Our fellowship program consists of 21+ fellows amongst 3–4 classes. They represent some of the upcoming best and brightest in the field of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine. This group of academics brings together promising minds with varied interests from all over the country!
Biography
Katie was born in raised in Albuquerque, New Mexico where she completed she her undergraduate degree in in chemical engineering and graduated summa cum laude. During that time, she was involved in basic science research aimed at the development of a targeted delivery nanoparticle for the delivery of various therapeutics to cancer and infectious diseases. She remained in Albuquerque for medical school, where she explored interests in quality improvement and patient safety. She was inducted into the AOA and Gold Humanism Society. Katie left the southwest to complete combined Internal-Medicine and Pediatrics residency and the University of Michigan. She hopes to incorporate her pediatrics training in the future by working with a transitional population of young adults with chronic lung disease as they transition from pediatric to adult providers. Outside of work, she enjoys yoga, hiking, traveling, and exploring new beaches with her dog, Winston.
Education
2009–2013: BS, Chemical Engineering, University of New Mexico
2014–2018: MD, University of New Mexico School of Medicine
2018–2022: Internal Medicine- Pediatrics Residency, University of Michigan
Research Interests
Pediatric to adult transitions of care
Chronic hypercapnic respiratory failure
ICU deconditioning
Biography
Erica was born and raised in San Diego, California. She moved to the east coast to complete a dual undergraduate degree in Biology and Community Health at Tufts University in Boston where she graduated magna cum laude. She then moved to Miami where she earned both an MD and an MPH at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. During medical school she received the Alving Endowed Award for her research on improving screening rates for Hepatitis C Virus. She was thrilled to return home to San Diego for her internal medicine residency at UC San Diego. During residency she realized her enthusiasm for pulmonary and critical care and conducted research on health disparities in asthma exacerbations and became interested in sleep in the ICU. Once again, she was ecstatic to match at UC San Diego for fellowship. Outside of the hospital, Erica enjoys running, cooking, hiking, taking road trips to Mexico and traveling.
Education
2010–2014: BS, Biology and Community Health, Tufts University
2015–2019: MD and MPH, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine
2019–2022: Internal Medicine Residency, UC San Diego
Research Interests
Health disparities in Asthma
Sleep in the ICU
Post-ICU care
Palliative care in the ICU
Background
Dr. Fuentes was originally born in Arequipa, Peru, but immigrated to California with her family at a young age. She received her undergraduate degree in biochemistry from Loyola Marymount University, where she also played division I tennis. During this time, she developed a research interest in amyloid, and studied the effects of protein (IAPP) aggregation in diabetes. She then moved to the East Coast to complete her medical school education. During her time in New Jersey, she pursued research focusing on the signaling pathways involved in severe asthma. She then came back to the best coast to complete her internal medicine residency at UC San Diego. It was there that she discovered her passion for pulmonary and critical care and became involved in research within the field. She was a winner at the UCSD Research Symposium for her work involving neutrophil extracellular trap formation in patients with COVID-19 and was invited to present at the internal medicine grand rounds. In her free time, Ana Lucia enjoys running, hiking, backpacking, and traveling.
Education
2011–2015: Loyola Marymount University, BS in Biochemistry
2015–2019: Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, MD
2019–2022: University of California San Diego, Internal Medicine Residency
Research Interests
Inhalant induced lung injury
Healthcare disparities in the ICU (and chronic pulmonary diseases)
Pulmonary hypertension
Background
Stephanie was born in Los Angeles, California and grew up in the suburbs of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She then moved to Upstate New York where she graduated summa cum laude from St. Lawrence University. After commissioning in the U.S. Army in 2015, Stephanie returned to New York for medical school at the University of Rochester. She moved to Texas to complete Emergency Medicine residency at San Antonio Military Medical Center where she received multiple Army Achievement Medals for academics. Her clinical interests include point-of-care ultrasound, palliative and end-of-life care, austere and tactical medicine, and the multidisciplinary care team approach in healthcare. In her free time, Stephanie enjoys reading, hiking, being outdoors, and spending time with her dog.
