The Renaissance School of Medicine trains more than 750 residents and fellows annually in 67 accredited programs across various specialties. These integral members of our healthcare team are committed to providing compassionate care to our patients and their families. During February, Resident and Fellow Appreciation Month at Stony Brook Medicine, we recognize all our residents and fellows and celebrated their hard work, valuable contributions and dedication to our patients, staff and the communities we serve. Here, we are shining a light on some of our residents and fellows. Click on their images below to read more about their stories and the varied areas of focus that are shaping their careers.
Watch videos featuring William Wertheim, MD, MBA, Interim Executive Vice President for Stony Brook Medicine, to learn about the Residency and Fellowship Program and the important contributions of residents and fellows.
Learn more about the exceptional training offered through all our residency and fellowship programs at the Renaissance School of Medicine.
Vincent Bargnes, MD
PGY2, Department of Anesthesiology
Dr. Vincent Bargnes is a talented writer and contributor to the Department of Anesthesiology and American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA). He serves as the resident editor for the department’s monthly newsletter, the SleepTalker, and the Junior Co-Editor for the American Society of Anesthesiologists’ ASA Monitor. Dr. Bargnes is a member of the ASA Governing Council and NYSSA Delegate for the ASA Resident Component House of Delegates. He also contributed three poster presentations to the American Society of Anesthesiologists’ 2023 Annual Meeting.
Luke Curran, MD
PGY1, Department of Anesthesiology
Within the few weeks of starting his internship, Dr. Luke Curran began working on scholarly projects with the Department of Anesthesiology. His work was impressively accepted for two presentations at the New York State Society of Anesthesiologists’ Post Graduate Assembly Annual Meeting in December. Dr. Curran is a recent graduate of the 3-Year MD program at the Renaissance School of Medicine, which allows highly selected students to complete medical school in three years.
Murad Elias, MD
PGY3, Department of Anesthesiology
Dr. Murad Elias was voted the 2023 CA1 Resident Team Player of the Year. In addition to being an outstanding team player, he is quite the academician, contributing to several scholarly projects within the Department of Anesthesiology. He impressively had five poster presentations at the American Society of Anesthesiologist’s Annual 2023 Annual Meeting this past October. Dr. Elias has also been recognized as a skilled educator and received an Excellence in Teaching Award from the medical students.
Victoria Nguyen, MD
PGY4, Department of Anesthesiology
Dr. Victoria Nguyen is a strong resident leader and team player both inside and outside of the operating room. She has been an outstanding contributor to the Department of Anesthesiology as the Chief Resident for Resident Affairs. Dr. Nguyen is responsible for coordinating the annual residency recruitment activities, including the Resident-Applicant “Meet and Greets” and participating in the interview days. As the Wellness Chief, she is responsible for planning the social events for the residents and keeps the resident Instagram up to date. Additionally, she is quite the baker and shares her culinary delights with her colleagues.
Michael Tao, MD
PGY6, Department of Cardiology
Dr. Michael Tao is a Chief Cardiology Fellow and has been nominated as Fellow Educator of the Year by the Department of Medicine for two consecutive years. He is not only an excellent clinician-educator, but also a dedicated investigator. With more than 45 posters published during his fellowship, Dr. Tao’s research has made a significant impact at numerous international conferences. He mentors many aspiring residents interested in cardiology. His contributions are invaluable to our medical community.
Rosemarie Montecalvo, DO
PGY5, Department of Child, Adolescent and Adult Psychiatry
Dr. Rosemarie Montecalvo has a thoughtful approach to her clinical work, often thinking outside of the box about creative solutions to problems. She was the first graduate of the Stony Brook Eastern Long Island Hospital psychiatry residency, where she received awards in academic excellence, addiction and psychotherapy. She is a dedicated physician who works well with interdisciplinary team members, patients and families alike. Dr. Montecalvo is in her final year of fellowship and is serving as a Chief Fellow.
Daryl Williams, MD
PGY5, Department of Critical Care Medicine
Dr. Daryl Williams is regarded by his co-fellows as the big brother in the fellowship. Any one of his peers will agree that he is known for his caring and friendly personality. Dr. Williams is always supportive and always available to help. He is looked upon as a great mentor and team player. The level of patient care he gives and his ability to always put the needs of the patient first is clearly a strong passion for Dr. Williams.
Andrea Tan, MD
PGY4, Department of Dermatology
Dr. Andrea Tan is currently a third-year Dermatology resident. During her time in Dermatology, Dr. Tan completed several projects and papers, one of which won an award for the 2023 American Society for Dermatologic Surgery (ASDS) Young Investigator Writing Competition. She has been invited to attend the 2023 ASDS Annual Meeting in Chicago where she will be nationally recognized for her award. Dr. Tan is hoping to go on to a Mohs Surgery and Dermatologic Oncology Fellowship after she graduates and is a key part of our Dermatology team.
