Meet the Residents
PGY 1
![Dr. Maya Alexis](/sites/default/files/styles/portrait_3x4_006000_180x240/public/images/76/alexis-maya.jpg?f=49bb1a41&itok=zdXaxbVF)
Maya Alexis, MD
Medical School: University of Pennsylvania
Undergraduate Institution: Johns Hopkins University
Hometown: El Dorado Hills, CA
Interests: Snowboarding, painting, running, vintage radio shows
Research Interests: Acute care surgery, trauma surgery, high value surgical care
![Dr. Sherrefa Burchell](/sites/default/files/styles/portrait_3x4_006000_180x240/public/images/2b/burchell-sherrefa.jpg?f=65ebe17e&itok=gjmDDrzh)
Sherrefa Burchell, MD
Medical School: Loma Linda University
Undergraduate Institution: Northern Caribbean University
Hometown: Montego-Bay, Jamaica
Interests: Traveling, learning new cultures, trying new foods (+ traveling to try new foods), anything with water, concerts/musicals, reading, knitting
Research Interests: Pediatric surgery, global surgery, public health
![Ami Hayashi, MD](/sites/default/files/styles/portrait_3x4_006000_180x240/public/images/3a/hayashi-ami.jpg?f=c6e26eac&itok=pVdgrCm5)
Ami Hayashi, MD
Medical School: University of California, Los Angeles
Undergraduate Institution: Stanford University
Hometown: Oxnard, California
Interests: Listening to podcasts, reading short stories, spending time with loved ones, showing people pictures of my cats
Research Interests: Global surgery, health equity
![Dr. Emily Jones](/sites/default/files/styles/portrait_3x4_006000_180x240/public/images/84/jones-emily.jpg?f=92807e19&itok=wMTQD7Xw)
Emily Jones, MD
Medical School: University of California, Los Angeles
Undergraduate Institution: University of Pennsylvania
Hometown: Berkeley, California
Interests: Boxing, hiking with my dog
Research Interests: Anthropology of surgery, violence prevention, health equity
![Dr. Vanessa Mora Molina](/sites/default/files/styles/portrait_3x4_006000_180x240/public/images/87/mora-molina-vanessa.jpg?f=c4c1b4db&itok=VxHm4tXn)
Vanessa Mora Molina, MD
Medical School: University of California, San Francisco
Undergraduate Institution: University of California, Santa Barbara
Hometown: Fowler, CA
Interests: Tennis, reading, painting, hiking with Maverick, traveling, trying new restaurants
Research Interests: Health disparities research, surgical education, improving access to surgical care for marginalized communities
![Dr. Charles Nicholson](/sites/default/files/styles/portrait_3x4_006000_180x240/public/images/a4/nicholson-charles.jpg?f=383a7eb6&itok=EgmR-wFB)
Phifer Nicholson Jr., MD, MTS
Medical School: Duke University
Undergraduate Institution: Wofford College
Hometown: Plymouth, Minnesota
Interests: Music, cooking (and, of course, eating!), anything outdoors, reading
Research Interests: Ethics, health equity, religion and medicine, global surgery
![Dr. Deepika Sarode](/sites/default/files/styles/portrait_3x4_006000_180x240/public/images/8a/sarode-deepika.jpg?f=69194104&itok=jbALscYC)
Deepika Sarode, MD
Medical School: University of Southern California
Undergraduate Institution: University of California, Berkeley
Hometown: West Hills, CA
Interests: Biking, traveling, beach days, charcuterie boards, finding LA's best new restaurants
Research Interests: Medical device design, transplant immunology, education
PGY 2
![Madison Betcher](/sites/default/files/styles/portrait_3x4_006000_180x240/public/images/e7/madison-betcher_0.jpg?f=10d9ee49&itok=KdJV9ex_)
Madison Betcher, MD
Medical School: Columbia University
Undergraduate Institution: Georgetown University
Hometown: Seattle, WA
Interests: Backpacking/hiking trips, skiing (but only on the west coast), scuba diving, exploring new cities, pick-up soccer
Research Interests: Pediatric surgery, global surgery, surgical outcomes-based research
