Our Team

Our Current Fellows

The Ohio State University Department of Internal Medicine offers a dynamic learning environment for fellows. If you're looking for excellence in medicine, you'll find it right here in each of the subspecialty training programs in the Department of Internal Medicine. Our faculty and fellows proudly uphold a strong tradition of excellence in clinical medicine and an innovative and outstanding teaching environment. Each program emphasizes advanced knowledge through research, an integral part of the mission of The Ohio State University College of Medicine.

Interventional Cardiology Fellows

Interventional Cardiology Fellows

Abiodun Ishola, MD

MD: University of South Alabama College of Medicine
Residency: The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center
General Cardiology Fellowship: The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center
Abiodun.Ishola@osumc.edu

Nader Makki, MD

MD: American University of Beirut Medical School
Residency: University of Iowa
General Cardiology Fellowship: The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center
Nader.Makki@osumc.edu

Umair Ahmad, MD

MD: St. Matthews University School of Medicine
Residency: Rutgers University – New Jersey Medical School
General Cardiology Fellowship: The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center
Umair.Ahmad@osumc.edu

Heart Failure and Cardiac Transplant Fellows

Heart Failure and Cardiac Transplant Fellows

Naveen Saha, MD

MD: The Ohio State University College of Medicine
Residency: Case Western, University Hospitals of Cleveland
General Cardiology Fellowship: The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center
Naveen.Saha@osumc.edu

HF Naveen Saha

Cardiovascular Medicine Fellows

Cardiovascular Medicine Fellows

Jarrod Betz, MD

MD: University of Cincinnati College of Medicine
Residency program: University of Colorado
Jarrod.Betz@osumc.edu

Courtney Campbell, MD

MD: Vanderbilt University School of Medicine
Residency: The Ohio State Wexner Medical Center
Courtney.Campbell@osumc.edu

Serena Day, MD

MD: Drexel University College of Medicine
Residency program: The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center
Serena.Day@osumc.edu

CVM Serena Day

Katherine Dodd, DO

DO: University of New England College of Medicine
Residency program: University of Rochester Medical Center, Chief Resident
Katherine.Dodd@osumc.edu

CVM Katherine Dodd

Beth Foreman, DO

DO: Arizona College of Osteopathic Medicine of Midwestern University
Residency: Penn State Hershey College of Medicine, Chief Resident
Beth.Foreman@osumc.edu

CVM Beth Foreman

Avirup Guha, MBBS

MBBS: Seth G.S. Medical College
Residency program: Medical College of Georgia – Georgia Regents University
Avirup.Guha@osumc.edu

CVM Avirup Guha

Samuel Hayes, MD

MD: The Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University
Residency program: University of Utah, Chief Resident
Samuel.Hayes@osumc.edu

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Jason Hopper, MD

MD: University of Kentucky College of Medicine
Residency: Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, Chief Resident
Jason.Hopper@osumc.edu

CVM Jason Hopper

Omar Kahaly, MD

MD: The University of Toledo College of Medicine
Residency program: The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center
Omar.Kahaly@osumc.edu

Kristopher Kline, DO

DO: Nova Southeastern University College of Osteopathic Medicine
Residency: University of Florida, Chief Resident
Kristopher.Kline@osumc.edu

CVM Kristopher Kline

James Mann, MD

MD: Howard University College of Medicine
Residency: The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center
James.Mann@osumc.edu

CVM James Mann

Bryan Lee, MD

MD: Wright State Boonshoft School of Medicine
Residency program: The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center
Bryan.Lee@osumc.edu

CVM Bryan Lee

Salvatore Savona, MD

MD: University of Florida College of Medicine
Residency: The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Chief Resident
Salvatore.Savona@osumc.edu

CVM Salvatore Savona

Amanda Lyon, MD

MD: Wayne State University School of Medicine
Residency program: University of Michigan
Amanda.Lyon@osumc.edu

CVM Amanda Lyon

Anezi Uzendu, MD

MD: University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Medicine
Residency: University of Alabama Birmingham
Anezi.Uzendu@osumc.edu

CVM Uzendu

Mark Marinescu, MD

MD: University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry
Residency program: University of Virginia Health System
Mark.Marinescu@osumc.edu

M. Wesley Milks, MD

MD: The Ohio State University College of Medicine
Residency program: Wake Forest School of Medicine, Chief Resident
Michael.Milks@osumc.edu

CVM Michael Wesley Milks

James Monaco, MD

MD: Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine
Residency program: Emory University
James.Monaco@osumc.edu

