Introducing the Pediatric Anesthesia Teams at UCSF Benioff Children's Hospitals

We are pleased to share that as of January 1, 2023, the UCSF Department of Anesthesia and Perioperative Care will be providing anesthesia services at Benioff Children’s Hospital in both San Francisco and Oakland. We are excited to introduce the faculty that have joined our department and will be providing anesthesia and pain management care on both sides of the Bay. We look forward to providing outstanding care for pediatric patients in all our communities. Please join me in welcoming these faculty members to the team! 

Oakland Faculty

Daniel Abelson, MD

Daniel Abelson, MD, is Interim Chief of Pediatric Anesthesia at Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland. Abelson has been a member of Children’s Anesthesia Medical Group (CAMG) for 10 years, and prior to that, a resident in anesthesiology at UCSF. Abelson received his BA in Economics from Cornell, his MD from UCSF, followed by residency at UCSF and pediatric anesthesiology fellowship at Stanford. He has served as the education director for anesthesia at BCH Oakland, training anesthesiology and PICU fellows, in addition to pediatric, emergency medicine, and oral surgery residents.

Alice Barnes, MBBS

Dr. Alice Barnes received her medical degree from the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom. She completed two years of foundation training with West Suffolk Hospital NHS Trust followed by two core trainee years with Ipswich Hospital NHS Trust. After spending 6 months as a clinical fellow in simulation and anesthetics, Barnes continued her clinical training as a specialist trainee at Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Trust. She continued to train as a specialist trainee at Peterborough City Hospital, Luton & Dunstable Hospital, and Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Trust.   

Barnes completed a clinical fellowship in pediatric anesthesia and pediatric intensive care at Great Ormond Street Hospital. Most recently, she completed a senior clinical fellowship in pediatric anesthesia at Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Trust.

Jeanie Bhuller, DO

Jeanie Bhuller, DO, is Interim Co-Director of Perioperative Services at BCH Oakland. She received her DO at Touro University College of Osteopathic Medicine, completed residency at Georgetown University, and pediatric anesthesia fellowship at UCSF. In 2020, Bhuller was one of the UCSF Anesthesia and Perioperative Care faculty to travel to New York during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, providing much needed assistance to the clinicians at New York-Presbyterian Queens. Her research interests include ultrasound-guided regional anesthesia for pediatric patients and increasing the use of regional anesthesia among physician anesthesiologists to avoid narcotic-based pain relief.

Katharina Brab, MD, PhD

Katharina Brab, MD, PhD, completed her medical education studies at Aachen University in Germany and all her subsequent postgraduate training in Switzerland. She began her postgraduate training at Kantonsspital Olten in Olten, spending time there as an anesthesia and ICU resident. After, Brab continued her training as an anesthesia resident at Kantonsspital Aarau in Aarau, Switzerland, and later for another 6 months of training. Brab trained as a pediatric anesthesia fellow at University Children’s Hospital in Zurich before completing her remaining training at University Hospital Zurich as a general anesthesia resident specialist and cardiothoracic anesthesia fellow. After completing her postgraduate training, Brab worked as an anesthesia consultant at University Children’s Hospital Zurich for one year. Before joining UCSF, she worked as an anesthesia consultant at University Hospital Zurich on the adult, children and newborn anesthesia and emergency care team.

Claire Brett, MD 

Claire Brett, MD, is a pediatric anesthesiologist and a specialist in neonatology and pediatric critical care medicine. She attended medical school at the University of Miami School of Medicine, followed by two residencies at UCSF: one in anesthesiology and one in pediatrics. She continued to a fellowship in neonatology, also at UCSF. In her research, Brett studies the pharmacogenetics of membrane transporters (how individual genetic makeup influences the proteins that move substances such as medications across cell membranes). She received a Career Achievement Award from UCSF Graduate Medical Education in 2014. 

Susan Cheng, MD 

Susan Cheng, MD, is Medical Director for East Bay Prepare Clinic/PACU. She attended Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons for medical school, followed by anesthesiology residency at Massachusetts General Hospital and fellowship in pediatric anesthesia at Children’s Hospital of Boston. She has been in practice for more than 20 years. 

James Crook, MD 

James Crook, MD, is a pediatric anesthesiologist and Medical Director at Walnut Creek Surgical Services who received his medical degree from Baylor University. He completed an anesthesiology residency at UCSF, followed by a pediatric anesthesia fellowship at Boston University. He has been in practice for more than 20 years.

