We will begin reviewing applications for the 2024-2025 academic year beginning July 7, 2024, and our interview period will run September-October 2024.

The Program Director for the Fellowship Training Program in Hematology, Medical Oncology, and Transplantation is Yvonne Datta, MD. The major goal of the Fellowship Training Program is to train physicians for independent and productive academic or clinical careers. We have two career tracks within the fellowship. The traditional hematology/oncology track leads to dual-board eligibility in hematology and medical oncology and emphasizes clinical training in all areas of hematology, oncology, and transplantation. The other fellowship track provides focused training in classical hematology and is supported by a grant from the American Society of Hematology. Both fellowship tracks are three years and include training to develop the skills needed for a successful academic career in basic or clinical/population outcomes research. Both tracks are also flexible and customized according to the needs and interests of the individual fellow.

During training, fellows select hematology/oncology faculty to work with, and act as mentors, in areas of their clinical and research interests. Faculty research interests can be found here.

Traditional Hematology/Oncology

The Associate Program Director for the traditional hematology/oncology track is Manish Patel, DO. The goal of this track is to train fellows for careers in hematology and oncology. After the successful completion of training, each fellow will be eligible for both the hematology and oncology board exams. Within this track, fellows may choose to train broadly or to develop a more focused clinical and research expertise in any area of hematology, oncology, or stem cell transplantation. Applicants interested in classical (non-malignant) hematology are welcome to apply to both the traditional and classical hematology tracks. Applicants interested in a career in malignant hematology or stem cell transplantation/cellular therapies (e.g., CAR T-cell therapy) should apply only to the traditional track. 

Year 1: Clinical Training
The goal of the first year of the training program is to provide a creative clinical environment for the fellow to develop skills and experience in the comprehensive care of cancer patients and in the diagnosis and management of hematologic diseases. The fellow will rotate on a monthly basis to clinical services at the University of Minnesota Medical Center (UMMC), Hennepin County Medical Center (HCMC), Regions Hospital, and the Veterans Administration Medical Center (VAMC). Fellows will receive a broad exposure to all aspects of hematology, oncology, and stem cell transplantation during their first year. Each fellow will be assigned a longitudinal clinic at the VAMC or HCMC.

Year 2‐3: Research and Clinical Training
During the first year of fellowship, each fellow will identify at least three mentors to serve on a career development committee and to assist the fellow in developing a career development plan to support their goals for the 2nd and 3rd years of training. Depending on project goals, clinical interests, and grant funding, the fellow will have 3-9 months of research time per year in their 2nd and 3rd years. There are competitive T32 research training funds in hematology, oncology, or health disparities available for which fellows can apply.  Each fellow has the flexibility to train for a career in basic science/translational research, clinical or education research, and/or clinical care. Each fellow will participate in at least one half-day continuity care clinic throughout fellowship.

Classical Hematology

The Associate Program Director for the classical hematology track is Alexander Boucher, MD. The training leads to board eligibility in hematology and is supported by a Hematology-Focused Fellowship Training Program grant awarded by the American Society of Hematology, the only academic center in the upper Midwest with this type of funding.  The overall goal of this track is to train physicians for careers in classical hematology, such as sickle cell disease and thalassemias, other congenital anemias, autoimmune hemolytic anemia and thrombocytopenia, bleeding and clotting disorders, and general consultative hematology. Fellows will have a unique opportunity to learn novel lifespan care models for adolescent and young adult hematologic disorders. Under the leadership of Dr. Boucher, this track will emphasize lifespan care of patients with hemoglobinopathies as well as bleeding and clotting disorders, with a particular focus in adolescent/young adult hematology transitions of care. Fellows will have opportunities to work closely with colleagues in other specialties, including interventional radiology, transfusion medicine, pediatrics/transitional care, and special coagulation laboratories, all of whom are already close collaborators for our complex hematology patients. Only applicants interested in life-long subspecialty careers focused on academic, multidisciplinary, classical (non-malignant) hematology should apply.

