PGY1 General Surgery Residents
Our PGY1 Residents
Categorical
Tsion Andine, MD
Howard University College of Medicine
Tsion’s hometown is Addis Ababa, Ethiopa. She graduated from Howard University College of Medicine, where she was a member of AOA and where she has been the recipient of the National Medical Fellowship Health Equity Leaders Scholarship, the Class of 1949 Howard University Medical Alumni Association Scholarship, and the Price Lloyd Scholarship. She previously earned her BS in Biology at Jackson State University in Jackson, MS. Prior to medical school, she completed a post baccalaureate fellowship at the NIH, working in an immunoregulation laboratory. During medical school, she spent a year in Boston, obtaining her MPH (public health- epidemiology/biostatistics) from the Harvard Chan School of Public Health. For her practicum project, she worked with HaSET Maternal and Child Health Platform in Ethiopia utilizing WHO's verbal autopsy tool to study the causes of mortality in a rural population. She was twice awarded a stipend from the HIV Vaccines Research Network (HVTN) for projects in Malawi and South Africa that led to oral and poster presentations and a peer-reviewed publication. Tsion has shown exceptional commitment to service and education through her role as Vice President of Education for her medical school class, and has continued her commitment to scholarship in Global Surgery as a member of the Research Committee for the Global Surgery Student Alliance.
Bryce England, MD
New York University Grossman School of Medicine
Bryce’s hometown is Pittsburg, PA. He graduated from New York University Grossman School of Medicine, where he has been the recipient of the Klara and Larry Silverstein Merit Scholarship. He previously earned a BS in Biology and a BA in Spanish at Saint Francis University in Loretto, PA. During college, he was an award-winning member and ultimately captain of his NCAA Division I cross country / track and field teams. He has completed a post-baccalaureate research fellowship at the NIH, completing stem cell research, ultimately developing and completing his own project on the pathophysiology of Smith-Magenis Syndrome. Bryce distinguished himself as a researcher during medical school, where he has been involved in multiple projects, reflecting his interest in tissue regeneration. He has also undertaken clinical research projects exploring the effect of hospital-based violence intervention programs on reinjury and violence perpetration as well as investigating the impact of city budget allocations on public safety outcomes.
These efforts have yielded multiple presentations and publications. In addition, he has been an active member of QMed, supporting the professional development of LGBTQ+ medical students, and as served as a Peer Mentor. He notes that his hobbies include rock climbing, indoor gardening, cooking, and Pokemon Go.
Ariana Ginsberg, MD
Tufts University School of Medicine
Ariana’s hometown is New York, NY. She graduated from Tufts University School of Medicine. She earned her BS in Neuroscience at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, MD. While an undergraduate student, she was involved in the arts as a dancer and student leader in the JHU Classical Ballet Company, serving on the Executive Board in addition to dancing and choreographing. During medical school, she has participated in several projects including analyzing the utilization of bariatric surgery in the adolescent population, investigated long-term functional recovery after surgical rib stabilization, and participated in a study with the Division of Neonatology on neonatal adaptation syndrome. She has a longstanding interest in peer education, and has worked as a tutor in college, continuing on during medical school where she is an Office of Student Affairs Peer Educator and also received a Tufts University School of Medicine Office of Educational Affairs Summer Fellowship to work on course syllabi and materials. She was elected to the Tufts Student Council and Admissions Committee. Ariana has also served as the President of the Tufts chapter of the Association of Women Surgeons (AWS) and as an AWS National Medical Student Committee Member as the New England Regional Representative. She has also served as a Child Life Volunteer. Her clinical interest is in pediatric surgery.
