Our Residents | Johns Hopkins Pathology (2023)

Waqar Arif, M.D. Ph.D.

Medical School: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Waqar Arif was born in Florida but grew up in Toledo, Ohio. He graduated from the University of Toledo with a bachelor’s degree in Biochemistry and Physics. As an undergraduate, he conducted research investigating the biophysical properties of mitoNEET, an outer mitochondrial membrane protein. Waqar then went on to complete his M.D./Ph.D. training at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. His Ph.D. research focused on studying posttranscriptional gene regulatory mechanisms involved in facilitating liver regeneration during injury. His doctoral work was supported by an NRSA Individual Predoctoral M.D./Ph.D. Fellowship (F30) from the NIDDK. Waqar’s current research interests include gastrointestinal cancers, stem cell biology, and bioinformatics.

In his free time, Waqar enjoys spending time with family, playing video games from his childhood, programming and watching random videos on YouTube. He also loves cooking, especially pizza, and dreams of one day building his own outdoor pizza oven.

Waqar is pursuing AP only training.

Diana Fang, M.D.

Medical School: Medical University of South Carolina

Diana Fang spent her early years in China, then moved to Charleston, SC where she spent most of her childhood. The first in her family to go to college, Diana obtained her B.S. in Biochemistry and Genetics at Clemson University, where she was involved in research on how Cryptococcus neoformans develops resistance to the antifungal drug, fluconazole, as well as research on the differential bioenergetics expressed in cancer cells as a druggable target.

While earning her M.D. at the Medical University of South Carolina, Diana developed interests in Nephrology and Pathology. She wrote a case detailing the use of hypertonic saline in conjunction with continuous renal replacement therapy in a critically ill patient to limit neurologic sequalae. Diana also mentored pre-medical and medical students at MUSC. Additionally, she received various awards and distinctions for her dedication to Academic Pathology, becoming a Society of ’67 Kinney Scholar, awarded by the Association of Pathology Chairs, and receiving the ASCP Medical Student Award, given by the American Society of Clinical Pathology.

Diana enjoys boba tea, reading, making UV resin jewelry, and trying out local restaurants. Diana will pursue AP/CP training, and if someone is interested in a boba tea run, please let her know!

Julia Gales, M.D.

Medical School: University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine

Julia Gales was born and raised in Mason City, Iowa. She graduated from Saint Louis University with a B.S. in public health and minors in health care ethics and biology. During this time she did volunteer work developing and teaching after-school music programs for kids in St. Louis. She then worked as an EMT in an emergency department in St. Louis during the year following college graduation. Julia received her M.D. from University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine. During medical school she volunteered with the Iowa Harm Reduction Coalition and the Iowa City Free Medical Clinic. She also completed a research project regarding end-of- life surgical outcomes in pediatric patients. Between her second and third years of medical school, she completed a one year externship in the pathology department, where she further participated in teaching and curriculum development for an introductory pathology course and worked on research projects regarding surgical pathology and digital image analysis.

She enjoys reading, crochet, running, playing board games, and wandering through antique stores and museums.

Julia will be pursuing AP/CP training.

Jeremy Johnson, M.D., Ph.D.

Medical School: University of Kentucky College of Medicine

Jeremy Johnson was raised in Bluefield, VA, a small town nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains. He attended Roanoke College in Salem, VA, and received a B.S. in Chemistry and a Minor in Math. While there, he developed a passion for basic scientific research by working with Dr. Vern Miller to synthesize bisamine boron cations. He presented posters at two national meetings of the American Chemical Society and received the Goldwater Scholarship.

Upon graduation in 2013, he joined the MD/PhD Program at the University of Kentucky College of Medicine. He completed his dissertation under Dr. Mark Evers, and his work involved targeting metabolic proteins (Akt and AMPK) to improve therapeutics of triple negative breast cancer. He has published three first-author manuscripts and presented posters at four annual meetings of the American Association for Cancer Research.

In his free time, Jeremy enjoys working out, hiking, reading epic fantasy, and playing video games.

He will be pursuing AP-only training.

Samuel Law, M.D.

