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Pediatrics: Education & Training
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INFORMATION FOR

Faculty & Fellows

Organizations on this page

  • Infectious Disease Fellowship Leadership

    • Inci Yildirim, MD, PhD, MSc

      Program Director

      Inci Yildirim, MD, PhD, is a pediatric infectious disease specialist and an epidemiologist whose clinical work and research focus on infections and vaccine-induced immune response in healthy children and those with hematopoietic stem cell or organ transplantation and sickle cell disease. Dr. Yildirim is a Professor of Pediatrics and Global Health in the Section of Infectious Diseases and Global Health and an Associate Professor of Public Health in the Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases at Yale School of Public Health (YSPH). She is also an affiliated faculty member at Yale Institute of Global Health and Yale Center for Infection and Immunity. She serves as the Section Chief of Infectious Diseases and Global Health and as the Medical Director of Transplant Infectious Diseases at Yale New Haven Children’s Hospital. Dr. Yildirim is the founding Director of Yale Pediatric Vaccine Trials Program. She teaches EMD546 Vaccines and Vaccine Preventable Diseases course at YSPH.
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  • Current Fellows, 25-26

    • Abhishek Giri, MD
      Medical School: B.P Koirala Institute of Health Sciences Residency: NYC H+H/Woodhull Medical Center Fellowship Year: 2 Abhishek was born and raised in Nepal. He completed his initial medical training in eastern Nepal at the B.P. Koirala Institute of Health Sciences and pursued his pediatrics training at Nepal Medical College and Teaching Hospital. He completed his pediatric residency at NYC H+H/Woodhull Medical Center. He has experience working in clinical trials in enteric fever and acute febrile illness. His interests lie in clinical research, global health, vaccines, and epidemiological studies. He is very excited to join the program at Yale and is currently exploring opportunities and projects that align with his interests. Outside of work, he enjoys music, basketball, traveling, and family time.
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    • Cristina Rios Rivera, MPH, MD
      Medical School: American University of Antigua, Antigua and Barbuda Pediatric Residency: San Juan City Hospital, Puerto Rico Fellowship Year: 3 Cristina was born in and grew up in Puerto Rico. She majored in Biology at the University of Puerto Rico, Mayaguez Campus. She received her master's in public health at the University of Puerto Rico Medical Science Campus and her medical degree at American University of Antigua. Her research interests include antimicrobial stewardship, quality improvement, and global health. In addition to patient care, Cristina enjoys teaching resident and students and advocates for underserved, minority populations. Outside of medicine, Cristina loves traveling to get to know new cultures, their history, and cuisines. She enjoys going to different restaurants, watching TV shows, exercising, and planning get-togethers with family and friends.
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    • Prathiba Venkatachalapathy, MD, MBBS
      Medical School: PSG Institute of medical science and research, India Residency: Institute of child health, Madras Medical college, India. Fellowship Year: 1 Prathiba Venkatachalapathy was born and raised in India. She completed her residency at the prestigious Madras Medical college. She then worked as a senior resident in renowned centers in India and has expertise in managing infections in the pediatric age group. Her interests were primarily in Dengue fever and other tropical infections. She then worked for more than a decade as Pediatrician in Dubai ,United Arab Emirates. She is now excited to join the program at Yale. Her primary clinical and research interests are in hospital acquired and Transplant infections. She enjoys cooking , travelling and watching movies.
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