Education
2010–2014: BS, Psychology and Estudios Hispánicos, St. Lawerence University, Canton, NY
2015–2019: MD, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, NY
2019–2022: Emergency Medicine Residency, San Antonio Military Medical Center, Ft. Sam Houston, TX
Research Interests
Point-of-care ultrasound
End-of-life care
Multidisciplinary team care in medicine
Biography
Michael grew up on an apple orchard in Maryland and was an avid soccer player before starting undergraduate studies in Biology at the University of Chicago. During college, he worked in a lab and also began participating in clinical research. After college, he helped start and manage a COPD readmission reduction program in Chicago. He then moved back to charming Maryland for medical school at the University of Maryland. While there he worked on various point-of-care ultrasound projects and ML trauma investigations. He started shifting West for internal medicine residency at UPMC in Pittsburgh, PA. While there he hit the bench investigating the role of mitochondrial proteins in cellular senescence driving the development of IPF. He is thrilled to be joining a group of smart and friendly clinicians and investigators at UCSD for pulmonary and critical care fellowship. As a new West Coaster, he enjoys wearing ugly sun hats to walk his goldendoodle puppy, Scooter, and enjoys all the delicious cuisine that San Diego’s various neighborhoods have to offer.
Education
2009–2014: University of Chicago; BA Biological Sciences with specialization in Neuroscience
2015–2019: University of Maryland School of Medicine; MD
2019–2022: UPMC; Internal Medicine Residency
Research Interests
Extracorporeal life support
Cellular senescence
Heart-lung interactions
Pulmonary vascular disease
Background
Danielle was born and raised in the Bay Area, completing her undergraduate degree at UC Berkeley. She first made the trek from sunny Northern California to sunnier San Diego for medical school in 2012. She graduated from UCSD School of Medicine with academic honors including AMWA’s Glasgow-Rubin Academic Achievement Award. Danielle stayed at UCSD to complete her combined Internal Medicine-Pediatrics residency and was awarded the Excellence in Leadership award by her graduating Internal Medicine class. Danielle was then selected to serve as one of the Internal Medicine Chief residents where she led the Advancing Women in Medicine curriculum and Resident Wellness Program. Danielle is now pursuing a combined Adult-Pediatric Pulmonary Fellowship at UCSD/Rady Children’s. Prior to transitioning to her adult pulmonary years, Danielle completed a year of pediatric pulmonary fellowship where she was voted “Fellow of the Year” by the pediatric residents. Her career interests include transitions of care from pediatric to adult health-care systems, medical education, interstitial lung disease, and pulmonary embryology/development. Outside of the hospital she enjoys running along the beach, hiking, and playing beach games.
Education
2007–2011: BA, Molecular and Cellular Biology-Neurobiology, UC Berkeley, Berkeley CA
2012–2016: MD, UC San Diego School of Medicine, San Diego CA
2016–2020: Combined Internal Medicine-Pediatrics Residency, UC San Diego, San Diego CA
2020–2021: Internal Medicine Chief Resident, UC San Diego, San Diego CA
Research Interests
Transitions of Care
Pulmonary Embryology and Development
Interstitial Lung Disease
Immunology
Background
Janna is a born Midwesterner from Kalamazoo, Michigan. She completed her undergraduate studies at University of Michigan where she was a Phi Beta Kappa honor society member. She then set off for Canada to attend her dream medical school, McGill University. While in Montreal she learned French and by the end of her four years could speak to patients and watch the Avengers in la belle langue française. She moved to beautiful San Diego for residency where she began clinical research on suspected obesity hypoventilation syndrome in patients undergoing bariatric surgery. She also pursued the Residents As Clinical Educators track at UCSD and developed her passion for physical exam and other bedside teaching. She hopes to develop a critical care core curriculum for resident learners. In regards to future research, she is thrilled to have been selected as a 2022-23 ATS ASPIRE fellow and will continue to pursue clinical research in the areas of sleep medicine and pulmonary disease in obesity.
