General Surgery Research Electives

Resident Research Electives

Margaret Berrigan, MD George Washington University School of Medicine

Margaret's hometown is Washington, DC. She completed her undergraduate studies at the University of Virginia, where she received a BA, majoring in Biology and Spanish, and subsequently obtained a Masters in Physiology from Georgetown University. She received her MD from George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, where she was elected to AOA, was the recipient of the 2017 and 2018 Cecile and Seymour Alpert Medical Scholarship and served as Co-President of the Student Council. She engaged in a number of clinical research projects throughout medical school. Margaret's interests include hiking, travel, and crafts. Her current clinical interest is pediatric surgery.

Anastasia 'Ana' Bogdanovski, MD

Anastasia 'Ana' Bogdanovski, MD Rutgers New Jersey Medical School

Ana comes from New Jersey and completed her undergraduate studies at Johns Hopkins University, where she received a BA, majoring in Public Health Studies. Ana was the recipient of multiple titles and awards as an NCAA swimmer and competed in the 2016 Rio Olympics, in swimming. Ana received her MD from Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, where she was elected to AOA and was the recipient of multiple scholarships, co-founded a program to empower female student athletes to excel, and volunteered in a patient education program. Ana engaged in a number of research projects throughout medical school, and her interests include cooking, travel, and music.

Brian Campos, MD

Brian Campos, MD The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University

Brian comes from New York and completed his undergraduate studies at Harvard University, where he received a BA, majoring in Neurobiology. Brian served as Sports Chair for The Harvard Crimson, engaged in various research efforts, and was the recipient of the RMHC/HACER National Scholarship and the Walmart Scholarship Delegate. In between college and medical school, Brian worked for the New York Stem Cell Foundation and the Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry in Munich. Brian received his MD from the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University with a concentration in Biomedical Informatics. Throughout, he has been dedicated to mentorship and education for under-represented minority students interested in STEM careers. Brian's interests include soccer, running, and yoga.

Sharjeel Chaudhry, MD

Sharjeel Chaudhry, MD Integrated Vascular Surgery Resident
George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences

Sharjeel comes from Maryland, and completed his undergraduate studies at Cornell University, graduating with a BS in Human Biology, Health and Society. As a student at George Washington University School of Medicine, he participated in the NIH T35 program at BIDMC and was awarded a Sarnoff Cardiovascular Fellowship, which he pursued in Dr. Robert Flaumenhaft's laboratory at BIDMC. His research has been very productive, yielding several high-impact publications. Sharjeel was a member of the medical school admissions committee and the GW Journal Club, as well as a leader in community service outreach. Sharjeel also cofounded UpEffect, a crowdfunding platform for social change, which led to his nomination to Forbes' 30 under 30. Sharjeel's hobbies include home building, programming, automotive engineering, baseball, table tennis, soccer, watching football and basketball.

Ritah Chumdermpadetsuk, MD

Ritah Chumdermpadetsuk, MD Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons

Ritah's hometown is Bangkok, Thailand. She received her BS in Biochemistry, summa cum laude, from Tufts University. During college, Ritah participated in theater and worked professionally in musical theater, both in the US and abroad. She was also a member of the Tufts University all-female a cappella group and was first soprano and soloist with the Thai Youth Choir, representing Thailand at the World Choir Games. Ritah received her MD from Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, where she served in leadership roles focused on student mentoring and advising. She served as Co-President of Columbia's Chapter of Medical Students for Choice and Co-President of the Bard Hall Players, a student-run theater organization. Ritah is interested in pediatric surgery and enjoys singing, acting, piano, reading, writing, playing Scrabble, tennis and speed math.

