Current Internal Medicine Housestaff

Greg was born and raised in Bountiful, Utah, a suburb of Salt Lake City. Living close to the mountains, much of his time was spent hiking, camping, boating, and snow skiing. He had dreams of becoming a professional guitarist, taught lessons during high school and college, and even tried his hand at song composition. When Nashville never came calling, he attended BYU where he studied biology, taught chemistry, and spent two years living abroad in Spain where he became fluent in Spanish- and fluent in all things tapas. He and his wife, Becca, moved to North Carolina for medical school where they quickly fell in love with the southern culture and climate. They spend as much time as possible outdoors and enjoy running, hiking, kayaking and playing tennis with their two sons Owen and Brooks. Greg has loved being in Nashville and appreciates working with and learning from the outstanding residents and attendings at VUMC. Member of AOA.

Kaele was born and raised in the suburbs of Chicago, spending most of her free time playing sports. After high school, she moved to Atlanta to attend Emory University, majoring in neuroscience and behavioral biology with a minor in global health, studying abroad in Madagascar on a Traditional Medicine and Healthcare Systems program. She continued her love of sports as a goalkeeper on the Emory soccer team (with co-resident Kelly Costopoulos!) and a sprinter on the Emory track and field team. She returned back to Chicago to attend Rush Medical College, where she spent time volunteering in Chicago's underserved communities and participated on a global health trip to the Dominican Republic. Kaele and her partner Dwayne, a Vanderbilt Emergency Medicine resident, love hiking with their dog Gouda and exploring all the food and live music Nashville has to offer. In her free time, she enjoys soccer, triathlons, and spending time with her Vandy fam, the best co-residents around. Member of AOA

Christine was born and raised in Frederick, Maryland. She left the mountain views for the coast of North Carolina to attend college at The University of North Carolina Wilmington. After four years of studying, volunteering at the local free health clinic, dancing on her college dance team, and lounging on Wrightsville Beach, she graduated with a B.S. in biology and minors in chemistry and psychology. She then attended medical school at the University of North Carolina where she discovered her two passions: internal medicine and Tar Heel basketball. Her favorite bodily fluid is ascites, and she hopes to pursue a career in Gastroenterology/Hepatology following residency. In Christine's free time she enjoys all Nashville has to offer, including hiking with her dog, Jeni's ice cream, and listening to live music. Member of AOA.

Gabe was raised in Garland, Texas outside of Dallas (but he is not a Cowboy’s fan). He started playing competitive tennis at the age of 10 and played until he went to college at The University of Texas at Austin. While at the REAL UT he majored in marketing, minored in public health, and taught tennis on the side so that he could afford eating things other than top ramen every now and then. While at UT he met his wife, Kenzie. After he graduated from UT he attended the McGovern Medical School at UTHealth in Houston. He has always been passionate about community service and addressing healthcare disparities, especially those faced by minorities. He and Kenzie welcomed their first daughter, Lily, during his 2nd year of residency. In his spare time he enjoys spending time with his wife and daughter and sitting on his couch binge-watching shows on Netflix. He and his wife had never lived outside of Texas before, but have loved living in Nashville because of the great hiking, wonderful people, and multiple Texas restaurants that have opened here. His house has a strict hierarchy with his wife at the top, his daughter Lily second, Dublin the cat third, and him at the bottom. He is interested in Gastroenterology and plans on doing GI fellowship after he is the chief resident at the VA next year. Member of AOA.

Hannah was born and raised in Winston Salem, North Carolina. Like her dad, brother, and sister, Hannah attended UNC-Chapel Hill for her undergraduate studies. She majored in Chemistry and Biology and then decided to stay in Chapel Hill for another four years to attend UNC School of Medicine. Hannah completed her third year of medical school at the Asheville branch campus, where she spent the majority of her time working in primary care clinics and exploring scenic hiking trails and delicious restaurants. In her free time, Hannah loves reading on the beach, traveling internationally (especially to visit study-abroad friends), watching UNC basketball games, and of course spending as much time as possible with her friends and family. Hannah is so excited to join the Vanderbilt family and become properly indoctrinated into the Nashville country music scene.

Kate grew up the youngest child in a family of ten in rural Wisconsin. She went to UW Madison for undergrad and graduated with a degree in Biology and History. Kate subsequently attended medical school at the University of Wisconsin. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with family, which now includes 19 nieces and nephews (and counting). In addition, she is an avid hiker and loves backpacking in the national parks. Kate has a five-month-old golden retriever puppy named Maze, who tends to monopolize as much of her time as possible. Kate and her husband are both excited to move to Nashville and escape the snow for the first time ever. She cannot wait to begin the next stage of training at Vanderbilt!

Patrick was born and raised in Madison, WI. He wanted to be a Badger like his older sister, so he followed her to the University of Wisconsin-Madison for undergraduate where he majored in microbiology and worked in a stem cell research laboratory. He then made his way to Dayton, OH for medical school at Wright State University and developed an enthusiasm for teaching and medical education. He discovered a love of internal medicine after rotating through cardiology and the medical ICU. He hopes to contribute to medical education and teaching as a pulmonary/critical care physician in the future. Patrick loves to spend his free time running, biking, hiking, and cooking. He is excited to join the Vanderbilt Internal Medicine family and explore all the parks and greenways in Nashville!

Adrian grew up in Denton, Texas where he attended the University of North Texas (UNT) majoring in Biology. He became fascinated with basic science research while at UNT and the National Institutes of Health. Adrian took a non-traditional approach and pursued a Ph.D. in Molecular Physiology & Biophysics at Vanderbilt before medical school. He investigated the mechanisms mediating sarcomere turnover in human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (hiPSC-CMs). During graduate school, he became interested in translational research and subsequently enrolled at Vanderbilt for medical school. He is thrilled to join the Harrison Society and intends to complete a fellowship in cardiology. Adrian’s research interests include titin, hiPSC-CMs, 3D cardiac tissue engineering, and microscopy. Adrian aspires to run a basic science lab focused on inherited cardiomyopathies. He lives in Nashville with his fiancée and cat. He enjoys hiking, mountain biking, fishing, and camping in Middle Tennessee.

Leonard grew up in Toronto, Canada. He attended the University of Pennsylvania and majored in Biology. He went on to pursue a Master of Science in Public Health and Nutrition at Columbia and stayed for medical school at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons. Leonard’s interests include advanced heart failure and transplantation, cardio-oncology, and health policy/implementation sciences. In his free time, he is an avid tennis player although his favorite sport is soccer. He enjoys watching sports of any kind, especially his hometown Maple Leafs. On quieter nights, he also likes playing chess. He is a lover of all dogs and some cats. Leonard is excited to join the Vandy family and watch the Leafs consistently beat the Predators for the next three years!

Ashley was a part of the third generation in her family to be born and raised in Tampa, Florida (also known in the recent year as “Champa Bay”). Growing up, she spent much of her time playing sports, including volleyball and softball, and boating and fishing on the bay. She attended the University of Florida for college (Go Gators!) where she majored in Cognitive Neuroscience. Throughout her time there, she discovered a passion for community service and teaching. She carried these passions to the University of Central Florida for medical school, where she enjoyed volunteering at a student-run free clinic for the underserved and tutoring fellow medical students. At UCF, she quickly developed a love for the variety and complexity of internal medicine. During her free time, she enjoys training for half marathons and obstacle courses. She is thrilled to join the Vanderbilt community and explore the Music City!

Chloe grew up in Gainesville, Florida and attended the University of Florida (Go Gators!) where she majored in Microbiology and Spanish. She stayed at the University of Florida for medical school, at which time she was drawn to internal medicine. Outside of medicine, she enjoys cooking, baking, singing, learning languages, and being outdoors. She is delighted to be joining the Vanderbilt family and looks forward to exploring Nashville.

Anton was born and raised in Miami, FL where he enjoyed playing baseball and soccer, attending rock concerts, and cheering his city’s sports teams as well as Chelsea F.C. and the Belgian national football team! He attended University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (not on a basketball scholarship) and studied Public Health and Nutrition. This is also where he met his beloved girlfriend, Nichole, in a biochemistry class—Krebs cycle, how romantic. After undergrad, he worked as an EMT and afterschool counselor at the local YMCA in Northern Virginia. A year later, he moved back home and attended FIU HWCOM where he became particularly interested in gastroenterology, medical education, and wellness. In his free time, Anton enjoys watching/playing soccer, going to the gym, trying out new restaurants/breweries, playing video games, listening to rock/metal music and travel (while not in a pandemic). Overall, Nichole and Anton are thrilled to be moving to the amazing city of Nashville and joining the Vanderbilt family.

Malcolm is from Vero Beach, Florida. Growing up in a small town allowed him to see the need for accessible healthcare and community partnership. Through this experience, he developed a passion for health equity and healthcare policy. His passion eventually led him to Florida State University College of Medicine, where he served in various leadership roles centered around community service and engagement. Malcolm also has a great passion for medical education and mentoring. He foresees himself remaining in academic medicine to help foster the growth of future clinicians. During his free time, Malcolm enjoys outdoor activities, performing arts events, and spending time with family and friends. Malcolm is elated and grateful to become a part of the Vanderbilt family, as he sees Vanderbilt as a remarkable institution filled with collegial and caring individuals!

Rana was born in Egypt and spent her early childhood in Japan before moving to the U.S. with her family in 2003. Rana studied health sciences and mathematics at East Tennessee State University where she also enjoyed the beautiful outdoors of southern Appalachia. She attended medical school at The Ohio State University where she became active in community-engaged research and health promotion. Rana serves on the National Gold Humanism Honor Society to promote compassionate healthcare environments, and she was voted by her medical school class for “warmest smile and best hugs.” Rana loves art, meeting new people, and eating sushi!

Danielle was born and raised in Charleston, South Carolina. She studied public health at the University of North Carolina. After college, she worked in healthcare consulting, which has fueled her interest in quality improvement and patient safety. Danielle returned to Charleston for medical school at MUSC. She was actively involved with the student-run free clinic, both as a volunteer and serving as Director of Operations. Outside of the hospital, she enjoys hiking, seeing live music, traveling, and cheering on the Tar Heels. She is very excited to be joining the Vanderbilt family!

Kristoff was born in Jamaica and moved to Massachusetts at the age of five with his parents and older sister. He attended Oakwood University where he majored in Biomedical Sciences. He then attended Loma Linda University in southern California for medical school where he continued his passion for working with local communities through grassroots initiatives and longitudinal partnerships. During his time at Loma Linda, Kristoff obtained a Masters in Religion and Society where he began to develop a passion for exploring the intersections between spirituality and medicine and the impact that spirituality can have on the health of individuals and communities. In his free time, he enjoys playing the piano, song writing, and weightlifting.

Tom Gracie grew up in Boulder, Colorado where he attended college at the University of Colorado, earning bachelor’s degrees in Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, Physiology, and Neuroscience. After earning his EMT certification and practicing for a year in Denver, he attended Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, where he chaired the curriculum review team and authored a meta-analysis of the effect of phenotypic frailty on postoperative outcomes in elderly patients. His professional interests include Hematology/Oncology, Geriatrics, and Medical Education. In his spare time, Tom enjoys rock climbing, board games, video games, and Dungeons and Dragons. He is also partial to making puns, most of which are terrible. On his journey to Vanderbilt, he will be joined by his wonderful bride-to-be Jayden, who will also be joining the intern class of 2021 on her way to a career in Radiation Oncology.

Muhammad Hashim was born and raised in Faisalabad, Pakistan. He grew up with a strong admiration for modern medicine, listening to the story of his father's remarkable recovery from smallpox during the deadly outbreak that left his entire ancestral village in shambles. Later, his volunteering experience with the WHO Polio Eradication movement in Pakistan cemented his intention to pursue medicine as a career. He completed his medical school in Lahore, Pakistan. During his final sub-internship at Vanderbilt, he was left inspired by Vanderbilt's culture and research opportunities, which led him to pursue a Research Scholar position with Dr. Vaezi's team; he studied Esophageal Diseases and Motility Disorders. Muhammad is delighted to be staying at Vanderbilt for the next chapter of his training. In his spare time, he can be found exploring Nashville for secret reading spots. He loves spending time with his niece and nephew and performing stand-up comedy for his friends.

Julie is from rural Colbert, Georgia (just outside of Athens- GO DAWGS!) where she grew up on a horse farm with three sisters. As a child, she loved playing all sports, but especially loved horseback riding and competing in equestrian events. She went on to ride for the College of Charleston Women’s Equestrian Team in undergrad, where she majored in Public Health. She loves water sports, board games, hiking, biking, and exploring new restaurants. Julie is very excited to be moving to Nashville with her partner, Win, and their rescue dog Bailey.

Kenna was born in Irvine, California and grew up in Powell, Ohio and is the oldest of three siblings. She attended Miami University and majored in biochemistry, where she also discovered a passion for working with older adults. After graduating, she moved back home to attend medical school at The Ohio State University. During her fourth year of medical school, she got engaged to her fiancé, Luke, and they adopted a pandemic kitten named Joey (after Joe Exotic). In her free time, Kenna enjoys running, traveling, cooking, and playing volleyball. She also loves watching Buckeye and Green Bay Packers football games and is the defending champion of her fantasy football league. Kenna is excited to be joining the Vanderbilt family this summer and can’t wait to explore Nashville!

John grew up in Rockville, Maryland with one brother. He attended University of Maryland College Park where he studied biology. John then attended medical school at Case Western Reserve University as part of the MSTP, where he completed his PhD research studying the molecular regulatory mechanisms cardiac muscle contractility. In his spare time, John enjoys climbing, hiking, kayaking, and fishing. He is very excited to join Vanderbilt and looks forward to exploring Nashville’s breweries and live music!

Lexi grew up in Shenyang, China, a city with a population of eight million, in northeast China. She came to the US when she was 17 to attend the University of Notre Dame where she majored in computer science. She then spent a year working on bioinformatics projects at MD Anderson in Houston before coming to Vanderbilt for medical school. She enjoys traveling, trying new restaurants, and playing escape games. She is very excited to stay at Vanderbilt for residency training and looks forward to meeting her co-interns.