Education
2011–2015: University of Michigan
2015–2019: McGill University Medical School
2019–2022: University of California San Diego Internal Medicine Residency
Research Interests
Obesity and Pulmonary Disease
Sleep Medicine and Respiratory Mechanics
Obesity Hypoventilation Syndrome
Background
Megan was born and raised in Roswell, New Mexico. She attended University of Southern California, where she graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Biological Sciences and minored in Public Health and East Asian Languages & Cultures. She then moved across town to attend medical school at David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. Megan stayed at UCLA to complete her residency training in internal medicine and received the Excellence in Teaching with Humanism Residents and Fellows Award. She went on to serve an additional year as a Chief Resident and completed a Medical Education Fellowship, where she helped establish a longitudinal point-of-care ultrasound curriculum for the internal medicine residency program. Some of her general career interests include pulmonary hypertension and post-ICU recovery. Outside of the hospital, Megan enjoys staying active and spending time outdoors, including running, playing Spikeball, and stand-up paddleboarding.
Education
2010–2014: B.A., Biological Sciences, University of Southern California
2010–2014: M.D., Dvaid Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles
2018–2021: Internal Medicine Residency, University of California Los Angeles
2021–2022: Internal Medicine Chief Resident, University of California Los Angeles
Research Interests
Pulmonary hypertension
Critical care outcomes
Post-ICU care
Medical education
Background
Dr. Anna Astashchanka was originally born in Minsk, Belarus and immigrated to the Denver, Colorado at the age of 8. She received her undergraduate and graduate in her home state of Colorado, being selected as a member of the first cohort of the University of Colorado BA/BS-MD Program. In college, Anna worked with the School of Public Health to research cancer epidemiology. During her time in medical school, she continued to pursue oncologic research focused on breast cancer cell biology, which earned her several awards including the Neil and Catherine Hamilton Award for excellence in research. After a lifetime of being landlocked, Anna migrated to the West Coast to complete her residency in Internal Medicine at University of California San Diego. During residency, she shifted her focus to pulmonary/critical care medicine, where she was engaged in research in pulmonary hypertension and CTEPH. Her academic interests include pulmonary hypertension and End-of-Life Care, both inside and outside the ICU. In her free time, Anna enjoys writing fiction, going to the beach, and taking weekend trips to enjoy everything Southern California has to offer.
Education
2010–2014: University of Colorado (Denver, CO), B.S. in Psychology with minors in Astrophysics and Interdisciplinary Research Methods
2014–2018: M.D., University of Colorado School of Medicine, CO
2018–2021: University of California San Diego, Internal Medicine Residency
Research Interests
Pulmonary Hypertension
End-of-Life Care
Delirium in the ICU
Education
2001–2004: B.S., University of California San Diego
2006–2010: Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, MD
2011–2014: Madigan Army Medical Center, Emergency Medicine Residency
2018–2019: Madigan Army Medical Center, Austere and Wilderness Medicine Fellowship
Research Interests
Wilderness Medicine
Medical Education
Background
Alex was born in Prague, Czech Republic, and immigrated to the U.S. in elementary school. Eventually settling in Washington State, he went to UW for undergrad and medical school. In college, Alex conducted basic science research, including cell culture, immunohistochemistry, and fluorescent microscopy on projects related to mechanisms of aging. During medical school, he switched his focus to retrospective observation patient studies and was awarded a student research grant from the American Nephrology Society studying the incidence of acute kidney injury. For residency, Alex decided to try a new place while staying on the best coast. He completed his residency at UCSD and went on to serve as a VA Chief Medical Resident in Quality and Safety. Alex was fascinated by critical care and pulmonary medicine throughout medical school and residency. He conducted clinical outcome research of patients with lung cancer in residency. He chose UCSD for fellowship for the phenomenal clinical training, supportive program leadership, and varied research opportunities. Alex spends his free time cycling, adventure traveling and exploring the great outdoors. He and his high-school-sweetheart-now-wife Caitlin also just adopted two little kittens.
