Gastroenterology Faculty
Arslan Kahloon, MD
Program Director and Division Chief
Dr. Kahloon joined Erlanger in 2012 and was an inaugural faculty member when our fellowship started in 2015. He is board-certified and fellowship-trained in gastroenterology with a specialty in diseases of the liver. Dr. Kahloon earned his medical degree at Aga Khan University in Karachi, Pakistan. He completed his residency at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center and his fellowship in gastroenterology and hepatology at Indiana University School of Medicine.
Dr. Kahloon offers patients an unmatched level of care and expertise in the tri-state region when it comes to the diagnosis and treatment of digestive tract diseases. Moreover, he is the region's only gastroenterologist who specializes in Transoral Incisionless Fundoplication (TIF), an FDA-cleared procedure designed to treat chronic gastroesophageal disease (GERD).
Dr. Kahloon was appointed as the fellowship's Program Director in 2021. He is committed to the ongoing work of building the fellowship into a robust, well-respected training program that prepares fellows for general practice, advanced GI training, and academic research.
Sean Rice, MD
Associate Program Director
Dr. Sean Rice is a native of Ohio, where he graduated Summa Cum Laude from Ohio State University with a B.S. in Microbiology. He remained in Ohio for medical school, graduating from the University of Toledo College of Medicine. Following medical school, Dr. Rice completed both an internal medicine residency and gastroenterology fellowship at Vanderbilt Medical Center in Nashville.
While completing his training at Vanderbilt, Dr. Rice published multiple studies in scientific journals, earned the Richard P. Schneider Recognition Award for his teaching, and served as the Chief Fellow in his final year of training.
Dr. Rice’s clinical interests include inflammatory bowel disease, general gastroenterology, and endoscopy. He is a member of the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy, the American Gastroenterological Association, and the American College of Gastroenterology.
In his spare time, Dr. Rice enjoys traveling abroad, exploring new recipes in the kitchen, hiking, and spending time with his family, including his 85-pound goldendoodle.
Samuel Igbinedion, MD
Affiliated Assistant Professor
Dr. Sam Igbinedion has received numerous clinical and professional awards, including an election into the Gold Humanism Honor Society for his compassionate approach to patient care.
He is a board-certified gastroenterologist specializing in therapeutic endoscopy, including balloon-assisted enteroscopy, luminal stenting, per-oral endoscopic myotomy, endoscopic mucosal resections, endoscopic submucosal dissections, and interventional EUS.
Dr. Igbinedion received his medical degree from the Medical University of the Americas. He completed his internal medicine residency at Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center in Shreveport, LA, where he was appointed chief resident.
He completed his advanced endoscopy fellowship at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center/Harvard Medical School in Boston and has authored many articles on digestive disorders, ERCP, and endoscopic submucosal dissection.
Outside of work, Dr. Igbinedion enjoys serving at his local church, spending time with his wife and family, playing soccer, and enjoying new recipes.
Steven Kessler, DO
Assistant Professor
Dr. Kessler is a board-certified gastroenterologist specializing in endoscopy and general gastroenterology.
Dr. Kessler received his medical degree at the New York College of Osteopathic Medicine. He completed his residency at New York Medical College and his fellowship at the State University of New York at Stony Brook Hospital. He is been practicing at Erlanger for over a decade and has been a faculty member of the GI fellowship since it began in 2015.
Sharif Murphy, MD
Assistant Professor
Dr. Murphy obtained his medical degree from Chicago Medical School, and completed both residency and fellowship training here at UTHSC College of Medicine, Chattanooga.
Upon graduating from fellowship in 2020, he accepted an offer to join our practice and was appointed an assistant professor for the GI fellowship program.
In his spare time, Dr. Murphy enjoys photography, cooking, and travel.
Laxmi Parsa, MD
Assistant Professor
Dr. Parsa is board-certified in both gastroenterology and transplant hepatology. He is the region's only board-certified transplant hepatologist. His areas of interest include transplant hepatology and hepatology including fatty liver, sclerosis, and hepatitis.
Dr. Parsa received his medical degree from Osmania Medical College in India. He completed residency training at St. Barnabas Hospital in Bronx, NY, and practiced for several years as an internist in Pennsylvania, serving as an assistant professor at Drexel University. He went on to complete fellowship training in gastroenterology and transplant hepatology at UTHSC College of Medicine, Memphis. Upon graduating from fellowship, he accepted an offer to join Erlanger and was appointed to an assistant professor with the GI fellowship program.
Laurie-Anne Swaby, MD
Assistant Professor
Priya Vijayvargiya, MD
Assistant Professor
Dr. Vijay is a board-certified gastroenterologist who specializes in motility disorders including diarrhea, constipation, and gastroparesis. After earning her medical degree from Thomas Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia, Dr. Vijay completed both her residency and fellowship training at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. She joined our practice and faculty in 2022.
Dr. Vijay has published over 50 manuscripts and two book chapters focused on her motility research. She has also presented her research at national and international medical conferences and has been honored with more than 15 awards for her excellence in the field.