Department of Medicine Members Set to Begin Einstein’s CRTP Program

Five Department of Medicine faculty and one incoming General Internal Medicine fellow are among the 17 students that have been accepted this year to Einstein’s prestigious Clinical Research Training Program (CRTP), which is set to begin in July. The two-year intensive Master of Science (M.S.) in Clinical Research Methods program is designed for those pursuing a career in investigator-initiated, hypothesis-driven clinical research. CRTP scholars are drawn from all of Einstein’s medical specialties and subspecialties, including those interested in clinical investigation across the entire translational research spectrum, from mechanistic studies to population-based and health services research. The comprehensive program combines didactic learning and coursework with a mentored research experience.

Ana Acunda-Villaorduna, M.D.
Ana Acunda-Villaorduna, M.D.

Ana Acuna-Villaorduna, MD
(Mentor: Sanjay Goel, MD, Professor in the Department of Medical Oncology)

Research Focus: Phase II study to evaluate the Efficacy and Safety of Sirolimus in subjects with metastatic, mismatch repair deficient solid tumors after immunotherapy.

Dr. Acuna-Villaorduna, MD, is a third-year Hematology-Oncology fellow at Montefiore Medical Center. She received her MD from Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia in Lima, Peru. After that, she moved to the United States to continue her training and completed Internal Medicine residency at Jacobi Medical Center. During fellowship, her research interest focused in evaluating racial/ethnic disparities among patients with colorectal cancer. After graduation, Dr. Acuna will join the GI-oncology and Phase-1 trial team at Montefiore Einstein Cancer Center.

 Krystal Cleven
Krystal Cleven, M.D.

Krystal Cleven, MD
(Mentor: David Prezant, MD, Professor of Medicine Einstein, Co-Director WTC Health Program, and Chief Medical Officer at FDNY)

Research Focus: A longitudinal assessment of sarcoidosis in WTC-exposed responders and community members

Dr. Cleven is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Medicine (Pulmonary Medicine). She completed her fellowship training at Montefiore in Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine. Dr. Cleven’s research interests are in studying the health effects of WTC exposure, specifically in the FDNY cohort.

Ruby Greywoode, MD
(Mentor: Thomas Ullman, MD, Chief, Division of Gastroenterology)

 Ruby Greywoode
Ruby Greywoode, M.D.

Research Focus: Distress Among Inflammatory Bowel Disease Ethnic Minorities

Dr. Greywoode is an attending gastroenterologist and assistant professor of Medicine (Gastroenterology).. She completed her gastroenterology fellowship at the Icahn School of Medicine at The Mount Sinai Hospital and has a clinical focus in managing patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Her research interest is in improving the health and well-being of patients with IBD through a focus on psychosocial aspects of care.

Angela Lombardi

Angela Lombardi, M.D

Angela Lombardi, PhD
(Mentor: Yaron Tomer, MD, Chair, Department of Medicine)

Research Focus: Translational approaches to identify cutting-edge therapeutic strategies in type 1 diabetes

Dr. Lombardi is an Assistant Professor of Medicine (Endocrinology). She received her PhD in Italy and completed her postdoctoral training at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York. Dr. Lombardi’s expertise comprises both clinical and basic research topics in diabetes and thyroid autoimmunity. The goal of her current research is to find innovative targeted immunotherapies to prevent and treat autoimmune destruction of beta cells in T1D.

 Rabail Sadiq, MD
Rabail Sadiq, M.D.

Rabail Sadiq, MD (Incoming DGIM Fellow)
(Mentors: Shivani Agarwal, MD, MPH, Assistant Professor of Medicine (Endocrinology) and Shadi Nahvi, MD, Associate Professor, Department of Medicine (General Internal Medicine).

Research focus: Examine racial-ethnic disparities in diabetes self-management in a national population of young adults with type 1 diabetes.

Dr. Sadiq earned her medical degree in her native Lahore, Pakistan and is currently a third-year internal medicine resident at Norwalk Hospital/Yale University in CT. She will be joining Montefiore Einstein for General Internal Medicine (GIM) fellowship in July. Her clinical interests include patients with type 1 diabetes transitioning from pediatric to adult care, especially in the underprivileged population.

Hyun Ah Yoon

Hyun-ah Yoon, M.D

Hyun ah Yoon, MD
(Mentor: Liise-anne Pirofski, chief, Division of Infectious Diseases)

Research focus: Designing guidelines for Cryptococcal antigen screening in HIV-positive patients who are non-adherent to antiretroviral therapy in the Bronx.

Dr. Yoon is an Infectious diseases provider with an interest in developing ways to improve Cryptococcal antigen screening and understanding additional host/clinical factors that predispose individuals to cryptococcal meningitis and its complications.