People

Steven Nazario, MD

Program Director Emergency Medicine Residency

AdventHealth East Orlando

Born and raised in Brooklyn, NY he obtained his medical degree from Downstate Medical Center. Having completed his residency in Emergency Medicine at Jacobi-Montefiore in 1997 he stayed on as faculty until 2003. Dr. Nazario then moved to Orlando, Florida and was as a founding member of the EM residency at AdventHealth (formerly Florida Hospital). In the fall of 2019 he became the Program Director after serving as its Associate PD for twelve years. Dr. Nazario serves as an Oral Board examiner for the American Board of Emergency Medicine and as a member of his hospital system’s ethics committee.

Sheryl Heron, MD, MPH

Professor-Vice Chair, Associate Dean

Emory University School of Medicine

Sheryl L. Heron, MD, MPH, is a professor and vice-chair of faculty equity, engagement and empowerment in the department of emergency medicine, inaugural associate dean for community engagement, equity and inclusion and associate director of education and training for the injury prevention research center at Emory (IPRCE), Emory University School of Medicine. She is also a past chair of the emergency medicine section of the National Medical Association. Dr. Heron has received numerous awards including the Partnership Against Domestic Violence’s HOPE Award, the Women in Medicine Award from the Council of Concerned Women of the National Medical Association, the Gender Justice Award from the Commission on Family Violence, and was named a Hero of Emergency Medicine by the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP). She was named the inaugural president of the Academy for Diversity & Inclusion in Emergency Medicine (ADIEM) of the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine and is an editor of two textbooks on diversity and inclusion in quality patient care in emergency medicine. Dr. Heron has lectured extensively on topics such as diversity, equity & inclusion as well as wellness and well-being in health care.

Eric Blazar, MD

Inspira Medical Center Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine Rowan University Clerkship Director

Completed residency at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia, PA in 2015. Have been at Inspira Medical Center in Vineland, NJ since graduating where I am the clerkship director and assistant director of research. My academic interests in medical education, specifically teaching humanism at the bedside as well as utilizing technology for virtual learning.

Sharon Bord, MD

Assistant Professor Co-Director Medical Student Education, Clerkship Director

Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine

Sharon Bord is an assistant professor in the Department of Emergency Medicine at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. She attended medical school at The George Washington University School of Medicine and then completed residency training at Boston Medical Center. She has a focus on both undergraduate and graduate medical education and is a member of the Teaching College, a group of faculty in the Department of Emergency Medicine dedicated to educational endeavors for both residents and medical students. She serves as the Co‐Director for the required medical student clerkship and subinternship in Emergency Medicine and has been integral in developing new curriculum and exam material including an observed structured clinical exam(OSCE).

She also directs the capstone course, TRIPLE, for graduating fourth year medical students teaching critical skills to aid with the transition to internship and beyond. Her research is in the area of medical education with a focus on student assessment. On a national level she is member of CORD(Committee of Residency Directors) and member at large on the CDEM(Clerkship Directors in Emergency Medicine) board. She was co-chair for the SLOE committee with the goal of reworking the SLOE in the COVID era. She also has served as track chair for the CDEM track at the CORD conference. Additionally, she served on the editorial board for a nationally renowned board review question book. Internationally, she developed course material and produced online lecture materials on core Emergency Medicine topics for a company based in Germany. Her videos have been viewed by approximately 23,000 individuals.

George Willis, MD

Director of Undergraduate Medical Education Assistant Residency Program Director Department of Emergency Medicine University of Maryland School of Medicine

Dr. Willis is the Director of Undergraduate Medical Education and Assistant Residency Program Director for the University of Maryland Department of Emergency Medicine. He is fellowship trained in Faculty Development and graduate of ACEP's Teaching Fellowship. Dr. Willis is an outstanding educator and frequently lectures locally, nationally, and internationally on endocrine emergencies, aortic emergencies, procedural and simulation training. He has received numerous teaching awards including the UMEM Residency Program's Outstanding Teaching Award and ACEP's Junior Faculty Teaching Award.

