Speakers

Conference Chair:
Stephanie Dwyer Kaluzna, PharmD, BCCP
Clinical Assistant Professor
University of Illinois Chicago College of Pharmacy

Dr. Stephanie Dwyer Kaluzna is a Cardiovascular Clinical Pharmacist at the University of Illinois Hospital and a Clinical Assistant Professor at University of Illinois Chicago (UIC) College of Pharmacy. She is the primary pharmacist for the Cardiology and Cardiothoracic Surgery services. She also serves as the Residency Program Director for the PGY2 Cardiology Pharmacy Residency Program. She completed her PharmD degree at UIC College of Pharmacy – Rockford campus, a PGY1 Pharmacy Residency at Captain James A. Lovell Federal Health Care Center, and a PGY2 Cardiology Pharmacy Residency at UIC. Her main areas of interest within cardiology include acute decompensated heart failure, antithrombotic therapy, and transitions of care.

Matthew M Churpek, MD, MPH, PhD
Associate Professor, Allergy, Pulmonary, and Critical Care Division, Department of Medicine
Affiliate Faculty, Department of Biostatistics and Medical Informatics
University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health

Dr. Matthew Churpek is an Associate Professor of Medicine in the Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care and Affiliate Faculty in the Department of Biostatistics and Medical Informatics at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He is a lead PI of the University of Wisconsin’s ICU Data Science Lab, and his research uses machine learning methods, such as natural language processing and deep learning, to identify patients at risk for clinical deterioration, sepsis, acute kidney injury, and other syndromes of critical illness. Dr. Churpek has been supported by a K08 from NHLBI, an ATS Foundation Recognition Award for Early Career Investigators, a Department of Defense award, and R01 grants from NIGMS, NIDDK, and NHLBI.

Christine Cunningham, PharmD, BCCP
Cardiology Clinical Pharmacist
Northwestern Memorial Hospital

Dr. Christine Cunningham is a cardiology clinical pharmacist at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago, IL. Dr. Cunningham earned her PharmD at Purdue University in West Lafayette, IN. She completed both her traditional PGY1 and PGY2 cardiology pharmacy residencies at Northwestern Memorial Hospital. She works primarily in the cardiothoracic intensive care unit on the advanced heart failure service, providing care for patients on mechanical circulatory support, those with left ventricular assist devices (LVADs), and post orthotopic heart transplant. Her interest areas include critical care, arrhythmias, mechanical circulatory support, and heart transplant. In her free time, Christine enjoys walking the Chicago Lakefront, going to concerts, and working out.

Dharati Desai, PharmD, BCCCP, BCEMP
Clinical Pharmacy Specialist- Emergency Medicine
Assistant Professor, Department of Emergency Medicine
Department of Pharmacy, Rush University Medical Center

Dr. Dharati Desai is an emergency medicine clinical pharmacy specialist at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, IL. She received her Doctor of Pharmacy degree from Midwestern University in Downers Grove, IL and then completed PGY1 residency in pharmacy practice and PGY2 residency in critical care at the Allegheny General Hospital in Pittsburgh, PA. Dr. Dharati is board certified in emergency medicine and critical care pharmacotherapy and her areas of interest within emergency medicine include pharmacotherapy in rapid sequence intubation, neurocritical patients, and disaster preparedness. She is dedicated to improving patient care through interdisciplinary collaboration and evidence-based interventions.

Bridget Enright, AG-ACNP
Advanced Practice Nurse, Burn Unit
Loyola Hospital

Bridget Enright is an Adult Gerontology Critical Care Nurse Practitioner who specializes in Burn Care at Loyola Hospital in Maywood Illinois. She completed her Bachelor of Science in Nursing at Saint Mary’s College and worked for several years in the Burn ICU at University of Chicago. She then earned her Masters of Science at Georgetown University and has been practicing as a Critical Care Nurse Practitioner in Loyola Burn Unit.

Alexandra Evans, PharmD, BCOP
Clinical Pharmacy Specialist, Hematology/BMT/Oncology
PGY1 Assistant Residency Program Director
University of Cincinnati Medical Center

Dr. Alexandra Evans is a clinical pharmacy specialist practicing in malignant hematology, bone marrow transplantation, and cellular therapies at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center. She received her Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the University of Cincinnati and then completed both her PGY1 Pharmacy Practice Residency and PGY2 Oncology Residency at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center. She also serves as the assistant Residency Program Director for the PGY1 Pharmacy Practice Residency. Her main areas of interest include acute leukemias, bone marrow transplantation, and coordinating complex care regimens for patients with malignant hematologic cancers.

