Our Faculty

Family Medicine Residency Program

Lalitha Hansch, MD, FAAFP
Program Director

A member of the Somerset Family Medicine Residency family for more than 15 years, Dr. Hansch served as a chief resident in 2001-2002. After being in private practice, she returned to Somerset as faculty in 2005 and became program director in 2017 after serving as associate director from 2014-2017. She received additional training in medical acupuncture at the Helms Medical Institute at UCLA School of Medicine, and is a Licensed Acupuncturist. Dr. Hansch serves as the PGY-3 Year Manager and leads the residency’s practice management program. Dr. Hansch has special interests in medical acupuncture, LGBTQIA Care, women’s health, pediatrics, practice management and nutrition. In her spare time she enjoys reading, hiking, and traveling.

• Graduate of Wright State University School of Medicine, 1999
• Graduate of Somerset Family Medicine Residency, 2002
• Attending Physician, Franklin Family Practice, 2002-2005
• Attending Physician in a solo micropractice, Bridgewater Family Health, 2006-2010
• Attending Physician in private practice, Bridgewater Family Practice, 2010-2012
• Fluent in Sign Language and conversational German

Joanne Lundholm, MD
Associate Director

Dr. Lundholm graduated from Somerset Family Medicine Residency in 2006 after serving as chief resident. She was awarded the prestigious Carl Meier, MD Award for exemplifying the qualities of a family physician. After graduation, Dr. Lundholm spent two years in a busy urban practice in Wilmington, Delaware, providing comprehensive medical care to the underserved and gained valuable clinical experience. She returned to the Somerset family as faculty in 2008, became associate director in 2017 and continues to be PGY-2 Year Manager, guiding rotations and activities of our second-year class. She is active on L&D with maternity and obstetrics. Her special interests include pediatrics, women’s health, and obstetrics. Dr. Lundholm has volunteered on several medical missions to Belize, Honduras, and China.

• Graduate of Tufts University School of Medicine, 2003
• 2006 Graduate of the Somerset Family Medicine Residency
• Named Family Medicine Resident of the Year by the New Jersey Academy of Family Physicians, 2006
• Received the Carl F. Meier, MD Award for exemplifying the qualities of a Family Physician, 2006
• Attending Physician, Westside Family Health Care in Wilmington, Delaware, 2006-2008
• Fluent in Spanish

John Bucek, MD, FAAFP
Executive Director Undergraduate and Graduate Education

Dr. Bucek began teaching at Somerset in 1997. He served as Program Director from 2006-2016 and is now the Director of Graduate Medical Education. Dr. Bucek has a special interest in environmental toxicity for pregnancy and newborns and has delivered more than 1000 babies in his career. He works with hospital administration on medical student programs and on safety programs for patients and residents. Dr. Bucek has been running a COVID inpatient team since March 2020.

• Graduate of Mount Sinai School of Medicine, AOA, 1993
• Graduate of Overlook Family Practice Residency Program, where he was a chief resident, 1996
• Fellowship in Obstetrics for Family Physicians at SUNY/University Hospital-Stony Brook, 1997
• Chair of the Hospital Institutional Review Board since 2006, Chair Of Department of Family Medicine, Chair of Credentials Committee.
• Associate Dean for Academic Affiliate-RWJBH-Somerset.
• Fluent in Spanish

Brandis Belt, MD, MPH
Assistant Director

Dr. Belt originally made her way to RWJ Somerset in 2012 as a medical student during her family medicine rotation. Since then, her path has led her away and now back, where she enthusiastically joined the faculty in 2018. She graduated from Stanford with a degree in biology and the Yale School of Public Health in 2007 and is a “public health nerd”, heading up the RWJ Somerset epidemiology board reviews. Dr. Belt has always enjoyed varied interests. While a resident herself at Somerset, she was able to travel to Belize and Malawi on international rotations and is currently working on starting a hospital system in Liberia. Dr. Belt is a newlywed and grew up in South Orange, NJ.

• Graduate of UMDNJ New Jersey Medical School, 2012
• Graduate of RWJUH Somerset Family Medicine Residency Program, 2017
• Graduate of Yale University with a MPH in Epidemiology of Microbial Disease, 2007

Donna M. Kaminski, DO, MPH
Assistant Director

Dr. Kaminski is a proud member of the RWJUH Somerset Family Medicine faculty, who believes in patient-centered care, and has a special interest in integrative medicine. Fluent in Polish, Spanish and English, Dr. Kaminski cares for patients of all ages from newborns to older adults.