Education
2008–2012: University of Washington, B.S. in Neurobiology
2013–2017: University of Washington, MD
2017–2020: UC San Diego, Internal Medicine Residency
2020–2021: UC San Diego, VA Chief Medical Resident in Quality and Safety
Research Interests
Lung cancer
Pulmonary vascular disease
Critical care outcomes
Medical education
Background
Rocky was born and raised in sunny San Diego before enlisting in the US Navy at the age of 22. After 6 years working as a nuclear power plant operator onboard the USS Henry M. Jackson out of Bangor Washington he returned to San Diego for undergraduate and graduate studies at UCSD. He then went onto medical school at Western University of Health Sciences on the Air Force health professions scholarship before completing residency at San Antonio Military Medical Center. Rocky enjoys distance running, rock climbing, playing music (piano and guitar), and hanging out with his son, Aiden.
Education
2008–2012: University of California San Diego, Warren College, Bachelor of Science Human Biology, Cum Laude
2014: University of California San Diego, Masters of Science in Biology with emphasis in Neuroscience
2015–2018: Western University of Health Sciences College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific, Doctorate of Osteopathic Medicine May
2018–2021: Internal Medicine Residency, San Antonio
Research Interests
Intervention pulmonology
ECMO
Critical Care
Background
Nick grew up in Northborough, Massachusetts and attended the University of Pennsylvania for his undergraduate studies, graduating with a B.A. in Molecular Biology and a minor in Economics. He continued his education in the Northeast, entering medical school at the University of Rochester where he also took advantage of Rochester’s Medical Humanities Pathway to study the architectural history of American medical schools. However, he soon felt the call of the West. During medical school he undertook a year-long Sarnoff Cardiovascular Research Fellowship and came to UCSD to study transcriptional regulation of endothelial cell biology and inflammation in the lab of Dr. Christopher Glass. Nick left his research year enamored with the city of San Diego and the culture of UCSD, and after graduating medical school was thrilled to return to pursue his residency here in Internal Medicine. After residency he spent a year as a hospitalist at Scripps Memorial Hospital in Encinitas and is now equally as thrilled to return to UCSD for fellowship in Pulmonary and Critical Care. He has clinical and research interests in the role of inflammation in various aspects of pulmonary disease, including asthma and acute lung injury, and looks forward to refining these interests throughout fellowship. A former sprinter during high school, he loves to run on San Diego’s many picturesque coastal routes—notably without the fear of frostbite. He’s also an avid football and baseball fan and enjoys catching a game, especially when the Red Sox come to town every couple years.
Education
2008–2012: University of Pennsylvania, B.A. in Molecular Biology and minor in Economics
2012–2017: University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry
2017–2020: Internal Medicine Residency at UC San Diego
Research Interests
Genomics
Immunology
Asthma
Acute Lung Injury
Medical History
Background
Alisha was born and raised in Portland, Oregon. In an effort to escape the rainy weather, Alisha ventured down to sunny California, where she completed her undergraduate degree in Health Promotion/Disease Prevention Studies at University of Southern California. After college, she spent a year at National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease, working in phase I and II clinical trials for monoclonal antibody treatments for HIV disease and a dose-dependent vaccine for Malaria. She attended Temple University School of Medicine, where she received multiple awards, including the 1st place Sol Sherry Award for Excellence in Research. Alisha returned to California to complete her residency in Internal Medicine at UCSD. Her interests rapidly changed during her pulmonary and ICU rotations, and she pursued studies assessing risk factors for massive hemoptysis in patients with CTEPH. Her career passions include pulmonary embolism, interstitial lung disease, hemodynamics in critically ill patients and preventative medicine. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, traveling and cooking elaborate meals.
Education
2009–2013: B.S., Health Promotion/Disease Prevention Studies, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA
2014–2018: M.D., Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University, Philadelphia, PA
2018–2021: Internal Medicine Residency, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA
Research Interests
Pulmonary embolism/pulmonary vascular disease
Interstitial lung disease
Hemodynamics in critically ill patients
Preventative medicine
Background
Nick grew up in Fairfax, Virginia and traveled all over his home state to complete his undergraduate, master's, and medical school training. While in medical school at Virginia Commonwealth University he was inducted into both the Gold Humanism and Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Societies. He then made the transcontinental trip out to San Diego to do his internal medicine residency at the University of California, San Diego where he did clinical research focused on hypereosinophilia and eosinophilic lung disease. Nick was then selected as a Chief Medical Resident at where he helped advance the point-of-care ultrasound curriculum and spent time researching critical care education through Tele-ICU. His career interests include point-of-care ultrasound, medical education, and trying to figure out what aspect of pulmonary and critical care medicine he loves most! When outside the hospital Nick spends his time hitting the beach, exploring San Diego's various coffee shops, practicing his language skills (currently Japanese), or swimming to stay fit.
