Alumni

Makoto Mori, MD, PhD
Matriculated: 2017
Graduated: December 2021
Dissertation title: characterization and prediction of Postoperative Recovery After Cardiac Surgery
Current Position: Integrated Cardiothoracic Surgery Resident, Yale New Haven Hospital

Kathleen O’Neill, MD, PhD
Matriculated: 2018
Graduated: December 2021
Dissertation Title: Improving Care for Survivors of Gun Violence
Current Position: General Surgery Resident, Yale New Haven Hospital

Stephan Siebel, MD, PhD
Matriculated: 2015
Graduated: December 2021
Dissertation Title: Minimizing tracer Interference to Assess in vivo Hepatic Metabolism with Glutamine- generated Mass Isotopmers
Current Position: Associate Research Scientist, Yale School of Medicine.

Yu Zhang, MD, PhD
Matriculated: 2015
Graduated: December 2021
Dissertation Title: Modulation of T Cell Response Hierarchy by Coinhibition and Costimulation With Cancer Immunotherapy
Current Position: Associate Research Scientist, Yale New Haven Hospital

Dennis Shung
Matriculated: 2020
Graduated: May 2022
Dissertation Title: Deep Risk Prediction and Embedding of Patient Data
Current Position: Assistant Professor of Medicine Digestive Diseases, Director of Digital health Digestive Diseases, Yale New Haven Hospital

Susanna Curtis, MD, PhD
Matriculated: 2017
Graduated: December 2020
Dissertation Title: Cannabinoids for the reduction of pain and inflammation in sickle cell disease
Current Position: Assistant Professor of Medicine (Hematology), Albert Einstein College of Medicine

Benjamin Gruenbaum, MD, PhD
Matriculated: 2017
Graduated: December 2020
Dissertation Title: Neuronal Mechanisms of Impaired Consciousness in an Awake Rodent Absence Seizure Model
Current Position: Senior Associate Consultant, Mayo Clinic

Ashima Gulati, MD, PhD
Matriculated: 2017
Graduated: December 2019
Dissertation Title: Genetic Determinants Of Intracranial Aneurysm In Autosomal Dominant Polycystic Kidney Disease: Human Exome-Based Approach And Disease Models
Current Position: Assistant Professor of Pediatrics and Genomics and Precision Medicine, Children’s National Hospital

Andrew Branagan, MD, PhD
Matriculated: 2014
Graduated: December 2019
Dissertation Title: Developing A More Effective Influenza Vaccination Strategy For Patients With Plasma Cell Disorders
Current Position: Medical Oncologist, Mass General Hospital Cancer Center

Carlos Oliveira, MD, PhD
Matriculated: 2014
Graduated: December 2019
Dissertation Title: Estimating The Effectiveness Of Human Papillomavirus Vaccine: A Case-Control Study With Bayesian Model Averaging
Current Position: Assistant Professor of Pediatrics (Infectious Disease), Yale School of Medicine

Gabriella Grisotti, MD, PhD
Matriculated: 2014
Graduated: December 2018
Dissertation Title: Decreased Lymphangiogenesis Alters Angiogenesis And Dermal Remodeling In Wound Healing
Current Position: General Surgery Resident, Yale New Haven Hospital

Christopher Lee, MD, PhD
Matriculated: 2009
Graduated: December 2018
Dissertation Title: Timing Of Therapeutic Hypothermia Initiation In Out-Of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest
Current Position: Associate Medical Director, Vertex Pharmaceuticals

Jonathan Merola, MD, PhD
Matriculated: 2015
Graduated: December 2018
Dissertation Title: Characterization Of Human Endothelial Cells With Crispr/Cas9-Mediated Complete Ablation Of Mhc Molecule Expression
Current Position: Fellow, Abdominal Transplant and Hepatobiliary Surgery, New York Presbyterian Hospital

Dennis Moledina, MD, PhD
Matriculated: 2015
Graduated: December 2018
Dissertation Title: Cd4+T-Cell Derived Inflammatory Mediators As Biomarkers For Diagnosis Of Acute Interstitial Nephritis
Current Position: Assistant Professor of Nephrology, Yale School of Medicine

Shaun Gruenbaum, MD, PhD
Matriculated: 2013
Graduated: December 2017
Dissertation Title: The Role of Branched-Chain Amino Acids in Glutamate Metabolism and Seizure Modulation in a Rat Model of Mesial Temporal Lobe Epilepsy
Current Position: Associate Professor of Anesthesiology, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science

Christopher Hammond, MD, PhD
Matriculated: 2011
Graduated: December 2016
Dissertation Title: Stress, Neurophysiology, Affective States, and Co-occurring Cannabis and Tobacco use in Adolescents
Current Position: Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, John Hopkins University School of Medicine

Alex Ryder, MD, PhD
Matriculated: 2011
Graduated: December 2016
Dissertation Title: Vesicular Stomatitis Virus Vectored Chimeric Hemagglutinin Constructs As Broadly Cross-Reactive Influenza Vaccines
Current Position: Medical Director, Spectra Laboratories