Adam Reynolds, MD

MD: The Ohio State University College of Medicine
Residency program: The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center
Adam.Reyolds@osumc.edu

CVM Reynolds

Adult Congenital Heart Disease Fellows

Adult Congenital Heart Disease Fellows

David Briston, MD

MD: West Virginia School of Medicine
Residency: University of Miami
General Cardiology Fellowship: Children's Hospital at Montefiore
David.Briston@osumc.edu

Lauren Lastinger, MD

MD: Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine
Residency: The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center
General Cardiology Fellowship: The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center
Lauren.Lastinger@osumc.edu

Cardiovascular Diagnostics Fellows

Cardiovascular Diagnostics Fellows

Andrea Cardona, MD

MD: University of Perugia, Italy
General Cardiology Fellowship: St. George's University of London
Andrea.Cardona@osumc.edu

Mohamed Elamin, MBBS

MD: University of Juba College of Medicne
Residency: Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center
General Cardiology Fellowship: University of Toledo
Mohamed.Elamin@osumc.edu

Imaging Elamin

Electrophysiology Fellows

Electrophysiology Fellows

Rafael Cavalcanti, MD

MD: Tufts School of Medicine
Residency: Cleveland Clinic Foundation    
General Cardiology Fellowship: University of Kentucky
Rafael.Cavalcanti@osumc.edu

EP Cavalcanti

Muhammed Afzal, MD

MD: King Edward Medical University 
Residency: Good Samaritan Hospital
General Cardiology Fellowship: University of Kansas Medical Center
Muhammad.Afzal@osumc.edu

Auroa Badin, MD

MD: University of Damascus
Residency: Mount Sinai School of Medicine – Jersey City Medical Center
General Cardiology Fellowship: University of Illinois, College of Medicine at Peoria
Auroa.Badin@osumc.edu

Hemant Godora, MD

MD: The University of North Carolina
Residency: Barnes-Jewish Hospital – Washington University
General Cardiology Fellowship: The University of Alabama
Hemant.Godara@osumc.edu

Diego Fernando Alcivar Franco, MD

MD: Universidad Catolica de Santiago de Guayaquil
Residency: University of Kentucky   
General Cardiology Fellowship: Summa Akron City Hospital
DiegoFernando.AlcivarFranco@osumc.edu

Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism Fellows

Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism Fellows

Pratima Nayak, MD Second year fellow

MD: The Ohio State University College of Medicine
Residency: The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center

Veena Kesireddy, MD Second year fellow

MD: Katuri Medical College
Residency: Southern Illinois University

Maryam Taufeeq, MD First year fellow

MD: Aga Khan University Medical College
Residency: Cleveland Clinic Foundation

Neha Verma, MD First year fellow

MD: St. George's University School of Medicine 
Residency: Morristown Medical Center

Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition Fellows

Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition Fellows

Feng Li, MD Third year fellow

MD: The Ohio State University College of Medicine
Residency program: The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center

Christopher Linz, MD Third year fellow

MD: Northeast Ohio Medical University
Residency program: Case Western University

Ahmad Malli, MD Third year fellow

MD: American University of Beirut
Residency program: University of Minnesota

Christopher Murphy, MD Third year fellow

MD: The Ohio State University College of Medicine
Residency program: University of Utah

Fasika Aberra, MD Second year fellow

MD: University of Michigan
Residency program: Vanderbilt University

Jennifer Behzadi, MD Second year fellow

MD: Indiana University
Residency program: The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center

Stephanie Pointer, MD Second year fellow

MD: Morehouse School of Medicine
Residency program: Vanderbilt University

Viyan Udawatta, MD Second year fellow

MD: University of Chicago 
Residency program: UPMC Montefiore/Presbyterian

Ahmad Anaizi, MD First year fellow

MD: University of Iowa Roy J. and Lucille A. Carver College of Medicine
Residency program: The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center

Veronica Jarido, MD First year fellow

MD: University of Pittsburgh
Residency program: Duke University Hospital

Anjuli Luthra, MD First year fellow

MD: Wake Forest School of Medicine
Residency program: Wake Forest Medical Center

Laura Nemer, MD First year fellow

MD: University of Cincinnati 
Residency program: The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center

Infectious Diseases Fellows

Infectious Diseases Fellows

Jessica Barrett, DO Second year fellow, chief fellow

Dr. Barrett was born in Sidney, OH. She graduated from Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine, New York, in 2013. She completed her internal medicine residency at Riverside Methodist Hospital in Columbus, OH, in June 2016. She received her BA in microbiology and molecular biology from Miami University, Oxford, OH.