Athriya Kumar, MD
Rutgers, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School
Athriya’s hometown is Hyderabad, India. She graduated from Rutgers, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. She previously earned a BA in Genetics at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, NJ, where she received the highest departmental honors for her honors thesis and the Department of Genetics Award for Excellence. During medical school, Athriya has conducted research in the lab of Dr. David August, studying the effects of prophylactic anticoagulation after pancreatectomy, and with Dr. Amanda Laird, investigating the annotation of retroperitoneal masses. These efforts have yielded several publications and presentations. Recognizing the potential for her role as teacher to extend beyond simply educating students, Athriya has been a devoted mentor and advisor to countless individuals through her contributions to Rutgers’ Admissions Ambassador program and Peer Mentor program. Athriya has served as Vice President for the Rutgers’ Association of Women Surgeons and has served as President of GlobeMed at Rutgers, which is a student-led global health organization that partners with grassroots organizations to promote education, awareness, and funding for projects relating to healthcare, education, women-owned businesses, and water sanitation in Uganda. Athriya’s hobbies include: drawing, painting, reading, fitness, and dogs (fostering).
Adriana Montalvan, MD
Universidad de Ciencias Medicas Andrés Vesalio Guzmán (UCIMED) Escuela de Medicina
Adriana’s hometown is San Jose, Costa Rica. She earned her MD at Universidad de Ciencias Medicas Andrés Vesalio Guzmán (UCIMED) Escuela de Medicina in Costa Rica, where she received multiple Honor Roll Recognitions for Outstanding Academic Excellence. While there, she received a scholarship for a clerkship exchange program in the US, and was thus introduced to Boston Children’s Hospital and to BIDMC through surgical rotations. She then went on to receive her MPH (global health) from T.H. Chan Harvard School of Public Health. Since coming to the United States, Adriana has worked in Transplant Research at BIDMC in Dr. Eckhoff’s research group. Here, she initiated and led a project to understand the experiences of Hispanic patients throughout their journey from chronic kidney disease diagnosis to transplantation. The information generated through her project aims to guide the creation of a Kidney Transplant Hispanic Clinic at BIDMC. Her work has been productive of multiple presentations and publications. Additionally, Adriana serves as the Director of Social Affairs for International Research Initiative (IRI), through which, she has developed advertising campaigns to attract program candidates and engaged with deans from various medical schools in low and middle-income countries to promote IRI opportunities including the development of a Costa Rican Clinical Research Course. She also participated in a work group for the Global Trauma Surgery Symposium through the Program of Global Surgery and Social Change, under the mentorship of Dr. Nakul Raykar, and was the recipient of the State of Geneva Scholarship, allowing her to participate in the WHO Global Health Course.
Vanitha Raguveer, MD
University of Illinois College of Medicine
Vanitha’s hometown is Chicago, Illinois. She graduated from University of Illinois College of Medicine having been elected to both AOA and Gold Humanism Honor Society and completing the Innovation Medicine track. She previously earned a BSE in Biomedical Engineering at Case Western Reserve University. Through college and a post-baccalaureate fellowship at the National Institutes of Health, she conducted clinical and translational research in cancer immunotherapies. As part of the Innovation track, she completed a multi- disciplinary design course with Intuitive Surgical and a capstone project on developing a digital health passport. She completed an internship with Vayu Global Health, focusing on low-cost device development and implementation in low-resource settings. She conducted research in surgical health through transplant surgery practices and surgical education in trauma and global health and completed a Paul Farmer fellowship at the Program in Global Surgery and Social Change (PGSSC), where she developed an interest in ethical innovation and sustainability in surgical practices. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she received a Clinton Global Initiative University Action Fund Grant for organizing teams of medical student volunteers and facilitating PPE distribution across Chicagoland. She has been involved with Chicago Street Medicine, providing care to the homeless community, and advocating for ethical practice models for vulnerable populations. She served as the Illinois State Medical Society COVID-19 Student Committee Vice Chair and she has served as the National Vice President of Research for the Global Surgery Student Association.
