Welcome new faculty members to the Department of Medicine!

Kamir Boodoo, MD

Hometown: San Fernando, Trinidad

Residency: Sinai Hospital of Baltimore

Fellowship: Infectious Diseases, LSU Health Sciences Center, New Orleans

Division: Infectious Diseases

Joydeep Chakraborty, MD

Hometown: Kolkata, India

Residency: University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville

Fellowship: Gastroenterology and Transplant Hepatology, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville

Division: Digestive Diseases

Tell us about yourself.  I grew up in the ‘City of Joy’, Kolkata, in India. I completed my medical school and post graduate training in Medicine from Manipal University in India. During my post graduate training in India, I developed a special interest for liver disease. Following my dreams of getting further training in Hepatology, I came to the Unites States and joined Internal Medicine training at University of Florida. I continued at the same program to complete a 3 years combined Gastroenterology and Transplant Hepatology fellowship. In my leisure time, I enjoy travelling and spending time with my wife and 2 toddlers.

What are you most looking forward to working at UMMC? I am looking forward to working with the Hepatology and Liver Transplant team and be a part of the growing transplant program. Through these efforts, I hope to make a small difference in the lives of the people of Mississippi. I also enjoy teaching and hope to be involved in resident and student’s teaching curriculum.

Prakhar Vijayvargiya, MD

Hometown: Pachore, India 

Residency: University of Miami/JFK Palm Beach Campus, Florida

Fellowship: Infectious Diseases, Mayo Clinic, Minnesota 

Division: Infectious Diseases

Tell us about yourself. I grew up in India and have bounced around since then to Florida, Minnesota, and now Mississippi. I studied medicine at one of the oldest medical institutes in Asia: Grant Medical College, Mumbai (over 170 years old). During residency, I worked with Dr. Larry Bush, who diagnosed the index case of anthrax bioterrorism in 2001. His work inspired me to choose ID as a career. I have developed a passion for Heme/Onc ID and worked on metagenomic platform to detect etiology of neutropenia fever. Outside of work, I like hiking, live music and sports and I look forward to visiting my family in India.

What are you most looking forward to working at UMMC? Starting a transplant infectious diseases program with Dr. Esquer Garrigos. Hopefully, we can get some trainees to experience this exciting side of ID. 

Yousaf Zafar, MD

Hometown: Lahore, Pakistan 

Residency:  The University of Missouri- Kansas City

Chief Residency: Naples Community Healthcare in Naples, FL

Division: Hospital Medicine

Tell us about yourself. I grew up in Dubai for most of my life before pursuing medical school in Lahore, Pakistan. When I am not working, I enjoy cooking , working out and hiking. I like to think that I am a very friendly person and love hanging out with friends and family when able.

What are you most looking forward to working at UMMC?  I look forward to working with the excellent physicians here at UMMC and exploring Jackson and areas around it. I also enjoy doing research so I am excited to start a few projects of my own.