Cardiovascular Medicine Fellowship Program
Current Cardiology Fellows

3^rd Year Fellows

Eison de Guzman, MD

Hometown: Richmond, VA

Medical School: Rutgers New Jersey Medical School

Residency: George Washington University

Career/Post Fellowship Plans: General Cardiology

Clinical and Research Interests: QA/QI, preventive cardiology, advanced imaging.

Hobbies: Tennis, working out, watching sports, exploring cafes/coffee shops, traveling to try local foods.

Jose Fossas Espinosa, MD

Hometown: San Juan, Puerto Rico

Medical School: Universidad Central del Caribe (UCC), Puerto Rico

Residency/Post-Residency Training: The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth at Houston) and a year of Advanced Heart Failure and Transplant Cardiology at The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB).

Career/Post Fellowship Plans: Electrophysiology (EP)

Clinical and Research Interests: Device Therapies for Heart Failure, Cardiogenic Shock and Mechanical Circulatory Support, Pulmonary Hypertension,  and History of Medicine

Hobbies: Sailing, explore new restaurants, playing tennis, salsa dancing and reading historical fiction novels or anything related to history

Erick Quintana Aviles, MD

Hometown: Moca, Puerto Rico

Medical School: University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine

Residency: Tufts Medical Center

Career/Post Fellowship Plans: EP

Clinical and Research Interests: Echocardiography & Medical Education

Hobbies: Video games and board games, travel (visit all 63 national parks in the US), baking, NYT crossword puzzles, and bowling

Kajol Shah, MD

Hometown: Philadelphia

Medical School: Drexel University College of Medicine

Residency: Rutgers New Jersey Medical School

Career/Post Fellowship Plans: Interventional Cardiology

Clinical and Research Interests: Medical Education, heart failure, structural disease, valvular disease

Hobbies: Playing guitar, singing, outdoor activities, reading fiction novels, trying new restaurants, going to the gym

Emaad Siddiqui, MD

Hometown: Tenafly, NJ

Medical School: Rutgers New Jersey Medical School

Residency: New York University

Career/Post Fellowship Plans: Non-invasive cardiology

Clinical and Research Interests: Cardiovascular critical care, ischemic heart disease, endocarditis, advanced imaging 

Hobbies: Soccer (Tottenham!), Football, DJing and music production, exploring NYC

Kandarp Suthar, DO

Hometown: Franklin Park, NJ

Medical School: Rowan SOM

Residency: Rutgers- NJMS

Career/Post Fellowship Plans: Non-invasive cardiology

Clinical and Research Interests: Advanced imaging, preventive cardiology, Critical Care

Hobbies: Sports (table tennis, tennis, volleyball, and cricket), watch soccer & F1, hiking/rafting/kayaking, playing video games

2^nd 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.

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

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)

1^st 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

Melissa Tsoi, MD

Hometown: Greenwich, CT

Medical School: New York Medical College

Residency: Tufts Medical Center

Career/Post Fellowship Plans: Advanced imaging vs general noninvasive

Clinical and Research Interests: echocardiography, cardiac CT and MRI, valvular disease, cardiogenic shock, conduction disturbances after TAVR, ATTR amyloid cardiomyopathy

Hobbies: Dance, yoga, fitness, trying new restaurants, brunch with friends, gardening and growing my own veggies and herbs/spices indoors, cooking, David Attenborough, hiking, boating, hanging with my doggo

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