Cardiovascular Medicine Fellowship Program
Fellowship Faculty

The divisions of Cardiology and Cardiothoracic Surgery at University Hospital are staffed by 150 dedicated professionals in a wide array of disciplines. The physician team is comprised of board-certified specialists who are also faculty members of New Jersey Medical School (NJMS).

Christine M. Gerula, MD, FACC

Program Director, Cardiovascular Fellowship
Professor of Medicine

Faculty Profile

Dr. Christine Gerula is a Professor of Medicine and previously the Assistant Dean for Careers in Medicine at the New Jersey Medical School. Within the division of cardiology she serves as the Program Director for the Cardiovascular Fellowship.

Dr. Gerula earned her medical degree from New Jersey Medical School in 1996, and has remained at the institution, completing both her Internal Medicine residency and her Cardiology fellowship. She is an esteemed educator at the medical school and is the Course Director for the first year medical school curriculum for the Cardiovascular Organ system block. Dr. Gerula specializes in echocardiography and her research interest lie in the assessment and management of cardiac disease in end stage liver disease patients awaiting transplantation. She has been responsible for the preoperative cardiac assessment for liver transplant candidates for the last two decades.

Alfonso Waller, MD, FACC, FASE, FASNC, FSCCT, RPVI

Associate Professor of Medicine and Radiology
Chief, Division of Cardiology
Director, Cardiac Imaging

Faculty Profile

Alfonso H. Waller, MD, is an Associate Professor of Medicine and the Chief of the Division of Cardiology and the Director of Cardiac Imaging at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School. He previously served as the Chief Medical Informatics Officer (2016-2020) at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School.

Dr. Waller completed his Internal Medicine Residency and Cardiovascular Disease Fellowship at New Jersey Medical School. He subsequently completed an Advanced Cardiovascular Imaging Fellowship and served as Chief Fellow of the Advanced Cardiovascular Imaging Program at Brigham and Women's Hospital - Harvard Medical School. Dr. Waller is board certified in Internal Medicine, Cardiovascular Disease, Echocardiography, Nuclear Cardiology, Cardiac CT, Cardiac MRI, and Vascular Interpretation. He is a fellow of the American College of Cardiology, the American Heart Association, the American Society of Echocardiography, the American Society of Nuclear Cardiology, and the Society for Cardiovascular CT.

Dr. Waller has extensive clinical expertise in multi-modality cardiovascular imaging and has published peer reviewed manuscripts in the fields of Cardiac MRI, Cardiac CT, Nuclear cardiology (SPECT and PET), and Advanced Echocardiography. His clinical and research interests include optimal selection between imaging tests and comparative effectiveness of cardiovascular imaging.

Marc Klapholz, MD, FACC, FSCAI

Chair, Department of Medicine
Professor of Medicine

Faculty Profile

Marc Klapholz, MD, FACC, FSCAI is Professor and Chair of the Department of Medicine and director of the Heart Failure Prevention and Treatment Program.

Dr. Klapholz received his medical degree from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York. He completed his residency in internal medicine, followed by an NIH sponsored Heart Failure Research Fellowship, General Cardiology and Interventional Cardiology fellowship at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine and Bronx Municipal Hospital Center. Dr. Klapholz is board certified in Internal Medicine, Cardiovascular Disease, Echocardiography, Interventional Cardiology and Heart Failure and Transplant.

Dr. Klapholz has been a principle investigator on over 100 clinical trials in heart failure and other cardiovascular diseases. He has served on AHA Grant Review Committees, the Heart Failure Society of America Guidelines Committee and on the Editorial Board of several journals. He has chaired and continues to chair numerous Steering, Endpoint and Data Safety Monitoring Board Committees for national and international trials in heart failure.

His major research interests include the evaluation of novel therapeutic agents and devices for the treatment of heart failure. Dr. Klapholz has authored and co-authored over 100 peer reviewed articles, book chapters, monographs, and reviews in cardiovascular disease.

Emad F. Aziz, DO, MBCHB, FACC, FHRS

Director, Cardiac Electrophysiology
Professor of Medicine

Faculty Profile

Dr. Emad Aziz joins Rutgers New Jersey Medical School as a Professor of Medicine and Section Chief of Cardiac Electrophysiology and Director of the Arrhythmia Institute at the Rutgers-NJMS University Hospital.