Medical School: California Northstate University College of Medicine

Samuel Law was born in Houston, TX and migrated to Milwaukee, WI before settling in sunny Southern California. He went to UC Irvine and graduated with a BS in biology, then went on to pharmacy school for one year at UC San Diego, where he realized a passion for histology through a pharmacy school course on histopathology. He attended California Northstate University College of Medicine and completed a preliminary intern year at St. Mary Medical Center. During medical school, he investigated the relationship between oncogenic protein downregulation in corneal neovascularization, studied the pitfalls of Wnt agonists in the study of the Wnt signaling pathway, and spearheaded a research study on the association between cigarette smoking and glaucoma in the United States and South Korean populations.

He currently is leaning towards the fields of neuropathology, gastrointestinal pathology, head and neck pathology, and ophthalmic pathology, but would like to take a keen eye at blood banking/transfusion medicine as a future career, inspired through his prelim IM training.

He is pursuing AP/CP training.

Molly McGowan, M.D.

Medical School: John Sealy School of Medicine

Molly McGowan grew up in Valparaiso, Indiana where she cultivated a passion for classical music and playing the cello. After earning her undergraduate degree in Music Theory from the Hartt School at the University of Hartford in Connecticut, she began working for Whole Foods Market and held many leadership positions over the following nine years, eventually bringing her to Texas. After deciding to finish her medical school prerequisites, she earned admission to the John Sealy School of Medicine at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, Texas. Both in her grocery career and medical school career, she cultivated her enjoyment of mentoring, celebrating her mentees’ successes both in the retail and medical worlds, and eventually serving as an official Step 1 Mentor through her medical school. As a fourth-year medical student she was awarded the William Todd Midgett, MD Award for Superior Clinical Practice and was elected to AOA.

Outside of work, Molly enjoys the outdoors, keeps an active interest in music, and enjoys spending her time off with her partner and their cat, Aurora.

Molly is pursuing AP/CP training.

Brian Pedro, M.D., Ph.D.

Medical School: Emory University

Brian Pedro was born and raised in Portland, Maine and received a B.A. in Biochemistry from Tufts University. As an undergraduate, Brian discovered his passion for cancer research, leading him to enter the MD/PhD program at Emory University. His dissertation focused on characterizing the mechanisms of collective invasion and metastasis in lung cancer. Brian’s interest in pathology grew throughout his MD/PhD training, as he realized the impact he could have on patients while also pursuing a research career.

In his spare time, Brian enjoys spending time with his wife Tori and their three sons, rooting for Boston sports teams, playing Ultimate, and trying out new breweries.

Brian is pursuing AP-only training as part of the Physician Scientist Research track, where he plans to continue working to better understand solid tumor metastasis.

Keysabelis Rivera Alvarez, M.D.

Medical School: Wright State University

Keysabelis Rivera Alvarez was born in Mayagüez and raised in San Sebastián, Puerto Rico. She grew up playing volleyball, surrounded by nature, and going to the beach. She graduated with honors from the University of Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras Campus, where she received her B.S. in General Science. Seeing the healthcare disparities in her hometown inspired her to pursue a career in medicine. Keysa moved to the Midwest to earn her M.D. from Wright State University. For the last four and a half years, Keysa has worked at Hopkins as a Research Data Analyst. She has been involved in several projects including the AACR Project GENIE consortium; she has reviewed thousands of pathology reports and clinical charts to fulfill an unmet need in oncology by providing the statistical power necessary to improve clinical decision-making. She has had a critical role in the implementation of various digital pathology systems in the department and completed a validation study for the remote digital pathology system allowing pathologists to have the flexibility to do signout remotely.

Keysa has adopted Maryland as her "second home" where she lives in Pasadena with her husband Miguel and two dogs. In her spare time, she enjoys traveling, hiking, camping, cycling, working out, cooking, eating, and doing DIY home improvement projects. She likes to spend quality time with her husband, family, and friends. She is a proud Army wife!

Keysa will be pursuing AP/CP training.

Mahalia Robinson, D.O., M.S.

Medical School: Campbell University School of Osteopathic Medicine

Mahalia Robinson was born and raised in Fayetteville, NC. She attended the illustrious North Carolina A&T State University (NCAT) and obtained her BS in biology premedical concentration. She then went to Campbell University School of Osteopathic Medicine (CUSOM) and obtained her master’s degree in biomedical science and shortly matriculated into the DO curriculum. At CUSOM, she spent her free time mentoring the youth in the surrounding area as well as being present on panels at Historically Black Colleges & Universities (HBCUs) to help inspire the future of medicine. Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion are very important to Mahalia and she takes pride in being a rolemodel. She also helped start a diversity taskforce at CUSOM which she was a huge asset in starting a pathway program from her alma mater, NCAT, to CUSOM for students interested in medicine. Mahalia is also highly interested in teaching.

