Current Students and Scholars KL2 Scholars 2022 Jerry Chao, M.D., M.S. Mentor(s): Shlomo Shinnar, M.D., Ph.D. Patrick L. Purdon, Ph.D. Thesis: Spinal Anesthesia in Human Infants: Behavioral and Electroencephalographic Assessment of Sedation Sandra Aleksic, M.D., M.S. Mentor(s): Sofiya Milman, M.D., M.S. Michael Lipton Thesis: The Association Between Hypothalamic Inflammation and Aging Phenotype in Humans Angela Lombardi, Ph.D., M.S. Mentor(s): Teresa D'Lorenzo, Ph.D. Jill Crandall, M.D. Thesis: A translational approach to identify cutting-edge therapeutic strategies in type 1 diabetes Chava Pollak, Ph.D., R.N., FNP-BC Mentor(s): Helena M. Blumen, Ph.D. Joe Verghese, M.B.B.S. Thesis: The relationship between loneliness, and functional and cognitive decline in aging Cara Stephenson-Hunter, Ph.D. Mentor(s): Earle Chambers, Ph.D., M.P.H. Cristina Gonzalez, M.D., M.Ed. Thesis: Exploring the Gap: Understanding Physician Factors Affecting Recruitment and Engagement of Men of Color in the Diabetes Prevention Program Emily Miller, M.D., Ph.D. Mentor(s): Kartik Chandran, Ph.D. Liise-anne Pirofski, M.D. Jonathan Lai, Ph.D. Johanna Daily, M.D. Thesis: Engineering Immunity for Broad Protection Against Betacoronaviruses Ruby Greywoode, M.D. Mentor(s): Thomas Ullman, M.D. Laurie Keefer, Ph.D. Shadi Nahvi, M.D., M.S. Thesis: Internet-based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Black and Latino Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease Clinical Research Training Program Students Class of 2023 Francesco Castagna, M.D. Fellow, MED-Cardiology Mentor(s): Ulrich Jorde, M.D. Thesis: Predictors Hemodynamic Response and Weanability of Intra-Aortic Balloon Pump Jennifer Ciuchta, D.O. Fellow, PEDS-Hospital Medicine Mentor(s): Betsy Herold, M.D. Pat Hametz, M.D. Thesis: Factors associated with adverse clinical course in treating acute uncomplicated appendicitis in children Meghan Davitt, M.D. Fellow, PED-Hematology / Oncology Mentor(s): Dean Hosgood, Ph.D. Thesis: Race, Ethnicity, and Cytogenetics and the Effect on Chemotherapy related Complications and Outcomes in Childhood Leukemia Chanelle Diaz, M.D., M.P.H. Assistant Professor, MED-General Internal Medicine Mentor(s): Viraj Patel, M.D., M.P.H. Thesis: From Invisibility to Insight: Measuring the Impact of Anti-Immigrant Policies & the COVID-19 Pandemic on Primary Care Utilization by Undocumented Immigrants in our Learning Health System Bianca Hall, D.O. Fellow, MED-OBGYN Mentor(s): Jessica Atrio, M.D., M.Sc. Thesis: Healthcare quality metrics and contraception utilization among persons recently incarcerated Stella Kilduff, M.D. Fellow, PEDS-Nephrology Mentor(s): Matthew Abramowitz, M.D., M.S. Nicole Hayde, M.B.B.S., M.S. Thesis: The Role of Metabolic Acidosis in the Outcomes of Renal Transplant Recipients Jimin Lee, M.D. Fellow, PED-General Internal Medicine Mentor(s): Michael Rinke, M.D., Ph.D. Thesis: Are discharge outcomes associated with discharge time at an academic pediatric hospital? Kerry Morrone, M.D. Assistant Professor, PEDS-Hematology/Oncology Mentor(s): Michael Rinke, M.D., Ph.D. Deepa Manwani, M.B.B.S. Thesis: Prevent Acute Chest Syndrome checklist (PACScheck), a pilot study to utilize a best practices checklist to reduce morbidity in pediatric sickle cell disease Caroline Mullis, M.S., B.S. Fellow, MED-Infectious Disease Mentor(s): Marla Keller, M.D. Sarit Golub, Ph.D., M.P.H. Thesis: Integration of HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) into the care of postpartum women Sumeet Singh-Tan, D.O., M.P.H. Assistant Professor, MED-GIM