learners with a focus on career
mentorship and personal development. Most importantly, Karen is the mother
to two wonderful teenage girls and wife to her husband who hails from Montana
originally. She enjoys exercising, with a particular addiction to Peloton most
recently, cooking, spending time with family, traveling and card games.
Mary Ann De Groote, MD
CUSOM at CSU Liaison
Infectious Disease Consultant, Western Infectious Disease Consultants and Boulder Community Health
Consultant Medical Affairs, Crestone Pharma, Inc.
Dr. Mary Ann De Groote was born on a U.S. Air Force Base in Germany but grew up in Iowa. After Medical School at the University of Iowa, she moved to Colorado for Internship in 1988 and has been here ever since. She completed not only her internship, but residency, Chief Residency, and ID Fellowship at the University of Colorado. She has always loved animals and has had a long-standing interest in Infectious Diseases. One of her first jobs as a teenager was cleaning dog and cat kennels at a local veterinarian’s office, and when they offered her a chance to come out of the slop and help search for hookworm eggs in the fecal flotation test, she was “hooked” on ID. She initially thought that a career as a DVM was the right path, but ultimately veered toward human medicine. She has had a rewarding career as a longtime practicing Infectious Disease physician in the local Denver/Boulder area. She loves microbiology and the challenging and interesting cases. An ID doctor needs to know and understand all of medicine and keep up on the ever-changing medical knowledge base to be effective. Mary Ann has appointments at CU Anschutz and CSU and has really enjoyed being part of the new branch campus and helping it mature into a wonderful place to learn and grow the next generation of physicians. Outside of work, she enjoys biking, hiking, and spending time with her husband and two crazed rescue Labrador retriever mixes (like many Coloradoans)! It is a joy to be part of this amazing program.
Marcela Henao-Tamayo, MD, PhD
CYM(ASCP) CMDirector, CSU-Flow Cytometry Core Facility
Associate Professor, Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology Assistant Professor, Program in Cell and Molecular Biology
Teaching Faculty, CU School of Medicine at CSU
Director, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, Fort Collins Branch
Dr. Marcela Henao received her
Medical Degree from the University of Antioquia, Colombia. After finishing
medical school, she joined a clinical research group investigating human
genetic characteristics that could predispose tuberculosis (TB) disease. After
that initial contact with basic research on a devastating global disease, she
was determined to pursue a career in the field of research with the goal of
preventing diseases. Thus, Dr. Henao obtained a master’s degree in
Biomedical Sciences emphasis on Immunology. During that time in Colombia, she
met professors from Colorado State University and was invited to CSU as a
visiting scientist. She was later awarded a Ph.D. by this institution, where
she studied the immune response to pulmonary infectious diseases. Her lab
currently focuses on SARS-CoV-2 and TB vaccine research in human and animal
models. Dr. Henao's husband is also a researcher at CSU. They
have two children and travel to Colombia every year to visit family.
Holly McCoppin, M.D.
Dermatology Content Director, Fort Collins Branch
Clinical: Monarch Dermatology and Surgery, Loveland
Dr. McCoppin is originally from Missouri. After graduating summa cum laude from Saint Louis University, Dr. McCoppin earned her medical degree from the University of Missouri, Columbia. Dr. McCoppin pursued her Dermatology Residency training at the University of Missouri, where she served as Chief Resident in her final year. The pursuit of excellence in skin cancer treatment led Dr. McCoppin to accept the prestigious Micrographic Surgery & Dermatologic Oncology Fellowship at Emory University. Dr. McCoppin also received advanced training in aesthetic procedures such as Botox, fillers, dermabrasion, chemical peels, laser therapies, blepharoplasty, sclerotherapy, and liposuction. She has lectured nationally and published several articles regarding skin cancer, surgery, and laser therapies. She is a board-certified in dermatology and is a board-certified and fellowship-trained Mohs Micrographic Surgeon at Monarch Dermatology & Surgery. She joined the faculty at the CUSOM, Fort Collins Branch in summer of 2022. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, traveling and spending time with her family.
