Faculty

Brief Bio

Steve Curry, MD
Steve Curry, MD
Dept. Chair

Dr. Curry is the chair of the Department of Medical Toxicology at Banner – University Medical Center Phoenix and a faculty member at the College of Medicine – Phoenix. He teaches pharmacology, toxicology and clinical medicine throughout the country and is active in numerous research projects, including acetaminophen toxicity and intensive care of poisoned patients.

Daniel E. Brooks, MD
Daniel E. Brooks, MD
Co-Director

Dr. Brooks is the medical director of the Poison & Drug Information Center and Outpatient Toxicology Clinic at the Banner University Medical Center – Phoenix campus. His academic focus is on poison centers, patient care and the management of substance abuse.
Mazda Shirazi, MD

Mazda Shirazi, MD
Co-Director

 Dr. Shirazi is the medical director of the Arizona Poison and Drug Information Center in Tucson and director of the Medical Toxicology Fellowship Program at the College of Medicine – Tucson. His interests include envenomations and clinical care of poisoned patients.

Steve Dudley, PharmD 
Steve Dudley, PharmD 

Dr. Dudley is the managing director and the Clinical Toxicology Fellowship director at the Arizona Poison and Drug Information Center. His areas of interests include community outreach, drugs of abuse and toxicology education at the University of Arizona College of Pharmacy.
Sharyn Welch, RN

Sharyn Welch, RN

Mrs. Welch is the managing director of the Banner Poison and Drug Information Center in Phoenix and a certified specialist in Poison Information. She manages the deliverables for several grants, has been a registered nurse for over 25 years and routinely works clinically in the poison center. She is interested in quality improvement.

Frank Lovecchio, DO, MPH
Frank Lovecchio, DO, MPH

Dr. LoVecchio is the vice-chair for Research at the Maricopa Emergency Medicine Residency and Professor of Emergency Medicine at the College of Medicine – Phoenix. He is the associate medical director of the Banner Poison and Drug Information Center; his interests include infectious disease and outcomes research.

Ayrn O’Connor, MD
Ayrn O’Connor, MD

Dr. O’Connor is the director of the Medical Toxicology Fellowship at Banner – University Medical Center Phoenix (BUMCP) and works clinically in the Department of Medical Toxicology at BUMCP and Phoenix Children’s Hospital. She is an associate professor of Emergency Medicine and Internal Medicine at the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Phoenix, and is on the board of directors for the American College of Medical Toxicology. She is dedicated to graduate medical education and the acute care of poisoned patients.
Anne-Michelle Ruha, MD

Anne-Michelle Ruha, MD

Dr. Ruha is the vice-chair of the Department of Medical Toxicology at Banner – University Medical Center Phoenix and is a professor of Internal Medicine and Emergency Medicine at the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Phoenix. Her primary area of interest is envenomations, and she is enthusiastic about expanding access for patients to medical toxicology expertise. She is currently serving as president of the American College of Medical Toxicology.  
Kimberlie Graeme, MD

Kimberlie Graeme, MD

Dr. Graeme is an associate professor of Emergency Medicine at the College of Medicine – Phoenix and the assistant director of the Medical Toxicology Fellowship at the Banner – University Medical Center Phoenix. Her interests include natural and botanical toxins.
Min Kang, MD

A. Min Kang, MD, MPhil

Dr. Kang is a medical toxicologist and addiction specialist at Banner – University Medical Center Phoenix (BUMCP) and Phoenix Children’s Hospital. He is chief of the Section of Precision and Genomic Medicine in the Department of Medical Toxicology at BUMCP and is also the associate medical director of the Banner Poison and Drug Information Center. His interests include poison prevention, pharmacogenomics in poisoning and addiction medicine.
C. William Heise, MD

C. William Heise, MD

Dr. Heise works jointly for the Center for Toxicology and Pharmacology Education and Research, the Program for Clinical Decision Support and Banner – University Medical Center’s Department of Medical Toxicology. His areas of academic focus are in clinical decision support, pharmacogenetics and interactive medical education.
Joshua E Canning, MD

Joshua E Canning, MD

Dr. Canning is a faculty member in the Department of Medical Toxicology at the Banner – University Medical Center Phoenix. His interests include clinical care for poisoned patients and graduate medical education. He routinely provides outreach lectures to critically assess hospitals and EMS agencies.

