Cobb Nephrology Hypertension Associates, PC offers full range of kidney care services
Following its inception in 1986, Cobb Nephrology Hypertension Associates, PC. has developed a reputation for providing quality medical care for members of the community with kidney disease and hypertension. The practice has four board certified nephrologists:
The practice accepts most insurance plans as well as Medicare, Medicaid.
Cobb Nephrology Hypertension Associates, PC provides state-of-the-art evaluation and treatment of all types of kidney diseases as well as attentive and compassionate care. Our physicians are Board Certified in Nephrology and Internal Medicine. The office staff is friendly and is available to assist you every step of the way. Our doctors and/or staff are fluent in Spanish, Russian, Farsi and Igbo.
Dr. Barcelli is triple Board Certified in Internal Medicine, Nephrology and Emergency Room Medicine. He was formerly an Associate Professor of Medicine at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine before joining the practice in 1992. He is the author of more than 60 articles and book chapters in the area of treatment of kidney disease. He has served on numerous hospital committees, including co-chairman of the Critical Care Committee for Wellstar Cobb Hospital. He has also chaired national committees for the American Society of Nephrology associated with his research in renal prostaglandins (hormones that regulate kidney blood flow). Dr Barcelli is fluent in English and Spanish languages.
Dr Schuler is Board Certified in Internal Medicine and Nephrology. She received her medical degree from First Saint Petersburg Pavlov Medical University in Saint Petersburg, Russia. Following her training in Saint Petersburg Center for Arthritis and Rheumatologic Disease she practiced medicine there prior to relocating to the USA. Dr. Schuler completed an Internal Medicine residency at Allegheny General Hospital which is an affiliate of Temple University and Drexel University College of Medicine. She completed her Nephrology Fellowship at University of Florida prior to joining our practice. Dr. Schuler received the Bronze Award for service excellence during her residency in 2003. She has also been a recipient of the award in Basic Science from the Southern Society for Clinical Investigation in 2007 for research on kidney stem cells. Dr Schuler is board certified in Internal Medicine and Nephrology. She is a member of American Society of Nephrology. Dr Schuler is fluent in English and Russian languages.
Dr. Yazdanpanah completed his undergraduate training at Vanderbilt University, where he received a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry with honors. He graduated from Ross University School of Medicine where he received a medical degree with the highest honors. He did his internal medicine residency at University of Connecticut where he received the Program Directors Letter of Commendation for excellence in patient care each year for all three years of his residency. He was also inducted in the Golden Key National Honor Society in 1994. He did his nephrology fellowship at Emory University School of Medicine, Department of Nephrology. He has presented his research in preeclampsia, a condition that involves hypertension in pregnancy, HIV associated renal disease, a rare condition known as Prion disease and coronary artery anomaly. He has served as a volunteer in the migrant farm clinics in Farmington, Connecticut which provides free health care to uninsured farm workers. He is a member of the following organizations: ASN, Vanderbilt University Association Member, Golden Key National Honor Society. He is board certified in Internal medicine and Nephrology.
Dr. Nnaemezie Odioemene is originally from Nigeria. He is a graduate of the Federal Government College, Enugu, Nigeria, where he received the award of “Best Graduating Student”. He then was the recipient of a full medical scholarship to Rostov State Medical University, Rostov-On-Don, Russia, from which he graduated with an honors diploma. He completed his internship and internal medicine residency at Morehouse School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, and was the recipient of the “Medical Resident of the Year” award during his final year. He completed his Nephrology Fellowship at Emory University School of Medicine in June, 2014, and since that time has been practicing Nephrology with Cobb Nephrology Hypertension Associates, P.C. Dr Odioemene presented his clinical research on lupus and glomerulonephritis during NKF conference. Dr Odioemene is an associate member of the American College of Physicians, and a member of the American Society of Nephrology. He is board certified in Internal Medicine and Nephrology. Dr Odioemene is fluent in English, Igbo and Russian languages.
Dr. Asha Sasimangalam is Board Certified in Internal Medicine and Nephrology. She was formerly a consultant for the Arizona Medical Board for Nephrology before joining the practice. She has researched the role of probiotics for Clostridium Difficile Infection Prevention, and was a Research fellow at Duke University Medical Center. She completed her Residency at Union Memorial Hospital in Internal Medicine, and received her Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery at the University of Kerala in India. She is our newest doctor at Cobb Nephrology Hypertension Associates, and is looking forward to connecting with her patients and providing quality care.
Dr. Behraz Alipoorabedi is a doctoral-prepared, board-certified Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP-C). She earned her Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) from Keiser University in 2025. Her doctoral research focused on the impact of mindfulness-based mobile applications on reducing anxiety in patients undergoing hemodialysis. She also holds a Master of Science in Nursing – Family Nurse Practitioner (MSN-FNP) from Bradley University in 2022 and a Master of Public Health Education (MPH) from Western Kentucky University 2016. During her MPH studies, she conducted a primary research project as part of the HPV Promotion Project at WKU, in collaboration with the Barren River District Health Department. She is a member the National Kidneyney Foundation, the American Society of Nephrology, and the American Association of Nurse Partitioners. With more than 22 years of experience in healthcare, nursing, and education—mainly in nephrology—Dr. Alipoorabedi has been serving patients at Cobb Nephrology Hypertension Associate since 2022, where she remains dedicated to providing compassionate, evidence-based, and patient-centered care.
Tracey Fortner is a board-certified Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN) and Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP-BC) with more than 25 years of experience in nursing and over six years of specialized practice in nephrology. She brings a wealth of clinical expertise from her extensive background in both outpatient dialysis and acute care settings, having spent over 15 years caring for patients with chronic kidney disease and other complex medical conditions. Tracey earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) and Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) through studies at North Georgia College, Piedmont University, and Brenau University. In addition to her clinical practice, she has more than four years of experience in clinical research, contributing to diverse studies that support evidence-based nephrology care. Known for her compassionate and patient-centered approach, Tracey is committed to collaborating with each patient to develop personalized treatment plans. She is enthusiastic, reliable, and deeply dedicated to improving health outcomes in both office and dialysis clinic settings. Outside of work, Tracey enjoys crafting, bowling, and golfing.
Linet Kairu, MSN, APRN, FNP-C, is a board-certified Family Nurse Practitioner with over 13 years of experience in healthcare and nursing. She is dedicated to providing compassionate, evidence-based, and patient-centered care, with a strong focus on improving outcomes for patients with kidney-related conditions.
Linet earned her Master of Science in Nursing from Mercer University and holds a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Columbus State University. She is licensed to practice in the state of Georgia and is an active member of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP).
Her clinical experience includes nephrology and internal medicine, with a background in dialysis care and transplant nursing. Linet works closely with physicians to develop individualized treatment plans while providing education and ongoing support to patients and their families.
Linet is passionate about building strong patient-provider relationships and empowering patients through clear communication, shared decision-making, and compassionate care.
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4444 Austell Rd
Austell, GA 30106
Tel: 678-460-2700
Fax: 1-877-784-4013
4019 Johns Road
Suite 100
Dallas, GA 30132
Tel: 678-460-2700
Fax: 1-877-784-4013
The following links serve as an additional educational resources for our patients. As always, if you have any questions, please contact our office to discuss or setup an appointment.