Education
2008–2011: B.S., Biology & Biochemistry, Virginia Polytechnic and State University
2011–2013: M.S., Biology, George Mason University
2013–2017: M.D., Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, Doctor of Medicine
2017–2020: UC San Diego, Internship and Residency, Internal Medicine
2020–2021: UC San Diego, Chief Medical Resident
Research Interests
Pulmonary Hypertension
Advanced Lung Disease
Critical Care Point-of-care
Ultrasound
Medical Education
Background
Alyssa grew up in Denver, CO and moved to Rhode Island to attend Brown University, where she earned a BS in Biology and graduated with honors. She returned to Colorado for medical school at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. While in medical school she was inducted into the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Society and received multiple awards, including the American College of Physicians Award. She then ventured to the Midwest to complete her internal medicine training at Washington University in St. Louis, where she stayed for an additional year as a Chief Resident. Her research in residency focused on pulmonary arterial hypertension in patients with connective tissue disease. Some of her general career interests include pulmonary vascular disease, physician burnout, and interstitial lung disease. Outside of the hospital she enjoys travel, yoga, hiking, and the San Diego sunshine.
Education
2009–2013: B.S. Biology, Brown University, Providence, RI
2013–2017: M.D., University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO
2017–2020: Internal Medicine Residency, Washington University, Saint Louis, MO
2020–2021: Internal Medicine Chief Resident, Washington University, Saint Louis, MO
Research Interests
Pulmonary vascular disease
Interstitial lung disease
Medical education
bjdesai@health.ucsd.edu
@mdbdesai
Background
Dr. Desai completed her Internal Medicine-Pediatrics residency training at the University of Minnesota where she was a resident representative, member of the resident clinic curriculum editorial board, co-lead for Women in Medicine, and co-lead for Heart of Medicine. Her research focus during residency included: Interactions of adolescents and their primary care physicians, PFAPA presentation in children, and use of Vitamin C in Sepsis. Dr. Desai was also awarded the best poster presentation at MN AAP, MN ACP, and University of Minnesota Global Health Symposium. She has spent the last year as a chief resident for the Internal Medicine-Pediatrics program at the University of Minnesota. Her passions include health equity, health advocacy, medical education, and medical humanities. In addition, she spends time working with a medical education podcast (COREIM) and has been featured on Clinical Problem Solvers. In her spare time, she enjoys dancing, exploring a new place through its food scene, and yoga.
Education
2005–2009: Rutgers University (New Brunswick, NJ) B.S. in Biochemistry & Nutritional Science, minor in Gender Studies
2011–2015: Medical College of Wisconsin (Milwaukee, WI)
2015–2019: Internal Medicine-Pediatrics Residency, University of Minnesota
2019–2020: Chief Resident Internal Medicine-Pediatrics, University of Minnesota
Research Interests
Transition of Pediatric to Adult Pulmonology Care (specifically chronic lung disease, pulmonary hypertension)
Post-ICU Care
Health Equity in ICU care and chronic lung disease
Medical Education
Background
Allen was originally from the windy city of Chicago where he cultivated a great passion for its sports along with an equal hatred of the Packers. Allen has many clinical interests including ECMO, pulmonary hypertension, and advanced lung disease and hopes to narrow down his clinical focus during fellowship. He is currently loving life here in San Diego where it is always sunny and where he will never have to de-ice his car during a polar vortex again.
