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Meet the Fellows
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Meet the Fellows
Current Fellows Paola Barrios Martinez, MD Program Dates: 7/2024 - 6/2026
Primary Mentor: Daniela Ladner, MD MPH
Read Bio Area of Interest: TBD
Project Title: TBD
Joy Obayemi, MD Program Dates: 7/2023 - 6/2025
Primary Mentor: Daniela Ladner, MD MPH, Dinee Simpson, MD & Karrie Kershaw, MD MPH
Read Bio Area of Interest: Outcomes Research
Project Title: Striving for Racial Equity in Kidney and Liver Transplantation: A Mixed Methods Assessment of Disparities in Transplant Access and Outcomes for Marginalized Communities
Graduated Fellows Bima Hasjim, MD Program Dates: 6/2022 - 6/2024 Primary Mentor: Daniela Ladner, MD MPH Read Bio Area of Interest: Outcomes Research
Project Title: Drivers of Poor Outcomes in Low MELD Cirrhosis
Current Role: Resident Physician at UCI Health
Jes Sanders, MD Program Dates: 6/2022 - 6/2024 Primary Mentor: Joseph Leventhal, MD PhD & James M Mathew, PhD Read Bio Area of Interest: Basic Science Research
Project Title: A Phase I Clinical Trial with Donor-Specific Expanded Recipient Regulatory T Cells in Living Donor Liver Transplant Recipients
Current Role: General Surgery Resident at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine
Andrew Benintende, MD Program Dates: 6/2020 - 6/2023 Primary Mentor: Richard Green, MD Read Bio Area of Interest: Basic Science Research
Project Title: An In Vitro Model for Hepatocyte Lipotoxicity in Non-alcoholic Steatohepatitis using Patient Derived Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells
Current Role: General Surgery Resident at Columbia University
"Transplantation research is more exciting than ever and T32 training grants are a great way for postdocs to get involved!"
Avesh Thuluvath, MD Program Dates: 3/2020 - 2/2022 Primary Mentor: Daniela Ladner, MD MPH Read Bio Area of Interest: Outcomes Research
Project Title: Patient-centered interventions to improve frailty and patient-reported outcomes in liver transplant candidates
Current Role: Transplant Hepatologist, Columbia University Irving Medical Center
"As a T32 fellow, I have the opportunity to pursue a MSCI. My classes on biostats and big data analysis have been so helpful in my research. "
Bridget Whitehead, MD, MS Program Dates: 1/2020 – 7/2021 Primary Mentor: Estella Alonso, MD Read Bio Area of Interest: Outcomes Research
Project Title: The Impact of Bacterial Translocation and Inflammation on Growth in Children with Chronic Liver Disease
Current Role: Attending Physician, Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition at Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago
Assistant Professor of Pediatrics (Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition) at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine
Osama Siddiqui, Student Supplement Program Dates: 7/2020 - 8/2021 Primary Mentor: Daniela Ladner, MD MPH Read Bio Area of Interest: Outcomes Research
Research Project: Routine Assessment of Patient Reported Outcomes(PROs) in Liver Transplant
Current Role: Medical Student, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University
Mark Antkowiak Program Dates: 7/2019 - 6/2020 Primary Mentor: Rich Green, MD Read Bio Area of Interest: Basic Science Research
Project Title: Identification and characterization of structural factors that facilitate development of steatosis in iPSC-hepatocytes grown in 3D culture
Current Role: Resident, University California San Diego
Nikhilesh Mazumder, MD MPH Program Dates: 1/2018 - 12/2019 Primary Mentor: Daniela Ladner, MD & Josh Levitsky, MD Read Bio Area of Interest: Outcomes Research
Project Title: Demonstrating Pathways to Value-Based Care for Patients with Liver Cirrhosis from Waitlisting to Liver Transplantation (Phase II)
Current Role: Clinical Instructor, Gastroenterology and Internal Medicine at University of Michigan
Frances Tangherlini Lee, MD Program Dates: 7/2017 - 6/2019 Primary Mentor: Xunrong Luo, MD PhD Read Bio Area of Interest: Basic Science Research
Project Title: Tolerance for Xenogeneic Islet Cell Transplantation
Current Role: Endocrine Surgeon at Southern Illinois University School of Medicine
Jessica Heinrichs Voss, PhD Program Dates: 7/2017 - 6/2019 Primary Mentor: Joseph Leventhal, MD PhD Read Bio Area of Interest: Basic Science Research
Project Title: Personalized Tolerance: Alloantigen Specific T Regulatory Cell therapy Following Organ Transplantation
Current Role: Associate Medical Director of Transplantation at Sanofi
Jessica Hoch Brown, PhD Program Dates: 6/2016 - 6/2018 Primary Mentor: Jason Wertheim, MD PhD Read Bio Area of Interest: Basic Science Research
