Faculty
The knowledgeable faculty members of The University of Toledo Family Medicine Residency Program are committed to providing residents with an outstanding education in family medicine. Their diverse backgrounds and areas of expertise uniquely qualify them to prepare residents for the wide range of responsibilities facing family physicians. Our faculty strives to create a supportive, family-friendly learning environment for each of our residents.
Sections below: Core Residency Faculty | Faculty in Department
Core Residency Faculty
Parul Chaudhri, D.O.
Assistant Professor, Residency Program Director, Director of Osteopathic Education
Dr. Chaudhri is a first-generation Indian American who calls Ann Arbor, Michigan, home. She is a graduate of the University of Michigan and Midwestern University–Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine. She completed her family medicine residency in Chicago and is board certified by both the American Board of Family Medicine and the American Osteopathic Board of Family Physicians. Her passion for teaching led her to the University of Pittsburgh, where she completed a two-year Faculty Development Fellowship.
Her experience spans many areas of family medicine, including residency education, full-spectrum family medicine with OB, urgent care, and HIV primary care. Dr. Chaudhri’s philosophy of care is rooted in the osteopathic principle of treating the whole person. She believes in partnering with patients, meeting them where they are in their health care journey, and empowering them to achieve their health goals. Her clinical interests include evidence-based medicine and the art of medicine, reproductive and pediatric health, caring for diverse and underserved populations, women’s health procedures, and osteopathic manipulation.
Outside of work, Dr. Chaudhri enjoys cooking, traveling, spending time with her family, and bringing people together for a good meal or celebration.
Kevin A. Phelps, D.O.
Associate Professor, Associate Program Director, Director of Lifestyle Medicine
Dr. Phelps is a native of Chittenango, N.Y. This small town in Upstate New York was home to Lyman Frank Baum, author of "The Wizard of Oz." He is a graduate of The University of Toledo with a bachelor’s degree in biology. He attended the Ohio University College of Osteopathic Medicine in Athens, Ohio, and completed a rotating internship at Firelands Community Hospital in Sandusky, Ohio. His family medicine residency training was completed through the former Medical College of Ohio (now The University of Toledo College of Medicine). He has completed the National Institute of Program Director Fellowship through AFMRD as well as the Primary Care Faculty Development Program through Michigan State University. He is board certified in Family Medicine and Lifestyle Medicine.
Dr. Phelps' medical interests include assisting patients with health behavior change, office procedures and electrocardiography. He and his wife, Kristel, enjoy spending time with their children and many grandchildren. His hobbies include following the Cleveland sports teams, mountain biking, all forms of exercise, golfing, and listening to music.
Paul Schaefer, M.D., Ph.D.
Professor
Chair
Dr. Schaefer was born and raised in Andover, Ohio (population 1,200), a small town tucked away in the northeastern corner of the state. For his education, he crisscrossed northern Ohio, going to The University of Toledo (UT) as an undergraduate, Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland for his doctorate in neuroscience and behavior, and back to the former Medical College of Ohio (now the University of Toledo College of Medicine) for his medical training. He entered an accelerated residency program in family medicine at MCO and joined the department as a faculty member.
Dr. Schaefer's area of academic interest is depression, especially in young adults. He is married to Kelly, and they have two children, Hope and James. He has a strong interest in natural history, his favorite hobby, for which he occasionally is able to squeeze in a little time (usually with children in tow). Dr. Schaefer is board certified in Family Medicine and Lifestyle Medicine.
Julie Brennan, Ph.D., R.D., L.D.
Professor, Director Of Behavioral Services
Dr. Brennan is a native of Toledo and received her bachelor’s degree with a double major of dietetics and psychology from the University of Dayton in Ohio. She completed her dietetic internship at Mount Carmel College of Nursing in Columbus, Ohio, and received her doctorate in counseling psychology from The Ohio State University in Columbus. Dr. Brennan is passionate about her opportunity to teach residents and medical students about psychology, how it relates to medicine and how to better communicate with patients.
When Dr. Brennan is not involved in teaching activities, she counsels patients in areas of psychology and nutrition and is involved in many research projects related to wellness and prevention. She has practiced both dietetics and psychology in various settings, including community mental health centers, student medical centers, hospitals, outpatient clinics, an interdisciplinary pain center and a school-based setting. Dr. Brennan enjoys most outdoor activities, especially when she's with family and friends. She and her husband, Joe, have three sons and one daughter. Dr. Brennan is certified in Lifestyle Medicine.
Rameez Bhatti, M.D.
Assistant Professor
Dr. Bhatti started his journey in Toledo by doing his Family Medicine residency at UToledo. He is now a board certified family physician that was born and raised in Queens, New York. Following his training, he decided to pursue a career in academic medicine to work alongside faculty that he trained with. He is passionate about working with both residents and students in an environment that fosters learning.
