Residents
Austin Cook, M.D.
Austin was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, but spent most of his childhood in Wichita, Kansas, and Jefferson City, Missouri. After attending middle school and high school in enemy territory surrounded by Tiger fans, he attended the University of Kansas where he got his degree in biochemistry.
He then attended medical school at KU School of Medicine-Wichita and has been thrilled to be able to continue his medical training in Wichita, which he now considers home. In his free time, he enjoys spending time with his wife, Lyndsey, and (as of July 2024) their baby girl, Emma. He also enjoys reading and golfing. At any given moment, there's a good chance he can be found watching his Jayhawks, Chiefs and Royals whenever they are playing ... or thinking about their next games when they are not. After residency he plans to pursue a career as a hospitalist in both Internal Medicine and Pediatrics here in Wichita.
Jessica Emoto, M.D.
Jessica was born and raised in Portland, Oregon, (go Blazers!) until moving to Hillsboro, Kansas, to play tennis at Tabor College. She then became a Jayhawk after attending KU School of Medicine-Wichita for medical school. Becoming a Jayhawk was a major step up from her high school mascot, the gopher. Jessica still tries to play tennis sometimes but has now joined a pickleball league as well. She also enjoys hiking, cooking, baking bread/pastries, and sharing said baked goods with her co-residents. After residency, Jessica plans to pursue a career in Pediatric Infectious Disease while also moonlighting in Internal Medicine.
Tyler Knapp, D.O.
Tyler was born and raised in Arkansas. He grew up in Hot Springs and spent a lot of time hiking and enjoying nature. After attending Arkansas State University, he worked as a medical scribe for an outpatient internist in Little Rock. It was there he learned the importance of serving the local community, and what being a physician meant. This experience solidified his desire and resolve as he entered medical school. Tyler plans to be a primary care physician after completing residency. Outside of medicine, he enjoys spending time with his wife and his poodle traveling, trivia contests and watching the Memphis Grizzlies and Miami Heat. He is also an avid sneakerhead.
Heidi Koschwanez, M.D.
Heidi was born and raised in Northern Ontario, Canada. She obtained her undergraduate degree in biological engineering from the University of Guelph and her Ph.D. in biomedical engineering from Duke. She met a very cute post-doctoral research fellow named Dave while in grad school and followed him to New Zealand, where they got married, had two kids, and worked in research at the University of Auckland. In 2017, they moved to Wichita and had two more kids. Heidi attended medical school at the KU School of Medicine-Wichita where she met all the wonderful Med/Peds residents and decided Med/Peds was the right career choice for her, especially if she could stay in Wichita to continue working alongside these awesome residents!
Ashley Kunes, M.D.
Ashley was born and raised right here in Wichita. She met her now husband in high school, then went on to attend Wichita State University. She decided to stay local by attending KU School of Medicine-Wichita for both medical school and residency in order to give back to the community that raised her. Despite being a Kansan her entire life, Ashley is an avid Denver Broncos fan and loves the Colorado Avalanche. As if residency didn’t keep her busy enough, Ashley has three cats and three dogs at home. In her free time, Ashley enjoys tending to her house plants, indoor gardening and thrift shopping. She hasn’t decided exactly what role she wants to take on after residency, but she hopes to work with an underserved or rural area and expand medical access to its communities. Ashley also has a life goal of getting to swim with sharks.
David Maundu, M.D.
David is a health care professional with an extensive background in clinical research, infectious diseases and health care administration. His journey began with a Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery from the University of Nairobi and led to a Master of Science in Infectious Diseases from the University of London’s prestigious London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.
In addition to his research contributions, David led medical teams in various challenging settings. His time as a combat medic in the Pennsylvania Army National Guard and medical coordinator for Doctors Without Borders underscored his commitment to providing quality care, even in demanding environments. David is an advocate for medical preparedness and has volunteered with the Medical Reserve Corps, contributing to Philadelphia’s emergency response efforts. His involvement in various initiatives, such as Doctors Without Borders and youth mobilization programs, highlights his dedication to health care outreach and community engagement. He welcomes opportunities to collaborate with diverse teams, contribute to research excellence, and drive positive impact in the health care field.
