Our Residents 

PGY-4

Isaac Song, MD

Hello I’m Isaac and I am a PGY-3 resident at Rutgers NJMS. I grew up in New Jersey and attended college, medical school, and now residency all at Rutgers. During medical school I discovered my passion for psychiatry after being exposed to diverse psychopathology and seeing the field's potential in creating lasting impact in patients' lives. I am excited to be training at my home program to continue serving the patients of Newark. My interests in psychiatry include drug development, trauma, and early psychosis. In my free time I enjoy traveling, hiking, snowboarding, and playing with my dog Melon.

Allison Dinar, MD

Hi! My name is Allison and I’m a PGY-3 psychiatry resident and chief resident at Rutgers NJMS. I grew up in northern New Jersey, and attended University of Delaware for undergrad, Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine in Middletown, NY for medical school before making my way back to New Jersey for residency. During my third year of medical school I had the opportunity to do an audition rotation at NJMS on the consult service and immediately felt at home. I made core connections with both residents and attendings and was able to build upon my existing psychiatric clinical knowledge. Currently I am planning to pursue outpatient psychiatric practice upon graduation. In my free time you can find me at the beach, traveling, reading, or simply hanging out with friends! 

Christine Kim, MD

Hi, my name is Christine Kim, and I am a PGY-3 resident at Rutgers-NJMS. I grew up in immigrant towns in NY and NJ. I attended Rutgers- Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. I became interested in psychiatry when I started working in homeless shelters. I made a lot of good friends there and realized that I could do more to help them. I am excited to serve the underserved and learn more about mental health and access to care. My ultimate goal is to be a great advocate for my patients.

Outside of the hospital, I love spending time with my family, friends, and boyfriend. I enjoy reading books and comics, watching anime, walking, hiking, and trying new food.

Yusuf Ali Sendil, MD

Hello! I am Ali. I grew up and completed medical school in Turkey. I worked with individuals living with schizophrenia as a volunteer medical student; with refugee populations as a general practitioner; and as a psychiatric resident for a year. Then, at the start of 2021, I moved to the United States, where I worked in clinical research with schizophrenia in Boston before joining NJMS. My curiosity about mental health began when I realized that most psychiatric illnesses are perceived as inexplicable, irreversible, or a choice by many in society and it grew stronger as I began to learn about how an individual’s genetic background, when combined with their life experiences, can result in changes in their neurocircuitry, leading to behavioral changes and the development of psychiatric disorders. I like to be active in my spare time by playing tennis, snowboarding during the winter, or scuba diving during the summer.

Olufunlola Adefalu, MD

My name is Olufunlola (Lola) Adefalu. I am a PGY-III at Rutgers NJMS. I have a multinational background, born in the United Kingdom but raised in Lagos, Nigeria. Afterwards, I briefly returned to London to complete Advanced level sciences.  Then relocated to the United States and earned a Baccalaureate degree in Nursing at Rutgers College of Nursing in Newark.  I consider myself a real Jersey girl!! and Rutgers is my second home. My experience as a psychiatric nurse working in different facets of psychiatry sparked my continued interest and passion to do more for my patients. I studied Medicine at Windsor University school of medicine in St. Kitts. 

During my time here at Rutgers, I've made and continue to make lifelong relationships that will enhance my career path as I continue to learn every day.  In my second year of residency, I had the opportunity to serve as the Teaching Assistant for the second-year medical school psychiatry curriculum, in which I enjoyed teaching various classes and small groups. I see myself working with a diverse patient population both inpatient and outpatient maybe mostly inpatient.  Because I love seeing the transformation of a patient once depressed but now functional or to see the positive and negative symptoms of a patient with schizophrenia abate.

My passion for seeking to be the voice for the voiceless that is people with mental illness with criminal offense has sparked a new interest in Forensic Psychiatry with the desire to embark on a fellowship training after residency.  Additionally, I love Community psychiatry and is an active member of American Association for Community Psychiatry (AACP).  I enjoy bringing awareness to the community about mental illness in hopes to remove the stigma surrounding mental illness.  During my free time I enjoy cooking, dancing, traveling, and taking nature walks in the park and enjoy the company of my three teenagers and husband. I enjoy walking and playing with my dog Troy.

