Department of Pediatrics PGY-1 Residents | Texas Tech Health El Paso

Odaro Adu, M.D.

Medical School	Meharry Medical School
Hometown	Dallas, Texas
Career Goals	I would love to be a well-rounded, compassionate, and HAPPY pediatrician.
One person I would like to meet and why	Fela Kuti, I would love to see his creative process and a day in his life. Also, how he became so brave in his approach of artistry.
Something you would never guess about me is	I do Pilates.
Why you chose TTUHSC El Paso	El Paso is really beautiful; the people are extremely welcoming, and the food choices are awesome. The residents have a great vibe and everyone is so nice and accommodating.

Kanza Ahmad, M.D.

Medical School	Rashid Latif Medical College
Hometown	Lahore, Pakistan
Career Goals	I enjoy hands-on clinical work and procedures, which is why I am especially drawn to subspecialties like Neonatology and Pediatric Cardiology that offer both complexity and opportunities for active involvement in patient care
One person I would like to meet and why	I would love to meet Ms. Rachel because of her remarkable empathy and unwavering dedication to children’s development. I deeply admire how she uses her platform to promote inclusivity, understanding, and early childhood education. Her passion and advocacy continue to inspire me as I pursue a career in pediatrics.
Something you would never guess about me is	I used to be a photographer and I enjoy playing video games with my husband
Why you chose TTUHSC El Paso	I chose TTUHSC El Paso because of its strong commitment to caring for all children, regardless of their background. The hospital’s broad range of pediatric subspecialties and focus on inclusive, high-quality care align closely with my goal of becoming a pediatrician who advocates for equitable healthcare and serves diverse communities.

Unaisa Bhayat, M.D.

Medical School	Ross University School of Medicine
Hometown	Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Career Goals	Physician-Scientist or academic medicine in child neurology and genetics.
One person I would like to meet and why	If I was picking someone historical, I would love to have a conversation with thinkers like Avicenna or Leonardo da Vinci. If we’re focusing on someone currently alive, I would love to meet Dr. Iain McGilchrist. All three of there people saw connections between science philosophy, and the human experience. As some passionate about child neurogenetics with a strong interest in meaning-making, I am drawn to minds that integrate(d) disciplines to better understanding both the body and the soul.
Something you would never guess about me is	I once applied to Jungian theory to Mean Girls and it actually made sense.
Why you selected TTUHSC-El Paso	I chose TTUHSC El Paso because with a background in neurogenetics and developmental medicine, the diverse and complex patient population really drew me in. More importantly, there is such a strong emphasis on advocacy here centered around patient care that resonates with me deeply. Here, I can get the perfect care that resonates with me deeply. Here, I can get the perfect balance between clinical excellence and meaningful community impact, which will definitely train me to be a great physician-scientist.

Ephasia Goodall, M.D.

Medical School	The Medical University of Lublin
Hometown	Milwaukee, WI
Career Goals	To become a compassionate and skilled pediatrician with a focus on underserved communities. I am passionate about advocacy, preventive care, and ensuring every child, regardless of background, has access to quality healthcare. Long-term, I hope to combine clinical work with community outreach and health education activities.
One person I would like to meet and why	I would love to meet Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha. Her advocacy during the Flint water crisis exemplified courage, integrity, and the power of physician’s voice in protecting children’s health. I admire how she used her medical knowledge and moral conviction to speak truth to power and create lasting change.
Something you would never guess about me is	I am a first-generation American and the first doctor in my family. I grew up navigating wo cultures, and that experience has shaped my empathy, resilience, and drive to be strong advocate for families facing barriers in healthcare.
Why you chose TTUHSC El Paso	I chose TTUHSC El Paso because of its strong community, cultural humility, and service to border populations. I wanted a program where I could grow not only clinically but also as a leader and advocate. The warmth of the faculty and the opportunity to serve diverse pediatric patients made it the perfect fit.

Sruthi Muthympelli, M.D.

Medical School	Prathima Institute of Medical Sciences
Hometown	Hyderabad, India
Career Goals	I aim to develop core skills in general pediatrics while exploring different subspecialties. My current interest is gastroenterology.
One person I would like to meet and why	Sudha Murty because of her truly inspiring dedication to philanthropy and education, her writings, and her simple humble personality.
Something you would never guess about me is	Making art and spending time in nature helps me recharge.
Why you chose TTUHSC El Paso	The program is great, and the people are very friendly. I felt a connection the reminded me of my hometown.

Diana Moreno, M.D.

Medical School	Teas Tech Health- Paul L. foster School of Medicine
Hometown	El Paso, Texas
Career Goals	General Pediatrics
One person I would like to meet and why	I would like to meet Mother Teresa. She dedicated her life to service with impactful compassion and humility. Her legacy inspires me to see medicine as much more than just science: it is a profound act of service to humanity.
Something you would never guess about me is	I play the violin and love to sing.
Why you chose TTUHSC El Paso	El Paso is my home and the community I hope to serve long-term. My favorite things about the city include the people, culture, weather, mountains, and sunsets.

