Regional Anesthesiology and Acute Pain Medicine Fellow Profiles
Our 2022-2023 Regional Anesthesiology and Acute Pain Medicine Fellow Physicians:
Benjamin (Ben) Chu, MD
Hometown: Queens, NY
Undergraduate: Washington University, BA Interdisciplinary Project in the Humanities
Medical School: Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine
Residency: Anesthesiology, New York Presbyterian Hospital-Weill Cornell Medicine
Why I chose UCLA: When choosing a fellowship, I wanted to find a program that offered me the opportunity to improve my skills with nerve catheters, gain experience as a solo practitioner in the OR, and enjoy life outside of the hospital; UCLA was a perfect fit and that’s held true thus far.
Dr. Benjamin Chu served as one of the Chief Residents during his Anesthesiology residency at Cornell. His interests include traveling, watching and playing baseball, barbecuing and grilling, trying new recipes and restaurants, and going to concerts with friends.
Shireen Nouri, MD, MA
Hometown: Chandler, Arizona
Undergraduate: Arizona State University, BS Biology and Society
Graduate: Arizona State University, MA Applied Ethics and the Professions (Biomedical and Health Ethics)
Medical School: Chicago Medical School at Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science
Residency: Anesthesiology, Yale University School of Medicine
Why I chose UCLA: There isn’t just one reason why I chose UCLA for fellowship; it was a multitude of reasons, some many years in the making. UCLA’s regional program was well-established and had a reputation of excellence that I sought after for my final year of training. I also wanted a program that allowed me to work in the OR and keep up my OR skills. The fellowship offered a perfect balance of regional training and OR time. I was eager to broaden my regional skills, especially in regards to unique blocks, catheters and placing thoracic epidurals. Also, after 8 years away from the sun, I needed to head west!
Dr. Shireen Nouri is a paper cutting artist and her work has been displayed in several art shows. Paper cutting is an art form that uses an X-Acto knife and paper to transform flat mediums into 2D and 3D art pieces. She sold an art piece to the city of Chandler, AZ, and it was featured in the Chandler Center for the Arts pamphlet from 2008 to 2013. Dr. Nouri’s hobbies also include gardening and brewing Kombucha. During her free time, she enjoys running, playing badminton, and training her dog Remi.
Richa Pardikar, MD
Hometown: Bellevue, WA
Undergraduate: Johns Hopkins University, BA Public Health Studies
Medical School: New York Medical College
Internship: Internal Medicine, Greenwich Hospital
Residency: Anesthesiology, UCSF School of Medicine
Why I chose UCLA: When I interviewed, I loved the strong sense of female leadership and presence throughout the department of anesthesia and also in the regional program. Seeing other women as leaders in the field of Regional Anesthesia and Acute Pain that bringing innovative pain management to the forefront of patient care was inspiring and a huge reason I chose UCLA. The whole regional group consists of such supportive and amazing educators and I feel so lucky to be learning from this group.
Dr. Richa Pardikar has been dedicated to learning Indian classical dance, Bharat Natyam, since the age of 5 and has participated in a number of competitions and dance teams. Dr. Pardikar also plays the Mandolin in Indian and Western styles. She is passionate about patient advocacy and learning about novel approaches in multi-modal acute pain management.