Andrew Holst, DO

Hi, I’m Andrew, a PGY-3 at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School. I’m from North Carolina and worked previously as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker. In my time as an LCSW, I was fortunate to work in both inpatient and outpatient settings in several capacities, with patients from all walks of life seeking treatment for a wide array of diagnoses. Initially, I worked in a rural hospital conducting psychiatric risk assessments in the Emergency Department. There, I cut my teeth in clinical work and learned a great deal about how medicine and mental health intersect. It quickly became apparent that mental and physical health are intertwined, which is part of what inspired me to become a physician. I earned my medical degree at Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine in New York City; planning all along to specialize in psychiatry. My interests include consult-liaison and forensic psychiatry, but I love the field generally. I feel incredibly fortunate to be able to complete my psychiatry residency at Rutgers. Residency is demanding, but in my free time I enjoy strength training, gaming, studying true crime, and spending time with my family.

Mariam Chishty, MD

Hello, my name is Mariam and I’m a PGY-3 resident at Rutgers NJMS. I was born and raised in Ireland and grew up in a small town named Carlow. I then moved to the United Kingdom (Manchester) at the age of 13 - which is where I call home.

I attended high school, did my A levels and medical school in the UK. I also worked as a junior doctor there for the National Health Service before moving to the US in pursuit of an exciting new adventure with my husband (and a residency in Psychiatry!).

Psychiatry interests me as I believe it’s a field where patients are seen and treated as individuals in context of their life as a whole and not just as numbers or lab results. I also feel that a career in Psychiatry will allow me to truly help and treat the underserved- in hope that I can help break the vicious cycle that patients are often stuck in due to their mental health.

In my free time I enjoy shopping, going on long walks surrounded by nature and spending time with family & friends. I also love travelling- I have visited 27 countries so far and have a personal goal to visit as many new places as possible.

I am very excited to be at Rutgers and am looking forward to the years to come!

PGY-3

Diandra Fortune, MD

My name is Diandra Fortune, and I am a PGY-2 resident. I was born and raised in Staten Island, NY. I initially wanted to pursue a career in social work as I completed an interdisciplinary degree at Loyola University Maryland in psychology/sociology. During my senior year of college, I worked with a child and adolescent psychiatrist with a specific research focus in OCD treatment. This experience allowed me to understand the possibilities within the field of psychiatry and ultimately led me to pursue a degree in medicine. I then attended Columbia University’s Postbaccalaureate Premedical Program to complete the pre-requisites for medical school. During this time, I  worked in a smoking cessation clinic. I assisted in several research projects related to smoking cessation, hospital trainee education, and causes of pulmonary readmissions. I then went on to complete my medical degree at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine. 

I am particularly interested in how we define and foster resiliency, how trauma/childhood stressors can contribute to the development of adult pathologies, and the ethical dilemmas that arise with the criminalization of mental illness and addiction.  

In my free time, I enjoy cooking and running while listening to podcasts.

Elizabeth Chern, MD

Hello! I’m Liz and I’m a current PGY-2 at Rutgers-NJMS. I was born and raised in New Jersey and it’s been Rutgers all the way for me! I’ve had an interest in psychology and the human mind since college, where I worked in a lab focused on resiliency and child development. I love working with children and families in medical and non-medical settings and I teach Sunday school at my local church. Outside of residency, I love rock climbing, scuba diving, yoga, reading, cooking and baking, traveling, and drinking good coffee. You can usually find me in a coffee shop! If you ask, I might just share my local recommendations.

