Meet the Chiefs!
Conference Chief
Lucas Allen, MD
Hometown: Detroit, MI
Med School: Michigan State University
Interests: Spending all night around a campfire with friends, visiting every National Park I can, being with family, crisp backflips into the lake, yoga, lifting, running, banana slugs and manatees.
Scheduling Chief
Anja von der Osten, DO
Hometown: Jacksonville, FL
Med School: Nova Southeastern University KPCOM
Interests: golden retrievers, audibooks, sour candy, naps, diy projects, early 2000s hip hop.
Administration Chief
Andreas Giannakis, MD
Hometown: Montreal, Canada
Med School: St George's University
Interests: The great outdoors, hiking, camping, food, cooking sometimes, BBQing always, the Montreal Canadiens, art, going to Red Hot Chili Peppers' concert with my wife and trying to stay fit.
Conference Chief
Sara Khalil, DO
Hometown: Yorktown, VA
Med School: NYIT COM
Interests: swimming, concerts, reading, dressing like a French grandma/Ina Garten
Wellness Chief
Marc Chartier, MD
Hometown: Sarasota, FL
Med School: Florida State University
Interests: Everything and anything related to space and weather, part time Swiftie, Running & Rowing; professionally, I'm interested in health policy & toxicology!
Research Chief
Colm Mulvaney, MD
Hometown: Queens, NY
Med School: SUNY Downstate
Interests: rugby, guitar, comic books, ice cream.
PGY 3
Kuan-Han Chen, MD
Hometown: Taiwan
Med School: Weill-Cornell Medicine - Qatar
Interests: Dog lover
Eleni McCaffery, MD
Hometown: Independence, KS
Med School: CUNY School of Medicine
Interests: reading, being outside, vintage clothing, the sun, found objects, stand-up comedy, most animals
Abhipri Mishra, MD
Hometown: Evansville, IN
Med School: University of Indiana School of Medicine
Interests: chasing colorful sunsets, practicing yoga, dancing every chance I get, traveling & exploring new places (all over the globe and all over NYC)
Marcos Vargas, MD
Hometown: Miami, FL
Medical School: SUNY Downstate
Interests: dogs, pop-punk, concerts, coffee, trying all types of cuisines, sports, the outdoors, and long walks on the beach. Also, Public health
Alex Johnson, DO
Hometown: West Des Moines
Med School: Kansas City University
Interests: Swimming, craft beer, and traveling off the beaten path
Gary Mejia Bohorquez, , DO
Hometown: Quito, Eduador
Med School: Touro COM- Harlem
Interests: global medicine, soccer, making empanadas and hiking
Syeda Rasool, DO, MS
Hometown: Brooklyn, NY
Med School: LECOM
Interests: Visiting national parks, chasing waterfalls, sleeping, trying new food, drawing
PGY 2
Roslyn Patel, DO
Hometown: Geneva, NY
Med School: Rowan-Virtua SOM
Hobbies/Interests: spending time with friends and family, reality tv, shopping, listening to music, going to the beach, walks
Melanie Blackman, DO
Hometown: Herndon, VA
Med School: Liberty University College of Osteopathic Medicine
Interests: thrifting, any outdoor activity, slowing down and smelling the roses
Toxicology, POCUS
Jenna Di Girolamo, MD
Hometown: Montreal, QC, Canada
Med School: St. George's University
Interests: Cooking, sports, traveling, and listening to live music!
Jordan Barnhill, MD
Hometown: Bethlehem, PA
Med School: Drexel University College of Medicine
Interests: working out, finding the best espresso martini, a day in the park, clubs, any sweet treat, Overwatch
Melanie Lee, DO
Hometown: Seattle, WA
Med School: Touro University Nevada
Interests: pop culture podcasts, traveling, sushi, shopping, happy hours, tennis, family and friends
Paola Peralta, MD
Hometown: Clinton, NY
Med School: Frank H. Netter MD School of Medicine
Interests: enjoy being outside, tennis, volleyball, long runs, thrifting, hole-in-the-wall restaurants, good music, dancing
Jennifer Strauss, MD
Hometown: Lawrence, NY
Med School: Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine
Interests: Musical theater, sci-fi, fro-yo, learning American Sign Language
Natalie Leek, DO
Home town: Stevens Point, WI
Med school: TouroCOM-Harlem, DO
Hobbies/interests: Movies, theatre, audiobooks, the beach, as many bagels as possible, popcorn for dinner
Megan Buzzas, DO
Hometown: Bend, OR
Med school: Touro University Nevada
Interests: traveling, walks through prospect park, thrifting, triathlons, saying hi to every dog I pass on the street
Brandon Clark, DO
Hometown: Dryden, NY
Med School: LECOM Elmira
Interests: Running, sour Swedish candy, coffee walks, beach days, reality TV, sushi
Ashley Jane Braimakos, DO
Hometown: Kenilworth, NJ
Med School: Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine
Interests: Photography, gardening, anime, good coffee, and slowly learning Greek
Julia Romberger, MD
Hometown: Dingmans Ferry, PA
Med School: Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University
Interests: in my free time I like walking with my husky/shepard mix in the woods, reading high fantasy, and I’m an ice hockey goalie!