Jerry W. Snow, MD
Jerry W. Snow, MD

Dr. Snow is the director of the Toxicology rotation at Banner – University Medical Center in Phoenix. He is an associate professor of Emergency Medicine and Internal Medicine at the College of Medicine – Phoenix. His interests include education, toxic alcohols, drugs of abuse, legal toxicology issues/forensics and ethanol.

Frank G. Walter, MD, FACEP, FACMT, FAACT
Frank G. Walter, MD, FACEP, FACMT, FAACT

Dr. Walter is a professor of Emergency Medicine at the University of Arizona (UA) College of Medicine; a professor of Pharmacy Practice and Science at the UA College of Pharmacy; and a medical toxicologist with the Arizona Poison and Drug Information Center in Tucson, Arizona. As an internationally recognized leader in toxicology, he has had the privilege to teach on five continents. He is co-founder and editor of the Advanced Hazmat Life Support (AHLS) Program, co-presented by the American Academy of Clinical Toxicology (AACT) and UA. Since 1999, AHLS has taught over 18,000 interdisciplinary health care professionals from 70 countries around the world. He is also co-developer of the Advanced Disaster Preparedness and Response (ADPR) Course. As chair of UA's Emergency Medicine's Promotion and Tenure Committee, he mentors all junior faculty members, while shepherding them along their paths to promotion and tenure. Dr. Walter is also privileged to serve as the medical director for the Arizona Department of Health Services' Bureau of Public Health Emergency Preparedness.

Robert N.E. French, MD, MPH 
Robert N.E. French, MD, MPH 

Dr. French is an assistant professor of Emergency Medicine at the University of Arizona (UA) College of Medicine and an assistant professor of Pharmacy Practice and Science at the UA College of Pharmacy. He is an emergency physician at the Banner – University Medical Center Tucson and South campuses and a medical toxicologist with the Arizona Poison and Drug Information Center. In addition to medical toxicology, Dr. French also has fellowship training in pre-hospital and disaster medicine. He serves as core faculty for the Emergency Medicine Residency and is faculty in the medical and clinical toxicology fellowship, as well as the EMS fellowship. He is an instructor for the Advanced Hazmat Life Support course and has taught his course nationally.


Peter Chase, MD, PhD

Dr. Chase is an assistant professor of Pharmacy Practice and Science at the University of Arizona College of Pharmacy and a medical toxicologist at the Arizona Poison and Drug Information Center. Dr. Chase has residency training in Emergency Medicine, Pediatrics and Toxicology. He has also served as an Army Reservist with several deployments to his name. Dr. Chase has several publications in the field of toxicology and emergency medicine with a specialty in envenomations. He has a passion for learning and is a fantastic teacher.


Jenny Cohen, MD

Dr. Cohen is an assistant professor of Pharmacy Practice and Science at the University of Arizona College of Pharmacy and a medical toxicologist at the Arizona Poison and Drug Information Center. Dr. Cohen completed her emergency medicine residency, as well as a two-year envenomation medicine fellowship at Loma Linda University Medical Center, and completed her Medical Toxicology Fellowship at Banner – University Medical Center Phoenix (formerly Banner Good Samaritan Medical Center). She has several publications in the field of toxicology with an interest in envenomations and has a passion for teaching.

Frank G. Walter, MD, FACEP, FACMT, FAACT
Nicholas Hurst, MD, MS 

Dr. Hurst is an assistant professor of Emergency Medicine at the University of Arizona (UA) College of Medicine; an assistant professor of Pharmacy Practice and Science at the UA College of Pharmacy; and a medical toxicologist with the Arizona Poison and Drug Information Center. Dr. Hurst completed his Emergency Medicine Residency and Toxicology Fellowship at the University of Arizona Medical Center (Main and South Campus). His research interests are in the field of envenomations and emergency medicine.


Kim Schmid, MSN, RN, CPI

Kim is the Clinical Informatics coordinator and a certified specialist in Poisoning Information at the Banner Poison and Drug Information Center. She was trained and worked as an Emergency Department nurse and has helped implement two different electronic health record systems for different departments. Her research interests include enhanced patient care and staff performance via access to information technology. /p>