While fellows will receive the necessary training in hematologic malignancies to receive hematology board certification, the primary focus of the classical hematology track is rooted in a comprehensive, innovative, and multidisciplinary curriculum in non-malignant hematological diseases. Those applicants interested in careers in hematologic malignancies or stem cell transplantation/cellular therapies (e.g., CAR T-cell therapies) should apply for the traditional hematology/oncology track.  

Year 1: Clinical Training
All fellows will spend their first year in general hematology. The goal of the first year of the training program is to provide a creative clinical environment for the fellow to develop skills and experience in the comprehensive care of patients with hematologic disorders. The fellow will rotate on a monthly basis to clinical services at the University of Minnesota Medical Center (UMMC), Hennepin County Medical Center (HCMC), and Regions Hospital. Fellows will receive a broad exposure to all aspects of hematology during their first year. This will include bleeding and clotting disorders, anemia and hemoglobinopathies, autoimmune hematologic disorders, malignant hematologic diseases, stem cell transplant, and CAR T-cell therapies. Fellows will learn to proficiently manage common disorders such as venous thromboembolism and iron deficiency anemia in an era of rapidly evolving evidence and treatment options requiring expert hematology guidance. Additionally, as one of the largest referral centers in the Midwest, fellows will gain early experience diagnosing and managing patients with rare disorders, such as paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria, porphyrias, other rare hemoglobinopathies and red cell enzymopathies, thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP), and hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia. There is also limited exposure to solid tumor oncology to familiarize fellows with anti-neoplastic agents and hematologic complications of cancer.

Each fellow will be assigned a longitudinal clinic at HCMC or UMMC. Training includes rotations at the UMMC inpatient hematology consults, inpatient malignant hematology, inpatient stem cell transplant and cellular therapies service, and hematopathology, as well as inpatient and outpatient hematology rotations at HCMC. Fellows will also have exposure to general hematology/oncology at Regions Hospital and VAMC to understand the hematologic complications of non-hematologic malignancies. The general hematology continuity clinic will be at the M Health Clinics and Surgical Center.

Year 2‐3: Research and Clinical Training
During the first year of fellowship, each fellow will identify at least three mentors to serve on a career development committee to assist the fellow in developing a career development plan to support their goals for the 2nd and 3rd years of training. Depending on project goals and clinical interests, the fellow will have 3-9 months of research time per year in their 2nd and 3rd years. Each fellow has the flexibility to train for a career in basic science/translational research, clinical or education research, or clinical care. Each fellow will participate in classical hematology-focused rotations, such as hematology inpatient consults, outpatient clinic blocks at the Center for Bleeding and Clotting Disorders (CBCD), hematopathology, transfusion medicine, and vascular interventional radiology. Each fellow will participate in at least one half-day continuity care clinic throughout the 2nd and 3rd years. Fellows will be allowed a flexible schedule of research and hematology electives in two areas in lifespan hematology: 1) red cell disorders, cytopenias, and marrow failure and 2) hemostasis, thrombosis, and vascular medicine.

Research Path

Fellows planning an academic career in which the majority of time is spent in research can focus on research training in clinical/population science research or laboratory/translational research. Fellows considering this option will typically have significant prior research experience. Fellows in the traditional hematology/oncology track with T32 support or individual grant support or fellows in the classical hematology track will have 18 months of dedicated research training (nine months each in years 2 and 3) and 18 months of clinical training (twelve months in year 1 and three months each in years 2 and 3). Clinical assignments will be based on the fellow’s progress in reaching required milestones. A fourth training year composed of 12 months of research training is strongly encouraged, but is contingent upon performance and obtaining funding.

Research intensive milestones by the end of fellowship year 2 include the following:

  • Present research at division conferences
  • Submit one abstract to and attend a national scientific meeting
  • Present a poster at the annual Department of Medicine Research Day
  • Complete 3 months of clinical training in areas related to research interests


Required milestones by the end of fellowship year 3 include the following:

  • Submit one abstract to and attend a national scientific meeting
  • Present a poster at the annual Department of Medicine Research Day
  • Write and submit two manuscripts for publication
  • Write and submit a career development grant application


Depending on circumstances, the career development grant application may be an application for a K award, an NRSA, or a foundation grant. Mentors will help guide these efforts. The final versions will be read and critiqued by the trainee’s career development committee.