Azmal Thahireen, MD
Hometown: Brooklyn, NY
Med School: Georgetown School of Medicine
Interests: Bouldering, surfing, hiking, bar trivia, letterboxd, laying in the sun, maximizing my Spotify minutes, and social EM & policy work
PGY 1
Brett Agrest, DO
Hometown: East Rockaway, NY
Med School: Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine
Interests: Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, lifting heavy objects and putting them back down, sports medicine, anime, and traveling
John Chen, MD
Hometown: Brooklyn, NY
Med School: University of Miami
Interests: pranks, (social) drinking, lifting more than Brett
Arielle Friedman, DO
Hometown: Boston, MA
Med School: Nova Southeastern University KPCOM
Interests: art/creative things, rap and oldies music, long walks talking on the phone, touching grass , reality tv, coffee shops. Retirement plan is to form a small amateur band and open a vegan ice cream shop.
Dovey Hochberg, DO
Hometown: Austin, TX
Med School: University of North Texas TCOM
Interests: Hey my name is Dovey (rhymes with lovey) and I’m a nature boy who loves dance music and exploring the world! Couldn’t be more excited to be in the ER in NYC and for all of the experiences to come.
Sarath Mohan, DO
Hometown: Boston, MA
Med School: LECOM Bradenton
Interests: Dogs, Pubs, Noah Kahan, all Boston sports, Ted Lasso, LifeFlight, rural community medicine, splitting the G on a Guinness.
Amanda Schorr, MD
Hometown: Woodmere, NY
Med School: Zucker SOM at Hofstra/Northwell
Interests: Traveling, photography, comedy, horror movies, Apple Watch fitness tracking, Taylor Swift, iced caramel lattes, night-owling, & my toy poodle
Selena Thomas, DO
Hometown: Elmont, NY
Med School: NYIT COM
Interests: going to concerts, marathons, reading, traveling, caffeine. Fun facts: I’ve been on Ariana Grande’s instagram story. Career aspirations: leadership
Addison Allen, MD
Hometown: Austin, TX
Med School: McGovern MS UTHealth Houston
Interests: In my free time, I love crafting, thrifting, eating yummy food, laying in parks, and wake surfing!!!
Tin Dang, MD
Hometown: Clearwater, FL
Med school: Weill Cornell
Interests: I grew up in the suburbs of Florida and traded in my car for college and never looked back. When I’m off work you can find me at the gym, at a home goods store, or taking up a new arts and crafts project :)
Kimia Ghanbari, MD
Hometown: Vancouver, BC, Canada
Med School: St. George's University
Interests: volleyball, movies, skiing, traveling, board games, concerts and live music, going out dancing, murder mystery novels.
Vanessa Hufnagel, MD
Hometown: Corvallis, OR
Med School: Western University
Interests: I’m from the PNW, as such I like to bike, climb, and run around! I came to Brooklyn for the jerk chicken and free stoop finds. Profession wise, I’m interested in EMS and street medicine.
Shreeman Nimmagadda, DO
Hometown: Ann Arbor, MI
Med School: Lake Erie COM
Interests: Discovering new music, cooking and trying new foods, staying active, board games, dancing at the club, and traveling.
Reena Sheth, DO
Hometown: Somers, NY
Medical School: Nova Southeastern
Interests: I love all things outdoors and have backpacked in Colorado, Alaska, and India. I also have worked on various farms in the Hawaiian Islands and have done medical mission trips in remote places such as the Galapagos. Wilderness/ survival skills, gardening, skiing, yoga.