Bryan Hambley, MD, MPH
Division of Hematology and Oncology
Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine
Vontz Center for Molecular Studies ML0562

Dr. Bryan Hambley is a hematologic oncologist, specializing in stem cell transplantation, multiple myeloma, lymphoma, and leukemia. He is fellowship-trained in critical care medicine from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio, and in hematology from The Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland. He specializes in the use of bone marrow transplantation and cellular therapies such as CAR T-cells for treatment of blood cancers. Dr. Hambley is interested in minimizing financial toxicity to patients as well as optimizing treatment protocols and care delivery systems to patients with hematologic malignancies in the hospital, particularly those who are critically ill.

Shannon Kuhrau, PharmD, BCCCP
Burn ICU Clinical Pharmacist
Loyola University Medical Center

Dr. Shannon Kuhrau is a board certified critical care pharmacist at Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood, IL. She received her PharmD from Midwestern University, followed by a PGY1 and PGY2 critical care residency at Loyola University Medical Center. Her practice site is the Burn ICU at Loyola where she has expertise in managing acute pain and agitation in critically ill patients, antibiotic stewardship, and long-term pain and sedation weaning strategies.

Nicholas Ludmer, MD
Assistant Professor of Medicine, Emergency Medicine
University of Chicago

Dr. Nicholas Ludmer completed his residency in Emergency Medicine at the University of Cincinnati and continued on to complete his fellowship in International Medical Education / Global Health here at the University of Chicago.  Dr. Ludmer’s academic interests include global health, with a focus on developing Basic Emergency Care training programs in Low to Middle Income Countries (LMIC).  His current work is with Partners in Health in Chiapas, Mexico.  He is also passionate about pre- and post-graduate medical education and serves as core faculty at the University of Chicago Emergency Medicine Residency, as well as the Assistant Director for Tissue, Cell and Organ Physiology Course within the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine.

Erin Martin PA-C, MS
Cardiac Surgery VAD Team Lead
Bluhm Cardiovascular Institute
Northwestern Memorial Hospital Chicago

Erin Martin is the lead APP of the LVAD team at Northwestern Memorial Hospital. She has over 12 years of cardiac surgery experience including working in the OR on heart transplants, MCS and general cardiac surgery. Most recently, she has been working clinically managing patients in cardiogenic shock and acute and durable mechanical circulatory support. Her interests include quality improvement and processes changes across system wide hospitals in managing LVAD patients.

Nathan Olson, MD, MAEd
Assistant Professor, Emergency Medicine
University of Chicago

Dr. Nathan Olson is an Emergency Medicine Physician with interests in medical education, procedural teaching, and wellness. He earned multiple procedure teaching awards during residency, and multiple medical education awards as an attending. In addition, he has taught procedural skills at the regional (ICEP) and national (ACEP) level. Previously, he has lectured about Resuscitation Sequenced Intubation a cornerstone of safer intubation.

Andrew Posen, PharmD
Clinical Pharmacist, Emergency Medicine
University of Illinois at Chicago

Dr. Drew Posen is a clinical pharmacist in emergency medicine. He completed his PharmD at the University of Illinois at Chicago, where he stayed for his residency training. After one year of working overnights at VCU in Richmond Virginia, he returned to his alma mater to propose to his fiancé, who had matched there for her residency training. He is currently working in UIC’s emergency department and he helps train students and residents from the college of pharmacy located next door.

Andrew J. Webb, PharmD, BCCCP
Clinical Pharmacy Specialist, Neurocritical Care
Massachusetts General Hospital

Dr. Andrew Webb is a neurocritical care clinical pharmacy specialist at Massachusetts General Hospital. He is originally from Rhode Island and completed his undergraduate studies and Doctor of Pharmacy at the University of Rhode Island. He then completed his PGY1 pharmacy residency at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN followed by a PGY2 in critical care at Oregon Health & Science University in Portland, OR. His clinical and research interests include status epilepticus, subarachnoid hemorrhage, traumatic brain injury, and optimizing the medical management of neurocritically ill patients. He is active in the American College of Clinical Pharmacy, Neurocritical Care Society, and Society for Critical Care Medicine and serves on several committees within these organizations.