Education
2009–2012: B.S., Biology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD
2012–2013: M.S., Biology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD
2013–2017: M.D., Chicago Medical School at Rosalind Franklin, Chicago, IL
2017–2020: Internal Medicine Residency, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA
Background
Originally from the Bay Area of California, Dr. Luoma ventured south to San Diego to attend college at Point Loma Nazarene University, where she earned a BS in Biology. After college, she spent a year working and traveling before heading to the mountains for medical school at the University of Colorado. In medical school, her academic interests included global health and behavioral interventions for Type II Diabetes. Next, she migrated further east to pursue internal medicine residency at NYU School of Medicine, where her academic interests included medical and surgical interventions for non-tuberculous mycobacterial pulmonary infection, and early mobility in the ICU. After completing residency, she stayed at NYU as inpatient chief resident for an additional year. Some of her general career interests include ICU-acquired weakness, mycobacterial infection, and physician burnout. Outside of work she is obsessed with running, hiking, yoga, dancing and travel, and will accept any excuse to be outside. She is also a dedicated dog and cat mom.
Education
2007–2011: B.S., Biology, Point Loma Nazarene University, San Diego, CA
2012–2016: M.D., University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO
2016–2019: Internal Medicine Residency, NYU School of Medicine, New York, NY
2019–2020: Internal Medicine Chief Resident, NYU School of Medicine, New York, NY
Research Interests
Non-tuberculous mycobacterial disease
ICU-acquired weakness
Behavioral interventions for Type II Diabetes
emlodzinski@ucsd.edu
@EMlodzinski
Background
Eric Mlodzinski grew up in Long Island, NY and then moved to Boston to attend Boston College, where he graduated summa cum laude with a degree in Biology. He returned to New York for medical school at SUNY Downstate College of Medicine. While in medical school, he was inducted into the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Society, and received multiple awards including the Eli A. Friedman Award of Distinction in Internal Medicine. He then moved back to Boston to complete his internal medicine training at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. While in residency, Eric developed an interest in big data analysis and predictive modeling for critical care outcomes, collaborating with data scientists through MIT's Laboratory for Computational Physiology and the Harvard-MIT Program in Health Sciences and Technology. His work has focused specifically on the management and outcomes of dysnatremias in the ICU. While not at work, Eric enjoys spending time outdoors running, hiking, and playing volleyball.
Education
2009–2013: Boston College, B.S.
2013–2017: SUNY Downstate College of Medicine, M.D.
2017–2020: Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Internal Medicine Residency
Research Interests
Critical Care Outcomes
Predictive Modeling
Dysnatremias
Background
Dr. Senyei was raised in San Diego and moved to the East Coast where he earned his undergraduate degree in Film Studies from Yale University. He then received his joint MD-MBA from Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine and Kellogg School of Management. He returned to San Diego to complete his Internal Medicine Residency at UC San Diego where he studied the hemodynamic effects of targeted medical therapy in patients with operable chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension. Prior to entering fellowship, he was selected as a VA Chief Resident in Quality and Safety during which time he redesigned the quality improvement and patient safety curriculum for the Internal Medicine residency program. His career interests center on combining Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine and Implementation Science. In his free time, he enjoys spending time with his family, cooking and going to the beach.
Education
2006–2010: Yale University, B.A. Film Studies
2011–2016: Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine
2014–2016: Northwestern University Kellogg School of Management
2016–2019: UC San Diego, Internship and Residency, Internal Medicine
2019–2020: UC San Diego, VA Chief Resident in Quality and Safety
Research Interests
Interventional Pulmonology
Pulmonary Hypertension
Quality Improvement
Implementation Science
lsullivan@health.ucsd.edu
@lsullyMD
Background
Dr. Sullivan grew up outside of Atlanta, GA and then went to medical school in New York City where she was inducted into the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Society. She made her way out to the west coast for residency and a chief resident year at UCLA, where she was also a two-time regional champion on the ACP Jeopardy team. She is interested in interstitial lung disease and lung transplant.