Amit Gupta, MD

Amit Gupta, MD, is Medical Director for CT Anesthesia and Equipment at Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland. A pediatric anesthesiologist specializing in cardiac care, he received his medical degree at UNC School of Medicine in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, followed by an internal medicine internship and anesthesiology residency at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tennessee. Gupta then completed a fellowship in pediatric cardiac anesthesiology at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. He is a member of the Congenital Cardiac Anesthesia Society and the Society for Pediatric Anesthesia. 

William Rhoads, MD

William Rhoads, MD, is Medical Director for MPS Anesthesia Program at BCH Oakland. A pediatric anesthesiologist who manages patient pain levels before, during, and after surgical procedures. Rhoads attended UCSF for medical school, then completed two residencies: one in pediatrics at UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital and one in anesthesia at UCSF. He followed those with a pediatric anesthesia fellowship at Children’s Hospital of Boston.  

Sabah R’id, MD

Sabah R’id, MD, is Medical Director for Anesthesia GME/Resident Education and Simulation Training at BCH Oakland. She is a pediatric anesthesiologist who received her medical degree from the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and completed two residencies: one in anesthesia at Yale New Haven Hospital and one in pediatrics at UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital. R’id then further completed a fellowship in pediatric anesthesiology at Stanford. In 2020, she received the Tae Hee Oh Excellence in Pediatric Anesthesiology Award from the Yale School of Medicine Department of Anesthesiology 

Kellie Moore, MD

Kellie Moore, MD, is a pediatric anesthesiologist who attended the University of Washington for medical school. Moore then completed a pediatric residency and an anesthesiology residency at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque and a pediatric anesthesiology fellowship at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, where she was Chief Fellow. Her research interests include the study of reduced opiate use in anesthesia and the use of pre-operative gastric ultrasound to improve pre-operative fasting guidelines.

West Bay Faculty

Atsuko Baba, MD

Atsuko Baba, MD, is a specialist in pediatric anesthesiology. She directs and was instrumental in launching the Pediatric Prepare Program, which helps ensure that children are both emotionally and physically prepared for surgery. She has a particular interest in anesthesia for trauma. Baba earned her medical degree at the George Washington University School of Medicine & Health Sciences. She completed a residency in anesthesiology at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital and a fellowship in trauma anesthesia and worked at the University of Maryland Medical Center's R. Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center. Baba also completed a fellowship in pediatric anesthesia and served on the staff of Children’s National Hospital. 

Claudia Benkwitz, MD, PhD

Claudia Benkwitz, MD, PhD, is a pediatric anesthesiologist who cares for patients of all ages with all forms of congenital heart disease (CHD). Benkwitz attended medical school at Julius-Maximilians University in Germany, completed an anesthesiology residency at Massachusetts General Hospital and a fellowship in pediatric anesthesiology at Lucile Salter Packard Children’s Hospital at Stanford. While at Stanford, she received advanced training in pediatric cardiac anesthesia. Her study, “Impact of cyanosis and dexmedetomidine on the metabolomic fingerprint in congenital heart disease,” earned the UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital Pediatric Heart Center Catalyst Award in 2020.

Amber Borucki, MD

Amber Borucki, MD, is a pediatric anesthesiologist and pain medicine specialist whose focus is chronic pain conditions in children and eliminating, reducing, or managing pain that occurs after surgery. She also works with patients to prevent postsurgical pain from becoming chronic. Borucki completed her medical degree at Rush Medical College, followed by a residency in anesthesiology at the University of Chicago. She completed a fellowship in pediatric anesthesiology at Boston Children’s Hospital as well as a combined fellowship in pediatric and adult pain medicine at Boston Children’s and Brigham and Women’s hospitals. She holds a joint appointment in the UCSF Department of Pediatrics.

Denise Chang, MD

Denise Chang, MD, attended medical school at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio, before completing an internship and residency in anesthesiology at UCSF. Chang also completed a pediatric anesthesiology fellowship at UCSF. She serves as a medical student coach in the UCSF School of Medicine Bridges Curriculum and earned a Teach for UCSF Certificate in general teaching in 2020. Chang was a recipient of the UCSF Haile T. Debas Academy of Medical Educators Excellence in Teaching Award in 2022. 