Dr. Aziz is triple certified by the American Osteopathic Board of Internal Medicine, the American Osteopathic Board of Cardiology and Cardiac Electrophysiology. He attended the Faculty of Medicine of Alexandria University in Egypt and the New York College of Osteopathic Medicine in Westbury, NY.

Dr. Aziz completed his residency training in Internal Medicine and fellowships in Cardiology and Clinical Cardiac Electrophysiology at St. Luke’s-Roosevelt Hospital Center, a University Hospital of Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, along with a fellowship in Advanced Heart Failure at Montefiore-Einstein Heart Institute. He is a fellow of the American College of Cardiology and a fellow of the Heart Rhythm Society joining the elite physicians in the field of electrophysiology.

He is a highly regarded lecturer at national and international conferences, with hundreds of presentations to his credit, Dr. Aziz has published more than 130 abstracts and 80 manuscripts and book chapters in peer-reviewed and professional journals. He currently serves as a reviewer on more than two dozen peer-reviewed journals.

Julius M. Gardin, MD, MBA, FACC, FASE

Professor of Medicine

Faculty Profile

Julius M. Gardin, MD, MBA is a Professor of Medicine in the Division at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School. He previously served as Director, Division of Cardiology (2017-2024) at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, and Chair of the Department of Medicine (2008-2015) at Hackensack University Medical Center. Dr. Gardin cares for patients with a wide spectrum of cardiac conditions and risk factors, and has been listed annually in the Who’s Who, Best Doctors in America and Top Doctors publications.

Dr. Gardin earned his undergraduate and medical degrees with honors from the University of Michigan. He completed his residency in Internal Medicine at University of Michigan-affiliated hospitals and then completed a fellowship in Cardiology at Georgetown University Hospital.  Dr. Gardin has made important contributions to cardiac investigation through research funded by the American Heart Association, the National Institutes of Health and the medical industry. His ongoing research has helped to elucidate the role of non-invasive cardiac imaging in predicting the risk of developing heart attacks and stroke. He has been an author of more than 200 original research articles, in addition to guidelines, editorials, textbook chapters, review articles, and a U.S. patent. Dr. Gardin serves on multiple editorial boards and is currently an Senior Consulting Editor for the Journal of the American Society of Echocardiography. He is a former President of the American Society of Echocardiography, International Cardiac Doppler Society, and Council on (Society of) Geriatric Cardiology and was awarded the Melvin L. Marcus Gifted Teacher in Cardiology Award from the International Academy of Cardiology.

Pallavi Solanki, MD, FACC, FASE

Director, Advanced Heart Failure and Mechanical Assistant Devices
Associate Professor of Medicine

Faculty Profile

Pallavi Solanki, MD, is an Assistant Professor of Medicine and serves as the Director of the Advanced Heart Failure and Mechanical Circulatory Support. She completed her Cardiovascular Research Fellowship as well as Cardiology Fellowship at Rutgers - New Jersey Medical School. She completed subspecialty training in Advanced Heart Failure and Heart Transplant at Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center in New York. She worked as an Advanced Heart Failure and Heart Transplant Cardiologist at the Ohio State University Medical Center in Columbus, Ohio prior to joining NJMS. She participates in several international clinical trials involving heart failure and Mechanical Circulatory Support. She performs right heart catheterizations, heart biopsies, cardiopulmonary stress tests, and is part of the primary teaching faculty in the echocardiography laboratory.

Abhishek Sharma, MD, FACC, FSCAI

Director, Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory and Interventional Cardiology Program
Assistant Professor of Medicine

Faculty Profile

Dr. Abhishek Sharma joined the Division of Cardiology at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School (NJMS) as Director of the Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory and Interventional Cardiology Program. He is also the Director of the Structural Heart Disease Program at Rutgers NJMS.

Dr. Sharma completed his fellowships in interventional cardiology at the Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School and Structural and Congenital Heart Disease at Rush University Medical Center. Dr. Sharma studied medicine at the University of Delhi (Maulana Azad Medical College). Dr. Sharma is board certified in internal medicine, cardiovascular medicine, interventional cardiology, and comprehensive adult echocardiography. Prior to joining Rutgers NJMS Dr.Sharma served as Co-Director of Structural Heart Disease Program at the Gundersen Health System in Wisconsin.