Kene Chukwuanu, MD

Associate Program Director, Emergency Medicine Residency Director of Emergency Ultrasound; SSM Health Saint Louis University Hospital Intensivist, Critical Care Medicine, SSM Health DePaul & St. Mary’s Hospitals - St. Louis, MO

Saint Louis University

Kene Chukwuanu, MD, FACEP, FAAEM, is an emergency medicine trained-intensivist from St. Louis, Missouri. He completed residency in emergency medicine at Saint Louis University (SLU), where he was also Chief Resident, followed by a Medical Education Fellowship at SLU. He then completed the Multidisciplinary Critical Care Medicine Fellowship at the University of Florida College of Medicine in Gainesville, Florida. He is board certified in both emergency medicine and critical care medicine.

Currently, Dr. Chukwuanu is the Associate Residency Program Director and Director of Emergency Ultrasound in the Emergency Medicine Residency Program at Saint Louis University. He is also Co-Director of Student Ultrasound Education for the SLU School of Medicine. Dr. Chukwuanu also currently serves as Vice President of the Missouri College of Emergency Physicians (MOCEP) and Chair-Elect of the EM Section of the National Medical Association (NMA).

Harsh Sule, MD, MPP

Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine & Residency Program Director Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Newark, NJ

Harsh Sule, MD, MPP is Residency Program Director, Associate Director for the Office of Global Health at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School in Newark, NJ. His areas of interest include global health and social EM, and he has been active in advising/mentorship at the undergraduate and graduate medical education levels for over 10 years.

Tiffany Mitchell, MD

Instructor

Jacobi Medical Center/Montefiore Medical Center

Dr. Mitchell is an Emergency Medicine physician in New York City. She obtained her Bachelor’s of Science from Columbia University before attending Keck School of Medicine of USC. Dr. Mitchell completed residency training at the Jacobi-Montefiore Emergency Medicine Program before joining the faculty at The Mount Sinai Hospital.

Lewis S. Nelson, MD, MBA

Dean and Chief of Health Affairs

Florida Atlantic University Schmidt College of Medicine

Lewis S. Nelson, MD, MBA, joins Florida Atlantic University as Dean and Chief of Health Affairs at the Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine. A nationally recognized leader in academic emergency medicine (EM), medical toxicology, and addiction medicine, Dr. Nelson brings over three decades of experience in medical education, clinical care, and academic leadership to FAU.

Prior to joining FAU in 2025, Dr. Nelson served as Professor and founding Chair of EM at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, where he also held the position of Chief of Service for the Emergency Department at University Hospital of Newark. His leadership drove remarkable growth: expanding the residency program, doubling the faculty size, establishing five fellowship programs, and increasing clinical revenue by 40% while maintaining a strong focus on educational excellence and research productivity. He also served as Chief of the Division of Medical Toxicology and Addiction Medicine, developing innovative approaches to addressing substance use disorders and other public health challenges.

Throughout his career, Dr. Nelson has shaped medical education, health policy, and clinical practice through key national leadership roles. He has served as President of the Association of Academic Chairs in Emergency Medicine (AACEM), held positions on the Board of Directors for both the American Board of Emergency Medicine (ABEM) and the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education, and led the American College of Medical Toxicology as President. His work with the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) and various professional organizations and governmental agencies has shaped medical education, health policy, and clinical practice nationally.

Aaron Kuzel, D.O., MBA

Emergency Medicine Resident, PGY-II University of Louisville School of Medicine

Aaron R. Kuzel, D.O., MBA is an Emergency Medicine Resident at the University of Louisville School of Medicine and is currently serving as a Member-at-Large on the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine’s (SAEM) Resident and Medical Student’s (RAMS) Board. Dr. Kuzel is a former Forensic Scientist for the United States Department of Justice and currently works on projects related to medical education, rural emergency medicine, health policy, ems, tactical emergency medicine, and forensics. Dr. Kuzel is a graduate of the DO/MBA program at Lincoln Memorial University College of Osteopathic Medicine where he received induction into Sigma Sigma Phi (SSP), the Gold Humanism Honor Society (GHHS), and Omega Beta Iota (OBI) the Osteopathic Health Policy Honor Society. Dr. Kuzel is also a recipient of the commission of Kentucky Colonel and a member of the Honorable Order of Kentucky Colonels.

Trey Morris, MD, MPH

Program Director, Emergency Medicine Residency, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center - Lubbock

I am the founding program director of the EM residency at TTUHSC in Lubbock, which received accreditation in April 2019. Prior to that I was the clerkship director and then APD at Scott & White in Temple, Texas. I am currently a member of the CORD ASC-EM committee and have previously served on the CORD SLOE and Remediation Task Forces.

