Our Doctors, In Depth

Maria T. Abreu completed a medical degree at the University of Miami School of Medicine. Her postdoctoral training included an internship and residency in medicine at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts and a fellowship in gastroenterology at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). She also completed a postdoctoral fellowship in molecular and cancer biology at UCLA. Before becoming chief of gastroenterology at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Dr. Abreu served as Director of the Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) Center and Associate Professor of Medicine in the Division of Gastroenterology at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York, New York.

A Diplomate of the National Board of Medical Examiners, the American Board of Internal Medicine, and the American Board of Gastroenterology, Dr. Abreu holds key positions with several professional societies, including the American College of Gastroenterology’s Women’s Committee, the AGA Under-represented Minorities Committee, and the National Institutes of Health’s Gastrointestinal Mucosal Pathobiology (GMPB) Study Section. She is an active member of the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation of America. She is listed in Castle and Connelly as one of America’s Top Doctors. Dr. Abreu is a Fellow of the American College of Physicians.

Dr. Abreu has authored more than 90 peer-reviewed articles, book chapters, and reviews. She serves on the editorial board of Inflammatory Bowel Diseases, the Journal of Immunology, Gastroenterology and Hepatology News, and is a reviewer for several other journals. Her research interest is host-bacterial interactions and, in particular, the role of toll-like receptor signaling in intestinal inflammation. Her translational work has focused on genotype-phenotype relationships in inflammatory bowel disease and prediction of response to medical therapies. She is a frequent speaker at national and international symposia on basic science and clinical topics.

Anis A. Ahmadi earned his medical degree at the University of Florida College of Medicine.  He completed both his internship and residency in Internal Medicine at the University of Florida/Shands Hospital.  Additionally, he completed his fellowship in Gastroenterology and Hepatology at the University of Florida/Shands Hospital.  Dr. Ahmadi currently serves as Assistant Professor of Medicine in the Division of Gastroenterology at the University of Miami.

Dr. Ahmadi's principal interest in Gastroenterology is in the field of inflammatory bowel diseases.  He has been involved in studies identifying the role of new emerging imaging studies in evaluating small bowel Crohn's disease. 

Dr. Ahmadi has presented at multiple national meetings and has authored several peer-reviewed articles as well as a book chapter in the field of inflammatory bowel disease.  Dr. Ahmadi is also involved in active clinical trials assessing the effect of new therapies for inflammatory bowel disease.

Amar R. Deshpande completed a medical degree at the University of Miami School of Medicine. He then stayed at the University of Miami and Jackson Memorial Hospital for his internal medicine residency and gastroenterology fellowship.

Dr. Deshpande’s principal interest in gastroenterology is the study and care of patients with inflammatory bowel disease.  He is also jointly a member of the Department of Medical Education, participating in and helping to coordinate the education of both medical students and housestaff at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine and Jackson Memorial Hospital.

Dr. Deshpande has authored articles, book chapters, and reviews in journals such as Gastroenterology, American Journal of Gastroenterology, and Gastrointestinal Endoscopy and has had multiple presentations at national meetings.

Paul A Feldman received a Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degree in Anatomy and Cell Biology from McGill University, Montreal, Canada. He subsequently attended Technion, Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel where he received a degree in medicine in December 2001.

Dr Feldman completed his internship and residency in Internal Medicine followed by fellowship in Gastroenterology at the University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine. Upon completion of his training he joined the Faculty of the Division of Gastroenterology and received an academic appointment of Affiliate Assistant Professor. Dr. Feldman presently works primarily at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Miami Fl.

Dr Feldman is a member of the American College of Physicians. He serves on the Internal Review Board at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center. He has co-authored several peer reviewed articles. His primary research interest is in translational research in the field of inflammatory bowel disease with particular emphasis on the role of cytomegalovirus and Epstein Barr Virus in inflammatory bowel disease and in the development of colorectal dysplasia and cancer in a setting of long-standing ulcerative colitis. His research has been presented at national meetings and symposia and he has been the recipient of several research grants in support of his work.

