Ashley M. Villarreal, MD
Assistant Professor
Department:
SOM-Medicine-GSOM
Email:
avillarreal@umc.edu
Work Phone:
(601) 984-4536
Biography
Although born in Illinois, Dr. Villarreal is otherwise a lifelong Mississippian. Raised in Hattiesburg where she also attended undergrad at Southern Miss, she then moved to Jackson first as a researcher then to attend medical school. She chose to stay here for residency and serve an additional year as an Internal Medicine Chief Resident. She was asked to join faculty immediately following her chief year as an Assistant Professor in Internal Medicine and Hospitalist with the Hospital Medicine division. Thus, in addition to her role as Associate Program Director, you will find her precepting residents in the clinic and hospital setting as well as her individual practice in both.
While she has a spirit for adventure and loves to travel the world, the unique opportunity to serve a community like Jackson has kept her roots here. In her free time, you’ll find her going for a run through Fondren, reading at a coffee shop, dining out, playing soccer or tennis, dancing at a concert or spending time with her favorite people in the world, her niece and nephew.
Education
| The University of Mississippi Medical Center, MD, Doctor of Medicine | 2017 |
| The University of Southern Mississippi, BS, Biological Sciences |
Specialty Certification Licensure
| Certification, ABP Certification | 10/2021 - Present |
| Certification, ABIM Certification | 08/2021 - Present |
| Licensure, Permanent Medical License |
Current Positions
| Assistant Professor, School of Medicine | 07/2022 - Present |
| Associate Program Director, School of Medicine | 07/2022 - Present |
| The University of Mississippi Medical Center Jackson, Mississippi 39216 | |
Publications
Journal Article | |
| Whittom A, Villarreal A, Soni M, Owusu-Duku B, Meshram A, Rajkowska G, Stockmeier CA, Miguel-Hidalgo JJ, Markers of apoptosis induction and proliferation in the orbitofrontal cortex in alcohol dependence. Alcoholism, clinical and experimental research, 2014 Nov;38(11):2790-9 | 2014 |
| Miguel-Hidalgo JJ, Whittom A, Villarreal A, Soni M, Meshram A, Pickett JC, Rajkowska G, Stockmeier CA, Apoptosis-related proteins and proliferation markers in the orbitofrontal cortex in major depressive disorder. Journal of affective disorders, 2014 Apr;158:62-70 | 2014 |
| Villarreal AM, Adamson SW, Browning RE, Budachetri K, Sajid MS, Karim S, Molecular characterization and functional significance of the Vti family of SNARE proteins in tick salivary glands. Insect biochemistry and molecular biology, 2013 May;43(5):483-93 | 2013 |
Presentations
| Regional Invited Seminars/Lectures, MS/AL American College of Physicians Annual Scientific Meeting-Chair/Organizer.As chair of the AL/MS ACP Regional Meeting Committe, I developed the curriculum for the joint 2026 Scientific meeting which included choosing topics of interest for the general internist, recruiting speakers, coordinating the abstract competition for residents and students and ensuring active member engagement for the 2 day in person meeting., MS ACP, Gulfport, MS | 05/2025 |
| Poster Presentation, “The Consequential Flower Cell: A Rare and Unusual T-cell Leukemia”, UMMC ACP Abstract Day, UMMC | 10/2018 |
| Regional Invited Seminars/Lectures, MS/AL American College of Physicians Annual Scientific Meeting- Abstract competition organizer. Collected and reviewed abstracts from both students and residents in the MS ACP chapter. Recruited and assigned judges for review. Ran the abstract competition in person at the annual meeting., MS/AL ACP Chapters, Meridian, MS |
Honors, Awards, and Recognition
| American College of Physicians Fellow, American College of Physicians | 2026 |
| Trailblazer Teaching Award, UMMC SOM | 2026 |
| Clinician Educator Track, UMMC Internal Medicine Residency Program | 2021 |
| Quality Improvement Project Improvement Award, SOM | 2018 |
| Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Society, AOA | 2016 |
| Gold Humanism Honor Society-selected member, Gold Humanism Honor Society | 2016 |
Professional Membership and Service
| Association of Med Peds Physicians, Member | 2026 - Present |
| Med Peds Program Director Association, Member, A collaborative network of Medicine/Pediatrics program leadership to stay up to date and in communication with Academic Med/Peds programs across the nation. Particpate in student outreach annually through this organization and annual national conference. | 2022 - Present |
| American College of Physicians, Member | 2018 - Present |
| American Academy of Pediatrics, Member | 2017 - Present |
| Gold Humanism Honor Society, Member, One of only 104 chapters in the United States, the GHHS promotes the tradition of the caring doctor. Selection is based on input from peers, clerkship faculty and staff, and administrative personnel within the School of Medicine in order to identify students who demonstrated excellence in patient care, compassion, and dedication to service. | 2016 - 2017 |