His medical interests include managing diabetes, and complex patients with comorbid diseases in the inpatient setting. He is passionate about traveling and enjoys eating at new restaurants. He looks forward to spending time with his friends and family. On the weekends, you can find him playing poker, video gaming, attempting to spend time at the gym, or watching a good movie.
Sherie Hanna, M.D.
Assistant Professor
Dr. Hanna was born and raised in Columbus, Ohio. She is a graduate of The Ohio State University with a bachelor's degree in biology. She attended St. George's University in Grenada for medical school and completed her clerkship rotations in New Jersey. She completed her family medicine residency at The University of Toledo and is board certified in family medicine.
Dr. Hanna’s clinical interest include primary prevention, treating depression and anxiety, and enhancing the physician/patient relationship. She enjoys working with residents and medical students. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with family and friends and will never say no to a good cup of coffee!
Svitlana Zhukivska, M.D.
Associate Professor, CCC-FM Medical Director
Dr. Zhukivska earned her medical degree at Bukovinian State Medical University in Chernivtsi, Ukraine, and completed her Family Medicine Residency at St. Luke's Hospital/The University of Toledo. She then completed a Faculty Development Fellowship at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor and is board certified in Family Medicine. Her path to Toledo took her across two continents, and that journey has given her a broad, well-rounded perspective on patient care that she brings to the exam room every day.
Her clinical interests include hospital medicine, office-based procedures, menopausal hormonal therapy, etc. She has a deep commitment to caring for underserved populations, both locally and abroad, having completed more than ten foreign medical mission trips over the course of her career. She has brought residents from our program with her on these trips who were able to learn from her and further their medical skills. As a core faculty, Dr. Zhukivska puts a lot of heart into resident education. She works hard to create a supportive and encouraging learning environment, one where residents feel comfortable asking questions, learn, and grow into confident, well-rounded physicians who are ready to care for their own patients one day.
Outside of work, Dr. Zhukivska loves spending time with her husband and their four children, whether that means a quiet night at home or a family trip somewhere new. She enjoys traveling, reading, and simply making the most of the time she gets with the people she loves.
UToledo Department of Family Medicine Faculty
Luisa Corpuz, M.D.
Assistant Professor, Medical Director of the Physician Assistant Studies Program
Dr. Corpuz graduated from the University of Santo Thomas Faculty of Medicine and Surgery and completed her Family Medicine residency training and Geriatric Medicine fellowship at The University of Toledo. She is board certified in Family Medicine and Geriatric Medicine.
Her patient-centered practice philosophy incorporates shared decision making, acknowledging that no two patients are the same. Her aim is to provide the support and health education at all ages and stages of life to empower her patients to invest in their health.
Dr. Corpuz’s interests include mental health, women's health, lifestyle medicine, health literacy, hypertension, multimorbidity, polypharmacy, medical education, community service, and global health.
In her free time, Dr. Corpuz enjoys hiking, salsa dancing, singing, playing with her dog Pogi, and spending time with friends and family.
Coral Matus, M.D., FAAFP
Professor, Associate Dean For Clinical Undergraduate Medical Education
Dr. Coral Matus is board certified by the American Board of Family Medicine. She earned her medical degree at Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio. She completed her family medicine residency at the WW Knight Family Medicine Center in Toledo, Ohio and continued her education by completing a faculty development fellowship at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. Dr. Matus' special interests include women's health, prevention, and helping international and under-served patients.
Jyothi Sri Pappula, M.D.
Associate Professor, Director Of Student Health
Dr. Pappula earned her medical degree at Siddhartha Medical College in India and completed her Family Medicine Residency at Sparrow Hospital/Michigan State University in Lansing. She is interested in college health and women's health issues. She is the current Director of Student Health, overseeing operations at University Health Center, Student Health & Wellness, and Lourdes University Student Health & Wellness.
She is married to Dr. Murthy Gokula, who is a former faculty member in the Family Medicine Department, and they are blessed with two children. In her spare time, she enjoys painting, cooking and activities with the kids.
Linda M. Speer, M.D., FAAFP
Professor
Dr. Speer was appointed professor and chair of the Department of Family Medicine at The University of Toledo College of Medicine and Life Sciences in November 2006. She earned her medical degree from Austral University Medical School in Valdivia, Chile, and completed her family medicine residency at Oakwood Hospital in Dearborn, Mich. Dr. Speer is board certified in family medicine. She served as chair until August 2025.
After completing her residency training, Dr. Speer joined the residency faculty at Oakwood Hospital and completed a primary care faculty development fellowship at Michigan State University (MSU) in Lansing, Mich. Prior to coming to UT, Dr. Speer was senior associate chair of the Department of Family Medicine at MSU. She is a fellow in the AAMC-sponsored Executive Leadership in Academic Medicine (ELAM) program for the development of women leaders in academic medicine.
Dr. Speer is nationally recognized for her expertise in women’s health and evidence-based medicine. Her research interests include medical decision-making regarding menopausal hormone use and breast cancer risk assessment in primary care practice. She has published extensively on varied topics related to women’s health.
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