Clinical Path

Fellows planning a career with the majority of time spent in clinical research and care of patients will focus on developing the skills to meet the individual fellow’s goals. The balance of time spent on research and clinical training is individualized to prepare each fellow for a career in an academic, academic-affiliated, or private practice setting as desired. Clinical skills of the trainee in the traditional hematology/oncology track are honed through broad exposure to classical hematology, hematologic malignancies, medical oncology, and stem cell transplantation. Those in the classical hematology track will be exposed to all aspects of hematology, with extra emphasis on non-malignant hematologic disorders. Training will also include education in enrolling and caring for patients on clinical trials and the completion of a scholarly activity or research project. Projects can include case reports, reviews, quality improvement projects, curriculum development, clinical outcomes research, epidemiology, and clinical trial development.

Clinical research and care milestones by the end of fellowship year 2 include the following:

  • Present research or scholarly project at division conferences
  • Attend a regional or national research meeting
  • Present a poster presentation of research, quality improvement, or clinical case report at the annual Department of Medicine Research Day
  • Complete 6-9 months of clinical training

Required milestones by the end of fellowship year 3 include the following:

  • Submit one abstract to and attend a regional or national research meeting
  • Present a poster presentation of research, quality improvement, or clinical case report at the annual Department of Medicine Research Day
  • Write and submit one manuscript for publication.
  • Complete 6-9 months of clinical training in areas related to clinical interests


For those interested in an academic career, a fourth training year composed of 12 months of research training may be considered, but is contingent upon performance and obtaining funding. Mentors will help guide these efforts for an application for a K award, an NRSA, or a foundation grant.

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Application Process

Timeline
We will begin accepting applications for the 2024-2025 academic year, beginning July 7, 2024. Our interview period will run from September-October 2024. 

IMPORTANT DATES STEPS IN APPLICATION PROCESS
July 7, 2024 Applications can begin being submitted electronically
July 21, 2024 Deadline for receipt of completed application
Sept.- Oct. 2024 Interviews conducted, applications evaluated
November 2024 Rank order list certification deadline
December 2024 Match results released
July 1, 2025 Start of fellowship

How to Apply
The Fellowship Training Program accepts applications only through the Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS) and offers positions through the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP). Once your completed application has been reviewed, we will contact you regarding its status and the possibility of a visit to our institution for interviews with the program's faculty.

VISA Policy
Visa Sponsorship: The J-1 alien physician visa sponsored by ECFMG is the preferred visa status for foreign national trainees in all UMN graduate medical education programs; therefore, the Hematology and Medical Oncology Fellowship sponsors only J-1 visas. We do not sponsor H-1B visas. More information can be found on the J-1 visas.

Current Fellows

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Current Fellows

First Year

Nidhi Desai, MD

Image of Nidhi Desai

Nidhi Desai received her medical degree from Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine in Richmond, Virginia. She then completed her residency in Internal Medicine at the University of Minnesota. She has participated in research in quality of life and cancer survivorship in the field of oncology and has clinic and research interests in solid tumor oncology. Outside of work, she enjoys spending time outdoors, exploring new restaurants, painting, traveling, and spending time with family. 

Adrienne Kaufman, MD

Image of Adrienne Kaufman

 Dr. Adrienne Kaufman is a Minnesota native, growing up in Falcon Heights, MN.  She received a B.A. in biology at St. Olaf College, and then Master's of Science in medical physiology at Loyola University Chicago. From there, she went on to obtain her M.D. at Western Michigan University Homer Stryker M.D. School of Medicine, and completed Internal Medicine Residency at Mayo Clinic, in Arizona. Dr. Kaufman’s research/clinical practice areas of interest are in classical hematology, particularly thrombotic microangiopathies, but additionally an interest in lymphoma and myeloma. Outside of work, she enjoys cooking, travel, hiking, board games, spending time with family and friends, and exploring new places and things.

David Kazadi, MD, PhD

Image of David Kazadi

Before moving to the Twin Cities, David Kazadi called New York City home. He received a Bachelor of Arts from Hunter College of the City University of New York, focusing on Biochemistry and Interdisciplinary Studies. Later, he joined the MD/PhD program at Columbia University College of Physicians & Surgeons. His doctoral work focused on genomic maintenance during immunoglobulin diversification processes in B lymphocytes. Now as a Fellow and a PSTP member, his interests include understanding and coöpting the immune system to control disease, particularly of neoplastic nature.

