Seven individuals and one fellowship selection committee from the Indiana University School of Medicine Department of Medicine were recognized this month with department Pyramid Awards. These faculty and staff recognitions are presented annually to members of the department who have shown meaningful dedication to the tripartite missions of education, research and clinical care.
Nicolas Barros, MD
Outstanding Early Career Physician Award
Barros, a member of the Division of Infectious Diseases, joined IU School of Medicine and IU Health in 2019 as the system’s first transplant infectious disease physician. Tasked with building a new transplant infection diseases program from the bottom up, Barros has quickly exceeded expectations by standardizing care, improving workflows, and delivering outstanding clinical outcomes, particularly at IU Health University Hospital. His impact was so quickly significant, it led to the creation of an additional transplant infection diseases director position for the health system, this time at IU Health Methodist Hospital.
Barros is nationally recognized for his expertise, especially in fungal infections. He contributes to society task forces and speaks around the country. Even more importantly, because of his recognized excellence and mentorship, Barros now supports multiple medical students, residents and fellows who are publishing peer-reviewed clinical research manuscripts as first authors.
Colin Halverson, PhD
Outstanding Early Career Investigator Award
Halverson is an assistant professor in the Division of General Internal Medicine and Geriatrics and a faculty investigator with the IU Center for Bioethics. His research spans impactful topics, and bridges decision making and ethics. He has built an impressive scholarly record, publishing 40 articles and presenting at six international meetings. He has been invited 19 times to present outside of the IU system. His expertise has also been called upon nationally and internationally, as he is serving on five peer-review panels for the National Institutes of Health and for the Swiss National Science Foundation. His research and training are currently funded by a career development award from the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) and pilot grant from the Indiana Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute (CTSI). Among his many contributions, his work on the diagnostic odyssey for patients with Ehlers Danlos Syndrome has already been cited 61 times since 2021.
Halverson was nominated for the Outstanding Early Career Investigator Award by Greg Sachs, MD, and Areeba Kara, MD, who said Halverson’s many accomplishments represent the very best of early-career scholarship at IU School of Medicine.
Richa Gupta, MBBS
Distinguished Teaching Award
Gupta is an assistant professor of medicine in the Division of General Internal Medicine and Geriatrics and a dedicated full-time hospitalist at the Richard L. Roudebush VA Medical Center. Until earlier this year, she served as the Clinical Education Leader for Hospital Medicine, a role in which she demonstrated exceptional commitment to advancing the division’s educational mission and earning her the Distinguished Teaching Award.
Even before formally assuming the leadership role, Gupta was a tireless advocate for learners and faculty development. She was instrumental in strengthening the educational environment within the department by championing innovations, such as point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS). She helped expand continuing medical education opportunities and supported initiatives that have enhanced teaching across the division. Gupta’s passion for education is evident not only in her leadership efforts but also in her direct interactions with trainees. She consistently receives some of the highest evaluations from learners, reflecting her effectiveness, approachability and dedication as an educator and mentor.
Cole Beeler, MD
Distinguished Teaching Award
Beeler, from the Division of Infectious Diseases, is a proud, lifelong Hoosier who has made significant medical education contributions throughout his tenure at Indiana University. He currently serves as a key clinical educator within IU School of Medicine and is the associate fellowship director for the Division of Infectious Diseases. Beeler has earned a Trustees Teaching Award on multiple occasions, and he consistently earns some of the highest learner evaluations in the Department of Medicine.
His impact extends well beyond his division. Through his leadership in infection prevention at IU Health University Hospital, as well as his widely attended “Quality Minute” sessions and grand rounds presentations, he educates faculty across the school and the broader health system.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Beeler played a critical role in educating audiences at every level — from students and trainees to health system leaders and the wider Indianapolis community. He regularly contributes to the medical field, nationally and internationally, serving as vice chair of the Antimicrobial Stewardship Curriculum in the Infectious Diseases Society of America. Through these efforts, his influence in medical education reaches far beyond IU.
Babar Khan, MD, MS
Outstanding Mentorship Award
Khan, of the Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, places an exceptional priority on the needs of his mentees. Despite the substantial demands of his role — including clinical service in the ICU, leadership responsibilities at both the local and national levels, and his work as a clinician-scientist leading multi-center randomized controlled trials — Khan meets with each of his mentees weekly in person and remains readily accessible by phone or videoconference. During these sessions, he offers personalized guidance, provides thoughtful feedback, and helps mentees refine their scientific thinking while developing creative strategies to overcome challenges.