Outside of medicine, she is co-owner of a catering company and restaurant with her partner, in her hometown in which she started while in medical school. She enjoys live music, trying new foods, and traveling.

Mahalia will be pursuing AP/CP training.

Rachel Schendzielos, M.D.

Medical School: Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine

Rachel Schendzielos was born on Fort Carson in Colorado Springs, Colorado, but spent the majority of her childhood growing up in Chantilly, Virginia. She attended college at Christopher Newport University in Newport News, Virginia, where she received a Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry and in Cellular, Molecular, & Physiological Biology. During her time at CNU, she researched the 3xTg-AD trangenic mouse model, specifically focusing on their ability to model the behavioral and histological changes seen in Alzheimer’s Disease. She additionally had the opportunity to complete a summer internship in Surgical Pathology at a local hospital, Riverside Regional Medical Center, which first sparked her interest in Pathology. Rachel earned her medical degree from the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, where she served as a society leader, the Pathology Student Interest Group President, and in multiple Medical Student Government roles. In medical school, Rachel honed her passion for education by serving as an individual peer-to-peer tutor, as a teaching assistant for the Foundations of Disease Course, and as a dedicated teaching assistant for a group of M1 students identified by the curriculum office as needing additional assistance.

During her free time, Rachel enjoys baking, cake decorating, cooking, crafting, reading, playing video games, and playing her oboe & saxophone.

Rachel will be pursuing AP/CP training.

Malavika Pia Sengupta, M.D., M.Sc.

Medical School: Wright State University, Boonshoft School of Medicine

Malavika Pia Sengupta was born in Mumbai, India but grew up between the Midwest and southern Canada. She attended University of Michigan for her undergraduate education, studying neuroscience and linguistics. She then enrolled at Case Western Reserve University, where she earned a master’s degree in medical physiology. Taking time off from school, she worked at the Cleveland Clinic as a research assistant investigating tools to aid in early diagnosis of cognitive impairment while she applied to medical school. She soon found her way back to Dayton, OH—where her journey in the Americas started—for medical school at Wright State University, Boonshoft School of Medicine. Throughout all of her education, Pia has been passionate about research and in using it to improve medical education in evidence-based ways. She has also been honored with the James L. Funkhouser Scholarship for medical students pursuing pathology.

Pia loves running, trying out new cuisines and restaurants, listening to true crime podcasts, dancing, and hanging out with her husband, Matt—a PM&R resident in Greenville, NC—and their cats, Ymir and Daisy.

Pia is absolutely thrilled to be pursuing AP/CP training at Johns Hopkins.

Annie Wu, M.D., Ph.D.

Medical School: Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine

Annie Wu was born and raised in Baltimore, Maryland. She graduated with a B.S. in Molecular and Cellular Biology from the Johns Hopkins University and earned her M.D. and Ph.D degree in Immunology from the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. For her doctorate work, Annie utilized multiplex immunohistochemistry to investigate how the tumor microenvironment is influenced by novel immunotherapies given to patients. At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, she returned to medical school, where she served as president of the Pathology Interest Group and was the recipient of the William H. Welch Medical Student Award.

Outside of medicine, Annie enjoys playing tennis, watching the Grand Slam tennis tournaments, traveling the world, and hiking with family and friends.

Annie will be pursuing AP training.

Kevin Zhang, M.D., M.A.

Medical School: Creighton University School of Medicine

Kevin Zhang was born and raised in China and moved to California at the age of eleven. He attended UCSD and earned dual degrees in Biochemistry and Economics. After undergrad, he spent several years conducting basic research on immunometabolism at the Salk Institute in La Jolla before attending Creighton University School of Medicine in Omaha, Nebraska. Prior to finishing medical school, Kevin moved to Baltimore with his wife. He spent two years pursuing research at Johns Hopkins University in the laboratory of Thomas V. Johnson, M.D., Ph.D. and investigated the use of stem cell transplantation in treating optic neuropathies.

Outside of medicine Kevin enjoys the NBA, cooking, hiking, trying new restaurants, and spending time with his wife Rowena, two sons Blake and Brook, and puppy Doug.

Kevin is pursuing AP/NP training.

Laetitia Daou, M.D.