Zhe Chen, MD

Zhe Chen, MD, is the Medical Director in Walnut Creek. Chen is a pediatric anesthesiologist who earned her medical degree at the New York University School of Medicine. She completed an internship in internal medicine at Pennsylvania Hospital before completing two residencies: one in ophthalmology at New York University Medical Center & Manhattan Eye, Ear & Throat Hospital and one in anesthesiology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York. She went on to complete a pediatric anesthesiology fellowship at the University of Illinois in Chicago. Prior to her appointment at UCSF, Chen served as a pediatric anesthesiologist at Shriner’s Hospital for Children and assistant professor of clinical anesthesia at the University of Illinois at Chicago.

Odinakachukwu Ehie, MD, FASA

Odinakachukwu Ehie, MD, FASA, is a pediatric anesthesiologist who administers anesthesia to premature infants, children, and developmentally delayed adults. Ehie received her medical degree from the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health and completed an internship in internal medicine at SUNY Downstate Medical Center as well as a residency in anesthesiology at NYU Langone Medical Center. She also completed a fellowship in pediatric anesthesiology at Stanford University’s Lucile Packard Children's Hospital. She is the Vice Chair of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the Department of Anesthesia and Perioperative Care. Ehie is a member of the American Society of Anesthesiologists, California Society of Anesthesiologists and Society for Pediatric Anesthesia, as well as a global committee member at Society for Pediatric Anesthesia.

Marla Ferschl, MD

Marla Ferschl, MD, is the director of Fetal Anesthesia at UCSF. She is a pediatric anesthesiologist who treats children requiring sedation or anesthesia for procedures, radiologic studies, or surgery. Ferschl earned her medical degree at the University of Chicago, followed by an anesthesiology residency at UCSF and a pediatric anesthesia fellowship at Children’s Hospital Boston. Ferschl attends on the Integrated Pediatric Pain and Palliative Care service as a member of the acute pain team. Ferschl is the pediatric anesthesia fellowship's program director and oversees all ACGME fellowship education for the Department of Anesthesia and Perioperative Care. She is the director of resident scholarly activity and organizes the resident rotation in pediatric anesthesia. Her research interests include anesthesia for fetal surgery, operating room efficiency, junior faculty and fellow career developments, and delivery of procedural feedback in the operating room. 

Justin Genziano, MD

Justin Genziano, MD, received his medical degree from The University of Vermont College of Medicine, in Burlington, Vermont. He subsequently completed a residency in anesthesiology at New York Presbyterian Hospital - Columbia University Irving Medical Center in New York. Dr. Genziano further completed a fellowship in pediatric anesthesiology at New York Presbyterian’s Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital.

George Gregory, MD

George Gregory, MD, is a pediatric anesthesiologist whose commitment to pediatric anesthesia is legendary. Working in part from findings by a group in Boston about oxygen toxicity, Gregory confirmed that oxygen toxicity was real and soon discovered that if you increased airway pressure with 30 percent oxygen, you could keep the airways open without harming the lungs. The result was Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP), which has saved the lives of countless children in respiratory distress. Gregory would go on to write the definitive text on pediatric anesthesia and pediatric intensive care and is today recognized as among the foremost authorities on pediatric anesthesia in the world. In honor of his contributions to medicine, Gregory received The Myron Yaster Lifetime Achievement Award from the Society for Pediatric Anesthesia at their 33rd annual meeting in October, 2019. 

Andrew Infosino, MD

Andrew Infosino, MD, is a pediatric anesthesiologist. In addition to patient care at UCSF, he serves as Director of Pediatric Anesthesia at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center and has developed teaching materials for UCSF residents in pediatric anesthesia. After graduating from Amherst College, Infosino earned his medical degree from Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons at Columbia University. He completed a residency in pediatrics at Mount Sinai Hospital, a residency in anesthesia at UCSF, and a fellowship in pediatric anesthesia at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.

Rishi Kadakia, MD

Rishi Kadakia, MD, is a pediatric cardiac anesthesiologist. He earned his medical degree with high honors at Ross University School of Medicine. Kadakia then went on to complete a general surgery internship at Mount Sinai Hospital, a residency in anesthesiology at Mount Sinai St. Luke's/Roosevelt Medical Center in New York, and a fellowship in pediatric anesthesiology at Childrens Hospital Los Angeles.