Amy Reppert, MD
Longitudinal Integrated Clerkship Director
Assistant Clinical Professor, Department of Surgery, CUSOM
Clinical: Trauma and Acute Care Surgery, Poudre Valley Hospital, UCHealth Medical Group
Dr. Reppert earned her undergraduate degree from the University of Colorado at Denver and her Doctor of Medicine from the University of Colorado School of Medicine. She then completed her residency at the University of Colorado Boulder. She chose to enter the field of medicine to help people in their time of need and specifically, she chose surgery so that she could make an immediate impact with her patients. She embraces a patient-first philosophy, seeking to understand each patient’s medical/surgical problem from their perspective while using her medical/surgical knowledge to find a solution to return them to optimal health. She finds great joy in treating each patient as she would want her own loved ones to be treated. As the LIC Director at the CUSOM Fort Collins Branch, she strives to expose students to the best possible clinical experiences and education which also emphasizes a patient-focused approach. In her free time, Dr. Reppert loves being outside and being active, running, hiking, and spending time with her husband, young daughter and two dogs. With her family at the center of her world, she and her husband have enjoyed settling in Colorado close to extended family.
Anuja J. Riles, MD, MEd
Director of Health & Society Pillar
Co-Director of COMPASS Program
Senior Clinical Instructor, Department of Pediatrics, CUSOM
Clinical: Pediatric Hospitalist, Banner Health Physicians Colorado
Dr. Anuja Riles was born and raised in the Bay Area, California. She attended UCLA for her undergraduate degrees in Biology and Education. From there, Dr. Riles went on to the University of Michigan Medical
School, where she met her husband. Upon graduation, they moved to Boston where she earned a Master’s in Education from the Harvard Graduate School of Education and completed her residency in pediatrics at Boston Children’s Hospital.
After a brief stint in San Francisco, Dr. Riles and her family moved to Colorado in 2017. Currently, she is a pediatric hospitalist in the Banner Health System. Dr. Riles has always had a strong interest in curriculum development and assessment
and medical student mentorship and has been thrilled with the opportunity to be a part of the FC Branch Campus of the University of Colorado. Anuja is the proud mother of her two children, Emma and Leo. Her interests include
running, skiing with her family, working hard to earn the title of “foodie”, and rooting for the University of Michigan football team.
Marta Rowh, MD, PhD
Advanced Sciences Course Director
Senior Clinical Instructor, Department of Emergency Medicine
Clinical: Northern Colorado Emergency Physicians
Dr. Rowh grew up in Cincinnati, Ohio and finished her undergraduate degree from Wellesley College in Biochemistry and Chinese Studies. She fell in love with bench research and basic immunology during thesis work on HIV vaccine design at Harvard. She then joined the CDC as an Emerging Infectious Disease (EID) fellow and was deployed to Singapore during the SARS outbreak of 2003. Dr. Rowh trained at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, earning a medical degree and a doctorate in immunology. Dr. Rowh completed her residency at Temple University Hospital in north Philadelphia and is a board-certified emergency physician. Dr. Rowh teaches for the same reason she entered medicine – to improve health inequities in the United States and internationally. She is the director of the Advanced Sciences Curriculum (ASC) during the 3rd year and teaches Global Health and Underserved Populations (GHUP). To attain optimal health for people, animals and our environment, Dr. Rowh is the co-director of the One Health Trail and will be the director of an elective in Applied Epidemiology and Public Health. She has lived and worked on five continents, earning a Master of Public Health from the University of Edinburgh. She teaches Health Systems, Policy and Management at the Colorado School of Public Health at CSU. At home, Dr. Rowh attempts to raise three productive and opinionated members of society, wrangles two rescue mutts, and has spent way too many nights staying up late in conversation with her husband.
Katie Rutledge, MD
Senior Clinical Instructor,
Department of Family Medicine, CUSOM
Co-Director Clinical Skills
Clinical: Family Medicine Center
and Residency Program, UCHealth
Dr. Rutledge pursued her Undergraduate degree at Colorado College and then attended Medical School at the University of Colorado. She completed her residency at Fort Collins Family Residency in family medicine and continues as full-time faculty at the Fort Collins program. Being able to actively practice medicine and engaged in teaching helps her maintain the full spectrum of family medicine that she is passionate about. Dr. Rutledge believes that the future of the health care system depends on excellent care provided in a patient-centered way, and she loves sharing her enthusiasm for both the art and the science of medicine with future healthcare clinicians. She is passionate about primary care, health equity, and diversity and inclusion in medical education.
