Nephrology Fellows

Ifeoluwa Stowe was born and raised in Nigeria. She graduated from the University of Lagos, Nigeria and then started her Internal Medicine Residency training at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital. She developed an avid interest in nephrology during her IM training and completed her nephrology fellowship training at the same institution. She served as the Chief Resident of the Department of Medicine for 2 years while doing her nephrology fellowship. In her quest for more knowledge and broader clinical exposure, she came to the US and started IM residency training at Baton Rouge General Medical Center, Louisiana. She is now joining the BIDMC family and is hoping to grow as a clinician with special interests in acute kidney injury, APOL-1 related kidney diseases, renal transplantation, and health disparities.

Nang San Hti Lar Seng grew up in Kyaing Tong, Myanmar. She went to Whitman College in Walla Walla, WA, where she majored in Biochemistry, Biophysics, and Molecular Biology. After college, she completed her PhD training at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS), where she studied the role of Cdk2 in cisplatin nephrotoxicity under Dr. Peter Price in the Division of Nephrology. After receiving her PhD degree, she went to Duke-NUS Medical School in Singapore.

She moved to New York for her Internal Medicine Residency training at Jacobi Medical Center in 2021. During her residency, she conducted research on the role of reference and haplotype FAT10 in APOL-1 related kidney disease in human podocytes under Dr. Michael J. Ross at Albert Einstein College of Medicine/Montefiore Medical Center. She also participated in several clinical research projects with Dr. Belinda Jim including 1) the correlation of troponins and angiographic coronary artery disease in CKD patients and 2) the role of repeat renal biopsies in lupus nephritis patients in predominantly Black and Hispanic populations. During residency, she received the Best Ambulatory Care Resident award and the Humanism in Medicine award. She was also a recipient of the Kidney STARS award in 2022 to attend the ASN conference. She was inducted into the Einstein Chapter of the AΩA Honor Medical Society in June 2024. She is excited to join the BIDMC family with an interest in pursuing a research track.

Samir Hirpara was born in New Jersey, but raised near Annapolis, Maryland. He attended the University of Maryland in College Park where he majored in Neurobiology and Physiology. He then went to The Frank H. Netter MD School of Medicine at Quinnipiac University and completed Internal Medicine Residency training at Inova Fairfax Medical Campus in northern Virginia. During his training, he discovered an interest in Nephrology and has since joined the fellowship program at BIDMC.

Samir has a passion for teaching and POCUS. He hopes to continue to grow in the field of medical education. In his free time, he enjoys weight training, playing basketball, cooking, and trying the diverse cuisine that Boston has to offer.

Akil Serdar Kavcar is a first-year fellow in the BIDMC Nephrology Program. He earned his MD from Acibadem University School of Medicine in Istanbul, Turkey, and completed his residency at East Carolina University Medical Center in Greenville, North Carolina. During his residency, he found a passion for nephrology, especially in treating diabetic kidney disease and dialysis access. To further explore this interest, he worked on a study focused on arteriovenous fistula maturation in Eastern North Carolina. His dedication led to him receiving the Resident Award for Excellence in Diabetes Medicine two years in a row, and spots in the American Society of Diagnostic and Interventional Nephrology Research Mentorship Program and the ASN STARS program.

Akil is excited about Interventional Nephrology, focusing on dialysis access, and looks forward to exploring transplant nephrology during his fellowship. When he's not working, you'll find him exploring Boston's historical sites, learning to row on the Charles River, or acting as his wife's sous chef while they cook Turkish recipes together.

George Kavalam hails from India, where he completed his medical school training followed by extensive clinical and research experience in nephrology. He worked as a Junior faculty at Madras Medical Mission hospital in the Nephrology department, where he developed a strong interest in the field. He then moved to Brigham and Women's Hospital, where he focused on translational research in transplant immunology and conducted clinical research studies on biomarkers of renal dysfunction in transplant recipients.

During his tenure at BWH, Dr. Kavalam was an active member of the Harvard Post-Doctoral Association, promoting networking and collaboration among research fellows. Dr. Kavalam has published multiple peer-reviewed articles and presented his research at prestigious conferences. He continued to refine his clinical expertise during his residency at Mass General Brigham at Salem Hospital, where he led various quality improvement projects in the ICU.

Outside of his professional work, he enjoys hiking, skiing, and traveling, reflecting his well-rounded personality and diverse interests.

Marcus Foo is a second-year renal fellow from Long Island, New York. He attended Cornell University, where he studied philosophy. He trained in Internal Medicine at BIDMC and decided to stay for a nephrology fellowship! His interests include medical education, onconephrology, immunology, and hypertension. Marcus won the 2024 Fellow Teaching Award for Excellence in Teaching, selected by the BIDMC IM residents. He was selected to be a part of the Clinical Educator Track for Fellows this upcoming academic year. In his free time, he enjoys spending time with his wife, weightlifting, tending to his indoor and outdoor garden, and exploring the vibrant food scene in Boston.

