Cardiovascular Medicine Fellowship Program
Current Cardiology Fellows

3^rd Year Fellows

Maria Abraham, MD

Hometown: Maryland

Medical School: University of Massachusetts TH Chan Medical School

Residency: University of Maryland

Career/Post Fellowship Plans: Cardiac critical care or Advanced heart Failure/transplant

Clinical and Research Interests: Data based research. Research topics of interest currently: Heart failure, MCS, cardio-oncology, TAVR

Hobbies: Art/painting, travelling, dancing, and exploring new cafes and restaurants.

Nimra Gilani, DO

Hometown: Teaneck, NJ

Medical School: New York Institute of Technology - College of Osteopathic Medicine

Residency: Rutgers NJMS

Career/Post Fellowship Plans: Invasive cardiology

Clinical and Research Interests: women's health, liver transplant related cardiovascular outcomes, endocarditis

Hobbies: travelling, nature, trying out new restaurants

Vicente Nehgme, MD

Hometown: Orlando, FL

Medical School: Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell

Residency: Montefiore Medical Center - Moses and Weiler

Career/Post Fellowship Plans: Advanced cardiac imaging or general cardiology

Clinical and Research Interests: Echocardiography, cardiac sarcoidosis, sports cardiology

Hobbies: Soccer, snowboarding, video games, traveling, exploring new restaurants, live music, watching sports

Meet Shah, DO

Hometown: Jersey City, New Jersey

Medical School: Rowan University School of Osteopathic Medicine

Residency: Rutgers - New Jersey Medical School

Career/Post Fellowship Plans: General Cardiology

Clinical and Research Interests: Preventive Cardiology, Clinical Lipidology, and Advanced Imaging

Hobbies: Watching documentaries, outdoors activities, and trying new foods (especially desserts)

Diego Barzallo Zaes, MD

Hometown: Cuenca, Ecuador

Medical School: Universidad del Azuay 

Residency/Post-Residency Training: Jacobi Medical Center / Albert Einstein College of Medicine 

Career/Post Fellowship Plans: Interventional Cardiology or Advance heart failure & transplant

Clinical and Research Interests: Medical education, TAVR, Cardiogenic shock

Hobbies: Soccer, swimming and travel

2^nd Year Fellows

Aqieda Bayat, MD

Hometown: Concord, CA

Medical School: Michigan State University College of Human Medicine

Residency: Cleveland Clinic

Career/Post Fellowship Plans: Non- Invasive Cardiology

Clinical and Research Interests: Pericardial Disease, Preventative Cardiology, Advanced Imaging

Hobbies: Spending time with family and friends, trying out new coffee shops, traveling, exploring new restaurants

Mina Iskander, MD

Hometown: Miami, Florida

Medical School: New York Medical College 

Residency: University of Miami / Jackson Memorial Hospital

Career/Post Fellowship Plans: Electrophysiology, Preventative cardiology

Clinical and Research Interests: Medical innovation, lipidology, preventative cardiology

Hobbies: Soccer (Arsenal FC), weight lifting / fitness, Spending time with friends and family

Vinesh Jonnala, MD

Hometown: Rochester, NY

Medical School: University at Buffalo

Residency: Rutgers - New Jersey Medical School

Career/Post Fellowship Plans: Non-invasive cardiology

Clinical and Research Interests: Arrhythmias, TAVR

Hobbies: Sports, Traveling, Exploring NYC restaurants

Thomas Lee, MD

Hometown: Columbus, OH

Medical School: Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University

Residency: Rutgers - New Jersey Medical School

Career/Post Fellowship Plans: Non-invasive Cardiology

Clinical and Research Interests: Medical Education, Artificial Intelligence, Advanced Imaging

Hobbies: Basketball, Tennis, Cooking, and Korean BBQ

Humail Patel, MD

Hometown: Queens, NY

Medical School: City University of New York School of Medicine

Residency: Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell

Career/Post Fellowship Plans: Interventional Cardiology, Cardiac Critical Care

Clinical and Research Interests: AI enhanced ECG,  South Asians and coronary disease, novel therapies in ACS and HF, Cardiogenic shock and MCS

Hobbies: Specialty coffee, basketball, trying new foods, mountains and national parks

Sarthak Patel, MD

Hometown: Edison, NJ

Medical School: Rutgers New Jersey Medical School (NJMS)

