Gastroenterology/Hepatology Faculty
Our faculty include renowned physician-educators, physician-scientists and researchers with knowledge and practical experience in virtually every sub-specialty of gastroenterology – from endoscopy to hepatology to neurogastroenterology and motility.
Humberto Sifuentes, MD
Professor, Interim Chief, Co-Director DHC, Director - Endoscopy, Fellowship Program Director
Humberto Sifuentes, M.D. joined our section in July 2014 after completing his Gastroenterology/Hepatology fellowship with us at the Medical College of Georgia/ Augusta University. Dr. Sifuentes specializes in Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD), GI Bleeding, Constipation and Gastroparesis.
Bianca Afonso, MD
Clinical Assistant Professor, Obesity Care & Metabolic Diseases - Charlie Norwood VA Medical Center, VA Site Director for Gastroenterology Fellowship Program
Dr. Bianca Afonso is a board-certified Gastroenterologist with 20 years of experience. Originally from Brazil, she moved to the United States in 2005 to further her training and education. She later served as a Clinical Professor at the University of Arizona before relocating to Augusta, Georgia in 2019 to care for veterans at Charlie Norwood VA Medical Center. Her clinical interests include metabolic disorders and the impact of obesity on gastrointestinal health. At the VA Hospital, she leads a Weight Loss Program alongside fellows, helping improve access to GLP-1 medications for eligible veterans. Her training: Medical School at Universidade Federal Fluminense (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil), 1998-2002, Internal Medicine at Hosital Universitario Pedro Ernesto (RJ, Brazil), 2002-2005, Internal Medicine Residency at Cleveland Clinic Florida, 2005-2008, Gastroenterology Fellow at University of Arizona, 2009-2012 (Chief Fellow, 2009), Clinical Professor at University of Arizona, 2012-2019, Medical Director of GI Endoscopy Lab at University of Arizona, 2013-2019, Clinical Professor at CNVAMC, Augusta, GA, 2019-Current and GME Site Director at CNVAMC, Augusta for GI Fellows, 2024-Current. Dr. Afonso speaks English, Portuguese and Spanish.
Daniel Castresana, MD
Assistant Professor - Advanced Endoscopy
Dr. Castresana is a native to Macon, Georgia. He graduated with honors from the Georgia Institute of Technology where he received a bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering. After completing a master’s degree in manufacturing management from Pennsylvania State University’s College of Business and Engineering, he received a medical degree from the Medical College of Georgia. He completed is residency at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine/Jackson Memorial Health Systems, and a fellowship in gastroenterology and hepatology at the University of New Mexico School of Medicine in Albuquerque. While serving as assistant professor there, he completed a subspecialty fellowship in advanced therapeutic endoscopy and received the Distinguished Young Faculty Award. He went on to serve as an assistant professor of gastroenterology and advanced therapeutic endoscopy at Oregon Health Sciences University in Portland. More recently over the last 4 years, he expanded and developed the therapeutic endoscopy service lines at two different private GI practices. Dr. Castresana treats patients with both benign and malignant gastrointestinal disease. He specializes in interventional endoscopic therapies for complex esophageal, gastric, bariatric, colonic and pancreaticobiliary diseases. This often allows patients to avoid surgery. He performs EGD, colonoscopy, enteral stenting, endoscopic mucosal & submucosal resection techniques, endoscopic suturing, endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) and endoscopic ultrasound (EUS). He is eager and passionate about building a third space endoscopy program and an advanced endoscopy GI fellowship at the Wellstar Medical College of Georgia. Dr. Castresana speaks English and Spanish. He is accepting new patients and he looks forward to providing tertiary endoscopy care for the Central Savannah River Area (CSRA).
Raguraj Chandradevan, MBBS
Clinical Assistant Professor
Dr. Ragu Chandradevan joined our section after completing his Gastroenterology fellowship at the Medical College of Georgia/ Augusta University. He earned his medical degree from the University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka. Dr. Chandradevan primarily works on the inpatient GI consult service, focusing on the acute management of complex gastrointestinal conditions. His research interests include the pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and mucosal immunology.