Jamie Shandro, MD, MPH

Associate Professor, Director of EM Student Development and Advising

University of Washington School of Medicine

Dr. Shandro is an Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine at the University of Washington School of Medicine, and the Director of EM Student Development and Advising. She has been dedicated to emergency medicine education for over a decade, developing innovative ways to deliver engaging curricula. Dr. Shandro also serves on the Advising Students Committee in EM (ASC-EM) for CORD, collaborating with other like-minded educators across the country. She is an advocate for increased transparency and humanity in the residency application process for all parties.

Alexandra Leigh Mannix, MD

University of Florida College of Medicine- Jacksonville

"I currently serve as an assistant professor, assistant residency director, and assistant clerkship director for the department of emergency medicine, as well as the medical director for the Center for Simulation Education & Safety Research at the University of Florida-Jacksonville. Additionally, I am the Editor-In-Chief and COO of sheMD.org, an online virtual community of practice for women in medical training.  

I have been involved with AWAEM for 5+ years. Over that time, through my involvement with AWAEM, I have had the opportunity to learn and grow both personally and professionally. As the current AWAEM VP of Membership and previous regional meeting chair, I hope to step into a new role within the organization. I hope to bring my technical and organizational skills to the team in a different capacity. I would like to use the role as secretary to improve both internal and external communication regarding AWAEM activities."


Dr. Alexandra “Lexie” Mannix received a bachelor’s degree in Sociology and a Certificate in Public Health from the University of Florida. Following her time at the University of Florida, Dr. Mannix attended medical school at Florida State University College of Medicine, graduating in 2014.
Dr. Mannix completed her Emergency Medicine residency at the University of Florida College of Medicine- Jacksonville in 2017. Following residency, Dr. Mannix completed a Simulation fellowship at Rush University Medical Center and Cook County Hospital in Chicago.
Dr. Mannix currently serves as an Assistant Professor, Assistant Residency Director, and Assistant Clerkship Director for the Department of Emergency Medicine, as well as the Medical Director for the Center for Simulation Education & Safety Research at the University of Florida-Jacksonville. Additionally, she serves as Editor-In-Chief of sheMD.org, an online virtual community of practice for women in medical training. Her professional interests include medical education, simulation, women in medicine, and social media in medical education.
Dr. Mannix is board certified by the American Board of Emergency Medicine. She provides
bedside education and patient care at UF Health and UF Health North in Jacksonville, FL.

Manuel Montano, MD

Director of Medical Student and Intern Education Department of Emergency Medicine Denver Health Medical Center Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine University of Colorado School of Medicine

Dr. Montano is Clerkship and Medical Student Director for Denver Health Residency in Emergency Medicine and Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. Originally from New York and born in the Bronx, NYC, Dr. Montano's education and career experiences have taken him across the country and across many different practice and training environments. After obtaining his medical degree from Columbia University in NYC, Dr. Montano then completed his EM residency training at LAC+USC Medical Center in Los Angeles, CA where his focus for professional development was on procedural and bedside medical education and curricular development. After spending a few years post-residency at a high-volume, high-acuity, urban community hospital in Aurora, Colorado, Dr. Montano joined the EM Faculty at Denver Health to focus on undergraduate and graduate medical education as Clerkship and Medical Student Director. His work at Denver Health focuses on undergraduate EM medical education, integration and promotion of diversity and inclusion efforts into medical student and resident education/recruitment, medical student advising, procedural education, and curricular development.

Jordana Haber, MD, MACM

Director of Clinical Education, Director of Simulation Department of Emergency Medicine, UMC Assistant Professor, UNLV School of Medicine Las Vegas, NV

Jordana J. Haber is director of clinical education and simulation, and assistant professor for the department of emergency medicine at University of Nevada Las Vegas (UNLV) School of Medicine. She has completed a fellowship in medical education, and Masters in academic medicine.

Ashlea Winfield, MD, MSPH

Assistant Program Director Cook County Health

Dr. Ashlea Winfield is an emergency medicine physician and the Assistant Director of the Cook County Health Simulation Center in Chicago, IL. Dr. Winfield earned her Master of Science in Public Health from the Tulane University School of Public Health and medical doctorate from the Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center School of Medicine in New Orleans. She then went on to complete her residency and emergency simulation fellowship at Cook County Health. 

