Our
Team

Ben D. Phillips, MD
Endocrinologist

Ben D. Phillips, MD
Endocrinologist
Dr. Phillips grew up just outside Greenville, South Carolina and attended Vanderbilt University in Nashville for his undergraduate studies. He earned his medical degree from the Medical University of South Carolina, in Charleston. He pursued his Internal Medicine Residency and Endocrinology training at Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center and McGuire Veterans Hospital. He is a member of The Endocrine Society and American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists. In addition to general endocrinology, he has an interest in treating high risk osteoporosis patients. He sees patients in our Midlothian office. He is married and has 4 daughters who occupy his free time.

Akta P. Mukherjee, MD, FACE, ECNU,
Endocrinologist

Akta P. Mukherjee, MD, FACE, ECNU,
Endocrinologist
Dr. Mukherjee grew up in Bristol, Tennessee and attended the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. She earned her medical degree from the University of Tennessee, College of Medicine in Memphis. She completed her Internal Medicine training at Harvard University's Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, in Boston, Massachusetts and then went to the Tufts University Lahey Clinic in Burlington, Massachusetts for her subspecialty fellowship training in Endocrinology. She is board certified in Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism. She is also a fellow of the American College of Endocrinology and has an Endocrine Certification in Neck Ultrasound. In addition to general endocrinology, her areas of interest include thyroid and parathyroid disorders. She is married and spends her free time running after her son and daughter.

Cynthia S. Ryan, MD, FACE
Endocrinologist

Cynthia S. Ryan, MD, FACE
Endocrinologist
Dr. Ryan grew up in Dallas, Texas, and attended the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana, where she received a Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry. She earned her medical degree at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center in Lubbock, Texas. Afterwards, she completed her Internal Medicine residency and her subspecialty fellowship training in Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism at the Medical College of Virginia at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Virginia. Dr. Ryan is board certified in Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism. In addition to general endocrinology, her areas of interest include diabetes, thyroid disorders and osteoporosis. She is a member of the Endocrine Society, The American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists and is a fellow of the American College of Endocrinology. She sees patients in our Midlothian office Monday - Wednesday. She is married with 3 young daughters and in her free time enjoys running and traveling.

Kelsey E.S. Salley, MD,
Endocrinologist

Kelsey E.S. Salley, MD,
Endocrinologist
Dr. Salley grew up in Virginia Beach and attended the University of Virginia for her undergraduate studies. She earned her medical degree from the Medical College of Virginia at Virginia Commonwealth University. She went on to complete her Internal Medicine residency with additional training in Women's Health at MCV-VCU, followed by a chief residency where she focused on improvement in ambulatory care and teaching in the outpatient setting. Dr. Salley completed her subspecialty training in Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism at MCV-VCU. From 2007-2009, she also served as the program director for the Women's Health track in Internal Medicine at VCU. She is board certified in Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism. In addition to general endocrinology, her area of interest includes Women's Health endocrinology including polycystic ovary syndrome, gestational diabetes, thyroid disease in pregnancy, and perimenopause. Dr. Salley is a member of The Endocrine Society and The American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists. She is married and enjoys spending time with her family, yoga, and biking.

Kristin W. Fabiato, MD
Endocrinologist

Kristin W. Fabiato, MD
Endocrinologist
Dr. Fabiato grew up in Atlanta, Georgia and graduated from Duke University in 1998 with a degree in Biology, after which she completed post baccalaureate studies at the University of Georgia. She earned her medical degree from the Medical College of Virginia at Virginia Commonwealth University in 2004, where she stayed to complete an Internal Medicine Residency with a specialization in Women's Health. She completed her Endocrinology fellowship training at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill in 2009. Dr. Fabiato is board certified in Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism. In addition to general endocrinology, her areas of interest include disorders of the thyroid and women's health endocrinology, including polycystic ovarian syndrome, gestational diabetes, hormone replacement therapy, and hypothalamic amenorrhea. She is a member of the Endocrine Society and the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists. In her free time, she enjoys traveling, cooking, exercising, and spending time with her husband and 2 sons.

Elizabeth A. Wallace, MD
Endocrinologist

Elizabeth A. Wallace, MD
Endocrinologist
Dr. Wallace was born and raised in New Zealand. She holds a Bachelor of Human Biology from the University of Auckland and is graduate of the University of Auckland Medical School. She completed a residency in Internal Medicine and Advanced training n Endocrinology at Auckland Hospital. Dr. Wallace came to the United States to complete a Fellowship in Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism at Yale Medical School in New Haven, Connecticut, where she also met her husband. She has spent a number of years at home with her children, her most recent position was as an Endocrinologist in a large private practice in Seattle, Washington. While in Seattle she was also a clinical instructor for the Division of Endocrinology at the University of Washington Medial School. Dr. Wallace is board certified in Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism, and is a Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians. In addition to spending time with her family she enjoys walking, music, novels, history and travel.