Alex was born and raised on Long Island, New York. Trading Long Island’s beaches for the Hudson River Valley, Alex attended Vassar College for his undergraduate training, where he discovered a love of biomedical research and completed a B.A. in Neuroscience and Behavior. After Vassar, Alex spent two years at the NIH as a post-baccalaureate research fellow, then joined the Medical Scientist Training Program at the University of Michigan Medical School. Though his graduate research focused on neurodegeneration and aberrant protein synthesis, he gave in to the pull of the ICU and Pulmonology during the second half of medical school. Alex is elated to be a part of the Vanderbilt family and the Harrison Society. In his spare time, you can find Alex climbing tall rocks, eating tacos, or fervently willing his bread to rise.

Pakinam was born in Egypt, where she lived before moving to New York City in 2000. She received her B.S. in Biology from Wagner College and her M.D. from SUNY Downstate. In medical school, she developed a passion for cardiology, medical education as well as understanding and addressing health disparities in Brooklyn's immigrant populations. In her free time, Pakinam enjoys reading, cooking, hiking, spending time with friends and family, and discovering new restaurants. She is excited to join the Vanderbilt family and begin exploring all Nashville has to offer!

Richard was born and raised near Green Bay, WI, and attended college in Central New York at Colgate University. Richard pursued broad interests in college, including tropical ecology, plant physiology, and medical entomology. While he will always be a basic biologist at heart, working in a windowless basement room with biting flies convinced him to pursue a career where he could be at the bedside. Richard returned to Wisconsin as part of the Medical Scientist Training Program at UW-Madison. His graduate research addressed a genetic health disparity in the rate of blastomycosis; his project focused on ethnic differences in antifungal immunity. Richard plans to practice in infectious diseases and continue doing research to address the genetic/immunologic underpinnings of infections. Outside of medicine, Richard enjoys running, swimming, and spending time with Sky, his hound mix. He could not be more excited to pursue the next stages of his training at Vanderbilt!

Chandler is from Nashville, TN where he grew up alongside his three brothers and developed a love for good music and Tennessee Titans football. He remained in Nashville to attend Lipscomb University where he majored in Molecular Biology. While in medical school at Vanderbilt, Chandler developed interests in clinical reasoning, geriatric mobility improvement, and point-of-care ultrasound. In his free time, he enjoys cooking, traveling, lifting weights, singing in local choirs, and spending time with his family. As a Nashville native (an increasingly rare specimen), Chandler is excited to spend three more years training at Vandy and serving this city he loves so dearly!

Anika was born in Venezuela but has lived most of her life in Dallas, Texas. She received her bachelor’s degree in Biomedical Sciences at Texas A&M University, where she discovered her love for tutoring students and spent her free time volunteering and playing intramural sports. She then returned to Dallas to attend medical school at U.T. Southwestern. Here, she enjoyed working with underserved and Spanish-speaking communities, participated in culinary medicine and nutrition outreach, and continued to foster her interests in teaching and preventative medicine. Some of her favorite hobbies include running with her dog Marley, cooking, traveling, and trying new restaurants with family and friends. She is very excited and humbled to be joining the Vanderbilt community!

Daniel was born in Bucaramanga - Colombia’s fifth-largest city located in the northeast of the country, known as “the beautiful city and city of parks.” When he was six, he moved with his parents to Bogotá, where he grew up, met some of his lifelong friends, and attended medical school. During his medical training, he developed an interest in leadership and medical education. Daniel founded and led the Internal Medicine Interest Group and worked as a physiology TA. He then moved to Boston to complete his MPH in Clinical Effectiveness at Harvard. He worked for two years as a research fellow in the division of general internal medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, where he created an educational curriculum to address diagnostic uncertainty and collaborated on a project to estimate the prevalence of diagnostic error in the acute setting. Daniel is passionate about innovating and advancing the field of diagnostic safety. He loves scuba diving, working out, wine tasting, and traveling. He has never been to Nashville but is thrilled about joining the Vanderbilt family, taking care of patients, and making new friends.

Sarah was born and raised in Jamestown, New York and completed her undergraduate studies at Daemen College in Buffalo, New York. She completed a master’s degree in Biomedical Forensic Sciences at Syracuse University prior to completing medical school at The SUNY Upstate Medical University. In her spare time Sarah enjoys jigsaw puzzles, baking, and exploring new outdoor spaces. She is excited to relocate to Nashville with her husband and two young children and to be part of the Vanderbilt family!

Jonathan (Jay) is originally from Winston-Salem, North Carolina where he was born and raised as a dual-sport athlete (basketball and football). He aimed to play Division I Football for NC State University, though several injuries allowed him to focus primarily on his studies in Biomedical Engineering. Although he continues to enjoy athletics, narrative medicine, poetry, and world-traveling all hold a special place in his heart. He is incredibly grateful to join the Vanderbilt Family and is looking forward to learning and exploring Nashville.

Kunal grew up in Conyers, Georgia, about half an hour east of Atlanta, with his younger sister. He attended the University of Georgia for his undergraduate education where he studied biochemistry and did research on angiogenesis in tumor growth. After graduating, Kunal worked for a podiatry group as a medical assistant where he discovered an interest in preventive care and underserved populations. After receiving a Master of Science at Mercer University School of Medicine, Kunal went on to pursue a career in medicine at Mercer. In his spare time, Kunal enjoys cooking, playing soccer, brewing coffee, and rooting for all the tragic Georgia teams (Go Dawgs!). He is looking forward to exploring Nashville and is absolutely thrilled about joining the Vanderbilt family!

Alan was born in Tempe, Arizona and briefly lived in Honduras (Central America) until the age of four before returning to the USA and growing up in the suburbs of Chicago. He attended the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and graduated with a B.S. in Computer Science. He used his programming skills to pursue his childhood dream of developing low-quality and massively over-budget video games while earning his M.S. in Computer Science at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC). Wanting to apply his software engineering background towards medical research, Alan joined the MD/PhD program at UIC with his graduate studies focusing on biological simulation and machine learning in bioinformatics. In his free time, Alan enjoys vegetable gardening - particularly heirloom tomatoes, long-distance running, and hiking with his partner and rescue dog. He is thrilled to be joining the Vanderbilt family and the Harrison Society!

Alexa was raised in the great city of Houston, Texas. She has a younger brother and sister, and two dogs – a Havanese (Nike) and a standard doodle (Ollie). Throughout her childhood, she spent the summers in Colombia with her grandparents where she developed an interest in addressing local and global health disparities. Alexa earned a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from the University of Texas at Austin (hook 'em horns!). As an undergraduate student, she did a summer research internship that focused on aortic and peripheral vascular diseases and from there her interests in clinical research and cardiology took off. She worked as a research assistant at a cardiothoracic and vascular surgery department in Houston for two years. She then attended medical school at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley where she cared for uniquely underserved populations in South Texas. Alexa enjoys cycling, going for long walks, cooking, spending time with family and friends, and reading – mainly non-fiction. She is incredibly excited to be moving to Nashville and joining the Vanderbilt family!

Seth was born and raised immediately outside of the Heart of the Bluegrass in Nicholasville, KY as the youngest of three boys (both of whom are part of the VUMC IM family). Watching and learning from their mistakes has helped him get to where he is today (haha). During his childhood, Seth was an avid fan of bass fishing on local KY farms, attending horse races at Keeneland Race Track, and watching Kentucky Wildcats Basketball. He attended the University of Kentucky for college where he studied Biology and Spanish Language prior to making the trek to the University of Louisville for Medical School. Outside of medicine, Seth continues to enjoy fishing, playing chess, sports of any kind, attempting to learn piano and drinking craft beer on patios with friends. He is excited to move to Nashville to reunite with family members and join a new family at VUMC!

Kyle was born and raised in Los Angeles, California before moving to San Jose, California as a teenager. He attended Duke University, studying Biology with a minor in Chemistry. He then completed medical school at UCSF. While there, he developed interests in internal medicine, clinical reasoning, and serving veteran populations. He also conducted research examining the pharmacogenetics of treatment response in multiple myeloma. Outside of the hospital, Kyle enjoys playing basketball and golf and is an avid Duke basketball fan. He also enjoys experimenting with drone photography, playing chess, and discovering new indie music. He is excited to move to Nashville and join the Vanderbilt community!

Madeline was born in Shreveport, LA but grew up in Lexington, Kentucky. She is a graduate of Centre College, where she received a degree in psychology. Initially, she planned to attend graduate school studying clinical psychology, but during a counseling internship during her senior year of college, she felt like something was missing. She began volunteering in a local emergency room and a clinic in rural Kentucky and was fascinated by the ways physical and mental health are intricately linked. Shortly after, she decided to go into medicine and attended medical school back in her hometown at the University of Kentucky. She intends to pursue a career in Cardiology and is particularly passionate about cardiovascular health in women. Her other interests include healthcare for underserved populations, the de-stigmatization of mental health issues, and promoting physician well-being. In her free time, you will find her spending time with her husband and their rescue dog, cooking, painting, and-- depending on the time of year-- becoming far too invested in an LSU football or UK basketball game. She is excited to move to a new city and start exploring Nashville!

Melis was born and raised in the capital of Turkey, Ankara. She completed a bilingual high school education with an International Baccalaureate diploma and received her medical degree from Hacettepe University. During her training, she did an away rotation for basic research in pulmonary physiology at Heidelberg University in Germany and translational research on insulin resistance and diabetes at the University of Michigan. She went on to complete a clinical elective at Harvard in Endocrinology. After graduation, she moved to Nashville for a postdoctoral fellowship in the Ikizler Lab and has spent the last two years at Vanderbilt doing clinical research on the mechanisms of immune system activation in hypertension. She is thrilled to be staying at Vanderbilt! In her spare time, she enjoys hiking, playing tennis, meditating, playing the piano, and spending time with her musician friends in Nashville.

Brittany grew up in southwest Florida with her parents and two older brothers. She completed her undergraduate studies at Florida State University with a biological studies major and chemistry and psychology minors. While there, she spent a semester abroad in Valencia, Spain and developed a love for traveling. Afterwards, she attended the University of Florida College of Medicine (still Go Noles!). At UF, she was involved with student tutoring, mentorship, and quality improvement/patient safety research. She hopes to continue involvement with all these activities and later complete a Cardiology fellowship. In her free time, Brittany enjoys playing soccer, exercising, reading, watching sports, and spending time outdoors with her golden, Bailey, and partner.

Mackenzie grew up in Centerville, Ohio. Mackenzie attended the University of Kentucky, where she earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology, graduating Summa Cum Laude. She then moved back to her home state of Ohio to attend the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, earning her Doctorate of Medicine degree. During her time as a medical student she was selected into the Cardiovascular Medicine Scholars Program, completing research focused on using novel ECG analyses to identify patients at increased risk for sudden cardiac death. Mackenzie is a member of Alpha Omega Alpha Medical Honors Society. She is the first person in her family to become a physician, although she comes from a family full of nurses. Mackenzie’s professional interests include Cardiology and Medical Education. Outside of the hospital, you can find her outdoors all year round. Hiking, kayaking, and snow skiing are some of her favorite activities. After expending energy on her outdoor adventures, Mackenzie loves to explore local restaurants and try new cuisines. She is extremely excited to join the Vanderbilt Internal Medicine program and explore Nashville!

Rahul was raised in Augusta, Georgia. He attended the University of Georgia, where he majored in both economics and biology to combine his interests in health policy and economics with medicine. He then attended the University of Texas Medical Branch, where he was awarded the 2020 Excellence in Public Health award from the United States Public Health Service for his work in opioids research, policy, and advocacy. He plans to pursue a fellowship in hematology/oncology and a career in academic medicine. Rahul enjoys roasting coffee and brewing espresso, traveling to National Parks, and long-distance running. He is incredibly excited to join the Vanderbilt family and is looking forward to running the Nashville Marathon!

Chelsie was born and raised on a small hobby farm in Stillwater, MN. She attended Iowa State University for undergrad where she majored in Genetics and fell in love in biomedical research. She then attended the University of Wisconsin where she completed her PhD in Cellular and Molecular Pathology. There she discovered a career as a physician-scientist and knew that a dual career was right for her. She stayed at the University of Wisconsin for medical school and continued to pursue her research interests in precision medicine in GI oncology, working on tumor-immune interactions in pancreatic cancer. In her free time Chelsie enjoys spending time with her two horses, running, hiking, and enjoying local breweries. Chelsie is a member of the physician-scientist training program and is looking forward to residency, oncology fellowship, and her post-doc research at Vanderbilt.

Jeff grew up in Santa Cruz, California. He studied biology as an undergrad at Duke University and discovered his passions for mucosal immunology and medicine. There, he also first learned about humidity and koozies. He joined UAB’s MD/PhD Program where he studied the role of the microbiome in neonatal sepsis, met his wife Julie, and finally began incorporating “y’all” into his vocabulary. The whole family (including their baby Charlotte) are excited for their new adventures in Nashville! Jeff also dabbles in hiking, camping, climbing, disc-golf, darts, and cooking. He does not bake and aspires to someday take up gardening.

Quinton is from Lodi, Wisconsin, a small town in south-central WI. He attended UW – La Crosse, majoring in Biochemistry and Biology. After working for one year in a hospital core lab, he attended medical school at UW, pursuing additional public health training through the dual MD/MPH program. His highlights from medical school include acting in an administrative role for a student-run free clinic, participating in a global health trip to Uganda, and volunteering as a contact tracer during the COVID pandemic. He is excited for his next adventure at Vanderbilt and looks forward to developing into a well-rounded internal medicine physician and further exploring his interests in infectious disease epidemiology and public health, whilst getting to know Nashville. In his free time, he enjoys being outdoors, hiking and playing frisbee.

Marcus was born and raised in Jacksonville, FL. As a Florida native, he attended the University of Miami, where he received his bachelor’s degree in Biochemistry and Nutrition. While an undergraduate, he spent two summers conducting clinical research at the Mayo Clinic Florida, where he developed an interest in cardiovascular health. Marcus moved north to Gainesville for medical school, where he attended the University of Florida. While in medical school, he developed a passion for global health, health equity, and serving the underserved. Marcus traveled twice to San Francisco de Macorís, Dominican Republic, where he served as a mission trip leader and helped provide care to those living in rural areas. Outside of the hospital, he enjoys go-karting, skating, traveling, and spending time with his family and friends. He is excited to join the Vanderbilt family and explore all that Music City offers, especially the food!