Stephanie Cohen, MD

Stephanie Cohen, MD Tufts University School of Medicine

Stephanie comes from Illinois. She completed her undergraduate studies at Tufts University in the combined program with the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, graduating Phi Beta Kappa, with a BS in Biochemistry and a BFA in Studio Art. During college, Stephanie worked as an EMT and also served as a teaching assistant in ceramics at Harvard. She received her MD from Tufts University School of Medicine, where she has worked as a research assistant, medical illustrator, and served as an officer on the Student Council. Stephanie is an accomplished artist, working as a free-lance illustrator. She has published and exhibited multiple works of art and was selected as a participant in the National Academy of Medicine Art Show. Stephanie's hobbies include art, drawing, design, painting, and marathon running.

Shahdabul Faraz, MD

Shahdabul Faraz, MD Weill Cornell Medical College

Shad's hometown is Toronto, Canada. He graduated as valedictorian from Emory University with a BS, magna cum laude, in Biology, with election to Phi Beta Kappa as a Junior. He received his MD from Weill Cornell Medical College, graduating in the top quartile of his class. During medical school, he was engaged in community service, leadership, and research. Shad served as Vice President of the Weill Cornell Student Council and was co-founder and co-President of the South Asian Medical Society. He also served on the Admissions Committee during his senior year, helping to attract the best and brightest to Weill Cornell. His surgical interests include Hepatopancreatobiliary Surgery, Endocrine Surgery and Breast Surgery. He enjoys music, soccer and travel.

Dwight "Doug" Harris, II, MD

Dwight 'Doug' Harris, II, MD University of Kentucky College of Medicine

Doug comes from Kentucky, graduating from the University of Kentucky with a BA in Chemistry and a BS in Biology. Doug undertook his medical studies at the University of Kentucky College of Medicine, where he was elected to AOA. During medical school, Doug served as class representative, representative to the Lexington Medical Society as a member of the AMA student chapter, and a volunteer advisor for a program that exposes students from underserved areas in Kentucky to careers in medicine. Doug pursued research in cardiothoracic surgery, has yielded multiple publications and presentations. Dwight's hobbies include fishing, deep sea/offshore fishing, kayaking, hiking, horseback riding, and walking his dog.

Angelica Hernandez Alvarez, MD

Angelica Hernandez-Alvarez, MD Universidad Centroccidental Lisandro Alvarado

Angelica is a graduate of the Universidad Centroccidental Lisandro Alvarado (UCLA) in Venezuela, where she was on the Dean's List, received a Student Merit Award for highest grades, and served as a community health instructor and coordinator. After graduation, Angelica served as a primary care physician in urban and rural communities and as a general surgery hospitalist in Caracas. She has pursued a number of research projects at the University of Southern California, which have led to multiple presentations and publications. She enjoys cooking and reading. Her clinical interests include colorectal and minimally invasive surgery.

Thomas Hirsch, MD

Thomas Hirsch, MD Medical College of Wisconsin

Thomas's hometown is Springfield, Massachusetts. He received his BS from Northeastern University, majoring in Behavioral Neuroscience. He subsequently matriculated to Medical College of Wisconsin where he was elected to AOA and the Gold Humanism Honor Society. As a medical student, Tom studied the role of bacterial enzymes that trigger the generation of hydrogen sulfide, which protect bacteria against antibiotics and strategies to disable these enzymes to enhance their susceptibility to antibiotic treatment. Tom enjoys playing the guitar, sports, independent films and filmmaking. His clinical interest is pediatric surgery.

Darian Hoagland, MD

Darian Hoagland, MD University of Virginia School of Medicine

Darian comes from New Jersey and graduated from the University of Maryland with a BS in Biological Sciences and Women's Studies. She received her MD from the University of Virginia School of Medicine, where she was elected to AOA. During medical school, Darian pursued several clinical research projects, was active in a number of peer mentorship programs, and served as President of the UVA Chapter of the Association of Women Surgeons. Darian's hobbies include hiking, concert-going, visiting wineries, knitting, and reading.