Masayuki Fukata, is a physician scientist dedicated to scientific research regarding gastrointestinal diseases. Dr. Fukata is an Assistant Professor in the Division of Gastroenterology at University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida. Prior to coming to University of Miami in February 2008, he first came to the United States in 2003, and was trained at the IBD Center at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, California, and Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, New York for four and a half years. Dr. Fukata received his medical degree from the Jikei University School of Medicine in Tokyo, Japan in 1994, and completed his residency in medicine, and a fellowship in gastroenterology, at the Jikei University Hospital.

Facing many difficulties in treating patients with IBD during his tenure at the Jikei University Hospital, Dr. Fukata decided to dedicate himself to basic research in IBD in an effort to understand more about its cause and pathogenesis. He pursued PhD work while he was a junior faculty member in the gastroenterology division. After Dr. Fukata completed his thesis, his desire to understand more about IBD greatly increased. This aspiration led him to seek training with one of the unparalleled leaders in the field of clinical and basic research in IBD, Dr. Maria T. Abreu.

Since Dr. Fukata started learning from Dr. Abreu, his accomplishments have already come to fruition in the form of several peer-reviewed articles, book chapters, and review articles dealing with the pathogenesis of IBD. Dr. Fukata’s research interests are the role of Toll-like receptors, and the interactions between bacteria and intestinal mucosal immunity in the pathogenesis of IBD.

David Kerman earned his Bachelor of Arts degree at the University of Texas at Austin. He then completed a medical degree at the University of Texas Health Science Center in Houston, TX. His postdoctoral training included an internship and residency at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, IL where he also spent a year as Chief Medical Resident. He completed a fellowship in gastroenterology at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine and Jackson Memorial Hospitals.

Dr. Kerman has presented at numerous national meetings and has particular clinical and research interests in inflammatory bowel diseases as well as health disparities among the diverse populations in South Florida.

Marcelo Larsen completed a medical degree at University of La Plata in Argentina. He trained in Internal Medicine and Gastroenterology at the Private Community Hospital in Mar del Plata, Argentina, and then completed his residency training in Gastroenterology and a fellowship in Clinical Hepatology at University of Miami Affiliated Hospitals and Center for Liver Diseases. Before becoming an Assistant Professor of Clinical Medicine at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine and co-coordinator of the Advanced Therapeutic Endoscopy Fellowship, he held the position of Chief of Gastroenterology Division at Private Community Hospital in Mar del Plata, Argentina.

Dr. Larsen is a member of the Bockus International Society of Gastroenterology, the Mar del Plata Society of Gastroenterology, and the Advisory Board for the Center of Excellence for Laparoscopic and Minimally Invasive Surgery, Miller School of Medicine.

Dr. Larsen´s publications and lecture experience has been focused on therapeutic endoscopy.

Javier L. Parra completed a medical degree at the Universidad Nacional de Colombia. His postdoctoral training included an internship and residency in medicine at the Albert Einstein Medical Center in Philadelphia, PA and a fellowship in gastroenterology at the University of Miami, Jackson Memorial Hospital.

Dr. Parra is a Diplomate of the American Board of Internal Medicine, and the American Board of Gastroenterology.

Dr. Parra has a special interest in diseases of the biliary tract especially those involving the need for cholangioscopy, a technique that allows direct visualization of the bile duct to treat and diagnose an ample spectrum of diseases.

Dr. Parra also performs capsule endoscopy and balloon assisted enteroscopy, a new technique that allows access for diagnosis and therapy of the small bowel, especially in patients whom suffer with occult gastrointestinal bleeding.