Jacqueline grew up in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. She received her undergraduate degree from the University of Alabama where she studied chemistry and Spanish (Roll Tide!). She then attended the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. She is ecstatic to return to the South where there is an abundance of sweet tea and SEC football. Jacqueline will be moving to Nashville with her significant other, who will be a Vanderbilt EM intern. Her professional interests include cardiology and women's health. In her spare time, she enjoys marathon running, any intramural sport, book club, and chocolate chip cookies.

Audrey grew up in Saint Charles, Illinois, a suburb near Chicago, and moved to the sunny southwest to attend the University of Arizona. She pursued research in biomedical engineering and majored in Molecular and Cellular Biology. Outside of the lab, she played violin in the UA Philharmonic Orchestra. She cultivated a passion for serving refugee and immigrant populations by tutoring locally and volunteering in nearby Sonora, Mexico. At the Ohio State University College of Medicine, she further engaged in refugee health education initiatives. In her spare time, she loves distance running, hiking, learning guitar, learning Spanish and Portuguese, and trying new ethnic restaurants. She is thrilled to move to Nashville and join the Vanderbilt community!

Ashley was born and raised in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. She obtained her undergraduate degrees from Shippensburg University, where she was a dual major in biology and psychology. While at Shippensburg, she played collegiate soccer, serving as captain her junior and senior seasons. After college, she conducted research at the National Institutes of Health, studying HTLV1- and various other neurotropic viruses. She then went on to attend medical school at Tulane University School of Medicine. At Tulane, Ashley also received her MPH&TM degree during her four years of medical school. Ashley couples matched at Vanderbilt with her fiancé, who is a neurosurgery resident. They are both thrilled to be joining to Vanderbilt family! In her free time, Ashley enjoys weightlifting, playing soccer, and hiking with her fiancé and two dogs (Knight and Chip).

Anna was born and raised in Houston, TX and attended college at Baylor University (Sic ‘Em!) where she studied Biology and was involved in the Medical Humanities program. Through these studies, she developed a rich appreciation for the interdisciplinary and vocational nature of medical practice that galvanized her decision to pursue medicine. As a medical student at Baylor College of Medicine, she developed an interest in the research and clinical care of critically ill patients with complex congenital heart disease across the age spectrum. Between her third and fourth years of medical school, Anna studied at Duke University’s Divinity School as a Theology, Medicine, and Culture Fellow while earning a Master of Theological Studies degree with a focus in Ethics. To further supplement these interests, she also pursued the Ethics Pathway through the BCM Center for Medical Ethics and Health Policy. In her spare time, Anna enjoys running, reading, hiking, and scoping out the best local coffee shops. She is elated to be joining the Vanderbilt family as a Med-Peds resident and cannot wait to make Nashville home!

Lauren was born and raised in Queens, New York. While she never had any siblings, she grew up with her cat, five birds, fish, hamsters—the list goes on. She attended Brown University for her undergraduate studies in psychology, and it was there she first developed her passion for ballroom dancing (a shock to her parents) and medicine (an even bigger shock). Returning closer to home, Lauren attended Stony Brook School of Medicine and concurrently obtained her Masters in Medical Humanities. Her academic interests include medical education and transitions of care for adolescents with special health care needs. Outside of work, Lauren loves her new reptile Chaqua, photography, playing board games, hiking, skiing, swimming, and trying new things!

Sammi was born in Mumbai, India and lived in Hong Kong until 2000 when her family moved to Boston. After two years, they fled the cold to the sunny south and she has been in North Carolina ever since. She hopped from high school in Chapel Hill to college at North Carolina State University in Raleigh and then to medical school at Duke University in Durham- completing her tour of the Triangle. Through her clinical research in metabolic genetic diseases she discovered her interest in supporting long-term survivors of pediatric illness through adolescence and adulthood. In her free time, she enjoys baking (macarons specifically), figure skating, thrift shopping, and perusing Netflix without ever successfully committing to something to watch. She is thrilled to join the Vanderbilt community and explore a brand-new city!

Charlie grew up trying to keep up with his four older siblings in the small town of Dodge Center in southern Minnesota. He gave up small-town living for the “big” city of Omaha, Nebraska to further his education. Charlie received his bachelor’s degree in Biology, a minor in Art History, and his medical degree from Creighton University. As a medical student, Charlie developed interests in primary care, working with underserved populations, and infectious diseases. In his free time, Charlie enjoys playing basketball and watching nearly all sports (but especially the Creighton Bluejays and Minnesota Twins), playing board games, listening to podcasts, and reading. Charlie is marrying his college sweetheart this summer, and they are both excited to move to Nashville with their little dog, Lola!

Kathryn was born in Atlanta, Georgia and moved to Indiana in middle school. She attended Indiana University in Bloomington (go Hoosiers!) and spent a year getting people drunk for science through an IV (neurology research) before heading to IUSM for her MD/MPH. Kathryn is thrilled to join the Vanderbilt Med/Peds program and move to Nashville. In her spare time, Kathryn enjoys hiking, traveling, baking, biking and playing with her adorable dog Scout.

Ruth was born in Michigan but moved at the age of five to San Diego where she grew up as the oldest of four and a lover of sunshine and TJ (Tijuana, MX) street tacos. For college, she embarked on an East Coast adventure studying biology and neuroscience with a minor in Spanish at the University of Pittsburgh, where she found her passion for community service and social justice. After graduation, she joined Teach for America and taught high school biology for two years in the underserved communities of Las Vegas, NV while concurrently earning her Master's degree in education at UNLV. The health disparities she witnessed during her time as a teacher motivated her to apply for medical school, which she attended back in her hometown at the UC San Diego School of Medicine. During medical school, she discovered her love of medicine and pediatrics and is now excited to start her Med-Peds journey at Vanderbilt, which she hopes will lead to a future career in global health and underserved medicine. In her spare time, Ruth enjoys rock climbing, non-pandemic international traveling, and surfing (poorly), and is excited to diversify her outdoor hobbies with all that Nashville and the Southeast has to offer.

Abena grew up in Kumasi, Ghana. In 2006, Abena, her four siblings, and mother moved to Florida to join her father who had immigrated to the US years prior. In 2012, Abena moved to Gainesville to attend the University of Florida where she studied Mathematics with a minor in Physics. In 2016, she moved to Tampa where she began a Master of Science in Medical Sciences at the University of South Florida. Later, she received admission into the Morsani College of Medicine at the University of South Florida where she developed an interest in Neurology. She is excited to be able to continue her journey to becoming a Neurologist, here at Vanderbilt. Abena is mostly a homebody who loves to watch reality TV shows (particularly the family favorite: 90-day Fiancé), nature shows and documentaries, but she also loves to explore nature, visit museums/parks, and enjoy the company of friends and family.

Zach grew up in Columbus, Ohio with one younger brother. He attended The Ohio State University for undergraduate, where he earned a B.S. in biology with a minor in Spanish. During his time at Ohio State, he had the opportunity to work on a research project investigating enzymes involved in the pathophysiology of ischemic stroke. He then attended the University of Cincinnati for medical school, where he participated in a Medical Spanish/Latino Health Elective course. Zach enjoys playing ice hockey, weightlifting, and running in his spare time. He is looking forward to living in Nashville and catching some Predators games when he has time!

Anne was born in Durham, North Carolina. She grew up in Nashville until moving to Atlanta for college where she studied biomedical engineering. She then moved back to Nashville to complete medical school at Vanderbilt. During her time in medical school she developed an interest in the intersection of neurology, critical care, and palliative care. In her free time, she enjoys running, working out, and attempting to learn how to cook. She is beyond excited to stay in Nashville and continue working in the Vanderbilt community.

Tamer was born in Chicago, Illinois before moving to Houston, Texas. He attended Rice University for his undergraduate studies where he majored in Cognitive Sciences with a focus on Neuroscience and Psychology. After college, Tamer attended the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, Texas, a touristy beach town along the Gulf of Mexico, which led to a boom of Hawaiian shirts in his wardrobe. During his time in medical school, Tamer participated in intramural sports, where his medical fraternity’s dodgeball team won back-to-back championships. His interests include true crime documentaries, working out, playing board games, and sleeping. Tamer is excited to be moving to Nashville and joining the Vanderbilt community!

Ellie was born in Houston, Texas and moved with her family early on to Naperville, Illinois. She grew up with her loving parents and sweet Yorkie, Sally! Her passion towards music and involvement with her high school speech team inspired an early interest in neuroscience. She further explored this interest throughout her undergraduate years as a biology major and neuroscience minor at Loyola University Chicago. After college, Ellie attended medical school at Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine in Michigan. During this time, she was actively involved in the Asian Pacific American Medical Student Association which helped her develop a strong interest towards patient education and community outreach! In Ellie’s free time, she loves anything and everything related to music – singing, dancing, and playing her violin! She also enjoys traveling with her friends and unleashing her inner foodie wherever she goes. Ellie is beyond grateful to join the Vanderbilt family and is thrilled to explore the Music City to the fullest!

John is a native of Milwaukee, Wisconsin who attended Marquette University. After completing his undergraduate studies, John worked for a year in his parent’s woodfired pizza restaurant while interning for a company that designed UV sterilization systems used in hospitals. He then began medical school at the Medical College of Wisconsin. Being close to home allowed John to give back to the communities that shaped him by running a science club at an inner-city school and coaching wrestling where he went to high school. John was recently named the Wisconsin Wrestling Association’s Assistant Coach of the year for his role in developing back-to-back state qualifying teams. His interests include reading the latest mystery/ historical fiction book and cheering on his favorite sports teams. He’s excited to be a part of the Vanderbilt community and explore the vibrant culture of his new home.

Grant grew up in Grand Rapids, Michigan where he developed a love for the outdoors and biology while attending an all-outdoor school for two years. When it was time for college, he majored in Neuroscience at the University of Michigan before attending U of M’s rival Michigan State for medical school. Grant’s professional interests include expanding access to high-quality specialty care through education. Outside of academia Grant is what some people call a “hipster” and enjoys working on his motorcycle and building furniture. Grant and his wife Carly can’t wait to enjoy Nashville.

Paige was born in Loveland, Colorado where she grew up until moving to Lawrence, Kansas to attend the University of Kansas where she majored in Biology with a genetics concentration and minored in psychology. Kansas held her heart, as she made the short move from Lawrence to Kansas City to attend medical school at the University of Kansas. During her time in Kansas City, she fell in love with PM&R, specifically sports medicine, and started a Musculoskeletal Specialty Night at KU’s Student Run Free Clinic and completed research projects focused on pediatric orthopedics. Currently, she is hoping to pursue a career in adolescent sports medicine. Paige is an avid soccer player and played at KU through college and continued to stay involved with the sport by coaching during medical school. In her free time, she enjoys playing soccer, fossil hunting with her family (especially dinosaurs), playing with her dog, Mesa, and baking/cake decorating.

Valentine was born and grew up in Nigeria. He moved to the United States to attend college at Lee University, after which he came to Vanderbilt and obtained a PhD in Microbiology and Immunology. He then attended medical school at Vanderbilt, but his education was interrupted when he suffered a stroke in his second year. This event left him with physical deficits, and he required long-term rehabilitation to regain adequate functional status. This is when he developed a passion for physical medicine and rehabilitation. He is excited to have a career where he combines his personal experience, PhD training in Immunology, and medical training, to perform translational research that will directly benefit his rehabilitation patients. In his free time he likes playing golf, spend time with his wife, and travel.

Bailey grew up in Lawrence, Kansas, as an only girl among three brothers. She moved to Florida to finish out high school and then attended the University of Central Florida for undergrad, majoring in biomedical sciences and minoring in math. She went on to medical school at the University of Florida. Bailey grew up dancing competitively, giving her an early appreciation for the musculoskeletal system. Following this interest, Bailey found her niche in medical school within the Physiatry department. She also enjoys music (she plays percussion/drums and ukulele), finding the best tacos in town, playing cards and board games, watching sports and playing with her new lab retriever mix named Brooke. She is thrilled to be joining the Vanderbilt family and is looking forward to exploring all that Nashville has to offer!

Devon grew up with his parents and three siblings in the suburbs of Cincinnati, OH. He moved to Virginia for undergrad where he majored in Biomedical Sciences at Liberty University. After enjoying his years in the mountains of Virginia, Devon traveled back to Ohio for medical school where he attended the University of Toledo College of Medicine. Devon was active within his medical school as a tutor and mentor, strengthening an interest he has in medical education that he hopes to pursue alongside his career in PM&R. In his free time, Devon enjoys playing sports of any kind, hiking, exercising, rollerblading, reading, and spending time with family/friends. He is excited to join the Vanderbilt team and start this next phase of his journey in Nashville!

Pauleatha grew up in various communities throughout the Southeast but spent most of her childhood in Georgia. She attended the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), where she studied Neuroscience and was part of the University Honors Program. Before starting medical school at Vanderbilt University, she studied Biotechnology at UAB and then spent some time working directly in underserved communities in Alabama as an AmeriCorps member with Impact America and next as State Director of Impact America-South Carolina. She plans to continue to collaborate with communities in order to address health disparities within the field of Dermatology. In her spare time, Pauleatha enjoys hanging out with her husband, Pete, and their poodle named Percy. She also enjoys listening to audiobooks and podcasts, staying active, baking keto desserts, and occasionally knitting.

Jayden was born in Memphis, Tennessee where she grew up riding horses, working on home building projects with her father, and developing her artistic skills. After finishing high school, she went to college at Vanderbilt where she double majored in Neuroscience and Medicine, Health, and Society. She met her now husband and co-intern, Thomas Gracie, at her Vanderbilt Medical School interview before ultimately attending medical school at University of Florida. There she fell in love with radiation oncology, pursuing a panoply of research projects in areas such as toxicity and survivorship, proton therapy, and treatment of rare diseases within radiation oncology. She has also been working to promote social change through coediting a civil rights biography centered on her great aunt Marion Helland’s lifelong activism. She is now preparing a social campaign called “Walk a Mile in My Shoes” to foster unity and shared understanding of others’ daily struggles. Finally, Jayden always finds time to dance bachata and enjoy Tennessee-style barbecue.