Samantha Hudson, MD
Endocrinologist

Samantha Hudson, MD
Endocrinologist
Dr. Hudson grew up here in Richmond (specifically Midlothian). She attended the Massachusetts Institute of Technology for her undergraduate degree in Biology and a Master's of Engineering in Bioengineering. She earned her medical degree from the Medical College of Virginia at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond in 2007. She stayed there for her residency in Internal Medicine with a focus in Women's Health followed by a year as a Chief Medical Resident focusing on ambulatory outpatient care and medical education. She completed her subspecialty training in Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism in 2013 also at Medical College of Virginia at Virginia Commonwealth University. While there she served as the head of the Women's Health Track in Internal Medicine from 2009-2013. She is board certified in both Internal Medicine and in Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism. In addition to general endocrinology, her interests include Women's Health endocrinology including polycystic ovary syndrome, thyroid disease in pregnancy, and gestational diabetes. She is a member of the Endocrine Society. She is married with two daughters and enjoys spending time with her family, baking, and gardening in her free time.

Anita Prakash, MD
Endocrinologist

Anita Prakash, MD
Endocrinologist
Dr. Prakash grew up in Martinez, Georgia. She attended the University of Georgia, where she obtained a Bachelor of Science in Microbiology. She earned her medical degree at the Medical College of Georgia in Augusta, Georgia. She completed her Internal Medicine Residency training at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Virginia. She then worked as an internal medicine hospitalist in Honolulu, Hawaii. She then returned to Richmond to pursue her subspecialty training in Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism at Virginia Commonwealth University. In addition to general endocrinology, Dr. Prakash is interested in thyroid disorders and diabetes mellitus. She is a member of The Endocrine Society and The American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists. In her free time, she enjoys traveling, cooking, exercising and reading.

Alex D. Millis, MD
Endocrinologist

Alex D. Millis, MD
Endocrinologist
Dr. Millis grew up in Erie, Pennsylvania and attended Gannon University in Erie, PA for his undergraduate degree in Biology. He earned his medical degree from Penn State College of Medicine in Hershey, PA in 2012. He pursued his Internal Medicine Residency training at Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center and remained there to complete his subspecialty fellowship training in Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism. In addition to general endocrinology, his areas of interest includes diabetes management, thyroid disorders, osteoporosis, and treatment of hypogonadism. He is a member of the Endocrine Society and the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists. In his free time, he enjoys biking, reading, and playing with his Border Collie.

Maria Iuorno, MD
Endocrinologist

Maria Iuorno, MD
Endocrinologist
Dr. Maria Iuorno is a board-certified endocrinologist practicing in Richmond, Virginia since 1999. After graduating with a B.A. in biology at Cornell University in New York, she went on to earn her M.D. from Northwestern University in Chicago, Il. She then completed her residency in internal medicine at Rochester University in Rochester, NY. She relocated to Richmond, Virginia with her husband in 1996 and completed her fellowship subspecialty training in endocrinology and metabolism at the Medical College of Virginia/VCU Health System. Later, she earned a Master of Science (M.S.) degree in Clinical Research and Biostatistics at the Medical College of Virginia.Early in her career, Dr. Iuorno served as an assistant professor of medicine in the Division of Endocrinology at the Medical College of Virginia/ VCU Health System for 5 years. During that time, she performed clinical and translational research in polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and insulin resistance.Because of her background in research, Dr. Iuorno continues to offer cutting edge medicine in endocrinology. She currently enjoys seeing patients in private practice at Virginia Endocrinology in Richmond, Virginia. Her areas of specialty include polycystic ovary syndrome in pregnancy (PCOS, the leading cause of women’s infertility), thyroid diseases (such as Grave’s disease and Hashimoto’s thyroiditis), and diabetes management in pregnancy. However, she sees patients in all areas of endocrinology/hormonal disorders. She is certified by the AIUM to perform thyroid ultrasound and thyroid nodule biopsies. Dr. Iuorno is a member of the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists, the Endocrine Society, and is board-certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine. Dr. Iuorno practices with the philosophy that the human endocrine system and hormones have a significant effect on the overall health of an individual and that treatment of a patient should not just focus on medications but also lifestyle changes that can have impact on the patient’s long-term quality of life.

Morgan Vargo, MD
Endocrinologist

Morgan Vargo, MD
Endocrinologist
Dr. Vargo grew up in Charleston, West Virginia. She moved to Richmond for her undergraduate studies at the University of Richmond, where she earned her Bachelors of Science in Chemistry. She earned her medical degree from Virginia Commonwealth University in 2014, where she also stayed to complete her residency training in Internal Medicine. Following residency, Dr. Vargo joined the Department of Internal Medicine as a Chief Medical Resident focusing a year on teaching physicians in training. She subsequently completed her subspecialty training in Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism at Virginia Commonwealth University. She is board certified in Internal Medicine, Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism and a Diplomate of the American Board of Obesity Medicine. In addition to the practice of general endocrinology she has particular interest in personalized diabetes care empowering patients with diabetes self-management skills and use of diabetes technology. She is certified as an ABOM diplomate in providing evidence-based treatment options for obesity. Beyond endocrinology, Dr. Vargo stays active with her husband and children, she enjoys cooking and takes personal time to practice yoga.