Irfan Kathiriya, MD, PhD

Irfan Kathiriya, MD, PhD, is a pediatric cardiac anesthesiologist. He earned his medical degree at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, then continued to UCSF, where he completed an internship in pediatrics, a residency in anesthesia, and two fellowships: one in pediatric cardiac anesthesia and one in pediatric anesthesia. Kathiriya is the recipient of numerous awards and honors, including the 2016 Society for Pediatric Anesthesia Young Investigator Award: Mechanisms for Ventricular Septation, the 2017 Hellman Family Award for Early Career Faculty, and the 2022 UCSF Pediatric Heart Center Catalyst Award: “Cell-Cell Signaling Mechanisms for Heart Development: A Pilot Project.” Kathiriya was a member of research team in 2020 whose “Study Reveal[ed] Networks of Genes Involved in Congenital Heart Disease.”  

Justin Libaw, MD, MPH

Justin Libaw, MD, MPH, is a pediatric anesthesiologist who cares for children and adults during surgery. Dr. Libaw’s research investigates ways to improve the patient experience during anesthesia, including through virtual and augmented reality technologies. Dr. Libaw earned his medical degree and Master of Public Health degree from a dual degree program at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. He completed a residency in anesthesiology and a fellowship in pediatric anesthesiology at UCSF. His clinical interests include pediatric anesthesiology and medical education. Libaw’s research has focused on the use of virtual and augmented reality to reduce perioperative anxiety in pediatric patients, including as a co-investigator on the recently published study, “Pediatric Distraction on Induction of Anesthesia with Virtual Reality and Perioperative Anxiolysis: A Randomized Controlled Trial.” As an active member of the UCSF Anesthesia and Perioperative Care Well-Being Committee, Libaw collaborates to support the well-being of fellow department members by planning and implementing morale building events and programs.

Aruna Nathan, MBBS

Aruna Nathan, MBBS, is a pediatric cardiovascular anesthesiologist who works to determine anesthetic risk assessment and management of single ventricle patients, especially patients with shunts, arrhythmogenic substrate, heart failure, and pulmonary hypertension. Nathan earned her medical degree from Madras Medical College in India. She then completed residencies in anesthesia at Government General Hospital, North Middlesex University Hospital Trust and Royal Free Hospital. Prior to her appointment at UCSF, Nathan served as a staff pediatric anesthesiologist at Lucille Packard Children’s Hospital and clinical associate professor at Stanford University. Her research interests include prevention of perioperative hypothermia in children undergoing anesthesia. 

Hung Nguyen, MD

Hung Nguyen, MD, is a pediatric cardiac anesthesiologist who earned his medical degree at UC Davis. He continued at UC Davis, completing a surgery internship, a general surgery residency, an anesthesiology residency, and a pediatric anesthesiology fellowship. He was the recipient of the UCSF Exceptional Physician Award in 2018 and the George A. Gregory Teaching Award Recognize of Clinical Teaching and Commitment to Pediatric Anesthesia Fellow Education in 2020. He is the Chief of Pediatric Liver Transplant Anesthesia and the Pediatric Cardiac Anesthesia Lead for UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital Neonatal and Pediatric Pulmonary Hypertension.

David Robinowitz, MD, MHS, MS

David L. Robinowitz, MD, MHS, MS, is a pediatric anesthesiologist who cares for children having surgery or other procedures that require anesthesia. Robinowitz earned his medical degree at Georgetown University School of Medicine. Next, he attended UCSF, completing residencies in both pediatrics and anesthesiology. Robinowitz also completed two fellowships at UCSF: one in pediatric pulmonology and one in pediatric anesthesia. In 2021, he received Dean of School of Medicine Talmadge King’s Commendation for Exceptional Volunteerism and University Service in recognition of ORIF (Organized, Rapid, Intelligent Fabrication) Team for UCSF's COVID-19 Pandemic Response. 

Gabriel Sarah, MD

Gabriel Sarah, MD, is a pediatric anesthesiologist who provides anesthesia care to both children and adults. He also provides pain management to pediatric patients. Sarah earned his medical degree at the University of Arizona. He then completed both a residency in anesthesiology and a fellowship in pediatric anesthesiology at Jackson Memorial Hospital, a teaching facility of the University of Miami Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine. In research, Sarah works as part of a team exploring the effects of an intrathecal medication – a method of drug delivery to the area around the spinal cord – for patients with Niemann-Pick disease type C, a rare genetic disorder.

