Meet Our Program Directors

Benjamin Kinnear, MD, MEd (he/him) - Program Director

I am originally from St. Louis, MO, but have called Cincinnati home since 2009. After finishing my Med-Peds training here in Cincinnati, I served as Med-Peds chief resident. I then joined as faculty and quickly became an associate program director for both the Med-Peds and IM programs. I love clinical teaching, education theory, and innovation/scholarship; and I strive to use my education background to give our Med-Peds residents a world-class training experience. After completing my Master of Medical Education, I completed a year-long education research fellowship and was selected for a national education innovation grant program through the Josiah Macy Jr. Foundation. I am now finishing my PhD in health professions education, and I love partnering with learners on education innovation and scholarship projects. My wife, Maja, and I have two daughters, and we absolutely love the city of Cincinnati. It’s a great place to live regardless of what stage of life you’re in, with so much to do at an affordable cost, whether it’s the restaurants/breweries, live theater, concerts, cultural festivals, hiking, kayaking, or a quick road trip to the Smokey Mountains or Lake Michigan. I am so proud to be part of this residency program, and am grateful for the amazing team that we have supporting our Med-Peds residents. 

Leslie Applegate, MD (she/her) - Associate Program Director

I moved to Cincinnati over 10 years ago for medical school and have been so fortunate to stay here for residency, IM chief residency year, and my dream job in medical education as Med-Peds APD! Since 2020, I have led our program’s ambulatory education, including the Primary Care Pathway. I am passionate about medical education, especially clinical teaching and mentoring residents to achieve success in residency and beyond. Clinically, I am a primary care provider and I practice alongside our residents and faculty in our combined med-peds clinic. I have a particular interest in neurofibromatosis and I partner with genetics in a monthly multidisciplinary clinic for adult patients with neurofibromatosis. My husband, James, and I love all that Cincinnati has to offer – fantastic restaurants, professional sporting games, fun events at the Cincinnati zoo, and so much more! Most importantly, I am so appreciative of our program and residency team, which aims to support and foster a family-like community for our incredible residents. 

Nicole Damari, MD, MS (she/they) - Associate Program Director

Before moving to Cincinnati for Med-Peds residency, I lived in Arizona, Rhode Island, and North Carolina, and when training was over, I just couldn’t bring myself to leave this incredible city and community. I had the opportunity to serve as the 2023-2024 Med-Peds Chief Resident before joining as faculty and as a Med-Peds Associate Program Director. Clinically, I care for hospitalized children and adults as a Med-Peds hospitalist. I’m passionate about health equity and addressing health disparities, with my work focusing on LGBTQ health, refugee health, and advocacy, and also have strong interested in narrative medicine, medical education, and quality improvement. Outside of work, I am an avid reader, aspiring writer, tabletop gamer, scuba diver, and a regular comic convention attendee.