Tim Scheel, DO
Co-Director Clinical Skills
Senior Clinical Instructor and Research Mentor, Department of Emergency Medicine, CUSOM
Clinical: Northern Colorado Emergency Physicians
Dr. Scheel attended the University of Nebraska at Lincoln for his undergraduate degree and then Rocky Vista University College of Osteopathic Medicine for medical school. He completed residency at Spectrum Health – Lakeland in Emergency Medicine and an ultrasound fellowship at Denver Health. Assisting with point of care ultrasound curriculum is one of his responsibilities at CUSOM at CSU.
Eytan Shtull-Leber, M.D., MSCR
Clinical Content Director of Plains Year, Fort Collins Branch
Clinical: Emergency Physicians of the Rockies
Dr. Shtull-Leber grew up in Ann Arbor, MI, where he also attended the University of Michigan for college, medical school, and for a master's degree in clinical research. He moved to Phoenix with his wife where he completed a residency in emergency medicine at Maricopa Medical Center, and a fellowship in medical education through the University of Arizona - Phoenix.During his training, Tani has also worked to become a Fellow of the Academy of Wilderness Medicine. Dr. Shtull-Leber joined the CUSOM faculty in 2022 as the Clinical Content Director for the Plains year at the Fort Collins branch campus. His primary teaching interests include teaching clinical reasoning using case-based small-group discussions. In his spare time, he enjoys hiking, skiing, traveling, and spending time with his wife, son, and dog.
Jennifer Smith, MBA
Program Director, Fort Collins Branch Campus
Ms. Smith was born and raised in Tampa, Florida and attended college at Saint Leo University where she obtained her undergraduate degree in psychology and master’s
in business administration. She has spent the last 30 years in the medical operations arena and worked with many amazing clinicians along the way. She is excited to take the experience and knowledge she has gained in the
medical community and apply it to her role as program director for the new Fort Collins Branch. Having been in hospitals and medical clinics for 30 years, she hopes to bring a different perspective to the students on medical operations
and how they intersect in care delivery.
She and her husband have been married for 30 years and have been blessed to see different parts of the world in their younger years while he was in the Army. She likes to brag about their three children, Christian, Kaylyn and Devin, and RAVE about their three grandchildren, Savana, Brixxyn and Will. In her spare time, she enjoys cooking, reading and constantly planning fun trips and adventures with her grandkids.
Brad Stern, MD
CO-Director of COMPASS Program
Senior Clinical Instructor, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, CUSOM
Clinical: Women’s Clinic of Northern Colorado
Dr. Stern was raised in Memphis, TN. In 1997, he graduated from the University of Tennessee Health Sciences Center and went on to complete his residency in 2001. He is certified by the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology and is a Fellow of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. He worked as an OB/GYN physician for eight years after his residency and then moved to Fort Collins, where he was able to take advantage of all of the things that Colorado has to offer. Dr. Stern believes in providing comprehensive women’s health care that involves patients as the key decision makers in their healthcare choices. He enjoys the diversity of care that he is able to provide women during their lives. During his free time, he enjoys spending time with his family and doing lots of outdoor activities.
Michael Brinker, PsyD
Teaching Faculty, CU School of Medicine at CSU
Dr. Michael Brinker was born and raised in the Twin Cities. He completed his doctoral degree from the University of Denver, with a specialty in clinical neuropsychology. Following this, he finished his internship in Hamilton, Ontario, before completing a two-year post-doctoral residency in Boise, Idaho. Following a few years in Boise, he and his wife moved back to Fort Collins to set up a permanent home. In his clinical role, he provides neuropsychological evaluations to children, adolescents, and young adults, and works with medically complex patients to help assess the neurodevelopment impact of these conditions. Dr. Brinker also has specific interests working with medically complex patients, including genetic conditions, seizures, oncology, and traumatic brain injury. He began teaching in an adjunct capacity at Boise State University and is currently an assistant professor in the PhD counseling program at CSU and the director of the graduate school training clinic. Dr. Brinker enjoys helping students develop their early clinical skills and facilitating early career growth. In his free time, he enjoys spending time with his wife, dogs, and young son, training for triathlons, and building things around the house.
Tod Clapp, PhD
Teaching Faculty, CU School of Medicine at CSU
Professor, Department of Biomedical Sciences, CSU
Dr. Tod Clapp grew up in Colorado, then attended Colorado State University where he earned a BS in Biology, MS in Anatomy, and PhD in Neuroscience. At CSU, Dr. Clapp is the director of the professional master’s degree program in the department of Biomedical Sciences and director of the Human Anatomy program. He has been teaching anatomy and neuroanatomy for over 15 years and is passionate about helping students to develop their critical thinking skills. His lab is currently focused on the development and use of virtual reality for data visualization.