![Reghan Conrey](/sites/default/files/styles/portrait_3x4_006000_180x240/public/images/14/reghan-conrey_0.jpg?f=9cbf6a8b&itok=PNqrNa8V)
Reghan Conrey, MD
Medical School: Baylor College of Medicine
Undergraduate Institution: University of Texas
Hometown: Cypress, TX
Interests: Reading, board games, herpetology, kickboxing, knitting
Research Interests: Abdominal transplantation, regenerative medicine, health equity
![Simon Esteva](/sites/default/files/styles/portrait_3x4_006000_180x240/public/images/0e/simon-esteva_0.jpg?f=3f85fb65&itok=_kQhKVwK)
Simon Esteva, MD
Medical School: Texas A&M
Undergraduate Institution: University of Texas at Austin
Hometown: Austin, TX
Interests: Traveling, concerts, going out to new restaurants and bars, house plants, cooking and video games
Research Interests: Outcomes and clinical research in either thoracic surgery or MIS, surgical education
![Mohamed Gabir](/sites/default/files/styles/portrait_3x4_006000_180x240/public/images/f4/mohamed-gabir_0.jpg?f=4c0f5163&itok=VGlGjz5a)
Mohamed Gabir, MD, MPP
Medical School: Harvard Medical School
Undergraduate Institution: Washington University in St. Louis
Hometown: Aurora, CO
Interests: Soccer, Hiking, Escape rooms, board games, Random adventures in LA
Research Interests: Global surgery, Health Equity, Trauma Surgery, Health policy
![Jamie Ko](/sites/default/files/styles/portrait_3x4_006000_180x240/public/images/d0/jamie-ko_1.jpg?f=6a7f28b0&itok=Z_bfkqI2)
Jamie Ko, MD
Medical School: University of California, Los Angeles
Undergraduate Institution: Yale College
Hometown: Honolulu, Hawaii
Interests: Reading, coloring, classical violin, long-distance running, figure skating
Research Interests: Health equity and policy
![Carter Prentice](/sites/default/files/styles/portrait_3x4_006000_180x240/public/images/d6/carter-prentice.jpg?f=9635870d&itok=Pve1LMP8)
Carter Prentice, MD
Medical School: University of Pennsylvania
Undergraduate Institution: University of Wisconsin
Hometown: Brighton, MI
Interests: Spikeball, hiking, climbing, live music, ice cream, burritos
Research Interests: Health equity and disparities, improving access to surgical care among marginalized communities
![Kyla Wright](/sites/default/files/styles/portrait_3x4_006000_180x240/public/images/1f/kyla-wright_0.jpg?f=8b04701c&itok=c5gZY3cz)
Kyla Wright, MD
Medical School: New York University, Grossman School of Medicine
Undergraduate Institution: University of Washington
Hometown: Spokane, WA
Interests:Live music, hiking, flea markets, collecting vinyl, contemporary dance
Research Interests: Clinical outcomes, health equity, endocrine surgery, education
PGY 3
![Mariah Blegen, MD](/sites/default/files/styles/portrait_3x4_006000_180x240/public/images/Blegen_Mariah.jpg?h=7ce96cc7&itok=ZC5aV1pJ)
Mariah Blegen, MD
Medical School: University of Rochester School of Medicine
Undergraduate Institution: Macalester College
Hometown: Deephaven, MN
Interests: Implementation science, YouTube yoga, camping, propagating my succulents
Research: Disparities in lung cancer screening
![Nikhil L Chervu, MD](/sites/default/files/styles/portrait_3x4_006000_180x240/public/images/Chervu_Nikhil.jpg?h=ecd491c3&itok=g8Zdfk7o)
Nikhil L. Chevru, MD
Medical School: Georgetown University
Undergraduate Institution: Princeton University
Hometown: Marietta, GA
Interests: Playing saxophone and drums, Atlanta sports, Cardiothoracic surgery
Kelsey Haddad, MD, PhD
Medical School: Washington University School of Medicine
Undergraduate Institution: University of Notre Dame
Hometown: Philadelphia, PA
Interests: Donuts (food in general), hiking/backpacking, any form of workout class
Research Interests: technology in medicine, bio/device design, health disparities, impact of environment on human health
