Meet Our Specialists
Neonatologists
James Anderson, MD
Dr. Anderson is a Massachusetts native who moved to San Francisco to complete his Pediatric and Neonatal training. He kicked off his professional career with 5 publications in the field of Pediatrics and Neonatology. He also dedicated over two years of mentorship at UCSF for medical students conducting projects in San Francisco and Vietnam. In his spare time, he enjoys cooking, traveling, and hiking with his partner and dog.
Stacie Bennett, MD
Dr. Stacie Bennett completed her Neonatal-Perinatal Fellowship at the University of San Diego in 2005. She has been with East Bay Newborn Specialists since August of 2005. She is currently one of the medical directors at John Muir Medical Center and has a special interest in Fetal Medicine as well as Neonatal Resuscitation. In her spare time, she loves to play with her two sons, coach basketball, travel, and hike.
Margarita Berrios, MD
Dr. Margarita Berrios completed her Neonatal-Perinatal Fellowship at the University of California San Francisco in 1995 and has been with East Bay Newborn Specialists since December 2005. Her clinical interests include brain development and protection, ECMO, and the stabilization of critically ill neonates. She is actively involved in pediatric residents' education. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her husband and daughter. She loves reading and the outdoors. She is fluent in Spanish.
Dr. Rebecca Carter
Dr. Rebecca Carter is an East Coast native who began her studies at the University of Georgia, earning her Bachelor of Science degree in Genetics. She then enrolled in the Medical College of Georgia to pursue her career in Medicine. She relocated to the Bay Area to complete her Pediatrics residency at UCSF BCH OAK. Her passion to care for newborns led her to the Fellowship program at UCSD and Rady Children's Hospital where she dedicated her time to numerous quality improvement research studies. Rebecca has studied and written about length of stay reduction in babies with Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome, improving post-operative pain management in newborns, and more. Aside from being a passionate Neonatologist, Rebecca is a musician, and an expert rower.
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Lilia DeJesus, MD
Dr. DeJesus studied Medicine in the Philippines and completed her Residency in Detroit, Michigan. She has been a part of EBNS for 5 years. Throughout her career, she has published several articles for the field of Neonatology including studies in low-birth-weight, pulmonary hypertension, and more. In her spare time, she likes taking her kids to the skate park.
Arthur D'Harlingue, MD
Dr. Arthur D'Harlingue attended medical school at St. Louis University. He completed both his pediatric residency and Neonatal-Perinatal Fellowship at Stanford University. He has been with the neonatology group since 1983. He is the Director of Neonatology at UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital of Oakland and is the President of East Bay Newborn Specialists. He has been a member of the ECMO team at Children's Hospital of Oakland since 1988. His clinical interests include nutrition, pulmonary artery hypertension, and ECMO. He enjoys hiking and running.
Golde Dudell, MD
Dr. Dudell studied Medicine at Brown University. She completed her Pediatric Residency in New York and joined us in the bay area over 10 years ago. She has contributed to several Professional Societies including the American Academy of Pediatrics, Section of Cardiology. When Dr. Dudell is outside of the hospital, she likes to ride her bicycle around the city.
Kim Grelli, MD
Dr. Kim Grelli attended medical school at Vanderbilt University and then completed a pediatric residency at the University of Washington. After residency, she returned home to the Bay Area where she completed her Neonatal-Perinatal Fellowship at UCSF and then joined East Bay Newborn Specialists. Her clinical interests include prematurity, neurodevelopment, non-invasive ventilation, and quality improvement. In her free time, she enjoys going on hikes, playing soccer, skiing, and exploring restaurants.
Joanna Halkias, MD
Dr. Halkias is a practicing Neonatologist and a lab-based research scientist interested in the development of the fetal and neonatal immune system. She is especially interested in how the fetal immune system contributes to preterm labor and to the inflammatory complications of preterm infants.