Casey Gries, Ph.D.
Instructor, CSU Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology
Assistant Professor, CUSOM, Fort Collins Branch Campus
Dr. Gries is originally from Storm Lake, IA and received his B.S. in Biology from the University of Sioux Falls. He earned his Ph.D. in Microbiology and Pathology from the University of Nebraska Medical Center, then did a postdoc and became faculty at the University of California Riverside School of Medicine, Division of Biomedical Sciences. Dr. Gries joined the faculty at CSU in Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, and the CUSOM Fort Collins Branch in the fall of 2021. His teaching and research interests are in bacterial pathogenesis and innate immunity, and his laboratory is focused on the molecular mechanisms of Staphylococcus aureus biofilm formation and medical implant-associated infections. Dr. Gries enjoys spending his free time hiking, biking, skiing, and otherwise exploring Colorado with his wife and two daughters.
Ilana
Kafer, M.D.
Director
of Radiology Curriculum, Fort Collins Branch
Assistant
Professor, Radiology-Ultrasound Imaging, CUSOM
Clinical: UCHealth University of Colorado Hospital
Dr.
Ilana Kafer is originally from Hartford, Connecticut and attended
undergraduate college at the University of Pennsylvania. She completed a year
of research at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City before
earning her medical degree at New York Medical College. Dr. Kafer trained at
Northwell Health for her Internship and Radiology residency. She completed a
Body Imaging Fellowship at New York University with a special focus on MRI.
After working as a teaching Radiologist at Northwell Health for two years, Dr.
Kafer moved to Colorado and joined CU as an Assistant Professor in the
Abdominal Imaging section. She is excited to lend her knowledge and
expertise to students as they learn hands-on, clinically relevant diagnostic
radiology skills that will prove useful throughout their medical career. When
she is not teaching medical students and residents, she is enjoying all that
Colorado has to offer with her three boys and husband, who is a practicing
physician also in Fort Collins.
Nicole Kelp, PhD
Teaching Faculty, Fort Collins Branch
Assistant Professor in Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Pathology, CSU
Dr. Nicole Kelp was born and raised in Boise, Idaho. She attended Washington State University where she earned a B.S. in Biochemistry, a B.S. in Genetics and Cell Biology, and a Ph.D. in Molecular Biosciences with a research focus on progesterone signaling in female reproductive pathologies. She stayed at Washington State as instructional faculty teaching microbiology, genetics, and science communication; as an instructor, she developed her current research focus in science education, particularly science communication education. She came to CSU in July 2020 to help develop the new medical branch campus and build an interdisciplinary research lab focused on science communication education and health communication.
At the CUSOM, Fort Collins Branch, Dr. Kelp is the Chair of the Medical Science Content Directors, helping integrate the medical sciences with clinical sciences and health and society content longitudinally throughout the four-year curriculum. At the Fort Collins Branch, Dr. Kelp also contributes to directing Foundational Principles, Hematologic and Lymphatic Systems, Endocrine and Metabolic Systems, and Reproductive System and Life Cycle courses. She is also the pathology content director longitudinally. She is passionate about helping students learn and apply information practically.
Outside of work, she enjoys hiking and biking with her son in Colorado’s beautiful natural areas and practicing yoga.
Tara M. Nordgren, PhD
Teaching Faculty, CU School of Medicine at CSU
Department of Environmental and Radiological Health Sciences, CSU
Dr. Tara Nordgren is broadly trained in lung toxicology, immunology, lipid signaling, and environmental health. She has a bachelor’s degree from George Mason University in Virginia and performed her doctoral and postdoctoral training at the University of Nebraska Medical Center. Her research interests involve identifying how environmental dust exposures impact inflammation, injury, and repair in the lung. Ongoing research includes investigating the potentials of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid-derived lipid mediators in resolving lung inflammation associated with agricultural dust exposures. Dr. Nordgren is passionate about teaching and mentorship, and she has been actively involved in various aspects of medical education throughout her career. Outside of work, Dr. Nordgren enjoys hiking and camping with her family and friends, reading dystopian and fantasy novels, and trying out new recipes.
