We are pleased to introduce the new GI fellows who will be starting July 1, 2007. All of our
incoming fellows are truly outstanding physicians, teachers and investigators and we are very
proud to have them as colleagues (their orientations will be June 29, July 2-3). We are also
grateful and appreciative of the superb work done by our fellows who are completing their first
year: Drs. Meena Bewtra, Nina Pascua, Andy Rhim, Josh Stern and Rick Wood.
Alyson N. Fox, M.D. - Alyson received her undergraduate degree
in Public Health and Natural Sciences from Johns Hopkins
University where she was on the dean’s list, and was honored by
the Owens, Hall and Bilgrave Award for significant contributions
to undergraduate student activities and the recognition award and
mentoring award through the office of multicultural student
affairs. She then completed her medical degree from Mount
Sinai Medical School. Her work was distinguished by the Irwin
Gellarnt Award for service in the community, the Community
Service and Academic Achievement Award and she served as
commencement speaker at graduation.
Currently, she has
completed her Internal Medicine Residency at New YorkPresbyterian Hospital at Cornell, where she has been
conducting research and the treatment in Wilson’s disease. She won an AASLD Resident
Scholar Travel Award. Alyson will be joining our MSCE degree program.
Jesse K. Liu, M.D. - Jesse received his undergraduate degree in
molecular and cell biology with honors and overall distinction in
general scholarship from the University of California-Berkeley.
He was in the Golden Key National Honor Society and won the
California Alumni Association Leadership Scholarship as well as the
Berkeley Biology Fellows Scholar. Jesse’s early work in college
resulted in first-authored publications in the EMBO Journal,
Berkeley Scientific Journal and the Weizmann Institute of Science.
He then completed his medical degree at the University of Virginia
where he received the Robert and Caroline Irons Merit Scholarship
and then completed his Internal Medicine Residency at Duke
University Medical School where he has been a Prime Research
Grant Recipient and participated in the Residency Research
Symposium. He has conducted research in drug-induced hepatotoxicity as well as C. difficile
associated diarrhea in solid organ transplant patients. Jesse will be pursuing basic science
research.
Junsuke (Jun) Maki, M.D. - Jun received his undergraduate
degree in Environmental Studies and History from
Washington University. He then did a Post-Baccalaureate
premedical program at New York University followed by a
medical degree from SUNY Downstate. He was a Japanese
Medical Society of America Scholarship recipient. He has
recently completely his internship in residency at Mount
Sinai Medical School, having conducted research in the lab
of Dr. Maria Abreu. Jun will be pursuing basic science
research.
Raluca Vrabie, M.D. - Raluca received her undergraduate degree
in chemical engineering from the Cooper Union in New York City.
She graduated Phi Beta Kappa and had a full scholarship to the
Cooper Union. There, she conducted research in chondrocyte
production of different ion channel isoforms.
Raluca then
completed her medical degree at Mount Sinai Medical School.
She participated in a student exchange program with a medical
school in Spain. Raluca completed her Internal Medicine residency
at Mount Sinai Medical School. While at Mount Sinai, she has
worked in the laboratory of Dr. Scott Friedman examining the role
of matrix metalloproteinases in liver cirrhosis. Raluca will be
pursuing basic science research.
Laura C. Wolfe, M.D. - Laura received her undergraduate degree
in microbiology from Colorado State University, receiving Phi
Beta Kappa honors being earning recognition on the dean’s list
and receiving a microbiology scholarship.
She conducted
research at the University of Colorado Cancer Center. Thereafter,
Laura received her medical degree from Dartmouth Medical
School. She received also the Ohiyesa Fellowship to conduct
medical studies in Central America, especially in Guatemala.
Laura has completed her Internal Medicine Residency at
Vanderbilt University. Laura will be joining the MSCE degree
program. Laura will be joined by her husband.
We also wish to introduce and welcome our Advanced
Endoscopy Fellow, Yasser Bhat, MD. Yasser earned his
medical degree with distinction from Kasturba Medical
College, Mangalore, India, where he received numerous honors,
including the Best All-Around graduating student award. After
completing his internship at SUNY Stonybrook and internal
medicine residency at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation, he
completed his fellowship in gastroenterology at the University
of Pittsburgh. He has over 10 publications and has won several
travel awards for presentations at national meetings. Yasser will
be joined by his wife, Sualiheen Shaw, and their daughter, Rida.