Justin Belcher, MD, PhD
Matriculated: 2010
Graduated: May 2015
Dissertation Title: Acute Kidney Injury in the Setting of Cirrhosis
Current Position: Assistant Professor of Nephrology, Yale School of Medicine

Mathieu Lemaire, MD, PhD
Matriculated: 2009
Graduated: May 2015
Dissertation Title: Discovery of Novel Genes That Cause Rare Pediatric Renal Diseases Using Exome Sequencing
Current Position: Assistant Professor of Cell Biology, University of Toronto

Kyle Williams, MD, PhD
Matriculated: 2008
Graduated: December 2015
Dissertation Title: Characterization and Treatment of Inflammation and Autoimmunity in Pediatric Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and Tics
Current Position: Director of Pediatric Neuropsychiatry and Immunology, Mass General Hospital

Chad Marion, DO, PhD
Matriculated: 2012
Graduated: December 2015
Dissertation Title: Chitinase 3-Like-1 (Chil1) as an Immune Modulator in Gram-negative Pneumonia: Balancing Host Resistance and Host Tolerance
Current Position: Assistant Professor Medicine, Wake Forest School of Medicine

Violeta Popov, MD, PhD
Matriculated: 2010
Graduated: May 2014
Dissertation Title: Role of β -catenin in Regulating Hepatic Lipid Metabolism in NAFLD
Current Position: Assistant Professor of Medicine, New York University School of Medicine

Clinton Protack, MD, PhD
Matriculated: 2011
Graduated: May 2014
Dissertation Title: The Role of EphB4 During Arteriovenous Fistula Maturation
Current Position: Surgeon (Vascular Surgery), Vascular Surgery Associates LLC

Ellen Hoffman, MD, PhD
Matriculated: 2009
Graduated: December 2014
Dissertation Title: Functional Analysis of Genes Associated with Autism Spectrum Disorders in a Zebrafish Model System Current Current Position: Assistant Professor of Neuroscience, Yale School of Medicine

Evelyn Hsieh, MD, PhD
Matriculated: 2011
Graduated: December 2014
Dissertation Title: Osteoporosis Among HIV-Infected Individuals in China
Current Position: Assistant Professor of Medicine (Rheumatology), Yale School of Medicine

Sang Kim, MD, PhD
Matriculated: 2010
Graduated: December 2014
Dissertation Title: Characterization of CD4 T Cells That Help Memory B Cells and Their Clinical Relevance
Current Position: Instructor, General Internal Medicine, University of Texas, MD Anderson Cancer Center

Farrukh Koraishy, MD, PhD
Matriculated: 2010
Graduated: December 2014
Dissertation Title: The Crosstalk of HGF and Canonical WNT Signaling in Kidney Repair
Current Position: Assistant Professor of Medicine (Nephrology), St. Louis University

Sarah Huen, MD, PhD
Matriculated: 2008
Graduated: December 2013
Dissertation Title: Regulation and Function of Macrophage Polarization in Ischemic Injury
Current Position: Instructor of Medicine (Nephrology), Yale School of Medicine

Alexander Westphal, MD, PhD
Matriculated: 2007
Graduated: December 2013
Dissertation Title: Clinical Characterization and Amygdala Hypothesis of Childhood Disintegrative Disorder
Current Position: Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine

Roger Jou, MD, PhD
Matriculated: 2006
Graduated: May 2012
Dissertation Title: The Structural Neural Phenotype of Autism Spectrum Disorder: Heterogeneous and Distributed Abnormalities in the Social Brain and its Long-Range Connectivity
Current Position: Assistant Clinical Professor, Yale School of Medicine

Rita Das, MD, PhD
Matriculated: 2008
Graduated: May 2012
Dissertation Title: Role of Macrophage Migration Inhibitory Factor (MIF) in the Pathogenesis of Tuberculosis
Current Position: Executive Director of Vaccines, Merck

Alexander Panda, MD, MPH, PhD
Matriculated: 2008
Graduated: May 2012
Dissertation Title: Age Associated Alterations in Toll-like Receptor Function of Human Dendritic Cells and Correlation With Influenza Vaccine Response.
Current Position: Assistant Professor of Medicine, Section of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Tufts University School of Medicine

Isabelle VonKohorn, MD, PhD
Matriculated: 2008
Graduated: May 2011
Dissertation Title: Predicting Which Mothers Will Go Back to Smoking After Pregnancy: An Application of the Theory of Planned Behavior
Current Position: Chief of Neonatology, Holy Cross Hospital

Ania Jastreboff, MD, PhD
Matriculated: 2008
Graduated: December 2011
Dissertation Title: Neural Response to Stress and Food Cues in Obese Individuals
Current Position: Associate Professor of Medicine (Endocrinology) and of Pediatrics, Yale School of Medicine

Agnes Kim, MD, PhD
Matriculated: 2006
Graduated: December 2011
Dissertation Title: AMPK Regulation and Function in the Ischemic Heart
Current Position: Associate Professor of Medicine (Cardiology), University of Connecticut

Jennifer Sherr, MD, PhD
Matriculated: 2007
Graduated: December 2011
Dissertation Title: β before α: The Importance of Residual β-cell Function for α-cell Secretion of Glucagon in Response to Hypoglycemia
Current Position: Associate Professor of Pediatrics (Endocrinology), Yale School of Medicine

