The QualityHealth Medical Advisory Board is composed of certified physicians and professionals with extensive knowledge and expertise in their health area(s).

In addition to reviewing QualityHealth articles for medical accuracy, Advisory Board members are periodically featured in QualityHealth newsletters.

Karen Calhoun, MD
QualityHealth Allergy Expert | Ohio

Karen Calhoun, MD, is a professor in the Department of Otolaryngology Head & Neck Surgery, Division of Sinus and Allergy at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center and one of the top otolaryngic allergists in the nation. She is the former president of the American Society of Geriatric Otolaryngology, former vice president of the American Academy of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, former president of the Society of University Otolaryngologists, and one of the leading innovators in improving allergy therapy in the field of otolaryngology. She is also one of the nation's leading allergy researchers, having published more than 100 articles in the field of Otolaryngology.

Learn more about the Division of Sinus and Allergy at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center

 

Marnie Cambria, MD
QualityHealth Children's Health Expert | New Jersey

Marnie Cambria, MD, received a B.A., magna cum laude from the College of the Holy Cross, Worcester, MA. She received her Doctor of Medicine from Johns Hopkins School of Medicine May 2001. She completed her pediatric residency from June 2001 to June 2004 at the Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh in Pennsylvania. She stayed on as a pediatric hospital attending physician from July 2004 to June 2006. Cambria has won several scholastic honors including the Vincent Londino Award for excellence as a resident teacher and clinician in 2004. She also has published several articles. Cambria is Board Certified in Pediatrics.

Learn more about Marnie Cambria, MD.

Ben Greenfield, Coach, Author, Speaker
QualityHealth Fitness Expert | Washington

Through his online consulting at Pacific Elite Fitness, Ben Greenfield helps people from around the world achieve healthy and lasting physical performance, mental performance, and fat loss. With advanced degrees in strength and conditioning, nutrition, and exercise physiology, he is recognized as one of the world's leading fitness authorities, and runs the popular blog Ben Greenfield Fitness, where he provides free, cutting-edge advice via articles, videos, and audio downloads. Greenfield also mentors personal trainers and fitness business owners via Superhuman Coach and is an Advisory Board Member of the Nutritional Magnesium Association.

Liesa Harte, MD
QualityHealth Functional Medicine Expert | Texas

Liesa Harte, MD, earned her MD at the University of Texas, San Antonio. Over the past 17 years, she has developed a passion for helping people prevent disease and live vibrant, healthy lives at every age. Harte’s private Austin practice is the fulfillment of a dream: To provide a unique healthcare experience and a deeper level of personalized care that makes a powerful, lasting difference in the lives of her patients.

A native of North Mississippi, Harte graduated with a Bachelor of Accountancy from the University of Mississippi at age 18. Upon graduation she became the youngest CPA at an international accounting firm.

After many years in the accounting world, she realized that she wanted to impact people’s health more than their finances. She went to medical school at the University of Texas Health Science Center San Antonio Medical School. She then stayed on for an internship and eventually residency in Family Practice. After that, she was a board certified Family Practice physician in private practice in San Antonio for six years.

Always the curious adventurer, Harte moved with her children to the south of France for six years where she enjoyed a unique perspective on medical care in Europe. She then returned to pursue her dream of opening her dream practice where she strives to incorporate the best aspects of European primary care. She is pleased to practice her unique style of medicine in her own clinic. She is currently undergoing the certification process for Functional Medicine, in addition to maintaining her board certification in Family Medicine.

Learn more about Liesa Harte, MD.

Craig Kraffert, MD
QualityHealth Skin Care Expert | California

University trained as a biochemist and cell biologist, Craig Kraffert, MD, studied medicine at UCLA and interned in Surgery at UCLA Medical Center. Kraffert’s dermatology residency at the University of Miami in Florida allowed him to benefit from what is consistently considered one of the world’s most prestigious and desirable dermatology training programs.

Kraffert is passionate about all aspects of dermatology. He sees patients five full days per week and views his mission as becoming the embodiment of the "Renaissance dermatologist"—constantly striving to achieve excellence in all aspects of dermatology for the benefit of patients. Kraffert’s clinical offices comprise the largest dermatology practice in northernmost California. His patients have access to a complete spectrum of modern general and aesthetic dermatology services including laser services, skin care consultation, phototherapy, dermatopathology, and micrographic (Mohs) surgery.

Kraffert is involved in dermatology research and lectures frequently in academic and industry forums. He has been very active in California Dermatology, recently serving as the President of CalDerm, an organization he holds the primary responsibility for renaming. Kraffert’s entrepreneurial spirit resulted in his founding of DermStore.com in 1999.

Learn more about ReddingDerm Clinical & Aesthetic Dermatology.