Committee Service
| AL/MS ACP Regional Annual Scientific Meeting Committee, Chair | 2024 - 2025 |
| Medical Executive Committee, Member | 2024 - 2026 |
| MS ACP Governor's Advisory Council, Member | 2023 - Present |
| Internal Medicine/Pediatrics Clinical Competency Committee, Member | 2023 - Present |
| Internal Medicine/Pediatrics House Officer Selection committee, Member | 2021 - Present |
| Internal Medicine Residency House Officer Selection Subcommittee, Member | 2021 - Present |
| UMMC Chief Resident Council, Co-president | 2021 - 2022 |
| Internal Medicine Program Leadership, Member | 2021 - Present |
| UMMC American College of Physicians Resident Council, Chair | 2020 - 2021 |
| Internal Medicine Program Evaluation Committee, Member | 2020 - Present |
| SCHOOL OF MEDICINE-ADMISSIONS INTERVIEW, Member | 2018 - 2021 |
| Internal Medicine/Pediatrics Program Evaluation Committee, Co-Chair | 2018 - Present |
| M4 Curriculum Remodel Committee, Member | 2017 - 2018 |
| M3 Clinical Preparedness Bootcamp Committee, Member | 2016 - 2016 |
| SCHOOL OF MEDICINE-RESIDENCY REVIEW SUBCOMMITTEE |
Community Service
| Junior League of Jackson, Active Member | 05/2023 - Present |
Other Service
| Collaborator with Nurse Practitioner, Acting as a collaborator with Nurse Practitioner, Kirstin Causey, in the Internal Medicine clinic, I review 1-2 charts monthly and assist with any management related questions. | 2025 - Present |
| Internal Medicine Journal Club Mentor and Judge, Have acted as both a mentor and judge for Internal Medicine journal club debate o help review literature and provide feedback to the presenting residents. | 03/2024 - 03/2025 |
| Internal Medicine Boss Rounds Attending, I periodically serve (approximately 2-3 times a year) as the attending for "Boss Rounds" for Internal Medicine morning report in which the post call team on inpatient house medicine service presents an interesting case and I as the "boss" help dissect their assessment and plans and provide teaching throughout for the residents and students present. | 07/2022 - Present |
| ACP MS Chapter Abstract Day Judge, Acted as a judge for abstracts submitted for the annual American College of Physicians (ACP) Abstract Day at UMMC. In this role, I evaluate and rank 10-15 abstracts and provide standardized feedback. | 10/2021 - Present |
| Mock Interviewer, Act as a mock interviewer for fourth year medical students prior to the start of formal interview season and provide feedback for improvement. I typically met with 6-8 students per year. | 09/2021 - 10/2023 |
| Internal Medicine Clinician Educator Track reviewer, As a graduate of the Clinician Educator Track, I help annually with the review and discussion of applicants to the track and aid in their selection. | 07/2021 - Present |
| Jackson Free Clinic Attending, I attend 1-2 weekends a year at the Jackson Free Clinic overseeing students and residents providing free/low cost health care to patients in need in the community. | 07/2021 - Present |
Teaching Experience
| Medicine, Lecture, Lecturer, Internal Medicine Noon Conference | 2024 |
| Medicine, Small Group, Facilitator, Introduction to the Medical Profession-1 | Spring 2024 - 2024 |
| Medicine, Lecture, Lecturer, Internal Medicine/Pediatrics Noon Conference | Spring 2024 - 2024 |
| Medicine, Lecture, Lecturer, Internal Medicine Noon Conference | Summer 2024 - 2024 |
| Medicine, Lecture, Lecturer, Internal Medicine Morning Report | Annual 2021-2022 - 2022 |
| Medicine, Lecture, Lecturer, Intern Bootcamp | Spring 2021 - 2026 |
| Medicine, Lecture, Lecturer, Internal Medicine Resident Workshop | Summer 2021 - 2021 |
| Medicine, Lecture, Lecturer, Intern Bootcamp | Spring 2021 - 2021 |
| Medicine, Lecture, Lecturer, Internal Medicine Noon Conference | Fall 2020 - 2020 |
Directed Student Learning
| Preceptor, Advised: Katherine Purdom | 2024 - 2024 |
| Preceptor, Advised: Robin Riddick | 2023 - 2023 |
| Pediatric Problem Solving Groups | 2022 - 2022 |
| Preceptor, Advised: Addie Hitt | 2022 - 2022 |
| Preceptor, Advised: Kayla Lovitt | 2022 - 2022 |
| Preceptor, Advised: Michael Wilkerson | 2021 - 2022 |
| Preceptor, Advised: Andrew Del Castillo | 2021 - 2022 |
| Preceptor, Advised: Kellie Mitchell | 2020 - 2021 |
| Preceptor, Advised: Cailey Crawford | 2020 - 2021 |
Residency Training
| Internal Medicine Residency, Advisor | 2025 - 05/2025 |
| General Pediatrics Inpatient Teaching Service, Attending Physician | 2022 - Present |
| Internal Medicine Continuity Clinic, Attending Physician | 2022 - Present |
| Internal Medicine/Pediatric Continuity Clinic, Attending Physician | 2022 - Present |
| Internal Medicine/Pediatrics, Assoc. Program Director | 2022 - Present |
| Internal Medicine Inpatient Service, Attending Physician | 2021 - Present |
| Internal Medicine, Training Faculty | 2021 - 06/2022 |