Essential Evidence Editorial Board Biographies

Senior Editors

Editor in Chief: Mark H. Ebell, MD, MS; Professor, University of Georgia, USA

Dr. Mark Ebell is an internationally known expert on evidence-based medicine, primary care research, and medical informatics. The author of over 500 peer reviewed publications and author or co-editor of 8 books, Dr. Ebell serves as editor-in-chief of Essential Evidence. He is also deputy editor of the American Family Physician journal. Prior to joining the faculty at the University of Georgia he was on the faculty at Michigan State University, where he was a Robert Wood Johnson Generalist Physician Faculty Scholar. Dr. Ebell served on the US Preventive Services Task Force from 2012 to 2016 and was a Fulbright Scholar at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland in 2019. His current research interests are acute respiratory infections, screening and prevention, end of life decision-making, and the methodology of systematic reviews. A graduate of the University of Michigan’s medical school and family medicine residency, Dr. Ebell also holds an M.S. in Clinical Research Design and Statistical Analysis from that institution’s School of Public Health.

Deputy Editor: Mindy Smith, MD, MS; Clinical Professor of Family Medicine, Michigan State University, USA

Mindy A. Smith, MD, MS is a Clinical Professor in the Department of Family Medicine, College of Human Medicine, at Michigan State University. She completed her family medicine residency at Southern Illinois University (Carbondale) and a Master’s Degree in Research Design and Statistical Analysis at the University of Michigan, School of Public Health. She is author of over 50 peer-reviewed publications and over 150 book chapters, and editor of six books and 25 monographs. Her interests include women’s health, post-graduate education, and developing writing and research techniques and programs for faculty and new investigators

Associate Editors: Primary Care

Associate Editors: Primary Care

Steven R. Brown, MD, FAAFP, Program director of the Banner Good Samaritan Family Medicine Residency in Phoenix, Arizona, USA

Dr Brown completed his family medicine residency at UCSF – San Francisco General Hospital. Prior to joining the faculty at Good Sam, he practiced full-spectrum family medicine for four years in rural Northern Arizona, serving the White Mountain Apache Tribe. He was recognized as the 2010 Clinical Sciences Educator of the Year at the University of Arizona-Phoenix, where he is also the Family Medicine Interest Group advisor. He is 2014 Chair of the American Academy of Family Physicians’ Commission of the Health of the Public and Science. Scholarly and teaching interests include evidence-based decision-making at the point of care, physicians and the pharmaceutical industry, and harms from overuse.

Associate Editor: Primary Care

Gary Ferenchick, Professor of Medicine / Director of Just-In-Time, Shared Discovery Program, Michigan State University, USA

Dr Ferenchick has been actively involved in undergraduate medical education for the majority of his career. In addition to being the Internal Medicine Clerkship Director since 1990, he has been active nationally in the Clerkship Directors in Internal Medicine (CDIM) organization, serving as its president in 2000. In 2004 he was awarded the National Award for Scholarship in Medical Education given by the Society of General Internal Medicine, in 2013 the Ruth-Marie E Fincher Service Award from CDIM, and in 2014 the Louis N. Pangaro Educational Program Development Award. He is the author or co-author of more than 30 peer- reviewed journal publications, and is a co-author of the book "Teaching in Your Office". The focus of his scholarly work has been technology aimed at enhancing the frequency and specificity of competency assessments among medical trainees.

Associate Editor: Primary Care

Kenneth Lin, MD, MPH, Professor of Family Medicine, Georgetown University, USA

Kenny Lin, MD, MPH is Professor of Family Medicine at Georgetown University and Deputy Editor of American Family Physician. He is a graduate of Harvard University, New York University School of Medicine and the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Dr. Lin completed his family medicine residency at Lancaster General Hospital (PA) and a fellowship in medical editing and faculty development at Georgetown. Dr. Lin serves on the American Academy of Family Physicians’ Science Advisory Panel and the DHHS Advisory Committee on Breast Cancer in Young Women. His areas of expertise include cancer prevention and survivorship, screening guidelines, medical overuse, and diagnostic test interpretation. Dr. Lin writes regular commentaries for Medscape Family Medicine and shares his views on health and health policy topics on his blog, Common Sense Family Doctor.

Associate Editors: Speciality

Associate Editor: Paediatrics

Michelle Hamline, MD, PhD; Assistant Clinical Professor of Pediatrics, University of California, Davis, USA

Dr. Hamline is a Paediatric Hospitalist offering care for children with various medical conditions when they need to be hospitalized. She has a special clinical interest in improving processes of care and has expertise in quality improvement, patient safety, and health services research. Dr. Hamline's research is centered around evaluating processes of care and designing targeted interventions to improve pediatric care in a hospital setting. Her main areas of interest include care transitions, family-centered care, and care pathways. She has expertise in quality improvement, implementation science, and health services research.

