Alana A. Kennedy-Nasser, MD
Our Founding Pediatrician
Alana Kennedy-Nasser, MD, well known as Dr. Alana, is the founder of PurePediatrics. Her goal is to change the way children, adolescents and young adults receive medical care through personalized medicine, integrative wellness and a healthy dose of prevention. She has vast experience in all aspects of pediatric care, from healthy newborns to the most complicated and chronically ill children.
Dr. Alana holds a BA in Broadcast Journalism from SMU and earned her MD from the University of Texas Health Science Center San Antonio. She completed her Pediatrics residency at Tulane University and completed her Pediatric Hematology/Oncology fellowship at Texas Children’s Hospital. While she is double board certified in Pediatrics & Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, her primary passion is the prevention and early recognition of disease.
Prior to private practice, Dr. Alana was an Assistant Professor on the Bone Marrow Transplant Unit at Texas Children’s Hospital for five years. This experience gave her tremendous insight in to the care of chronically ill and immunocompromised children, as well as acknowledging the importance of prevention.
In her spare time, she has completed the Boston Marathon and multiple Ironman triathlons, including the Ironman World Championship in Kona, Hawaii, and loves pilates. Dr. Alana is a mother to four amazing children, who have grown faster than she ever imagined. She and her husband, Dr. Dean Nasser, who recently joined the practice to treat all of the parents and grandparents, have called Houston home for almost 20 years.
In addition to authoring or co-authoring over 15 publications, Dr. Alana has been named a Texas Rising Star in 2012 and 2014 and a Super Doctor by Texas Monthly Magazine in 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2021 and 2023.
Visit Dr. Alana’s SuperDoctors profile here.
Visit Dr. Alana’s article in Voyage Magazine here.
Visit Dr. Alana’s article in ShoutOut TX here.
Kelly Hodges, MD
Pediatrician
Dr. Kelly Hodges is a Board Certified Pediatrician originally from Maui, Hawaii. She earned her medical degree from LSU Health Sciences Center and moved to Houston to complete her Pediatrics Residency at Texas Children’s Hospital. After residency, she relocated to Malawi, Africa, where she practiced medicine as a medical missionary for 3 years.
While working in Malawi, she focused on improving children’s nutrition, implemented CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) treatment for premature and sick infants and cared for underserved children with epilepsy. As a result of her training and experience afar, she is a strong advocate for preventive and personalized medicine.
On a personal note, Dr. Kelly is active in her community as a member of Rice Temple Baptist Church and chair of the church’s English as a Second Language (ESL) program. She and her husband, Donald, have three young and active boys. Most importantly, she is a Christian and strives to honor God through her practice of Medicine. In her spare time, she enjoys gardening vegetables with the hopes of one day eating her home-grown organic produce.
Check out her Blog documenting her adventures practicing medicine in Malawi: malawihodges.blogspot.com
Alexander Injac, MD
Pediatrician
Dr. Alexander Injac is a Board Certified Pediatrician who has been practicing in the Houston area for over 20 years. Born in Belgrade, Serbia, Dr. Alex began his medical education at the University of Vienna in Vienna, Austria prior to moving to the United States where he graduated from the Georgetown University School of Medicine in Washington, D.C. After residency training at Massachusetts General Hospital / Harvard Medical School, Dr. Alex moved to Houston, where he has been caring for children ever since.
In addition to general pediatric care, Dr. Alex has a particular interest in child development and care of medically complex patients. He is fluent in multiple languages including German, French, Spanish and Serbo-Croatian and enjoys the opportunity to interact with the diverse Houston international community. Dr. Alex is one of the lead pediatricians at our Memorial/Tanglewood office, located at 7700 San Felipe, Ste 470.
Dr. Alex is the father of a college-aged son and elementary-aged twins and his wife, Sarah is a native Houstonian and neuro-oncologist. In his free time, Dr. Alex enjoys traveling with his family particularly if it gives him as an avid skier an opportunity to hit the slopes.