Vrushali Pachpande, MS, MBBS

Image of Vrushali Pachpande

Dr. Vrushali Pachpande was born and raised in Thane, India where she received her medical degree from Rajiv Gandhi medical school. She then obtained MS in Cell and Molecular Biology from University of Houston with opportunities to learn and practice basic science research techniques. To pursue her interest in clinical medicine, she joined the Internal Medicine residency program at Guthrie/Robert Packer hospital in Sayre, PA where she also served as one of the chief residents in the final year of residency. She participated actively in patient safety and quality improvement activities. She was awarded ‘Best Resident of the Year’ in her final year of residency. Following graduation, she worked in the same hospital as an Associate in Internal Medicine, working closely with medical students and residents. She joins the classical hematology track of the program in 2023. Her interests include books, yoga, taking long walks and spending time with family and friends.

Sujith Puskoor, DO

Image of Sujith Puskoor

Dr. Sujith Puskoor grew up just west of Dallas, Texas. He completed his B.S. in biology, with a minor in business administration, at Texas A&M University before earning an M.S. in biomedical sciences at UNT Health Science Center. Afterwards, he attended medical school at Nova Southeastern University, where he was elected to the Sigma Sigma Phi honor society. Finally, he completed his Internal Medicine residency at Baylor Scott & White Medical Center. His passion for hematology/oncology first arose in high school and has continued to grow stronger throughout his medical career. Through his experiences, he developed a clinical interest in hematologic and solid tumor malignancies. He has presented at regional and national conferences, including ACC, ACP, ASCO, IMS, and CHEST. He feels grateful, humbled, and privileged to contribute to the care of patients in their time of need. Outside of medicine, he is a huge Dallas Cowboys and Dallas Mavericks fan. He enjoys traveling with his fiancée, hiking, kayaking, and playing fantasy football.

 

Second Year

Madhuri Chengappa, MD

Image of Madhuri Chengappa

Dr. Madhuri Chengappa grew up in India, where she obtained her medical degree from Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences. She worked as a post-doctoral research fellow at Mayo Clinic before starting Internal Medicine residency at Trinity Health- Nazareth Hospital in Philadelphia. She continued as the chief resident for the Internal Medicine program and was proactive in introducing many innovative ideas to help with better training, work life balance, and mentoring opportunities for residents. She has worked in bench research, clinical research and healthcare policy research. More recently, she has worked on gender disparity among guideline authors of major oncology guidelines, which was recognized at the ASCO 2021 meeting.
Outside of work, she likes archery, traveling and spending time with family.

Vikas Le-Kumar, MD

Image of Vikar Le-Kumar

Dr. Vikas Le-Kumar grew up in California. He completed his B.A in Psychology at UCLA. He subsequently completed his M.D with honors at St. George's University. He went on to complete his residency in Internal Medicine at the Northwell Health System in Long Island New York where he served as one of the Chief Residents of Research. His area of focus was solid tumor Oncology and Malignant Hematology. Dr. Le-Kumar has several research publications and has presented at many major national conferences including ASCO, SCCM, ACP, and ATS. After residency Dr. Le-Kumar was a Senior Associate Consultant for Mayo Clinic in the Internal Medicine Department and looks forward to continuing his training in Hematology/Oncology. Outside of medicine he enjoys outdoor activities with his family including hiking and kayaking.

Go Nishikawa, MD

Image of Go Nishikawa

Dr. Go Nishikawa received his MD from the University of Yamanashi Faculty of Medicine in Japan. After completing his Internal Medicine training and a transitional Internship at the US Naval Hospital Okinawa in Japan, he joined the Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) Internal Medicine residency in Portland, Oregon. He subsequently joined the Clinical Hospitalist service at OHSU. During his time at OHSU, Dr. Nishikawa published several research papers including systematic reviews on monoclonal antibodies and GI cancer. He also attended the Master of Clinical Research track at the OHSU School of Medicine, where he learned various research skills that he has implemented in his projects. He is interested in medical oncology and solid tumors, and looking forward to continuing his clinical and research training at the University of Minnesota. Outside of medicine, he enjoys baking French tarts and traditional galettes, and spending quality time with his family.

