Resident Scholarly Work

Resident: Nicholas Favazza MD, MPH: PGY-2
Project Title: Detection of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAH) originating from Jet Fuel (Jet A/A-1) in Lung Cancer Tissue from a World Trade Center Responder
Description: Nick contributed to translational research investigating the long-term effects of World Trade Center exposure on lung cancer. Working with faculty mentors, he studied lung tumor biopsies from 9/11 responders using Raman spectroscopy to identify carcinogenic compounds associated with burned jet fuel. This work provided the first evidence of jet fuel–derived polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons within lung tumor tissue from a World Trade Center responder, advancing our understanding of environmental carcinogenesis and laying the groundwork for future studies of occupational and environmental fuel exposures.
Mentor: Dr. Anthony Szema

Resident: Mira Yang MD: PGY-2
Project Title: Evaluation of an Urgent Outpatient Clinic Program to Reduce Emergency Healthcare Utilization for Ambulatory-Level Gastrointestinal Complaints
Description: Mira is currently working on analysis for an urgent care initiative through the Department of Gastroenterology (GI) intended to reduce unplanned ED visits and admissions for ambulatory-level GI concerns. One of her recent publications was a mixed methods study investigating pelvic floor physical therapy scope of practice, barriers to care, and takeaways for GI providers. She is also involved in projects on early-onset colorectal cancer and autoimmune extraintestinal manifestations of inflammatory bowel disease.
Mentor: Sonia Friedman, MD

Resident: Tala Abu Samaan MD: PGY-3
Project Title: Vascular 3D Culture Based on Human Endothelial Progenitor Cells
Description: Tala is passionate about translational endocrinology research and regenerative medicine. Working alongside faculty mentors, she investigated the use of endothelial progenitor cells and 3D bioprinting to develop biomimetic vascular grafts for diabetes drug testing. Her work optimized hydrogel-based vascular models, demonstrating that collagen scaffolds best supported cell viability and phenotypic stability. This research advances the development of personalized preclinical platforms for evaluating vascular effects of medications and improving the safety and efficacy of future therapeutics.
Mentor: Isra Marei, PhD and Christopher Triggle, PharmD, PhD

Residents: Sravya Shankara, MD: PGY-3
Project Title: Vascular 3D Culture Based on Human Endothelial Progenitor Cells
Description: Sravya's current research focuses on improving the long-term care of heart transplant recipients through better interpretation of surveillance biopsy findings. Working alongside faculty mentors, she investigated the clinical significance of Quilty lesions on endomyocardial biopsy following heart transplantation. Her study demonstrated an association between Quilty lesions and elevated donor-derived cell-free DNA, suggesting increased allograft injury, while highlighting the need for further research to clarify their relationship with graft dysfunction and cardiac allograft vasculopathy. This work contributes to improving the interpretation of post-transplant surveillance biopsies and guiding post-transplant patient management.
Mentor: Indranee Rajapreyar, MD

Posters
Our residents have presented at a many national and regional conferences, including American College of Cardiology (ACC), American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), American Thoracic Society (ATS), Digestive Disease Week (DDW), CHEST, American Society of Echocardiography (ASE), American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (AAIM), New England Society of General Internal Medicine (NE SGIM) and the Massachusetts Society of Clinical Oncologists (MSCO).

Manuscripts

In addition to presenting at academic conferences, our residents have published in many national and international journals, including:

• American Heart Journal Plus: Cardiology Research and Practice
• American Journal of Gastroenterology
• American Journal of Health System Pharmacy (AJHP)
• American Journal of Hypertension
• American Journal of Kidney Disease (AJKD)
• American Journal of Medicine
• Amyloid: Journal of Protein Folding Disorders
• Artificial Organ Research and Development (ASAIO)
• BMC Global and Public Health
• BMC Health and Justice
• Biomaterials
• British Medical Journal (BMJ)
• Crohn's & Colitis 360
• Current Hypertension Reports
• Diagnostic Microbiology and Infectious Disease
• Digestive Diseases and Sciences (DDS)
• Echo Research and Practice (ERP)
• European Heart Journal Cardiovascular Imaging
• European Journal of Cardio-Thoracic Surgery
• Frontiers in Cardiovascular Medicine
• Gastro Hep Advances
• Gastroenterology Research
• Interventional Cardiology Clinics
• JACC Heart Failure
• JAMA Neurology
• Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism (JCEM)
• Journal of Invasive Cardiology (JIC)
• Journal of Personalized Medicine
• Journal of the American College of Cardiology (JACC)
• Journal of the American Heart Association (JAHA)
• Journal of the American Society of Echocardiography (JASE)
• Journal of Heart and Lung Transplant (JHLT)
• Liver International
• PLOS Digital Health
• Therapeutic Advances in Infectious Disease