Eva was born in Washington, D.C. to a Polish immigrant family of physicians. Her childhood was divided between Poland and Granger, Indiana. Her passion growing up was fencing (inspired by her older sister), and she fenced for the University of Notre Dame (2017 National Champions!). At Notre Dame, she majored in biology with a minor in anthropology, and she explored ecology research interests in the Arctic Circle. She attended Vanderbilt University School of Medicine where she loved volunteering at Shade Tree. She is very happy and thankful to stay in Nashville for another four years for her IM preliminary year and dermatology residency. She is interested in pediatric dermatology, health equity, and immigrant health. Eva speaks English, Polish and Spanish. In her free time, she enjoys traveling with her significant other (Spencer), hiking, spending time with her family, going to concerts, and learning to cook new recipes!

Bryan grew up in the Lehigh Valley of Pennsylvania. He attended Muhlenberg College, where he majored in chemistry and played football. He then moved to Philadelphia to complete medical school at Penn. In his spare time, he loves reading, exercising, and sports of all kinds (go Birds!!). Bryan and his high school sweetheart, Gabby, are very excited to move to Nashville, and to finally tie the knot this fall!

Gautam was born in India but moved to the United States when he was 3 years old. He grew up in Nashua, NH and subsequently attended Dartmouth College, where he majored in Astronomy and Biochemistry. While he was always interested in space, it was at Dartmouth where he found his passion for space medicine after working with an astronaut-physician. After graduating from Dartmouth, he decided to finally leave New Hampshire and attended medical school at UT Southwestern in Dallas, Texas. During medical school, he was able to continue his space medicine research and also quickly became attached to the field of Internal Medicine during his clinical rotations. He currently hopes to pursue a cardiology fellowship and/or aerospace medicine fellowship after completing residency. During his free time, he enjoys playing basketball, lifting weights, exploring national parks, eating Japanese food, and rock climbing. He is very excited to be a Vanderbilt Internal Medicine resident and is looking forward to living in Nashville! Member of AOA.

Spurthi was born in Bangalore, India, and she immigrated to the USA at a young age when she continued to move around quite a bit before her family settled in Iowa. She moved to California to attend UC Berkeley where she double majored in Molecular Cell Biology and Practice of Art. She, again, made a large move by moving to Boston to study at Tufts University School of Medicine for her MD/MPH. It was in Boston that she continued to develop her passion for global health and equitable research in the international setting. She also continued to cultivate her love of teaching which is what ultimately led her to choose a career in Internal Medicine. In her free time, she enjoys cooking, singing, oil painting, hiking with her husky, and spending time with her loved ones. She is overjoyed to be joining the Vanderbilt family and to move closer to her family in the South.

Emmanuel was born in Yamfo, Ghana and moved to the United States in 1999 with his family. When they moved, his family lived in New York then Seattle, Washington before settling down in Memphis, Tennessee. Emmanuel received his bachelor’s degree from Vanderbilt University, where he also learned how to fence, before attending medical school at The Ohio State University. Emmanuel’s hobbies include cooking, discovering new restaurants, hiking with his dog named Waldo, spending time with family and friends, and binging Netflix TV shows. He is excited to be a commodore again!

Taryn was born and raised in Long Island, New York, as a middle child between two brothers and her childhood pups. She attended James Madison University, initially focusing on her love of history, until her curiosity led her to pursue translational research and she graduated with a B.S. in Biology. Following graduation, she fostered a passion for medicine and physiology as a Medical Assistant in Arlington, Virginia, and as a graduate student at Georgetown University, where she obtained a M.S. in Physiology and Biophysics. She returned to Long Island for medical school at Stony Brook University, where she studied the mechanistic role of a novel biomarker in cancer pathogenesis and found her interest in critical care. She is thrilled to join the Vanderbilt community where she is excited to continue her love of running, live music, and pets, including her two cats. Member of AOA.

Josh grew up in Salyersville, a small rural town in southeastern Kentucky. He attended Morehead State University, where he received his bachelor’s degree in Biomedical Science. Josh went on to attend medical school at the University of Louisville, where he was accepted into the Distinction in Research Track. Josh studied ApoL1 associated nephropathy while developing a growing interest in Nephrology. In his free time, Josh enjoys cheering on the Kentucky Wildcats, trying out new restaurants and cuisines, playing rook, and watching crazy Netflix documentaries. Member of AOA.

Eli grew up on Isla Verde beach near San Juan, Puerto Rico, where he developed a passion for sports, learning, and the kind treatment of others. He moved to New York to obtain his BA (Comparative Religions and Psychology) from CUNY Hunter. Two weeks after graduation, Eli chose to study medicine and returned to Puerto Rico to complete his post-baccalaureate requirements and attend medical school. Following Hurricane Maria, Eli volunteered medical services across the island, and soon after returned to the mainland to complete a year of research at the Yale Clinical Neuroscience Imaging Center. There, Eli explored the subject of consciousness using epilepsy as a model for investigating complex task performance such as driving. Eli’s interests include hepatology and immunology, medical education, exercise of all kinds, and spending time with family. Recent accomplishments include having watched a Ken Burns documentary in its entirety and somehow getting (see: begging) his sister to watch with him. Eli has also recently got (see: beseeched) his brother to sign up for an 11th season of fantasy baseball. Eli (middle child) is looking forward to meeting his Vanderbilt family and this exciting new chapter in Nashville! Member of AOA.

Robert was born in Washington, D.C. and grew up in beautiful St. Petersburg, Florida along with his younger brother, Edward. They played sports year-round -- tennis, basketball, and cross country running. He studied biology at Harvard and then moved back to Florida where he volunteered at the St. Petersburg Free Clinic. He moved to Chapel Hill, North Carolina to join the UNC MD-PhD program and received the PhD for work focused on statistical methods for genetic mapping. He developed a love for rheumatology during his clinical work in UNC's rheumatology division. He still loves playing sports in his free time, now mainly trail running and tennis. He is thrilled to join Vanderbilt and the Harrison Society!

Julie was born in Beijing and moved to Chapel Hill, North Carolina as a toddler. She grew up in the University of North Carolina’s backyard, which led to a childhood full of college basketball (Go Heels!), humid summers, and buttery biscuits. She studied Biology at the University of Pennsylvania and spent a semester at the University College of London, playing field hockey and traveling all across Europe. She returned home to UNC for medical school and decided to pursue a career in Internal Medicine. Outside of the hospital, she enjoys traveling, snowboarding, eating ice cream, and spending time with her family and friends. She is thrilled to join the Vanderbilt family and can’t wait to explore Nashville.

Michael was born and raised in central Nebraska. He attended Creighton University for his undergraduate education where he studied chemistry and biochemistry. During his time at Creighton, Michael became interested in scientific research. He ultimately joined the MD/PhD program at Duke University where he studied the role of mitochondrial bioenergetics in the pathogenesis of heart failure in the laboratory of Deb Muoio. Michael is excited to join the Harrison Society at Vanderbilt and plans to complete a fellowship in cardiology. His scientific interests focus on mitochondrial dysfunction in cardiometabolic disease. Outside of the lab and hospital, Michael enjoys reading, spending time outdoors, and tinkering.

Ally was born in Tupelo, MS and moved with her parents to the sunny beaches of Destin, FL. She attended Florida State University and graduated summa cum laude in Exercise Science. She fell in love with FSU College of Medicine’s mission to care for the underserved and remained at FSU for medical school (hopeful that the Seminoles would win another national championship). Ally developed a passion for internal medicine with an interest in cardiology due to its complex intertwining of pathophysiology, lifestyle choices, and social determinants of health. She spent an extra year during this time pursuing a master’s degree in education at Vanderbilt’s Peabody College. She is interested in learning environment research and curriculum design to support a diverse student population. Ally has been a transient Nashvillian for several years visiting her partner, Bryan, a budding Ph.D. in Biomedical Informatics. They are thrilled to make Nashville and Vanderbilt their permanent home. Member of AOA.

Jon grew up outside of Sacramento in Granite Bay, California. For undergrad he escaped to the coast at Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo, California where he studied biomedical engineering followed by one year of working on aortic aneurysm stent graft repairs. After growing tired of the beach he went to Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine in Michigan where he discovered his interest in internal medicine. In his free time he is found doing most outdoor activities including running, hiking, camping, playing basketball, or retreating indoors to watch the Sacramento Kings struggle on the court. He is excited to explore Nashville and continue his training at Vanderbilt! Member of AOA.

Ray was born and raised in Knoxville, TN. He grew up loving Tennessee football and went to CAK high school. He went to the University of Tennessee Knoxville and majored in psychology with a minor in business administration. He did research with the department of psychology in the field of ADHD and neuropsychology. He received his MD at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center. In his free time, Ray enjoys reading, skiing, new restaurants, coffee, and, above all, Volunteer football. Member of AOA.

Molly grew up outside Chicago with her twin brother and younger brother. She went to Stanford University for undergrad where she majored in Human Biology. After graduating she stayed at Stanford for a year to help teach in the Human Biology program. She then moved back to Chicago and spent two years working at a federally qualified health center before heading to the University of Michigan Medical School in Ann Arbor. She got a Masters in Higher Education between her third and fourth years of medical school and hopes to become a better teacher and education researcher during residency. She enjoys hand-biking, wheelchair basketball, watching women’s soccer (international and club), traveling, and eating anything chocolate. She is looking forward to warmer weather, exploring Nashville, and becoming part of the Vanderbilt family.

Johnathan was born and raised in Ft. Lauderdale Florida. Inspired by his mother, a gynecologist, he attended the University of Florida to pursue medicine. It turns out the apple didn’t fall far from the tree as he discovered his own personal passion and fit for the career and was pleased to stay at the University of Florida for medical school. The interests he developed during this time included a love of cooking, reading heady things like philosophy, music (especially classical and jazz), and serving the underserved on global mission trips. He is very excited to pursue this new venture in Tennessee at Vanderbilt!

Jared was born in Manchester, Connecticut. His parents and two older brothers lived in several different states before finally settling down in Jacksonville, Florida. His family cultivated his love for sports from an early age and he supports an interesting collection of teams. He attended college at the University of Florida (Go Gators!). He decided to stay another four years at The Swamp for medical school where his love for internal medicine really grew. He helped direct one of the local student run health clinics, served on the UF College of Medicine Executive Board, and went on a medical mission trip to Nicaragua. He has a passion for helping the underserved and is looking for ways he can volunteer in the Nashville community with his wife. When he is not watching sports, he really enjoys hiking, cooking new recipes, learning Spanish, and spending time with his wife. He is very excited to be moving to Nashville and joining the Vanderbilt family! Member of AOA.

Leahanne, known by her family and friends as Ania, was born and raised down the road in Chattanooga, TN. For undergrad she attended the University of Virginia where she majored in Political & Social Thought. Her parents had no idea where life would take her with that degree, but even they were surprised when she decided to join the Peace Corps. She served as a community health volunteer for 27 months in Nicaragua where she realized she loved infectious disease and health promotion. Following completion of her service, she attended Wake Forest for medical school where she met some of her very best friends and mentors. Outside of medicine, Ania loves hiking, watching college basketball (Go Hoos!), becoming a trivia night master, and spending time with her dogs Clifford & Blue. She can’t wait to join the Vanderbilt family! Member of AOA.

Meghana was born and raised in Houston. While growing up, she enjoyed playing the piano, dancing, and running around on her grandparents’ mango farm. She attended Stanford where she majored in Bio-Mechanical Engineering. She then moved out east to attend medical school at the University of Pennsylvania. She is excited to move back to the south to join the Vanderbilt community.

Matt was raised in a small town in South Central Kentucky. He received his bachelor’s from the University of Kentucky after studying biology and chemistry. For medical school he moved to Memphis to attend the University of Tennessee Health Science Center where he discovered his interest in both Endocrinology/Diabetes as well as Medical Education. In his free time, you’ll find him playing trivia/board games at local craft breweries or watching either college basketball or Overwatch League. He is excited to be joining such an exceptional residency program and the Vanderbilt family.

Kate grew up in Northeast Ohio. She attended Grove City College in Pennsylvania, where she studied electrical engineering and French, and ran cross country and track. She pursued graduate education in biomedical engineering at Virginia Tech before betraying her family of Buckeye fans to study medicine at the University of Michigan. Her career interests lie in gastroenterology and transplant medicine, and her professional passions include medical education and comparative medicine. Personally, she loves spending time with her husband and two cats, Boo and Gracie. She enjoys running, attempting alternative forms of exercise (so far weightlifting, triathlons, and boxing), gardening, and all things animal-related.

Beau grew up just outside of Phoenix, Arizona as the second-youngest of five children. He majored in ethnomusicology (the hushed-up lovechild of anthropology and musicology) at Brigham Young University. He and his wife, Lori, spent a third of their first year as newlyweds in a Tibetan refugee community in South India, where she studied traditional medicine and farming practices and he played the Tibetan lute, taught drums, and sang badly at birthday parties. Beau went to medical school at the Cleveland Clinic College of Medicine of Case Western Reserve University, which is notable both for being a 5-year program focused on research and for having a really, really long acronym. Lori was a regular vendor of awesome handmade art and jewelry at the farmers markets and nature centers in and around Cleveland. The apparent total of X chromosomes in the household stands at 11. Beau is excited to join the Harrison Society, with plans to complete a fellowship in hematology-oncology. His scientific interests focus on data science and machine learning approaches to diagnosis and prognostication for blood cancers, with further interests in healthcare disparities. Outside of work, Beau loves arguing with his children.

Thomas was born and raised in Savannah, GA. At a young age he was inspired by his own pediatrician and decided to start on the journey to become a physician. He attended Georgia College for undergrad where he studied Biology and was involved in various sports teams, book clubs, and improvement projects across campus. He attended Mercer University for medical school in his hometown of Savannah. During this time, he found his passion for teaching, clinical problem solving, and medical volunteerism. When not in the hospital, Thomas enjoys weight training, fishing, board games, and exploring new places with his wife, Jessica and dog, Apollo. He is excited to join the Vanderbilt family and, although he will miss the ocean, he is looking forward to exploring all of what Nashville has to offer. Member of AOA.