Marcin Ciesla, MD
PGY3, Department of Emergency Medicine
Dr. Marcin Ciesla is a stellar resident who excels not only clinically but also with scholarly research. Dr. Ciesla’s scholarly work was accepted at an international Emergency Medicine conference in Greece. He presented his work, “Association of Antithrombotic and Anticoagulant Medications and Outcomes in Elderly Patients with Minor Trauma,” at the Mediterranean Emergency Medicine Conference (MEMC 23) in Rhodes, Greece in September 2023.
Erin Lavin, MD, MPH
PGY1, Department of Emergency Medicine
Dr. Erin Lavin, one of our amazing Renaissance School of Medicine 2023 graduates, has quickly established herself as an invaluable Emergency Medicine member at Stony Brook Medicine. She is an impassioned advocate for victims of sexual assault and has worked tirelessly to try to create and develop a resident-led and specially trained Sexual Assault Response team. She is committed to providing the best possible care for our patients.
Jillian Leibowitz, DO
PGY2, Department of Emergency Medicine
Dr. Jillian Leibowitz is an incredible asset to the Stony Brook Emergency Medicine (SBEM) Residency program. She was voted SBEM Co-Intern of the Year for her outstanding clinical skills and contributions to our program. She has created an increased social footprint for our program by creating medical student webinars, social platforms and Q&A sessions for applicants. She has helped establish a robust program wellness curriculum and serves as one of her class reps on our Program Evaluation Committee.
Brooke Learned, DO
PGY5, Department of Endocrinology
Dr. Brooke Learned is a consummate academic physician with a self-drive that pushes her to better herself and others. She has excellent clinical acumen, work ethic and a fl air for scholarly activity. Dr. Learned is a natural leader who has earned the admiration of her peers. She has a strong inclination for teaching and is an outstanding physician.
Sandy Ng, MD
PGY6, Department of Gastroenterology
Dr. Sandy Ng is an outstanding Gastroenterology Fellow who exemplifies Stony Brook Medicine’s mission and values. As the Chief GI Fellow, Dr. Ng has shown unwavering leadership and dedication to the fellowship program. She displays unparalleled compassion and respect for all her patients and colleagues. Her scholastic achievements are equally impressive with her research being presented at national GI meetings. Our GI Division is proud to shine a spotlight on Dr. Ng’s extraordinary character and accomplishments.
Ahmad Aljobeh, MD
PGY2, Department of General Surgery
Dr. Ahmad Aljobeh completed his undergraduate medical education at Mayo Medical School before joining our Stony Brook Medicine General Surgery team. Since joining, Dr. Aljobeh has demonstrated outstanding interpersonal communication and professionalism with patients and those he works with. Dr. Aljobeh continues to expand an incredible knowledge base while honing his technical skills. Despite his accomplishments to date, Dr. Aljobeh takes an unassuming, but no-nonsense approach to his continuing development toward becoming an accomplished surgeon.
Zachary Plona, MD
PGY4, Department of General Surgery
Dr. Zachary Plona joined Stony Brook General Surgery from Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University. Dr. Plona is a consummate professional and team player. He demonstrates maturity in his approach to high-quality patient care and in working with others. Dr. Plona has a background in biomedical engineering with ambitions to pursue minimally invasive fellowship training following residency. These experiences provide Dr. Plona with a strong foundation to facilitate his continuing pursuit of surgical innovation.
Priyanka Ramachandra, MD
PGY3, Department of General Surgery
Dr. Priyanka Ramachandra joined Stony Brook Medicine after completing her MD degree at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson. Dr. Ramachandra is an excellent resident who continues to develop as a surgeon, but is also invested in the improvement of others. While providing high-quality patient care, Dr. Ramachandra also educates peers, attends to resident wellness and devotes time to institution-level efforts (Patient Safety Council). Dr. Ramachandra’s altruistic nature benefits the overall community of Stony Brook Medicine.
Christine Ward, MD
PGY5, Department of General Surgery
Dr. Christine Ward is an outstanding resident delivering high-quality patient care with professionalism and leadership essential to the role of Chief Resident. As Co-Administrative Chief, Dr. Ward positively impacts residency program structuring while also attending to the development of peer residents. She has also been involved in institutional committees to positively impact Stony Brook University Hospital. We are excited for Dr. Ward to pursue her Acute Care/Surgical Critical Care fellowship (first choice) training next year at Emory University School of Medicine.
Ahmar Alam, MD
PGY2, Department of Internal Medicine
Dr. Ahmar Alam shows strong leadership qualities in his management of patients who are critically ill. He handles everything with calmness and dedication to detail. He serves as an exemplary role model, supervising interns to ensure that everything is completed in a timely manner. Our nurses note that Dr. Alam always puts his patients first and advocates for their needs.