• Reaves A, Jaffe E, McCallum W. Obesity in Cardiorenal Syndrome: Management Opportunities and Challenges. Curr Hypertens Rep. 2025 Dec 27;28(1):1. doi: 10.1007/s11906-025-01352-5.
• Moises AI, Tighiouart H, Testani JM, Tuttle M, Banlengchit R, Oka T, Lee KJ, Ferguson K, Sarnak H, Harding C, Kiernan MS, Sarnak MJ, McCallum W. Association of Volume Overload With Kidney Function Outcomes Among Patients With Acute Decompensated Heart Failure. Am J Kidney Dis. 2025 Sep;86(3):324-334.e1. doi: 10.1053/j.ajkd.2025.03.026.
• Weng J, Alizadeh M, Friedman S. Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 Receptor Agonist Therapy Does Not Increase Gastrointestinal Adverse Events in Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease. Dig Dis Sci. 2025 Oct;70(10):3476-3484. doi: 10.1007/s10620-025-09344-w.
• Kovell LC, Denu MKI, Berkowitz J, Shankara S, Shao C, Skaritanov E, Wilkie G, Simas TAM, Juraschek SP. Cardiac Biomarkers in Pregnancies With and Without Hypertension. Am J Hypertens. 2025 Aug 14;38(9):697-705. doi: 10.1093/ajh/hpaf061.
• Sherrill C, Port J, Wahoud M, Koethe B, Mohanty S, Downey BC, Patel A, Wessler BS. Tracking Progression of Aortic Stenosis With Echocardiography. Echo Res Pract. 2025 Aug 4;12(1):19. doi: 10.1186/s44156-025-00086-z.
• McGrath D, Sun C, Zhu M, Warner P, Yin K, Zhan Y. Incidence and Outcomes of Surgical Bailout for Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement. Eur J Cardiothorac Surg. 2026 Jan 6;68(1):ezaf435. doi: 10.1093/ejcts/ezaf435.
• Natov PS, Huttler J, Said CF, John KJ, Kapur NK. Prevention and Management of Acute Limb Ischemia when Using Temporary Mechanical Circulatory Support Devices. Interv Cardiol Clin. 2026 Jul;15(3):477-489. doi: 10.1016/j.iccl.2026.03.014.
• Lee KJ, Patel P, Karagozian R. Outcomes of Hospitalized Liver Cirrhosis Patients With COVID-19 Infection: A Retrospective Analysis. Cureus. 2025 Sep 3;17(9):e91524. doi: 10.7759/cureus.91524.
• Sun C, Zhu M, McGrath D, Warner P, Dacey M, Wessler B, Zhan Y. Racial Disparities in Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement: A Contemporary Nationwide Analysis. Am Heart J Plus. 2026 Jan 13;62:100720. doi: 10.1016/j.ahjo.2026.100720.
• Kim JY, Dirks A, Ford RM, Pai L, Ludwig C, Tapan U. How Exclusion Criteria Can Hinder Eligibility for Lung Cancer Studies Among Different Racial and Ethnic Groups. PLOS Digit Health. 2026 Mar 10;5(3):e0001262. doi: 10.1371/journal.pdig.0001262.
• Bopp E, Cui Z, Elkon J. Chronic Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation in Patient With Metastatic Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumor: Treating Bleeding With Anticoagulation. J Med Cases. 2025 Nov 28;16(12):510-516. doi: 10.14740/jmc5164.
• Cebulla C, Hamdan A, Poonawala H, Alsoubani M. Species-level Reporting of Coagulase-negative staphylococci with MALDI-TOF does not impact clinical outcomes. Diagn Microbiol Infect Dis. 2026 May 25;116(3):117479. doi: 10.1016/j.diagmicrobio.2026.117479.
• Oakes K, Port J, Furer A, Ehrhardt-Humbert L, John K, Chee J, Infeld M, Homoud M, Madias C, Chalhoub F, Heist EK, Rozen G. Proper Use of the National Inpatient Sample Database to Analyze Safety of Cardiovascular Procedures. J Am Heart Assoc. 2026 Jun 2;15(11):e047611. doi: 10.1161/JAHA.125.047611.