Andy was raised in the southwest suburbs of Minneapolis. He grew up playing sports year-round, and he continues to spend many afternoons/evenings cheering for his beloved Gophers. He attended the University of Minnesota for undergrad and medical school. Andy met his beloved wife, Anna, during medical school, and they are excited to begin their residency training together at Vanderbilt! Outside of the hospital, he enjoys fishing, golfing, and hiking with Anna, and he is looking forward to escaping the long, snowy winters of Minnesota. Andy is very excited to join the Vanderbilt family and explore the great city of Nashville! Member of AOA.

Soibhan was born in Wisconsin, but she and her family spent several years living down South (NC, TX) before returning to the Midwest. In pursuit of more snow, she moved to upstate New York to attend the University of Rochester and studied neuroscience and bioethics. After a gap year working in a dermatology practice in Massachusetts, she returned to the dairy state for medical school at the University of Wisconsin. While there she conducted research with the infectious disease division and fell in love with the Madison farmers’ market. In her free time, she enjoys yoga, hiking, reading in hammocks, figuring out what things she can stick in the air fryer, and relaxing with her husband, Jake, and chihuahua-mix Edgar. Soibhan is elated to be starting this next adventure in Nashville with the Vanderbilt community!

Nick was born and raised in Austin Texas prior to completing his undergraduate studies at the University of Notre Dame where he graduated with a degree in Science-Business Pre-Professional Studies. He came back to Texas to complete medical school at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston McGovern Medical School. He is excited to be joining the Vanderbilt Internal Medicine program and looks forward to continuing his medical training. Outside of medicine, he is passionate about the musical arts, physical fitness, and technology- especially computers. Member of AOA.

Michael grew up in Park Ridge, IL and attended the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, majoring in Molecular & Cellular Biology. He completed multiple summer internships at NASA Johnson Space Center and subsequently moved to Houston after graduation to work for NASA on several different projects - including developing protocols for in-flight DNA sequencing on the International Space Station. Michael decided to stay in Texas for medical school and was thrilled to be a member of the inaugural class at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley School of Medicine, where he developed an interest in internal medicine, hematology/oncology, and health disparities. Outside of medicine, he enjoys playing golf, spending time with friends and family, trying new foods with his girlfriend, and writing (bad) short stories. He is incredibly excited to move to Nashville and join the Vanderbilt family!

Paul grew up in Colorado Springs, CO and attended Stanford University where he majored in Biology. After graduating, he spent two years working on hematopoietic stem cells and the bone marrow microenvironment in the lab of Dr. Irv Weissman at Stanford. In 2011, he joined the Medical Scientist Training Program at the University of Washington in Seattle. He completed his graduate research at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in the lab of Dr. Harlan Robins, which focused on developing computational approaches to understand the adaptive immune response to vaccination and infection. Paul is delighted to be joining the Harrison Society at Vanderbilt and plans to complete a fellowship in Rheumatology where he hopes to study the mechanisms underlying autoimmunity. In his free time, Paul enjoys cooking, skiing and watching major league baseball. He and his wife, who is also a Vanderbilt resident, recently welcomed the birth of their first child in February.

Obiko completed her undergraduate studies at Knox College, IL, where she majored in international studies and anthropology/sociology. She completed post-baccalaureate premedical studies at Vanderbilt University and then joined the MD-PhD training program at the University of Florida. During her PhD in Clinical Pharmaceutical Sciences, she studied pharmacogenomics and biomedical informatics with a focus on antihypertensive therapy. Obiko is excited to join Vanderbilt’s Harrison Society and plans to pursue a fellowship in nephrology. She enjoys traveling, hiking, and live music.

Jennifer grew up in Farmington, Connecticut and attended Georgetown University where she majored in both Biology of Global Health and Economics. Before starting medical school, Jennifer worked for a scientific consulting firm in the D.C. area. Jennifer then moved to Nashville for medical school at Vanderbilt University. She conducted a year of research through the Vanderbilt Medical Scholars Program, focusing on immune mechanisms of atherosclerosis. In her spare time, Jennifer enjoys running, doing yoga, playing board games, and visiting breweries with her husband, Chris, and their fluffy dog, Zeus. She is excited to spend another three years in Nashville!

Kinsley grew up as one of 4 siblings in Vancouver, Washington. He has an identical twin brother and two sisters. He attended Cornell University where he earned his degree in Biology and Society and ran on the Track and Field team. After college, he worked in clinical research in the Division of Gastroenterology at Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center, where he helped manage the day to day activities of several clinical trials. He later attended Vanderbilt School of Medicine (Class of 2020), and he is excited to start his residency at Vanderbilt. In his free time, Kinsley enjoys cooking, weightlifting, running, reading and spending time with his friends.

Paul grew up in Arlington, Texas before taking a ten year detour through the midwest playing hockey and attending school in both Minnesota and Iowa. Ultimately, he graduated from Iowa State University with a degree in biology before returning to Texas to attend medical school at the University of Texas Southwestern. There he discovered a passion for medical education, mentorship, and HIV medicine. Outside of medicine he is still an avid hockey fan, Formula 1 racing fan, and unfortunately a diehard Dallas Cowboys fan. He and his fiancé are excited to be moving to a city with a Central Division NHL team so they can watch the Dallas Stars win twice a year in person and they couldn’t be happier to be joining the Vanderbilt community. Member of AOA.

Jamie grew up moving between North Carolina, Texas, and Louisiana as the proud daughter of two army officers. She ventured north for college where she played clarinet in the Band of the Fighting Irish at the University of Notre Dame, met her husband (Ethan - a general surgery resident at UT Nashville), and became focused on caring for vulnerable populations. She returned to Texas for medical school at UT Southwestern where she fell in love with the combination of scientific discovery and close patient connections found in medicine. She spent two years as a Sarnoff Fellow in Dr. William Kaelin’s lab studying CRISPR screening techniques to identify novel treatments for heart failure. Outside of the hospital, Jamie enjoys spending time with her husband, vegetarian cooking, hiking, running, and visiting family. She could not be more excited to join the Vanderbilt family and explore the great state of Tennessee! Member of AOA.

Kaitlyn grew up just outside of St. Paul, Minnesota with her four younger siblings, two cats, and a dog. She then migrated south to Kentucky to study biology at Berea College, a federally recognized work college. She worked as an intramurals referee and a biology teaching assistant and enjoyed living in such a unique, sustainable and socially-conscious community. While in medical school, she was very involved with Shade Tree Clinic, pre-medical student mentoring and a wide variety of research projects. In her free time, she enjoys baking, hiking, running and eating ice cream. She loved Nashville and Vanderbilt too much to leave and is incredibly grateful to be able to continue training at Vanderbilt.

Trey and his younger sister were born and raised in Florence, Alabama. There, Trey developed a love for music and the outdoors. He went on to study philosophy and chemistry at the University of Alabama. While at Alabama, Trey was involved with several service organizations focused on healthcare in medically underserved regions of the state. These experiences played a crucial role in his decision to pursue a career in medicine. He attended the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Medicine and continued to volunteer with underserved populations, participating in the student run free clinic. He chose internal medicine because of its complexity, the emphasis placed on clinical reasoning, and the unique relationships internists develop with their patients. In his free time, Trey enjoys running, reading, playing the guitar, and watching Alabama Football. He and his wife Katie are involved in their church where they enjoy teaching Sunday school classes. Trey and Katie are excited to move to Nashville and to be part of the Vanderbilt family! Member of AOA

Taylor was born and raised in Houston, Texas, where she grew up doing competitive gymnastics and developed an interest in the field of medicine after one too many gymnastics injuries. She stayed in Houston to attend Rice University for her undergraduate training in biomedical engineering. Before starting medical school at the University of Texas at Houston, she took a year off to work for a medical device start-up company. She developed a passion for Internal Medicine, especially gastroenterology, during her third year of medical school. Although she will miss Texas (and Tex-Mex), she is excited to join the Vanderbilt family in Tennessee. Outside of the hospital she enjoys yoga (and teaching yoga), cooking, drinking coffee and/or wine, and spending time with her husband, who is also excited to explore Nashville! Member of AOA.

Mohamed was born in Virginia, but spent his childhood living in Finland, Ethiopia, United States, Saudi Arabia, and Sudan with his four sisters. Mohamed attended George Mason University where he majored in Neuroscience and minored in Chemistry. In medical school he enjoyed mentoring medical students through SNMA. He solidified his interest in Cardiology after a global health rotation in Abu Dhabi, UAE. In his free time, he enjoys film, true crime podcasts, playing guitar, international travel, spending time with his cat Lola, and attending live theatre performances with his fiancée. He is excited to join the Vanderbilt community and looks forward to discovering all there is to do (and eat) in Nashville!

Christina was born and raised in Augusta, GA. She double-majored in Molecular and Cellular Biology and Spanish at Vanderbilt University. Christina loved Vanderbilt so much that after graduating, she stayed for a gap year to work as a research assistant. Christina then headed north to pursue her medical degree at Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine at Case Western Reserve University. While in Cleveland, she developed interests in hematology/oncology and infectious disease and dedicated one year to conducting translational leukemia research. Christina is thrilled to return to Nashville to complete her Internal Medicine residency and to earn the distinction of “Double ‘Dore”. Outside of medicine, Christina enjoys running, cycling, hiking, yoga, Orangetheory, cooking, gardening, practicing her Spanish, traveling, and spending time with her significant other, Jon, and her fluffy cat, Rory.

Patrick was born in Mobile, Alabama into a large family as one of six siblings. He grew up on the water of Mobile Bay learning to love fishing, boating, and flounder gigging with his family. There must have been something in the water, because all 8 members of the family went to The University of Alabama for college. Patrick majored in chemical engineering as an undergrad before attending South Alabama for medical school where he developed a passion for academic medicine and working in teams. Outside of medicine, Patrick enjoys organized trivia, golf, tennis, traveling, and food tours. Patrick is thrilled to be joining the Vanderbilt Internal Medicine Class of 2023 and cannot wait to explore all that Nashville has to offer! Member of AOA.

Terra was born in San Francisco and grew up in Northern California until high school when her parents moved to Chapel Hill, NC to complete their respective masters programs. She fell in love with the Tarheels as a teenager, and ultimately completed her undergraduate education at UNC Chapel Hill, with a B.S. in Biology and minors in Spanish and Chemistry. After graduating and realizing she still was not as fluent in Spanish as she would have liked to have been, she moved to Colombia for a year to teach English while improving her Spanish. She then returned to Chapel Hill to continue her education at UNC School of Medicine. Her professional interests include critical care, hospital medicine, infectious disease and nephrology (so… everything). Outside of the hospital she spends her time outdoors in any way she can - running, hiking, playing tennis and recently picked up rollerblading as a hobby (meaning she bought a pair of rollerblades and has used them exactly once) - and of course spending as much time with family and friends as they can tolerate. She is absolutely thrilled to be moving to Nashville and to be joining the Vanderbilt family!

Lena was born in the suburbs of Houston, TX and attended the University of Texas at Austin where she majored in biochemistry. Continuing to pursue her love of science, she decided to attend medical school at the University of Texas Medical Branch. In medical school, she took an interest in medical education after tutoring several pre-clinical courses for her peers. She also volunteered at the student-run free clinic and is interested in health care disparities. She hopes to combine these interests in her future career. One of her joys in life is a good cup of coffee, and she loves discovering new beans and roasters. She also enjoys spending time with her family, trying new restaurants, and traveling. She is excited to see what Nashville has to offer and ecstatic to be joining the Vanderbilt community! Member of AOA.

Madi was born and raised in Clearwater, Florida. She followed in her older brother and sister's footsteps to the University of Florida to complete the heartbreak of her Florida State fan mother, and to study Microbiology with a minor in Health Disparities. She was immensely grateful for the opportunity to study for a master's degree in Immunology at the University of Oxford where she solidified her interest in hematology/oncology and immunotherapy and discovered the joys of the Great British Bake Off. She returned to her swampy home at the University of Florida College of Medicine where she continued pursuing her interests in heme/onc, LGBTQ health, and medical education. When she's not watching HGTV and dreaming of building her own tiny home, she enjoys reading, painting, hiking, rowing, improv comedy, and watching the sports that she is not athletic enough to play. She is looking forward to becoming a die-hard Nashville SC fan, hiking and camping her way through the Tennessee mountains, and continuing her training with the Vanderbilt family! Member of AOA.

Matthew grew up outside of the twin cities in Minnesota and attended Boston College where he studied chemistry. He then moved to San Diego where he received his PhD in organic chemistry at The Scripps Research Institute before coming to Vanderbilt for medical school. In his free time, he enjoys baking, basketball and spending time with his wife and dog. After 4 years as a student, he is excited to join the Vanderbilt team as a resident! Member of AOA.

Margaret was raised in Houston (where her older sister currently lives) and moved to Memphis, TN in middle school. She moved to Nashville to attend Lipscomb University where she majored in Molecular Biology, audited biblical language courses, and tried to visit all the coffee shops in Nashville (a truly impossible feat). She then returned to Memphis for medical school where she enjoys the outdoors, traveling, baking banana bread, and growing orchids. Recently returning from her fourth trip to rural Ghana, Africa, she developed a passion for global health and the community she has built there. She cannot wait to return to Fido and run the steps of Percy Warner park when she moves back to Nashville and joins the Vanderbilt family! Member of AOA.

Raeann was born in Overland Park, Kansas and grew up in the suburbs of Kansas City. She attended the University of Kansas, where she majored in microbiology and developed a passion for immunology. She then ventured from the Midwest to the South for medical school at Duke University, although she remains a lifelong Jayhawk fan. At Duke, she engaged in numerous teaching and leadership opportunities as well as laboratory-based immunological research. She also spent time in the Duke Lupus Clinic and was involved in several lupus clinical research projects. In her spare time, she enjoys creative outlets through arts and crafts, hiking, and curling up with coffee and a good book. She and her little southern belle pup, Maisie Mae, are excited to stay in the South at Vanderbilt!