David Levine, MD, FAAP
QualityHealth Children's Health Expert | New Jersey

In addition to his position at Summit Medical Group, David Levine, MD, is an adolescent clinic preceptor for the Atlantic Health System Internal Medicine Residency Program. His expertise includes obesity and nutrition.

Before joining Summit Medical Group, Levine practiced with Millburn Pediatrics in Millburn, New Jersey. He has also practiced with Watchung Pediatrics in Warren, New Jersey.

Levine's inspiration to become a pediatrician came from his positive relationship with his childhood doctor. "Plus, I cannot throw a ball straight, so a career path in baseball ended quickly," he adds in jest. Levine believes that each child is unique. "Pediatrics is not a one-size-fits-all practice," he says. "I believe that it's important to understand and approach each of my patients' needs individually. I enjoy helping parents understand the importance of spending time with their children and being good role models for healthy habits and behaviors."

Levine is a member of the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Learn more about David Levine, MD.

Sharmila Makhija, MD, MBA, FACOG
QualityHealth Women's Health Expert | Louisville, KY

Sharmila Makhija, MD, is chair of the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Women's Health at the University of Louisville, where she also holds the Donald E. Baxter Chair. She is board certified in obstetrics and gynecology and in gynecologic oncology.

A native of Montgomery, Alabama, Makhija earned her bachelor's degree in chemistry from Cornell University and her MD degree from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. She completed her OB/GYN residency at the University of Louisville and a fellowship in gynecologic oncology at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York. She earned her MBA degree from Emory University's Goizueta Business School and is a graduate of the ELAM (Executive Leadership and Academic Medicine) program at Drexel University.

Makhija has published and presented extensively in the areas of OB/GYN, gene therapy for treatment of cancer, and use of monoclonal antibodies for treatment of ovarian cancer. She is the recipient of NIH funding and has served as a Women's Reproductive Health Research Scholar. She has won awards for teaching future physicians, and has been listed as a "Top Doctor in America" since 2008.

Makhija also is an accomplished medical communicator. She served as a media contributor to Fox5 in Atlanta prior to moving to Louisville, has appeared on national network news programs on CNN and other networks, and is certified by the News Certified Exchange, the journalist-vetted database of verified, credible sources.

Learn more about Sharmila Makhija, MD.

Alison Massey, MS, RD, LDN, CDE
QualityHealth Nutrition Expert | Maryland

Alison Massey is a registered dietitian, a certified diabetes educator, and a licensed dietitian/nutritionist with a Master’s degree in Health Promotion from the University of Delaware.

She completed the Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center Dietetic Internship program and earned her B.S. in Nutritional Science from Pennsylvania State University. Massey’s background includes assessing the nutritional needs of various patient populations, including both adult and pediatric patients. Her clinical nutrition experience includes covering intensive care units, medical-surgical units, and patients in rehabilitation. Massey currently works at the Center for Endocrinology at Mercy Medical Center in Baltimore, Maryland where she educates and counsels patients with type 1, type 2, and gestational diabetes. Massey received a certificate in both pediatric and adult weight management and is a member of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

Learn more about the Center for Endocrinology at Mercy.

Rafael Pajaro, MD
QualityHealth Internal Medicine Expert | New Jersey

In addition to his position at Summit Medical Group, Rafael Pajaro, MD, is assistant clinical professor of medicine at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey in Newark. He is a member of the American College of Physicians, Society of Hospital Medicine, and Anticoagulation Forum.

Before joining Summit Medical Group, Pajaro was director of the Internal Medicine Residency Program and the Combined Medicine and Pediatrics Residency Program at Overlook Medical Center in Summit, New Jersey. He was previously in private practice in Chester, New Jersey. He has been a physician and hospitalist with the Somerset Medical Center in Somerset, New Jersey, and he was director of Hospitalist Physicians of Somerville, New Jersey. Pajaro has been assistant clinical professor of medicine at Columbia College of Physicians and Surgeons in New York City.

Learn more about Rafael Pajaro, MD.

Tejal Patel, MD
QualityHealth Breast Cancer Expert | Houston

Tejal Patel, MD, joined Methodist Cancer Center's Breast Oncology department in October 2012.

Upon graduating from University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston in 2003, she completed her Internal Medicine residency and a fellowship in Hematology Oncology at Mayo Clinic, Florida. She practiced as a breast oncologist at Mayo Clinic with Edith Perez, MD, a world-renowned breast oncologist before moving to South Florida. She then joined four breast oncologists at Memorial Cancer Institute in Hollywood, Florida and developed a passion for preventive care. Patel has won several awards including the Florida chapter American College of Physician award for outstanding resident for excellence of internal medicine, the Golden Apple Award for outstanding performance as a teacher of clinical medicine, and Distinguished Physician Florida Medical Association, "A Physician Who Cares" award.

Patel has been active in breast oncology research. She has published several articles and a book chapter and has also given many oral presentations in the community. Patel is certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine, Medical Oncology as well as Hematology.