Nicole Moraco, MD

Nicole Moraco, MD Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth

Nikki grew up in Bedford, New York. She received a BS from Bates College, where she majored in Biochemistry and minored in Philosophy. She subsequently completed a Masters in Bioethics from New York University. Prior to medical school, Nikki conducted research on sarcoma at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. She received her MD from the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, receiving an Albert Schweitzer Fellowship, the 2015 Excellence in Public Health Award, organized educational programs focused on issues of impairment, and served as a member of the Geisel Student Government. Nikki was elected to Alpha Omega Alpha (AOA) Honor Medical society and the gold humanism honor society. Her surgical interests include general surgery, critical care, and surgical oncology. Nikki enjoys traveling, cooking, hiking, skiing and dancing.

Kamila Moskowitzova, MD

Kamila Moskowitzova, MD 2nd Faculty of Medicine, Charles University

Kamila's hometown is Presov, Slovakia. Kamila received her MD from Charles University in Prague, Czech Republic. She then pursued a research fellowship in cardiac surgery at Boston Children's Hospital, where she focused on mitochondrial transplantation in heart transplantation and lung injury. Her work was recognized by the American Physiological Society for one of the best published articles in physiological research. Her surgical interest is pediatric surgery. Kamila enjoys music, art, windsurfing, and spending time with her friends and family.

Samia Osman, MD

Samia Osman, MD Harvard Medical School

Samia was raised in Mesa, Arizona. Samia received her BS summa cum laude from the University of Arizona, majoring in Molecular Cell Biology, Psychology, and International Development and was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. After college, Samia received a Fulbright Scholarship to study the universal healthcare system in Taiwan. Samia received her MD from Harvard and a Masters in Public Policy from the Kennedy School of Government, as a Knowles Fellow and Harvard Square to Oval Office Fellow. Samia served as National Student President for the American Medical Women's Association, receiving the Anne C. Carter Student Leadership Award, was a Harvard Women and Public Policy Fellow, and was first medical student to be inducted into the Massachusetts Medical Society Honor Roll. Her surgical interests include trauma surgery, global surgery, and surgical disparities. Samia has a first-degree black belt in Taekwondo and enjoys music and creating fusion dishes.

Leah Ott, MD

Leah Ott, MD Tulane University School of Medicine

Leah's hometown is Edmonton, Alberta. She received her BS in Physiology from McGill University, conducted research in valvular heart disease at the McGill University Research Institute, and subsequently pursued research in T cell immunobiology at the Center for Cell and Gene Therapy of Baylor College of Medicine. These studies led to four peer-reviewed publications. Leah received her MD from Tulane University School of Medicine, where she was elected to AOA and the Gold Humanism Honor Society. She was active in student organizations, volunteered in student run clinics for the underserved, and participated in the Tulane's LCME re-accreditation process. Leah enjoys baking, reading, sewing, downhill skiing and soccer. Her clinical interest is trauma and critical care.

Jennifer Pan, MD

Jennifer Pan, MD University of Illinois College of Medicine

Jennifer's hometown is Chicago and she completed her undergraduate studies at MIT with a BS in Materials Science and Engineering (Course 3), working in the Langer Lab, and also studied at Oxford. While at MIT, Jennifer volunteered in a program to encourage STEM careers for girls. Jennifer received her MD from the University of Illinois College of Medicine, where she was active on the Student Wellness and Resilience Committee of the Student Council, serving as Chair of this committee. Her research has ranged from biomaterials science to clinical research. Jennifer's hobbies include yoga and traveling.

Praachi Raje, MD

Praachi Raje, MD Boston University School of Medicine

Praachi's hometown is Palo Alto, California. She completed her undergraduate studies at the University of Pennsylvania, earning a BA in Biological Basis of Behavior, while serving as captain of the 20 member Penn Masti Dance Team. Praachi matriculated to Boston University School of Medicine, was elected to AOA, and was the recipient of the Eli Shapiro Award. She has engaged in a number of translational and clinical research projects at the University of Pennsylvania and Boston University with publications in the neurosciences. She enjoys reading, weight lifting, and continues to dance, most recently with CONcept Artists, a hip-hop dance company in Boston. Her clinical interest is surgical oncology.

