Previous Resident Research Spotlights

Hashim Hayat, MBBS

Resident Research Spotlight, 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."

Brett Bowling, MD

Resident Research Spotlight, May 2024

Name: M. Brett Bowling

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."

Allie Lenyo, MD

Resident Research Spotlight, April 2024

Name: Allie Lenyo, MD

Hometown: Huron, OH

Year of Training: PGY1

Career Plans: Hematology/Oncology with a focus in GI cancers

Mentor: Dr. Cathy Eng, VUMC and Dr. Cassandra Fritz, Washington University

Project Title: "Characterizing Racial Disparities in Follow-Up Care after Open Access Colonoscopy"

Award / Presentation: ACG Outstanding Poster Presentation Award, American College of Gastroenterology Conference

"During my medical training thus far, I have developed an interest in the treatment and the prevention of gastrointestinal cancers. Working under the mentorship of Dr. Cassandra Fritz, I was able to explore disparities in follow-up care after open-access colonoscopy, which are colonoscopies that patients can receive without being established patients of a gastroenterologist. These open-access colonoscopies are important in increasing patients' access to colorectal cancer screenings.

Ensuring that all patients receive proper follow-up care to address their colonoscopy result is a crucial step in colon cancer prevention. Having the opportunity to complete research projects during my training allows me the chance to contribute new knowledge to the medical field, and conducting research has helped me to broaden my understanding of the medical issues that affect my patients."

I-Ling Chiang, MD, MPH

Resident Research Spotlight, March 2024

Name: I-Ling Chiang, MD, MPH

Year of Training: PGY2

Career Plans: Gastroenterology

Mentor: Dr. Richard Peek, VUMC PSTP program and Dr. Li Ding, Washington University School of Medicine

Project Title: "Tumor Microenvironment Analysis in Metastatic Sites of Colorectal Cancer"

Award / Presentation: American College of Gastroenterology Conference, Presidential Poster Award

"As a resident, I continued to work with my mentor Professor Li Ding from my medical school. In our project, we analyzed single nuclear RNA sequencing data regarding metastatic colorectal cancer and the tumor microenvironment. This has been a very valuable experience, as it allowed me to learn more about utilizing biocomputational tools for answering important biological questions.

As an aspiring physician-scientist, it is fascinating to work with clinically relevant topics and to explore the intersection of medicine and science. Ultimately, I hope that my research can be translated to help clinical patients."

Mahsima Shabani, MD, MPH

Resident Research Spotlight, February 2024

Name: Mahsima Shabani, MD, MPH

Year of Training: PGY2

Career Plans: Precision Cardiology

Mentor: Dr. Benjamin Shoemaker

Project Title: "Results from Genetic Evaluation of Patients Referred to an Atrial Fibrillation Precision Medicine Clinic"

Award: Eric N. Prystowsky Early Career Researcher Award from Heart Rhythm Society

"Vanderbilt's strong foundation in Precision Medicine and commitment to personalized care, exemplified by initiatives like the Atrial Fibrillation Precision Medicine Clinic has been one of the main influential factors in pursuing my residency training in this institution. I am beyond grateful to all my mentors who, upon learning of my interests, guided me to become part of this compelling initiative aligning with my aspirations.

"This award is a testament to the integral contributions of each and every member of the Early Onset Afib team, under the exceptional leadership of Dr. Ben Shoemaker. I am honored to be working with such an esteemed team and look forward to reaching further milestones together. This experience undoubtedly holds particular importance in shaping my future career in the field of precision cardiology."

Sara Treat, MD

Resident Research Spotlight, January 2024

Name: Sara Treat, MD

Year of Training: PGY 2

Career Plans: Gastroenterology

Mentor: Dr. Neeraja Peterson and Dr. Kaele Leonard

Project Title: "Breathing Through Blood: Thoracic Endometriosis as a Cause of an Unexplained Pleural Effusion"

Award: First Place Tennessee ACP Chapter National Poster Competition

"For this project, I got to work with an amazingly intelligent and supportive team on the Rogers Pulmonary service to identify and treat this rare cause of a pleural effusion. I then was able to create a case report poster with the help of Dr. Leonard and Dr. Peterson and submit it to the ACP TN Chapter in a poster competition. This project really highlighted for me all the amazing support residents have to do research at VUMC as well as the high-quality patient care that we are able to participate in."

Brittany Saldivar Murphy, MD

Resident Research Spotlight, December 2023

Name: Brittany Saldivar Murphy, MD

Career Plans: Cardiology

Mentors:  Dr. Melinda Aldrich, Dr. Andrew DeFilippis

Project Title: "The Addition of Social Determinants of Health to Coronary Heart Disease Risk Prediction"

Award/Presentation: American Heart Association Scientific Sessions Oral Presentation and Underrepresented Racial and Ethnic Groups Travel Grant Award

"The idea for this project was something I first thought of and became passionate about my intern year, but being new to the institution, I wasn't aware of all the resources and support available to carry it out. Dr. McPherson connected me with mentors in cardiology, epidemiology, and biostatistics and Dr. DeFilippis helped me create a multi-institution research team to further develop my idea and conduct my project. I felt so supported to create and conduct my own research projects and was lucky enough to receive internal and external financial support to share this work nationally at AHA. There is tremendous formal and intentional research support at Vanderbilt that allows young trainees like myself to perform meaningful and impactful research." 

Seth Richardson, MD

Resident Research Spotlight, March 2023

Name: Seth Richardson, MD

Career Plans: Gastroenterology

Mentor:  Dr. Manhal Izzy

Project Title: "Utility of Glucagon-Like Peptide 1 Receptor Agonists as Anti-Obesity Medications in Liver Transplant Recipients"

Abstract/Paper: Planned abstract presentation at The International Liver Transplantation Society Annual Congress in 2023. Manuscript in progress.

"It has been an honor, a privilege and overall humbling experience to work alongside some of the brightest minds in medicine on this project. My journey in research has emphasized the importance of mentorship and reinforced a sense of gratitude to be in a training environment like VUMC that helps promote such relationships. The persistence and willingness to adapt to new scenarios that our team has displayed is admirable. I am excited to use the skills and relationships gained from this project to help maneuver any path that a career in medicine may take me on.” 

Rahul Shah, MD

Taylor Ashley Riggs, MD

Resident Research Spotlight, November 2022

Career Plans: Gastroenterology fellowship (with an interest in IBD)

Mentor:  Dr. Dawn Beaulieu

Project Title: “IBD Functional Medicine Clinic"

Abstract Title: Using the Tools of Functional Medicine Improves the Multi-Disciplinary Model of Care of the IBD Patient.*

*Abstract presented at ACG 2022.

"When looking to get involved in research during residency, I really wanted to get involved in a project I was passionate about. Through getting involved with the IBD functional medicine clinic, I was able to explore my passion for not only gastroenterology but the overlap with nutrition and psychiatry. It has demonstrated how effective and important multi-disciplinary models of care are for patients with chronic conditions such as IBD and how much we have yet to learn about the ways diet and lifestyle can be utilized in the treatment of patients with IBD."