Kristin Hubert, MD
Dr. Kristin Hubert joined East Bay Newborn Specialists in 2009. She attended medical school at Tufts University. She completed two years of residency at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston before transferring to Seattle Children’s Hospital to complete her final year of residency. After this, she moved to Portland, Oregon to complete a fellowship in Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine at Oregon Health & Science University. Currently, she serves as the Associate Medical Director of the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at John Muir Medical Center. She has an interest in using Simulation for the education of nurses and pediatricians.
Priscilla Joe, MD
Dr. Priscilla Joe has been a member of East Bay Newborn Specialists since completing a Neonatal-Perinatal fellowship at UC San Francisco in 1992. She is one of the primary neonatologists at UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital of Oakland where she serves as the Medical Director of the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. Her clinical interests are neonatal intestinal, neurologic, and cardiorespiratory illnesses. She is active in quality improvement, resident education, and clinical research. She has an extensive background in global health and has provided national training programs for newborn care in Vietnam, Cambodia, Myanmar, the Philippines, and Uganda. She is an avid Oakland A’s and Golden State Warriors fan and enjoys traveling to baseball stadiums and national parks. She is married and has 3 children.
Lily Kao, MD
Dr. Lily Kao attended medical school at the University of Pennsylvania, completed her pediatric residency at Pittsburgh Children's Hospital and a combined Pediatric Pulmonology/Neonatal-Perinatal Fellowship at Los Angeles Children's Hospital. She has been with East Bay Newborn Specialists for more than 25 years and is the Medical Director at both Eden Medical Center and Sutter Delta Medical Center nurseries. Dr. Kao is a Board member of the Chinese American Physician Society and is fluent in both Mandarin and Cantonese. Her clinical interests include bronchopulmonary dysplasia, ventilator support, and nutrition. Her personal interests include traveling worldwide, singing, reading, and growing orchids.
Genevieve Kinsey, MD
Dr. Genevieve Kinsey joined East Bay Newborn Specialists after completing her Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine fellowship at the University of California, Davis in 2017. While she enjoys all aspects of NICU care, she is particularly interested in neurodevelopment and high-risk infant follow-up, and she is actively engaged in resident education. Additionally, she enjoys community and international outreach, throughout her training has provided health care and education at local schools, free clinics in underserved communities, and abroad in Kenya. In her spare time, she enjoys running, traveling, and spending time with her husband and two daughters.
Kimberly Larson, MD
Dr. Kimberly Larson completed her Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine Fellowship at Rainbow Babies and Children's Hospital in Cleveland, OH. She was thrilled to join East Bay Newborn Specialists after completing a fellowship in 2017 and contribute to the clinical care of infants in the East Bay. Her particular interests include early stabilization of premature infants, medical education, and simulation training. In her free time, she enjoys exploring the many beautiful hiking trails and beaches with her husband and dog.
Jennifer Levy, MD
Dr. Jennifer Levy earned her medical degree at the American University of the Caribbean. She then completed her Neonatology fellowship training in New York, at Schneider Children's Hospital. Dr. Levy has contributed to quality improvement projects relating to neonatal respiratory distress, abdominal distention, and cyanosis. She specializes in ECMO, Cerebral Cooling, and PICC Lines. Dr. Levy loves to travel, teach, and spend time with her family.
Leslie Lusk, MD
Dr. Leslie Lusk completed medical school, Pediatric Residency, and Neonatal-Perinatal Fellowship training at the University of California San Francisco. She completed her fellowship training in 2015. Prior to joining East Bay Newborn Specialists in 2017, she worked in the UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital Intensive Care Nursery. Her clinical interests include Fetal Medicine, ECMO, and surgical diseases of the newborn. She loves traveling, hiking, rock climbing, and yoga.
Spencer Magargal, MD
Dr. Magargal earned his medical degree in his home state of Alabama. He moved to California in 2015 to complete his residency training at UC San Diego. Dr. Magargal has been doing research for over 6 years and has published research articles relating to diseases in marine species.