Jennifer Richards, Ph.D.
Physiology Content Director, Fort Collins Branch
Assistant Professor, CSU, Health and Research Science
Research Scientist, Human Cardiovascular Physiology Laboratory
Dr. Richards earned her B.S. and M.S. in Exercise Science from the University of British Columbia and her Ph.D. in Cardiovascular Physiology from Colorado State University. She joined the faculty of CSU in 2019 and the CUSOM, FCB in the summer of 2022. Her research interests include: the role of the sympathetic nervous system related to the regulation of peripheral blood flow in young and older adults; the role of exercise in the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular disease; work-related exposure and risk of cardiovascular disease in wildland and structural firefighters. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her two teenagers, mountain biking, sampling craft beer, listening to live music, and nursing a long list of injuries resulting from the stubborn combination of old(er) age and soccer.
Elizabeth Ryan, PhD
Professor, Department of Environmental and Radiological Health Sciences, CSU
Teaching Faculty, CU School of Medicine at CSU
Dr. Ryan was born in Rochester, NY. She is the first U.S. born/generation in her family that immigrated from Kerala, India in the early 1970’s. She attended Bowling Green State University in Ohio where she earned her BS in Biology/BS Environmental Science. She then served for 2 years in the Peace Corps in Nepal before attending the University of Rochester School of Medicine where she earned her MS/PhD in Molecular Toxicology and Environmental Medicine. Her postdoctoral fellowship was completed with funding from the National Cancer Institute at the James P. Wilmont Cancer Center in Rochester, NY, with a focus on human cancer control and prevention. She conducts human clinical research globally and brings real-world experience with interdisciplinary training in environmental exposures, biochemistry, metabolism, and immunology to the classroom. She enjoys the sharing of ideas in teaching/training of students. “I have genuinely enjoyed interactive learning across the spectrum of basic and clinical dimensions of human health and disease, and particularly opportunities for integrating dimensions of environmental-ecological importance,” she said. She and her husband (Tim) moved to Fort Collins in 2007, and they have three beautiful daughters. Ryan has worked in different environmental health sectors prior to focused research in biomedical sciences, gastrointestinal disorders and global public health. "Since being at CSU, I have engaged in clinical and translational-focused research with local Coloradoans at risk for chronic diseases across the lifespan and have been able to carry out clinical research addressing household and child malnutrition in Latin America, Africa, and Asia,” she said. She enjoys nearly all outdoor activities in every season (e.g. paddle boarding, snowboarding, backpacking, biking) and loves cooking, exploring international food cultures and seeking out yoga practices that integrate multiple styles.
Zach Throckmorton, PhD
Medical Human Anatomy Director and Teaching Faculty
Associate Professor, Department of Biomedical Sciences
Originally from mid-Michigan, Professor Throckmorton earned his BS in Anthropology-Zoology from the University of Michigan, MS in Human Biology from the University of Indianapolis, and PhD in Anthropology from the University of Wisconsin. He is a paleoanthropologist, a scientist who studies the fossil record of human evolution. Prof. Throckmorton is a member of the international team that discovered and described an extinct species of human, Homo naledi. This ongoing work is facilitated by the University of the Witwatersrand’s Evolutionary Studies Institute in Johannesburg, South Africa, where he is a research associate. More broadly, Prof. Throckmorton is interested in anatomical variation and comparative anatomy. As an educator, his philosophy is simple: “students do not care what you know until you know they care,” a reflection of the critical roles his own mentors had in his training. Prof. Throckmorton’s personal interests include domestic travel (47 states down, three to go), hiking national and state parks, playing video games, and reading about nature.
Jeffrey Wilusz, PhD
Professor of Microbiology, Immunology, and Pathology, CSU
Medical Microbiology Teaching Faculty and Research Mentor
Jeff Wilusz is a Professor in the Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology at Colorado State University. He was born and raised in the great state of New Jersey. He attended Rutgers University for his BS, Duke University for his PhD, and Princeton for postdoctoral training. He has a special interest in RNA molecular biology and virology. He is passionate about the the microbial things that surround us - from ascaris to Zika virus - and wants each and every student to fully achieve what they are capable of achieving.