Mentor(s): Chinazo Cunningham, M.D., M.S. William Southern, M.D., M.S. Thesis: Effect of Inpatient Addiction Medicine Consult Service on Alcohol Use Disorder Outcomes Mengyang Sun, M.D. Assistant Professor, MED-OBGYN Mentor(s): Veronica Ades, M.D. Thesis: Modified Early Obstetric Warning System – A Validation Study Juan Vazquez, B.S. Student, M.D., M.S. Mentor(s): David Altschul, M.D. Thesis: Small Vessel Disease and Motoric Cognitive Risk Syndrome Fei Wang, B.A. Student, M.D., M.S. Mentor(s): Joseph Ricci, M.D. Thesis: Postoperative Complications and Venous Thromboembolic Events Following Abdominal Body Contouring Procedures: A Retrospective review Christina Yang, M.D. Assistant Professor, MED-Otorhinolaryngology Mentor(s): Michael Rinke, M.D., Ph.D. Thesis: Feasibility Study of Hybrid vs. Online Pediatric Tracheostomy Care Training Curricula: A Pilot Randomized, Controlled Trial Class of 2024 Luke Andrea, M.D., B.S. Fellow, Dept. MED / Critical Care Mentor(s): Ari Moskowitz, M.D. Michelle Gong, M.D. Research Proposal: Procedures During Cardiac arrest [ProDuCa] Edward Bader, B.Sc., M.B.Ch.B. Student, PCI Mentor(s): Emad Eskandar, M.D. Nathan Killian, Ph.D. Research Proposal: Deep Brain Stimulation of the Medial Forebrain Bundle for Cognitive Dysfunction After Intracerebral Haemorrhage James Barnett, B.S. Student, M.D., M.S. Mentor(s): Thomas J Ow, M.D., M.S. Research Proposal: Clinical and biological disparities across racial and ethnic groups among patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma treated in the Montefiore Health System Ashley Berlot, B.S. Student, M.D., M.S. Mentor(s): Anna Bortnick, M.D., Ph.D., M.S. Research Proposal: Association of Markers of Mineral Metabolism with Blood Pressure and Arterial, Stiffness: (MESA). Association of Markers of Mineral Metabolism with Progression of Coronary Artery Calcification, Cardiovascular Events, and Mortality: the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA) Katherine Chemakin, B.S. Student, M.D., M.S. Mentor(s): Katie Weichman, M.D. Research Proposal: Mastectomy Incision Choice in Ptotic Patients Undergoing Immediate Implant Based Reconstruction: A Comparison of Wise and Oblique elliptical pattern Natalie Delpratt, M.Sc., B.S. Student, PCI Mentor(s): Helena Blumen, Ph.D., M.S. Joe Verghese, M.B.B.S., M.S. Research Proposal: Interrelationship between functional and structural brain changes in pre-clinical dementia stages and modifiable risk factors of brain, gait, and cognitive decline in aging Salih Demirhan, M.D. Fellow, Dept. PEDS / Infectious Disease Mentor(s): Betsy Herold, M.D. Mark Foca, M.D. Research Proposal: Retrospective study of the safety and efficacy of valganciclovir prophylaxis for CMV in pediatric solid organ transplantation recipients and the potential need for newer antivirals Molly Fisher, D.O., B.S. Assistant Professor, Dept. MED / Nephrology Mentor(s): Michael Ross, M.D. Matthew Abramowitz, M.D., M.S. Research Proposal: KI incidence and severity in ART-treated PWH to people without HIV Deanna Hano, M.D., B.S. Fellow, PEDS-Hospital Medicine Mentor(s): Karen Warman, M.D., M.S. Patricia Hametz, M.D. Research Proposal: Identifying children admitted for croup who require additional inpatient interventions and time to Intervention Teresa Hoang-Wu, M.D., B.S. Fellow, PED-Hospital Medicine Mentor(s): Betsy Herold, M.D. Kiran Thakur, M.D. Alyssa Silver, M.D. Research Proposal: Risk Factors Associated with Increased Morbidity in Acute Encephalitis: A Multicenter Retrospective Pediatric Cohort Study Gayatri Nangia, B.A. Student, M.D., M.S. Mentor(s): Joanna