Raj Satkunasivam, MD, MS, FRCSC
Miles Family Chair in Urologic Surgery, Department of Urology
Associate Professor of Urology, Academic Institute
Associate Clinical Member, Research Institute
Dr. Mary and Ron Neal Cancer Center
Dr. Raj Satkunasivam is a fellowship-trained urologic oncologist with a focus on minimally invasive and robotic approaches to the treatment of genito-urinary malignancies. His practice includes minimally invasive and robotic surgical techniques for kidney, bladder, prostate, adrenal and testicular cancers. He is the Director of Advanced Laparoscopic and Robotic Surgery at the Houston Methodist Institute for Technology, Innovation, and Education (MITIE).
Dr. Satkunasivam received his medical degree from the University of Toronto and completed his urology residency also at the University of Toronto. He pursued sub-specialty fellowship training in urologic oncology, advanced robotic and laparoscopic surgery at the University of Southern California, where he developed novel techniques for robotic kidney-sparing surgery (partial nephrectomy) and robotic bladder cancer surgery with entirely robotic (intra-corporeal) urinary reconstruction.
Jincy Sajan, NP
Jincy Sajan is an Acute care nurse practitioner who specializes in urology oncology at Methodist medical center. She completed her Bachelor of Science in Nursing at the Indian Institute of Nursing in India and then earned her Master of Science degree at UTMB in Texas, Galveston. She holds national board certifications with the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) as an Acute care nurse practitioner. She is also an active member of the Oncology Nursing Society.
Maryam Anis
Maryam Anis is a clinical research coordinator II at Houston Methodist Hospital Research Institute. As part of her education at the University of Texas at Austin, Maryam obtained a BS in Biochemistry and a certificate in Business Foundation. Maryam previously worked at Baylor College of Medicine as a research coordinator with mood disorder research for 2 years. Until she transfers to Houston Methodist Hospital. In addition to going above and beyond for patients, Maryam is driven by her ICARE Values. Among her responsibilities are screening patients, negotiating budgets, and consenting subject patients.
Taliah Muhammad
Taliah Muhammad is a Clinical Research Coordinator II at the Houston Methodist Hospital Research Institute. Taliah graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a BS in Neuroscience. Prior to joining Houston Methodist Hospital, Taliah worked at Baylor College of Medicine as a research assistant for four years. As a result of her experience working in a laboratory, she is well versed in protocols, coordinating studies and guiding personnel responsibilities. Taliah’s current responsibilities include coordinating clinical research projects, screening, recruiting, and consenting trial subjects, corresponding with subjects and their families throughout the study, and scheduling visits in accordance with protocols.
Sejal Dave
Sejal Dave has a background in Biomedical Engineering, Technology Management, and Public Health Science. With 3 years of research experience, Sejal is highly skilled in health technology assessment, health policy research, and regulatory and operational aspects of clinical trials. Sejal demonstrated project management skills while co-leading a project about evaluation of scientific evidence for an academic-based guidelines. In her current role as a Research Coordinator-I at Houston Methodist Hospital, Sejal closely works with her senior research coordinators to conduct sponsor-initiated clinical trials in bladder cancer. In her free time, Sejal loves doing yoga, meditation, and Bollywood dancing.
Estefani Berrios Turcios
Estefani Berrios Turcios is a research coordinator. Estefani graduated from Texas A&M University back in 2019 with a Bachelor of Science in Biology. Estefani has previous experience working in basic science research, transferring to our department from the Cardiovascular Regeneration department here at Houston Methodist Research Institute. Her goals are to grow in the fields of healthcare and research, along with becoming a contributing part of her new team.
Jordy Mendoza
Jordy Mendoza works for Houston Methodist Hospital Research Institute as a Clinical Research Specialist. He graduated from the University of Houston-Downtown with a BS in Social Science. Jordy has worked in the Urology field for 2 years. He is responsible for collecting all the study data and maintaining the study record including case report forms and the investigator site file binders.
Research Fellow Alumni
Furkan Dursun, MD – 2019-2020
Dr. Furkan Dursun is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Urology at University of Texas Health San Antonio. He went to Gulhane Military Medical Academy School of Medicine in Ankara, Turkey and completed his urology surgical residency at Gulhane Military Medical Academy Haydarpasa Training Hospital in Istanbul, Turkey. After four years of practice as a general urologist, Dr. Dursun moved to the United States. He joined Houston Methodist to conduct urologic oncology research for a year and completed a 2-year Society of Urologic Oncology-approved fellowship in Urologic Oncology at the University of Texas Health, San Antonio. He is an active member of the Society of Urologic Oncology (SUO), the American Urological Association (AUA) and the European Association of Urology (EAU). He has authored numerous peer-reviewed academic journal publications and delivered many urologic presentations at national and international conferences.