Sisham Ingnam, MBBS Second year fellow

Dr. Ingnam was born in Damak, Nepal. He graduated with is MBBS from Kathmandu University School of Medical Services Nepal in 2008. He completed his internal medicine residency at St. Elizabeth Health Center in Youngstown, OH, in June 2016. Dr. Ingnam is interested in reading, trekking and photography.

Khadieja Khalid, MBBCH Second year fellow

Dr. Khalid was born in Brooklyn, NY. She graduated with her MBBCH from Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland - Medical University of Bahrain in 2012. She completed her internal medicine residency at University Hospital - Case Medical Center in Cleveland, OH in June 2016. Dr. Khalid was married in December 2016.

Ashley Buffomante, MD First year fellow

Dr. Buffomante was born in Buffalo, NY.  She graduated from The Ohio State University College of Medicine with her MD degree in 2013.  She continued in Internal Medicine Residency at OSU and was the Chief Resident in 2016.  She is an AOA member and enjoys cycling, reading, and travel.

Griffen Taylor George, MBBS First year fellow

Dr. George was born in Oakville, Ontario, Canada.  He graduated from the University of Queensland School of Medicine in Australia in 2014.  He completed his Internal Medicine Residency at the University of Miami/JFK Medical Center Palm Beach Regional GME Consortium in Atlantis, Florida.  He enjoys travel, hiking, hockey, trivia and baseball.

Philip Goldstein, MD First year fellow

Dr. Goldstein was born in Baltimore, MD.  He graduated from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev Faculty of Health Sciences in Israel in 2014 with his MD degree.  He completed his Internal Medicine Residency at The Jewish Hospital of Cincinnati in 2016.
Nephrology Fellows

Nephrology Fellows

Jonathan Ducastel, MD Chief fellow, second year fellow

DucastelPictureMD: Michigan State University College of Human Medicine - Kalamazoo Campus, Kalamazoo, MI, 2013
Residency program: The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH, 2016

Gerardo Franco Ahumada, MD Second year fellow

FrancoPictureMD: Universidad Veracruzana Facultad de Medicina Veracruz, 2005
Residency program: Canton Medical Education Foundation - NEOMED, Canton, OH, 2016

Mohammad Katout, MD Second year fellow

KatoutPictureupdateMD: University of Damascus Faculty of Medicine, Syrian Arab Republic, 2002
Residency program: McLaren Regional Medical Center, Flint, MI, 2011

Jessica Nelson, MD Second year fellow

NelsonPictureUpdateMD: Marshall University Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine, Huntington, WV, 2012
Residency program: Geisinger Medical Center, Danville, PA, 2016

Eshetu Obole, MD Second year fellow

ObolePictureMD: Jimma University College of Public Health and Medical Sciences, Ethiopia, 2003
Residency program: Wright State University, Dayton, OH, 2013

Josh Leisring, MD First year fellow

Josh PictureMD: University of Toledo Medical Center, Toledo, OH
Residency program: The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH

Stephen Roderer, MD First year fellow

Steve PictureMD: The Ohio State University School of Medicine, Columbus, OH
Residency program: The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH

Priya Singh, MD First year fellow

MD: Maulana Azad Medical College, India
Residency program: Saint Vincent Hospital, Worcester, MA

Naveed Ashfaq, MD First year fellow

MD: Dow Medical College, Pakistan
Residency program: Dow University of Health Sciences and Civil Hospital, Karachi, Pakistan

Bhavnish Bucktowarsing, MD First year fellow

MD: Kasturba Medical College, Mani pal, India
Residency program: Canton Medical Education Foundation/NEOMED, Canton, OH

Hospice and Palliative Medicine Fellows

Hospice and Palliative Medicine Fellows

Bethany Brisbin, MD

Undergraduate: BA in psychology, Miami University
MD: The Ohio State University College of Medicine
Residency program: The Ohio State University and Nationwide Children's Hospital - Internal Medicine and Pediatrics

Julia Agne, MD

Undergraduate: BS in biomedical engineering, University of Cincinnati
MD: University of Cincinnati
Residency program: The Ohio State University - Internal Medicine and Pediatrics

Kevin (Yunpeng) Li, MD

Undergraduate: BS in genetics, University of California - Irvine
MD: Wake Forest School of Medicine
Residency program: University of Minnesota - Internal Medicine

