New faculty join UMMC academic ranks

Published on Monday, August 1, 2022

Medical Center leadership is proud to announce the following additions to its faculty and leadership staff.

Dr. Kunal Bhatia

Dr. Kunal Bhatia, recently a neurocritical care fellow at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, has joined the Medical Center faculty as an assistant professor of neurology in the School of Medicine.

Bhatia, who earned his Doctor of Medicine degree from Vardhman Mahavir Medical College and Safdarjung Hospital in New Delhi, India, in 2014, completed his neurology residency at the University of Missouri-Columbia, where he also served as administrative chief resident before embarking on his neurocritical care fellowship at Washington University.

Board-certified in neurology, Bhatia, who has participated in several research projects, has co-authored a number of professional journal articles and case reports as well as three book chapters.

He has served as editor-in-chief of Neurocritical Care: Specialty Review and Self-Assessment and on the editorial board of the Journal of Neuroimaging. He was elected and remains a member of the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society.

Dr. Leigh Holley

Dr. Leigh Holley, recently an assistant professor in the School of Nursing at Purdue University, and campus dean of nursing and assistant professor of nursing at West Coast University-Ontario (California) has joined the Medical Center as an associate professor of nursing in the School of Nursing.

Holley, whose background includes nursing education, research and administration, earned an Associate Degree in Nursing from Northeast Mississippi Community College in Booneville, in 1994; a Master of Science in Nursing Education from Union University in Jackson, Tennessee, in 2015; and a Doctor of Nursing Practice-Organizational Leadership degree, from Abilene Christian University in Abilene, Texas, in 2018.

She held various clinical, management or administrative roles in a variety of hospitals, clinics or universities in Memphis, Nashville and Abilene, Texas, before serving as Dean of Nursing and program director of West Coast University’s Ontario, California, campus undergraduate nursing program for three years, starting in 2018.

Recently, Holley has also served as a faculty member for the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) Live Review and as an independent nursing executive consultant.

As a researcher, she is the presenter/author or co-author of numerous professional publications and presentations.

Dr. Alejandro Lemor

Dr. Alejandro Lemor has joined the Medical Center faculty as an assistant professor of cardiology in the School of Medicine.

Lemor received the Doctor in Medicine degree in 2012 from Universidad de San Martin de Porres in Lima, Peru, where he also earned a Master in Science in Clinical Research. He did a residency in internal medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai St. Luke’s and Mount Sinai West Hospitals in New York City, followed by a cardiovascular disease fellowship and an interventional cardiology fellowship at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, Michigan, where he was also chief fellow from 2020 to 2021.

He has held faculty positions at Harvard Medical School, Universidad de San Martin de Porres and at Coronary Artery & Myocardial Protected PCI (CAMP-PCI). He was part of the National Cardiogenic Shock Initiative, improving survival in patients with cardiogenic shock. He received a research award and professional excellence award from Henry Ford Hospital.

Board-certified in cardiology, echocardiography and internal medicine, Lemor is the co-author of more than three dozen professional publications, a book chapter and numerous published abstracts.