Internal Medicine Residency Program
Previous Resident Research Spotlights
More information on Research during Residency can be found here.
January 2025
Name: Sims Hershey, MD
Hometown & Medical School: Atlanta, Georgia; Emory University
Year of Training: PGY-2
Career Plans: Cardiology
Mentors: Dr. Andrew DeFilippis, Dr. Brittany Murphy
Award/presentation/publications: 1st place winner of poster competition at Tennessee Chapter of the American College of Cardiology 2024 Meeting. Two moderated sessions accepted for presentation at the upcoming American College of Cardiology 2025 Meeting. Manuscript for this work is currently under review for publication.
"I am lucky to have the opportunity to work with and learn from the incredibly talented and thoughtful Dr. DeFilippis and Dr. Murphy in collaboration with a brilliant multi-center research team to collaborate on making this such an impactful project. As a trainee, it has been a wonderful experience to have the chance to immerse myself in the process of conducting a research project from start to finish. I have felt immense support throughout this learning process and have been continuously pushed and encouraged to think critically, ask thoughtful questions, and analyze relevant data. Additionally, it has been exceptionally rewarding and thought-provoking to critically evaluate the tools we use on a daily basis to risk stratify our patients and how they actually perform amongst various populations."
December 2024
Name: James Brogan, MD, MS
Hometown & Medical School: Coral Springs, Florida; Albert Einstein College of Medicine
Year of Training: PGY-3
Career Plans: Hematology / Oncology
Mentors: Dr. Ashwin Kishtagari and Dr. Alex Bick
Project Title: Prevalence and significance of SH2B3 germline variants in the general population
Award/presentation/publications: ASH HONORS (Hematology Opportunities for the Next Generation of Research Scientists) Award
"I am thankful for Dr. Kishtagari and Dr. Bick's mentorship and encouragement to apply for the ASH HONORS Award as well as program leadership for supporting my research. This opportunity will provide me with the time and funding to continue expanding my informatics skillset into the world of computational genomics. Individualized mentorship and collaboration with computational geneticists in the Bick lab will be foundational as I embark on an academic career in hematology/oncology."
November 2024
Name: Matthew Lu, MD
Hometown & Medical School: Potomac, Maryland; UNC
Year of Training: PGY-3
Career Plans: Hematology and Oncology
Mentor: Dr. Wade Iams
Project Title: Relationship Between Tumor Volume and Clinical Outcomes in Relapsed Small Cell Lung Cancer
Award/presentation/publications: Poster presentation at World Conference for Lung Cancer 2024
"This project gave me a lot of experience coordinating and completing a research project from start to finish. I had a great time presenting and learning from others at the academic conference. We have submitted a manuscript to an academic journal and hope to get a publication in the near future."
October 2024
Name: Piera Sosa, MD
Hometown: Miami, Florida
Medical School: Meharry Medical College
Year of Training: PGY-3
Career Plans: Nephrololgy Fellowship
Mentor: Dr. Adriana Hung
Project Title: "Fanconi Syndrome Following Ifosfamide Use"
Award/presentation/publications: We presented our poster at the 2024 ASN's Kidney Week, discussing the case of a patient who developed Fanconi syndrome (FS) after recent chemotherapy for his liposarcoma. His regimen included ifosfamide, a known culprit of FS. Fortunately, the patient had tubular recovery. However, this prompted our team to consider pharmacogenomics and how certain genes can make some patients more susceptible to developing the condition. We hope to expand on this data in the upcoming months.
"I have been incredibly fortunate to work alongside remarkable and supportive nephrology mentors throughout my residency. Attending Kidney Week is always a highlight of my year. Last year, I had the honor of participating in the Kidney Stars program, and this year, I attended the Advances in Research Conference Early Program, which proved to be highly educational. Kidney Week is an exceptional opportunity to connect with fellow residents, fellows, and mentors while staying updated on the latest advancements in the field."
September 2024
Name: Chloe Carr, MD
Hometown: Chesapeake, Virginia
Medical School: Eastern Virginia Medical School
Year of Training: PGY-2
Career Plans: Cardiology
Mentor: Dr. Bruno Lima
Project Title: "Coronary Calcium Scoring Adds Prognostic Value to Functional Ischemic Assessment in Middle-Aged Adults with Anomalous Coronary Arteries: A Retrospective Analysis"
Award/presentation/publications: Poster Presentation at the American Society of Nuclear Cardiology 2024 Conference
"Getting to present at ASNC 2024 was a fantastic experience! Our research highlighted the role of coronary calcium scores in predicting the prognosis of patients with anomalous coronary arteries. Huge thanks to Dr. Lima for his incredible mentorship; I have learned so much from him over the past year, and I am excited about our future projects. We plan to expand our database to include patients with anomalous coronary arteries found at other institutions across the country and investigate the relationship between CAD and anomalous coronaries."
