Dr. John Sotiriadis is a gastroenterologist and is double board certified in gastroenterology and internal medicine. He is committed to improving the health of his patients using the most modern approaches and advanced treatments in gastroenterology.
Born and raised in Queens, New York, Dr. Sotiriadis attended Cornell University and graduated cum laude with a major in Biology. He then attended Chicago Medical School, where he earned a medical degree and a doctorate in philosophy (PhD) in immunology. Dr. Sotiriadis returned to New York to complete his residency in internal medicine at Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx. He went on to complete his gastroenterology and hepatology fellowship at UMDNJ-Newark.
Throughout his career, Dr. Sotiriadis has published numerous articles in peer-reviewed journals and has given lectures and presentations on a broad range of gastroenterology and hepatology topics. He is an active member and fellow of the American College of Gastroenterology and the American Gastroenterological Association, as well as an active member of the New York Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy. Dr. Sotiriadis also serves as Section Chief at Palisades Medical Center, where he is also Associate Program Director for the Gastroenterology Fellowship Program.
Working with the entire team here at GANJ, Dr. Sotiriadis provide patients with a holistic and patient-centered approach to ensure that patients receive the best care in gastroenterology.
Dr. Peter Caride was born and raised in Hudson County, NJ, and has served the North Hudson and Bergen County area for nearly three decades. He is board certified in gastroenterology by the National Board of Medical Examiners. Dr. Caride is an advocate for state-of-the-art health care, particularly when it comes to advancing health care for the Latino population.
Prior to joining GANJ, Dr. Caride was in private practice in New Jersey for 27 years. His fellowship in gastroenterology was at St. Vincent’s Hospital in Manhattan, where he was twice awarded the William J. Grace Fellow of the Year award given to the most outstanding physician during their subspecialty training. Dr. Caride completed his internal medicine training at St. Vincent’s as well. During that time he was selected as a member of the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Society for his exemplary work with medical students. He was also selected to be Chief Medical Resident at St. Vincent’s because of his knowledge and dedication, as well as his leadership skills with fellow residents. Dr. Caride received a BS in biochemistry from Boston College and is a graduate of New York Medical College.
The son of Cuban immigrants, Dr. Caride is fluent in Spanish and is particularly interested in serving the needs of the Latino community.
Gabrielle Corpuz is a dedicated physician assistant with a broad knowledge base and a focus on gastroenterology. She is board certified by the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA) and has completed more than 2,000 clinical hours in specialized settings that include internal medicine, general surgery and emergency medicine. She is currently a member of the American Academy of Physician Assistants.
Gabby completed the accelerated BS/MS Physician Assistant program at King’s College in Wilkes-Barre, PA, graduating with honors in August 2019 with her MS degree in physician assistant studies.
Born and raised in Toms River, NJ, Gabby enjoys serving the community that she grew up in. Before joining GANJ, she had worked at Ocean Family Gastroenterology since January 2020. Gabby has an unmatched passion for providing quality patient care focused on health care assessment, effective treatment plans and patient education. Prior to her career in medicine, Gabby was a Division III collegiate swimmer and was a school record holder. She was a lifeguard at Ortley Beach for eight years and enjoyed keeping beachgoers safe, as well as educating the public on water safety.
Physician Assistant Laura Tranchini is passionate about providing patient care that focuses on health maintenance, disease prevention and patient education. She is board certified by the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA) and is a member of the American Academy of Physician Assistants (AAPA). She is also certified in basic life support and advanced cardiac life support.
Laura graduated from Alderson Broaddus University in Philippi, WV, in 2021 with a M.S. degree in physician assistant studies. During her graduate education, she gained experience in a variety of specialties while completing clinical rotations in rural West Virginia. Laura earned her B.S. in exercise physiology at Ohio University in Athens, OH.
While completing her undergraduate education, Laura studied abroad in Cuba to learn about different methods of health care delivery, specifically in regions where access to medical resources is limited. She also spent a year working as a resident care aide at a nursing home. These experiences helped her recognize the value of a community-based approach to health care.
Laura grew up in Pittsburgh, PA, and moved to New Jersey, where she worked at Ocean Family Gastroenterology for two years prior to joining GANJ.
Rekha Varghese is a skilled physician assistant whose areas of expertise include
gastroenterology, internal medicine, and emergency medicine. Rekha was certified by
the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA) in August
2019 and holds certifications in basic life support and advanced cardiac life support.
Rekha is currently a member of the American Academy of Physician Assistants.