Medical School: American University of Beirut

Laetitia Daou is from Beirut, Lebanon. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Biology and a Medical Degree from the American University of Beirut where she also completed a residency in Clinical Pathology. She then moved to Baltimore to pursue a clinical and research fellowship in Blood Banking and Transfusion Medicine at Johns Hopkins University. Her interest in laboratory medicine originated while she was an exchange medical student in the Genetics laboratory at Charles University in Prague, and it developed through continuous research in the field of molecular diagnostics as well as clinical rotations in the Molecular laboratory at Emory University Hospital in Atlanta.

Beyond the clinical service, Laetitia has a longstanding passion for economics and business management; she joined a number of hospital quality improvement committees, was a member of the blood utilization committee and served on the laboratory cost containment task force in the wake of the 2019 economic crisis in Lebanon.

Outside of medicine, Laetitia enjoys traveling and exploring new cultures. She has participated in dance performances and competed in national swimming events.

Laetitia is pursuing CP training.

Katherine Fomchenko, M.D.

Medical School: Johns Hopkins University

Katherine Fomchenko was born and raised in New Jersey. She attended The College of New Jersey and graduated with a B.S. in Chemistry. She enjoyed tutoring fellow students and performing research in biophysical chemistry during her time in college.

Katherine then earned her M.D. from the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. She participated in a variety of extracurricular activities from revitalizing the previously dormant pathology interest group to teaching cooking classes to peers through the Student Teaching Kitchen. She also performed research in pathology investigating differential protein expression between slow- and fast-twitch skeletal muscle fibers. She deeply enjoyed her pathology elective rotations during medical school and received the William H. Welch Award in 2020.

Katherine enjoys cooking, baking, and crocheting, as well as spending time with family (including her parents’ five cats and German Shepherd) and friends.

Katherine will be pursuing AP/CP training.

Samuel Harvey, M.D. Ph.D.

Medical School: Northwestern University

Sam Harvey grew up in Salem, Virginia, nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains. He attended the College of William & Mary in Williamsburg, VA where he engaged in research investigating signal transduction pathways in the gastric pathogen Helicobacter pylori.

After graduating with a B.S. in Biology, he matriculated to the MSTP program at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago, IL. His doctoral research focused on bioinformatics investigations into the role of RNA binding proteins and alternative splicing in the epithelial-mesenchymal transition, and his work was supported by an NRSA Individual Predoctoral MD/PhD Fellowship (F30) from the National Cancer Institute. Sam’s current academic interests include bioinformatics, digital pathology, and artificial intelligence.

In his free time, Sam enjoys gaming of all kinds including video games, board games, and Dungeons and Dragons. He also enjoys the great outdoors, especially hiking trips with his wife and dog.

Sam will be pursuing AP/CP training and the Informatics certificate track.

Chen Lossos, M.D., Ph.D.

Medical School: Harvard University

Chen Lossos was born in Jerusalem, Israel and lived there until the age of eight before moving with his family to the US. He attended Stanford University, where he received a B.S. in biology with a minor in psychology. His research there focused on identifying features predicting patient immune and clinical responses to anti-idiotype vaccinations in lymphoma as well as studying the nature of acquired B-cell receptor mutations as they pertain to malignant and autoimmune processes.

After graduation, he spent a year working on developing a new mouse model of multiple myeloma before commencing his MD/PhD studies at Harvard University. There, he studied how lymphomas develop resistance to antibody therapy and how to use chemotherapy and the immune system to overcome this resistance. In his free time, Chen enjoys swimming, reading, playing chess and rooting on his favorite sports teams.

Chen is pursuing combined AP/CP training.

Khoa Pham, M.D.

Medical School: Can Tho University

Khoa was born and raised in SocTrang, a small town in southern Vietnam. After receiving his MD from CanTho University of Medicine and Pharmacy in Vietnam, Khoa practiced as a general practitioner for 5 years before coming to the United State to pursue research training. Khoa’s research interests focus on brain metabolism under physiologic and pathologic conditions.

Since late 2019, Khoa has been working as a post-doctoral fellow studying brain cancer at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. During his training, he was able to identify the important metabolic pathways in high MYC medulloblastoma tumor compared to normal brain by employing LC/MS and uniformly labeled glucose and glutamine. Targeting these pathways showed the benefit survival in a pre-clinical model. Khoa was awarded a prize at the Pathology Department Young Investigator’s Day at Johns Hopkins, and his work was presented at SNO-NCI joint symposium: Targeting CNS tumor metabolism.