Quan Phung, MD

Image of Quan Phung

Dr. Quan Phung grew up in Northern Virginia. He completed his B.A. degree in biology and psychology at the University of Pennsylvania. After college, he worked in health policy research in Washington D.C. working primarily on evaluations for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. He attended medical school at the Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine in Roanoke, Virginia and internal medicine residency at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island. His upbringing was shaped by his family’s refugee experience with the Vietnam War. This served as a call to action to work with underprivileged populations such as through a student-led free health clinic, the DC Center for LGBTQ+ advocacy, and a state-run COVID-19 homeless shelter. During residency, he collaborated with the Lifespan Cancer Institute on projects to characterize after-hour clinic needs for hematology and oncology patients, vaccines in gastrointestinal malignancies, and anticoagulation choice for patients with low-risk antiphospholipid syndrome. His interests also include racket sports, finding coffee and bubble tea shops, country music, and board games. Get to Know Dr. Phung in his interview for our Fellows in Focus series.

Nuttavut Sumransub, MD

Image of Nuttavut Sumransub

Dr. Nuttavut Sumransub graduated from medical school from Siriraj hospital faculty of medicine in Thailand. After that, he worked with the Siriraj Center of Research Excellence for Cancer Immunotherapy, Department of Immunology as a research fellow focusing on cancer immunology and immunotherapy.
Dr. Sumransub moved to the University of Minnesota, completing his residency here, and joined the fellowship program. His research focus is currently in the field of bone marrow transplantation and cellular therapy. He has interest in the impact of immune cell pattern and reconstitution on clinical outcomes in these groups of patients.
Outside of work, Dr. Sumransub enjoys soccer (as a Liverpool fan for over 20 years), exploring national parks, and hiking. Get to know Dr. Sumransub in his interview for our Fellows in Focus series.

Comfort Takang, MD, MPH

Image of Comfort Takang

Dr. Comfort Takang obtained her medical degree with honors from the University of Yaoundé in Cameroon. She later completed an MPH at the George Washington University with emphasis on Epidemiology and Global Health where she received the Excellent Student Achievement Scholarship Award. Her MPH thesis was focused on a mobile phone app intervention to improve medication adherence among patients (MED@PHONE). She went on to complete her residency in Internal Medicine at Manatee Memorial Hospital, Florida where she served as Journal Club Committee Leader and GME representative of the hospital’s oncology committee, executive committee and patient safety committee. Inspired by her interest in research, she engaged in COVID 19 research and scientific presentations at regional and national conferences including ACP, SMA and CHEST Conference. As part of her commitment to continuous education, she assisted in developing the hematology/oncology curriculum of her residency program. Her main interests include solid malignancies and benign hematology, with a focus in Sickle Cell Disease. Dr. Takang began her fellowship in Hematology/Oncology at the University of Minnesota in July 2022. Outside of work, she enjoys traveling, engaging in medical missions, watching movies and spending time with friends and family. Get to know Dr. Takang in her interview for our Fellows in Focus series.

Nikitha Vobugari, MBBS

Image of Nikitha Vobugari

Dr. Nikitha Vobugari received her medical degree from Gandhi Medical College, Hyderabad, India. As a medical student, she received Merit Scholarship for her training. She relocated to the USA and completed her internal medicine residency at Medstar Georgetown/Washington Hospital Center, Washington, DC. Before residency, she worked as a research intern at MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas. She was involved in a meta-analysis of immune checkpoint inhibitors’ adverse effects. During her residency, she worked on several clinical research projects, including retrospective studies, and review articles focusing on breast cancer, convalescent plasma in COVID-19 outcomes, and artificial intelligence in oncology. She completed her first year of hematology and medical oncology fellowship at Houston Methodist Hospital, Houston, Texas, and is moving to the University of Minnesota for the rest of her training in July 2023. Her current clinical interests include solid tumors, including breast and GI oncology. Her current research interests include quality of life among breast cancer survivors, post-solid organ transplant-associated malignancies, and artificial intelligence and machine learning in medical oncology. Outside of work, she enjoys dancing, traveling, and spending time with family and friends.

