October 2021 Faculty Appointments, Promotions Announced
Congratulations to the following faculty on their recent appointment or promotion.
Clinical Associate Professor
Robert Canelli, MD, BUSM, Anesthesiology, is a clinician educator with expertise in point-of-care ultrasound and medical simulation. A Diplomate with the American Board of Anesthesiology with subspecialty certification in critical care medicine, he is a sought-after provider when complex cases arise. Canelli is director of critical care for anesthesia and associate director of the Surgical and Neurosciences Intensive Care Unit at Boston Medical Center, where he works alongside colleagues on multidisciplinary projects. He also is point-of-care ultrasound director for the Trauma Acute Care Surgery fellowship program. He has spent six years as clinical director of simulation for anesthesiology at BMC’s Solomont Center for Clinical Simulation, where he served as a mentor to junior faculty, fellows, residents and medical students.
Theresa Davies-Heerema, PhD, BUSM, Medical Sciences & Education, is a biomedical researcher specializing in dementia-related pathogenesis who now focuses on graduate education and administration, serving as assistant dean for Graduate Medical Sciences overseeing all master’s programs as well as marketing, recruitment and communications. The inaugural director of the MS in Oral Health Sciences (OHS) Program, a credential enhancing pipeline program, Davies also teaches in multiple OHS courses and at the Goldman School of Dental Medicine, and is a strong student advocate and mentor. She is known for her ability to develop pedagogy, foster community and create opportunities for students of all backgrounds to succeed, as illustrated by the recent launch of the GMS Community Catalyst Center.
Qing (Grace) Zhao, MD, MSc, PhD, BUSM, Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, is the first woman leader of the Anatomic Pathology service since its inception at Boston City Hospital (now Boston Medical Center) in 1864. A clinical pathologist, scientist and educator, Zhao played an essential role in the first surge of the COVID-19 pandemic as the hospital’s Anatomic Pathology Chief, test validator and advisor. She led the team that developed one of two SARS-Cov-2 PCR tests, offered by the BMC laboratory to support patients, staff and their families. Zhao served as one of the behind-the-scenes leaders to help found the BMC-BUSM COVID-19 biobank by ensuring remnant specimens were carefully preserved and made available to scientists. Additionally, she served as a catalyst to ensure that essential autopsy services were maintained during the surge. Zhao is an expert in subspecialty field of GI/Liver and Pancreas, while continuing practice in broader interests in all pathology fields at BMC. Her research interests focus on colon, pancreatic and liver cancers, and their molecular prognostic markers.