Khoa enjoys spending time in the park or on trails with his wife and kids. He loves practicing meditation, cooking, and trying new cuisine.

Khoa is honored and excited to have matched at Hopkins and will be pursuing AP/NP training.

Sandra Vazquez Salas, M.D.

Medical School: University of Arizona

Sandra Vazquez Salas was born in Morelos, Mexico. At the age of 10, she packed her bags and moved to Phoenix, AZ. She attended University of Arizona as a first-generation student and graduated with a BS in Biology with a contraction in forensics. During her undergraduate years, she worked at the local county hospital in guest services and as a Spanish bilingual interpreter.

Sandra earned her MD at the University of Arizona College of Medicine - Tucson with distinctions in Community Service, Rural Health and Medical Spanish. She was heavily involved in free clinics aimed to serve the local socioeconomically disadvantaged communities. She received the Commitment to Underserved People award and was elected to Alpha Omega Alpha.

Sandra enjoys spending time with her 2 dogs and 4 cats which she has rescued over the years. She also cares for her tropical plant collection which includes more than 200 plants. If you ever have any plant questions, she is your go-to girl!

Sandra will be pursuing AP/CP training.

Rebecca Wingfield, M.D.

Medical School: Marshall University

Rebecca Wingfield was born and raised in Ona, WV. She earned her B.S. in Biochemistry from Marshall University in Huntington, WV. During college, Rebecca participated in a Learning Assistant Program where she facilitated small group tutoring sessions for introductory biology courses. Through this work, she discovered a love for teaching. In the interim between college and medical school, Rebecca worked as a medical intern at SCORE International in the Dominican Republic.

She went on to earn her M.D. degree from Marshall University Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine. As a medical student, she continued to pursue her passion for medical education by tutoring and serving on the Curriculum Committee. She further contributed to curriculum development through the curriculum student task force responsible for examination of the legacy curriculum’s content and pedagogy in preparation for a new 18-month curriculum design. Outside of these committees, Rebecca applied her love for teaching in her role as a co-leader of “Let’s Get Moving,” a medical student-led initiative to teach elementary students about living a healthy, active lifestyle.

Rebecca enjoys spending as much time as possible outside. She spends her free time reading, listening to podcasts, doing jigsaw puzzles, hiking, skiing, and snowboarding.

Rebecca will be pursuing AP/CP training.

Katya Dombrowski, M.D.

Medical School: Albert Einstein College of Medicine

Katya Dombrowski was raised in Glen Ridge, NJ. She attended Princeton University where she graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Neuroscience. Working under Dr. Yael Niv, she completed her senior thesis on the process of human decision-making. After college, wanting to get some practical medical experience, she worked at a federally qualified health center in Long Branch, NJ and then a private internist’s office in Washington, DC. Katya earned her medical degree from Albert Einstein College of Medicine in the Bronx. While there, she became involved in the student-run free clinic, working first as an in-house HIV counselor. This work in HIV helped springboard her into pursuing research on the effects of perinatal HIV on neurocognitive development. It also motivated her to travel to Tanzania for a summer, where she worked with a local NGO supporting women and children affected by the virus, reinforcing her interest in global health. Katya enjoys cooking, reading, traveling, binge watching tv with her cat Zoe, and trying new restaurants with her partner, Jameson. Katya will be pursuing AP/CP training.

Tait Huso, M.D.

Medical School: Northwestern University

Tait Huso grew up in the rolling hills of Northern Baltimore County before making his way to Penn State. There he studied Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and became interested in the field of medicine. During summers as an undergraduate Tait worked in Linda Smith-Resar’s laboratory at Johns Hopkins where he contributed to understanding the cellular pathways dysregulated by the HMGA oncoproteins. After graduating from Penn State, Tait spent a year and a half continuing this research before pursuing medical training at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine. In medical school his research interests focused on exploring healthcare fragmentation and the negative effects it exerts on patients with chronic health conditions such as Sickle Cell Anemia. Outside of the hospital and laboratory Tait enjoys road-tripping across the upper Midwest to visit family, fly-fishing local rivers, playing pick-up basketball, and tackling ambitious small-scale agriculture projects such as beekeeping. Tait is pursuing AP/CP training.

Jae Lee, M.D., Ph.D.

