Debra Whorms, MD
Co-Chair, D&I Team Leader
I was born in rural Jamaica and immigrated to Queens, New York after high school. I earned my BS at York College-CUNY and MD at Harvard. My professional interests include health equity and global health, specifically improving access and quality of radiology care to underserved populations. With the RIDE subcommittee, I focus on several initiatives including coordinating our social and wellness initiatives, curriculum development, and improving access and engagement in global health and research initiatives. Outside of work, I enjoy hiking, traveling, learning music and playing with my cats.

Nnamdi Udeh, MD
Co-Chair
I was born and raised in Louisiana. I earned my BS at Yale and MD at the University of Virginia. I am most interested in ultrasound, cardiovascular imaging, and pediatrics, and have a professional interest in quality and safety. Along with my role as Co-Chair of the RIDE subcommittee, I am involved in coordinating our mentorship initiatives. Outside of work, I am an avid baker with a love for French patisserie. I also enjoy reading science fiction, creative writing, yoga, and biking.

Hena Cheema, MD
D&I
I was born in Raleigh, North Carolina and grew up moving around the country, with my family eventually settling in Carmel, Indiana. I earned my BS at Indiana University and MD at Harvard. My professional interests include breast imaging, and global radiology. I am passionate about diversity, inclusion and health care equity and through the RIDE subcommittee help in recruitment and social and wellness initiatives. Outside of work, I enjoy reading, cooking (especially Pakistani food), oil painting, and HIIT workouts.

Lina Elsamaloty, MD
E&M, D&I 
I was born in Alexandria, Egypt and grew up in Toledo, Ohio. I completed my BS in Bioengineering and MD at the University of Toledo. I am interested in academia, specifically teaching, mentorship, and global health. In the RIDE subcommittee, I am involved in coordinating mentorship and social and wellness initiatives. My hobbies include drawing, writing, working out, traveling, water sports.

Luis Goity, MD
O&R 
I am an integrated interventional radiology resident originally from Virginia. My father is from Argentina, my mother is American, and I was born in Aarau, Switzerland. I completed my undergraduate studies and M.D. at the University of Virginia (Wahoowa!). As a member of RIDE, I focus on global health and community outreach initiatives to provide high quality imaging and minimally invasive imaging-guided interventions for underserved Philadelphians. I am involved in the Penn Radiology RAD-AID chapter with several of my amazing co-residents, partnering with Princess Marina Hospital in Gaborone, Botswana. During the next year I will be studying as a global health radiology fellow. In my spare time I enjoy making espresso for my wife Christelle and watching soccer.

Chris Hensley, MD
O&R 
I was born and raised in Dallas, Texas. I earned my BS at Rice University and MD-PhD at UTSW. I am a current research track resident with interest in nuclear medicine and metabolic imaging. With the RIDE subcommittee, I focus on outreach and research initiatives, hoping to contribute to building networks between residency programs, improve the pipeline of diverse applicants in medicine, and explore the ways radiology can contribute to reducing disparities in health outcomes. Outside of work, I enjoy morning runs along the beautiful Schuykill river trail (highly recommended!).

Greg Mittl, MD
O&R, Team Leader 
I was born in Philadelphia and raised in Charlotte, North Carolina. I earned my BS from Yale and MD-MBA from NYU. My professional interests include patient-centered care, practice innovation and health care economics. Within the RIDE Subcommittee, I help to lead the Outreach & Research team, with specific focus on community engagement and pipeline outreach initiatives. I believe these initiatives are critical to foster a more diverse radiology work force and expand our department's impact within the West Philadelphia community. Outside of work, I enjoy watching football and outdoor activities including biking, bouldering and camping.

Abass Noor, MD
O&R, D&I 
I was born in Qoryooley, Somalia and grew up in Minneapolis, Minnesota. I earned my BS at Macalaster College and MD at Brown. My career interests include body imaging, pediatrics, medical education and health care delivery in resource-limited settings. I am currently a member of the Global Health track and president of the Penn RAD-AID chapter. In the RIDE Subcommittee, I focus on recruitment and global health initiatives with the goal of improving resident access and participation in global health. Outside of work, I enjoy poetry and painting.

