New faculty join UMMC academic ranks

Published on Monday, August 14, 2023

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

Dr. Omoloro Adeleke

Dr. Omoloro Adeleke, who recently completed her clinical fellowship in neonatal-perinatal medicine at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center in Memphis, has joined the Medical Center faculty as an assistant professor of pediatrics-neonatology in the School of Medicine.  

After earning her MBBS (medical degree) in 2011 at the Obafemi Awolowo College of Health Sciences, Olabisi Onabanjo University in Ogun State, Nigeria, she did her residency in pediatrics at the Harlem Hospital Center, affiliated with Columbia University in New York.  

She has served as a clinical intern at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital in Lagos, Nigeria; medical officer in the Department of Pediatrics at the Nigerian Air Force Hospital Headquarters in Lagos; and clinical extern at Mount Sinai Children’s Hospital in Chicago. 

The recipient of several research and academic honors, she has undertaken a number of basic science research/quality improvement projects and has a variety of poster/oral presentations to her credit. She is a member of the American Academy of Pediatrics, including its Section on Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine; and the American Medical Association. 

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Dr. Maher Ajour

Dr. Maher Ajour, recently a neonatal-perinatal fellow at the University of Kentucky Children’s Hospital in Lexington, has joined the Medical Center faculty as an assistant professor of pediatrics-neonatology in the School of Medicine. 

Ajour earned his medical degree at the Faculty of Medicine of Damascus University in Damascus, Syria, in 2011. He completed a pediatrics residency at Jordan University Hospital in Amman, Jordan, and another pediatrics residency at Harlem Hospital Center in New York. He has received recognition for his work in academics, research and patient care. 

Board-certified in pediatrics, Ajour has several research and quality improvement projects to his credit and has been recently involved in investigations related to pre-term and  low-birth-weight infants. 

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Dr. Joaquin Andres Hidalgo

Dr. Joaquin Andres Hidalgo, recently a neurological surgeon for the North Mississippi Medical Center in Tupelo, has joined the Medical Center faculty as an assistant professor of neurosurgery in the School of Medicine. 

He earned his Medical Doctorate in 2010 at La Universidad del Zulia in Maracaibo, Venezuela, before completing a residency in neurological surgery at UMMC. He was also the Carson-Spiro Fellow in pediatric neurosurgery for a year at Johns Hopkins Medicine in Baltimore, where he was named an Outstanding Neurosurgery Fellow.  

Certified by the American Board of Neurological Surgery and board-eligible for the American Academy of Pediatric Neurological Surgeons, he was the founder of the Neuro-Oncology Tumor Board at North Mississippi Medical Center and is a reviewer for the World Neurosurgery Journal.  

The co-author of several book chapters and a number of peer-reviewed articles, Hidalgo is also the content creator of a variety of online neurosurgical videos. He has been an investigator in translational and basic science research projects and has made multiple scientific meeting presentations.  

His current scope of practice is the comprehensive management of a wide range of adult and pediatric neurosurgical conditions, predominantly minimally invasive and complex spine, skull base, neuro-endoscopy, peripheral nerve and neurotrauma.