Meet Our Doctors

Dr. Rafal Ali is a board-certified rheumatologist specializing in the care of autoimmune and musculoskeletal conditions, with particular expertise in rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, and psoriatic arthritis. She completed her rheumatology fellowship at Jefferson Einstein in Philadelphia and her internal medicine residency at Jefferson Einstein Montgomery, where she was named “Resident of the Year.” She is certified in musculoskeletal ultrasound (MSK ultrasound) and skin biopsy, which she uses to support early diagnosis and personalized treatment.

Dr. Ali has been actively involved in clinical research, contributing to numerous research projects that have resulted in peer-reviewed publications and abstracts presented at national and international conferences, including meetings of the American College of Rheumatology (ACR Convergence), the European Alliance of Associations for Rheumatology (EULAR), and the Asia-Pacific League of Associations for Rheumatology (APLAR).

In addition to her clinical and academic work, Dr. Ali has served as a Board Member and Planning Committee Member of the Pennsylvania Rheumatology Society. She is also a recipient of the Lupus Initiative Grant from the American College of Rheumatology, reflecting her commitment to lupus education, awareness, and patient care.

Fluent in English and Arabic, Dr. Ali is dedicated to building strong relationships with her patients and providing compassionate, evidence-based care. She is actively involved in patient education and advocacy efforts and strives to empower patients to take an active role in managing their health. Outside the clinic, she enjoys photography and spending time in nature.

Dr. Megha Patel-Banker is a board-certified rheumatologist with extensive experience caring for patients with autoimmune and musculoskeletal conditions. She earned her medical degree from the State University of New York at Downstate, completed her internal medicine residency at North Shore University Medical Center, and her rheumatology fellowship at Stony Brook University. She later practiced with Rheumatology Associates of Long Island and served as a Clinical Associate Professor of Medicine at Stony Brook University Hospital.

After moving to Texas in 2014, Dr. Patel-Banker founded the Arthritis and Rheumatology Institute and the Arthritis and Rheumatology Research Institute. Under her leadership, the practice has grown to include rheumatologists across two locations. She continues to balance her role as a Principal Investigator in clinical trials with her passion for providing exceptional, patient-centered care.

Dr. Rezazadeh is board-certified in rheumatology. She grew up in Austin and Fort Worth and completed her undergraduate studies at Texas Christian University before earning her medical degree from the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB). She went on to complete her residency and rheumatology fellowship at UTMB, where she later served as an assistant professor of rheumatology.

Since 2011, Dr. Rezazadeh has been caring for patients in the Dallas area, providing expertise in the diagnosis and treatment of autoimmune and musculoskeletal conditions. She speaks Persian and Spanish, which allows her to connect with a diverse patient community. Outside of work, she enjoys spending time with family and staying active.

Dr. Svjetlana Dolovcak is a board-certified physician specializing in Rheumatology and Allergy Immunology. She earned her medical degree from the University of Zagreb School of Medicine in Croatia and furthered her research career at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School. Dr. Dolovcak completed her internal medicine residency at Weiss Memorial Hospital/University of Illinois in Chicago before pursuing a dual fellowship in Rheumatology and Allergy Immunology in Iowa City.

With years of experience as a Clinical Assistant Professor at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, she has played a pivotal role in training the next generation of specialists while also serving at the Iowa City Veterans Affairs Hospital. Dr. Dolovcak is passionate about treating immune-related conditions and advocates for a lifestyle medicine approach to enhance patient care.

Now based in Texas, she emphasizes excellent communication and shared decision-making in her practice. Outside of medicine, Dr. Dolovcak enjoys cooking, hiking, dancing, and traveling with her husband and three children.

Dr. Smitha Rudraraju is a board certified rheumatologist. She is interested in treating Rheumatoid arthritis, Psoriatic arthritis, Ankylosing spondilitis, Lupus, Sjogren's, Myositis, Osteoarthritis, Tendinitis and other musculoskeletal conditions. She believes in holistic approach in which a patient's diet, exercise and mental health are important while treating disease. Dr. Rudraraju attended medical school and completed internal medicine residency at Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan. She then completed her fellowship in rheumatology at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas in 2010. She enjoys hiking, gardening, yoga and passionate about conservation of environment. She is married has three children and two dogs.

Dr. Smita Pechitty is a board-certified Physician in Rheumatology. She completed her residency at Temple University - Conemaugh Valley Memorial Hospital and Rheumatology Fellowship at Louisiana State University in New Orleans. After completion of fellowship, she worked at Ochsner clinic for 3 years before moving to Dallas in 2021. She enjoys reading and travelling. She believes in making things as simple as possible for her patients to understand their disease process and make an informed decision. She will be providing care for patients at our Frisco and Allen locations.

Dr. Dorothy “Jet” Patterson is a rheumatologist with experience managing both adult and pediatric rheumatic diseases. She earned her medical degree with Honors in Research from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences and completed a combined Internal Medicine–Pediatrics residency at the University of Texas Southwestern (UTSW) Medical Center, where she also served as Internal Medicine Chief Resident from 2024–2025. She completed her Adult Rheumatology fellowship at UTSW in 2026.

Dr. Patterson is fluent in medical Spanish and has a special interest in caring for adolescents and young adults with rheumatic disease. During fellowship, she pursued additional training in Pediatric Rheumatology and founded the Pediatric to Adult Rheumatology Transition (PART) Clinic at Parkland Hospital.

Outside of medicine, she enjoys spending time with her family, hiking, SCUBA diving, and playing the piano.

Dr. Maha Husain completed her fellowship at University Kentucky and is pursuing her Rheumatology board certification. She earned her medical degree from Dow University Health Sciences in Karachi, Pakistan and completed her internal medicine residency at Lake Cumberland Regional Hospital in Somerset, Kentucky.

Dr. Husain is dedicated to the diagnosis and management of autoimmune, inflammatory, and musculoskeletal disorders, with a clinical focus on delivering evidence-based, patient-centered care. Her training encompasses the treatment of complex rheumatic diseases including rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, vasculitis, and other connective tissue disorders, with passion for spondyloarthritis.

She is fluent in English and Urdu and familiar with Spanish, which is helpful for building connections with all diverse populations in the area.

She enjoys playing sports such as basketball, cricket in addition to board games like Taboo. After 13 years of being out of the Dallas area, she is back to serving her hometown where she plans for lifelong commitment to the community.

Kristi V. Mizelle, MD, MPH FACR is a rheumatologist at Arthritis & Rheumatology Institute in Spring, TX.

Dr. Mizelle’s research and clinical interests include inflammatory arthritis, osteoporosis, and fibromyalgia. She has served as principal or co-investigator in multiple clinical trials, including AWARE, and has published in Journal of Clinical Rheumatology and The American Journal of Medicine. As former Medical Director of The Johns Hopkins Rheumatology Holistic Care and Fibromyalgia Clinics, Dr. Mizelle lectured cohorts of residents and fellows on an array of rheumatology-related topics, including novel approaches in complementary and alternative medicine.

DR. DONA POULOSE is board certified rheumatology and internal medicine. She completed her fellowship at University of Texas Medical Branch and served as the chief rheumatology fellow during her training. She is a member of the American College of Rheumatology. She has clinical experience in treating multiple autoimmune diseases including rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, gout, lupus, scleroderma, and Sjogren's. Dr. Poulose was born and raised in New York. There she attended Suny Binghamton and graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Integrative Neuroscience.

She later attended medical school at St. George's University. She completed her internal medicine residency in her hometown of Staten Island. Outside of medicine, Dr. Poulose enjoys spending time with her husband and children.