Dean A. Nasser, MD, FCCP
Internal Medicine, Pulmonary & Critical Care Medicine
Dr. Dean Nasser is a Board Certified Pulmonary and Critical Care physician who has joined the practice to provide adult medical care. As a specialist, Dr. Dean knows the importance of prevention and his goal is to spend the remainder of his career helping to shape the health of patients so that they may live their BEST lives today and tomorrow through preventive, personalized care that focuses on nutrition, weight management, hormone management and improved general care. Dr. Dean sees patients in our Bellaire and Memorial/Tanglewood locations.
Dr. Dean completed his undergraduate training at Dickinson College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, where he earned a BA in Economics. After college, he decided to follow in his physician/father’s footsteps and completed his premedical studies at the University of Miami. He then earned his MD at the University of Miami School of Medicine and completed his internal medicine residency at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio before heading to New Orleans to complete his pulmonary and critical care fellowship at Tulane University.
Since that time, he served as the medical director of the ICU at The Woman’s Hospital of Texas for 17 years, as well as maintaining privileges as several large medical institutions in Houston. Prior to joining our team, he was an associate physician at Texas Chest and Sleep Disorders.
In his spare time, Dr. Dean enjoys hiking, spending time with family and traveling the world. Dr. Dean is married to Dr. Alana Kennedy-Nasser and they have four children.
Sara Curtis, MD
Pediatrician
Dr. Sara Curtis is a Board Certified Pediatrician who is passionate about preventative healthcare, nutrition education, supporting breastfeeding mothers, improving access to mental healthcare, and truly being a medical home for her patients as they grow, develop and learn to be the best version of themselves. In addition to true well-child care with a focus on the whole child, she enjoys partnering with families with complex medical needs as well as working to address mental health concerns such as ADHD, anxiety and depression.
Originally from the North Dallas area, she graduated from Texas A&M University with a Bachelors of Science in Nutrition and a minor in Spanish. She then made her way to Houston where she earned her MD at Baylor College of Medicine then stayed to complete her pediatric residency at Baylor College of Medicine / Texas Children’s Hospital.
On a personal note, Dr. Sara is a dedicated wife and mom to two young girls. She loves cooking, traveling, being outdoors,and going on new adventures with her husband and daughters. You can often find them wandering the hike and bike trails or at parks in the Heights. She is actively involved in their church, Neartown Church. She speaks Spanish proficiently.
Roshni “Dr. Sam” Sambasivan, MD
Pediatrician
Dr. Sam is a Board Certified Pediatrician originally from the Northeast. She holds a BS and MD from George Washington University in Washington, DC. Dr. Sam completed her Pediatrics Residency at Texas Children’s Hospital. Following the completion of residency, she was Pediatric Hospitalist affiliated with Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and more recently an Assistant Professor at Texas Children’s Hospital as a newborn hospitalist.
As a certified lactation consultant, Dr. Sam is passionate in empowering mothers to achieve their feeding goals, whatever they may be. She understands the challenges families encounter during the early months of life and is dedicated to facilitate this transition. She believes in the power of proactive healthcare and tailoring medical care to ensure her patients thrive on their unique healthcare journeys.
In her spare time, Dr. Sam enjoys spending time outdoors, exploring the culinary scene, and traveling. Dr. Sam and her husband, Ajai, a Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation physician, have two school aged children and have called Houston home for over 10 years.
Dr. Paige
Pediatrician
Dr. Garrison, a proud Houstonian, brings her heartfelt dedication to personalized care at PurePediatrics. After earning her degree in Psychology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, she went on to receive her medical degree from the University of Texas Medical School at Houston, followed by a pediatric residency at Baylor College of Medicine.
As a board-certified pediatrician and member of the American Academy of Pediatrics, Dr. Garrison loves working with kids of all ages. Her joy in each stage of child development is evident in her warm and compassionate approach to care.
Fueled by a genuine desire to make a difference, Dr. Garrison’s journey into medicine is all about helping others and creating meaningful connections with her patients and their families.
When she’s not in the clinic, you can find Dr. Garrison enjoying quality time with her husband, Taylor, and their daughter. She’s a fan of staying active, traveling, family movie nights, and diving into Houston’s vibrant food scene.
With her friendly spirit and dedication, Dr. Garrison is excited to be part of the PurePediatrics team, ready to build lasting relationships with the families she serves.