Associate Editor: Cardiology

Jonathan R. Murrow, Assistant Professor, Georgia Regents University – University of Georgia Medical Partnership, Athens, Georgia, USA

Dr Murrow is a graduate of Emory University School of Medicine. He completed his residency training in Internal Medicine at Johns Hopkins Hospital, where he served as the Assistant Chief of Service. He completed fellowship training in Cardiovascular Diseases at Emory University. He is an Associate Editor for Essential Evidence. A practicing cardiologist, Dr. Murrow also conducts patient-oriented research in peripheral arterial disease and heart failure.

Associate Editor: Substance Abuse

Cara Poland, MD, M.Ed; Assistant Professor Michigan State University East Lansing, Michigan, USA

Dr. Cara Poland is a recognized expert in addiction medicine. She earned her medical degree from Wayne State University and was trained in internal medicine at St. Joseph Mercy Hospital in Ann Arbor, Michigan and in addiction medicine at Boston Medical Center in Boston, Massachusetts. She received her master’s degree in education from Boston University. She has an interest in educating healthcare providers and providers-in-training to improve care for patients with substance use disorders particularly during pregnancy and early parenting.

Associate Editor: Neurology

CMehmood Rashid, MD; Assistant Professor, University of Toledo College of Medicine and Life Sciences, Toledo, USA

Dr. Mehmood Rashid is an assistant professor of neurology and medical education at the University of Toledo College of Medicine and life sciences. He earned his medical degree from Dhaka Medical College in Dhaka, Bangladesh. He then completed residency training in adult neurology at University of Toledo in Toledo, OH. This was followed by a fellowship in movement disorders at University of Toledo and a neuro-otology fellowship at University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, MI. Dr. Rashid currently serves as Associate Clerkship Director for Neurology, system director for the neuroscience course and the movement disorders fellowship director at the University of Toledo college of medicine. Dr. Rashid is interested in health professions education research and movement disorders clinical trials.

Associate Editor: Skin diseases

Brian Z. Rayala, MD, FAAFP; Professor of Family Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, USA

Dr. Brian Rayala is a Professor in the Department of Family Medicine at the University of North Carolina. He earned his integrated BS-MD degree from the University of the Philippines College of Medicine. He then completed residency training in Family Medicine at Sparrow/Michigan State University in Lansing, Michigan, where he was mentored by the some of the founders of POEMs and Essential Evidence. He spent six years on faculty at Michigan State University and completed a one-year fellowship in Dermatology in 2009. Since 2011, he has been on faculty at the University of North Carolina and, since 2014, he has served as fellowship director of the Career Development Fellowship in Surgical Family Medicine. Brian has written over 50 book chapters and peer-reviewed publications. He also serves as editorial board member for the American Academy of Family Physicians FP Essentials. His clinical interests include dermatology, primary care surgery, and wound medicine. In awe of the outdoors, Brian enjoys trail running, hiking, and alpine skiing.

POEM Editors

Associate Editor: POEMs

Henry C. Barry, MD, MS; Professor Emeritus, Michigan State University, USA

Certified by the American Board of Family Medicine, Dr. Barry specializes in Family Medicine. He earned his degrees from the following universities: University of Maryland (B.S.), University of Michigan (M.S.), University of Maryland (MD). He did his residency at St. Lawrence Hospital in Lansing, Michigan. He is the co-author of a web-based course that introduces the basic concepts of evidence-based medicine, information mastery, and critical appraisal of the medical literature. He teaches all levels of learners, including serving as the director of the EBM curriculum for the MSU Primary Care Faculty Development Fellowship Program, a nine month training program for primary care physicians. He has also received federal funding to develop an innovative medication safety curriculum to medical students. Fond of travel, Dr. Barry is fluent in German and can get by in French!

Associate Editor: POEMs

Linda Speer, MD; Professor and Chair, Department of Family Medicine, University of Toledo, USA

Dr. Linda Speer is professor and chair of the Family Medicine Department at the University of Toledo (UT) College of Medicine. She earned her medical degree from Austral University Medical School in Valdivia, Chile and completed her family medicine residency at Oakwood Hospital in Dearborn, Michigan. Dr. Speer is board certified in family medicine. She is an alumnus in the AAMC-sponsored Executive Leadership in Academic Medicine (ELAM) program for the development of women leaders in academic medicine. Dr. Speer is nationally recognized for her expertise in women’s health and evidence-based medicine. Her research interests include medical decision-making regarding menopausal hormone use and breast cancer risk assessment in primary care practice. She has published extensively on varied topics related to women’s health and is a member of the editorial boards of the journals Family Medicine and The Journal of Family Practice.

Associate Editor: POEMs

Nita Shrikant Kulkarni, MD; Assistant Professor, Medicine, Hospital Medicine Division, Northwestern Medical Group, USA

Dr. Nita Shrikant Kulkarni, MD is an internal medicine specialist in Chicago, IL. Dr. Kulkarni completed a residency at McGaw Medical Center of Northwestern University. She currently practices at Northwestern Medical Group and is affiliated with Northwestern Memorial Hospital. She accepts multiple insurance plans. Dr. Kulkarni is board certified in Internal Medicine.