Abrar Ebady, MD

My name is Abrar, I’m a PGY-2 resident at Rutgers NJMS. I was born and raised in New Jersey. I have always had a fascination with Psychology and the human mind. During college I got to intern with the Syrian American Medical Society at their Psychosocial clinic working with refugees who had crossed the border from Syria. I was exposed to a wide range of psychiatric and medical conditions where my fascination with medicine was solidified. I graduated from TCNJ with a bachelors in Psychology and a minor in Spanish and then completed a Master of Biomedical Sciences at Rutgers. I stayed at Rutgers for medical school and am here for residency. I am passionate about trauma informed care and working with children on early interventions.

In my free time I enjoy Pilates, reading, ice skating and painting.

Yu “Tina” Kong, MD

Hi! My name is Yu or "Tina", and I'm a PGY-2 resident. I was born in China, grew up in a small town in Massachusetts, moved to NY to attend New York University, and settled down here at Rutgers NJMS for medical school and residency. From childhood, I've been fond of the art of story-telling and how you can find aspects of it in just about every discipline. For me, I found that I was passionate about the narrative aspect of science, where the objective scrutiny of the body meets all the subjective things that shape a person's life. In medicine, I found the field of psychiatry to best embody that. At this point in my life, I am interested in emergency psychiatry, inpatient psychiatry, and consult liaison. However, I am excited to explore more niches in my field throughout the rest of my training!

Outside of medicine, I enjoy journaling and have a hefty—some might say, "excessive"—stationery collection of pens, stickers, and cute sticky notes. I'm also an avid reader with a soft spot for young adult fiction, and my favorite genre is fantasy. Aside from those main hobbies, I also enjoy eating good food, watching movies and anime, playing video games, and spending time with friends and family.

Schweta Chawla, MD

Hi! My name is Shweta Chawla, and I’m a PGY-2 resident at Rutgers-NJMS. I grew up in Ocean Springs, MS and went to University of Alabama at Birmingham for college. I then moved back to Mississippi for medical school at the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson. I chose psychiatry because I love listening to people’s stories and learning about the way intrinsic and extrinsic factors can impact thoughts and behaviors. I deeply value learning from the perspectives of others, and I’m looking forward to these next few years of training. My interests within psychiatry include women’s mental health and psychotherapy, specifically CBT.

In my free time I like to go on walks with my dog Layla, watch stand-up comedy (my favorite comedian is Jenny Slate), go to concerts, and explore new dessert spots in NYC.

Jaewoo Shin, MD

Hey, I’m Jae, a PGY-2 resident at Rutgers-NJMS. I’m from New York City- I grew up in Queens, went to high school in the Bronx, moved to Manhattan to study biochemistry at NYU, and then finished medical school in Brooklyn at SUNY Downstate. Going into medical school, I thought I’d be using my biochemistry background for anesthesiology, but I did a full 180 when I discovered the field of psychiatry as an MS3 and haven’t looked back since. I enjoy talking to people much more than putting them to sleep as I learn about our richly interconnected lives and dive into deeply personal topics. In my spare time, I enjoy watching movies, anime, cooking, playing baseball, tennis, and fishing. 

Alexis Wirtz, DO

Hi! My name is Alexis, and I am a PGY-2 resident at Rutgers NJMS. I grew up in a small town in Michigan bordering Canada. I attended Michigan State University where I studied Cognitive and Computational Neuroscience and worked in a neuro-psychiatric research lab - this is where my love for the brain began. I went on to attend Oklahoma State University for medical school before moving to the Northeast to join the Rutgers Psychiatry family! I’m passionate about so many aspects of psychiatry, including interventional psychiatry, psychiatric research, general psychiatry, and decreasing the stigma surrounding mental health care.

Outside of medicine, I love spending time with my family, friends, and my fur baby. I love trying new restaurants, reading, playing racket sports, skiing, and spending time by the water.

Leia Chemmacheril, MD

Hello! My name is Leia Chemmacheril and I am a PGY-2 at Rutgers NJMS! My fun fact for ice breakers is that I was born in Wisconsin, but my family moved to Jersey before I turned one. I have been a Jersey girl since. I went to NJIT for undergrad, then NJMS for medical school, and now staying at good ole’ NJMS (maybe I should call myself a Newark girl now!) I have two younger brothers that love to annoy me but are super fun to be around.