Dr. Winfield is committed to increasing diversity in medicine, specifically the recruitment of underrepresented groups in medicine. As the founder and chair of the Cook County Emergency Medicine Diversity and Inclusion Committee she coordinates multiple activities aimed at fostering a culture of safety for all individuals within her program and institution.

As the Assistant Director for the Cook County Simulation Center, Dr. Winfield focuses on procedural competency and task trainer development, using simulation to teach topics in DEI, and the use of medical simulation to inspire interest in STEM careers.

Joell Moll, MD

Vice Chair of Education, Associate Professor

Virginia Commonwealth University

Joel Moll is Professor and Vice Chair of Education at Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine. He previously served as Residency Program Director, Medical Education Fellowship Director, and Chair of the GME Executive Committee at VCU. Dr Moll was also Associate Residency Program Director at the University of Michigan, and Assistant Residency Director and Administration Fellowship Director at Emory University. Although always interested in education, Dr. Moll started his career in operations, and was medical director at Cleveland Clinic Florida and the University of Florida Gainesville prior to joining residency leadership. He has published multiple peer reviewed articles and textbook chapters, presents internationally and nationally, and has served on many national committees. He participated in the 2022 EM Model of Clinical Practice and the All EM Organization DEI Working Group. He is past recipient of the VCU Health Leadership in Medical Education Residency Director of the year, and the VCU School of Medicine Leonard Tow Humanism Awards. Interests include graduate medical education, curriculum development, diversity and inclusion, LGBTQIA+ health and education, and evidence-based medicine.

Viraj Lakdawala, MD

Viraj Lakdawala is Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine at NYU Grossman School of Medicine and Chief of Emergency Medicine Telehealth in the Ronald O. Perelman Department of Emergency Medicine. He completed his residency at Lincoln Medical and Mental Health Center in 2011 and has been faculty at UCSF and NYU since. He developed NYU Langone's Virtual Urgent Care in 2017 and has been the Medical Director since it started. In the telehealth space, he has also consulted for or worked clinically for American Well, HealthTap, and Capsule Pharmacy

Vijaya Kumar, MD, MPH

Wayne State University/Detroit Medical Center

After completing his graduation in medicine and post-graduation in public health from India, Dr. Kumar went on to complete his residency and fellowship in Clinical Research in Emergency Medicine(EM) at Wayne State University (WSU), followed by an MPH from University of Michigan. He has been research faculty in the department of EM at WSU since 2012 and his EM Research focus is cardiovascular diseases and quality and safety in the ED while his Global Health (GH) research focus is women's health in the rural health setting and research capacity development.

As PI or co-Investigator on several university and federally funded grants, Dr. Kumar has successfully administered the projects (e.g., staffing, research protections, budget), collaborated with other researchers, and produced several peer-reviewed publications. He has continued his passion for cardiovascular medicine through his research career, he has secured a grant to study the outpatient follow up of low risk chest pain patients form the ED, his focus now is the association between COVID 19 and Thromboembolic disease and long COVID Syndrome. During the COVID 19 Pandemic he has been working on several global collaborative efforts to create a cohesive global effort, this includes a survey to assess the global response to the pandemic, comparison of ED triage and resilience of the health force during the pandemic.

Dr. Kumar was part of a working group which wrote an international perspective to emergency department overcrowding, travelled to Jamaica and multiple cities in India conducting research workshops for emergency medicine faculty, residents and fellows. He is the founder and co-director of the GH research collaborative (GHRC) at WSU which coducts an online GH research training and mentoring workshop aling with assisting with reseach capacity devepopment in LMIC's.

He is presently the Associate Director of the Global Health Section and International Emergency Medicine Fellowship in the department of EM at WSU; his goal is to improve clinical research and standardization of emergency medicine care globally. He is a manuscript reviewer for Annals of Emergency Medicine and Journal of ACEP while being on the research committees at ACEP and SAEM and the global emergency medicine committee at SAEM.
 
Dr. Kumar is a full time EM physician for Michigan Center Emergency Services (DMC/WSU), he is the associate director of Global and Urban EM fellowship at WSU, EM Research Director at Harper University Hospital and the vice chair of the MP2 IRB Board at WSU.

Timothy A. Layng, DO

UVA Health

I completed my EM Residency at VCU Health in Richmond, VA where I served as chief resident. I then completed a Clinical Informatics Fellowship at UVA Health where I stayed on as Faculty and am currently an Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine and the Director of Informatics for the Department of Emergency Medicine.