Nora Ofei, M.D.

Medical School

Meharry Medical College

Hometown

Fairfield, OH

Career Goals

General Pediatrics

One person I would like to meet and why

I want to meet Martin Luther King Jr. because I admire his pursuit of justice, peace, and the betterment of human beings.

Something you would never guess about me is

I have been actively learning to playing an instrument for more than five years.

Why you chose TTUHSC El Paso

I chose this program because I felt aligned with the values of TTUHSC El Paso. This community seemed like a vibrant yet serene area with plenty of unique opportunities to serve and learn from generations of people.

Kristos Papadakis, M.D.

Medical School	Universidad Autonoma de Guadalajara
Hometown	El Paso, Texas / Ciudad Juarez
Career Goals	My goal is to become an excellent well-rounded pediatrician. I am still undecided on what fellowship to pursue, but I am interested in cardiology, neonatology, and pediatric intensive care.
One person I would like to meet and why	I would like to meet Tim dunce “The Big “fundamental”. I always admired his work ethic, dedication, consistency, and his team work. What is more impressive is how he managed to do all this while being one the humblest athletes in the game. It would b an exceptional experience to understand his thought process and how he managed to be great for so long.
Something you would never guess about me is	I love sports. I used to play baseball and was fortunate enough to represent a state in Mexico and be able to travel to multiple locations due to playing baseball.
Why you chose TTUHSC El Paso	I chose TTUHSC El Paso since it is my hometown. I am excited to give back to the city that has given me so much. I also love how unique El Paso is since it lies on the U.S./Mexico Border. TTUHSC El Paso offered me an excellent well-rounded training opportunity.

Priyanka Parab, M.D.

Medical School	SMT Kashibai Navale Medical College and General Hospital
Hometown	Mumbai, India
Career Goals	General Pediatrics or Neonatology
One person I would like to meet and why	My future self!! Maybe 10 years from now… I would want to know how my choices today have shaped my future.
Something you would never guess about me is	That I can stat dancing anywhere randomly lol.
Why you chose TTUHSC El Paso	The range diversity of cases we get to see here!

Roberto Reynoso Figueroa, M.D.

Medical School	Universidad Autonoma de Baja California, unidad Valle Dorado
Hometown	Ciudad Obregon, Sonora, Mexico
Career Goals	I have not yet decided whether to pursue a fellowship, but the most likely scenario is that I will remain a Primary Care Pediatrician, living in peach and enjoying my family.
One person I would like to meet and why	Jesus, I am a true believer. Evan as an outsider of the faith, I would want to met the man who divided history and whose teachings remain relevant and spread around the world to this day.
Something you would never guess about me is	I am eager to write (and maybe direct) the next blockbuster of all time.
Why you chose TTUHSC El Paso	I had been to El Paso once, and it felt like home. Due that it is my native culture, the Latino culture and the kindness of its people made me feel like they could serve as a support system, and in El Paso, there are a lot of Latinos. That’s precisely what I felt during the interview with the attending, program director, and the coordinators. The rest is history.

Mariana Sierra Gallego, M.D.

Medical School	Fundación Universitaria de Ciencias de la Salud
Hometown	Bogota, Colombia
Career Goals	At this moment, I’m interested in pursuing neurology but I’m definitely open to all possibilities.
One person I would like to meet and why	I would like to meet Sarah J Mass, she is one of my favorite authors. I would love to ask her about her creative process writing all her books. She is an amazing writer that will always take you on a rollercoaster of emotions.
Something you would never guess about me is	Something you would never guess about me is that I did a lot of musicals growing up. I’ve always loved to sing and dance.
Why you chose TTUHSC El Paso	I chose TTUHSC EP because of the Hispanic community, I felt that it was where I could help the most and felt like I could fit right in, I also love the emphasis the program has on helping the community as much as possible.

Christina Vasquez, M.D.

Medical School	Universidad Autonoma de Guadalajara
Hometown	Yuma, Arizona
Career Goals	My main career goal is to promote higher education with the goal to help continue reducing rates of teen pregnancy and maternal mortality. Adolescence is a critical time where many decisions are made prior to forming a family. By introducing adolescents to the concept of socioeconomic status and its correlation with long-term outcomes throughout the lifespan, I hope to positively influence the decisions my patients make for their futures.
One person I would like to meet and why	I would have liked to meet the author, Rosario Castellanos. Her final publication was in 1974, however her writings are still applicable to today and it would have been interesting to discuss the topics she wrote about.
Something you would never guess about me is	My favorite movie is Top Gun.
Why you chose TTUHSC El Paso	I chose TTUHSC El Paso because El Paso is similar to my hometown. My hometown is also on the border and located in the Sonoran Desert, so I feel at home here.