Project Title: Development and Evaluation of a Synthetic 3D Scaffold for Production of Functional iPSC-derived Hepatocytes
Current Role: Senior Medical Writer, BostonGene
Ramiro Fernandez, MD Program Dates: 7/2016 - 6/2018 Primary Mentor: Ankit Bharat, MD Read Bio Area of Interest: Basic Science Research
Project Title: Tissue-restricted Autoimmunity Leads to Lung Allograft Rejection
Current Role: Assistant Professor of Surgery at Baylor College of Medicine David J. Sugarbaker Division of Thoracic Surgery
Director, Michael E. DeBakey Summer Surgery Program at Baylor College of Medicine Michael E. DeBakey Department of Surgery
Kofi Atiemo, MD Program Dates: 7/2015 - 6/2017 Primary Mentor: Daniela Ladner, MD & Abel Kho, MD Read Bio Area of Interest: Outcomes Research
Project Title: Factors associated with increased mortality among patients with Cirrhosis and a low MELD
Current Role: Assistant Professor of Surgery at Weill Cornell Medical College
Stephen Chiu, MD Program Dates: 7/2015 -6/2017 Primary Mentor: Ankit Bharat, MD Read Bio Area of Interest: Basic Science Research
Project Title: Defining Mechanisms of Neutrophil Infiltration in Allografts Following Lung Transplantation and Downstream Effects
Current Role: Assistant Professor of Cardiac Surgery at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine
JP Savaryn, PhD Program Dates: 7/2013 - 6/2015 Primary Mentor: Michael Abecassis, MD & Neil Kelleher, MD PhD Read Bio Area of Interest: Basic Science Research
Project Title: Top-Down Proteomics to Detect Complex Disease Phenotypes in Transplant Patients
Current Role: Senior Scientist II, DMPK-Bioanalysis at AbbVie Inc.
Derrick McCarthy, PhD Program Dates: 7/2013-6/2015 Primary Mentor: Stephen Miller, MD Read Bio Area of Interest: Basic Science Research
Project Title: Role of CD40/CD40L Interactions in Peripheral Tolerance Induction
Current Role: Associate Director of Platform Enhancements at TCR2 Therapeutics
Lisa McElroy, MD Program Dates: 7/2013 - 6/2015 Primary Mentor: Daniela Ladner, MD & Jane Holl, MD Read Bio Area of Interest: Outcomes Research
Project Title: System and Process Vulnerabilities in the Handoff of Liver Transplant Patients
Current Role: Assistant Professor of Surgery, Assistant Professor in Population Health Sciences at Duke University School of Medicine
Nadine Lerret, PhD Program Dates: 7/2011-6/2013 Primary Mentor: Xunrong Luo, MD PhD Read Bio Area of Interest: Basic Science Research
Project Title: Multi-Facet CD8 T Cells in Transplant Rejection and Tolerance
Current Role: Associate Professor and Program Director of Medical Laboratory Science at Rush University
Marina Serper, MD Program Dates: 7/2011 - 6/2013 Primary Mentor: Michael Wolf, MD Read Bio Area of Interest: Outcomes Research
Project Title: Medication Regimen Adherence in Transplant
Current Role: Associate Professor of Medicine (Gastroenterology) and Associate Program Director for Research, Gastroenterology Fellowship at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania
Josetta Houlihan, PhD Program Dates: 8/2010 - 7/2011 Primary Mentor: Xunrong Luo, MD PhD Read Bio Area of Interest: Basic Science Research
Project Title: Role of CD8+CD25+ FoxP3+ T Cells in Transplant Rejection Tolerance
Current Role: Teacher at Zionsville Community Schools, Indiana
Neehar Parikh, MD Program Dates: 6/2010 - 6/2012 Primary Mentor: Xeeshan Butt, MD Read Bio Area of Interest: Outcomes Research
Project Title: Quality of Life in Liver Transplant Recipients
Current Role: Associate Professor, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology at University of Michigan
Bara Sarraj, PhD Program Dates: 7/2009 - 6/2010 Primary Mentor: M. Javeed Ansari, MD Read Bio Area of Interest: Basic Science Research
Project Title: Requirement for CD44 and L-selectin for the Development of Autoimmunity and Proteoglycan-Induced Arthritis in BALB/c Mice
Current Role: Assistant Professor of Biology at Harold Washington College
Colleen Jay, MD Program Dates: 6/2008-6/2010 Primary Mentor: David Cella, MD & Anton Skaro, MD Read Bio Area of Interest: Outcomes Research
Project Title: Outcomes Research; Cost-Effectiveness Deceased Brain Death Versus Deceased Cardiac Death Donor Organs in Transplantation
Current Role: Associate Professor of Surgical Sciences - Transplant, Public Health Sciences, and Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine at Wake Forest University School of Medicine
Aaron Martin, PhD Program Dates: 9/2007 - 7/2010 Primary Mentor: Stephen Miller, MD Read Bio Area of Interest: Basic Science Research
Project Title: Molecular Aspects of Tolerance Induction in the Regulation of Relapsing EAE
Current Role: Principal Scientist, Cell Therapy Discovery at Precision Biosciences
