Doris Duke
Clinical Research Fellowship
for Medical Students
University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine
Fellows
This page provides information on the fellows and their projects since the Penn DDCRF Program began in 2002 :
2008-2009
Rachael Bonawitz (International)
Medical School: Penn
Mentor: Dr. Gregory Bisson
Projects:
Laura DiNardo
Medical School: Penn
Mentor: Dr. Stephan Grupp and Dr. Valerie Brown
Projects:
Anniemarie Fernandes
Medical School: UMDNJ
Mentor: Dr. Ramesh Rengan
Projects:
Devon Ghodasra
Medical School: Medical College of Georgia
Mentor: Dr. Graham Quinn
Projects:
Rebecca Hackell
Medical School: Penn
Mentor: Dr. Ronald Litman
Projects:
Aaron Koenig
Medical School: Penn
Mentor: Dr. Michael Thase
Projects:
Jonas Nelson
Medical School: University of Maryland
Mentor: Dr. Seema Sonnad and Dr. Liza Wu
Projects:
Timothy O'Meara
Medical School: Penn
Mentor: Dr. Samir Shah
Projects:
Abiona Redwood (International)
Medical School: Duke University
Mentor: Dr. Robert Gross
Projects:
Hilary Smolen
Medical School: Drexel University
Mentor: Dr. Maureen Maguire
Projects:
2007-2008
Program Leaders Dr. Angela DeMichele and Dr. Josh Metlay & 2007-2008 Fellows
Naeema Ginwala
Medical School: PCOM
Mentor: Dr. Muredach Reilly, Medicine
Project: Candidate gene associations with CAD
Jillian Mongelluzzo
Medical School:
Penn
Mentor: Dr. Samir Shah, Pediatrics
Projects: 1) Steroids and meningitis; 2) Pseudomonas bloodstream infection
Shweta Motiwala
Medical School: NYU
Mentor: Dr. Keith Flaherty, Medicine
Project: Polymorphisms in angiogenesis-associated genes, toxicity, and response to sorafenib in renal cell carcinoma
Deepika Nemani
Medical School:
Penn
Mentor: Dr. Graham Quinn,
Pediatric Ophthalmology, and Dr. Laura Balcer, Neurology
Projects: 1) Quadrant specific differences RNFL thickness using OCT and GDx in MS patients; 2) Semi-automated digital imaging for eyes with ROP and without ROP
Jennifer Swails
Medical School:
Cornell
Mentor: Dr. George Coukos,
Obstetrics and Gynecology
Project: Modeling and targeting ovarian cancer vasculature
2006-2007
Kevin Downes
Medical School:
Penn
Mentor: Dr. David Rubin, Pediatrics
Projects:
1) The impact of kinship care on behavioral well-being among children in foster care; 2) The children's stability & well-being study (CSAW)
Sarah Dubner
Medical School: Penn
Mentors: Drs. Mary Leonard and Jon Burnham, Pediatrics
Projects:
1) Juvenile idiopathic arthritis and the functional muscle-bone unit: Effects of a chronic inflammatory disease on body composition, muscle mass, and muscle function in children; 2)
Chronic Diseases of Childhood and the Functional Muscle-Bone Unit: Effects of Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis, Crohn's Disease and Other Chronic Illnesses on Muscle Mass and Function in Children; 3)
Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis and Assessment of Bone Health: Impact of Imaging Techniques on Identification of Bone Mineral Density Deficits
Ana Flores
Medical School: Penn
Mentor: Dr. Evaline Alessandrini, Pediatrics
Projects:
1) The effect of continuity of care on receipt of health screening services; 2) Health related quality of life after an acute illness
Sean Heffron
Medical School: Duke
Mentor: Dr. Muredach Reilly, Medicine
Project:
Inflammation-induced protein and lipid modifications – biomarkers of metabolic and atherosclerotic disease
Shanu Kohli
Medical School: Jefferson
Mentor: Dr. Joel Gelfand, Dermatology
Project:
A phase II open label study of the safety and efficacy of curcuminoids C3 complex in patients with chronic psoriasis vulgaris
Sarah Wood
Medical School: Drexel
Mentor: Dr. Richard Rutstein, Pediatrics
Projects:
1) Change in incidence and risk factors for varicella and herpes zoster among HIV-infected children from 1989-2006; 2) Clinical and psychosocial outcomes of long-term survivors of perinatally-acquired HIV
Cooper Wriston
Medical School: Duke
Mentor: Dr. Michael Ming, Dermatology
Project:
Elastosis is not associated with melanoma metastases
2005-2006
Program Leader Dr. Josh Metlay & 2005-2006 Fellows
Nitya Abraham
Medical School: New York University
Mentor: Dr. Katrina Armstrong, Medicine
Project: Racial differences in the evaluation of prostate cancer
David Bajor
Medical School: Case Western Reserve
Mentor: Dr. Robert Vonderheide, Medicine