Kristen Moyer, MD

Undergraduate: BS in psychology and biology, University of North Carolina
MD: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine
Graduate: MS of theological studies at Duke Divinity School
Residency program: Yale-New Haven Hospital - Internal Medicine and Pediatrics
Interventional Pulmonology Fellow

Interventional Pulmonology Fellow

Ashraf Rashid, MD

2017 - 2018 fellow
MD: Seton Hall University/St. Joseph's Regional Medical Center
Employer: Carolina Medical Center

Pulmonary and Critical Care Fellows

Pulmonary and Critical Care Fellows

Lana Alghothani, MD Third year fellow, chief fellow

MD: The Ohio State University College of Medicine
Residency program: The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center

Clinical interests: Critical care and end of life care
Research interests: Critical care outcomes
Hometown: Upper Arlington, Ohio

Bio: Lana Alghothani grew up in Upper Arlington, Ohio. A lifelong buckeye, she attended The Ohio State University for her undergraduate studies where she graduated summa cum laude with a double major in biology and Arabic and a minor in Spanish. After graduating cum laude with honors from The Ohio State University College of Medicine, she completed an internal medicine residency there and stayed on as a fellow in 2015.

During her fellowship, Lana has worked with Drs. Diaz and Nana-Sinkam investigating the exosomal microRNA content of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid of individuals with HIV and emphysema. She also serves on the ERT/code blue and diversity task force committees. Lana takes pride in sitting on the College of Medicine’s Admissions Committee, and has participated in its various activities, including Women in Medicine and MD Camp. She also has been invited several times as a panelist discussing diversity in medicine. 

Outside of medicine, Lana enjoys spending time with her family, exploring different parts of the world and cooking various cuisines. She has a special affection for coffee and often outscores her brothers when it comes to sports trivia.

Bryan Hay, MD Third year fellow, chief fellow

MD: University of Kansas
Residency program: Vanderbilt University
Clinical interests: Sepsis, ARDS, pulmonary vascular disease
Research interests: Clinical outcomes, ARDS, clinical education
Hometown: Topeka, Kansas

Bio: Bryan Hay was born and raised in Topeka, Kansas. He graduated with distinction from the University of Kansas with a BS in biochemistry before also attending the University of Kansas for medical school. After graduation he moved to Nashville, Tennessee where he completed an internal medicine residency at Vanderbilt University. After residency, Bryan started his fellowship at The Ohio State University in 2015.

Bryan has presented original research on pulmonary hypertension, ARDS and pulmonary fibrosis at several international conferences. He is currently working with Megan Ballinger investigating the role of macrophages in the pathogenesis of pulmonary fibrosis. Physician leadership is another area of interest. He has served on various multidisciplinary councils throughout his training and currently sits on the Medical Critical Care Operations Council and the Pharmacy, Therapeutics and Drug Utilization Formulary Committee at OSU.

Outside of work, Bryan is an avid sports fan and craft beer enthusiast. He also enjoys exercising, traveling and discovering everything Columbus has to offer with his family.

Steven Campbell, MD Third year fellow

MD: University of Kentucky
Residency program: The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center

Clinical interests: Quality improvement measures in the ICU 
Research interests: Pulmonary hypertension
Hometown: Raleigh, NC

Sheri Shimizu-Saito, MD Third year fellow

MD: University of Hawaii John A. Burns School of Medicine
Residency program: ­­­­­University of Hawaii Internal Medicine Residency Program

Clinical interests: Asthma, COPD
Research interests: Asthma, COPD, clinical outcomes research in critical care
Hometown: Pearl City, Hawaii

Michael Wert, MD Third year fellow

MD: University of Cincinnati College of Medicine
Residency program: The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center

Clinical interests: Sepsis, ARDS and cystic fibrosis
Research interests: Code blue quality improvement, medical and resident education, cystic fibrosis
Hometown: Pittsburg, PA

Ryan Westman, MD Third year fellow

MD: The Ohio State University College of Medicine
Residency program: The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center

Clinical interests: Critical care, interstitial lung diseases
Research interests: Critical care, interstitial lung disease
Hometown: Park Ridge, IL

Avi Cooper, MD Second year fellow

MD: Harvard Medical School
Residency program: Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center

Clinical interests: Critical care, general pulmonary
Research interests: Medical education
Hometown: Atlanta, GA

Bio: Avi Cooper was born in Atlanta, Georgia and moved to Boston, Massachusetts in high school. He attended Yeshiva University in New York City where he studied English literature and biology and graduated summa cum laude as valedictorian. He attended medical school at Harvard University where he was selected for a research fellowship through the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. He remained in Boston for his Internal Medicine residency at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center where he developed an interest in medical education and completed a clinician educator track. As a senior resident Avi was selected by his peers to receive the Lowell McGhee award for excellence in teaching and joined the Gold Humanism Honor Society. He came to The Ohio State University in 2016 for fellowship. 