Medical School: University of Pennsylvania

Jae Lee was born in Seoul, South Korea and grew up in Fairfax, Virginia. He received his A.B. in Chemistry at Princeton University. After college, he conducted research on multiple sclerosis at the National Institutes of Health for two years in the laboratory of Michael Lenardo. Jae then completed the MD/PhD program at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. For his PhD research, Jae identified an intercellular inflammatory network underpinned by hepatocytes that directs metastatic spread of cancer cells to the liver in the laboratory of Gregory Beatty. During medical school, Jae served as co-chair of Oncology Interest Group and co-regional director of the Asian-Pacific American Medical Student Association. Jae enjoys traveling with his wife and family; playing tennis, squash, and soccer; and visiting art museums. Jae is pursing AP only training.

Lorena Marcano Bonilla, M.D., Ph.D.

Medical School: University of Puerto Rico

Lorena Marcano-Bonilla was born and raised in Guaynabo, Puerto Rico. As an undergraduate student she attended the University of Puerto Rico- Rio Piedras Campus, where she received the degree of BS in Cellular and Molecular Biology. She earned her MD from the University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine and her PhD from Mayo Clinic Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences. During graduate school, her thesis project examined the association of biliary tract cancer risk and mortality with use of low dose aspirin, non-aspirin NSAIDs, statins and metformin in the Swedish population. As a pathology resident she plans to pursue training in Anatomic and Clinical Pathology. Lorena enjoys outdoors activities like hiking, playing tennis and volleyball, as well as cooking and spending time with her family. Lorena is pursuing AP/CP training.

Michael Mikula, M.D., M.S.

Medical School: Albany Medical College

Michael Mikula was born in Princeton, NJ and grew up in nearby Cranbury, NJ. He graduated from Loyola University Maryland in Baltimore with a bachelor’s degree in Biology and Chemistry. While at Loyola, his senior research focused on the endocellulase Cel5a of Thermobifida fusca. After college, Mike worked in materials chemistry research at Henkel Corporation, focusing on enhancing the efficiency of LED lights. He then earned a Master’s of Science in Physiology and Biophysics from Georgetown University and went on to attend medical school at Albany Medical College in Albany, NY. Mike was inspired to enter pathology by several pathology educators at Albany Med. In his fourth year, he was elected to Alpha Omega Alpha. In his free time, Mike is a wannabe powerlifter, consistently working towards upping his squat, bench, and deadlift. He enjoys movies and is currently watching the Lord of the Rings extended edition with a small group while socially distancing. He also enjoys hiking and managed to take in some of what upstate New York has to offer while there. Michael is pursuing AP/CP training.

Jason Murray, M.D., Ph.D.

Medical School: Johns Hopkins University

Jason Murray still wants to be an astronaut when he grows up, and barring that wants to similarly stimulate his sense of exploration. He is a firm believer that the more you learn the more you realize how little you know and is trying to learn his way out of this realization. Thus his path through life so far has consisted primarily of professional studenthood, with undergrad at Georgia Tech where he double majored in Chemical Engineering and Biochemistry, a PhD studying protein translation and ribosomes at the NIH and Cambridge, followed by medical school at Hopkins. His most recent academic interests revolve around ectopic pregnancy and placental biology, leading him to residency in pathology. In addition to copious time spent in school, Jason enjoys hiking and backpacking (preferably in remote locations), cooking (eating), baking (eating lots), and traveling to visit friends. Other notable accomplishments include being kicked out of a dorm (for BBQing too much), being banned from watching Disney movies (because he would sing along), and earning the nickname mama-J. Jason is pursuing AP only training.

Abigayle Norwood, M.D.

Medical School: Georgetown University

Abigayle Norwood is a cheesehead from Green Bay, WI. She received her B.S. in Clinical Laboratory Science from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Upon graduation she moved to Port-au-Prince, Haiti to teach at a tuition-free boarding school, an experience which strongly influenced her decision to pursue postgraduate studies. Her later work in Colorado as both a medical laboratory scientist and a research technician studying tuberculosis is where she developed her passion for pathology and laboratory medicine. She earned her M.D. from Georgetown University School of Medicine in Washington, DC. She is proud of her role in designing and implementing a new pathology clerkship for fourth year medical students. Her academic interests include increasing the visibility of pathology and promoting more collaboration across specialties to improve patient care. She was also an active member of Georgetown’s student mentorship programs, Health Justice Scholars, and Physicians for Human Rights. Abi enjoys being in the outdoors, bicycling, and skiing. Her idea of having fun includes live music, DIY crafts, and sipping Sagamore Spirit whiskey. Abi is pursuing AP/CP training.