Dominic Recco, MD

Dominic Recco, MD Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University

Dominic comes from Pennsylvania and graduated from Pennsylvania State University with a BS in Biomedical Engineering. He received his MD from the Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University, where he was elected AOA, and received the LKSOM Academic Scholarship for outstanding academic achievement. As a medical student, Dominic developed an outreach program to middle school students and pursued clinical research focused on diabetes, leading to several publications. Dominic's hobbies include powersports, camping, cooking Hispanic and Italian cuisine, dancing, table tennis, and for those planning a major home remodeling project, carpentry, masonry, HVAC, and plumbing.

Kelsey Romatoski, MD

Kelsey Romatoski, MD Rush Medical College

Kelsey's hometown is St. Paul, Minnesota. She completed her undergraduate work at Harvard University, where she earned a BA in Neurobiology. While at Harvard, she played varsity ice hockey and was a four-year member of the ECAC All-Academic team. After graduation, Kelsey pursued research in neuroscience, which resulted in multiple presentations and publications. She matriculated to Rush Medical College, was elected to AOA, pursued clinical research in trauma and oncology, and has been active in medical school admissions, health screening of underserved populations, and mentoring of at risk youth. She founded and served as President of the Rush Medical College chapter of the Association of Women Surgeons. Kelsey enjoys running, hiking, camping and baking. Her clinical interest is surgical oncology.

Eve Roth, MD

Eve Roth, MD Harvard Medical School

Eve's hometown is Wellesley, Massachusetts, and she completed her undergraduate studies at Yale University, majoring in English and Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology. She received her MD from Harvard Medical School and was engaged in a number of clinical and educational research projects, leading to multiple publications. Eve has been active in curriculum reform, serving as a Medical Education Student Representative, representing her peers on committees addressing the cultural and academic environment at HMS, including the Education Policy and Curriculum Committee, Surgical Education Committee, and as Student Co-Chair on the LCME re-accreditation committee. Eve's hobbies include marathon running, cooking, baking desserts, skiing, reading, and playing flute.

Aminah Sallam, MD

Aminah Sallam, MD Yale School of Medicine

Aminah's hometowns are Houston, Texas and New York, New York. As a high school student, Aminah was awarded 1st place and Grand Prize at the Intel NY Science Contest and 3rd place at the Intel International Science Contest. Aminah subsequently graduated from the University of Chicago with a BA in Biology and matriculated to Yale School of Medicine. Aminah has conducted research in animal models of congenital disease and large-scale genomics research, studied bioethics, and conducted qualitative research, yielding multiple publications in the fields of breast and head and neck cancer.

She served as Co-Leader of the Yale Chapter of the Association of Women Surgeons and developed a mentorship program connecting over 50 students with female mentors. She also served as a co-developer for the workforce development track in the Yale Surgical Hackathon and won the Hackathon competition. As Co-Vice President of SNMA/LMSA at Yale, she directed a pipeline program for local minority high school students and served as a student navigator for the Yale Refugee Patient Navigator Program. Aminah's interests include painting, pottery and all things coffee - making coffee, learning about coffee, and, of course, indulging in coffee with friends and family.

Andrew Sanders, MD

Andrew Sanders, MD Emory University School of Medicine

Drew's hometown is Alexandria, Virginia. He graduated from the University of Virginia with a BA in Chemistry and served as the President of Chi Phi Fraternity. He matriculated into Emory University School of Medicine, was elected to AOA, was recipient of the Joseph B. Whitehead Surgery Scholarship, and served as Vice-President of the Emory Osler Society. At Emory, Drew pursued research in thoracic surgery and volunteered in community health clinics, served as a peer mentor, organized a charity cook-off to support food insecurity, and founded a Surgery Clerkship Peer Teaching Curriculum. Drew enjoys college football, skiing and tennis. His clinical interest is thoracic surgery.