Joseph Odeyemi, M.D., MPH
Joseph was born and raised in Lagos, Nigeria. He attended Olabisi Onabanjo University for medical school, where he graduated at the top of his class. Afterward, he worked as a general practitioner for a few years before moving to Fort Worth, Texas, to complete his Master of Public Health degree at the University of North Texas Health Science Center. Joseph loves caring for both adults and children and feels very fortunate to be a part of the KU Wichita Med/Peds family. Joseph enjoys caring for critically ill patients and is likely to pursue fellowship training in pulmonology and critical care medicine. He loves spending time with his amazing wife, watching and playing football (the real football), and indulging in his passion for history—he knows a lot of weird and random facts. Joseph loves to laugh and considers himself a connoisseur of funny memes.
Nathan Sanders, M.D.
Nathan was born and raised just outside of Salt Lake City. He attended the University of Utah before moving across the country to attend medical school at Geisinger Commonwealth in Scranton, Pennsylvania. When it came time to apply for residency, Nathan chose to pursue Med/Peds because it offers a comprehensive foundation in both adult and pediatric care which aligns with his goal of gaining a deep and well-rounded understanding of medicine in order to provide care across the lifespan. After residency, he hopes to be part of a health care leadership team while practicing clinical medicine as a hospitalist. Nathan enjoys playing sports, staying active and spending time with his amazing wife. You can catch Nathan performing DIY projects around his house in his free time; he most recently got into plumbing.
Marissa Copas Weaver, M.D.
Marissa was born in Georgia but grew up in Andover, Kansas. She is a lifelong Shocker and completed her undergraduate degree in psychology at Wichita State University. Between college and medical school, Marissa had two babies, Adalynn and MacKenzie, who are the brightest lights in her life. She filled her lifelong dream of becoming a doctor by attending the University of Kansas School of Medicine-Wichita and is now happily training in Med/Peds to find her niche in the world of medicine. Her interests include hospital medicine and critical care, developmental pediatrics, international medicine, and transitional care.
When she is not "doctoring," Marissa can be found hanging out with her kids and neighbors. Her family loves to play card games, make up silly songs, and crafts. Her current claim to crafting fame is the king-size blanket she crocheted during COVID. Marissa is also an avid reader, enjoys trying new recipes, and loves to travel, especially if a lake or beach are involved. Her ideal medical mission would be to a place where she could practice medicine and then relax on the beach during her time off.
Leah Whitis, M.D.
Leah was born and raised in Buda, Texas (Austin area), before moving to Portland for undergrad at Lewis and Clark College. Leah received her medical laboratory scientist training at Texas Tech University Health Science Center and worked all over the U.S., including two years in O’ahu Hawai’i, before getting her Medical Degree from American University of the Caribbean.
She and her partner, Taylor, moved to Wichita from the San Juan Mountains in southwest Colorado and they have two fur babies: Grimm, an English Bulldog, and Bertie, a Boxer. Leah loves whitewater boating, hiking with her dogs, skiing, and cooking for family and friends. Med-Peds appealed to Leah because she is interested in doing rural medicine and the options provided with Med-Peds would allow her to work just about anywhere!
Samuel Wilke, M.D.
Sam was born and raised in the capital of North Dakota and went on to attend college at the University of Mary. While there, Sam ran track and cross country. Once his time as a college athlete was over, Sam continued his education and goal of becoming a physician by attending the University of North Dakota Medical School. It was there that he met his now wife, Stephanie, who is a Family Medicine resident here at KU Wichita. They started off as friends, then became study partners, then ultimately best friends. When choosing a residency program, Sam and Steph both wanted somewhere that felt similar to home and had a close-knit community. Sam pointed out that although Wichita is a bit warmer than North Dakota, it is just as flat. In his free time, Sam enjoys spending time outdoors and staying active by biking, running, swimming and fishing.
Lawrence Zhou, M.D.
Lawrence was born and raised in Wisconsin, but is not a cheesehead. In fact, he firmly believes American football should be renamed handegg. After obtaining a Bachelor of Science in microbiology from the University of Wisconsin – Madison and learning valuable lessons with AmeriCorps, he promptly ran away from the snow to Grenada where he attended St. George’s University School of Medicine. Lawrence is honored to obtain residency at KU, as his parents are Jayhawks. He looks forward to a career in adult gastroenterology, but also incorporating an element of pediatrics in his eventual practice. In his spare time, he enjoys the beautiful game, the great outdoors and discussing Star Wars lore among many others.