Cray Noah, MD
Medical School: Harvard Medical School
Undergraduate Institution: Georgia Tech
Hometown: Houston, TX
Interests: dancing, lifting, sailing, cliff jumping, sports, sushi, crypto
Research Interests: machine perfusion of transplant organs, drone delivery of organs, medical devices, immunotherapy
![Joon Park, MD](/sites/default/files/styles/portrait_3x4_006000_180x240/public/images/Park_Joon.jpg?h=7ce96cc7&itok=UxL8HYxx)
Joon Park, MD
Medical School: David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA
Undergraduate Institution: UC Berkeley
Hometown: Pleasanton, CA
Interests: Basketball, biking, surgical oncology, coffee
Research: Pancreatic cancer
Terrance Peng, MD
Medical School: University of Southern California
Undergraduate Institution: Boston College
Hometown: Edison, NJ
Interests: Making music, time with family, cooking, hiking, soccer, waving hello to dogs on the street
Research Interests: Health services and outcomes research, thoracic surgical oncology, medical/surgical education
Carolyn Smullin, MD
Medical School: University of California, Los Angeles
Undergraduate: UC Berkeley
Hometown: Eureka, California
Interests: spending time with my family, long runs, going to the beach, traveling, reading
Research: Intestinal failure, multivisceral transplantation, transplant immunology
PGY 4
![Mark Bailey, MD, PhD](/sites/default/files/styles/portrait_3x4_006000_180x240/public/images/Mark%20Bailey.jpg?h=390711b3&itok=ZyYBqn99)
Mark Bailey, MD, PhD
Medical School: Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
Undergraduate Institution: UC Berkeley
Hometown: Los Angeles, CA
Interests: Coffee, Running, Literature
Research: Virology, Vaccine development, Oncolytics
![Dr. Bennet Cho](/sites/default/files/styles/portrait_3x4_006000_180x240/public/images/92/cho-bennet-pgy-4.jpg?f=44ebae0d&itok=0zbGaQfz)
Bennet Cho, MD
Medical School: Harvard Medical School
Undergraduate Institution: Columbia University
Hometown: Buena Park, CA
Interests: Working out, eating, spending time with family
Research: Clinical trials and cardiac surgery outcomes research
![Hattie Huston-Paterson, MD](/sites/default/files/styles/portrait_3x4_006000_180x240/public/images/Huston-Paterson_Hattie-.jpg?h=7ce96cc7&itok=9xZs8xdz)
Hattie Huston-Paterson, MD
Medical School: University of Pennsylvania
Undergraduate Institution: University of Oxford
Hometown: Lawrenceville, NJ
Interests: Health Justice, Structural Violence, Workforce Diversity, Surfing
Research: Thoracic Trauma
![Kyle Klingbeil, MD, MS](/sites/default/files/styles/portrait_3x4_006000_180x240/public/images/Klingbeil_Kyle.jpg?h=a2d9d674&itok=LRsaz9M5)
Kyle Klingbeil, MD, MS
Medical School: University of Miami Miller School of Medicine
Undergraduate Institution: University of Iowa
Hometown: Estherville, IA
Interests: Cycling, traveling, cooking, meditation/yoga and surgical oncology
Research: Oncology - Sarcoma Metabolism
![Amanda Labora, MD](/sites/default/files/styles/portrait_3x4_006000_180x240/public/images/Labora_Amanda.jpg?h=182f40e0&itok=atyKHu5x)
Amanda Labora, MD
Medical School: University of Pennsylvania
Undergraduate Institution: Brown University Hometown: Miami, FL
Interests: Latinx health, POCUS, surgical critical care, hiking and baking
![Garrett Salzman, MD](/sites/default/files/styles/portrait_3x4_006000_180x240/public/images/Salzman_Garrett.jpg?h=7ce96cc7&itok=5qBVl76W)
Garrett Salzman, MD
Medical School: Keck School of Medicine of USCl
Undergraduate Institution: Macalester Collegee
Hometown: Glendale, CA
Interests: Acute Care Surgery, professional sports (Go Rams!), BBQing
Research: Health services research focusing on emergency surgery in geriatric patients.