Lisa was born and raised in Arcadia, a suburb of Los Angeles County. Growing up, she enjoyed playing the violin and continued to take lessons throughout college. She attended Cornell University where she confirmed her decision to pursue medicine. Afterwards, she returned to her hometown to attend medical school at UCLA. She enjoys watching movies, yoga, walking in nature, and exploring new cities. Lisa is excited to be able to head to Nashville for residency and to join the Vanderbilt community!

Marina was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania but grew up in Richmond, Virginia with her parents and younger brother, Paul. She has had nontraditional mascots at every level of her training--first a Cavalier, then a Demon Deacon, and finally, a Commodore! She attended the University of Virginia where she majored in Biomedical Engineering before moving down to Wake Forest for medical school. During medical school, she decided to pursue Internal Medicine-Pediatrics as a path to caring for adolescent and young adult cancer patients and survivors. Her other academic interests include medical education and social determinants of health. In her free time, she enjoys experimenting with baking, eating her way through new cities, day hiking, and spending time with her family, friends, and church community. She also loves rooting for her Pittsburgh Steelers and UVA basketball (WAHOOWA!). She is incredibly excited to join the Vanderbilt family and become a part of the Nashville community!

Trent grew up in Versailles, KY, just 4184 miles from the Palace of Versailles. He attended Tulane University where he consumed excessive amounts of crawfish and occasionally studied neuroscience, Spanish, and film studies. After college, Trent joined Teach for America Appalachia, moved to the mountains of Kentucky, and succeeded in setting off the fire alarm three times while teaching chemistry and physics. Trent then returned to New Orleans, studied pharmacology at Tulane and taught environmental science at an accelerated high school. Many crawfish later, Trent migrated to his home state to attend medical school. At the University of Kentucky, Trent recognized his desire to care for all ages and populations and quickly discovered the Med-Peds community. He also became interested in medical education and best practices for cultivating community and fostering wellness during medical school. In his spare time, Trent enjoys playing soccer, traveling, and watching too many movies. Member of AOA.

Nina grew up in northeastern Ohio on her family farm, where she discovered her love for food and the outdoors. She attended Carnegie Mellon University for her undergraduate education, majoring in biology and psychology - all the while running up and down the Pittsburgh hills as a member of the women’s cross country & track teams. She then returned to the Buckeye State to attend The Ohio State University College of Medicine. As a medical student, she loved both pediatric and adult medicine, and working with underserved populations. In her free time, Nina enjoys running, hiking, crafting, and cooking and is so thrilled to explore all that Nashville has to offer! Member of AOA.

Justin grew up not far from Nashville in his hometown of Clarksville, TN. He decided to travel down the road to attend college here in Nashville at Belmont University where he majored in Biology. During his time at Belmont, Justin spent a semester abroad at the University of St. Andrews and performed research involving Acinetobacter baumannii in the lab of Dr. Eric Skaar here at Vanderbilt. After graduating from Belmont, he spent a year working as an anesthesia technician before beginning medical school at UTHSC in Memphis, TN. Outside of medicine Justin enjoys reading, brewing beer, baking bread, and spending time with his wonderful wife Sydney and their dogs Chewie and Luna. He is ecstatic to be returning to Nashville and joining Vanderbilt! Member of AOA.

Tom was born in Durham, NC, but was raised in southern Indiana where he became an avid Hoosiers fan. Despite what he felt was a promising career in basketball, he was abruptly cut from his elementary school ball club and decided to pursue a medical degree instead. He spent his four years of undergraduate education in Bloomington, Indiana where he majored in Biology and minored in Psychiatry. Tom spent the first half of medical school in Evansville, Indiana where he met his anatomy lab partner and future wife Maria. They later moved to Indianapolis to finish their education. Tom and Maria (Pediatrics) endured the couples match and were humbled to learn that they would both continue their training at Vanderbilt! They are excited to get to work with their new colleagues while hopefully saving some time to explore the parks, breweries, restaurants, and all the other perks of living in the Music City. Member of AOA.

Zack was born and raised with his two younger brothers in the suburbs of Jackson, MS, and dreamed of becoming a doctor ever since he was in junior high. He obtained his undergraduate degree in Biomedical Engineering from Mississippi State University. While at Mississippi State, Zack and a team of fellow classmates researched and built a successful prototype for an automated blood typing device and later formed an LLC to explore further uses for the technology they developed. Also while in college, Zack was very involved with the MSU Roadrunners student recruiting organization and spent a summer abroad in France, which further fueled his love of world travel. He returned to Jackson for medical school at the University of Mississippi Medical Center, where he learned he had a love for all patients young and old, ultimately leading him to pursue a career in Med-Peds. While at UMMC, Zack served on the Associated Student Body and developed an interest in medical education through tutoring other students. In addition to his passion for medicine, Zack also has a great love for the performing arts, having worked as a choreographer for numerous show choirs and theater productions. In his free time, he enjoys traveling, going to shows and concerts, grabbing dinner and drinks at new restaurants, exercising and doing yoga, and spending time with friends, family, and his dog, Sadie. Zack could not be more thrilled to begin his training at Vanderbilt and looks forward to a new adventure in Nashville! Member of AOA.

Madeleine Alder grew up as an only child in Evanston, which is just outside of Chicago. For undergrad she went to Washington University in St Louis where she majored in American Culture Studies. She is very glad she found medicine, as it turns out that major is not very employable. She spent a year between undergrad and medical school working as a case manager and French translator for refugees and people seeking political asylum. She then spent four amazing years in medical school at Northwestern University. She continues to have a passion for refugee healthcare and working with underserved populations. Outside of medicine, she enjoys yoga, running, reading, and traveling. She loves working in Vanderbilt's welcoming and supportive community. In her spare time she can be found in one of Nashville's amazing plant stores.

Allie was born and raised in Southeast Michigan with her two sisters, brother, and adorable dogs. She attended University of Michigan for her undergraduate education where she majored in neuroscience. She decided it was time to venture out of Michigan for medical school and landed in the great city of Chicago at Rush Medical College. While in Chicago, Allie spent much of her time enjoying Second City shows and touring the Chicago coffee and food scene with friends. In her free time, she enjoys making people laugh, hiking, baking, crocheting/knitting, watching TV/movies, and spending time with friends and family. Allie has enjoyed living in Nashville while making memories and lasting friendships with her wonderful co-residents!

Nathaniel grew up in Warner Robins, Georgia and attended Georgia Tech where he majored in biomedical engineering. He then joined Vanderbilt's MD/PhD program, where he studied molecular and cellular mediators of pulmonary microvasculature mechanics in Dr. David Merryman’s laboratory. Nathaniel is a member of Vanderbilt's Harrison Society with plans to complete a fellowship in pulmonary and critical care medicine. His scientific interests focus on understanding how microscopic mechanical forces contribute to illness in the lung. Outside of the hospital and the lab, Nathaniel enjoys spending time with his wife Melissa, who is also a member of the Harrison Society. Together, they do their best to keep up with their active and inquisitive 5-year-old daughter Penny and her 18 month old sister Josie.

Leah was born and raised in the heart of the Bulldawg Nation in Athens, Georgia. She stayed in her hometown for college and graduated from the University of Georgia with a major in Microbiology and a minor in Spanish. During her time there, Leah worked in an industrial microbiology research lab and served on several mission trips to Central America, through which she learned that her two passions—science and service-- could be well served in the field of medicine. She moved a couple hours east to Augusta, to attend medical school at the Medical College of Georgia, where she cemented her love for academic infectious diseases. Since moving to Nashville, her training has broadened her interests to sepsis, critical care, and the microbiome. She is currently planning to pursue dual fellowships in Infectious Diseases and Pulmonary Critical Care to best serve her future career as an expert in sepsis and the pulmonary microbiome. Her love languages are quality time and sweet potato fries (usually together), and in her free time, she enjoys rock climbing, exploring local coffee shops and Wine Wednesday venues, and fulfilling her honorable new role as Santa’s Chief by singing karaoke.

Babatunde was born and raised in Miami, Florida. Growing up, his hobbies included playing the bass guitar and cooking with his family. He obtained his bachelor’s degree from Florida State University where he majored in biology before attending medical school at the University of Florida. Despite this apparent betrayal, he remains loyal to the Seminoles on the football field. Outside of medicine he enjoys trying new foods, attending concerts, and spending time with friends. He’s really made the most of Nashville by exploring the food scene and likely has restaurant recommendations on the ready at any given time. He has very much enjoyed being part of the Vanderbilt family!

Janice was born in Brooklyn, NY. She attended Georgia State University in Atlanta. While in college, she decided on a career in medicine. She took a gap year and worked as a scribe in local Emergency Departments in metro Atlanta. At the Medical College of Georgia, she decided to pursue internal medicine because of her passion for helping adults achieve the best possible quality of life with the hope of minimizing negative health outcomes. For leisure, she enjoys walking along nature trails, biking, spending time with family, and traveling.

Andrea grew up in the small town of Longmeadow, MA where she played volleyball and ran track. She then majored in psychology with a concentration in public health policy at the College of the Holy Cross while also playing Division I volleyball. In her senior year, Andrea decided to pursue a career in medicine as opposed to one in law (despite having taken the LSAT!), and as such she matriculated into the Johns Hopkins post-bac pre-med program. She then attended medical school at the University of Pennsylvania and continued her studies in health policy and community health as well as developed an interest in caring for critically ill patients and their families. She could not be happier about pursuing this phase of her career at Vanderbilt. Her colleagues, patients, and the city of Nashville have stolen her heart. Not to mention, in her free time, Andrea enjoys checking out the Nashville restaurant scene, breweries, running paths, and parks!

Jesse was born and raised in Birmingham, Alabama. Growing up he caught the sports bug early, and this has remained his passion to this day. He attended the University of Alabama where he studied chemistry and biology. Afterwards he returned to Birmingham for four years to study medicine at UAB. Jesse's favorite thing in the world is to play basketball. He also enjoys tennis, and unfortunately for him he has picked up golf during his fourth year of med school. Finally he loves the Alabama Crimson Tide very much, and he hopes this won't be too big of an issue in Commodore country. Jesse can't wait to start training in the great city of Nashville!

Robert is the oldest of five children and was raised in Livingston, NJ. He attended Yeshiva University for college, where he studied biology and business. After graduating college, he worked to promote inclusion at the National Jewish Council for Disabilities. During medical school, Robert spent his free time training for triathlons, eventually completing Ironman Cozumel, a challenging but inspiring experience. Robert also enjoys spending time with friends and family, hiking, attending Philadelphia sports games, playing guitar, and learning how to craft the perfect latte. Robert and his wife Hanna are looking forward to exploring everything Nashville has to offer and are honored to be joining the Vanderbilt family. Member of AOA.

Kyle was born in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania and spent the first half of his life in New Jersey before his family moved south to Atlanta, Georgia. He grew up with four younger sisters and loves being a part of a big family. Kyle pursued his undergraduate education at the University of Georgia where he majored in genetics and minored in becoming a die-hard Dawgs fan. After graduating from UGA, he spent a year working as a phlebotomist at a cancer center, which sparked his interest in pursuing a career in hematology/oncology. He then stayed in Georgia to get his medical degree at the Medical College of Georgia and was incredibly lucky to marry his beautiful wife Ashley during that time. He loves to spend his free time with family and friends and stays active through running and Spartan Races. He’s also a huge sports fan, especially when it comes to college football (Go Dawgs), hockey, and golf. He and his wife are excited to move to Nashville and continue their journey with the Vanderbilt family!

Michael grew up in Charlottesville, Virginia with his parents and two older sisters. He traveled down the road to the University of Virginia for college where he majored in chemistry. He has played the drums since he was five years old and in college was a member of the Percussion Ensemble, Wind Ensemble, and University of Virginia Drumline, where he was Quad Section Leader. With the UVA Drumline, he had the opportunity to record a song for the Dave Matthews Band in their studio. Before Michael graduated from college, his parents moved to Morehead, Kentucky, where they currently reside. He attended the University of Kentucky College of Medicine where he realized a lifelong dream of working with and being taught by his father, a Pulmonary/Critical Care physician. Other interests include playing tennis, golf, traveling, and following UVA basketball. Go Hoos! Michael enjoys the vibrant energy of Nashville and cannot say enough about the camaraderie and supportive atmosphere of Vanderbilt. Member of AOA.

The youngest of four children, John was born and raised in the small town of Longmeadow, Massachusetts. He moved to Virginia to attend UVA where he majored in chemistry, minored in latin, and developed his love for Tony Bennett (not the singer) and UVA basketball. He continued his education at VCU for medical school, where he fostered his passion for medicine and morning report. Outside of medicine, John loves playing soccer, skiing, hiking, and playing foosball and board games. John and his dog Monty are excited to be joining his girlfriend Emily, a PGY-1 in pediatrics, at Vanderbilt! Member of AOA.

Gina was born and raised in Glen Ellyn, IL, a western suburb of Chicago. Growing up, she enjoyed competitive swimming and vacationing with her family in Mexico. She attended Loyola University Chicago where she graduated with her degree in nursing. Gina studied abroad in both Rome and London (yep, it took her 5 years to graduate). After working as a nurse for several years, she attended Loyola Stritch School of Medicine. Gina was kept sane throughout her many years of education by an amazing family and her beloved medical school running club. Some of her favorite things include: live music, triathlons, and gelato. Since moving to Nashville, Gina has been exploring new running paths and reading by the pool. She feels lucky to have made a great group of friends who make Nashville feel like home. Member of AOA.

Hannah was born and raised in the small town of Bogalusa, Louisiana. For college, Hannah ventured just a few hours from home to attend LSU in Baton Rouge (Geaux Tigers!), where she received degrees in biology and psychology. Following graduation, Hannah spent one year working as a medical scribe before beginning medical school at LSU in New Orleans. During medical school, Hannah developed a great love for Saints football (Who Dat!) and met her better half, Camille, who has joined her in Nashville as an OB-GYN resident. Hannah, Camille, and their pet cat (Maté KiKi) have enjoyed their first year in Nashville and are excited to continue exploring new restaurants, local music, and nearby hikes. Member of AOA.