Marsha Di Peppe
FNP, CDCES

Dawn Di Peppe, FNP, CDCES
Mrs. Di Peppe, FNP, grew up in Smithfield, Virginia and received a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Virginia Tech and Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Radford University. She received her Master of Science in Nursing with the focus of family practice from South University in Glen Allen, Va. She is a Certified Diabetes Educator and specializes in insulin pump management and diabetes medication management. She is married and has three children. Dawn enjoys competing in power lifting competitions/strength training and bike riding with her kids and shepherd mix dog named Maverick.

Laura Harris, PA-C, CDE

Laura Harris, PA-C, CDE
Endocrinologist
Mrs. Harris, P.A. grew up in Richmond, Virginia and attended James Madison University for both her undergraduate and post-graduate degrees. She earned her Master’s degree in Physician Assistant Studies in 2010 and became a Certified Diabetes Educator in 2017. She initially joined Virginia Endocrinology in 2016, but had to cut her time short with the practice when she moved overseas to Okinawa, Japan in 2018. Laura has returned stateside and we are thrilled to have her provide Telehealth services to our existing patients to optimize this new platform to expedite care for urgent medical needs. Mrs. Harris is passionate about patient education and individualizing care to ensure that patients have the tools and knowledge they need to achieve their treatment goals through both lifestyle modifications and medical management. Laura is married and has a golden retriever, Brookey. She is an avid traveler, reader, hiker, and biker. She loves the great outdoors and learning about wildlife and other cultures.

Sarah S. (Lee) Bearer, MD
Endocrinologist

Sarah S. (Lee) Bearer, MD
Endocrinologist
Dr. (Lee) Bearer grew up in Omaha, Nebraska. She attended the University of Nebraska - Lincoln, where she earned her B.A. in Spanish literature and chemistry in 2011. She spent the next year in Daegu, South Korea on a Fulbright scholarship (ETA, or English Teaching Assistantship), followed by a year of health care service through AmeriCorps in Philadelphia, PA. She then returned to Omaha for medical school at the University of Nebraska, graduating with an M.D. in 2017. She moved to Richmond for her residency in Internal Medicine at Virginia Commonwealth University, after which she completed a fellowship in Endocrinology & Metabolism at the University of Virginia (Charlottesville). She now enthusiastically returns to Richmond to join our practice. She is board certified in Internal Medicine and board certified for Endocrinology, and a member of the Endocrine Society. In addition to general endocrinology, Dr. (Lee) Bearer has further interest in individualized diabetes and lipid management. In her free time, she enjoys travel, cooking/baking, and gardening with her husband and dog.

Alejandra Lozada, MD
Endocrinologist

Alejandra Lozada, MD
Endocrinologist
Dr. Lozada was born and raised in Quito, Ecuador. She earned her medical degree from Universidad Central del Ecuador. After completing her Internal Medicine training at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai – Bronxcare, New York, she moved to Richmond to pursue her subspecialty training in Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism at Virginia Commonwealth University. She joined the practice in 2024 and is currently a member of the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists and the Endocrine Society. She is board-certified in Internal Medicine, Endocrinology, and Obesity Medicine. She is fluent in Spanish.
Dr. Lozada's areas of interest include diabetes mellitus, thyroid disorders, and osteoporosis, in addition to general endocrinology. In her free time, she enjoys reading, exercising, and spending time with her husband and two young daughters.

Stacy Winters, MSN
CRNP

Stacy Winters, MSN
CRNP
Ms. Stacy Winters received her Bachelors of Nursing from Johns Hopkins University where she did research in aging among older adults living in Baltimore, MD. Her Masters of Nursing was granted by Drexel University. She is a certified adult-gerontology nurse practitioner through the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners. Stacy was previously employed as a nurse practitioner in Endocrinology in a community hospital in Frederick, MD. Prior to her work in Endocrinology, Stacy worked as a nurse practitioner in Obesity medicine. Stacy is passionate about equity in healthcare . She encourages health professionals to continually self-monitor his or her one’s beliefs, stereotypes and perceptions when interacting with patients of different ages, abilities, classes, races, religions, tribal affiliations, ethnicities, gender identities and/or orientations. In July 2020, Ms. Winters was honored as a Healthcare hero for her work on a COVID-19 Incident Command Team from March 2020 to June 2020 by NFM in Linthicum, Maryland. Ms. Winters was a member of the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion committee at her healthcare organization. She wrote and published a presentation on Medical Racism for CME credit in April 2022. In June 2022, Stacy was the keynote speaker on Diabetes Management in Nursing at the Lambda Psi Nu Nursing conference in Newport News, VA. In 2023, Stacy was the keynote speaker at Lamdba Psi Nu Nursing Conference on Mental Health in Nursing in Philadelphia, PA. Stacy enjoys volunteering and remaining active. She has volunteered for the following organizations: End AIDS Campaign for Whitman Walker Center in Washington, DC; Athletes Serving Athletes with children with disabilities in Frederick, MD, and Maryland Medical Reserve Corps to support the vaccine distribution. Stacy is a part of the 2024 Couer Triathlon Team and is a certified health coach. She enjoys swimming, cycling, running, hiking and kayaking. Stacy is a native of Philadelphia, PA and currently resides in Chesterfield, VA.