Learn more about our Breast Cancer Expert.

Alexandria Phan, MD
QualityHealth Cancer Expert | Houston

Alexandria Phan, MD, is a medical oncologist, specialized in gastrointestinal cancers as well as rare endocrine cancers.

Her clinical research interests are in all gastrointestinal malignancies but she is especially passionate in the care, research, and advancement for patients with rare malignancies such as neuroendocrine cancers and other endocrine neoplasms such as pheochromocytoma and adrenocortical carcinoma. She has written several chapters in textbooks, national practice guidelines, as well as published in multiple peer-reviewed journals on these topics. She has also given grand-rounds, public presentations, and discussions at national and international cancer conferences and meetings. Phan is recognized as a world expert in adrenal and neuroendocrine cancers. In addition to her research, she educates the medical students, fellows, and visiting colleagues. She has earned multiple educational awards from residency and fellowship training programs as well as from cancer institutions.

Phan graduated from the University of California at Davis, and went on to get her doctorate degree at the University of California at Irvine. After finishing her clinical training in Internal Medicine at Baylor Medical College in Houston, she went on to get her fellowship training in Hematology and Medical Oncology at the University of Texas at M D Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. She joined the faculty at the GI Medical Oncology Department at M D Anderson since 2003 with an adjunct faculty appointment at the Graduate Biomedical School at the University of Texas.

Learn more about Alexandria Phan, MD.

Eamonn M. M. Quigley, MD
QualityHealth Digestive Health Expert | Houston

Eamonn M. M. Quigley, MD, past president of the American College of Gastroenterology and the World Gastroenterology Organization, joins the faculty at the Methodist Hospital as head of its gastroenterology division.

Most recently, Quigley was professor of medicine and human physiology and a principal investigator at the Alimentary Pharmabiotic Centre at the National University of Ireland in Cork. He is internationally known for his research on gastrointestinal motility disorders, primarily Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS); Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD); neurogastroenterology (the relationship between the central nervous system and the gut); and probiotics in health and disease. A highlight of his ongoing research includes how bacteria in the digestive tract play a major role in pulling nutrients from food to nourish the body, as well as participating in protecting the body from disease. Quigley’s clinical interests focus on the use of probiotics for the treatment of IBS.

Some of his pioneering research over the past few decades has included how the function of the gut is affected in a variety of diseases and conditions, including chronic liver disease, high-dose chemoradiotherapy, intestinal failure and transplantation, and Parkinson’s disease.

He has published more than 600 peer-reviewed articles, reviews, editorials, book chapters, and case reports, mostly in the areas of gut motility, functional gastrointestinal disorders, and GERD. Quigley has received numerous international honors and awards. He served as Editor-in-Chief of the American Journal of Gastroenterology from 1997 to 2003.

Quigley received his medical degree from University College Cork in Cork, Ireland; completed Internal medicine residency in Glasgow, Scotland; and did GI fellowship training at the Mayo Clinic and the University of Manchester in England. He served as the chief of Gastroenterology at the University of Nebraska from 1991 to 1998 and as dean of the Medical School in Cork, Ireland from 2000 to 2007.

Learn more about our Digestive Health Expert.

William A. Tansey III, MD, FACC
QualityHealth Heart Health Expert | New Jersey

William Tansey III, MD, is board certified in internal medicine and cardiovascular disease.

Tansey is an ambassador for the American Heart Association of Northern New Jersey, a founding member of the American Heart Association New York/New Jersey/Connecticut/Long Island Heritage Affiliate Board, chairman of the American Heart Association Advocacy Committee, and a founding member of the New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services Cardiovascular Health Advisory Panel. He also is chair of the Liberty Science Center Board in Jersey City, New Jersey.

Dedicated to promoting cardiovascular health and careers healthcare, Tansey actively volunteers for a variety of projects and nonprofit organizations concerning cardiology. His expertise and guidance were integral in developing the Liberty Science Center Cardiac Classroom, a leading-edge educational opportunity that allows students to witness heart surgery and ask questions of the medical staff during the procedure. As a result of his vision, students as far away as London have seen and participated in the broadcasts.

Tansey is the recipient of many honors and awards, including the distinguished Ellis Island Medal of Honor for Americans with outstanding personal and professional qualities who have maintained the richness of their heritage. As a result of his public advocacy for heart health and safety, the Star Ledger nominated him for Jerseyan of the Week. The Consumer Research Council of America lists him in "America's Top Cardiologists," and he is listed among Best Doctors in America in regional and national magazines, including NJ Savvy Living. Tansey is a peer reviewer for the American College of Cardiology Foundation/ American Heart Association's “Focused Update of Guidelines for the Management of Patients With Unstable Angina."

Learn more about William Tansey III, MD.

