July 2007
To:
Department of Medicine Housestaff
From: David A. Katzka, MD, Director of GI fellowship
David C. Metz, MD, Associate Clinical Chief of GI
Anil K. Rustgi, MD, Chief of GI
We are pleased to introduce the new GI fellows who started 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. We are also grateful and appreciative of the superb work done by our fellows who
completed their first year: Drs. Meena Bewtra, Nina Pascua, Andy Rhim, Josh Stern and Rick Wood.
1. 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 York-Presbyterian 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. We also wish to introduce and welcome our advanced endoscopy fellow, Yassar Bhat, MD.
Yassar Dr Bhat 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.