Matthias Bergmann grew up in Germany and obtained his medical degree at the University of Dusseldorf where he was engaged in student and resident ultrasound teaching over many years. After graduation, he worked as a medical editor for AMBOSS, a medical student learning platform, before starting Internal Medicine Residency at Saint Elizabeth's Medical Center in Boston. During residency, he was equally engaged in teaching and nephrology, was elected for the Kidney Stars Program during Kidney Week 2022 in Orlando, published a case report on cerebral venous sinus thrombosis related to the nephrotic syndrome, and led a project to analyze the significance of dialysis access flow rates after creation for access outcome.

Matthias is an enthusiastic teacher and strives to become a clinician educator. His areas of interest include renal ultrasound and POCUS, dialysis and vascular access, as well as electrolyte imbalances and renal physiology. He has been chosen for the Clinical Educator Track Fellowship at BIDMC and is planning to develop a nephrology-focused ultrasound curriculum for fellows and faculty.

His journey in medicine spans multiple countries, cultures, and specialties. He was raised in Kathmandu, Nepal, and did his CBSE board in Science from Nainital, India before pursuing his medical degree at Guangxi Medical University in China. After medical school, his career took an interesting path. He initially worked as an Orthopedic resident for few years before transitioning to general practice in rural Nepal during the devastating earthquake of 2015. This experience solidified his passion for Internal Medicine, and he completed his residency at Saint Francis Hospital in Chicago, Illinois.

During his fourth year of residency, Solab served as Chief Resident and was appointed Clinical Instructor in Internal Medicine at Chicago Medical School, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science. His excellence in the field was recognized with the Yousef Darwish, MD Memorial Award for Excellence in Internal Medicine.

His clinical interests include hypertension, glomerulonephritis, and Point-of-Care Ultrasound (POCUS). While he aspires to pursue a career serving patients in the community, his commitment to advancing nephrology knowledge remains strong. Outside of his professional life, he is an enthusiastic foodie and avid video game player.

Kavita Mistry attended Yale College, where she double majored in English and Molecular Biology & Biophysics, and Yale School of Medicine, where she completed her MD/PhD training. Her graduate school thesis on autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease was conducted under the mentorship of Dr. Michael Caplan in the Department of Cellular & Molecular Physiology, and was supported by a Ruth L. Kirschstein F30 National Research Service Award.

In 2019, Kavita moved to Boston to undertake her internal medicine residency training at Brigham and Women's Hospital. She joined the BIDMC family in 2022 as a research track fellow with a particular interest in translational research and onco-nephrology. She is currently funded by the American Kidney Fund Clinical Scientist in Nephrology Award for her postdoctoral research studies on immune checkpoint inhibitor-associated acute tubulointerstitial nephritis, under the joint mentorship of Dr. Alexandra-Chloé Villani and Dr. Meghan Sise at Massachusetts General Hospital. She continues to stay clinically active in the outpatient setting, providing care to patients with kidney disease and cancer in BIDMC's outpatient onconephrology clinic.

Vignesh Padmanabhan was born and raised in Coimbatore, India. He graduated from Coimbatore Medical College and came to the US for residency training at St. Francis Hospital in Evanston, Illinois where he served as a Chief Resident during his third year.

During his training, he developed an interest in nephrology, the use of point-of-care ultrasound in clinical care, and teaching. He was recognized for his efforts with the Harry Kurz, MD memorial award for excellence in teaching. He is now joining the BIDMC family and is hoping to grow as a clinician and an educator with special interests in critical care nephrology and medical education.

Leigh-Anne Dale was born and raised in Massachusetts. She completed her undergraduate degree at Quinnipiac University and then went to Stony Brook University where she obtained a Master’s Degree in Physician Assistant studies. After working as a PA in renal and pancreas transplant she obtained her MD at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons. During medical school Leigh-Anne was twice chosen to the kidney STARS program during the annual ASN conference and received a NIDDK T35 grant to study the treatment of borderline rejection which ultimately culminated in a first author manuscript. Subsequently, she completed her Internal Medicine residency at New York Presbyterian / Columbia University.

She is widely published in the field of renal transplantation with a focus on clinical outcomes of high-risk donor APOL1 genotypes and expanding the use of transplantable organs. Leigh-Anne is interested in transplant nephrology and wants to focus her studies on further understanding organ rejection and treatment options. Outside of work she spends her time with her husband and two very rambunctious daughters.