When not rooting for the Rockies, Broncos, or Duke University sports teams, his research interests focus on the interface between viruses and the RNA biology of the infected cell. He is an elected fellow of the AAAS, Honorary Lifetime Member of the American Society for Virology, and Editor-in-Chief of the RNA review journal WIREs-RNA. He tries to keep fit by being walked by his 120 lb. German Shepherd.
Kristen Barney, DO
Anesthesia Education Liaison
Clinical Instructor, Department of Anesthesia, CUSOM
Clinical: Northern Colorado Anesthesia Professionals
Dr. Barney attended medical school at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center and did her residency at the CU Health Sciences Center Hospital. She began her tenure at the Northern Colorado Anesthesia Professionals in 2019.
Bernard Birnbaum, MD
Family Medicine Education Liaison,
Assistant Clinical Professor, Department of Family Medicine, CUSOM
Clinical: Family Medicine Center and Residency Program, UCHealth
Dr. Bernard “Bernie” Birnbaum, who is originally from Chapel Hill, North Carolina, graduated from George Washington University School of Medicine and completed a family medicine residency at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He then worked for four years in Chinle, Arizona, with the Indian Health Service in a remote area of the Navajo reservation. In addition to practicing full-spectrum family medicine, he worked in a school-based adolescent health clinic and served as the Chief of the Department of Family Medicine. His special interests include adolescent health and pregnancy, community medicine, public health/primary care integration, quality improvement processes and the care of the underserved. He moved to Fort Collins in 2006 to join the Fort Collins Family Medicine Residency and has been the Associate Director since 2014. He was publicly elected to the board of the Health District of Northern Larimer County from 2008-2016, and he currently serves as the President of the Board of Health for the Health Department of Larimer County. Bernie is thrilled to be the Family Medicine Liaison to the Longitudinal Integrated Curriculum. Bernie is the proud father of two amazing children, Matan and Ariel, and says he’s lucky to be married to Rachel Feldman, MD, a general internist who works for Kaiser Permanente in Loveland, CO.
Tim Scheel, DO
Co-Director Clinical Skills
Emergency Medicine Education
Liaison
Senior Clinical Instructor and
Research Mentor, Department of
Emergency Medicine, CUSOM
Clinical: Northern Colorado
Emergency Physicians
Dr. Scheel attended the University of Nebraska at Lincoln for his undergraduate degree and then Rocky Vista University College of Osteopathic Medicine for medical school. He completed residency at Spectrum Health – Lakeland in Emergency Medicine and an ultrasound fellowship at Denver Health. Assisting with point of care ultrasound curriculum is one of his responsibilities at CUSOM at CSU.
Gregory Feldpausch, DO
Hospitalist Education Liaison
Senior Clinical Instructor, Department of Medicine, CUSOM
Clinical Northern Colorado Hospitalists
Dr. Greg Feldpausch grew up in Michigan and attended Michigan State University for undergrad. He then attended Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine where he met his wife, Rebecca. After an internship year, he completed his Air Force HPSP commitment as a flight surgeon in Cheyenne, Wyoming, with the 30th Airlift Squadron deploying to both Iraq and Afghanistan during this time. He then completed his Internal Medicine residency at Oregon Health and Science University in Portland, Oregon. Returning to the Front Range was always in his plan, as his wife and her family grew up in Windsor, Colorado, and his family, including his parents and his brother's family, have made Colorado their home. As a member of the Northern Colorado Hospitalists, he reinstituted and grew the group’s journal club. When the University of Colorado decided to create a branch in Fort Collins, he naturally wanted to expand his educational interests to developing the Hospitalized Adult Curriculum here in Fort Collins. He spends his time outside of work with his wife and two boys exploring Colorado and the surrounding west.
Kaitlin Heisel, MD
Surgery Education Liaison
Longitudinal Integrated Clerkship Assistant Director
Assistant Clinical Professor, Department of Surgery, CUSOM
Clinical: Trauma and Acute Care Surgery, Poudre Valley Hospital, UCHealth Medical Group
Dr. Kaitlin Heisel grew up in Fort Collins, Colorado. She attended the University of Colorado – Boulder for undergraduate and then proceeded to the Medical College of Wisconsin for medical school. She did her internship and general surgery residency at Baylor University Medical Center. She returned to Fort Collins after residency in 2012. She is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons. She is an Acute Care and Trauma Surgeon at Poudre Valley Hospital. She spends her free time with her husband and their dogs.