Amber L. Taylor, MD
QualityHealth Diabetes Expert | Maryland

Amber L. Taylor, MD, Director of the Diabetes Center at Mercy, a division of the Center for Endocrinology at Mercy, offers expertise in diabetes management, diagnosis, and education. Taylor completed her Endocrinology fellowship at the University of Arizona. Following undergraduate education at Seattle University in Washington, she received her medical degree from Flinders University of South Australia. Taylor trained in Internal Medicine at the Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center/ University of Washington program in Spokane, and is board certified in Internal Medicine.

Taylor is dedicated to the treatment of patients with diabetes and to its prevention. Accepting direct patient presentations, and in consultation to primary care and other physicians, she will work with a team of endocrinologists, nurse educators and dieticians to assist in the diagnosis and management of patients with diabetes. Mercy’s Diabetes Center has a strong history of care that Taylor will further strengthen.

Taylor and the Diabetes Center offer:

  • Consultation
  • Diagnosis and management of type 1 and type 2 diabetes
  • Evaluation and management of diabetes in pregnancy
  • Continuous glucose monitoring
  • Insulin pump management 
  • Treatment of diabetes complications
  • Cardiovascular risk assessment

Learn more about the Center for Endocrinology at Mercy.

Gregory S. Thomas, MD, MPH, FACC, FASNC
QualityHealth Heart Health Expert | California

Gregory Thomas, MD, is the medical director for the MemorialCare Heart & Vascular Institute at Long Beach Memorial. He brings more than 25 years of clinical, research, and leadership experience to Long Beach Memorial. Serving as a principal investigator on more than 50 clinical trials, Thomas will work with the MHVI physician and clinical team to help make tomorrow's medicines a reality today. Thomas is perhaps best known as the co-leader of a joint US-Egyptian team that discovered the ancient Egyptian mummies had atherosclerosis. His team’s findings in Egypt have been reported globally and in the Journal of the American Medical Association. He earned his medical degree from the University of California, San Francisco, where he also was a Regents Scholar. While in medical school, he studied at the University of California, Berkeley, earning a Masters of Public Health in Health Policy. Postgraduate training including an internship, residency, and fellowship at Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, and Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.

Learn more about our Heart Health Expert.

Debra Warner, PsyD
QualityHealth Psychology Expert | California

Debra Warner, PsyD, received her Master of Arts and Master of Education in counseling psychology from Columbia University, Teachers College, in New York City. After graduating, she provided individual therapy to chronically mentally-ill patients—both adolescents and adults—who were caught up in the legal system. As a former lead psychologist for the U.S. Homeland Security's Immigration Department, Warner provided training to staff on mental health, diversity, and organizational psychology issues in Los Angeles County, California. Some of her other professional assignments have included the Los Angeles Police Department, C.U.R.E.-A Better Los Angeles, Sylmar Juvenile Hall, California Mentor, the Sycamores, Psychological Support Services, Phoenix Programs, IYC-St. Charles, and Regional Center.

After completing her doctorate in forensic psychology from Alliant International University, Warner went on to work with methamphetamine patients as a psychologist for UCLA's Department of Family Medicine. She has served as adjunct professor for several universities, and as lead faculty for Chapman University's Marriage and Family Therapy program. She is currently the associate professor/lead faculty for the Los Angeles campus of the Chicago School of Professional Psychology's Psy.D. in Clinical Forensic Psychology. Warner is a licensed psychologist whose major areas of interest are diversity training, student-focused teaching, and application of therapeutic tools that can be utilized in multiple forensic settings. She also has a private practice and continues to explore non-verbal behavioral analysis in courtroom settings.

Learn more about Debra Warner, PsyD.

Nathan Wei, MD, FACP, FACR
QualityHealth Arthritis Expert | Maryland

Nathan Wei, MD, is a graduate of Jefferson Medical College. He completed his residency at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan and his arthritis training at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland. Wei is the author of more than 65 articles in peer-reviewed literature and has appeared on NBC TV, PBS, and the Leading Experts Show. He’s also been featured in Arthritis Today, Women's Day, The Washington Post, and Martha Stewart Living.

Learn more about Nathan Wei, MD.

LeslieBeth Wish, EDD, MSS
QualityHealth Relationships Expert | Massachussets

Psychologist and social worker LeslieBeth Wish is nationally recognized for her groundbreaking research and work with women's relationships, career, trauma, sexual dysfunction, childhood abuse, and soldiers and their families—especially widows. She offers sound, research-based relationship advice that is unique, innovative, and practical.

Wish is the subject of biographical entries in many of the Marquis Who's Who, including Who's Who in American Women, in the World. She offers workshops and lectures at national conferences for organizations such as the American Psychological Association and the National Association of Social Workers.

Learn more about LeslieBeth Wish.

QualityHealth articles are reviewed by these healthcare professionals as well as other certified physicians and professionals.