Martina Rama, MD
Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University
Martina’s hometown is Brescia, Italy. She graduated from Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University as a member of AOA and the Hobart Amory Hare Honor Society. She has completed the Scholarly Inquiry Design Research Tract with distinction. She previously received a BS in Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology at the University of California, Los Angeles. She worked for a year in the Ruggero Lab at UCSF prior to medical school. Martina's commitment to improving healthcare access for immigrant populations is exemplified by her active role with Refugee Health Partners (RHP) and the Mobile Vaccine Clinic. With RHP, a student-run organization that provides medical care to refugees and immigrants, Martina piloted the first Women's Health Fair, bringing free mammograms to African immigrants. Martina has worked at Jefferson’s Health Design Lab, where she created the first 3D-printed orbital fracture model to teach orbital anatomy to ophthalmology residents. This work resulted in an international conference presentation and a manuscript currently under review, and her work is now part of the Wills Eye resident curriculum. She has also undertaken clinical research on outcomes after paraesophageal hernia repair in the geriatric population, outcomes after inguinal hernia repair in female patients, and on the learning phases for robotic distal pancreatectomy, yielding presentations and publications. Martina has served as a mentor to junior medical students at Jefferson. She organized journal clubs and suturing events with multiple organizations, mentored international students interested in pursuing medical school in the United States, was elected as Vice President of her school’s AOA chapter, and tutored preclinical students in anatomy.
Gabriela Rangel Brandao, MD
Universidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre (UFCSPA) Faculdade de Medicina
Gabriela’s hometown is Porto Alegre, Brazil. She graduated from the Universidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre (UFCSPA) Faculdade de Medicina in Brazil where she was a student leader and innovator. She was selected as a Research Fellow through a competitive process by the International Research Initiative (IRI). She has worked at BIDMC in Dr. Kent’s research group, studying educational materials about the Whipple procedure and completing an in-depth analysis of biopsied patients with locally advanced or borderline pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). Her work to date, has yielded multiple publications and she has received several travel awards to present her more recent research. She has also collaborated with the Global Surgery Team Brazil, affiliated with PGSSC, where she has participated in a gender equity group. Dr. Brandao has been involved in the Association of Women Surgeons for many years, first as the founding President for the AWS Brazil Chapter. Her chapter subsequently won the AWS Chapter of the Year award. She also organized the inaugural Latin American AWS Conference and has been on the organizing committee for the AWS Conferences.
Kyra Watson, MD
Howard University College of Medicine
Kyra’s hometown is Camden, Delaware. She graduated from Howard University College of Medicine, where she was elected to Gold Humanism Honor Society and was the recipient of the Howard University College of Medicine Center of Excellence Award and the Harold W. Korol MD and Iris S Korol Scholarship. She previously earned a BS in Biology, with a minor in Sociology, from Emory University. Kyra has conducted clinical outcomes research relating to bariatric and acute care surgery, and is currently studying gender identity and resident composition. In medical school, Kyra served as class President during her second year and presently holds the position of President for the Howard Chapter of the Association of Women Surgeons (AWS). During her first summer in medical school, Kyra served as a mentor to HBCU undergraduate students with the Pre-Health Scholars Summer Enrichment Program, demonstrating her ardent dedication to guiding the aspirations of emerging medical professionals. During her first two years of medical school, shaped by the COVID pandemic, Kyra devoted a considerable span of time to impactful community outreach initiatives. Her contributions were underscored by her commitment to administering vaccines biweekly at the Howard University-based COVID vaccine clinic and devoting evenings to volunteering, offering invaluable medical care to uninsured community members surrounding Howard University at the New Freedman’s Clinic. Kyra’s hobbies are live music, outdoor activities, and art.
Preliminary
Camilo Arenas Gallo, MD
Universidad Industrial de Santander Escuela de Medicina
Camilo’s hometown is Bucaramanga, Colombia. He received his MD from Universidad Industrial de Santander Escuela de Medicina in Colombia. During medical school, he was involved with the Colombian Association of Medical Students, ultimately serving as President of the national association, and has maintained long-term involvement in the LAUGHH Foundation working to improve access to care for elderly and rural Colombian communities. After completing internship there and his rotation as a staff physician in emergency and intensive care, he moved to Ohio, where he then earned an MA in Bioethics and Medical Humanities from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio. He also served as a research fellow in urology at Case Western, where he investigated drug discovery of anti-cancer targets and state-of-the-art diagnostic tools for prostate cancer. His work has yielded multiple publications and presentations to date, primarily in his area of clinical interest, which is urology.