![Whitt Virgin-Downey, MD MBA](/sites/default/files/styles/portrait_3x4_006000_180x240/public/images/Virgin-Downey_Whitt.jpg?h=7ce96cc7&itok=4JUpvClN)
Whitt Virgin-Downey, MD, MBA
Medical School: Stanford Medical School/Business School
Undergraduate Institution: Harvard University
Hometown: St. Louis, MO
Interests: Music, Basketball, Frisbee, Organizational Design
Research: Hospital Administration
![Mark Yost, MD](/sites/default/files/styles/portrait_3x4_006000_180x240/public/images/Yost_Mark.jpg?h=7ce96cc7&itok=1fKHUZ-U)
Mark Yost, MD
Medical School: Harvard Medical School
Undergraduate Institution: UCLA
Hometown: San Jose, CA
Interests: Ice Hockey, Global Health, Trauma/Critical Care, Dogs
Research: MPH and Global Surgery Project(s)
PGY 5
![Kevin Blair, MD](/sites/default/files/styles/portrait_3x4_006000_180x240/public/images/Blair_Kevin.jpg?h=7ce96cc7&itok=Yg_bXHkV)
Kevin Blair, MD
Medical School: Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine
Undergraduate Institution: Vanderbilt University
Hometown: St. Louis, MO / Chicago, IL
Interests: Running, Scuba Diving, Global Health, Trauma Surgery
Research: Global Surgery
![Joseph Hadaya, MD](/sites/default/files/styles/portrait_3x4_006000_180x240/public/images/download.jpg?h=e8443a75&itok=sRMSIIBP)
Joseph Hadaya, MD
Medical School: Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine
Undergraduate Institution: University of California, Los Angeles
Hometown: Burbank, CA
Interests: Cycling, hiking, molecular biology, clinical outcomes
Research: Cardiovascular diseases
![Ivy Huang, MD](/sites/default/files/styles/portrait_3x4_006000_180x240/public/images/ivy-huang.jpg?h=55541bb6&itok=nxGQUw7d)
Ivy Huang, MD
Medical School: Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine
Undergraduate Institution: UC Berkeley
Hometown: San Jose, CA
Interests: enhancing resident autonomy, live music, trivia, playing with my co-resident's pets
Research: Surgical education
![Benjamin Tran, MD](/sites/default/files/styles/portrait_3x4_006000_180x240/public/images/Benjamin-Tran.jpg?h=55541bb6&itok=_N4C7PMJ)
Benjamin Tran, MD
Medical School: Mount Sinai
Undergraduate Institution: Mount Sinai School of Medicine medical school
Hometown: San Diego
Interests: Transplant surgery; translational research; cycling; camping
Research: Hepatocellular Carcinoma, Circulating Tumor Cells, Liquid Biopsy
![Zachary Weitzner, MD](/sites/default/files/styles/portrait_3x4_006000_180x240/public/images/zachary-weitzner.jpg?h=55541bb6&itok=_lUZUEl2)
Zachary Weitzner, MD
Medical School: University of Massachusetts Medical School
Undergraduate Institution: Boston College
Hometown: Acton, MA
Interests: Minimally Invasive Surgery, Boston Sports, Golf, Beach
Research: Advanced Endoscopy, Surgical Outcomes, Bariatric Surgery, Hernia
![Dennis Zheng, MD](/sites/default/files/styles/portrait_3x4_006000_180x240/public/images/Zheng_Dennis.jpg?h=7ce96cc7&itok=IAoZkBnq)
Dennis Zheng, MD
Medical School: UC San Francisco
Undergraduate Institution: Harvard Hometown: Granite Bay, CA
Interests: Global health, trauma surgery, NBA basketball
Research: Surgical care in sub-Saharan Africa
Research Residents (PGY-3/PGY-4)
![Dominic Amara, MD, MS](/sites/default/files/styles/portrait_3x4_006000_180x240/public/images/Dominic%20Amara%2C%20MD%2C%20MS.jpg?h=f23a0748&itok=EQvd9OGp)