Project: 1) Molecular and genetic determinants of breast cancer outcome; 2) Molecular and genetic determinants of bone loss in breast cancer survivors receiving adjuvant chemotherapy
Whitney Bowe
Medical School: Penn
Mentor: Dr. David Margolis, Dermatology
Project: Upper respiratory tract infection in household contacts of acne patients on antibiotics
Jeremy Brauer
Medical School:
Penn
Mentor: Dr. Michael Ming, Dermatology
Project: Development of prognostic model for recurrent melanoma
Aaron Brown
Medical School: Penn
Mentor: Dr. Judd Hollander, Emergency Medicine
Project: Acute myocardial ischemia risk assessment using B-type natriuretic peptide
Jessica Kagen
Medical School: Penn
Mentor: Dr. Samir Shah, Pediatrics
Project: Epidemiology and risk factors for surgical site infections in children following median sternotomy
2004-2005
Jennifer Fisher
Medical School: Penn
Mentor: Dr. Maureen Maguire, Ophthalmology
Project: 1) Relation of visual function to retinal nerve fiber layer thickness in multiple sclerosis; 2) Development and validation of an eye surgical skills assessment test for ophthalmology residents; 3) Prevalence of glaucoma in African-American patients with sleep apnea syndrome
Jesse Goldstein
Medical School:
Penn
Mentor: Dr. Flora Winston, Pediatrics
Project: Cost-effectiveness of a Medicaid-based child safety seat disbursement and education program
Ryan Murray
Medical School:
University of Iowa
Mentor: Dr. Murray Grossman, Neurology
Project: Lexical acquisition in progressive aphasia and frontotemporal dementia
Tonya Walker
Medical School:
Johns Hopkins University
Mentor: Dr. Katrina Armstrong, Pediatrics
Project: Reproductive health distrust and health literacy—Are they related?
Lorri Wilson
Medical School:
Penn
Mentor: Dr. Graham Quinn, Ophthalmology
Project: The relation of axial length and intraocular pressure fluctuations in human eyes
2003-2004
2003-2004 Fellows
Jamie Alton
Medical School:
Temple
Mentor: Dr. Angela DeMichele, Medicine and Epidemiology
Project: 1) Molecular and Genetic Determinants of Ovarian Dysfunction and Bone Loss in Breast Cancer Survivors; 2) Living Well After Cancer Program, Prospective Outcomes in Survivors of Solid Tumors (POST) - Breast Protocol
Elizabeth McCann Rickerson
Medical School:
Columbia
Mentor: Dr. David Casarett, Geriatrics
Project: The role of hospice in long-term care
Alison Niebanck
Medical School:
Duke
Mentor: Dr. Leslie Raffini, Pediatrics
Project: 1) Incidence of Neutropenia following IVIG therapy in Pediatric Patients with Immune Mediated Thrombocytopenia (ITP); 2) Evaluation of Abnormal Coagulation Studies in Pediatric Patients with Sickle Cell Disease, Prevalance and Causes of Headaches in Children with Sickle Cell Disease
Jim Ulager
Medical School:
Penn
Mentor: Dr. Ken Ginsburg, Pediatrics
Project: Factors that Affect Homeless Youths' Trust in Helping Professionals
Brian Wills
Medical School:
Penn
Mentor: Dr. John Dormans, Orthopaedic Surgery
Project: Outcomes following occipitocervical arthrodesis in the pediatric population
2002-2003
David Chao
Medical School:
Penn
Mentor: Dr. Richard Rutstein, Pediatrics
Project: 1) Incidence and implications of psychiatric symptomatology amongst urban children perinatally infected with HIV; 2) Epidemiology of GB virus coinfection and correlation with disease markers in an urban perinatally-infected pediatric HIV+ population
Sumeet Garg
Medical School:
Harvard
Mentor: Dr. John Dormans, Orthopaedic Surgery (CHOP)
Project: Outcomes following modern management of spine and spinal cord tumors in children
Kitty O’Hare
Medical School:
Penn
Mentor: Dr. Martin Keane, Medicine
Project: Endothelial and diastolic function in normotensive offspring of African-American essential hypertensive patients.
Manisha Shanbhag
Medical School:
Duke
Mentor: Dr. Richard Rutstein, Pediatrics
Projects: 1) The impact of HAART on neurocognitive outcomes in perinatally HIV infected children; 2) Baseline resistance-associated mutations in perinatally HIV-infected children
Mercedes Torres
Medical School:
Penn
Mentors: Drs. Kathleen Brady, Medicine and Sandy Schwartz, Medicine and Health Care Systems
Project: Relationship between use of complementary/alternative medicine and adherence to conventional medicine among HIV/AIDS patients
Updated September 5, 2008