• Graduate of UMDNJ School of Osteopathic Medicine, now Rowan University School of Osteopathic Medicine, 2010
• Graduate of RWJUH Somerset Family Medicine Residency Program, 2014
• Fellowship in Integrative Medicine, University of Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine, Tucson, AZ

F. Elyse Kopp-Mulberg, DO
Assistant Director

Dr. F. Elyse Kopp-Mulberg has been a member of our faculty since 2019. Dr. Kopp-Mulberg is a Board-Certified Family Medicine Physician with over 25 years of experience practicing in pediatrics, women's health, geriatrics and Urgent Care medicine. She has experience through many sectors of medicine, including academic medicine, pharmaceutical industry experience, VA hospital, private practice and residency associated programs. While in residency in Worcester, Massachusetts, she cared for Spanish-speaking patients from Puerto Rico, Central and South America as well as Vietnamese and Cambodian immigrants. Dr. Kopp-Mulberg has dedicated her practice to serving immigrant groups in urban inner-city locations in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Maryland. Her special interests include osteopathic manipulation and integrative medicine.

• Graduate, Polytechnic Institute, New York College of Osteopathic Medicine, 1989
• Graduate, Family Practice Residency, University of Massachusetts, 1992
• Clinical Instructor, Family Medicine, Cooper Medical School of Rowan University, Camden, NJ
• Clinical Associate Professor of Family Medicine, Department of Family Medicine, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine
• Specialty Certifications: Diplomate, American Board of Family Medicine, ACLS/PALS
• Licensure: Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland
• Standing member, American Academy of Family Physicians, American Osteopathic Association And New Jersey Association of Osteopathic Physicians and Surgeons

Heli Naik DO, CAQSM
Assistant Director

Dr. Heli Naik has been a member of our faculty since 2023. She is a Board-Certified Family Medicine Physician and also completed a Fellowship in Sports Medicine and received the additional qualification from the American Board of Family Medicine. Dr. Naik graduated from Cleveland Clinic Akron General in 2020 after serving as chief resident and then completed her Sports Medicine Training in 2021. She is very passionate about family medicine and sports medicine and encourages our residents and students to think outside the box and treat our patients as a whole and not just focus on their individual complaints. Dr. Naik enjoys the full scope of family medicine and is also passionate about global medicine traveling to Guatemala in 2018 and 2019 during residency to educate locals on how to care for themselves as well as they loved ones. She has a vast procedural skill set including but not limited to: Skin biopsy (shave and punch), Nexplanon placement/removal, Wart/corn cryotherapy, Dry needling, OMT, Suturing, Joint injection with and without ultrasound guidance (Shoulder, Elbow, Wrist, Hand, Hip, Knee, Ankle, Foot), diagnostic and therapeutic MSK ultrasound, Nerve hydrodissections, Tenotomy for tendinopathy.

• Graduate Midwestern University Arizona College of Osteopathic Medicine, 2017
• Graduate of Cleveland Clinic Akron General Family Medicine Residency, 2020
• Fellowship in Sports Medicine at WellSpan Health York University, 2021
• Clinical Assistant Professor, Department of Family Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine and Boston Medical Center, 2021-2023
• Team Physician, Boston University, 2021-2023
• Fluent in English, Gujarati and conversational Hindi

Aysha Azam, DO
Clinical Faculty

Dr. Aysha Azam joined our faculty in 2024 as a board-certified family physician. With a profound commitment to holistic patient care, Dr. Azam has developed a special interest in women’s health, obstetrics, integrative medicine, and aesthetics. During residency, Dr. Azam completed a certification in Integrative Medicine from the University of Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine. Her diverse expertise encompasses a broad spectrum of practices, allowing her to offer comprehensive care tailored to the unique needs of each patient. In addition to her clinical work, Dr. Azam is actively involved in education and mentorship, contributing to the development of future healthcare professionals. She is dedicated to enhancing medical education through her dynamic teaching style and her commitment to staying at the forefront of medical advancements. She received the Society of Teachers of Family Medicine Resident Teacher of the Year award in 2024.