Education
2008–2012: University of Georgia
2012–2016: NYU School of Medicine
2016–2019: UCLA Internal Medicine Residency Program
2019–2020: UCLA Internal Medicine Chief Resident
Background
Dr. Barnes was born in Leeds, UK and moved to Minnesota to complete High School. She then went to Johns Hopkins, where she wrote her French thesis on TB in 19th Century French Literature and did research on exercise in Cystic Fibrosis. She then returned to the cold at the University of Minnesota for Medical School, where she continued to work in Cystic Fibrosis this time focusing on Pseudomonas transmission. During this she spent a year in Uganda studying malaria. She then followed the sun to Residency at UC San Diego where she did research on post-arrest outcomes. Due to the wonderful people, she stayed for a year as an Hospitalist and then for Fellowship. She is currently studying the effect of hypoxia in a COVID mouse model. She enjoys solo travel, hiking, poor piano-playing and trying to keep plants alive.
Education
2005–2009: Johns Hopkins University, B.A. FrenchResearch Interests
Cystic Fibrosis, Bronchiectasis
Background
Dr. DeWolf was born and raised in Oakland, CA. After high school, he left the California sunshine for the east coast, where he attended Villanova University. He spent the latter two years of his undergraduate education studying B cell development in a basic science lab, which ultimately proved to be the beginning of a great passion for bench research and immunology. After graduation he spent a year in southern Mexico before returning to California for his medical school at UCSD. He began working in a lab that studied how innate immunity initiated and propagated acute kidney injury and thought he would end up as a transplant nephrologist. During his 4th year of medical school, however, he rotated through the ICU and fell in love with critical care medicine. He stayed at UCSD for his residency and continued to work in the research area that he now intends to make his career. He enjoys playing golf and basketball and taking his dog on walks with his wife.
Education
2007–2011: Bachelor of Sciences; Villanova University
2012–2016: M.D. University of California San Diego, School of Medicine
2016–2019: Residency, University of California San Diego
Research Interests
Innate immunity in acute lung injury and acute kidney injury
Lung-kidney interaction during critical illness
Cell signaling and molecular biology
Background
Dr. McGuire was born in Chicago, but raised in Baltimore, MD. In college he became fascinated by the history of science and medicine and wrote his history thesis on the sociology of Charles Darwin’s concept of natural selection. Since college he has followed a circuitous path with stops at: the NIH doing research on cardiac myocyte survival and vascular smooth muscle cell migration, the University of Chicago doing research on DNA repair following exposure to ionizing radiation or cisplatinum, Tulane University doing research on the role of endothelin signaling in intrarenal renin production, and University of Colorado doing research on heart failure medication adherence and nonpharmacologic interventions for the acute respiratory distress syndrome. Ultimately, he hopes to pursue a research career in pulmonary physiology, pulmonary vascular medicine, and their overlap in the ICU. His interests include: cooking, travel, jazz, history, classic movies, and cocktails to name a few.
Education
2003–2007: Trinity College (Hartford, CT) BS - Biology; B.A. - History
2009–2010: Loyola University Chicago M.A. - Medical Sciences
2011–2015: Tulane School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine M.P.H. - Epidemiology
2011–2015: Tulane University School of Medicine: M.D.
2015–2018: University of Colorado School of Medicine Internal Medicine Resident
2018–2019: University of Colorado School of Medicine Chief Resident
Background
Dr. Pearce grew up in Denver, Colorado. She completed her undergraduate degree in English at Colgate University in New York. She then went to medical school in New Orleans at Tulane University school of Medicine. In medical school she was inducted into the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Society and received Merck Manual Award for Academic Excellence as well as the American Medical Women’s Association Glasgow-Rubin Achievement Award. She moved to the west coast for residency and completed her internship and residency in internal medicine at UC San Diego. During residency she focused her research on cardiac arrest outcomes and prognostic indicators. In fellowship, her research interests have shifted to mechanical ventilation, lung protective ventilation, and use of new techniques/technology to assess ventilation distribution. Her interests outside of the hospital include hiking, yoga, skiing, and travel.
Education
2006–2010 Colgate University, B.A. English, Hamilton, NY
2012–2016 Tulane University School of Medicine, M.D., New Orleans, LA
2016–2019 UC San Diego, Internship and Residency, Internal Medicine, San Diego, CA
Research Interests
Acute lung injury and mechanical ventilation
Critical Care Outcomes
Electrical impedance tomography