Rekha completed an accelerated B.S./M.S. physician assistant program at Thomas
Jefferson University in Philadelphia, PA, and has completed more than 2,000 hours of
clerkships caring for patients with GI conditions such as GERD, IBS and IBD.
Prior to completing her PA program, Rekha worked as a certified nursing assistant and
has always had a passion for serving others. During her undergraduate studies, she
went on multiple mission trips, including spending three months on the Navajo
Reservation in New Mexico. There she helped provide health care education to
residents about prevalent conditions in the Navajo community.
Originally from the suburbs of Chicago, IL, Rekha has enjoyed serving the Toms River
community and surrounding neighborhoods for 4 years. She is part of the Ocean Family Gastroenterology division of GANJ.
Dr. Rangas Lokchander, founder of Ocean Family Gastroenterology and a founding member of Ocean Endoscopy Center, has practiced gastroenterology and GI-related procedures for more than 30 years.
A diplomate of the American Board of Internal Medicine and American Board of Gastroenterology, he completed his medical degree from Madras Medical College, University of Mardras, India. At Nassau County Medical Center in New York, he completed his Residency in Medicine and a Fellowship in Gastroenterology.
Dr. Lokchander’s care philosophy incorporates a comprehensive approach where all the systems of one’s body are considered as they are all connected. He believes that the physician-patient relationship is a partnership, where both members strive to make the best decisions for healthy outcomes.
Dr. Jose Ramon E. Suatengco has been proudly practicing Gastroenterology in Toms River, NJ for the last 25 years. After graduating medical school at the University of the East Ramon Magsaysay Memorial Medical Center in Quezon City, Philippines, Dr. Suatengco completed his residency at Interfaith Medical Center in Brooklyn, NY. While there he served as Chief Resident of Internal Medicine as well as later becoming Senior Gastroenterology Fellow.
Dr. Suatengco previously owned a private solo Gastroenterology practice in Toms River from 1995 until 2018. He merged with Ocean Family Gastroenterology in January 2019. He specializes in various procedures including colonoscopy, endoscopy, anal manometry, and capsule endoscopy. In addition to being an active member of the medical community, Dr. Suatengco is also an active member of the Filipino community. He is a founder of the Filipino- American Community Development Center which focuses on celebrating Filipino culture.
With a main priority of assisting patients and providing an excellent level of care, Dr. Suatengco continues to reach above and beyond for his patients.
Dr. Neil Nagaria has been serving the GI health needs of people in the New Jersey area for 13 years, at Ocean Family Gastroenterology. He is board certified in Internal Medicine, Gastroenterology/Hepatology, and Obesity Medicine. His specialties include endoscopy, colonoscopy, enteroscopy, small bowel capsule, hemorrhoidal banding, as well as advanced endoscopic procedures such as ERCP.
Before practicing at Ocean Family Gastroenterology, Dr. Nagaria worked as a hospitalist at Saint Clare’s Hospital. He completed his internship at Flushing Hospital Medical Center and the remaining part of his two-year internal medicine residency program at Rutgers/University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (UMDNJ-NJMS), and served as Chief Medical Resident at Hackensack University Medical Center (HUMC) in New Jersey. He then went on to complete an intensive fellowship in Gastroenterology and Transplant Hepatology at UMDNJ-NJMS.
During his tenure at Rutgers, Dr. Nagaria published several abstracts in major medical journals. Currently, he is the primary investigator in multiple clinical trials, and part of the teaching faculty at RWJ-Community Medical Center’s residency program. He has been recognized as a NJ Top Doc in 2020-2023 and has also received the Vitals Compassionate Doctor Award. Dr. Nagaria is currently a member of the American College of Gastroenterology and American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy.
Dr. Maulik Shah is experienced in the diagnosis and treatment of gastrointestinal issues including pancreatic, biliary and liver diseases, acid reflux, inflammatory bowl disease (IBD), and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), among others.
Dr. Shah completed his fellowship training in Gastroenterology at Jefferson Health, where he was honored to be selected as Chief Fellow. He completed his internship and residency in Internal Medicine at Jefferson Health and earned his medical degree from Rowan-Virtua School of Osteopathic Medicine in New Jersey. Dr. Shah is currently an active member of the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy, American College of Gastroenterology, and the American Gastroenterological Association.
A strong passion for teaching has led Dr. Shah to routinely give lectures to the community on a variety of gastroenterology disorders. In addition to regularly contributing to professional publications, Dr. Shah is committed to providing the highest quality of care to his patients to ensure their longevity and encourage a positive and fulfilling lifestyle.
Dr. Shah is a member of Premier GI, a division of Gastroenterology Associates of New Jersey, with offices in Hamilton and Princeton.
