Resident Statements
Katrin Sadigh, MD
Current Position: Epidemic Intelligence Service Officer, Global Immunization Division, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Education: Dr. Katrin Sadigh attended Medical School at Boston University School of Medicine, and completed her Residency at Yale School of Medicine and an Infectious Disease fellowship at Massachusetts General Hospital and Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard University
“It was the act of storytelling, coupled with the power to advocate for and bring about social justice, that first drew me to medicine. Both as a Peace Corps volunteer in Kenya, and a medical student within the airy walls of the large city hospital of Uganda, I learned about the story of HIV as it was told by a region and its people, to see how it was linked to that of people all over the world. This story of HIV was one in which I wanted to engage in a more meaningful way, not just as a physician but as a defender of human rights. The HIV training track at Yale Primary Care Program has provided the launching pad. Under the mentorship of master clinicians and staunch human rights activists, in the company of compassionate and adept colleagues and multidisciplinary care teams, we work together to define the future of HIV medicine. We learn about social determinants of health, along with comorbidities such as substance use or psychiatric illness, as well as focused HIV medicine such as patterns of viral resistance and management of opportunistic infections. Whether working with people who are newly diagnosed or those who have lived through the early days of the epidemic, we learn from each of our patients, first by listening to their stories. With numerous resources and opportunities for scholarship, including J&J Global Health Scholars Program, I have also been able to couple clinical knowledge with research skills. I would strongly recommend this program for anyone with an interest in HIV and an innovative model of care, and a desire to build upon a community filled with people who will continue to challenge and inspire.”
Dr. Sadigh graduated from the Yale HIV Primary Care Program in 2016.
Atsuko Yamahiro, MD
Current Position: Core Faculty at Yale Waterbury Internal Medicine Residency Program, HIV/Primary Care Physician at Chase Clinic Assistant Clinical Professor of Medicine, Yale School of Medicine.
Education: Dr. Yamahiro graduated with honors from Northwestern University Medical School in 2013 and joined the HIV Primary Care program in 2013
“The Yale Primary Care/HIV Training Track allowed me to begin my rewarding career in providing primary care for persons living with HIV. The program's excellent faculty and the co-residents as well as clinic staff that I trained with are my lifelong mentors, friends, and role models.”
Dr. Yamahiro graduated from the Yale HIV Primary Care Program 2016.
Kristen Hysell, MD
Current position: Attending Physician, Division of Infectious Diseases Massachusetts General Hospital Instructor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School.
Education: Dr. Kristen Hysell attended Medical School at Boston University School of Medicine, and completed her Residency at Yale School of Medicine and Infectious Disease fellowship at Massachusetts General Hospital and Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard University.
"Through the Yale Primary Care HIV Training Track, I have had to the opportunity to care for a vulnerable patient population that has been marginalized for decades. From complex medical problems to unique and challenging social situations, it has been an incredible learning experience. I feel truly privileged to work among a humanistic multidisciplinary team to provide both primary care and comprehensive HIV management. Most rewarding of all, are the incredible bonds I have formed with patients through their initial diagnosis, counseling, and long-term treatment."
Dr. Hysell graduated from the Yale HIV Primary Care Program in 2017
Charisse Mandimika, MD
Current Position: Medical Director, Merck Pharmaceuticals
Education: Dr. Mandimika Attended Yale Medical School, and completed her Residency at Yale School of Medicine and Infectious Disease fellowship at Yale University.
I spent the majority of my formative years in Zimbabwe-a country at the epicenter of the global HIV epidemic. Even with so many new and exciting policy changes globally, the HIV population continues to be one of the most marginalized and shunned by society. I feel truly privileged to have found a medical home in the HIV Track here that shares my desire to improve the medical, mental and social health of this particular group of patients. The skills that I am acquiring through dedicated mentorship at the Nathan Smith Clinic are equipping me to ultimately make the changes I would like to see in individual patient lives, and the community at large.
Dr. Mandimika graduated from the Yale HIV Primary Care Program in 2017
Perry Tiberio, MD
Current position: Pulmonary and Critical Care Fellow at UPMC. Dr. Tiberio attended State University of New York Downstate and earned his PhD, he also attended State University of New York Downstate College of Medicine, completed his Residency at Yale-New Haven Hospital and is currently finishing his fellowship in pulmonary critical care at UPMC
Education: Dr. Tiberio attended State University of New York Downstate and earned his PhD, he also attended State University of New York Downstate College of Medicine, completed his Residency at Yale-New Haven Hospital and is currently finishing his fellowship in pulmonary critical care at UPMC
"My experiences at the Nathan Smith Clinic and on the Donaldson service have forever shaped how I engage with my patients as a physician. The HIV training track has not only given me a unique training experience, it has provided me with a second family."
Dr. Tiberio graduated from the Yale HIV Primary Care Program in 2017.