Melisa Landry
CPNP-PC
Melisa Landry is an experienced pediatric nurse practitioner born and raised in Texas. She earned both her Bachelor and Master of Science degrees from the University of Texas Health Science Center in Houston. With over a decade of experience at Texas Children’s Hospital in the Bone Marrow Transplant Unit, she has developed a deep understanding of the complexities involved in caring for chronically ill patients. Her time in this role allowed her to build meaningful relationships with patients and their families, providing compassionate care during some of their most challenging times.
Most recently, Melisa served as the Director of Health Services at The Kinkaid School, where she honed her leadership and management skills. Ensuring the health of everyone on campus, she also prioritized disease prevention, health promotion, and education within the student community. She believes that a positive outlook can significantly impact health outcomes, and she strives to ensure that every individual feels their best so they can live their best life.
Outside of her professional endeavors, Melisa enjoys spending quality time with her husband and their three active children. She enjoys watching her kids play sports and prioritizes exercise in her life, recognizing the importance of maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
Adeisha Sawyer, FNP
Family Nurse Practitioner
Adeisha is a certified family nurse practitioner originally from Tulsa, Oklahoma. She earned two Bachelor of Science degrees in Nursing and Health & Exercise Science from the University of Oklahoma. She then moved to Texas where she obtained her Master of Science in Nursing from the UT Health Science Center. Adeisha has served as an acute care nurse specializing in pediatric emergency medicine and serving the intellectual or developmental disabilities (IDD) community at Methodist and Texas Children’s Hospital alike for several years.
As an advocate for preventative and holistic healthcare, Adeisha is passionate about approaching wellness from a multidimensional lens that encourages and empowers individuals across their lifespan to be the best version of themselves by providing education, support, and compassion to all she encounters. She believes in creating warm and welcoming spaces to collaborate with families to meet their medical needs and concerns.
Being of Nigerian-Brazilian descent, Adeisha enjoys exploring new places and immersing herself in different cultures while collecting experiences and memories from her journeys along the way. She enjoys cooking, participating in pilates and boxing, and has a love for the arts where she participates in bringing fun events to life and creating stories for children via mixed media and literature.
Claudia Rivera, BA
Director of Finance
Claudia hails from Bogotá, Colombia and has called Houston home since 2004. She earned her BA in Economics, Globalization and Entrepreneurship from the University of Houston. She handles all financial matters of the practice, as well as works with new families that are joining the practice. In her spare time, she loves to travel abroad and exercise.
Destiny Jordan, CMA
Certified Medical Assistant
Destiny is a Houston native. After high school graduation, she attended Everest Institute, where she became a Certified Medical Assistant. Destiny is the mother of a beautiful daughter, Ariya, and has a fun-loving fur baby. She happily resides in Houston with her significant other, Andrew.
In her spare time, she spends a majority of it with her family, especially in the great outdoors. She also enjoys cooking, reading, watching movies, listening to music, and various other family-oriented events.
Samantha Rivera, CMA
Certified Medical Assistant
Sam is a Houston, Texas native. After high school graduation she attended Bradford School where she became a Certified Medical Assistant. Samantha is the mother to three beautiful children: Ayleen, Nathan and Felix. She also has a fur baby named Benji.
Sam is passionate about taking excellent care of our patients. She is proficient in English and Spanish and loves to welcome each patient in the office with a big smile. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time outside with her children. She also enjoys watching movies, listening to music and spending time with family.
Leslie Reyes, CMA
Certified Medical Assistant
Leslie is another Houston, Texas native. She graduated from Westbury High School in 2008. After, she went to the Texas School of Business where she graduated as a CMA in 2010.
She has 3 beautiful children that are her biggest joy. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her family and cooking. She is also a huge sports fan and supports all of our home teams: the Astros, Texans and Rockets!
Taylor McCurdy
Billing Coordinator
Taylor is proud to have called Texas home her entire life. A native of Bellaire, she graduated from Bellaire High School with an International Baccalaureate degree and earned a bachelors in science degree from Texas Tech University. She recently moved back to Houston and is excited to call Houston home once again. She has vast medical experience in the veterinary industry and recently switched to the human side of medicine.
She possesses prior managerial experience and assists in handling billing matters of the practice. In her spare time, she loves to travel, exercise with her two rescue dogs and spend time at the barn with her horse, General!