Chelsea Amo-Tweneboah, MD
PGY1, Department of Internal Medicine
Dr. Chelsea Amo-Tweneboah’s fl exible and adaptable character makes her a pleasure to work and learn alongside. She is a hard worker and excels at trying to develop herself to be better each day. She is also admired her drive for the field of cardiology as early as a PGY1. Her most recent introduction for Medicine Grand Rounds was eloquent and thoughtful. We can’t wait to see what things she accomplishes in the next few years.
Pronoma Srivastava, MD
PGY3, Department of Internal Medicine
Dr. Pronoma Srivastava is an excellent teacher, leading rounds at an attending level. She delivers outstanding patient care and serves as a pillar of support for interns and medical students. She exhibits an excellent sense of responsibility and always goes the extra mile for her patients and all members of the healthcare team. Our nurses note that Dr. Srivastava is “thorough and attentive and works very well with the nursing staff and explains the plan of care for all involved.”
Yang Liu, MD
PGY4, Department of Internal Medicine/Pediatrics
Dr. Yang Liu joined our program from the University of Minnesota. He is an excellent physician whose dedication and compassion for his patients is apparent. He is often commended by patients and families for the great care he provides. He embodies an exceptional degree of professionalism, maturity and work ethic. He is kind, thoughtful and a role model to his colleagues. He can seamlessly teach and lead his teams and is always willing to go the extra mile for his patients and colleagues.
Bijal Parikh, MD
PGY6, Department of Maternal-Fetal Medicine
Dr. Bijal Parikh is an enthusiastic team player, who is always willing to help her co-fellows and continues to be a dedicated, hard worker. She is conducting a randomized trial titled “Treatment of Non-Anemic Iron Deficiency in Pregnancy” and has also presented other research projects at the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine annual conference on “Wild type through Omicron: Maternal outcomes across COVID-19 waves” and “Wild type through Omicron: Obstetric outcomes across COVID-19 waves.”
Manasi Dave, MD
PGY6, Department of Neonatal/Perinatal Medicine
Dr. Manasi Dave joined Stony Brook Children’s Hospital after completing her Pediatric Residency at Staten Island University Hospital. She is the Chief Fellow for our Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine Fellowship Program and consistently demonstrates great leadership skills. Dr. Dave takes ownership of her patients and has an outstanding rapport with families. She is very calm, composed, reliable, professional and a great team player. Our NICU families are lucky to have such a kindhearted fellow caring for their babies.
Vikalpa Dammavalam, DO
PGY4, Department of Neurology
Dr. Vikalpa Dammavalam is an outstanding neurology resident, exemplifying professionalism, dedication and innovation. She is known for having a true “take charge” attitude. Where she sees a need, she seeks a solution. With her strong leadership skills, she has been a true champion of physician wellness, an advocate for her peers and has orchestrated significant changes regarding workflow and order sets for the Department of Neurology.
John Servider, MD
PGY4, Department of Neurosurgery
Dr. John Servider was the first Neurosurgery resident at Stony Brook Medicine when the program started in July 2020. Since then, he has been instrumental in the development of the program and is a strong leader and mentor to his fellow residents and to Stony Brook medical students. Dr. Servider has been described as “a true professional who goes above and beyond his role as a physician. He is truly an asset to Stony Brook Medicine.”
Chaitali Korgaonkar-Cherala, MD
PGY4, Department of Obstetrics/Gynecology
Dr. Chaitali Korgaonkar-Cherala is an outstanding, dedicated resident who goes above and beyond for her patients, colleagues and staff. She is knowledgeable, detail orientated and communicates effectively with everyone on the team. She is a leader and encourages those who work with her to be better physicians. Her proactive and calm demeanor under pressure allows her to think ahead to solve problems before they happen. The Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Medicine is thrilled that she will continue her journey at Stony Brook as an Maternal-Fetal Medicine Fellow.
Anisha Mohandas, MD
PGY6, Department of Pediatric Gastroenterology
Dr. Anisha Mohandas has gone above and beyond with regards to the care she provides to the patients in Pediatric Gastroenterology all while providing excellent mentorship to more junior fellows. She is involved in committee work at both the local and national level through the North American Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition (NASPGHAN) and presented multiple posters at our recent national conference. We are proud to have her as a future Stony Brook graduate, as she will positively impact the lives of countless future patients.
Rosen Jeong, MD
PGY1, Department of Pediatrics
Dr. Rosen Jeong has quickly emerged as a shining new addition to the pediatric residency program at Stony Brook Medicine. Dr. Jeong’s colleagues recognize her strong work ethic and team player efforts. She provides compassionate care to her patients. We are also proud of Dr. Jeong’ s leadership, as she was already awarded a peer-selected position as a program Class Liaison and as an American Academy of Pediatrics Program Delegate. We can’t wait see her future successes.
