Faculty and Administration
Skilled and credentialed medical educators
UMHS faculty share a love of teaching and are fully committed to each student’s success. They are all highly credentialed and recruited primarily from the U.S. and Canada.
Each faculty member was selected because of their unique academic medicine capabilities. Team members include seasoned practitioners who transitioned from private practice to academic medicine, and veteran educators who have spent their entire careers focused on providing the finest instruction to medical students. Regardless of background, most of the faculty have years of academic experience and have achieved the rank of full professor.
Unlike many other Caribbean schools, UMHS provides students with a personalized education. We achieve this by maintaining a small school environment to ensure an 7:1 student-to-faculty ratio. Our 96% student retention rate is one of the highest in the Caribbean, partly due to the faculty's support services, including advisement, counseling, tutoring, and mentoring.
We have created an academic environment where students can flourish and accomplish their dreams by providing the best faculty, exceptional resources, and the tools to succeed.
Faculty related blog posts
St. Kitts Administration

Sudhir Ambati,
M.B.B.S., MPH
Dean of Student Affairs, Course Director of Epidemiology and Evidence-based Medicine, Professor of Preclinical Science

Craig Ayre,
B.Ed., Ph.D.
Assistant Dean of Student Affairs, Associate Professor of Molecular Sciences

Shivayogi Bhusnurmath,
M.B.B.S., MD Pathology, FRCPath (London, UK)
Dean of Basic Sciences, Professor of Pathology

Norma Ann Celestine,
M.L.S., B.A., A.H.I.P.
Director of Library Educational Applications, Assistant Professor of Library Research



Neilal Isaac,
M.D., MMEd
Assistant Dean of Student Affairs, Assistant Professor, Pre-clinical Sciences and Simulation Lab Director

Mohan Kumar,
M.D., M.B.B.S.
Director of Maine Integrated program, Course Director of ICM I (St. Kitts), ICM II (Maine), Chairman of Pre-Clinical Program - St. Kitts

Caroline Liburd
Housing Director

Prakash Mungli,
M.D., M.B.B.S.
Associate Dean, Course Director and Professor of Biochemistry



Dan Vitalo,
B.A.
Vice President of Facilities



St. Kitts Faculty


Sudhir Ambati,
M.B.B.S., M.P.H.
Dean of Student Affairs, Course Director of Epidemiology and Evidence-based Medicine, Professor of Preclinical Science




Craig Ayre,
B.Ed., Ph.D.
Assistant Dean of Student Affairs, Associate Professor of Molecular Sciences

Shivayogi Bhusnurmath,
M.D. Pathology, M.B.B.S., FRCPath (London, UK)
Dean of Basic Sciences, Professor of Pathology

Norma Ann Celestine,
M.L.S., B.A., A.H.I.P.
Director of Library Educational Applications, Assistant Professor of Library Research

Gareth Davies,
Ph.D.
Chair of the Molecular Sciences Department, Professor and Course Director of Immunology, Professor and Course Director of Genetics



Veerabhadra Gowda,
M.B.B.S., M.D., D.C.C.P.
Professor of Pharmacology, ICM & Physical Diagnosis


Neilal Isaac,
M.D., MMEd
Assistant Dean of Student Affairs, Assistant Professor, Pre-clinical Sciences and Simulation Lab Director



Molly Johannessen,
Ph.D.
Director of Education and Teaching, Associate Professor of Physiology


Mohan Kumar,
M.D., M.B.B.S.
Director of Maine Integrated program, Course Director of ICM I (St. Kitts), ICM II (Maine), Chairman of Pre-Clinical Program - St. Kitts





Prakash Mungli,
M.D., M.B.B.S.
Associate Dean, Course Director and Professor of Biochemistry

Jagadeesh Nagappa,
M.B.B.S., D.F.M.
Professor and Course Director of Physiology, Director of Accelerated Review Program




Bichara S. Sahely,
B.Sc. (Hons), M.D., M.B.B.S., DM (UWI)
Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine




Portland, Maine Administration

Mohan Kumar,
M.D., M.B.B.S
Director of Maine Integrated program, Course Director of ICM I (St. Kitts), ICM II (Maine), Chairman of Pre-Clinical Program - St. Kitts

Molly Johannessen, Ph.D.
Director of Education and Teaching, Director of the Biological Basis of Clinical Medicine course, Associate Professor of Physiology

Donna Thompson,
M.D.C.M.
Associate Dean of Clinical Sciences, Professor of Clinical Medicine

Heather Robertson, MHS, PA-C
Director of ICM II Clinical Skills Lab & Preceptorship Program

Matthew Michaud, ND, M.A.
Director of Maine Operations, Associate Director of Academic Support and Learning Development

Jovana Kakuca,
B.S.
Educational Services

Julie Rice,
B.A.
Program Coordinator and Facilities Manager
Portland, Maine Faculty Preceptors
- David Burke, MD
- Alison Daigle, DO
- Thomas Morrione, MD
- Louis Di Salvo, MD
- Minda Gold, MD
- Lisa Lucas, DO
- Aaron Perrault, MD
- Annamarie Pond, MD
- Joanna Rulf, DO
- Karen Saylor, MD
- Diane Zavotsky, MD
- Bethany Picker, MD
- Stephen Saylor, PA-C
- James Gillen, PA-C
Portland, Maine Campus Faculty
- Mohan Kumar, MD
- Teresita Maguire, MD
- Bruce Kenney, DO
- Margaret Shepp, MD
- Patrice Thibodeau, MD
- Shannon Deschenes, DO
- Marly Biermann, MD
- Sandra Harris, MD
- Laurin Koskinen, MD
- Alfred Riel, MD
- Shapir Rosenberg, MD
- James Schneid, MD
- Judith Ziegler, DO
- David Burke, MD
- Elizabeth Morgan, MD
- Shannon Hanna, PsyD
- Mark Alexander, DO
- Lisa Parsons, DO
CSL Instructors
- Heather Robertson, MHS, PA-C
- Jay R. Souder, APRN
- Kevin Ball, NRP
- Kathy Johnson, NRP
- Tom Lafferty, NRP
- Stella Collin
Clinical Administration

George H. Shade Jr., M.D.
Dean of Clinical Science, Clinical Chair, Professor of Clinical Medicine

Steve Caplan, M.D.
Clinical Chair, Chief of Pediatrics

Charles Herrick, M.D.
Clinical Chair, Chief of Psychiatry

Robert Levine, M.D.
Clinical Chair, Chief of Family Medicine

Elizabeth Morgan, M.D.
Clinical Chair, Chief of Surgery

Khalid Zakaria, M.D.
Clinical Chair, Chief of Internal Medicine
Board of Trustees






Board of Trustees

George H. Shade Jr., M.D.
Dean of Clinical Science, Clinical Chair, Professor of Clinical Medicine

Steve Caplan, M.D.
Clinical Chair, Chief of Pediatrics

Charles Herrick, M.D.
Clinical Chair, Chief of Psychiatry

Robert Levine, M.D.
Clinical Chair, Chief of Family Medicine

Elizabeth Morgan, M.D.
Clinical Chair, Chief of Surgery

Khalid Zakaria, M.D.
Clinical Chair, Chief of Internal Medicine