Kevin Toomer, M.D., Ph.D.

Medical School: University of Miami

Kevin Toomer was born and raised in Miami, Florida. He attended Cornell University in Ithaca, NY, where he pursued research exploring molecular evolution of the bacterial endosymbionts within arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi. After graduating from Cornell with a bachelor’s degree in biological sciences, he enrolled in the Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP) at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. His early clinical training helped solidify a research interest in immunology, as he began to recognize inflammation as a unifying mechanism behind diverse disease processes. For his Ph.D. project he studied the roles of interleukin-2 in functional programming, subset heterogeneity, and maintenance of regulatory T cells, an area of immense therapeutic relevance in the context of autoimmune disease. Kevin has been the recipient of various awards during his career, including the NRSA Individual Predoctoral MD/PhD Fellowship (F31), and an undergraduate Biology Research Fellowship Award sponsored by the NSF. Outside of science and medicine, Kevin enjoys artistic hobbies including drawing, painting, and woodcarving. He is also an avid reader of historical nonfiction and enjoys touring museums and historical sites. Kevin will be pursuing AP/CP training.

Eric Young, M.D., Ph.D.

Medical School: University of Kansas

Eric Young was born in New York and was raised in Menasha, WI. He graduated with a B.S. in Genetics, Cell Biology and Development from the University of Minnesota. After graduation, he managed the U of M Zebrafish Core Facility before moving to Houston, TX. There, Eric spent three years researching soft tissue sarcoma at MD Anderson Cancer Center. He graduated from the M.D./Ph.D. program at the University of Kansas School of Medicine in Kansas City, KS. For his thesis work, he studied the role of ITIH5 in suppressing pancreatic cancer metastasis to the liver. Current research interests include neuroendocrine tumors, metastasis, and developmental biology. He enjoys gardening, cooking, the outdoors and spending time with friends and family—especially his wife, son and dog. Eric is pursuing AP training and the PSTP track.

Thomas Zaikos, M.D., Ph.D.

Medical School: George Washington University

Thomas Zaikos was born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. He attended St. Bonaventure University in Olean, NY where he competed on the men’s soccer and hockey teams and graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Biochemistry. Thomas enrolled into the M.D. program at the George Washington University (GWU) in 2010. In 2012, Thomas took a leave of absence to pursue a Ph.D. at the University of Michigan in the laboratory of Kathleen L. Collins, M.D., Ph.D. where his thesis focused on HIV persistence and cure strategies. Thomas received several awards throughout his training, including the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) International Student Research Fellowship. Thomas returned to GWU in 2018 and earned his M.D. in 2020. Outside of medicine, Thomas enjoys playing and coaching soccer, golfing, and drinking great coffee.
Thomas is pursuing AP/NP training.

Caroline Early, M.D.

Medical School: East Carolina University

Caroline Early was born and raised in Greensboro, North Carolina. She attended the University of Georgia in Athens, Georgia as an undergraduate, where she received her undergraduate degree in Biology and Psychology. At Georgia, she discovered her interest in research while working in an entomology lab studying bacterial symbionts which live in the gut of aphids. After college, she worked as a medical scribe, rotating through several emergency departments in North Carolina, before starting medical school at the Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University in Greenville, North Carolina. She discovered the practice of pathology through her M1 histology course, and ultimately decided to spend the summer after her first year immersed in autopsy research. From this experience, she knew she had found her passion in pathology. She went on to do longitudinal research with hospital autopsies through her medical school's Research Distinction Track. She tutored peers in Microbiology & Immunology and led a pathology interest group at her medical school. Caroline enjoys trying new restaurants, tasting and brewing beer, true crime, and playing with (getting scratched by) her cat, Claire.

Matthew Gabrielson, M.D.

Medical School: Albert Einstein College of Medicine

Matthew Gabrielson was born in Baltimore, MD, and grew up on a small farm just outside of the city, in Baltimore County. He received his B.S. in Biochemistry from Susquehanna University in Selinsgrove, PA. Matt earned his medical degree from Albert Einstein College of Medicine, in the Bronx, NY. While in undergrad and medical school, he researched various imaging techniques to measure PD-L1 expression in mouse models for human cancer at Johns Hopkins University. As a medical student, he also studied the role of various immune cells in the tumor microenvironment of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma at Montefiore Medical Center. Matt is a huge Ravens fan, and has a passion for sports, history, computers, and the outdoors. Matt will be pursuing AP/CP training.