Ben Leon, MD
Clinical Assistant Professor, Department of Medicine, CUSOM, Preceptorship Director, Plains Year
Dr. Leon was born and raised in Loveland, Colorado. He completed his undergraduate degree at Wake Forrest University and then attended both medical school and residency at the University of Colorado. Dr. Leon enjoys working with students and helping them integrate medical knowledge with clinical care. He is also interested in medical school curriculum development with a focus on clinical reasoning.
Shivanshu Madan, MD
Cardiologist
Advanced Sciences Clinical Liaison, Cardiology
Dr. Madan earned his undergraduate degree from Michigan State University and then his Doctor of Medicine at Michigan State University College of Human Medicine. He completed his residency at the University Hospitals Case Medical Center and Fellowships at the University of North Carolina Hospitals. His areas of specialty include cardiovascular disease, interventional cardiology, and peripheral vascular disease. Dr. Madan serves several communities in Northern Colorado, as well as Wyoming and Nebraska. He strives to provide compassionate, high-quality care to each of his patients by staying committed to advancing his medical knowledge and procedural skills so he may continue to offer cutting-edge, state-of-the-art care while maintaining confidence and comfort throughout the process. He highly values listening to his patients and empowering them to adopt healthy lifestyle changes in order to prevent heart and vascular problems. Dr. Madan is thrilled to be involved with medical education and to assist medical students as they develop into the next generation of outstanding and compassionate physicians. He enjoys weightlifting, table tennis, sports, podcasts, and learning about history.
Lauren Miltenberg, MD
Pediatric Education Liaison
Senior Clinical Instructor, Department of Pediatrics, CUSOM
Clinical: Youth Clinic of Northern Colorado
Dr. Lauren Miltenberg earned her undergraduate degree in psychology from Yale University. She completed medical school and pediatric residency in her home state at the University of Missouri–Columbia. Dr. Miltenberg is board certified in pediatrics and is a fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics. She is a Senior Clinical Instructor with the University of Colorado School of Medicine and has served as the pediatric liaison for the LIC component of the CU SOM at CSU branch campus. Having trained at a medical school focused on PBL, she is also interested in the evolution of TBL and the medical school curriculum. Dr. Miltenberg is also working with the first-year students at the branch campus to share clinical insights within their cased based learning environment. Dr. Miltenberg and her husband, Matt, have three elementary aged kids. They enjoy hiking, biking, skiing, reading and traveling together. Her clinical interests include the management of asthma, caring for the premature infant, and supporting the mental health of children with non-pharmacologic approaches when appropriate.
Augusto Miravalle, MD
Neurology Education Liaison
Associate Clinical Professor, Department of Neurology, CUSOM
Clinical: Advanced Neurology of Colorado
Dr. Miravalle is an Associate Professor of Clinical Neurology at the University of Colorado. He provides care to patients at Advanced Neurology of Colorado. He is a board-certified neurologist who sub-specializes in Multiple Sclerosis. Dr. Miravalle received his Medical Degree from the University of La Plata, Argentina. He completed his Neurology Residency training at Loyola University, Chicago where he served as Chief Resident of Education. He subsequently completed a Neuroimmunology Fellowship at Harvard University in Boston and a Fellowship in Medical Education at the University of Rochester, New York. Dr. Miravalle is the recipient of the 2012 American Neurological Association Medical Education Fellowship Award, 2015 American Academy of Neurology Research in Education Award, and 2015 American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology Faculty Education Innovation Award. Dr. Miravalle has been involved in both clinical and science-based research in the field of Multiple Sclerosis and Neuroimmunology. He is a member of many professional societies and advisory boards. He is frequently invited as speaker at national and international meetings. He has published numerous scientific articles and serves as a consultant to various scientific organizations.
Hermann Moreno, MD
Assistant Clinical Professor,
Department of Psychiatry, Fort Collins Branch
Psychiatry Liaison
Clinical: UCHealth Behavioral Health
Dr. Hermann Moreno grew up in Mexico City. At age 19, he moved to New Jersey where he attended Drew University. He obtained his medical degree and his training in Psychiatry at Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia. He also met his wife and had his two children in the City of Brotherly Love. He began working with medical students as a resident in psychiatry. As an attending at Albert Einstein Medical Center he enjoyed supervising students and residents. His ties to the West led him to move to Wyoming, where he still lives. He has worked for Mountain Crest/Poudre Valley Hospital (now part of UCHealth) for more than 18 years. He has been supervising CUSOM students since 2005. When the Fort Collins Branch of CUSOM opened, he was fortunate to receive an invitation from Dr. Reimer to join as the Psychiatry Liaison. He enjoys spending his free time with his wife and two adult children. In his “alone time” he is interested in soccer, audiobooks and travel.