Christopher Alonzo, MD, MPH
Current Position: Physician at Fenway Health since 2018. Christopher specializes in Internal Medicine with a focus on HIV and LGBT Healthcare.
Dr. Alonzo is a graduate from the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio, earned his Master’s in Public Health from University of Texas in Houston, and completed residency training at Yale with a specific focus in HIV primary care.
Dr. Alonzo graduated from the Yale HIV Primary Care Program 2018.
Karen Jacobson, MD
Current position: Infectious Diseases Fellow, Stanford.
Dr. Jacobson attended Medical School at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, and completed her Residency at Yale-New Haven. She is currently finishing her ID fellowship at Stanford.
"I loved my time in the HIV TT. The mentorship and community at the Nathan Smith Clinic meant so much to me, and helped me grow so much as a doctor."
Dr. Jacobson graduated from the Yale HIV Primary Care Program 2018
Bennie Taylor, MD, MPH
Current position: Primary Care and HIV Physician Whitman-Walker Washington DC.
Graduated with honors from Howard University College of Medicine in 2016.
Dr. Taylor graduated from the Yale HIV Primary Care Program in 2019.
Faiza Yasin, MD, MHS
Current Position: Primary Care/ HIV physician at One Medical San Francisco, and Street Medicine/ Whole Person Integrated Care Physician at the San Francisco Department of Public Health
Dr. Yasin attended Medical school at Boston University School of Medicine.
"My journey to a medical career is rooted in my work within public health, global health and human rights advocacy, and the recognition that medicine is an incredibly powerful mechanism for social change.
The Yale HIV Training Track has provided me with a strong foundation within Internal Medicine, and the unique skillset and knowledge to also care for patients living with HIV. The training track has given me invaluable mentorship, and allowed me to pursue additional training to tailor my scope of practice - including direct mentorship with the Yale Center for Asylum Medicine, providing educational workshops within the local and federal prison systems, and developing quality improvement programming within our clinic focused on substance use disorder management and Narcan utilization.
It is a privilege to work with one of the most compassionate, knowledgeable, and multidisciplinary group of colleagues; all whom have a become a family within a clinic home. The HIV training program has given me the foundation, support, and innumerable opportunities to grow into the role of a primary care HIV provider who is also a physician advocate."
Dr. Yasin graduated from the Yale HIV Primary Care Program in 2019
Yilu Qin, MD
Current position: West Haven VA Clinical Resource Hub Primary Care Physician, possible faculty appointment at Brown University.
Dr. Qin Attended MD Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine
"I started the HIVTT in 2017 and graduated in 2020. This program was an amazing continuation of my medical school experiences with HIV research in China (where I did a Fulbright 2015-2016). It provided me with the strong clinical training to provide primary care for people living with HIV. My long-term interests are to provide medical care in underserved rural communities in the US as well as to continue my international research interests.
Dr. Qin graduated from the Yale HIV Primary Care Program in 2020.
Elizabeth Ferzacca, MD
Current position: physician at UMASS Memorial Health
Specialty: Internal Medicine
Interests:
- Adult Primary and Preventive Care
- Diabetes Mellitus
- Hypertension
- LGBTQ Health
Dr. Ferzacca graduated from the Yale HIV Primary Care Program in 2021.
Marina Palma Lima, MD
Current position: physician at Family Health Centers of San Diego
"I am a multilingual provider passionate about immigrant and Latinx health. I bring high-quality, primary-care specific training in evidence-based medicine. I am honored to provide culturally-competent and gender-inclusive care to all people, including those living with HIV/AIDS. Ask me about anything HIV, PrEP, or STD testing! Lets #EndAIDS together."
Dr. Palma Lima graduated from the Yale HIV Primary Care Program in 2021.
Jared Thomas, MD
August Lindmark, MD
Timothy DeVita, MD
Current position: Epidemic Intelligence Officer with the Malaria Branch at CDC and Lieutenant with the US Public Health Service Commissioned Corps
Education: Georgetown University School of Medicine 2020
I am deeply grateful to have completed my residency training at Yale’s Primary Care Internal Medicine HIV training track. I emerged from training not only as a competent and confident internist, but also with a strong skillset in HIV medicine. I feel well prepared to care for the unique needs of the populations impacted by the HIV pandemic. The program’s small size augmented the larger Yale internal medicine program, providing an additional layer of excellent mentors and alumni. This environment enabled me to grow tremendously. Though I have left New Haven, I remain engaged with the HIVTT community; physicians who care deeply for the underserved and each other.
Dr. Devita graduated from the Yale HIV Primary Care Program 2023.
Jonathan Casazola, MD
Education: MD, San Juan Bautista School of Medicine, 2020; BS, University of Connecticut, 2014
Dr. Casazola graduated from the Yale HIV Primary Care Program 2023.