Dr. Sharma is actively involved in cardiovascular outcomes research, especially in the field of coronary artery disease and transcatheter valve therapies. He has authored/co-authored more than 100 peer reviewed manuscripts and book chapters. He serves on editorial board and as reviewer for several reputed national and international medical journals and actively involved in several national committees associated with Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions (SCAI) and American College of Cardiology (ACC).

His clinical focus includes an entire spectrum of transcatheter mitral valve therapies, transcatheter aortic valve replacement, ASD/PFO closure, paravalvular leak closure, and left atrial appendage closure, in addition to high-risk coronary interventions and mechanical circulatory support.

Qaisra Saeed, MD

Attending Interventional Cardiology & Echocardiography
Clinical Assistant Professor

Qaisra Saeed, MD, is a Clinical Assistant Professor at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School.  She earned her medical degree from Khyber Medical College in Peshawar, Pakistan and completed her residency and fellowship in Maryland and New Jersey. Dr. Saeed also completed Interventional Cardiology at Mount Sinai Hospital Center in New York, NY. She has advanced board certification in both Nuclear Cardiology and Interventional Cardiology. She is part of the teaching faculty in the cardiac catheterization laboratory and is also part of the reading panel in the Echocardiography lab at University Hospital.

Kamran Hamirani, MD

Attending Interventional Cardiology & Echocardiography
Clinical Assistant Professor

Kamran Hamirani, MD, is a Clinical Assistant Professor at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School. He earned his medical degree from University of Sindh-Liaquat Medical College in Jamshoro, Pakistan. Dr. Hamirani completed his residency at Morehouse in Atlanta, GA and graduated the Cardiology Fellowship at MCP Hahnemann University in Philadelphia, PA and Interventional Cardiology at Pennsylvania Hospital in Philadelphia, PA. He is board certified in Internal Medicine, Cardiology, Interventional Cardiology, Echocardiography and Nuclear Medicine. He is part of the teaching faculty in the cardiac catheterization laboratory and is also part of the reading panel in the Echocardiography lab at University Hospital.

Radiology

Pierre Maldjian, MD

Radiology, Chest Imaging
Professor of Medicine and Radiology

Dr. Maldjian is a Professor of the Department of Radiology and reads Thoracic and Cardiac CT & MR Imaging.

Veterans Affairs-New Jersey Healthcare System - East Orange, NJ

Wojciech Rudzinski, MD

Chief of Cardiology
Associate Program Director, Cardiology Fellowship
Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine

Maryam Afshar, MD

Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine

Dr. Maryam Afshar is a Cardiologist at the Veteran's Affairs New Jersey Health Care System in East Orange. She earned his medical degree from The Flinders University of South Australia School of Medicine, followed by residency training in Internal Medicine at Yale- New Haven Medical Center and then Cardiology Fellowship at Brown University. Dr. Afshar is a core faculty member at the VA institution and is a non-invasive cardiologist.

Delia Cotiga, MD

Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine

Dr. Delia Cotiga is a cardiologist in East Orange, NJ and is affiliated with East Orange VA Medical Center. She received her medical degree from Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy and has been in practice since 2009. She specializes in general cardiology, cardiac implantable devices, arrhythmias, cardiac electrophysiology, preventive cardiology and women’s heart health.

Anthony Lucev, MD

Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine

Dr. Anthony Lucev is a Cardiologist at the Veteran's Affairs New Jersey Health Care System in East Orange. He earned his medical degree from University of Zagreb in Croatia, followed by residency training in Internal Medicine at Englewood Health and then Cardiology Fellowship at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School. Dr. Lucev is a core faculty member at the VA institution and is a non-invasive cardiologist.

Renjit Thomas, MD

Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine
Associate Program Director, Cardiology Fellowship

Dr. Renjit Thomas is a Cardiologist at the Veteran's Affairs New Jersey Health Care System in East Orange. He earned his medical degree from Howard University College of Medicine, followed by residency training in Internal Medicine and a Cardiology Fellowship at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School. Dr. Thomas currently serves as the Associate Program Director for the Cardiology Fellowship and is a core faculty member at the VA institution.

Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center

Susan Simandl, MD

Fellowship Site Director
Director, Non-invasive cardiology

After completing her cardiovascular training, Dr. Simandl joined the medical school faculty at the State University of New York at Stony Brook, where she also was Medical Director of Echocardiography, Assistant Program Director of the Cardiology Fellowship Program, and Director of the Congestive Heart Failure Program. Dr. Simandl is board certified in cardiology, echocardiography and nuclear cardiology

Bruce J. Haik, MD, FACC, FSCAI

Chief of the Division of Cardiology
Director of the Cardiac Catheterization Lab

Bruce J. Haik, MD, FACC, FSCAI, is the Chief of the Division of Cardiology and Director of the Cardiac Catheterization Lab at Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center. A leader of the RWJBarnabas Health Cardiac Catheterization Labs, Dr. Haik has expertise in complex coronary interventions and one of the largest TAVR (Trans-catheter Aortic Valve Replacement) portfolios in the state of New Jersey.

After completing a General Cardiology Fellowship at Saint Michaels Medical Center in Newark, NJ, Dr. Haik’s fellowship training continued in Interventional Cardiology at New York Presbyterian - Cornell Medical Center in New York City as well as at Tufts Medical Center in Boston. His clinical expertise is in Percutaneous Coronary Interventions (PCI) specifically complex PCI including acute myocardial infarction (AMI) PCI as well as Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR). His research interests include the progression of Coronary Artery Disease and on-going clinical trials in the treatment of Aortic Stenosis.

Jeffrey Lander, MD

Non-invasive Cardiology

Dr. Lander is a board-certified cardiologist with expertise in sports cardiology and non-invasive cardiology. After completing both residency training in internal medicine and a fellowship in cardiovascular disease at Lenox Hill Hospital, New York City he returned to New Jersey. He holds multiple board certifications, including cardiovascular medicine, nuclear cardiology, and adult comprehensive echocardiography and certification of Registered Physician in vascular interpretation. He has authored the American College of Cardiology’s Preparticipation Cardiovascular Screening for Adolescent and Young Adult Athletes module, published multiple articles, and lectures both nationally and internationally.

Dr. Lander is the President of the NJ Chapter of the American College of Cardiology. He is the medical director of the Cardiac Care Unit at Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center. Dr. Lander is co-Director of Sports Cardiology for RWJBarnabas Health; he is the team cardiologist for Seton Hall University and consulting cardiologist to Rutgers University Athletics.

Sabino Torre, MD

Invasive Cardiology

Jersey City Medical Center

Kimberly Skelding, MD

Fellowship Site Director
Division Chief of Cardiology
Clinical Associate Professor

Dr. Skelding currently serves as the Division Chief of Cardiovascular Services at RWJ Barnabas Health, Jersey City Medical Center. She earned her medical degree from Northwestern University in Chicago, IL, and completed her Internal Medicine training at Penn State Geisinger Medical Center in Danville, PA. She then pursued fellowships in Cardiology and Interventional Cardiology at William Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak, MI, followed by a Structural Heart fellowship at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN.
In her dual roles as Chief of Cardiovascular Services and Chief of Cardiology, Dr. Skelding is dedicated to expanding the program and increasing its presence within the fellowship.

Abdul Ameen, MD

Attending Electrophysiology
Clinical Associate Professor

Michael Benz, MD

Attending Interventional Cardiology & Vascular Medicine

Clinical Assistant Professor

Michael Benz, MD, is a Clinical Assistant Professor at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School. He earned his medical degree from Osmania Medical College in India. Dr. Benz completed his residency at New Jersey Medical School in Newark, NJ. He was awarded the “Resident of the Year” and the “Golden Apple Award for Teaching Excellence”. Dr. Benz completed his Cardiology Fellowship at the same institution. He was awarded the “Fellow Teaching Award”. Dr. Benz also completed an additional year of training in Interventional Cardiology at Saint Vincent Hospital in New York, NY.

Dr. Benz is board certified in Internal Medicine, Cardiology, Nuclear Cardiology and Interventional Cardiology, Echocardiography, Vascular Medicine, Endovascular Interventions and CT Angiography Level II.