You may have seen some fresh faces around the department over the last couple months. We are pleased to welcome these new providers, who joined the department in January and February 2024 (start dates in parentheses). Additional new providers will be announced in the coming weeks.
Nicole Alsaker, ARNP (1/31/24)
Nicole Alsaker joined the Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Occupational Medicine as a Nurse Practitioner, where she will see patients at UI Health Care Downtown. She received her MSN from Allen College in Waterloo, Iowa. In her free time, She enjoys baking and traveling with her family. Her two boys enjoy playing soccer and indoor skydiving (iFLY).
Cassidy Chalupa, ARNP (1/22/24)
Cassidy Chalupa joined the Division of Infectious Diseases as a Nurse Practitioner, where she will see patients in the ID Clinic. She received a BSN from Western Governors University in Salt Lake City, Utah, as well as an MSN from Walden University in Minneapolis, Minnesota. She has been with the University of Iowa for 6 years and has recently transitioned into the ARNP role. In her spare time, she enjoys spending as much time as possible with her husband and two young daughters.
Ashley Evans, ARNP (1/31/24)
Ashley Evans joined the Division of Cardiovascular Medicine as a Nurse Practitioner, where she will see patients at UI Health Care Downtown. She received her DNP from Allen College in Waterloo, Iowa. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her family (husband and two boys ages 5 and 1) and spending as much time outdoors finding new parks or places to hike and play!
Sreedevi Jenigiri, MBBS – Clinical Instructor (1/29/24)
Dr. Sree Jenigiri joins the Division of Nephrology and Hypertension from a nephrologist position at UnityPoint, Cedar Rapids. Desire to practice at the cutting edge of medicine based on the latest and best practice in medicine draws her to her role at the University of Iowa. She trained at Gandhi Medical College in Hyderabad, India, and moved to the United States after receiving her medical degree. Dr. Jenigiri worked as a research assistant in the Department of Neuroendocrinology at the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio. She then did her internship and residency at East Tennessee State University. Later, she served as faculty in the Department of Internal Medicine at Tulane University and the Ochsner Clinic in New Orleans. After relocating to Iowa with her family, she worked as faculty in the Department of Internal Medicine at UIHC & VAMC before pursuing further training in nephrology. During her fellowship at UIHC, she developed interest in management of complicated cases of HTN, glomerular disease and onconephrology. In her free time, She enjoys traveling with her family, volunteering at school events and at the free clinics, cooking, playing with the family dog, and tending to her plants and bonsai trees.
Jennifer Jungen, MPAS, PA-C (1/22/24)
Jennifer Jungen joined the Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism as a Physician Assistant, where she will see patients in the Weight Management Clinic. She is a lifelong Iowan and Hawkeye fan who grew up in the small town of Sumner, Iowa. She received her bachelor’s degree in biology from the University of Northern Iowa and is a proud 2002 graduate from the University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine PA program. Shortly after graduation, she began her career at UIHC in the Dept of Orthopedics and Rehabilitation, Division of Hand and Upper Extremity Surgery.
Educating future health care providers has always been a passion of hers, and she has been a clinical preceptor for countless medical and PA students, residents, fellows, athletic trainers, and staff providers. She is also a facilitator for the CCOM Medicine and Society II and III small groups. She has presented several lectures to various local, state, and national organizations and is a co-facilitator for the Provider Communication Program here, which teaches health care communication skills to residents, faculty, and staff. She is also a member of the Co-worker Observation Reporting System for UIHC, which is an intervention system designed to resolve co-worker conflicts.
Jungen and her husband, Gregg, have two sons, Thomas and Sam. They share a love of the outdoors and enjoy camping, boating, and fishing as a family.
Colleen Mohr, ARNP (1/16/24)
Colleen Mohr joined the Division of Hematology, Oncology, and Blood & Marrow Transplantation as a Nurse Practitioner, where she will be working with lung and head and neck cancers and in the acute care cancer clinic. She received an MSN from University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, Texas, as well as a DNP from the University of Iowa College of Nursing. Mohr likes to spend her free time doing yoga, hiking, walking her two dogs and spending time with her family.
Biswajit Padhy, PhD – Instructor (2/1/24)
Dr. Biswajit Padhy has been appointed as an Instructor within the Division of Nephrology and Hypertension from his position as a Postdoctoral Research Scholar. He received a PhD from NISER, Homi Bhabha National Institute in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India. His research focuses on understanding the pathogenesis of autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease. Outside of the lab, he likes to play chess and watch movies.
Mary Skafidas, ARNP (1/29/24)
Mary Skafidas joined the Hematology, Oncology, and Blood & Marrow Transplantation division as a Nurse Practitioner, where she will see patients in the Quad Cities. She received her Bachelor of Science in Nursing and Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from St. Ambrose University. She further pursued her education at Purdue University, where she graduated with her Master of Science in Nursing. She has inpatient and outpatient experience as a Nurse Practitioner. Outside of the office, Skafidas enjoys spending time with her family, reading, and spoiling her dog.
Mingyao Sun, PhD – Instructor (2/1/24)
Dr. Mingyao Sun has been appointed as an Instructor within the Division of Nephrology and Hypertension from her position as a postdoctoral research scholar in Dr. Diana Jalal’s lab. She received a PhD in Food Science from Penn State University in State College, Pennsylvania. Her research interests focus on vascular dysfunction in chronic kidney disease. In her free time, Sun enjoys spending time with her family, hiking in the great outdoors, and cooking delicious food.