Department News
Stay connected with the latest updates from the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology. Here, we celebrate the achievements of our faculty, residents, and students—from welcoming new team members to highlighting recent publications, research grants, and awards. You’ll also find announcements about upcoming presentations at local, national, and international conferences, as well as other milestones that showcase our commitment to advancing women’s health and medical education.
Meet Dr. Sarosh Rana, new Dept. of OB-GYN Chair
Please join us in welcoming Dr. Sarosh Rana as the new Chair of Obstetrics and Gynecology. Dr. Rana is a distinguished clinician, researcher, and educator whose work has transformed care for high-risk pregnancies and improved outcomes for mothers and babies. We are excited for the vision and expertise Dr. Rana brings to our department as we continue to grow and lead in women’s health.
Honors, Awards, and Achievements
Lynda Harris, PhD
Dr. Harris Recognized with Prestigious Award
Lynda Harris, PhD, has been awarded the 2025 Andrée Gruslin Award by the International Federation of Placenta Associations (IFPA). This prestigious award recognizes outstanding contributions to placenta research and honors individuals whose work has significantly advanced the field.
Mona Al-Mugotir, PhD
Dr. Al-Mugotir Receives New Research Award
Mona Al-Mugotir, PhD, instructor and researcher with the Harris Lab, has been awarded a Pediatric Cancer Research Group Award of $66,842 from The Child Health Research Institute to investigate "Placental mechanism of resilience: Knowledge transfer to tumor tissues."
Sarosh Rana, MD, MPH, FACOG
Dr. Rana Nominated as ISSHP President
Dr. Sarosh Rana, Dept. of OB-GYN Chair, has been nominated as the next president of the International Society for the Study of Hypertension in Pregnancy (ISSHP). This nomination reflects Dr. Rana’s leadership and longstanding commitment to advancing care and research in hypertensive disorders of pregnancy.
Alex Hergenrader, MD, resident
Dr. Hergenrader Awarded Best Poster
Dr. Alex Hergenrader was awarded Best Poster (Clinical Category) at the International Society for the Study of Hypertension in Pregnancy (ISSHP) World Congress, held recently in Chicago. This recognition highlights important clinical research contributions in the field of hypertension in pregnancy and reflects the high caliber of work being presented at the congress.
Neil Hamill, MD
New Maternal-Fetal Medicine Section Chief Effective January 1, 2026
Written by Dr. Sarosh Rana: I am pleased to announce that Dr. Neil Hamill has agreed to take up the post of Section Chief – Maternal-Fetal Medicine beginning January 1st. I am very thankful for Dr. Teresa Berg’s leadership with the group in my time here and for many years prior to this. She has done a fine job overseeing much growth and success during her time as chief. I am also very thankful for her continued grace and mentorship as we make this transition and look forward to her continued contributions to the section and department. Going forward, Dr. Hamill will be as involved in this role as is possible given his schedule, as we lead up to the official hand-off January 1st. We are very thankful for his willingness to take on this new role as we continue to expand the MFM section.
Lindsey McAlarnen, MD, Zoe Keese, and Sarosh Rana, MD
Medical Student Summer Research Program
Medical student Zoe Keese participated in the College of Medicine Medical Student Summer Research Program (MSSRP) in 2024 and continued her research under Dr. Lindsey McAlarnen's mentorship, focusing on human papillomavirus and vulvar dysplasia in Nebraska and Western Iowa. She will present her findings at the Heartland Association of Gynecologic Oncology meeting. Building on this work, we are planning quality improvement projects to further advance patient care in this area.
Karen Carlson, MD
Dr. Karen Carlson Named to 2025–2026 Physician Leadership Academy Cohort
The Physician Leadership Academy (PLA) has selected Dr. Karen Carlson, Professor, Vice-Chair of Education, and general OB-GYN physician, for its 2025–2026 cohort. This prestigious program is designed to cultivate leadership excellence among physicians by enhancing self-awareness, strengthening core leadership skills, and providing practical tools to better support teams and drive positive change. Through a combination of skills training, peer collaboration, and one-on-one coaching, PLA empowers participants to lead with confidence and impact.
Department Highlights
New Faculty Members
Our department is growing with the addition of new generalists who share our mission to advance women’s health. These physicians provide full-spectrum obstetric and gynecologic care while contributing to education and research that shape the future of health care.
- Dr. Marcela Pineda is a general OB-GYN physician who joined the department in August 2025. She completed her OB-GYN residency at Jamaica Hospital in Queens, New York, and most recently practiced for a health care system in Western Iowa.
- Dr. Nick Jesse is an OB-GYN physician who specializes in minimally invasive gynecologic surgery and joined the department in September 2025. He has completed a fellowship at the Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tennessee.
- Dr. Candace Giles is a general OB-GYN physician and will join the department in November 2025. She completed her medical degree at the Ohio University College of Osteopathic Medicine and most recently practiced at another hospital in Omaha.
Academic Research
- Farzaneh Tamanaeifar, a graduate student in the Plewes Lab, was awarded a UNMC Graduate Student Fellowship to support her research on the role of LH signaling in activating Hippo signaling pathways. News date: 08/28/2025.
- Farzaneh Tamanaeifar was also selected to give a platform presentation at the Rocky Mountain Reproductive Sciences Symposium, where she presented her work on Hippo signaling in modulating steroid synthesis in the corpus luteum. News date: 08/28/2025.
- Bunmi Owolabi, graduate student in the Plewes Lab, was accepted into the NIH Summer Course in Clinical and Translational Research. News date: 08/28/2025.