Carla Zeballos Torrez, MD, PhD
O&R  
I was born in Bolivia and raised in Vienna, Virginia. I earned my B.A. from UVA, MD from Drexel, and PhD from UT Health San Antonio. My professional interests include cancer biology, abdominal imaging and breast imaging. As a first-generation immigrant, transplanted from one of the poorest countries in South America to Northern Virginia, I grew to witness and understand the pervasiveness of health inequities both locally in the U.S and abroad and I developed a passion for providing care for underserved communities. This led me to participate in the RIDE subcommittee, where I focus on community outreach initiatives. Outside of work I enjoy playing the violin, listening to live music, hiking, baking and spending time with my son, husband, and dogs. 

Joanna Weeks, MD
E&M, Team Leader 
I grew up in a rural part of Loudoun County, Virginia called Paeonian Springs but adopted New York City as my adult home during medical school at Columbia University College of Physicians & Surgeons. I am committed to Diversity & Inclusion within Penn Radiology to improve our delivery of healthcare to minority racial, ethnic, religious, and gendered patient populations, to support the Penn Medicine workforce in better reflecting, engaging with, and honoring the diversity of the Philadelphia area, and to ensure that trailblazers from minority communities within our workforce feel wanted and supported within the Penn family. My focus within this committee is curriculum development, including facilitating morning lectures on D&I topics, bringing in Radiology faculty from other institutions to discuss their work in health equity and inclusion, and developing a database of D&I research papers with Radiology specific topics. My hobbies outside medicine include reading, politics/political organizing, travel (this year that has mostly meant findings remote parks and beaches to roam with our dog,) film, and windowsill gardening.

Linda White Nunes, MD, MPH
Vice Chair, Diversity and Inclusion
Division Chief, Abdominal Imaging Pennsylvania Hospital
Course Director, Pennsylvania Hospital Radiology Electives
Associate Professor of Clinical Radiology

I was born and raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; educated at Harvard University (college, medical school and public health); and trained at University of Pennsylvania (internal medicine internship, radiology residency and Body MR fellowship). Radiology excites me because each day, it encourages me to fully utilize and grow my fund of knowledge and allows me to help a wide variety of individuals – patients and colleagues. The pursuit to improve the lives of others - whether through clinical medicine, teaching and mentoring, or publishing lessons learned through original research – forms the core of what I find most enjoyable about my career in academic medicine and drives me forward. I am most passionate about contributing in areas of inclusion/diversity/equity, education/mentorship, abdominal imaging and population health. I value my involvement at Penn Radiology – not just because we are leaders in our field, but because of what lies behind that leadership - a community of passionate, capable individuals enabled by a supportive environment and an ability to garner sufficient resources to turn ideas and ideals into reality.

Jenny Bencardino, MD
Chief of Musculoskeletal Imaging
Professor of Radiology at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania

I completed radiology residency training both in my native Colombia and in the U.S. at Long Island Jewish Medical Center. I trained in MSK Radiology at NYU Langone Orthopedic Hospital where I was promoted as Full Professor of Radiology and Orthopedic Surgery in 2014. I am the recipient of the 2013 President’s Medal of the International Skeletal Society and the 2014 RSNA Honored Educator award. Research efforts include the development and validation of MRI metrics for the diagnosis and follow up of diseases affecting the microstructure and function of articular cartilage, bone, muscle, and nerves. In the public service realm, I founded Free Spirit Tennis & Soccer, a volunteer group that conducted sports instruction at the Juvenile Detention Center in Westbury, New York. I also advocated for the passing of the Raise the Age legislation in the state of New York.

Farouk Dako, MD, MPH
Assistant Professor of Radiology at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania

My interest in inclusion, diversity and equity stems from my journey as an immigrant from Nigeria to U.S for school and the social and professional interactions that followed. It led me to purse a Master of Public Health during which time I learned valuable lessons in organizational leadership and management. I am interested in improving population health through research and outreach. My personal successes are largely attributed to great friendships, support and mentorship and therefore I feel both a sense of joy and personal responsibility to pay it forward.