Starrels, M.D., M.S. Research Proposal: The association between medical cannabis content and pain severity in a diverse cohort of patients with chronic pain: the role of use frequency and type of pain Jessica Perfetto, M.D., B.A. Fellow, PED-Rheumatology Mentor(s): Dawn Wahezi, M.D., M.S. Research Proposal: Comparison of disease severity and outcomes between African and North American patients with juvenile dermatomyositis Megan Pirtle, B.A. Student, PCI Mentor(s): Kosaku Shinoda, Ph.D. Beth N. McLellan, M.D. Research Proposal: Targeting the IL-17 Pathway for the Treatment of Radiation Dermatitis Chava Pollak, Ph.D. B.S.N. Research Fellow, MED-Geriatrics Mentor(s): Joe Verghese, M.B.B.S., M.S. Helena Blumen, Ph.D., M.S. Research Proposal: The relationship between loneliness, and functional and cognitive decline in aging Kristen Ronca, M.D., M.A., B.S. Fellow, PED-Hematology/Oncology Mentor(s): Kevin Fiori, M.D., M.S. Dean Hosgood, Ph.D. Research Proposal: Prevalence of self-reported social needs in patients with oncologic diagnoses in the Bronx, NY Kavita Vani, M.D., B.A. Assistant Professor, OBGYN Mentor(s): Peter Bernstein, M.D., M.P.H. Research Proposal: The feasibility and impact of an innovative care coordination intervention to foster patient engagement in postpartum and primary care PCI Students 2022 Aakash Mahant, M.S. Mentor(s): Betsy Herold, M.D. Thesis: Determine the efficacy of ΔgD-2 maternal immunization against neonatal HSV and identify the correlates of immune protection. Marc Christopher Pulanco, M.S. Mentor(s): Xingxing Zang, Ph.D.. Mark Schoenberg, M.D. Thesis: New Immune Checkpoint B7x in Bladder Cancer: Mechanism and Immunotherapy Shira Glushakow-Smith, B.S. Mentor(s): Kira Gritsman, M.D., Ph.D. Amit Verma, M.B.B.S. Thesis: PI3 Kinase as a Potential Therapeutic Target in the Leukemic Microenvironment Alexander Ferrena, M.A. Mentor(s): Deyou Zheng, Ph.D. Bang Hoang, M.D. Thesis: Molecular and Clinical Implications of Skp2 inhibition in Osteosarcoma Veronica Veksler, B.S. Mentor(s): Joan Berman, Ph.D. Susan Morgello, M.D. Thesis: CCR2 as a potential biomarker for HIV associated neurocognitive disorder, and evaluation of therapeutic targets to decrease monocyte entry into the CNS: a longitudinal study of people living with HIV on ART Tram Nguyen, B.S. Mentor(s): Vilma Gabbay, M.D. Thesis: Reward Function in Adolescents with Depression and Cannabis Use Nazia Jamil, B.S. Mentor(s): Dean Hosgood, Ph.D. Hayley McDaid, Ph.D. Thesis: Cardiac Glycosides as Consolidation Therapy in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer. Rachel Weil, B.A. Mentor(s): David Lobe, M.D., Ph.D. Alice Lee, M.D. Thesis: Targeting EZH2 in Ewing Sarcoma via novel degrader MS1943 Sarah Singer, B.S. Mentor(s): Betsy Herold, M.D. Jonathan R. Lai, Ph.D. Thesis: Monoclonal antibodies for the treatment or prevention of herpes simplex viral infection in neonates born to HIV-infected and uninfected mothers Edward Bader, B.Sc. Mentor(s): Emad Eskandar, M.D. Nathan Killian, Ph.D. Thesis: Deep Brain Stimulation of the Medial Forebrain Bundle for Cognitive Dysfunction After Intracerebral Haemorrhage Natalie Delpratt, M.Sc. B.S. Mentor(s): Helena Blumen, Ph.D., M.S. Joe Verghese, M.B.B.S., M.S. Thesis: Interrelationship between functional and structural brain changes in pre-clinical dementia stages and modifiable risk factors of brain, gait, and cognitive decline in aging Megan Pirtle, B.A. Mentor(s): Kosaku Shinoda, Ph.D. Beth N. McLellan, M.D. Thesis: Targeting the IL-17 Pathway for the Treatment of Radiation Dermatitis