Dr. Dursun’s clinical interests include prostate cancer, bladder cancer, kidney cancer, and benign prostate enlargement. In addition to open surgical approaches, Dr. Dursun specializes in minimally invasive laparoscopic and robotic urologic surgeries. His primary research interests center around developing new diagnosis and treatment methods for prostate and bladder cancer. He is also committed to investigating the ways in which patient outcomes can be improved and evaluating the impact of healthcare access and socioeconomic status on prostate and bladder cancer outcomes.
Jonathan Guzman, MD – 2020-2021
Jon Guzman is an urology resident at the Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell Lenox Hill Hospital. He is a graduate of the molecular and cellular biology program at Vanderbilt University, and later pursued postgraduate studies in the same at Baylor College of Medicine. He obtained his medical degree at Texas Tech University. Prior to beginning residency training, he pursued a postdoctoral research fellowship at Houston Methodist Hospital in urologic oncology and health services with Dr. Raj Satkunasivam. He plans to pursue pediatric urology after residency training. Outside of work, he loves spending quality time with loved ones, is a strong supporter of The Metropolitan Opera, a lifelong classical pianist, and enjoys studying wine and spirits on his travels.
Kelvin Lim – 2021- 2022
Kelvin Lim was born in Seoul, Korea and immigrated to Los Angeles, CA, when he was 11 years old. Kelvin graduated from George Washington University in Washington, DC, where he obtained a B.S. in Biological Sciences in 2015. Prior to matriculation at Michigan State University College of Human Medicine (MSU-CHM) in 2018, Kelvin gained unique clinical experiences through clinical research and scribing for urologists. To further cultivate his interest in research and gain exposure in the field of urology, Kelvin completed a year-long research fellowship, focusing on urologic oncology and health services research here at the Methodist Hospital in Houston, TX in 2022. Kelvin presented research abstracts in numerous regional and national conferences and published multiple manuscripts on prostate, kidney, and bladder cancer under Dr. Raj Satkunasivam’s mentorship. Since after completing the research fellowship, Kelvin was inducted into the Alpha Omega Alpha honor society for academic and research excellence at MSU-CHM. He successfully matched into Urology and will begin his training in July 2023 at University of Rochester Medical Center in Rochester, NY.
Carlos Riveros – 2022-2023
Carlos was born and raised in Bogota, Colombia. He completed medical school at the National University of Colombia. After working 1 year at the University of Florida as a Research Associate, he joined the Department of Urology at Houston Methodist Hospital. His current position as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow allows him to continue working on Health Services and Urologic-Oncology Research. In his free time, he enjoys mountain biking, going to the beach with his dog Lila, and playing video games.
Sanjana Ranganathan – 2022-2023
Sanjana is a medical student in the Texas A&M EnMed program. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Bioengineering and a Master of Bioengineering in Global Medical Innovation from Rice University. She is interested in pursuing a residency in urology and is excited to merge her love for medicine and engineering in her future career.
Siqui Hu, PhD, MD – 2023-2024
I’m Siqi Hu, delighted to contribute as a Clinical Research Fellow in the esteemed Department of Urology at Houston Methodist Hospital. A recent graduate of the Public Health PhD program at the University of Utah, I hold a graduate certificate in Statistics. Additionally, I earned my Doctor of Medicine degree from Shenzhen University. My professional focus lies in pioneering research within cancer treatment, survivorship, and healthcare services within urologic oncology. Beyond the lab, I find joy in various sports such as soccer, racketball, golf, and the exhilarating rush of snowboarding. Here’s to a balanced and exciting journey!
Zachary Melchiode, MD – 2023-2024
My name is Zack Melchiode, and I am thrilled to be a part of the Department of Urology at Houston Methodist Hospital as a Research Coordinator. I recently graduated from the Doctor of Medicine program at the University of Queensland-Ochsner Clinical School where I spent two preclinical years in Brisbane, Australia and two clinical years in New Orleans, Louisiana. I am intrigued by the innovation, technology, and advancements within the field of urologic oncology. I am excited to get to know the department and participate in cutting edge scientific research. In my free time, I really enjoy spending time with my fiancé, walking our dog, Roux, and exploring Houston with her. A fun fact about me is that I am a certified pickleball professional, so I am always looking for an excuse to play the sport.