Nathan Smith, MD
PGY3, Department of Pediatrics
Dr. Nathan Smith’s patients know him as the doctor who draws pictures or talks about cartoons. His co-residents know him for his approachability, team-player mentality and dedication to mentoring. He serves as a Patient Safety Resident and a Class Liaison, both prestigious, selective positions. We’re lucky to have this exemplary physician in our pediatric program.
Meyling Zuniga, DO
PGY2, Department of Pediatrics
Dr. Meyling Zuniga is a hardworking and dedicated pediatrician, who is loved by both her patients and her colleagues. She is known for her strong fund of knowledge, excellent clinical acumen and ability to work well under pressure. Her passion for medical education is evident through her work with the Pediatric Curriculum Committee. Her future career focus is on Pediatric Critical Care or Neonatal Perinatal Medicine. We can’t wait for this incredible physician’s career to unfold.
Melissa Schwartz, DO
PGY3, Department of Preventive Medicine
Dr. Melissa Schwartz trailblazed a new federally qualified health center rotation where she conducted quality improvement projects to reduce elevated Hgb A1 C levels and increase colorectal cancer screening rates. She will be presenting the results at a meeting for all recipients of HRSA grants (Health Resources and Services Administration of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services). She also co-presented the results of an LBGTQ+ survey that revealed mental health needs at the 2023 Annual Meeting of the American College of Preventive Medicine. Her energizing “can do” attitude is contagious.
Brigid Hornback, MD
PGY1, Department of Psychiatry
Dr. Brigid Hornback is appreciated for her upbeat attitude, friendliness and good humor. Even at the end of an overnight shift, she is still ready to chat over coffee or provide support via text. She genuinely cares about her patients, which is evident in her work. She is someone who consistently puts in effort to be both a good teammate and physician, and we are happy to have her on the Psychiatry team here at Stony Brook Medicine.
Jun Lin, DO
PGY4, Department of Psychiatry
Dr. Jun Lin was selected as one of two administrative chief residents for the 2023-2024 academic year. He is described as outstanding in handling all matters pertaining to the residency program. He excels as a leader. He is present, proactive and involved. Dr. Lin collaborates well with members of the interdisciplinary team and communicates consistently to ensure the highest level of patient care. His colleagues would like to thank him for always being there for them and helping to resolve difficult situations.
Eitan Sheena, MD
PGY3, Department of Psychiatry
Dr. Eitan Sheena was drawn to psychiatry driven by a desire to bring compassion and positivity into the lives of individuals facing mental health challenges and those around him. He seeks to continue using a comprehensive and empathetic approach to treat his patients, with a particular interest in helping those suffering from severe depression. His fellow residents describe him as genuine, hardworking and always looking to help his colleagues.
Rachel Spector, MD
PGY2, Department of Psychiatry
Dr. Rachel Spector is an exceptional physician who is kindhearted, hardworking and intelligent. She approaches every patient with compassion and goes above and beyond to ensure that they receive the best possible care. She thinks critically about how to solve challenges and collaborates well with the rest of the team. She is reliable and always helps colleagues in need. Respected by her colleagues, Dr. Spector is a valued member of her program.
Sasha Weiss, DO
PGY4, Department of Psychiatry
Stony Brook Eastern Long Island Hospital
Dr. Sasha Weiss exemplifies the kind of resident that every hospital system seeks: one who is compassionate, inquisitive and hardworking. She is universally well liked by staff, faculty and patients for her warmth, intellectual curiosity and professionalism. She is an excellent clinician and a natural leader as Chief Resident for her program. Dr. Weiss’ direct supervisors, resident peers and medical students consistently voice their positive impressions of her clinical skills and teaching ability. She is a true asset for Stony Brook Medicine and an individual we hope will stay on as an attending physician.
Azzam Paroya, DO
PGY6, Department of Pulmonary
Dr. Azzam Paroya serves as the Chief of the fellows. He is trusted by leadership and widely regarded by his co-fellows. Dr. Paroya is easy to communicate with and always willing to help. He is known for his sincerity, maturity and ability to advocate for his co-fellows. Through his strong leadership, the Pulmonary Critical Care Medicine and the Critical Care Medicine Fellowship programs have grown into the excellent programs that they are today.
Stefanos Giannopoulos, MD
PGY3, Department of Vascular Surgery
Dr. Stefanos Giannopoulos has become a key team player among the vascular trainees. As the PGY3 “in the middle of the pack,” he is the glue. He advocates for the involvement of medical students and fellow trainees alike in patient care and clinical research. He is an excellent communicator and makes certain that the loop is closed in all aspects of patient care — which is why he was appropriately awarded recognition by the PACU nurses with a Star Card last year.