New Faculty Profiles
Cherisse Berry, MD is a Professor of Surgery, Division of Trauma and Surgical Critical Care and Surgery Vice Chair of Academic Affairs. Dr Berry completed her undergraduate degree in Neuroscience with a minor in French at the Johns Hopkins University. She went on to complete her Master’s Degree in Biology at Harvard University, Medical Degree at the University of Southern California, Keck School of Medicine, and General Surgery Residency at Cedars Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, CA. She spent three years at the R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center/University of Maryland where she completed an Acute Care Surgery Fellowship and Trauma Research Fellowship before joining the Division of Acute Care Surgery at New York University Grossman School of Medicine in New York City where she held numerous leadership roles during her tenure including Division Chief of Acute Care Surgery, Medical Director of the Inpatient Surgery Unit, and Associate Trauma Medical Director at NYC Health & Hospitals-Bellevue.
Dr. Berry is double board certified by the American Board of Surgery in General Surgery and Surgical Critical Care and has had a formidable interest in research and trauma systems. She is a R01 NIH-funded investigator with over 100 peer-reviewed published manuscripts/book chapters/editorials/commentaries, She has held numerous national leadership roles including Vice Chair and Education Pillar Lead of the American College of Surgeons Board of Governors Executive Committee, Chair of the American Association for the Surgery of Trauma (AAST) DEI Committee, Chair of the Women in Surgery Committee for the Society of Black Academic Surgeons, Examiner for the American Board of Surgery Certifying Exam, and she was recently elected a Fellow of the American Surgical Association. Dr. Berry is a surgeon scientist committed to ending racial and ethnic health disparities and to closing the gap in achieving health equity.
T. Salewa Oseni, MD is an Associate Professor in the Department of Surgery, Division of Surgical Oncology and Director of Multicultural Affairs at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School. She will also be affiliated with the Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey. Dr Oseni joins Rutgers from Boston where she was an Assistant Professor of Surgery at Harvard Medical School and a breast surgical oncologist at Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center. She specializes in breast oncoplastic surgery.
Dr. Oseni received her undergraduate training at the University of Massachusetts and her medical degree from the Case Western Reserve University. After completing her medical studies, she was commissioned as an officer in the United States Navy and completed her general surgery training at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, MD. She served in the US Navy for 15 years. She received her fellowship training in surgical oncology at Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia. Dr. Oseni also was chosen for the prestigious Commonwealth Fund Fellowship in Minority Health Policy in Boston, a program dedicated to developing transformative innovative leaders focused on health equity. Her research areas include identification and management of high-risk populations, disparities in surgical care and addressing health equity in cancer care at a systems level.
University Hospital recently launched the Mammography Van screening program to bring state-of-the-art breast imaging to the Newark community with the goal of early detection of cancer. This initiative strengthens the SAVE Cancer Screening Program at UH which provides breast cancer education and screening for low-income Essex County residents who do not have health insurance. With the recruitment of Dr Oseni the focus is on improving care for vulnerable populations, “I am so proud of the investments UH is making to advance early detection and best in class cancer care,” said Dr. Ravi Chokshi, Division Chief of Surgical Oncology.
Dr. Susan Pories, Professor and Surgery Vice-Chair of Quality, Director of the Breast Center, and Chief of Breast Surgery adds “We are thrilled that Dr. Oseni is joining our team at a pivotal time. Rutgers Department of Surgery and University Hospital have made a deep commitment to and investment in improving breast care for the Newark community. Over the past year, we have added state-of-the art technology and enhanced our multidisciplinary team to ensure all patients have access to the most modern and up-to-date care for breast disease. Dr. Oseni’s talents and skills will help our breast center reach the highest level of excellence.”
Francisco Alvarado, MD is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Surgery, Division of Trauma and Surgical Critical Care at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School. Dr. Alvarado received a Bachelor of Science degree in Biochemistry and Psychology from the Florida State University. Upon completing his B.S degree, Dr. Alvarado enrolled at the University of South Florida Morsani College of Medicine and subsequently in 2017 completed his Doctor of Medicine. He began his training at Lehigh Valley Health Network; and ultimately completed his residency at Montefiore Medical Center/Albert Einstein College of Medicine in Bronx, NY.
Dr. Alvarado joined us at Rutgers-New Jersey Medical in 2022 as a 2-year Surgical Critical Care Fellow/ACS fellow. He successfully completed the Surgical Critical Care Fellowship in July 2023 and his Acute Care Surgery Fellowship in July 2024. Dr. Alvarado showed a lot of passion and commitment to his work and became an integral part of the Trauma team. This resulted in him being recruited as a member of the Trauma Division as of September 1st.
Dr. Alvarado is a member of several professional organizations including but not limited to the American College of Surgeons, Latino Surgical Society, and the Eastern Association for the Surgery of Trauma. He has two peer-reviewed publications and numerous podium presentations and posters. His interests include global surgery and medical student education. He is also interested in the field of addiction medicine and plans to get expert training as well as to develop it as a research focus in trauma. As part of the Trauma team, he will continue to provide trauma, critical care, and emergency general surgery care to patients. In addition, he will provide a critical role in mentoring and educating fellows, residents, and medical students on all three services.
Mallika Gopal, MD is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Surgery, Division of Vascular Surgery. A native of NJ, Dr. Gopal received a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology and Minors in Political Science and Photography from the University of Kentucky. She went on to complete her medical degree at Boston University with a concentration in Global Surgery, a passion she has cultivated through her volunteer missions throughout her training in Africa, Asia, and South America. She joins us after recently completing her Integrated Vascular Surgery residency at the Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City. While in training, Dr. Gopal presented her clinical research into treatments for carotid stenosis, aortic aneurysmal disease, venous stenting, and chronic limb ischemia on the national stage.
Dr. Gopal will be seeing patients in The Vascular Center at University Hospital as well as our faculty practice on the campus of Trinitas Regional Medical Center and take call across our program various sites. We are excited for her to bring her advanced surgical skills and passion for surgical education to NJMS.
Maria Benjamin, MD, MPH is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Surgery, Division of Surgical Oncology. Dr. Benjamin is a board-certified, fellowship-trained breast surgeon, specializing in the treatment of benign and malignant diseases of the breast. She also treats high-risk patients and/or those with genetic susceptibility to breast cancer. Her care philosophy is rooted in patient advocacy and autonomy; she wants patients to feel educated about their comprehensive treatment plan so that they feel empowered to navigate their care decisions. Dr. Benjamin also has particular interest in medical genetics, and this extends from her initial training at Boston University School of Medicine. In medical school, she was selected for two consecutive years to be adjunct peer faculty for the medical genetics course. Dr. Benjamin is passionate about women’s health.
Values
Integrity: Reflected in Honesty, Trust, Ethics, and Accountability
Compassion: Reflected in Altruism, Ethical Treatment and Empathy
Innovation: Reflected in Discovery, Creativity, and Open-Mindedness
Excellence: Reflected in commitment to Quality, Diligence and Dedication
Service: Reflected in Community Involvement and Pledge to the Underserved
Leadership: Reflected in shared Purpose and Vision Expressed in Professionalism, Transparency, and Authenticity
Collaboration: Reflected in Teamwork, Collegiality, Respect for others and for Diversity