Jeffrey B, Raskin, M.D. is Director of the Training Program in Gastroenterology. He is the Medical Director and Chief of Endoscopy at the Jackson Memorial Hospital Medical Center, Miami, FL. He holds additional appointments as Professor in the Departments of Pediatrics and Oncology. He is a Fellow of the American College of Physicians, the American College of Gastroenterology, American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy and the American Gastroenterologic Association. He is a recipient of the Distinguished Alumni Award (2004) from the University of Miami Medical Alumni Association, the Distinguished Service Award (2001) and James L. Borland, Sr. Memorial Award (2003) of the Florida Gastroenterologic Society and the American Gastroenterologic Association Foundation’s Mentors Research Scholar Award (2007). He is a Past-President of the Florida Society of Internal Medicine, Florida Gastroenterologic Society, Dade County Medical Society and Past-Chairman of the Gastroenterology Section of the Southern Medical Association.

Dr. Raskin has served on numerous committees of many national organizations and served on the Governing Board of the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy and as a Governor for South Florida for the American College of Gastroenterology. He is the Course Director of an annual regional First Year Fellow Course, which is entering its 12th year. He is presently an elected member of the University of Miami Senate representing the Department of Medicine.

He is an active member of the Graduate Medical Education Committee of the Jackson Memorial Hospital Medical Center. He is a reviewer for peer-review Gastroenterology journals. He has been involved in over sixty clinical investigations, spoke at over 140 national and international meetings, published more than 85 articles and authored or co-authored 14 book chapters. He is Co-Editor of the textbook, “Colonoscopy. Principles and Techniques”. His clinical interests involve diseases of the stomach, pancreas and colon. He has many research interests and presently is the Principle Investigator of an International Study looking at preventing recurrent diverticulitis.

Dr. Ribeiro is originally from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil where he received his M.D. degree from Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro. He then completed five years of Internal Medicine Residency, two in Brazil and three years at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine followed by one year Hepatology Fellowship at University of Miami. Dr. Ribeiro did his Gastroenterology Fellowship at Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and also one-year Advanced Endoscopy Fellowship at the University of Toronto.

A Diplomate of the American Board of Internal Medicine and the American Board of Gastroenterology, Dr. Ribeiro has served as an ad hoc reviewer for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy, American Journal of Gastroenterology, Digestive Disease and Sciences and American Journal of Managed Care

Dr. Ribeiro has been a member of the Divison of Gastroenterology since 2003 and his main areas of interests are: Endoscopic Ultrasound, Endoscopic palliation of GI malignancies and Endoscopic therapy of Barrett’s and early esophageal cancer.

Daniel A. Sussman completed a medical degree at the University of Miami School of Medicine. His postdoctoral training included an internship and residency in Internal Medicine at the University of Miami/Jackson Memorial Hospital and a fellowship in Gastroenterology at the University of Miami/Jackson Memorial Hospital. He also completed specialty training during fellowship in the field of Hepatology at the University of Miami’s Center for Liver Disease. Dr. Sussman currently serves as Assistant Professor of Medicine in the Division of Gastroenterology at the University of Miami.

Dr. Sussman is a Diplomate of the National Board of Medical Examiners and the American Board of Internal Medicine. Dr. Sussman is a member of several professional societies, including the American College of Gastroenterology, the American Gastroenterological Association, the American Medical Association, and the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy.

Dr. Sussman is actively involved in a number of research efforts at the University and is interested in the role of CT colography (virtual colonoscopy) in colorectal cancer screening. He has authored several peer-reviewed articles as well as book chapters. Dr. Sussman has an interest in performing outcomes-based research particularly related to emerging technologies, and is actively taking coursework within the Department of Epidemiology of the University of Miami towards a Public Health degree.

Hendrikus S. Vanderveldt completed his medical degree at East Tennessee State University in Johnson City, Tennessee. Following medical school, his postdoctoral training included an internship and residency in medicine at the University of Miami/Jackson Memorial Hospital as well as a fellowship in gastroenterology at the University of Miami/Jackson Memorial Hospital.

Dr. Vanderveldt has been published in a number of peer reviewed journals including: American Journal of Gastroenterology, Gastrointestinal Endoscopy, and Nature Clinical Practice Gastroenterology & Hepatology. Additionally Dr. Vanderveldt has been an invited speaker at local as well as international gastroenterology conferences. His clinical and research interests include small bowel disorders and nutrition.