Carlos was born in Natchez, MS and moved around before living in Nashville and attending the University School of Nashville, right across the street from Vandy! He attended college at Butler University, medical school at the University of Louisville, and is thrilled to be back in Nashville pursuing Internal Medicine at Vanderbilt University. Carlos held several jobs, including selling cars, before recognizing that there was nothing he would rather do than to take care of patients. In medical school, Carlos participated in the Distinction in Business and Leadership Track. His passion for people lead him to several leadership opportunities including being a camp counsellor for the “Summer Health Professionals Education Program” where he mentored and tutored undergraduate students underrepresented in the healthcare professions, and class executive leadership, learning first-hand what is required of an academic physician. Carlos spends his free time exercising, listening to live music and rooting on the Titans! Carlos is thankful for God, his family, and his beautiful wife for the support they have given him, and he is so excited for this next phase of life!

Michael was born and raised in the (very dry) heat of Las Vegas, where he also attended the University of Nevada, Las Vegas and earned his degree in biological sciences with a minor in chemistry. He then switched coasts to attend NYU School of Medicine in the heart of Manhattan, where he developed a love for internal medicine while working with the underserved population of Bellevue Hospital. While New York City was exciting, Michael is eager to explore the vibrant city of Nashville and is absolutely thrilled to be joining the Vanderbilt community! Outside of the hospital, he enjoys reading, hiking, biking, listening to what seems like a never-ending list of podcasts, finding amazing coffee, and brushing up on his guitar skills.

Tanya was born in Highlands Ranch, Colorado to a very large, loud, and tight-knit family. She grew up fishing, hiking, and exploring the outdoors. Expecting a growth spurt that never came, her dad taught her how to play volleyball at a young age. She played for the women’s varsity volleyball team at Washington University in St. Louis, where she majored in chemistry and minored in Persian. Tanya attended medical school at Vanderbilt University where she first fell in love with the city of Nashville and the collaborative environment at Vanderbilt. She is grateful to continue working with and learning from her kind, intelligent, and thoughtful co-residents and faculty. She enjoys playing volleyball, hiking, live music, game nights, and spending quality time with friends and family! Member of AOA

Kayla was raised in Denton, Texas, but was born in Manhattan and considers New York her second home. She attended NYU, where she graduated with honors in neuroscience and a concentration in psychology. While in New York, Kayla made regular trips to Lincoln Center where she immersed herself in ballet, opera, and symphony. She went to medical school at the University of Texas Medical Branch, where she completed the Translational Research Track by exploring the pathophysiology and potential treatment of Alzheimer’s disease. During her clinical rotations, she developed a passion for internal medicine, oncology, and palliative care. She also met her fiancé, John, and together they started a family with their rescue dog, Olive! Her favorite part of Vanderbilt is her cohort of residents, who are definitely some of the kindest and most intelligent people she has met. Kayla’s favorite things to do in Nashville include hiking in one of the many gorgeous parks around town, hosting dinners for her friends, and de-stressing with a hot yoga class. Member of AOA.

Amanda grew up in southeast Michigan, spending most of her free time waterskiing on Michigan lakes. She went to the University of Michigan for her undergraduate education, where she developed a lifelong dedication to Michigan sports. Amanda completed her medical education at the University of Pittsburgh, during which time she worked with Pitt Med's longitudinal mentorship program and curriculum committee, and was elected AOA her junior year. Amanda plans to pursue a cardiology fellowship, with special interests including diversity in medicine and health policy. Her research interests include big database work on clinical predictors of outcomes in heart failure. Her hobbies include exercise, travel, photography, and wine-tasting. She currently lives in East Nashville with her husband stationed at Fort Campbell and enjoys spending time outdoors gardening and seeing local Nashville scenery.

Amelia was born and raised in New Orleans. Although she is an only child, she comes from a large south Louisiana family and has about one million cousins. She briefly left New Orleans to attend Emory University, where she majored in Anthropology and Human Biology and did research in ethnobotany. She returned to New Orleans for medical school where she became interested in critical care as well as medical ethics, end of life care, and medical education. In her free time she enjoys hiking and trail running in Percy Warner, watching documentaries at the Belcourt Theater, and discovering new ways to cook salmon. She tries to stay active and prides herself in being mediocre at most sports. Some of Amelia’s favorite things about Vandy IM include the people (obviously), repleting potassium, traditional trips to the helipad and pancake pantry with the night team, and finding the best views of downtown Nashville from the hospital (hint, it’s 8MCE). Member of AOA.

Joe grew up in Findlay, Ohio - a small town in Northwest, Ohio. He grew up playing lots of sports and still tries to find time to get out and stay active. Since starting residency, that looks more along the lines of hiking with his fiance at the parks around Nashville and throughout Tennessee. Throughout residency, he's started to take more of an interest in cooking and gardening, albeit in a tiny 15th floor apartment in Midtown, but with hopes to move to a small house in the upcoming years. Also, in his spare time, Joe keeps busy exploring new restaurants. He enjoys everything Nashville has to offer – sports, music, the extremely well-established academic tradition, nature, food; you name it, he couldn’t imagine a town he would be more excited to live in!

Adesola was born and raised in Abuja, Nigeria. She came over to the United States at age 17 for college where she studied Biomedical Engineering at Mississippi State University. Prior to medical school, she spent a year in Boston working in sales for a startup Education and Technology company. Adesola quickly realized that she did not enjoy the cold winter of New England and decided to head to Philadelphia for medical school. She enjoys writing, singing, cooking, dancing to Nigerian music and kickboxing. She has really enjoyed her time in Nashville, and loves her co-residents that have become dear friends.

Olusola (‘Sola) was born and raised in Nigeria, where he also obtained his medical degree. Following his medical education, he completed a Master’s in Public Health at the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, where he was also inducted into the Delta Omega Public Health Honor Society. As a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Johns Hopkins Ciccarone Center for the Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease, and a Research Fellow at the American Heart Association’s Tobacco Regulation and Addiction Center, he published several high-impact papers in Preventive Cardiology. His research interests, which continue to expand, build upon these experiences, spanning cardiovascular disease prevention, clinical risk prediction, and disease outcome improvement. Clinically, he has interests in subspecializing in Cardiology, and will be looking to merge his clinical and research interests as an Academic Cardiologist. A soi-disant philosopher, he loves to engage in stimulating conversations. He also deeply values true camaraderie – one thing he feels lucky to have found here in Vanderbilt!

Benjamin was born and raised in Birmingham, Alabama. He attended the University of Alabama for undergrad where he graduated with a BS in biology and a minor in Spanish. During his time in college, he spent a summer studying abroad in Madrid, Spain where he continued to develop his Spanish speaking ability. After graduating, he continued on to medical school at the University of Alabama School of Medicine in Birmingham. Benjamin quickly discovered a passion for interacting with underserved communities. As a medical student, he served as an officer and clinic leader for Equal Access Birmingham, which is a student run medical clinic that provides free care to uninsured people in Birmingham. He also had the opportunity to travel to the Dominican Republic for a medical mission trip to help provide medical care to thousands of Dominican patients in need. Outside of medicine, Benjamin enjoys watching and playing sports, listening to music, playing guitar, traveling, and relaxing with friends. He also loves the chance to catch a broadway show with his wife, Anna Leigh. He enjoys exploring new restaurants in Nashville and spending time outdoors with friends and family. Member of AOA

Rachael hails from the Spa City of Hot Springs, Arkansas. She attended the University of Arkansas for undergraduate studies where she majored in biochemistry and anthropology, developing a love of the great outdoors as well as for the Razorbacks (Woo Pig!). She traveled northeast to Charm City to attend medical school at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, where she acquired a taste for Old Bay seasoning, as well as a passion for internal medicine and public health. She stayed an extra year to complete an MPH in epidemiology and biostatistics and hopes to intertwine these interests in her career. Nashville and the Vanderbilt community have provided a great place to learn and explore and she is excited for what the future holds.

Tommy was born in Evanston, Illinois, and raised in Grosse Pointe Farms, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. He attended the University of Michigan (Go Blue!) for his undergraduate training in biomedical engineering, and spent a gap year doing research at the National Institutes of Health prior to beginning medical school at the Wayne State University School of Medicine in Detroit. While at Wayne State, his interests and passions compelled him to apply for a residency position in internal medicine. Currently he is interested in a career in hospital medicine, but will continue to explore the many subspecialty fields in internal medicine. He has thoroughly enjoyed his time at Vanderbilt, and so far has loved getting to know Nashville. He has especially enjoyed getting out of the city and discovering Tennessee’s beautiful state parks with his significant other, Jamie Clark, a CA-1 in Vanderbilt’s anesthesiology program, and Jamie’s dog, Lola. Outside of work, Tommy and Jamie enjoy playing golf, hiking, backpacking, rock climbing, fly-fishing, skiing, and snow-shoeing (although they may have to put the snow sports on hold for a couple of years!). Member of AOA.

Neil was born and raised in Manhattan, Kansas, a rural college town nicknamed 'The Little Apple' where his mother still practices medicine and his father was the former mayor. He grew up competing with his older brother in sports, which transitioned to playing soccer and basketball in high school. He decided to shun his parent's alma mater by attending the in-state college rival, the University of Kansas, thereafter making Thanksgiving an annual trash-talking event. While studying genetics and Spanish as an undergraduate, he discovered a passion for teaching, fulfilling various leadership roles, and most importantly, KU basketball. Following in both his mother's and grandfather's footsteps, he continued his education at the University of Kansas School of Medicine where he found interests in cardiology and critical care. Beyond medicine, his interests include trivia nights, exploring new restaurants, experimenting with new recipes, traveling, and playing sports (less so now after tearing 3 ACLs). Member of AOA.

Nick was born and raised as the fourth of five children in Chanhassen, Minnesota, a small city known by some as a suburb of Minneapolis but by many more as the longtime residence of Prince. He grew up spending his summers and free time camping, fishing, canoeing, and waterskiing near and on the many lakes of northern Minnesota. He attended the University of Notre Dame, where he drank the Kool-Aid and became a shameless Fighting Irish fan. He majored in economics and pre-health studies and combined his two fields with health economics research. Following college, he returned to Minneapolis for medical school at the University of Minnesota. Outside of medicine, he enjoys playing basketball and hockey, doing all things outdoors, running, watching movies, and listening to podcasts. While he's not sure he'll ever get used to the heat, his time at Vanderbilt has included seeing some amazing live music and exploring the beautiful state and national parks of Tennessee.

Kelly was raised in Northern Virginia about 40 miles west of Washington D.C. She attended Georgetown University for her undergraduate degree and majored in Biology of Global Health, an interdisciplinary major that examines the socioeconomic determinants of public health issues. During college, she studied abroad in China, where she explored methods of disease control and prevention in both urban and rural provinces. She worked as a scribe in an emergency room for a year prior to attending the University of Virginia School of Medicine, where she was involved in research projects in GU and GI oncology as well as palliative care education. In her spare time, she enjoys hiking, competing in trivia or game nights with friends, watching college basketball, visiting coffee shops and farmers’ markets, and traveling. She is so thankful for the clinical training at Vanderbilt provided by the breadth, volume and complexity of pathology within a supportive work environment. Kelly also enjoys living in the wonderful city of Nashville and there are always new events, restaurants and hiking trails to explore on days off.

Joseph was born and raised in Miami, Florida with traditional Cuban roots, surrounded by 3 siblings and 15 first cousins (practically brothers and sisters). Growing up he always appreciated the palpable Miami-Cuban culture, which strongly shaped his upbringing. In high school, he played competitive volleyball, was named Scholar Athlete of the year and received athletic scholarships to play collegiate volleyball. After sustaining a series of knee injuries though, he elected to matriculate at the University of Miami and focus on his pre-medical education. He studied chemistry, led the pre-medical student organization on campus, played volleyball for the club team and obtained advanced open water SCUBA certification. After graduating Summa Cum Laude, he continued his medical education in Miami, where exposure to cardiology, nephrology and rheumatology peaked his interest in internal medicine. During undergraduate and medical school, he worked actively at a local free health clinic serving impoverished Latino immigrants. Just after residency interviews, he married his wife Arianne, as her relentless love and support was paramount in his medical school success. During his free time, Joseph loves to share meals with family and friends, cultivates a collection of orchids and bonsais, plays soccer and enjoys the outdoors. Surrounded by wonderful new friends, Nashville has become their new home. They enjoy taking their dog on long walks (favorite spot is McCabe park), bike rides with friends (Nashville greenway, through Shelby bottoms), exploring new restaurants (Husk is a must) and attending Nashville Predators games. They are looking forward to the years ahead, as they continue sharing experiences and enjoying time with close friends made possible by the Department of Medicine at VUMC.

Shobana was born in the small farm town of Cheraw in South Carolina and later moved to Georgia where she lived until college. She then headed northeast up to Philadelphia where she majored in neuroscience and international relations. After an internship with a medically focused NGO in northern India, she discovered her passion for medicine and global health. She is excited and hopeful to incorporate global health and public health into her residency time here at Vanderbilt. Additionally, she realized her love for singing and songwriting in grade school and acapella in college and hopes to be able to continue these passions in the Nashville open mic scene/karaoke at Santa’s! Some of her favorite spots in Nashville include the outdoor trails and the delicious food scene!

Brooks was raised in Nicholasville, Kentucky where he spent his youth playing baseball, cheering on the UK Wildcats, and watching the horses at Keeneland Racetrack. He is the middle of three boys, all of whom are pursuing a career in medicine. Sticking to his roots, Brooks stayed at the University of Kentucky for undergrad, where he majored in biology, before taking the 75-mile trip to pursue his MD at the University of Louisville. His interests in service and travel have taken him down to Central and South America where he climbed a 19,000 ft volcano, and across the world to Thailand. In his free time he enjoys spending the days biking and exploring outdoors (Percy Warner Park is his favorite). At night, he enjoys trying out the numerous restaurants and breweries that Nashville has to offer. Vanderbilt has become a second home, and he couldn’t be happier to complete his training alongside the diverse set of co-residents!

Evan was born in Richmond, VA and grew up in Owings Mills, MD with his parents and younger brother. An avid college sports fan, he majored in Biology at Duke where he balanced his studies with attending as many football and basketball games as possible. After graduating, he spent two years studying xenotransplantation and mechanisms of transplant rejection at the University of Maryland, Baltimore. Returning to Richmond for medical school at VCU, he met his future wife (a nurse practitioner and country music enthusiast) and her thirty pound dachshund, Miles. He enjoys jogging, road/trail-biking, weight-lifting, tennis, and almost anything else outdoors. He considers his intern year the most fulfilling year yet, and has been thrilled to call Vanderbilt and Nashville his home! He eagerly awaits the safe re-opening of Music City and plethora of concerts to follow!

