Faculty

Associate Program Director

R. Blake Lowe, DO, MS, is a Tennessee native. He received his Doctor of Osteopathy from the Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine in Blacksburg, Va., in 2016. He also holds a master’s degree in food science & technology from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. He completed his combined internal medicine-pediatrics residency training at Geisinger in 2020. He works as a primary care physician at the Geisinger Milton clinic and as an internal medicine hospitalist at Geisinger Medical Center. As associate program director for our program, he develops and maintains curriculum through our “Med-Peds Monday” lecture series. He teaches residents on our ambulatory rotation at the Milton Clinic and on the internal medicine inpatient rotation at Geisinger Medical Center. Dr. Lowe’s academic interests include medical education, mentorship, quality improvement and healthcare utilization. He’s also interested in hands-on therapies, including osteopathic manipulation and dry needling, which he integrates into his primary care practice. Dr. Lowe is board certified in obesity medicine. In his free time, he is an avid Tennessee Vols fan (which he admits is a painful existence) and loves spending time on his family farm, hanging out with his beagle named Jude, cooking, traveling and hiking.

Associate Program Director

Michaelyn Tinstman Notz, DO, associate program director, is a 2007 graduate of the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine. She completed her combined internal medicine and pediatric residency at Geisinger Medical Center in 2011. She was the co-chief of the medicine-pediatrics program in 2010–2011, and served as the pediatric chief resident in 2011–2012. She joined Geisinger as faculty in 2012. She is medical director for the Pediatric Complex Care Clinic at Geisinger Medical Center, for children with multiple medical problems and technology dependence. She works as a pediatric hospitalist at Geisinger Janet Weis Children’s Hospital. She is also director of osteopathic medical education for Geisinger. Dr. Notz is recognized for her dedication to resident and student teaching. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her family and friends, exercising, reading and baking.

Rose Barham MD, MS, grew up in Northampton, Mass. After attending Skidmore College, she started her career as an organic chemist, but realized it was not the right fit and made her way to the University of Connecticut School of Medicine. She then went to the University of Rochester Medical Center in New York for Med-Peds residency training and stayed for a fifth-year chief residency. She came to Geisinger Medical Center in Danville to continue work at an academic medical center in a rural community. At Geisinger, she works as a hospitalist in both internal medicine and pediatrics. She is one of the clerkship directors for internal medicine, as well as the lead for the Med-Peds residency QI program. Her academic interests include how communication, clinical reasoning and leadership skills impact clinical work. When she’s not working, she likes to make things, primarily in the kitchen, such as pickles, baked goods and a wide variety of other food.

Core Faculty

Emily Brunner, DO, RhMSUS, is a dually board-certified adult and pediatric rheumatologist. She completed her medicine-pediatrics training at Geisinger Medical Center. She followed this with fellowship training in both adult and pediatric rheumatology at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center and The Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh. She earned certifications in musculoskeletal ultrasound rheumatology from the Ultrasound School of North American Rheumatology. Dr. Brunner is an active participant in the ultrasound workgroup in Childhood Arthritis Rheumatology Research Alliance. She regularly incorporates musculoskeletal ultrasound in the care of both pediatric and adult rheumatology patients. She hopes to establish a young adult clinic to provide care for patients with chronic rheumatic disease. Dr. Brunner enjoys working with trainees of all levels, helping them to achieve academic goals and finding personal fulfillment in medicine. In addition to caring for her patients, Dr. Brunner is most passionate about her family. Dr. Brunner loves spending time with her husband, Rob Brunner, an adult infectious diseases specialist at Geisinger Medical Center, and their two young children. Having grown up in the Adirondack Mountains, Dr. Brunner loves hiking and biking, and she embraces the snow. She loves being physically active and is constantly seeking any excuse to get outside and play.

Core Faculty

Courtney Pinkham, MD, FAAP, DipABLM, earned her medical degree from Loyola Stritch School of Medicine. She then completed her medicine-pediatrics residency training at Geisinger in 2017. She is passionate about preventive medicine and medical education. In her spare time, you’ll find her spending time with her husband, children and very patient dog.

Core Faculty

Raghuveer Puttagunta, MD, was raised in Texas. He completed medical school at Baylor College of Medicine where he also completed an Albert Schweitzer Fellowship focused on community building for those affected by adolescent HIV. He then moved to Geisinger in 2015 where he completed his medicine-pediatrics residency training followed by a fellowship in clinical informatics and complex care across the age continuum. Dr. Puttagunta serves as an associate chief medical informatics officer for clinician experience focusing on EHR usability and training. His academic interests include healthcare navigation and utilization especially for those with pediatric chronic diseases, health system data visualization and asynchronous health system science medical education. In his spare time, he enjoys visiting national parks, traveling, backpacking and returning to his hometown to assist in providing medical care along the U.S.–Mexico border.

Core Faculty

Agnes S. Sundaresan, MD, MPH, completed her medical education at Christian Medical College in Vellore, India, and combined medicine-pediatrics residency training at Geisinger. She earned her Master of Public Health at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Dr. Sundaresan directs the monthly medicine-pediatrics resident journal club. In her spare time, she loves spending time with her husband and two kids at home and doing any outdoor activity.