Third Year

Maria Borrero, MD

Maria Borrero

 Dr. Maria Borrero received her MD from the University of Utah and completed her Internal Medicine Residency at Northside Hospital in Atlanta, GA. Originally from Colombia, Dr. Borrero has always had a strong interest in studying cancer health   disparities, survivorship, and quality of life, particularly as it relates to the Hispanic community. Over the last decade, she has spent time at Sylvester Cancer Institute at the University of Miami, Lurie Cancer Center at Northwestern University, and   Huntsman Cancer Institute at the University of Utah, where she has focused her efforts on developing culturally tailored interventions that improve access to cancer screening and treatments for underserved populations and developing   behavioral multilingual interventions that optimize quality of life of cancer patients. She is passionate about mentoring students from underserved backgrounds who are interested in a career in STEM and has both participated and developed  pipeline programs aimed at increasing the number of minority students pursuing medicine. In her free time, she likes to spend time with her husband and two toddlers, hike, interior design, cook, and travel. 

Get to know Dr. Borrero in her interview for our Fellows in Focus series.

Amin Firoozmand, MD

Amin Firoozmand

 Dr. Amin Firoozmand completed medical school and internship training with honors from Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Iran. He did a Post-doctoral research fellowship in stem cell research as well as GI- Oncology at Johns Hopkins. He collaborated with Dr. Gregg Simenza (Winner of Nobel Prize in 2019) on a project to investigate the effects of Hypoxic Inducible Factor on burn wound healing of Bone Marrow Derived Angiogenic Cells. His work in solid tumors led to several publications as well as presentations in national meetings. He later did internship and residency training in Internal Medicine at the University of Maryland Capital Region Health. He then worked as an assistant professor of Medicine and academic   Hematology- Oncology Hospitalist in Seidman Comprehensive Cancer Center in Cleveland. During this time, he had the opportunity to be engaged in medical student, as well as resident training, and was a part of Internal Medicine residency selection team as an interviewer. He completed a clinical fellowship in Stem Cell Transplant and Cellular Therapy at Cleveland Medical Center. During fellowship, he presented his research work in major national meetings such as ASH and ASCO.   His main area of research interests is Bone Marrow Transplant as well as malignant hematology. He joined the Hematology & Oncology Fellowship at the University of Minnesota in 2021. Outside work, he enjoys playing tennis and spending time with family and friends. Get to know Dr. Firoozmand in his interview for our Fellows in Focus series.

Thuy-Hong Le Kumar, MD

Thuy-Hong Le-Kumar

 Dr. Thuy-Hong Le-Kumar is a California native. She completed her B.A. degree in Integrative Biology at the University of California, Berkeley and then went on to obtain her MD at St. George's University in Grenada. Afterward, she finished her internal medicine residency at Hofstra/Northwell School of Medicine. She is currently interested in benign and malignant heme, as well as GI solid tumors. Outside of medicine, she enjoys raising and spending time with her son and going on challenging trail hikes with her husband.

Minnu Monu MBBS

Minnu Monu

 Dr. Minnu Monu earned her medical degree from Mahatma Gandhi University, India and completed her Internal Medicine residency from the University of North Dakota, Fargo. Subsequently, she joined the Internal Medical   Program at OHSU as an Assistant Professor. During the final year of her residency, she had the honor to serve as one of the chief residents of her program. Prior to residency, she had the opportunity to pursue research at the University of Minnesota, Oncology department and published several research papers in oncology. She was also granted the William P. Newman research award from the University of North Dakota for her numerous case presentations and research publications. Outside of work, she enjoys yoga, biking and spending time with her family. Dr. Monu joined the hematology, oncology and transplantation fellowship in 2021. 

Get to know Dr. Minnu Monu in her interview for our Fellows in Focus series.