Anshuman Sharma, MD, MBA

Anshuman Sharma, MD, MBA, is the Director of Pediatric Cardiac Anesthesia in the Department of Anesthesia and Perioperative Care and is boarded in both adult and pediatric anesthesia. He received his medical degree from Government Medical College Patiala in India, completed residencies at All India Institute of Medical Sciences and at St. Luke's - Roosevelt Hospital Center in New York. He also competed a fellowship at St. Louis Children's Hospital.  

Sharma has held testamure-special competence status in transesophageal echocardiography from the National Board of Echocardiography since 2003. He is regularly invited to share his expertise about quality improvement, change management, outcomes measurement, congenital heart disease, pediatric anesthesia, pediatric cardiac surgery and more, at international, national, regional and local meetings and workshops. Sharma is the PI or co-investigator on 7 current funded research projects, spanning topics from improving analgesia and reducing opioid consumption to telemedicine and treatment algorithms.  

Sharma came to UCSF from Washington University in St. Louis, where he was a Professor of Anesthesiology, the Director of the Division of Quality Improvement, Institute of Quality Improvement, Research, and Informatics (INQUIRI), and the Director of the Division of Pediatric Cardiac Anesthesia as well as the Pediatric Anesthesia Fellowship Program. 

Gail Shibata, MD, MPH

Gail Shibata, MD, MPH is a specialist in pediatric anesthesiology with expertise in neuroanesthesia, a subspecialty focused on improving anesthetic outcomes for patients with neurological disorders. She has a particular focus on the anesthetic management of pediatric patients undergoing surgery for myelomeningocele, tethered spinal cord, and intracranial tumors. Shibata earned her medical degree at the George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences. She completed residencies in surgery and anesthesiology at UCSF and UCLA, followed by a fellowship in pediatric anesthesiology at Stanford Hospital. She also holds a Master of Public Health degree.

Jina Sinskey, MD

Jina Sinskey, MD, is a pediatric anesthesiologist who is passionate about clinician well-being. She is the inaugural associate chair of Well-Being for the Department of Anesthesia and serves as vice chair of the American Society of Anesthesiologists Committee on Physician Well-Being. She served as the quality improvement lead for the Pediatric Anesthesia Division at UCSF from 2017-2021. Sinskey earned her medical degree at Tufts University in Boston, followed by an anesthesia residency at UCSF and a fellowship in pediatric anesthesia at Boston Children’s Hospital. Her approach to clinician well-being leverages her experience in management consulting and quality improvement, where she applies concepts of change management, human-centered design, continuous process improvement, and implementation science to create systems approaches to reduce burnout and foster well-being. Her research interests include clinician well-being, virtual/augmented reality for pediatric patients, conflict management, fetal anesthesia, and medical education. 

Stephen Weston, MD

Stephen Weston, MD, is the Director of the Anesthesia Workroom. He attended medical school at UCSD, then completed a residency in anesthesiology and a fellowship in liver transplant anesthesia at UCSF. Weston was a member of the team that performed the first-ever pediatric heart transplant at UCSF, on July 01, 2018. He received the 2021 – 2022 Pediatric Anesthesia Fellowship Teaching Award. 

David Wong, MD

David Wong, MD, is a pediatric cardiac anesthesiologist. He earned his medical degree at Drexel University College of Medicine in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He then completed a pediatrics residency at UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital, Oakland. Wong also completed an anesthesiology residency, a fellowship in pediatric anesthesiology, and a fellowship in pediatric cardiac anesthesiology at UCSF. His research interests include increased perioperative use of oral acetaminophen over intravenous acetaminophen. 

Jocelyn Wong, MD

Jocelyn Wong, MD, received her medical degree from Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, in Hanover, New Hampshire. She subsequently completed an internship at Kaiser Permanente, San Francisco Medical Center and an anesthesiology residency at Stanford University School of Medicine. Wong further completed a fellowship in pediatric anesthesiology at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, and a clinical fellowship in pediatric pain medicine at Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles. She has an avid interest in pediatric anesthesia, regional anesthesia, and pediatric pain medicine. 

Maurice Zwass, MD

Maurice Zwass, MD, is Division Chief of Pediatric Anesthesiology. An anesthesiologist and pain management specialist who cares for pediatric patients, Zwass earned his medical degree from UCSF. Next, Zwass completed a residency in pediatrics at the UC San Diego, followed by an anesthesia residency at UCSF. He completed a fellowship in pediatric critical care medicine and pediatric anesthesia at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.