Dominic Amara, MD, MS
Medical School: UCSF
Undergraduate Institution: UC Berkeley
Hometown: Sonoma, CA
Interests: Data science, running, lifting, skiing
Research: Transplant/oncology, translational/clinical informatics, precision medicine
![Tess Huy, MD](/sites/default/files/styles/portrait_3x4_006000_180x240/public/images/Huy_Tess.jpg?h=bf372811&itok=8wTpCkCN)
Tess Huy, MD
Medical School: Saint Louis University School of Medicine
Undergraduate Institution: Washington University in St. Louis
Hometown: Leamington, Ontario, Canada
Interests: Traveling/backpacking, baking, quality improvement research, undecided career interests
Research: Quality improvement
Kera Kwan, MD
Medical School: University of California, Los Angeles
Undergraduate institution: University of California, Los Angeles
Hometown: Lake Forest, CA
Interests: Rock climbing, crochet, hiking, camping, house plants, pugs
Research Interests: Health services research, including colorectal cancer screening and outcomes, LGBT health disparities
![Serena Lofftus, MD](/sites/default/files/styles/portrait_3x4_006000_180x240/public/images/Lofftus_Serena.jpg?h=a4a4d95c&itok=_chQbAdb)
Serena Lofftus, MD
Medical School: Tufts University School of Medicine
Undergraduate Institution: Boston College
Hometown: Rochester, NY
Interests: Skiing, sailing, perfecting my mom’s Korean food recipes, surgical oncology
Research: outcomes research in cardiac surgery and tumor immunology
Jose Luis Lopez, MD
Medical School: University of California, San Francisco
Undergraduate Institution: California State University, Fresno
Hometown: Clovis, CA
Interests: Fútbol, Art/galleries, Live music, Skateboarding, Ice cream, Health equity
Research Interests: Health equity, optimizing access to surgery and improving surgical outcomes for marginalized communities, improving surgical education/culture
![Tyler McCaw, MD, PhD](/sites/default/files/styles/portrait_3x4_006000_180x240/public/images/Tyler%20McCaw%2C%20MD%2C%20PhD.jpg?h=5843d5ce&itok=6bHLLnTv)
Tyler McCaw, MD, PhD
Medical School: University of Alabama School of Medicine
Undergraduate Institution: North Carolina State University
Hometown: Birmingham, AL
Interests:
Research: Surgical oncology and basic: CD8 T cell response to and differentiation in solid tumors
![Andrew Melehy, MD](/sites/default/files/styles/portrait_3x4_006000_180x240/public/images/Andrew%20Melehy%2C%20MD.jpg?h=989ebec0&itok=tGqPOtR4)
Andrew Melehy, MD
Medical School: Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons
Undergraduate Institution: Northwestern University
Hometown: San Diego, CA
Interests: Snowboarding, hiking, camping, tennis
Research: Health services, clinical research informatics, data-driven research, transplant
![Whitney Orji, MD, MS](/sites/default/files/styles/portrait_3x4_006000_180x240/public/images/Whitney%20Orji%2C%20MD%2C%20MS.jpg?h=9d0f527a&itok=_J65VS7W)
Whitney Orji, MD, MS
Medical School: University of Pennsylvania
Undergraduate Institution: Rice University
Hometown: Pflugerville, TX
Interests: Health equity/justice, global surgery, reading, creating the perfect playlist, being outside
Research: Health equity in surgery
![Alykhan Premji, MD](/sites/default/files/styles/portrait_3x4_006000_180x240/public/images/Premji_Alykhan.jpg?h=bf372811&itok=lWtl3wr_)
Alykhan Premji, MD