Anam Herekar, MBBS
Clinical Assistant Professor
Amit Hudgi, MBBS
Clinical Assistant Professor/Director of Inpatient Gastroenterology Services
Dr. Amit Hudgi completed his medical education at Bangalore Medical College and Research Institute before moving to the United States, where he joined the Medical College of Georgia as a medical resident. He then pursued fellowship training in Gastroenterology at the same institution, further honing his expertise in digestive health. During fellowship, he served as Chief Fellow. In 2025, Dr. Hudgi was appointment as Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Gastroenterology at the Medical College of Georgia. He also serves as the Director of Inpatient Gastroenterology Services, where he provides comprehensive, patient-centered care with a special focus on hospital-based gastroenterology.
Leonard Little, MD
Clinical Assistant Professor Chief, GI - Charlie Norwood VA Medical Center
Dr. Little is a Gastroenterologist and also the Chief of GA at the Charlie Norwood VA Medical Center. He joined the division of Gastroenterology in September, 2015. Dr. Little came to our division most recently from local private practice where he specialized in Gastroenterology since September, 2001.
Rakhi Kheraj, MD
Clinical Assistant Professor - Charlie Norwood VA Medical Center
Satish SC Rao, MD, PhD, FRCP, FACG, AGAF
Professor of Medicine
Satish Rao, MD, PhD, past-president of the American Neurogastroenterology and Motility Society. Dr. Rao is also the recipient of the three highest honors awarded by the American Gastroenterological Association, the world’s premier gastroenterology society. These include the Distinguished Clinician, Distinguished Educator and Master Researcher awards.
Subbaramiah Sridhar, MBBS, MPH, FRCP (Edin), FRCP (Glasg), FRCP (Lond), FRSS (Lond), FRCPC (Med & Gastro), FACP, FACG, FASGE, FASLM&S (USA), AGAF, FAAG, MAAG
Professor - Advanced Endoscopy
You’ll also benefit from the knowledge, expertise and wisdom of Subbaramiah Sridhar, MBBS, MPH. This internationally respected physician-educator serves as an examiner at the Royal College of Physicians in UK. Dr. Sridhar excels in advanced endoscopy, ERCP and EUS.
Viveksandeep Thoguluva Chandrasekar, MBBS, FACG, FAGE
Associate Professor, Director of Advanced Endoscopy, Associate Fellowship Program Director
Dr. Viveksandeep Thoguluva Chandrasekar earned his medical degree from Madras Medical College in Chennai, India. Upon graduation, he completed his Internal Medicine residency at SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, New York and Gastroenterology & Hepatology fellowship at the University of Kansas School of Medicine. He went on to pursue additional fellowship training in Interventional and Therapeutic Endoscopy at the Mayo Clinic in Arizona. He joined the faculty at Medical College of Georgia in 2021 as Assistant Professor of Medicine in the Division of Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Evangelos Tsipotis, MD
Clinical Assistant Professor, Director of IBD
Dr. Evangelos Tsipotis is an Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine and Director of the Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) Program at the WellStar/Medical College of Georgia Digestive Health Center. He earned his medical degree in Greece and holds a Master's Degree in Medical Research Methodology and Clinical Pharmacology. Dr. Tsipotis completed his Internal Medicine residency at St. Elizabeth's Medical Center in Boston, followed by Gastroenterology fellowship at The Brooklyn Hospital Center in New York, and an advanced fellowship in Inflammatory Bowel Disease at Johns Hopkins University.
Vera Zaraket, MD
Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine
Dr. Zaraket completed medical school at St. Joseph University, Beirut, Lebanon and did an internship at Hotel Dieu de France before moving to the US in 2012. She completed internal medicine and then gastroenterology fellowship in SIUH/Northwell Health, NY. She worked with MUSC Health in Florence, SC for 5 years and then moved to Augusta. She has worked with GCA/Private Practice for a year before joining WellStar MCG Health in September 2025. She is fluent in French, English and Lebanese.