Khan fosters a supportive and collaborative environment that enables his mentees to thrive academically and professionally. Perhaps most notably, he approaches mentorship holistically, and he is passionate about developing well-rounded future leaders who excel both professionally and personally. To emphasize this, he created a leadership-focused book series, where he dedicates an hour each week to small-group discussions with his mentees, creating a space grounded in trust and psychological safety. These conversations encourage reflection on real-world applications and inspire new ideas that advance clinical, scientific and personal goals.
Division of Gastroenterology & Hepatology’s Fellowship Selection Committee
Award in Inclusive Excellence
The Fellowship Selection Committee, led by Fellowship Program Director Nabil Fayad, MD, and Education Program Manager Anna Papazian, MPH, has demonstrated a thoughtful, sustained commitment to recruitment practices. This work has the potential to reshape the demographics of the gastroenterology workforce over time, with benefits for patient care and mentorship, and leading to cohorts that are increasingly representative of the populations served by the division.
Central to the program’s success has been the committee’s emphasis on creating an interview experience that pairs candidates with faculty aligned to their interests and allows them to engage with a varied group of interviewers. At the same time, the committee has implemented a holistic review framework that de-emphasizes metrics like institutional prestige and instead prioritizes attributes such as resilience, professionalism, service and the potential for impact. Beyond recruitment, the committee has demonstrated a commitment to fostering a culture that supports trainees through transparent communication and advocacy for trainee well-being. This has strengthened recruitment and retention.
Through this data-driven redesign of their selection process, the committee has successfully increased the representation of women and under-represented minority trainees over the past six recruitment cycles, increasing the percentage from 12.5% to 25%.
The Fellowship Selection Committee also includes: associate program directors Khaled Abdeljawad, MD; Christen Dilly, MD; Niha Samala, MBBS; and Raj Vuppalanchi, MBBS; Division Director Mohammad Al-Haddad, MD; Service Line Leader Rob Siwiec, MD; as well as Toyia James-Stevenson, MD, and Dr. Meg Sozio, MD.
Lindsay Yoder, MPAS, PA-C
Outstanding Advanced Practice Provider Award
Yoder is an advanced care provider in the Division of Gastroenterology & Hepatology whose leadership, clinical expertise and unwavering advocacy have profoundly shaped the department’s digestive and liver disorders services.
Since joining IU Health in 2017, and since taking on more formal leadership roles in 2020, Yoder has become a nationally recognized hepatology expert, a trusted mentor, and a transformative leader who has built a thriving team culture grounded in excellence, collaboration and support. She delivers outstanding, compassionate patient care while advancing academic medicine through research and clinician development.
As manager of a 28-member team, Yoder has developed a robust onboarding process, strengthened APP–physician partnerships, championed work life balance, and fostered a cohesive, high performing spirit within her colleagues that serves as a model for others. She is consistently described by coworkers as approachable, empathetic, thoughtful, passionate and deeply committed to elevating APP practice. She is someone who mentors generously, advocates tirelessly, and inspires those around her to reach their full potential.
Oluwaseun Obamuwagun
Outstanding Staff Award
Obamuwagun is a medical assistant at IU Health West Hospital where she has been a valued member of the Division of Hematology/Oncology team for the past four years. She has served as a medical assistant within the IU Health medical system since February 2022.
Throughout her tenure, she has consistently demonstrated exceptional dedication, reliability and professionalism. She has mastered all required competencies, maintains an outstanding attitude in a fast-paced clinical environment, meets and exceeds performance expectations, and is recognized for her strong attendance and dependability.
During a particularly challenging period of significant staffing shortages, Obamuwagun stepped up in an exceptional way, independently assuming full clinic medical assistant responsibilities. She ensured seamless continuity of workflow, supported providers without interruption, and upheld the highest standards of patient care while leadership worked to onboard additional staff. Her ability to remain composed, efficient and patient-focused during this time speaks to both her skill and her commitment to the team.
Obamuwagun is widely regarded as a model team member who embodies IU Health’s core values. In addition to her clinical contributions, she plays a key role in mentoring others. She regularly serves as a preceptor for float and newly hired medical assistants, providing thoughtful training, guidance and support.