Residency: Rutgers - New Jersey Medical School

Career/Post Fellowship Plans: Non-invasive cardiology 

Clinical and Research Interests: Medical education, Cardiac Imaging, Sports cardiology,  Preventative cardiology 

Hobbies: Sports (football, basketball, fantasy), travel adventures, personal fitness, board/card games

Aneliya San, MD

Hometown: Queens, NY

Medical School: Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Buffalo, NY

Residency: University of Rochester, Rochester, NY

Career/Post Fellowship Plans: Non-invasive cardiology

Clinical and Research Interests: Cardiac imaging, women’s cardiovascular health, quality improvement

Hobbies: Traveling, spin classes, reading mystery novels, exploring new restaurants and coffee shops, spending time with family

David Valdivia, MD

Hometown: New Jersey

Medical School: University of Miami School of Medicine

Residency: USC / Los Angeles General Medical Center Internal Medicine Residency

Career/Post Fellowship Plans: Cardiac Critical Care or Interventional

Clinical and Research Interests: Cardiogenic shock, Heart failure, MCS, structural disease

Hobbies: Traveling, hiking, film studies, live music, finding new restaurants and cafes, trivia

1^st Year Fellows

Sean Gilhooley, MD

Hometown: Kinnelon, NJ

Medical School: Cooper Medical School of Rowan University

Residency: The Mount Sinai Hospital

Career/Post Fellowship Plans: EP or Interventional Cardiology

Clinical and Research Interests: Management of anti-thrombotic therapies in patients at high-bleeding risk. Inflammatory pathways in cardiovascular disease.

Hobbies: Surfing, Soccer, Liverpool FC, Golf

Mohammad Hossain, MD

Hometown: Queens, NY

Medical School: Rutgers New Jersey Medical School

Residency: Rutgers New Jersey Medical School

Career/Post Fellowship Plans: Non-invasive cardiology

Clinical and Research Interests: Preventive Cardiology, Advanced Imaging, Medical Education, Population Health

Hobbies: cooking, hiking, gardening, finding places with live music, listening to history and economics podcasts 

Robert Luceri, MD

Hometown: Neshanic Station, NJ

Medical School: Rutgers New Jersey Medical School

Residency: Scripps Clinic and Scripps Green Hospital Internal Medicine Residency

Career/Post Fellowship Plans: General Cardiology/Advanced Heart Failure 

Clinical and Research Interests: Cardiac Amyloidosis, Cardiac CT, Lipids

Hobbies: Lifting weights, going to the beach with my two children, trying new restaurants, maintaining my 500-day Duolingo streak in Korean 

Cristian Pena, MD

Hometown: Allen, Texas

Medical School: Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians & Surgeons

Residency: Yale - New Haven Hospital

Career/Post Fellowship Plans: General Cardiology

Clinical and Research Interests: My research in residency was focused on the intersection of obstructive sleep apnea and solid tumor oncology, exploring the proinflammatory states that predisposed to increased incidence of acute coronary syndromes, arrythmias, and heart failure in persons comorbid with OSA and cancer. The ultimate goal of this work is to see if there is a benefit in reducing cardiovascular events in addressing OSA at time of cancer diagnosis. I hope to continue working in the preventative space in residency, expanding ways in which we can noninvasively reduce cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in the general population.

Hobbies: New York Knicks, New York Yankees, Crossword puzzles, reading, spending time with my wife and our 10-year-old English Bulldog

Navid Radfar, DO

Hometown: Paramus, NJ

Medical School: Rowan-Virtua School of Osteopathic Medicine

Residency: Rutgers New Jersey Medical School

Career/Post Fellowship Plans: General vs. Invasive Cardiology

Clinical and Research Interests: Preventive Cardiology, Lipidology, Implementation Science, and Medical Education

Hobbies: Pizza, coffee, lacrosse, weightlifting, spending time with friends and family

Heather Wang, MD

Hometown: Centerville, Ohio

Medical School: The Ohio State University College of Medicine

Residency: Rutgers New Jersey Medical School

Career/Post Fellowship Plans: Non-invasive cardiology

Clinical and Research Interests: Women’s health, preventive cardiology, heart failure

Hobbies: Running, hiking and visiting national and state parks, listening to true crime podcasts, cooking, baking