During my fourth year of medical school, I did a lot of traveling. I went to India, Nashville, Florida, London, and Paris! However, my dream vacation is the Coast of Amalfi. I love reading psychological and legal thrillers. My favorite book is The Storyteller by Jodi Picoult. I hope to learn a lot at this program and am excited to work in psychiatry!

PGY-2

Mannet Dhaliwal, MD

Hey! My name is Mannet and I am a PGY-1 resident at Rutgers NJMS. I was born and raised in South Brunswick, NJ and went to Rutgers New Brunswick for undergrad. I majored in Cultural Anthropology and learned a lot about topics relating to social justice and indigenous cultures. My interest in healthcare arose within this sphere of social justice for disenfranchised populations, and I went to medical school at University of Virginia, training at Inova Hospital in Northern Virginia near DC. During my clinical rotations, I felt that psychiatry epitomized what I wanted out of a career, caring for the most vulnerable people whose illness is stigmatized in society. In addition to personal experiences of understanding the lack of mental health care within the South Asian community, I related much of my clinical training to the systemic oppression of people of color in this country, especially Black and Latinx populations. I felt that Newark uniquely serves a diverse population, and wanted to work somewhere that did not discriminate based on income.

In terms of normal person things, I love baking (ask me to make you cake pops or pumpkin pie in particular), and eating at restaurants around me. I love the access to NYC from this area, and go there whenever I can. I also have an orange cat named Zuko who is so cute but also thinks he’s an apex predator. I’ll also lie and say I love to exercise!

Skylar Luu, MD

Hi! My name is Skylar, and I’m a PGY-2 psychiatry resident at Rutgers NJMS. I studied Behavioral Neuroscience at Johns Hopkins University, where I became fascinated by how early experiences shape brain development. One of my favorite courses was developmental psychology, which introduced me to theories of how early life influences future outcomes. I was especially drawn to connecting these frameworks with the underlying neural circuitry. Shadowing a child and adolescent psychiatrist showed me how powerful it is to combine developmental history with patient narratives, which drew me toward psychiatry. I also spent several years researching dopaminergic circuitry and Fragile X clinical trials, which deepened my appreciation for bridging neuroscience and patient care. At Albany Medical College, I carried these interests into clinical training, where I was struck by how patients’ interpretations of life events shape treatment.

At NJMS, I value the exposure to a diverse, high-acuity patient population and the program’s protected didactics, which provide space to connect theory with practice. Most of all, I appreciate all my co-residents—we support one another and make time to connect outside of work.

Outside of residency, I enjoy Orange Theory classes, playing tennis, taking long walks, and winding down with a good TV show.

Taylor Anthony, MD

Hi! My name is Taylor, and I’m a PGY-1 Psychiatry Resident at Rutgers NJMS.  I was born in NYC and have been back and forth between NY and NJ all my life. Proudly a nontraditional student, I started at NYU initially and eventually went back to school at Rutgers New Brunswick for pre-med/psychology to finish out my undergrad degree. I decided I wanted to pursue medicine at the age of 23 after realizing how pivotal good, compassionate doctors were in the care of family members’ chronic illnesses/disabilities. I went to NJMS for medical school, and I am thrilled to be staying on as a psych resident at my home program!

I am passionate about psychiatry because it beautifully incorporates all facets of human nature. Society all too often perpetuates the belief that mind and body operate on two separate planes. True humanism in medicine must coalesce these two areas in order to achieve the most holistic treatment plan possible for each patient. I believe that emotional health is so important to our attainment of our full and optimal humanity. I am also passionate about fighting against the stigma surrounding discussion of mental health issues, which has existed for far too long.