Vasundhara Mathur, MD
Vardhman Mahavir Medical College & Safdarjung Hospital
Vasundhara’s hometown is Noida, India. She earned her MBBS from Vardhman Mahavir Medical College & Safdarjung Hospital in India, where she received multiple awards, including a Certificate of Leadership, reward for clinical research, and for ranking in the top 0.5% of applicants. She then completed one year of training in a rotating internship there, before moving to the US. She also served as a Post-Doctoral Research Fellow in the Laboratory for Surgical and Metabolic Research at Brigham and Women's Hospital. Here, she orchestrated the development of an extensive Tissue Repository for the General/GI Division as a resource for ongoing and future research, facilitating collaborations with fellow scientists. During this time, she has also served as a Global Surgery Fellow for the WHO Collaborating Center for Low and Middle income countries. Her efforts in these areas have led to multiple publications and presentations to date, and has won awards for her research through the Massachusetts Chapter of the American College of Surgeons and the Harvard Surgery Research Day.
Kaveh Momenzadeh, MD
Tehran University of Medical Sciences School of Medicine
Kaveh’s hometowns are Tehran, Iran and Detroit, MI. He received his MD from Tehran University of Medical Sciences School of Medicine. During this time, he also served as the team physician for Iran’s national soccer teams. He currently serves as the Vice President of Research and Testing at Sona Global and Harvard Global Organization Collaborative. Here, he operates a non-profit organization dedicated to improving trauma and orthopedic surgery access in humanitarian crises and low-to-middle-income countries, innovating in surgical instruments, processes, and protocols to enhance the cost-effectiveness of trauma and orthopaedic care. He also serves as an Orthopedic Surgery Postdoctoral Research Fellow at BIDMC. In this role, he has designed and implemented research protocols for clinical research, as well as conducted comprehensive human cadaveric studies, including surgical technique assessments, safe zones, and biomechanical evaluations, leading to 2 provisional patents, multiple presentations and publications, including several awards for innovations and new investigator work. His clinical interest is in orthopaedic surgery.
Estefania Roldan, MD
Universidad San Francisco de Quito Colegio de Ciencias de la Salud
Estefania’s hometown is Quito, Ecuador. She earned her MD from Universidad San Francisco de Quito Colegio de Ciencias de la Salud. During medical school, she received the academic excellence Louis Pasteur Scholarship, and was selected to both the Dean’s and Chancellor’s Honor Lists in multiple years. She took on leadership roles in the school’s public health committee and served as the Vice-President of the Ecuadorian Association of Medical Students. She graduated with her MPH from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. She also served as a Post-Doctoral Research Fellow in the Breast Surgical Oncology group through the International Research Initiative. She has published several peer-reviewed articles/abstracts and has presented her work at multiple meetings. She is currently the Director of Social Media and Public Relations for the IRI group. Dr. Roldan has also been a violinist in the Conservatory Franz Liszt and Greco Violin Academy for 17 years and continues to train virtually from the US!
Sai Divya Yadavalli, MD
Jawaharlal Institute of Post-Graduate Medical Education and Research (JIPMER)
Sai Divya’s hometown is Puducherry, India. She earned her MBBS from the Jawaharlal Institute of Post-Graduate Medical Education and Research (JIPMER) and has completed three years of surgical residency at the prestigious All India Institute of Medical Sciences, culminating in the receipt of the Dr. Hira Lal Medal in Surgery for the highest score in the general surgery final board exam. During medical school, she was the Vice -secretary for the Sports Committee and she herself is an award-winning basketball player. She has worked as an editor for a language editing service. She also served as a Post-Doctoral Research Fellow in Vascular and Endovascular Surgery at BIDMC, where she studied outcomes in vascular surgery, with a particular interest in the role of TEVAR for blunt thoracic aortic injury. She has been extremely productive, with many papers and presentations from her work both at BIDMC and at AIIMS prior to moving to the US.