Emily Scire, MD, MBE

Emily Scire, MD, MBE Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania

Emily's hometowns are Woburn, Massachusetts, Dover, New Hampshire and Wells, Maine. She graduated magna cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa from the University of Notre Dame with a BS in Biochemistry. She received her MD/MBE degrees from the University of Pennsylvania. As a medical student, she served on the Bioethics Standing Committee of the AMA Student Section and was appointed Northeast Student Representative to the Christian Medical and Dental Associations. In 2019, she received the Theodore Friedmann Prize for Significant Advances in Biomedical Ethics. She served on the board of the Agnew Surgery Society and the Agnew Surgery Clinic for uninsured Philadelphians. She was a peer mentor for the University of Pennsylvania Surgery Clerkship, served as a teaching assistant for the Doctoring and Anatomy courses, and was her class representative on the Diversity and Inclusion Student Advisory Committee. Emily's interests include gardening, knitting, crafting, baking, skiing, hiking, cycling, swimming, rowing, reading, and singing.

Lucas Souza-Mota, MD

Lucas Souza-Mota, MD Howard University College of Medicine

Lucas's hometown is Belo Horizonte, Brazil. He enrolled in the BS-MD program at Howard University, where he earned his BS in Biology summa cum laude and was elected to AOA with induction into the Charles R. Drew Honors Society. Lucas was the recipient of the Howard University Academic Achievement Award for highest pre-clinical academic performance, as well as the Howard University Trustee Scholarship for clinical and academic performance. Lucas pursued several research projects focusing on the role of socioeconomic factors on surgical outcomes with multiple presentations and publications. He volunteered with So Others May Eat to support the homeless, was Vice President of Volunteer Training for a student run clinic, and served as a peer educator. He enjoys playing the guitar, piano, soccer and hiking. His clinical interest is vascular surgery and health disparities.

Stephen Wang, MD

Stephen Wang, MD Albert Einstein College of Medicine

Stephen's hometowns are Philadelphia and Wilmington. He graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a BA in Biology, and subsequently pursued pulmonary research in the Schwab Laboratory. Stephen received his MD from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, where he was elected AOA and active in a number of volunteer activities, including a student-run clinic and homeless shelter, teaching and peer mentorship, and the Asian Pacific American Medical Student Association. Stephen's hobbies include cooking, badminton, building computers, cooperative gaming, and skiing.

Winona Wu, MD

Winona Wu, MD Integrated Vascular Surgery Resident
Harvard Medical School

Winona graduated summa cum laude with a BA in Molecular Biology from the University of Pennsylvania, was elected to Phi Beta Kappa, and served as President of the Center for Undergraduate Research and Fellowships Advisory Board. As an undergraduate, she also conducted research in immunology at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. Winona matriculated to Harvard Medical School and continued to pursue research studies in cardiovascular medicine, which has resulted in multiple publications and presentations. Winona has a passion for drawing and illustrating and is a freelance illustrator for academic publications and university organizations. Her clinical interest is vascular surgery.

Thomas Xu, MD

Thomas Xu, MD University of Virginia School of Medicine

Thomas's hometowns are Glastonbury, Connecticut and Gainesville, Florida. He graduated summa cum laude from the University of Connecticut with a BS in Chemistry. He received his MD from the University of Virginia School of Medicine, where he was elected to AOA and pursued a variety of research projects leading to multiple publications, particularly in pediatric and colorectal surgery. He served as a teaching assistant for pre-clinical anatomy, created comprehensive pre-clinical question banks for his classmates, and organized online teaching sessions for students interested in general surgery. Thomas helped form a medical school soccer team to compete in the Charlottesville co-ed adult league and was active in UVA's basketball, football, and volleyball leagues. Thomas enjoys hiking and rock climbing.