Meet the Team

Strong results reflect a multidisciplinary approach to patient care that draws on the combined talents and experience of transplant physicians, transplant surgeons, nurse coordinators, transplant assistants, social workers, financial counselors and psychologists.

UF Health Shands Transplant Center team members offer state of the art immunosuppression protocols to improve patient and graft survival rates.

Transplant Center Director

• Jaison Abraham

Transplant Surgeons

• Thiago Beduschi, M.D.
  Chief, Division of Transplantation & Hepatobiliary Surgery
• Georgios Vrakas, M.D.
  Director, Adult Kidney and Pancreas Transplant Program
• Ashraf El-Hinnawi, M.D.
  Director, Living Donor Kidney Transplant Program; Associate Director, Kidney & Pancreas Transplant Program
• Mark Johnson, M.D.
• Ali Zarrinpar, M.D., Ph.D.
• Daiki Soma, M.D., Ph.D.
• Wen Y Xie
• Alp Demirag

Transplant Physicians

• Alfonso Santos, Jr., M.D.
  Interim Medical Director, Adult Kidney Transplant
• Kiran Upadhyay, M.D.
  Medical Director, Pediatric Kidney Transplant 

Physician Extenders

• Nicole Gazzola, PA-C

Manager of Kidney and Pancreas Transplant and the Living Donor Programs

• Sandra Demasters-Reynolds, MSN, RN, CCTC

Living Donor Team

Kidney/Pancreas Transplant Coordinators and Assistants

Pre-transplant Coordinators

Live Donor

• Stephanie Sharpe, RN, BSN

Post-transplant Coordinators

• Ke'van Brown, RN, BSN
• Alex Saveland, BSN, RN
• Emily Siegle, BSN, RN
• Gena Johns, RN, BSN

Pre-Transplant Assistants

• Phyllis Mitchell
• Maria Oxendine
• Shanne'l Woods
• Stephanie Mitchell

Post-Transplant Assistants

• Viva Brown
• Edward Harley
• Kathy Henderson
• Latosha Williams

Pediatric Kidney Coordinators and Assistant

Financial Coordinators

UF Health is contracted with most transplant networks. Check with your employer or insurer for more information about accessing UF Health for transplant services or our call financial coordinators with any questions.

• Stephanie Achour, 352.265.0358
• Katina Rees, 352.265.0359
• Carol Smith, 352.594.6951

Social Worker, Kidney Transplant

• Jennifer Zeidman, MSW, LCSW, CCTSW (Adult and Pediatric)