Current Residents

PGY-5

Zach grew up in Houston, TX. He attended West Virgina University for one year before transferring to The University of Texas at Austin where he graduated with Highest Honors in 2017 with a BS in Neurobiology and a minor in Spanish. He received his combined MD/MPH in 2021 from the University of Texas Health Science Center San Antonio and University of Texas School of Public Health. He then completed an Internship in General Surgery at the University of Texas Health Science Center San Antonio in 2022 before joining the UTMB Department of Otolaryngology. In his free time, Zach enjoys playing tennis, smoking barbeque, traveling, visiting breweries, and spending time with friends and family.

Austin Johnson, DO

Austin was born and raised in Idaho Falls, Idaho. He attended Brigham Young University - Idaho where he graduated Magna Cum Laude with a bachelor’s degree in human biology. Thereafter, Austin received his medical doctorate from Oklahoma State University where he was elected to the Sigma Sigma Phi Honor Medical Society, as well as the Phi Kappa Phi Honor society, and graduated Summa Cum Laude. His hobbies include spending time with his beautiful wife Jessica and their daughter Oaklee, archery hunting, fly fishing, weightlifting, and smoking meats on his wood pellet grill.

Arianna Ramirez, MD

Arianna grew up in McAllen, Texas. She attended the University of Texas- Rio Grande Valley where she graduated with a BS in Biology. She received her MD from the University of Texas Medical Branch. In her free time, Arianna enjoys painting, sewing, and playing tennis.

PGY-4

Robert Africa, MD

Rob was born in Neptune City, New Jersey but was raised in Mesquite, Texas. He attended Baylor University where he graduated Summa Cum Laude with a bachelor’s degree in economics and biochemistry. He received his medical doctorate from the University of Texas Medical Branch where he was inducted in into the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Society. His research interests include applying economic principles for evaluation of practices in otolaryngology, utilizing artificial intelligence to improve patient health, otolaryngology applications in space, and big data analysis to evaluate outcomes in ENT surgery. His hobbies include weightlifting, traveling, photography, rock climbing, cooking, and time with friends and family.

Shahrukh Ali, MD

Amber Dunmire, MD

Amber Dunmire was born in San Antonio, TX to two Air Force parents and spent most of her life moving from place to place. She graduated from the University of Pittsburgh with a Bachelor's in Biology prior to starting medical school at The University of Texas Medical Branch where she met her husband. In her free time she enjoys running, reading, and spending time with her two cats, Cookie and Siam.

PGY-3

John Coggins, MD

John Coggins was born and raised in Baytown, TX. He graduated from Houston Christian University in 2020 summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Science in Biology and minors in Chemistry and Christianity. He received his Medical Doctorate with a distinction in translation research from University of Texas Medical Branch in 2024 where he was inducted into the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Society. In his free time, he enjoys running, swimming, playing the guitar and piano, playing board games, eating his beautiful wife's good cooking, and attending his church.

Matthew Mitchell, MD

Matthew was born and raised in the rural community of Henrietta, Texas. He attended Midwestern State University where he graduated Summa Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry. He received his medical doctorate from Texas A&M University College of Medicine. In his free time, Matthew enjoys weightlifting, running, swimming, and camping in the mountains.

Adithya Srikanthan, MD

PGY-2

Matthew Carter, MD

Matthew grew up in Highland, Utah. He attended Utah Valley University where he graduated Summa Cum Laude with a BS in Biology. He received his MD from the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry. In his free time, Matt enjoys skiing, hiking, playing and watching sports, and spending time with his beautiful wife Megan and their daughter Ivy.

Jacob Foster, DO

Jacob was born and raised in Port Charlotte, Florida. He attended Florida Gulf Coast University in Fort Myers, Florida where he graduated Summa Cum Laude and received his BS in Biology with a minor in Chemistry. He then completed his DO degree at LECOM in Bradenton, Florida. In his free time, Jacob likes to fish, play basketball, watch college football, and spend time outdoors.

Dominique Paderin, MD

Dominique was born in Houston, TX and raised in Lafayette, LA, Houston, and Brunei Darussalam. She attended the University of Texas at Austin where she graduated Magna Cum Laude with a bachelor’s degree in Economics and a minor in Mandarin. She then received her medical doctorate from Texas A&M College of Medicine. In her free time, she enjoys crocheting, painting, playing polo, and spending time with family and friends.

PGY-1

Sloane Clay, MD

Sloane Clay was born and raised in South Louisiana. She graduated Summa Cum Laude from Tulane University in 2021 with a Bachelor of Science in Neuroscience, along with a Linguistics major and a Spanish minor. She completed medical school at LSUHSC New Orleans in 2025, where she dedicated much of her time to serving Spanish-speaking patients. During this time, she also became a Certified Medical Interpreter. She then completed an Internship in General Surgery at LSUHSC New Orleans in 2026 before joining the UTMB Department of Otolaryngology. Her passions include caring for her plants, travelling, reading, watercolor painting, and Latin dancing

Kristen Mathew, MD

Kristen grew up in Southington, Connecticut, and spent many summers visiting her grandparents in Galveston. She attended Tufts University where she graduated with a BS in Biopsychology. She received her MD from Georgetown University School of Medicine. In her free time, Kristen enjoys gardening, traveling, trying new restaurants, and playing tennis.

Sofia Piperno, MD

Sofia Piperno was born in Pisa, Italy and grew up in Houston. She graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a Bachelor of Science in Neuroscience and a minor in French. Before medical school, she obtained her teaching certification and taught 10th grade biology in Austin. She received her Medical Doctorate at the University of Texas Medical Branch in 2026, where she was inducted into the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Society. In her free time, you will find her in the kitchen with her significant other (a UTMB orthopaedics resident), outside doing various summer and winter sports, or traveling (probably in Italy visiting family). She is excited to grow as an ENT and learn with her co-residents!