College of Medicine

Shibani Mukherjee, PhD

Dr. Mukherjee completed her doctoral studies at BHU, India. Subsequently, she pursued a postdoctoral fellowship at the International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology in Trieste, Italy. In 1999, she moved to the United States, commencing a postdoctoral position at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. Her career at UTSW Dallas began in 2006 as an assistant instructor, and she advanced to the role of Assistant Professor (Research) 2015. She joined Sarver Heart Center in February 2025. 

Ayman B. Farag, MSc, PhD

Ayman B. Farag is particularly interested in the integration of medicinal and computational chemistry to advance drug discovery and development targeting cardiac problems in Dr. Hesham Sadek’s laboratory.

His work includes conducting structure-activity relationship studies to optimize drug candidates, performing virtual screening to identify potential leads, synthesis and characterization of new compounds.

Nicholas T. Lam, PhD

Originally from Melbourne, Australia, Dr. Nicholas T. Lam is an Instructor in the Division of Cardiology and Sarver Heart Center, University of Arizona within Dr. Hesham Sadek’s laboratory. His research interests are in cardiac regeneration, cardiomyocyte proliferation and heart failure.

Previously, he was an Instructor and postdoctoral researcher at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, and prior to that he earned a Bachelor of Biomedical Science from the University of Melbourne as well as a Bachelor of Science (Honours) and PhD from Monash University.

Cara Deery, MPH

Cara Macdonald Deery, MPH, is the Education and Outreach Senior Program Manager at the Sarver Heart Center, where she leads strategic initiatives to foster collaboration, engagement, and education in cardiovascular research. With a background in program management, health promotion, and strategic outreach, she develops and oversees symposia, community activities and groups, and professional development opportunities for researchers and clinicians.

Luke I. Szweda, PhD

Luke I. Szweda, PhD, joined the faculty at the University of Arizona in 2024 as a Professor in the Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiology and member of the Sarver Heart Center. Dr. Szweda received a bachelor’s degree in chemistry in 1982 from Carleton College in Northfield, MN and, under the mentorship of Daniel E. Atkinson, PhD, a doctoral degree in chemistry and biochemistry in 1990 from the University of California, Los Angeles. He performed postdoctoral research in the laboratory of Earl R.

Hesham A. Sadek, MD, PhD

Hesham A. Sadek was appointed as the new director of the Sarver Heart Center in May of 2024, bringing with him an impressive research portfolio from UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas. He previously served as associate director of the Center for Regenerative Science and Medicine and a professor of internal medicine/cardiology with joint appointments in biophysics and molecular biology.

Scott Chicotka, MD

Stephanie G Worrell, MD

Stephanie G. Worrell, MD, is clinical associate professor and thoracic section chief in the Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery.

Prior to joining the University of Arizona, Dr. Worrell held the titles of assistant professor of surgery, associate program director of the Thoracic Surgery Fellowship and chair of the Robotic Steering Committee at University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center and Case Western Reserve University, where she received the Mary Hellerstein Junior Faculty Development Award and was selected for FLEX IX Leadership Program.

Roderick Tung

Lee Ryan, PhD

Dr. Ryan is a Professor in the Departments of Psychology and Neurology at the University of Arizona. Currently, she is the head of the Psychology Department as well as the Director of the Cognition and Neuroimaging Laboratory and the Associate Director of the UA Evelyn F. McKnight Brain Institute. Her research focuses on the neural basis of memory, age-related changes in the brain, and how these changes relate to cognitive functioning. Her research is currently funded by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute and the Arizona Alzheimer's Consortium.