Nandita Mandhani, MD
Dr. Mandhani attended medical school at Chhattisgarh Institute of Medical Sciences in India and then completed a pediatric residency at Einstein Medical Center in Philadelphia, PA. After residency, she went to Emory University in Atlanta where she completed her fellowship in Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine and then joined East Bay Newborn Specialists. Her clinical interests include extreme prematurity, neonatal neurology, resident education, medical ethics, and palliative care. In her free time, she enjoys cooking traditional Indian meals and exploring other cuisines, spending time with her family, developing her spiritual practice, reading and swimming.
Jeffrey Merrill, MD
Dr. Jeffrey Merrill attended medical school at the University of Rochester, NY. He completed his Neonatology fellowship at the Cardiovascular Research Institute of UCSF. Aside from being an attending Neonatologist at several hospitals in the bay area, Dr. Merrill is a Clinical Scientist at Children’s Hospital Oakland.
Vidya Pai, MD
Dr. Vidya Pai attended medical school at the University of California San Diego and completed a pediatric residency at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. She completed fellowship training in neonatal-perinatal medicine and received a Master's degree in epidemiology and clinical research at Stanford University. She has published on the outcomes of high-risk infants, disparities associated with follow-up care, and the importance of regional NICU collaborative organizations. In her spare time, she enjoys traveling, hiking, trying new restaurants, and spending time with her family.
Shilpa Patil, MD
Dr. Shilpa Patil completed her Neonatal-Perinatal Fellowship at Los Angeles County-University of Southern California in 2007 and has been with East Bay Newborn Specialists since July of 2014. Previously, she worked at Children's Hospital of Los Angeles and CHA-Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center where she was Medical Director, specializing in high-risk deliveries. She is an ECMO specialist and is now part of the UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital of Oakland ECMO team. Her clinical interests include nutrition and preterm growth, simulation training, and telemedicine. In her spare time, Dr. Patil enjoys staying active, traveling, and learning about different cultures and has visited over 25 countries.
Kathryn Ponder, MD
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Dr. Kathryn Ponder attended medical school at Brown University. She completed her Pediatrics residency at the University of California Davis and her Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine fellowship at the University of California San Francisco. She is interested in the developmental origins of disease and high-risk infant follow-up. She enjoys traveling, swimming, exploring the Bay Area, and spending time with family and friends.
Louis Pollack, MD
Dr. Louis Pollack earned his medical degree in Washington, D.C., at George Washington University. His Pediatric Residency took place at the Children's Hospital and Medical Center of Seattle, Washington. From there he went on to complete his Neonatology fellowship training at the University of Michigan. Over the years, Dr. Pollack has contributed to several maternal-newborn quality improvement programs in the U.S. and in Ethiopia. He has written a wide range of scientific journals for the field of Neonatology which includes: management protocol for Reye's syndrome, rapid two-dimensional immunoelectrophoresis, and many more.
Jayalakshmi Ravindran, MD
Dr. Ravindran attended Stanford University and obtained her medical degree at UCSF. She then moved to Seattle to complete her residency and neonatology fellowship at the University of Washington, but she couldn't stay away from the Golden State for too long! She came back and joined EBNS in 2016. Her interests include medical education and neonatal global health. In her spare time, she loves to travel and try new restaurants.
Sarah Styles, DO
Dr. Sarah Styles earned her D.O. degree at the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine. She moved along to New Jersey to complete her Pediatric Residency at the Goryeb Children's Hospital. From there she headed back to Pennsylvania to complete her Neonatal/Perinatal fellowship at Penn State. During her training, she took part in several quality improvement projects involving: developing better practice guidelines for the prevention of BPD, management of PDA, and Retinopathy of Prematurity.
Anna Usowicz, MD
Dr. Usowicz studied Medicine in Poland and completed almost all of her training here in the San Francisco Bay Area. Our community has been lucky to have her for over 30 years now. In her spare time, she likes to travel.