In my ~currently sparse~ free time, I love to spend time with my friends and family. Shoutout to my fiancé Zach, my mom, my brother Luke, and my grandma, as I would not be where I am today without their love and support. I am proudly a “crazy cat lady” and love being a mom to our two recently adopted kittens, Sebastian and Margaux, as well as my older (but just as incredible) orange rescue cat, Leslie. I love to read pretty much every genre and collect books, both old and new, to keep building my library. I also write poetry - metaphors are a very important tool to me, both in my writing and in psychiatry/medicine. I love to sing and have recently been working on making music with my fiancé, who is a drummer. I am also a huge true crime fan and love learning details about cases and offenders, as I find psychopathology and the biopsychosocial roots of human behavior to be utterly fascinating.

I’m so excited to start the journey of residency and to learn from both my colleagues and my patients at NJMS Psych!

Phillip Bempong, MD

Hello! My name is Phil and I’m a PGY-1 resident here at Rutgers-NJMS. I was born and raised in North NJ, but I’ve been to a few different places for my education. I completed my undergraduate at Boston College, earned my medical degree from Meharry Medical College in Nashville, and decided to return to New Jersey for residency. My passion for psychiatry stems from my desire to understand the complexities of the human mind, help individuals navigate their mental health challenges, and decrease stigma regarding mental health. I love talking to patients and every patient’s unique story fuels my dedication to advancing treatments and promoting mental health care. My interests in psychiatry include child & adolescent and consult-liaison, but I’m excited to see and experience a lot during residency.

Outside of medicine, I like to stay busy with various hobbies like weightlifting, reading, playing board games, cycling, basketball, volleyball, video games, and trying new restaurants.

Sajni Vora, MD

Hi! I’m Sajni, a PGY-1 at Rutgers-NJMS. I grew up in Bergen County and attended UCLA for undergrad. I found my way back home to attend Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine, where I attained my MD/MBA, and am fortunate to remain close to home for residency as well. I chose psychiatry because I love hearing each patient’s story and the delicate interplay between the body and the mind. I have many interests within the field, including reproductive psychiatry, consult-liaison, and psychotherapy.  In my free time, I enjoy running, group fitness classes, pottery, going to the beach, watching reality tv, and spending time with my loved ones.

Rijul Asri, MD

My name is Rijul Asri, and I am a PGY-1 psychiatry resident here at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School. I was born and raised in Central New Jersey as the only child of two Indian immigrant parents. I attended New York University for college, where I studied Chemistry, Neural Science, and French, and then came back to New Jersey to attend Rutgers NJMS. After graduating, I completed a medical educational fellowship through the Rutgers NJMS Office of Education before starting residency here at NJMS.

I am particularly interested in how psychopathology interfaces with questions of personality and identity, especially for patients who have been traditionally marginalized by societal and legal systems. For me, this manifests in a passion for forensic psychiatry, psychiatric ethics, addiction psychiatry, and LGBTQ+ psychiatry. I am also interested in using medical education, healthcare policy, and psychopharmacology as important tools to affect meaningful change in our mental healthcare system for these vulnerable populations.

In my free time, I enjoy reading (recent favorite novel: Circe by Madeline Miller), traveling, and pottery. I also love mixology – putting that chemistry degree to good use – and love trying new foods and drinks with my friends!

Kathy Chen, DO

Hello! My name is Kathy, and I am a PGY-I resident at Rutgers NJMS. Fun fact, I was actually born in Arkansas but moved to Central Jersey with my family when I was 6 and never managed to leave. I graduated from Monmouth University with a bachelor's in chemistry with a concentration in biochemistry. I went straight to Rowan-Virtua SOM in South Jersey for medical school and moved to Jersey City for my rotations, which is where I realized how much I loved psychiatry. Currently, I'm still not sure what field of psychiatry I'd like to pursue in the future, but I have some interest in child-adolescent and forensic at the moment. In my free time, I like hanging out with my two cats at home, taking care of my houseplants, rock climbing, and baking.

Shankar Tumati, MBBS

PGY-1

Hooria Sarwar, MBBS

Leanne Thomas, MD

Spencer Moore, MD

Sharon Liu, MD

Christian Caravaglia, MD

Elizabeth Bebawy, DO

Natasha Pujols, DO