New faculty join UMMC academic ranks
Medical Center leadership is proud to announce the following additions to its faculty and leadership staff.
Dr. Cara Heath
The School of Medicine welcomes Dr. Cara Heath as an instructor in the Department of Medicine.
Heath is a former 6th grade science teacher at Jackson Academy Middle School. She earned her Doctor of Medicine from the University of Mississippi Medical Center School of Medicine in 2023 after completing a Master of Science in biomedical sciences from UMMC and earning her undergraduate degree in chemistry from the University of Alabama.
During her medical training, Heath demonstrated a strong commitment to education, leadership and service. She served as social chair for the School of Medicine Class of 2023, a member of the Carl G. Evers, M.D. Society and a mentor to fellow medical students through several peer mentorship programs. She also served as a medical gross anatomy tutor, helping support students in their medical education.
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Dr. Rexel Laureano
The University of Mississippi Medical Center School of Medicine welcomes Dr. Rexel Laureano as an assistant professor in the Department of Radiology.
Laureano joins UMMC from Tennessee, where he earned a Bachelor of Science in biochemistry and cellular and molecular biology from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville and a Doctor of Medicine from East Tennessee State University Quillen College of Medicine.
He recently completed his diagnostic radiology residency at UMMC and now joins the Department of Radiology as an emergency radiologist.
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Dr. Peyton Thigpen
Dr. Peyton Thigpen, a graduate of the University of Mississippi Medical Center School of Medicine, is joining the Department of Psychiatry as an assistant professor.
Thigpen earned his Doctor of Medicine from UMMC in 2021 after receiving a Bachelor of Arts in journalism from the University of Mississippi.
Throughout medical school, Thigpen demonstrated a strong commitment to leadership and service. He served as class president from 2017 to 2021, was president of the UMMC Associated Student Body and mentored fellow medical students.
He is a member of the American Psychiatric Association, the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and the American Medical Association.