Sam was born and raised in a small town one hour north of Pittsburgh and is the oldest of five children. He received a BA in History at Washington & Jefferson College and captained the men’s soccer team from sophomore year onward. Ultimately deciding to follow in his father’s footsteps and pursue a medical degree, he attended the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. He enjoys staying fit through running, lifting, and playing soccer but largely to balance out his passions for beer, whiskey, and food. He has quickly acclimated to the weather and culture of the South and has been enjoying the extra sunshine and people saying 'y'all'. He could not imagine a program or city more suited for him at this moment and is looking forward to continuing to explore Nashville over the next few years. Yeehaw! Wait, do people actually say that in the South? Member of AOA.

Kevin was raised in the Chicagoland area in the suburb of Plainfield, Illinois. After high school, he moved to Fort Lauderdale, Florida and attended Nova Southeastern University where he majored in biology. In college, he was involved in the South Asian community and established his interests in research and medicine. Realizing he was not yet ready to leave the yearlong sunshine, Kevin took his talents to Tampa to attend The University of South Florida Morsani College of Medicine. During medical school, Kevin spent time mentoring pre-med students at the university and gained an introduction to academic medicine as a preceptor for underclassmen medical students in their clinical skills coursework. Kevin’s professional interests include gastroenterology, healthcare policy, and academic medicine. Outside the hospital, he enjoys playing tennis, hiking, traveling, cooking, and spending time with friends and family. He has loved his time in Nashville thus far, along with being part of the Vanderbilt IM family, and is excited for the year ahead. Member of AOA.

Andy was born and raised in Owensboro, Kentucky where he had a fun childhood growing up as the oldest of 5 children. He completed his undergraduate studies at University of Kentucky, where he was first exposed to the joy and meaning of a career in medicine. He also played club baseball, which allowed for his proudest moment in his sports career, stealing home plate. For medical school Andy traded Kentucky blue for Louisville red. There he gained experience in basic science research on kidney cell transport, was involved in executive class leadership, and made some lifelong friends. In his free time Andy enjoys road cycling, running, reading fiction, snow skiing, and cooking. In Nashville his favorite activities have been taking his dog to Percy Warner park and eating tacos. He is excited for the challenges and opportunities being an upper-level will bring.

Mark was born in Denver, Colorado and raised in Redmond, Washington. He went on to study chemical engineering at the University of Notre Dame. After college, Mark spent two years living in Washington, D.C. where he worked as an energy trader. He then moved south to Dallas where he attended medical school at UT Southwestern. Since moving to Nashville with his partner Jenine, an Ob/Gyn resident, they've enjoyed strolling through Edgehill, floating down the Harpeth with co-residents, and getting crushed at board games by Nick Pietrini. Member of AOA.

Elliot grew up in Clearwater, Florida with his parents and younger sister. Escaping the heat, he traveled north to study molecular and cellular biology at Harvard College. He also studied abroad in Jerusalem, Israel, where he also became an emergency medical technician, which solidified his interest in clinical medicine. During a year between college and medical school, Elliot bicycled across the USA while fundraising for young adults affected by cancer, with a stop in Nashville. Little did he know it would become his future home! He received an MD and a Master of Science in Translational Research from the University of Pennsylvania, where he worked on medical device development and entrepreneurship. In his free time, he loves to cycle, cook, read a good book, and travel with friends.

Trevor was born in Denver, Colorado (Go Denver Broncos!), and he moved to Spanish Fort, Alabama when he was three, trading in his winter coat for shorts and t-shirts. Trevor grew up playing all sports, but fell in love with cross country, track and field, and basketball (Alabama has basketball? Who knew!). In college, he studied biomedical sciences and Spanish at the University of South Alabama and completed a study abroad in Cuenca, Spain. He also participated in research involving the Pseudomonas aeruginosa Exoenzyme Y, and he became passionate about reading a variety of books. His favorites include When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi, The Boys in the Boat by Daniel James Brown, and The Undoing Project by Michael Lewis. He stayed at the University of South Alabama for medical school where he continued his research and worked with the Medical Spanish Interest Group and Hispanic immigrants in Mobile, Alabama. Trevor loves running the trails at Percy Warner park, watching Vanderbilt basketball, and cheering on the Nashville Predators at Bridgestone Arena! Member of AOA.

Ayoda was born and raised in Ethiopia. She fell in love with Medicine while volunteering at an AIDs clinic as a teenager, which fueled her interest in ID. Since coming to the States, she has spent most of her time in California, but she is no stranger to the South as she completed her undergraduate education in Texas. Ayoda is passionate about global health and addressing health disparities, both locally and internationally. In her spare time, she enjoys photography and traveling. Her goal is to visit all 50 States (30 down so far) and visit every country in Africa. She couldn’t be more excited to be joining the Vanderbilt family and experience Nashville.

Katrina, a native of Chesapeake, Virginia is of one of four siblings. From an early age, issues of health, social justice and impacting her community have been the guiding factors in her educational pursuits. After attending the University of Virginia, she pursued a M.P.H in Behavioral Science/Health Education at Emory University: Rollins School of Public Health. Following graduation, she returned to Virginia to work as a health educator/case manager for a group of federally qualified health centers. Working with the medically under-served, Katrina solidified her love for primary care and clinical medicine. After a post-baccalaureate program in Illinois, she matriculated to Michigan State University: College of Human Medicine. Excited to become a part of the Vanderbilt Medicine community, Katrina’s career goals include serving indigent and under-served populations as a general internist. Furthermore, she is interested in the role of primary care physicians in addressing health disparities and social determinants of health. To relax, Katrina enjoys the outdoors, trying new restaurants, wine tasting, shopping and travel. During her training in Nashville, she has enjoyed the live music venues, diverse restaurants and nature trails.

Will Woodhouse was born and raised in Raleigh, North Carolina, where he was instilled with a deep appreciation for basketball, vinegar-based barbecue, and sprawling pine tree landscapes. He went to Duke University for undergrad where he studied at the Sanford School of Public Policy. He then earned his MD at UNC School of Medicine in Chapel Hill. He spent an extra year during this time to study public health and earn an MPH from UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health. He has special research interests and experiences in both antimicrobial stewardship initiatives and issues of health equity and policy. He and his wife, Hope, met in high school and together enjoy exploring new coffeeshops and farmer’s markets. Will also enjoys tending his patio citrus plants and exploring the city on his bicycle.

Toaa was born in New York, but mostly grew up in Tampa, Florida, where her parents moved to escape the cold. She stayed in Tampa for both undergrad and medical school where she developed a passion for healthcare disparities, global health, and both internal medicine and pediatrics! In her free time she enjoys traveling around the world and trying new foods, hiking, yoga, and photography. She is looking forward to moving to Nashville and joining the Vanderbilt community!

Originally hailing from Lebanon, Ahmad grew up in Greenville, South Carolina surrounded by the Appalachian mountains. He went to Furman University for his undergraduate degree getting a B.S. in Chemistry and Philosophy (he loves getting into philosophical debates, like does free will even exist?). Taking some time off from school, Ahmad went back home to Lebanon where he worked at the Cerebral Palsy Center before moving back to the States where he became an ABA certified therapist for children with Autism and an EMT. His experiences as an EMT, therapist, and aid at the cerebral palsy center led to his love for medicine. Ahmad’s main interests are in global medicine, particularly disaster response and refugee medicine. Outside of healthcare Ahmad enjoys most outdoor sports (particularly hiking and mountain biking), playing drums, traveling, eating shawarma, and bothering his sister and brother. He’s excited to begin his residency at Vanderbilt and discover Nashville!

Ned grew up in Charlotte, North Carolina. He realized his future would entail significant schooling when he was encouraged to enroll in kindergarten…for a second time. After mastering his developmental milestones, he went on to receive a B.A. in Spanish with a minor in Chemistry from UNC Chapel Hill. He returned to UNC for medical school and to see the Tar Heels march to a sixth national championship. While in medical school, he put his Spanish major to use and traveled twice to Honduras with UNC’s Honduran Health Alliance where he developed an affinity for both international medicine and gastrointestinal pathogens. In his free time, Ned enjoys running, skiing, attempting to cook, and flying his (now 2 year old) drone. He has really enjoyed exploring Nashville thus far, especially the Warner Parks, various breweries, and strong WiFi areas amenable to Zoom meetings. In true Med-Peds fashion, Ned is still undecided on the specifics of his future career. He is interested in transitional care for children and families affected by chronic illness, global health, and medical education.

Sam is a native of Columbus, Ohio. He completed his undergraduate degree in chemistry and history at Vanderbilt. He then returned home to THE Ohio State University for medical school, where he was voted by his peers as the “Biggest Buckeye Fan” in his graduating class. At OSU he discovered his love of outpatient Med-Peds and preventative care. In his free time, Sam enjoys sports, traveling, playing chess, cooking, and running. Since returning to Nashville, he has enjoyed connecting with new and old friends. He has also frequented Radnor Lake and many of the other amazing parks in Middle Tennessee.

Joseph grew up in Charlotte, NC, but spent much of his life in the Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill area for high school, college, and medical school. During his undergraduate years at NC State University, he majored in chemical engineering, and worked in pharmaceutical and industrial manufacturing plants where his fear of heights was really tested when he looked down at 40 foot reactors through metal grating. He also volunteered as an after-school mentor for middle and high school students. While in medical school at UNC, Joseph managed to maintain his original ACC basketball loyalty to NC State, while applying some of his engineering background to quality improvement projects. As part of the medical school’s Charlotte campus, he also volunteered with a pipeline program which introduced high school students in Charlotte to health professions careers. He enjoys traveling, eating his way around places he visits, running, and learning guitar, and is excited to explore all that Nashville and Middle Tennessee have to offer!

Laura spent most of her childhood in South Carolina where she enjoyed summers swimming at the lake or hiking in the NC mountains with her family. With a love of the outdoors, she went off to Arkansas for college where she was a member of the women’s swim team and studied Biochemistry/Molecular Biology and Religion. During college, she also spent two summers doing Alzheimer’s research at Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, where she realized her interest in medicine and decided to stay in the Sunshine State for medical school at the University of Florida. She focused on sustainability, health equity, global health, and also fell in love with SEC sports. Outside the hospital, you can find her buying more plants, heading out for a run, biking or paddling with her awesome fiancé Dillon, or hanging out with her Vandy Family. Nashville feels like home now and she can't wait to keep checking off all of the awesome waterfall hikes on her Tennessee bucket list. Member of AOA.

Preetam was raised in Chelmsford, Massachusetts. He attended the University of Chicago as an undergraduate, where he majored in biology and minored in philosophy. After graduating, he spent one year working with NGOs in Pune, India to develop and lead a malnutrition project in the city’s slum communities. He attended the University of Massachusetts Medical School, where he discovered a love for the care of adults and children. He has a passion for medical ethics, global health, international development, and the intersection between medicine, research, and public policy. His other interests include the arts, philosophy and comparative religion.

Ben Frush was born and raised in Durham, North Carolina. He graduated from Duke University where he studied psychology before matriculating to the University of North Carolina for medical school, where he remained an unapologetic Duke basketball fan. In between his third and fourth years of medical school, Ben spent a year at Duke Divinity School where he was a fellow in the Theology, Medicine, and Culture Fellowship there. He is interested in bioethics, specifically how both theology and moral philosophy can inform current conversations involving disability, moral formation in medicine, and end-of-life care. In his free time, Ben enjoys pickup basketball, Pittsburgh Steelers football, re-watching episodes of The Office ad nauseam, and figuring out how to spend time with other people’s dogs until he breaks down and gets his own

Rachel was born and raised in Tampa, FL, where she spent much of her free time playing volleyball, scuba diving or on the beach. She attended the University of Florida for undergrad where she majored in biochemistry and nutrition, developing her passion for medicine in between tailgating Gator football games. Rachel went to Yale for medical school, where she decided to pursue Med-Peds after becoming interested in caring for both adults and kids with congenital heart disease. After her short stint in the northeast, Rachel was excited to move back to warmer weather for residency. Outside of the hospital, Rachel spends her time hiking near Chattanooga, sailing on Percy Priest, listening to live music and exploring new restaurants around Nashville.

Jon was born in Virginia Beach, VA, as first generation immigrant. His family has always had an international flair, with his Dutch father, Kenyan stepmother, and Lebanese wife. Jon spent his childhood planning to become president of the United States but decided that politics was not for him after working as an aide in the state capitol during early high school. Thankfully, he switched to medicine and has never looked back. Before pursuing an undergraduate degree, he volunteered for a non-profit organization doing community development in Costa Rica, the Philippines, and Indonesia. Later, he earned his Bachelors of Science in chemistry at Wheaton College, where he also met his wife, Olivia. Following his undergraduate education, he worked for one year in the chemical industry (where he literally had to watch paint dry as part of his job description). He then attended medical school at University of Illinois and discovered Med-Peds. Jon and Olivia are both passionate about global health and correcting health disparities in developing countries. Specifically, Jon would like to build residency programs in developing countries in order to contribute to a self-sustaining global physician workforce. When Jon is not learning medicine you might find him running a 5k, reading the Economist or a book on space exploration, cooking ethnic Lebanese food with his wife, or enjoying a glass of Californian cabernet sauvignon or Italian barbera. Since arriving in Nashville, Jon and Olivia have added Lola (4 year old Great Pyrenees) and Cosette (newborn daughter) to their family.

Though technically a southerner by birth, Ashley is an East Coaster at heart. In college, she fell in love with the City of Brotherly Love, but after blowing through two pairs of snow boots during the polar vortex of 2014, she decided life is too short for cold weather. She headed back down south for medical school at Vanderbilt. Bachelorette parties aside, she is proud to be a Nashvillian. In her spare time, she and her fiancé Seth love hanging out with their kitty cat, cooking, gardening (ask her about the 10 varieties of heirloom tomatoes she planted this year!), going on hikes, road tripping to Asheville, and eating as much hot chicken as possible.