Sandra Wai, MD
Dr. Sandra Wai completed her Neonatal-Perinatal Fellowship at the University of Colorado, then joined East Bay Newborn Specialists in 2015. She is the Director of the Severe BPD Team at UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland. Her clinical interests include bronchopulmonary dysplasia, pulmonary hypertension, intrauterine growth restriction, and postnatal growth and nutrition.
Katherine Wu, MD
Katherine attended medical school at Duke University, completed a pediatric residency at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, and completed Neonatal-Perinatal Fellowship at UCSF. Her areas of interest include quality improvement, bronchopulmonary dysplasia, and hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy. In her spare time, she enjoys running, playing violin, and spending time with her husband and daughter.
Pediatric Hospitalists
Kelly Huibregtse, MD
Dr. Kelly Huibregtse attended medical school and completed graduate studies in epidemiology at the University of Wisconsin, where she was elected by her peers to be a member of the Gold Humanism Honor Society. She completed a pediatric residency at the University of California San Francisco. She has published research on the risks of radiation from diagnostic imaging and the incidence of second cancers caused by chemotherapy. Dr. Huibregtse enjoys traveling, photography and baking in her spare time.
Ana Liang, MD
Dr. Ana Liang completed her pediatric residency at UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital of Oakland and is currently Chief Resident. She is a junior hospitalist who joined East Bay Newborn Specialists in June 2015. Dr. Liang focuses her clinical time at the NICU of Alta Bates Summit Medical Center, Ashby Campus. In her spare time, she enjoys hiking, shopping at local farmers' markets, and listening to podcasts.
Dorea Martin, MD
Dr. Martin is one of the newest members of East Bay Newborn Specialists. In 2015, she moved from Illinois to Oakland to complete her residency. Dr. Martin has been creating supportive programs for her fellow residents and volunteering in our community. She has contributed three publications to the field of pediatric orthopedics. She loves to sail, make pottery, and run marathons.
Jennifer Nguyen, MD
Dr. Nguyen is a California native who earned her degrees here in the Bay Area. During her undergraduate studies, Dr. Nguyen led many relief efforts and global health groups. Her volunteer efforts went as far as Haiti to assist in their earthquake relief. From 2015-2018, she was receiving her residency training at UCSF. During this time she researched neuro-development, cardiac complications, and venous malformations, to name a few. Dr. Nguyen is a certified trained pianist.
Meg Renik, MD
Dr. Renik's studies began at Harvard University where she graduated with honors. She joined us in the Bay Area to complete her Medical Degree at UC San Francisco, her Masters's in Public Health at UC Berkeley, and her residency in pediatrics at Children's Hospital of Oakland. In addition to her work with East Bay Newborn Specialists, she has a primary care practice at La Clinica de la Raza in Oakland.
Lauren Towne, MD
Dr. Towne received her medical degree from New York Medical College. She joined East Bay Newborn Specialists after completing her residency at the Children’s Hospital of Oakland.
Maramawit Wubeshet, MD
Dr. Wubeshet is originally from Ethiopia. She moved to America in 2004. She earned her medical degree from the University of Vermont and completed her residency training in pediatrics at UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital of Oakland. During her undergraduate studies in Washington, she pioneered the first health fair for Ethiopians in Seattle with the goal of increasing awareness about women’s health, teen health, diabetes, and more. Dr. Wubeshet has been part of the East Bay Newborn Specialists for over 2 years now. Dr. Wubeshet is actively involved in quality improvement projects around delivery room care as well as nutrition. She enjoys taking road trips, sewing, crocheting, and baking.
Veronica Daly, MD
Dr. Veronica Daly is a highly-skilled Developmental Pediatrician. She currently treats patients in the Alta Bates High-Risk Infant Follow-up Clinic. Dr. Daly has been a part of our organization for over 7 years.