During fellowship he has helped develop a small group-based core curriculum for residents rotating in the MICU and is investigating techniques to help enhance the educational value of MICU rounds. Avi also served as the primary preceptor for a pre-clinical Ohio State medical student in his fellow's clinic for the Longitudinal Practice curriculum and received departmental recognition for his research into transitions in training from medical school to residency. He has co-authored a textbook chapter with Dr. McCallister on teaching pulmonary/critical care fellows and was awarded the Robert J. Fass Award for Outstanding Clinical Fellow from the Department of Medicine during his second year. He currently serves as an associate editor for the Journal of Graduate Medical Education. His clinical research interests center on the prevention of organ injury in sepsis. 

Outside of medicine, Avi enjoys spending time with his wife and son, drinking good cold-brewed coffee, playing classical piano, and training for (short) triathlons.

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Stephen Doyle, DO, MBA Second year fellow

MD:  Kansas City University
Residency program:  University of Kansas

Clinical interests: Sepsis, critical care, COPD
Research interests: Sepsis, critical care, COPD, medical education, quality improvement
Hometown: Grand Rapids, MI

Derrick Herman, MD Second year fellow

MD: University of Cincinnati
Residency program: The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center

Van Le, MD Second year fellow

MD: Boston University
Residency program: ­­­­­Lahey Clinic

Virgil Secasanu, MD Second year fellow

MD: University of Central Florida
Residency program: University of Colorado

Clinical interests:  Interventional pulmonology, critical care
Research interests: Bioengineering, medical device development, pleurodosis, interventional pulmonology
Hometown: Cumming, GA

Joanna Tsai, MD Second year fellow

MD: The Ohio State University College of Medicine
Residency program: The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center

Clinical interests: Critical care, end of life care, sepsis, lung cancer
Research interests: Clinical outcomes, sepsis, lung cancer
Hometown: North Potomac, MD

Elie Homsy, MD First year fellow

MD: The Ohio State University College of Medicine
Residency program: The Ohio State University/Nationwide Children's Hospital (Med-Peds)

Clinical interests: Ultrasound, critical care, pulmonary hypertension
Research interests: Pulmonary hypertension
Hometown: Beirut, Lebanon 

Arindam (AJ) Singha, MD First year fellow

MD: State University of New York Upstate
Residency program: The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center

 

Jennica Johns, MD First year fellow

MD: The Ohio State University College of Medicine
Residency program: The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center
Fellowship Program: The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center (Hospice and Palliative Medicine) 

Kevin Patterson, MD First year fellow

MD: Michigan State College of Human Medicine
Residency program: The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center

Clinical interests: COPD, critical care
Research interests: Medical education, clinical outcomes 
Hometown: Rochester Hills, Michigan

 

Megan Conroy, MD First year fellow

MD: The Ohio State University College of Medicine
Residency program: MedStar Georgetown University Hospital

Clinical interests: Critical care, sepsis, general pulmonary medicine
Research interests: Medical education, quality improvement, critical care
Hometown: Gaithersburg, Maryland

 

Ryan Story, MD First year fellow

MD: The Ohio State University College of Medicine
Residency program: Vanderbilt University

Clinical interests: Critical care
Research interests: Point of care ultrasound, critical care 
Hometown: Pittsburgh, PA

 
Rheumatology Fellows

Rheumatology Fellows

Paul Jensen, MD Fourth year fellow

MD: Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth
Residency program: The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center

Donald Whisler, MD Second year fellow

MD: University of Toledo College of Medicine
Residency program: Allegheny General Hospital - Western Pennsylvania Hospital

Kai Quin, MD Second year fellow

MD: The Ohio State University College of Medicine

Elaine Alexander, MD Second year fellow

MD: University of Kentucky College of Medicine
Residency program: The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center

Bryan Coniglio, MD First year fellow

MD: Wayne State University
Residency program: Henry Ford Hospital/Wayne State

John Fleming, DO First year fellow

DO: Michigan State University/Osteopathic
Residency program: Western Michigan University/Homer Stryker

Veronica Mruk, MD First year fellow

MD: Jagiellonian University Poland
Residency program: East Carolina University

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