Miheer Pujara, MD 

Miheer Pujara

 Dr. Miheer Pujara was born and raised just north of Dallas, Texas. He studied in a combined BS/MD program at Pennsylvania State University in State College, PA and Jefferson Medical College in   Philadelphia, PA. He relocated to Denver for Internal Medicine residency at the University of Colorado, where he was able to pursue his interest in medicine, as well as exploring the Rocky Mountains.   After residency, he worked as an academic hospitalist at Brown University at The Miriam Hospital in Providence, RI while his wife completed her residency in Radiation Oncology. He served in an   Information Technology role on their Hospitalist COVID-19 team and attended on the COVID-19 unit during the pandemic in 2020. He has an interest in Clinical Informatics and the use of health technology to improve the delivery of cancer care. Outside of work he is an avid snowboarder, backpacker, and triathlete.

Get to know Dr. Pujara in his interview for our Fellows in Focus series.

Karan Ramankrishna, MBBS

Karan Ramakrishna

 Dr. Karan Ramakrishna received his medical degree from St. John’s Medical College in India. He went on to complete a residency in Internal Medicine at SUNY Upstate Medical University in Syracuse, NY where he was elected to the Alpha Omega   Alpha Honor Society and was nominated for the Resident Teaching Award in the College of Medicine. He completed a year as Chief Resident in the same program during which he participated extensively in quality improvement and patient safety   endeavors. He has a strong interest in medical education and helped in residency curriculum development during his time as chief resident. He has participated in breast oncology research and has a clinical interest in leukemias/lymphomas. Dr.   Ramakrishna began his fellowship in Hematology/Oncology at the University of Minnesota in July 2021. Outside of work, he enjoys running, trivia, indie cinema and exploring coffee cultures. 

Get to know Dr. Ramankrishna in his interview for our Fellows in Focus series.

Alex Tsai, MD, PhD

Alex Tsai

 Dr. Alex Tsai is originally from the Twin Cities and completed his undergraduate degree and MS in clinical laboratory science at the University of Minnesota. He then completed his MD and PhD in the MSTP at the University of Maryland (during which time he was elected to the Alpha Omega Alpha Medical Society). His PhD thesis work focused on T cell-based immunotherapies for various malignancies, primarily melanoma. He joined the   Physician Scientist Training Program (PSTP) and completed his internal medicine training at the University of Minnesota. His clinical and research interests lie in applying and advancing immunotherapies for solid malignancies. Outside of his career, Alex enjoys sports, cooking, baking, and spending time with family.

Fourth Year

Dr. Zalaya Ivy

Ivy

Dr. Zalaya Ivy received her MD from Meharry Medical College in Nashville, TN. While in medical school she was awarded funding from the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation for a project centered on pulmonary complications in individuals with Sickle Cell Disease, which resulted in a presentation at the ASH annual meeting and publication. She completed her Internal Medicine residency at the University of Minnesota as a member of the Physician Scientist Training Program, during which time she received an award for her core values of clinical excellence, hard work, education, scholarship, teamwork, and leadership within the residency program. Her chief interests include benign hematology, with a focus in Sickle Cell Disease. Outside of work she enjoys roller-skating, cooking, knitting, and spending time with family. Dr. Ivy joined the Hematology, Oncology, and Transplantation fellowship in July 2020.

Get to know Dr. Ivy in her interview for our Fellows in Focus series

Dr. Cameron McDonald-Hyman

McDonald

Dr. Cameron McDonald-Hyman is originally from Muir Beach, California. He completed his undergraduate degree in Biology (Biochemistry Concentration) at Carleton College in 2009, and then completed his MD/PhD training at the University of Minnesota in 2018. His PhD research focused on Immunotherapy for graft-versus-host disease (GVHD). As a medical student he was elected to the Alpha Omega Alpha (AOA) Medical Society, along with the Gold Humanism Honor Society. He then completed his residency in Internal Medicine at the University of Michigan as part of the Physician Scientist Training Program. He is interested in Bone Marrow Transplantation and cellular therapies for both his research and clinical careers. Outside of the hospital, he enjoys exploring new parks with his family, updating his house and is an avid baseball fan. He joined the Hematology, Oncology and Transplantation Fellowship Program in July 2020.

Get to know Dr. McDonald-Hymen in his interview for our Fellows in Focus series.