• Graduate of Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine, 2021
• Graduate of RWJUH Somerset Family Medicine Residency Program, 2024
• Fluent in conversational Urdu, Punjabi, and Hindi

Doreen Sperber-Weiss, PhD., APN
Behavioral Scientist

Dr. Sperber-Weiss joined the Somerset Family Practice Residency in 2018. She has worked with all ages in a variety of settings, including schools, clinics, group homes, prisons and has had a general private practice for over 40 years. Her emphasis in treatment is building resilience, skills and confidence to manage barriers that prevent individuals from achieving their life goals. Dr. Sperber-Weiss has a longstanding interest in training mental health professionals and family medicine physicians as the gatekeepers of good medical care and the first to intervene in addressing mental illness. In her free time, she enjoys her grandchildren, the beach, cooking, baking, crafts, playing the violin and exploring the world. Her research interests include decreasing violence, trauma recovery and improving outcomes for individuals who are transgender.

• Graduate Rutgers School of Nursing with MS Psychiatric NP
• Graduate Felician College with BS in Nursing, Cum Laude
• Graduate of American University with PhD in Clinical Psychology and a MA in Experimental Psychology
• Milton Erickson Institute Hypnosis Training

Melissa Rivers Richardson, MSN, FNP-BC
Family Practice Nurse Practitioner/Nurse Manager

Dr. Rivers-Richardson joined Somerset Family Practice as our Family Nurse Practitioner in 2007 and became our Nurse Manager in 2009. In 2013, she earned a Doctorate of Nursing Practice degree. As a Nurse Practitioner, she provides care for the family across the health care continuum, and supervises the clinical activities and development of our nursing staff. Dr. Rivers-Richardson is active in several Hospital and community committees. Her professional interests include women's health, pediatrics, global health, medical missions, and academia. Melissa teaches in the Nursing programs at Rutgers and Monmouth Universities, and precepts Nurse Practitioner students.

• Graduate of Rutgers University, BSN, 1993
• Graduate of Rutgers University, Master Degree in Nursing, 2003
• Board Certified Family Nurse Practitioner
• Certified School Health Nurse
• Preceptor, Advance Practice Nursing students
• Clinical Site Supervisor, Advanced Practice Nursing, Monmouth University
• Graduate of Monmouth University DNP, 2013

Luigi Brunetti, PharmD, MPH
Clinical Pharmacy Specialist

Dr. Brunetti joined Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Somerset in 2007 to establish a practice site for Doctor of Pharmacy students. An accomplished clinician and educator, he also dedicates his time and expertise to our residents’ education and clinical practice through participating on Family Medicine Inpatient Service patient care rounds, noon conferences, and provision of drug information. He conducts clinical research studies at RWJUH Somerset and is involved in several hospital committees. Dr. Brunetti has published over 40 peer-reviewed manuscripts, abstracts, and textbook chapters. He is also involved in several grant funded research projects, which included the participation of Family Medicine residents.

• Associate Professor, Department of Pharmacy Practice and Administration, Rutgers-The State University of New Jersey, Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy
• Adjunct Associate Professor, Department of Nutritional Sciences, Rutgers- The State University of New Jersey, School of Health Related Professions
• Director, Postgraduate Year 1 (PGY-1) Pharmacy Residency
• Certified Geriatric Pharmacist and Board Certified Pharmacotherapy Specialist
• Graduate of Philadelphia College of Pharmacy, University of the Sciences in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Doctor of Pharmacy

Kathryn Schmidt, MSW
Residency Administrator

Ms. Schmidt coordinates the day-to-day management of operations for our residency, faculty and residents. She arrived at Somerset in 1996, and brought with her the experience and skills she gained during ten years as a clinical social worker in residential treatment, early childhood education, and parenting resource settings. In 2009 she became one of the first Family Medicine residency administrators to obtain certification from the National Board of Certification for Training Administrators in Graduate Medical Education. Her special interests include resident recruitment, curriculum development, and organizational efficiency.

• Graduate of Cedar Crest College, BA in Sociology/Minor in Social Welfare
• Graduate of University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana School of Social Work
• Co-founder, The Parent Tree Center for Parenting Education in Metairie, Louisiana, 1983
• Clinical Social Work with children and families, 1978-1995