Medical School: University of Tennessee Health Science Center
Undergraduate Institution: Duke University
Hometown: Knoxville, TN
Interests: Public Health & Global Surgery, swimming/biking
![Brittany Robinson, MD](/sites/default/files/styles/portrait_3x4_006000_180x240/public/images/Brittany%20Robinson%2C%20MD.jpg?h=f23a0748&itok=8zll59Dy)
Brittany Robinson, MD
Medical School: UCSF
Undergraduate Institution: Yale University
Hometown: Temecula, CA
Interests: Scuba diving, vinyl collecting, hiking, ice cream
Research: Global surgery, trauma, health equity (specifically access to surgery and surgical outcomes)
![Jordan Rook, MD](/sites/default/files/styles/portrait_3x4_006000_180x240/public/images/Rook_Jordan.jpg?h=7ce96cc7&itok=GX1JRKSE)
Jordan Rook, MD
Medical School: Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine
Undergraduate Institution: University of Denver
Hometown: Colorado Springs, CO
Interests: Addressing disparities in healthcare through policy, colorectal surgery, surgical oncology, exploring new neighborhoods!
Research: Exploring the health impact of out-of-pocket costs
![Young-Ji Seo, MD](/sites/default/files/styles/portrait_3x4_006000_180x240/public/images/Seo_Young-Ji.jpg?h=bf372811&itok=g-_yKhgi)
Young-Ji Seo, MD
Medical School: David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA
Undergraduate Institution: University of California, Berkeley
Hometown: Corona, CA
Interests: Hiking, classical piano, endocrine surgery, minimally invasive surgery
Research: Healthcare outcomes, clinical trials
![Nicholas Siena, MD](/sites/default/files/styles/portrait_3x4_006000_180x240/public/images/Siena_Nicholas.jpg?h=bf372811&itok=ao__IOvB)
Nicholas Siena, MD
Medical School: Thomas Jefferson University
Undergraduate Institution: Temple University
Hometown: Philadelphia
Interests: Trauma and acute care surgery, experiencing as much of Los Angeles as is possible, trying to learn golf
Research: The semantics of cancer, philosophy of medicine
![Michael Srienc, MD, MS](/sites/default/files/styles/portrait_3x4_006000_180x240/public/images/Michael%20Srienc%2C%20MD%2C%20MS.jpg?h=4cbc0da4&itok=DDu4f55C)
Michael Srienc, MD, MS
Medical School: University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine
Undergraduate Institution: University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
Hometown: Lake Elmo, MN
Interests: Trying new restaurants, being outdoors, spending time with my family, surgical oncology
Research: Basic science or translational research related to oncology with a preference to work with proteins
![Haley Tupper, MD, MPH](/sites/default/files/styles/portrait_3x4_006000_180x240/public/images/Tupper_Haley.jpg?h=bf372811&itok=M_YVmKDJ)
Haley Tupper, MD, MPH
Medical School: Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
Undergraduate Institution: University of Pennsylvania
Hometown: Seattle, WA
Interests: Soccer, skiing, health systems design, my dog
Serena Zheng, MD
Medical School: Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
Undergraduate Institution: University of Southern California
Hometown: La Canada Flintridge
Interests: scuba diving, wildlife photography, backpacking/traveling, skiing, tennis
Research Interests: subclinical significance of circulating tumor cells; racial disparities in oncology, at the population and molecular levels