William Moss, DO, FASA
Anesthesia Education Liaison
Assistant Clinical Professor, Department of Anesthesia, CUSOM
Clinical: Anesthesiologist, Northern Colorado Anesthesia Professionals
Dr. William E. Moss, "Woody", grew up in Texas enjoying Friday Night Lights. He received his BA from The Colorado College and his MA from Southern Methodist University in Biology. After working a couple years in a clinical research firm in Dallas, he decided to attend the University of North Texas Health Science Center in Fort Worth, earning his Doctor of Osteopathy. He then completed his anesthesiology residency at Virginia Commonwealth University/Medical College of Virginia. Dr. Moss has been in private practice in northern Colorado for over 16 years specializing in cardiac, trauma, and regional anesthesia. He has been involved in medical student education for just as long and is looking forward to building the educational program for the CUSOM-FCB. His free time is spent golfing, skiing, hiking, mountain biking, and traveling with his family.
Cathy Ow, MD
Clinical Assistant Professor, Department of Medicine CUSOM
Internal Medicine Education Liaison
Preceptorship Co-Director
Dr. Cathy Ow was born in Kennett, MO, and, because she was the daughter of an Air Force officer, attended 13 different schools before graduating from Punahou HS in Honolulu, Hawaii. She calls Hawaii her home state. She obtained her undergraduate degree from UCLA where she was the Army ROTC battalion commander, then attended Duke Medical School and finally UCLA for IM residency where she met her husband, Roger Ashmore.
She served in the U.S. Army and ran the IM clinic at Fitzsimons Army Medical Center while her husband was a cardiology fellow at CU. They started private practice in Honolulu, Hawaii, where they had their twins, Sam and Sarah, and moved to Fort Collins in 1995 where she started her solo practice, Poudre Valley Internists. The practice grew to six physicians who joined University of Colorado Health in 2005. Her daughter, Sarah, is completing her OBGYN residency and son, Sam, is a teacher in NYC. Dr. Ow has always loved being involved with medical education with the Family Medicine residency in Fort Collins and now with the CU SOM Fort Collins Branch campus. She has said, “I want to spend time educating the next generation of physicians who will be taking care of me.” She is a very rusty classical pianist, avid golfer and gardener, and is devoted to her family.
Claire Pederson, MD
Surgery Education Liaison
Assistant Clinical Professor, Department of Surgery, CUSOM
Clinical: UCHealth Surgical Clinical
Dr. Pederson received her undergraduate degree from Colorado State University. She attended the University of Washington Medical School, and completed her residency at the University of Kansas Medical Center and a fellowship at the University of Utah Hospital. Her specialties include critical care medicine and surgery. Areas of clinical interest include trauma care, sepsis/shock, rural surgery, and acute care surgery, and an area of research interest for patients is rural trauma care.
Jennifer Stockburger, MD
OB/Gyn Education Liaison
Clinical Instructor, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, CUSOM
Clinical: Womens Clinic of Northern Colorado
Dr. Stockburger was raised in Evansville, Indiana, and graduated from Indiana University-Bloomington with a Bachelor of Science and a love for college basketball. She completed medical school and residency training at Washington University in St. Louis, where she met her husband, a Colorado native. From the beginning of her medical training, she knew she wanted to pursue a career in women’s health. She worked in contraceptive research and became passionate about empowering women through their own healthcare decisions. She appreciates that ObGyn providers have the unique privilege of caring for women throughout their lives and helping them build their families. She is passionate about contraception, comprehensive obstetric care, minimally-invasive gynecologic surgery, and teaching the next generation of physicians. The Women’s Clinic of Northern Colorado has allowed her to pursue all of these interests while serving the women of northern Colorado and the surrounding areas. Outside of work, she enjoys trail running, cycling, skiing, and gardening. She loves spending time with her husband, their twins Ben and Sophie, and two Australian shepherds.
School of Medicine
CU Anschutz
Fitzsimons Building
13001 East 17th Place
Campus Box C290
Aurora, CO 80045
303.724.5375
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