Faculty
Sebastiano Cassaro, MD, FACS
Dr. Cassaro is a graduate of the University of Genova School of Medicine. After a surgical internship there, he completed a General Surgery residency at the New York Medical College Cabrini program in New York. He is Board certified in General Surgery and a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons. Dr. Cassaro held teaching positions and faculty appointments at New York Medical College, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, and New York University School of Medicine. He is Associate Clinical Professor of Surgery at the University of California, Irvine. Dr. Cassaro is a member of the Society for Surgery of the Alimentary Tract, the Surgical Infection Society, and several other professional societies. He is the author of numerous publications, and has a special interest and expertise in abdominal wall reconstruction, patient safety, quality improvement, and surgical education. Dr. Cassaro is the Department of Surgery Chair and the Residency Program Director.
Ameneh D Kalani, MD, FACS
Dr. Kalani is a graduate of the Universidad Autonoma de Guadalajara. She completed a General Surgery residency at the North Shore Long Island Jewish program in Manhasset, New York, and a Transplant fellowship at the University of Nebraska. She is Board certified in General Surgery and a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons and the American Society of Transplant Surgeons. Dr. Kalani is the author of several publications, and has a special interest and expertise in hepatobiliary surgery. She is the Department of Surgery Vice-chair and a member of the Core Faculty of the Surgery Residency Program.
Satish Kesavaramanujam, MD, FACS
Dr. Kesavaramanujam is a graduate of the Rajah Muthiah Medical College. He completed a General Surgery residency at Our Lady of Mercy program in New York, followed by a Thoracic Surgery fellowship at Columbia Presbyterian in New York. He is Board certified in General Surgery and a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons. Dr. Kesavaramanujam has a special interest and expertise in minimally invasive General and Thoracic Surgery. He is a member of the Core Faculty of the Surgery Residency Program.
Abiy Meshesha, MD, FACS
Dr. Meshesha is a graduate of Jimma Health Science Institute medical school. After a surgical residency in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, he completed a General Surgery Residency at the Baylor College of Medicine program in Houston. He is Board certified in General Surgery and a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons. Dr. Meshesha has a special interest and expertise in Minimally Invasive and Robotic General Surgery. He is a member of the Core Faculty of the Surgery Residency Program.
Kartheek Nagappala, MD, FACS
Dr. Nagappala is a graduate of Bangalore Medical College. He completed a General Surgery Residency and a Surgical Critical Care Fellowship, both at Wayne State University Detroit Medical Center. He is Board certified in General Surgery and Surgical Critical Care and a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons. Dr. Nagappala has a special interest and expertise in Trauma, Surgical Critical Care, and Minimally Invasive General Surgery. He is co-director of the Critical Care service and a member of the Core Faculty of the Surgery Residency Program.
Vincent Kirkpatrick, MD, FACS
Dr. Kirkpatrick is a graduate of the University of California, Irvine College of Medicine. He completed a General Surgery Residency at University of Texas, San Antonio and a Minimally Invasive and Bariatric Surgery Fellowship at Orlando Health in Florida. He is Board certified in General Surgery and a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons. Dr. Kirkpatrick has a special interest and expertise in Minimally Invasive General and Bariatric Surgery. He is the Associate Program Director of the Surgery Residency Program and the Trauma Medical Director.
Kyle B Potts, MD, FACS
Dr. Potts is a graduate of the Uniform Services University, Bethesda and he completed a General Surgery residency at the Oakland Naval Hospital. He is Board certified in general surgery and a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons. Dr. Potts is member of the Faculty of the Surgery Residency Program.
Carol Machado, MD
Dr. Machado is a graduate of the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine. She completed a General Surgery Residency at UCSF, Fresno. She is Board certified in General Surgery. Dr. Machado has a special interest and expertise in Breast Surgery. She is a member of the Faculty of the Surgery Residency Program.
Joyce J Lu, MD
Dr. Lu is a graduate of Albany Medical College. She completed a Vascular Surgery residency at Michigan State University and is Board certified in Vascular Surgery . She is a member of the Faculty of the Surgery Residency Program.
Kyle Ota, MD, FACS
Dr. Ota is a graduate of the University of John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii. He completed a General Surgery Residency at Kaweah Health and a Colorectal Surgery Fellowship at Louisiana State University Shreveport. He is Board certified in General Surgery and Colon and Rectal Surgery and a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons. He is a member of the Faculty of the Surgery Residency Program.
Ammon G Rasmussen, MD
Dr. Rasmussen is a graduate of the Ohio State University College of Medicine. He completed a General Surgery Residency at Mercy Health-St Elizabeth Youngstown Hospital of Youngstown, Ohio. Dr. Rasmussen has a special interest and expertise in Minimally Invasive General Surgery. He is a member of the Faculty of the Surgery Residency Program.
Off-Site Program Faculty
- Victor C Joe, MD, FACS - Burn Surgery
- Hirohito Ichii, MD, PhD, FACS - Transplant Surgery
- David K Imagawa, MD, FACS - HPB Surgery
- Candace Haddock, MD - Pediatric Surgery