August 2024
Name: Kathryn Snyder, MD, MPH
Hometown: Avon, Indiana
Medical School: Indiana University School of Medicine
Year of Training: PGY-4 Internal Medicine and Pediatrics
Career Plans: Adult Cardiology
Mentor: Dr. Christianne Roumie
Project Title: The Association of SGLT2i versus DPP4i on Fracture: A Cohort Study in Veterans with Diabetes
Award/presentation/publications: "The Association of SGLT2i versus DPP4i on Fracture: A Cohort Study in Veterans." Dr. Snyder received the 2024 Oscar Crofford Scholar in Diabetes Research award in June 2024. Her group's work on fracture in patients using SGLT2i was featured with honorable mention at the VUMC Research Forum and was presented at the national meeting of the American Diabetes Association in June 2024. Dr. Snyder and colleagues are in the process of finalizing and submitting a manuscript for publication of the project.
"It has been a true pleasure and privilege to work under the mentorship of Dr. Roumie. She is an amazing role model in academic medicine and research, and I have learned so much over the last two years working with her. A big thank you to Dr. Roumie, Jennifer Wharton, Katie Griffin, Dr. Robert Greevy and Dr. Amber Hackstadt for all of their many contributions to this project."
July 2024
Name: Gary Allen, MD
Hometown: Smithfield, North Carolina
Medical School: East Carolina Brody School of Medicine
Year of Training: PGY-1
Career Plans: PM&R
Mentor: Dr. William Jones
Project Title: Brachial Plexus Injury after Gunshot Wound
Award/presentation/publications: Case Report at the Association of Academic Physiatrists 2024 Annual Assembly, "A multispecialty, multidisciplinary approach is important to address Brachial Plexus Injuries."
"Working on this case report was a powerful learning experience for me as a first-year resident. I am profoundly grateful to my mentor, Dr. William Jones, and the Departments of Internal Medicine and PM&R for their support and guidance from writing the abstract to approving the time away from the clinical space.
This experience has not only enriched my understanding of the unique neurological injuries that can occur to the brachial plexus, but also strengthened my commitment to improving the treatment options available to patients with similar conditions."
Hashim Hayat, MBBS
June 2024
Name: Hashim Hayat, MBBS
Hometown: Faisalabad, Pakistan
Year of Training: PGY-3
Career Plans: Gastroenterology Fellow at the Brigham and Women's Hospital, starting 2024
Mentors: Michael Vaezi, MD, PhD; Dhyanesh Patel, MD; Rishi Naik, MD, MSCI; Shabnam Sarker, MD
Project Title: 'Opioid exposure differentially impacts esophageal body contraction over the lower esophageal sphincter,' 'GERD and Post-Lung Transplant Outcomes,' 'Esophageal Pathology and Dysphagia Localization'"
Award/Presentation/Publications: Posters of Distinction DDW 2022 and 2023. Presentation at DDW 2024: Esophageal Pathology and Dysphagia Localization. Published in the journal 'Gastroenterology'
"Research during residency can be a very daunting task. It was through incomparable mentorship and support from my mentors that helped me navigate the world of clinical investigation. I was fortunate to have mentors like Dr. Vaezi, Dan, Rishi and Dr. Sarker, who graciously created opportunities for me while supporting me through every step of the journey.
Vanderbilt is exceptional in the opportunities it provides, just six months into residency I was being mentored by world experts in my area of interest, helping me translate my clinical observations into exciting research ideas. Their kindness, open-door policy and genuine investment in my career as an aspiring physician scientist made research one of the most exciting parts of residency.
One of the many projects I worked on explored the impact of opioid exposure on the esophageal sphincter. The paper was published in 'Gastroenterology' and cited in UpToDate practice guidelines. This experience was beyond gratifying because I was able to participate in research that was directly impacting patient care. I am eternally grateful to my program for their support towards my research career and connecting me with mentors I will cherish for life."
May 2024
Name: M. Brett Bowling, MD
Hometown: Flowood, Mississippi
Medical School: University of Mississippi Medical Center
Year of Training: PGY-2
Career Plans: Applying Cardiology
Mentors: Dr. Lee Richardson and Dr. Michael Baker
Project Title: "To Anticoagulate or Not? Safety and Feasibility of Transesophageal Echocardiography Guided Direct Current Cardioversion Among Patients with Left Atrial Appendage Occlusion: A Single Center Experience"
Award/Presentation/Publications: Oral Abstract Presentation and Poster Presentation at the 2024 American Society of Echocardiography (ASE) Scientific Sessions. Abstract Publication in the Journal of the American Society of Echocardiography
"It has been incredibly enlightening to work with Dr. Baker, Dr. Richardson, and several other outstanding attendings, fellows, and medical students that comprise our group in an attempt to gain a better understanding of appropriate anticoagulation strategies after elective cardioversion for patients who have previously undergone left atrial appendage occlusion.
I couldn't be more excited to share our work at the ASE Scientific Sessions this June. In the near future, we plan to submit a full manuscript to the Journal of the American Society of Echocardiography. We would also like to continue to expand our cohort of patients who have undergone left atrial appendage occlusion followed by elective direct current cardioversion for recurrent atrial fibrillation in order to further analyze the safety and efficacy of our current management strategies for these individuals."