Ashleigh Graham, M.D., M.S.

Medical School: New York Medical College

Ashleigh Graham was born in Kingston, Jamaica moving to Tallahassee, Florida as a child. At Florida State University she double majored in Biochemistry and Chemistry, obtaining a B.S. degree with honors. Her participation in two research labs involved testing antidepressant properties of ketamine and quantification of ribosomal binding strength. At the University of South Florida she finished her M.S. in Medical Sciences before earning her M.D. at New York Medical College. In medical school she received the Victor Tchertkoff, M.D. Memorial Award for exhibiting exceptional interest and ability in the field of Pathology. Global humanitarianism is an important and avid interest of Ashleigh's. Not only has she designed a research project focused on aiding refugee children traumatized by war, but she also helped to provide health services during a mission trip to the underserved population of St. Elizabeth, Jamaica. One day she hopes to integrate her interest into career initiatives. She enjoys making vegetarian meals, acrylic painting to classical music, and cheering for underdogs in basketball games. Ashleigh is pursuing AP/CP training.

Efrain Antonio Ribiero, M.D., Ph.D.

Medical School: Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai

Efrain Antonio Ribiero was born just a few blocks from Johns Hopkins on East Baltimore Street and grew up in Ellicott City, Maryland. He attended Wesleyan University and majored in Philosophy and Neuroscience as an undergraduate. He then worked at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center as a research technician doing stem cell research for one year. He completed the MD/PhD program at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York and earned his PhD in Neuroscience focusing on the use of Next Generation Sequencing technologies to profile specific cell types in the brain. He hopes to use this knowledge to continue to expand the role of molecular diagnostics in diagnosing and treating cancer. Outside of medicine, he likes to spend time outdoors with his wife and two dogs, Puff and Hela (who was named after the stem cell line) and is looking forward to many walks with them in Patterson Park. He and his wife love trying new food and wine and love to host friends and family for dinner parties. In his free time, he enjoys producing music and attending concerts with his dad, and he is an avid Baltimore Ravens fan. Efrain is pursuing AP only training.

Andrew Sohn, M.D.

Medical School: Thomas Jefferson University

Andrew Sohn was born and raised in Queens, NY. He attended Vassar College, where he graduated with a degree in Chemistry, including a senior thesis on computational electrochemistry of carbon nanotubes grown on silicon wafers. Andrew received his M.D. from Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University. During medical school, he completed research fellowships in the Medical Research Scholars Program at the NIH, followed by the HHMI Medical Research Fellows Program at the University of Pennsylvania. For his research, Andrew focused on machine learning and computer vision for biomedical image analysis and epigenomics. In his spare time, he enjoys reading, pour over coffee, craft beer, sports and programming. His current programming languages of choice are Python and Rust. Andrew is pursuing the PSTP in AP only training.

Seena Tabibi, M.D.

Medical School: Southern Illinois University

Seena Tabibi was born in Tehran, Iran, and moved to the US in July 2004. After graduating Springfield High School in Illinois, Seena attended University of California, Berkeley, graduating with majors in Integrative Biology and Marine Science. He then attended Southern Illinois University School of Medicine. During the summer between first and second years of medical school, Seena participated in a research project evaluating the risk of developing squamous cell carcinoma of skin from potential wound healing reagents (LCN2 and MMP9), at Baylor College of Medicine in Texas. At SIU, he participated in a psoriasis research project and a few other projects, including a case report on cutaneous meningioma of the scalp that he presented at 2018 CAP annual meeting in Chicago. Outside of school, Seena enjoys traveling and so far has visited a few countries in the Middle East and Europe; in the US, one of his most memorable travels was a solo trip to Alaska in August 2016, where he enjoyed ice hiking on a glacier and kayaking in open waters. Seena is passionate about sports, including running, biking, and swimming and enjoys maintaining a wellbalanced diet. He has been a member of Academy Bullets Swim Club throughout medical school and is currently training for a race in May 2019 in Spain, where he will compete as a member of the United States Aquathlon Team in the men's 25-29 year old age group category. Seena loves nature photography and is an avid weather enthusiast, using his home weather station to record observations. He is fluent in Azeri Turkish and Farsi and loves spending quality time with friends and family. Seena is pursuing AP/CP training.