Associate Editor: POEMs

Allen F. Shaughnessy, PharmD, MMedEd; Professor of Family Medicine, Tufts University, USA

Dr. Shaughnessy is Professor of Family Medicine at Tufts University. He received his Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the Medical University of South Carolina. He has completed a faculty development fellowship and the federal government's Department of Health and Human Services Primary Care Health Policy Fellowship. He is a Board Certified Pharmacotherapy Specialist and is a Fellow of the American College of Clinical Pharmacy. Dr. Shaughnessy has been active in research and evidence- based medicine. He has written over 120 papers in the areas of pharmacology, family practice education, prescription writing, and medical information management that have been published in journals such as the Journal of Family Practice, JAMA, British Medical Journal, and American Family Physician. He is the series editor for the American Family Physician's STEPS series of new drug reviews of the Clinical Pharmacology series.

Associate Editor: POEMs

David Slawson, MD; Chair, Department of Family Medicine, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, USA

David C. Slawson, M.D. is the Chair of Family Medicine at Atrium Health, Charlotte Campus. Dr. Slawson and Dr. Allen Shaughnessy were awarded the 2002 Society of Teachers of Family Medicine Innovative Program Award for their work together in developing the Information Mastery curriculum. Dr. Slawson is a graduate of the University of Michigan School of Medicine and completed his postdoctoral training in Family Medicine at the University of Virginia.

Editors Emeritus

Associate Editor

Mabs Chowdhury MBChB, FRCP, FAcadMEd; Consultant Dermatologist, Welsh Institute of Dermatology, University Hospital of Wales, Cardiff, UK

Dr Chowdhury qualified from Leicester University in 1991 and trained in Dermatology in Newcastle, Sunderland and Cardiff between 1996 and 2001. He is recent Treasurer of the British Society for Cutaneous Allergy, ex-Programme Director for Dermatology training in Wales, current Medical Secretary for the Specialty Certificate Exam board and Clinical Service Lead in Cardiff since 2012. He has over 90 papers and book chapters and has edited two textbooks on latex allergy and specialist training in Dermatology. He is co-author on a medical student textbook Dermatology at a Glance published in 2013. His current interests include hand eczema, occupational dermatology, and medical management and training.

Associate Editor

Randall Forsch, MD, MPH; Assistant Professor, University of Michigan, USA

Randall T. Forsch, MD, MPH U of Michigan Certified by the American Board of Family Medicine, Dr. Forsch specializes in Family Medicine with an emphasis on procedures, adult inpatient medicine and professional skills. He earned his medical degree at Wayne State University School of Medicine and completed both his Family Medicine residency and Masters in Public Health at the University of Michigan. Dr. Forsch is faculty at University of Michigan where he serves as Assistant Professor, Department of Family Medicine. Additional title includes Family Medicine Service Chief, Chelsea Community Hospital.

Associate Editor

Su-Ting Li, MD, MPH; Associate Professor of Pediatrics, Pediatric Residency Program Director, and Vice Chair of Education, University of California, Davis, USA

Dr. Su-Ting T. Li is a graduate of the University of California Los Angeles School of Medicine, University of Washington/Children's Hospital and Regional Medical Center's pediatric residency, and University of Washington's School of Public Health and general academic pediatric fellowship. In addition to being Associate Editor of Essential Evidence, she is an Associate Editor of Cochrane Clinical Answers and author of over 25 peer-reviewed articles. The focus of her scholarly work is on medical education research.

Associate Editor

Richard Usatine, MD; Professor, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, USA

Dr. Richard Usatine is the Medical Director of a Skin Clinic for the underserved at the University Health System and the Fellowship Director of the first family medicine dermatology fellowship in the country. He has been recognized throughout his career for bringing quality health care to underserved communities and teaching and mentoring student physicians to provide compassionate care to the underprivileged. Dr. Usatine received his MD from Columbia University before completing his Residency and Faculty Fellowship at UCLA. Dr. Usatine remained at UCLA for 20 years in a variety of positions, the last as Assistant Dean of Student Affairs and Professor of Family Medicine. He is the editor-in-chief of the new Family Medicine Digital Resource Library found at fmdrl.org. Dr. Usatine is the lead author of the books “Skin Surgery: A Practical Guide.” and “The Color Atlas of Family Medicine. ” He is the founder of the Interactive Dermatology Atlas at dermatlas.net and the editor of Photo Rounds in the Journal of Family Practice. Dr. Usatine is the year 2000 recipient of a National Humanism in Medicine Award from the Association of American Medical Colleges.

Associate Editor

Michael Wilkes, MD; Professor of Medicine, University of California, Davis, USA

Dr. Wilkes is widely known for his efforts to introduce medical students to the humanistic side of being a physician, and for working to include the social sciences and clinical reasoning as part of training physicians. He has extensive experience in the development, management, and evaluation of longitudinal, case-based curricula. introduced UCLA’s and UC Davis' Doctoring curriculum, a series of classes and seminars for all four years of medical school. Topics within the curriculum include doctor-patient communication, clinical reasoning and end-of-life care. He served as editor of the Western Journal of Medicine, and as a reviewer for many medical publications. Wilkes is also an award winning journalist having worked for the NY Times, ABC News, CBS News, and currently works for National Public Radio and McClatchy Newspapers. Wilkes' clinical interests are in adolescent medicine.