Haakon Nygaard, MD, PhD
Matriculated: 2009
Graduated: December 2011
Dissertation Title: The Role of Cellular Prion Protein in β-Amyloid Induced Neuronal Network Dysfunction in Alzheimer’s Disease
Current Position: Assistant Professor of Medicine (Neurology), The University of British Columbia

Karin Provost, DO, PhD
Matriculated: 2003
Graduated: May 2010
Dissertation Title: The Role of Interferon Gamma in the Regulation of the Epithelial Responses in Allergic Airway Inflammation
Current Position: Associate Professor of Pulmonary and Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, SUNY Buffalo

Katie Moriarty, MD, PhD
Matriculated: 2005
Graduated: May 2009
Dissertation Title: Estrogen Receptor-Mediated Rapid Signaling in Endothelial Progenitor Cell Contributions to Ischemia
Current Position: Cardiologist, St. Croix Medical Center

Vishal Mehra, MD, PhD
Matriculated: 2005
Graduated: December 2008
Dissertation Title: The Molecular Basis of Free Fatty Acid-Induced Endothelial Dysfunction, Impaired Angiogenesis and VEGF-Resistance
Current Position: Director (Advanced Cardiac Imaging), Geisinger Medical Center

Edward J. Miller, MD, PhD
Matriculated: 2003
Graduated: May 2008
Dissertation Title: The Cardioprotective Effects of AMP-Activated Protein Kinase
Current Position: Associate Professor of Cardiovascular Medicine, Yale School of Medicine

Justin Paglino, MD, PhD
Matriculated: 2003
Graduated: May 2008
Dissertation Title: Modifying Parvoviral Oncoselectivity and Allotropism
Current Position: Self Employed

Paul Tang, MD, PhD
Matriculated: 2005
Graduated: December 2008
Dissertation Title: Role of MyD88-Dependent Inflammation in Flow-Mediated Vascular Remodeling
Current Position: Assistant Professor of Thoracic Surgery, University of Michigan

Nancy Kim, MD, PhD
Matriculated: 2004
Graduated: May 2007
Dissertation Title: Persistence with Oral Hypoglycemic Therapy One Year After Initiation
Current Position: Academic Hospitalist and Director of Office of Student Research, Yale School of Medicine

Hatim Hassan, MD, PhD
Matriculated: 2002
Graduated: May 2007
Dissertation Title: Mechanisms of Regulation of Anion Exchanger SLC26A6
Current Position: Associate Professor of Medicine (Nephrology), University of Chicago

John Liao, MD, PhD
Matriculated: 2004
Graduated: May 2007
Dissertation Title: Studies in Therapeutic Vaccination and Immune Evasion by HPV Oncoproteins
Current Position: Associate Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Washington, School of Medicine

David vanDuin, MD, PhD
Matriculated: 2004
Graduated: December 2007
Dissertation Title: Toll-Like Receptors in Older Adults and Response to Vaccination
Current Position: Professor of Medicine, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina Chapel Hill

Karen Dorsey, MD, PhD
Matriculated: 2003
Graduated: December 2006
Dissertation Title: Measurement of Physical Activity in Obese and Non-Obese Children
Current Position: Associate Professor of Pediatrics, Yale School of Medicine

Warren Lee, MD, PhD
Matriculated: 2001
Graduated: 2006
Dissertation Title: Characterization of Candidate Susceptibility Genes in Human Temporal Lobe Epilepsy with Mesial Temporal Sclerosis
Current Position: Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School, Singapore

Erica Herzog, MD, PhD
Matriculated: 2001
Graduated: December 2005
Dissertation Title: Bone Marrow Derived Stem Cells as Progenitors of Alveolar Epithelium
Current Position: Professor of Medicine (Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep), Yale School of Medicine

Samuel Lee, MD, PhD
Matriculated: 2000
Graduated: May 2004
Dissertation Title: Trafficking and Secretion of Virulence-associated Proteins in Candida Albicans
Current Position: Professor of Medicine, Dartmouth Giesel School of Medicine

Varman Samuel, MD, PhD
Matriculated: 2000
Graduated: May 2004
Dissertation Title: Mechanisms of Fat Induced Hepatic Insulin Resistance
Current Position: Associate Professor of Medicine (Endocrinology), Yale School of Medicine

Susan Hardy, MD, PhD
Matriculated: 2002
Graduated: December 2004
Dissertation Title: Patterns, Probability and Predictors of Recovery from Disability in Activities of Daily Living among Community-dwelling Older Persons
Current Position: Medical Director, Harbor Health Services

Ram Weiss, MD, PhD
Matriculated: 2002
Graduated: December 2004
Dissertation Title: Metabolic Characteristics of Obese Children with Normal Vs. Impaired Glucose Tolerance
Current Position: Professor of Pediatrics, Technion School of Medicine

Charlotte Ariyan, MD, PhD
Matriculated: 2000
Graduated: May 2003
Dissertation Title: Strategies to Improve Islet Cell Transportation
Current Position: Associate Professor of Surgery, Weill Cornell Medical College