• Hoffman BE, Youn J, Alizadeh M, Berake T, Lee KJ, Ceglia L, Friedman S. Racial Disparities in Prevalence, Screening, and Complications of Osteoporosis in Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease: A Retrospective Cohort Study. Crohns Colitis 360. 2026 Apr 26;8(2):otag032. doi: 10.1093/crocol/otag032.
• Weng J, Huang A, Berake TB, Chen SL, Yan BM, Karagozian R. Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 Receptor Agonist Therapy Reduces Fibrosis-4 Index in Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease. Gastroenterology Res. 2026 Jun 16;19(3):147-154. doi: 10.14740/gr2136.
• Dash A, Menta A, Huang A, Stiff K, Shum A, Friedman S, Jangi S, Brice C, Fischer A, Kini S, Schoor M, Ongori D, Zhang X. Discretionary Versus Routine Intravenous Fluids for Ambulatory Gastrointestinal Endoscopies: A Cohort Study Following Hurricane Helene. Dig Dis Sci. 2026 Jul 9. doi: 10.1007/s10620-026-10090-w.
• Madaio MP, Craig WY, Eckland A, Moore N, Mahatanan R, Kershaw CM, Bradford W, Eaton E, Rapoport AB, Sikka MK, Yoshida H, Thakarar K. A Descriptive Survey Evaluating the Implementation and Outcomes of a Training Session Highlighting Concepts in Antimicrobial Management and Harm Reduction for Hospital-Based Clinicians Treating Persons Who Use Drugs. Ther Adv Infect Dis. 2025 Sep 22;12:20499361251375334. doi: 10.1177/20499361251375334.
• Cha Y, Lee KJ, Shaik MR, Fan G, Banks M, Yang S, Thompson L, Chan A, Liang J, Shaik NA, Yerneni S, Refaat M, Lee DU. The Clinical Implications of Sex on Waitlist Outcomes in Patients With Acute-on-Chronic Liver Failure. Gastro Hep Adv. 2026 Apr 13;5(7):100970. doi: 10.1016/j.gastha.2026.100970.
• Lee KJ, Fan GH, Huang A, Karagozian R, Almeqdadi M. Impact of Housing Instability on Hospital Outcomes in Alcohol-associated Liver Disease: A Single-center Retrospective Cohort Study. Medicine (Baltimore). 2026 May 29;105(22):e48886. doi: 10.1097/MD.0000000000048886.
• Ramgopal A, Fujita T, Goscicki BK, Sridar S, Klein D, Wang L, Kalpatthi R, Dalal J. Evaluation of Prophylactic Defibrotide Use in Pediatric Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplant Recipients: A Multicenter Retrospective Cohort Study. J Pers Med. 2026 Jul 7;16(7):368. doi: 10.3390/jpm16070368.
• Wu X, Brailovski E, Toskic D, Scalia S, Zhou P, Ma X, Mico V, Fogaren T, Lyons NC, Landau H, Comenzo R. Frontline Dara-CyBorD for AL Amyloidosis: High Response Rates and Cytogenetic Insights From a Real-world Cohort. Amyloid. 2026 Mar;33(1):108-111. doi: 10.1080/13506129.2025.2592628.
• Yang M, Patel RH, Yarlagadda S, Liu JJ. Dual Implantable Electronic Device Therapy and Pyloroplasty in the Setting of Cyclic Vomiting Syndrome With Superimposed Gastroparesis. ACG Case Rep J. 2026 Jun 19;13(6):e02197. doi: 10.14309/crj.0000000000002197.

• Ludwig CG. Londonderry Air. JAMA Neurol. 2025 Feb 1;82(2):121-122.
• Sherrill C, Ehrhardt-Humbert L, Salem D. The Role of Lipoprotein(a) in the Progression of Aortic Stenosis. Am J Med. 2025 Jul;138(7):1074-1077.
• Ton VK, Li S, John K, Li B, Zweck E, Kanwar MK, Sinha SS, Hernandez-Montfort J, Garan AR, Goodman R, Faugno A, Farr M, Hall S, Kataria R, Guglin M, Vorovich E, Pahuja M, Vallabhajosyula S, Nathan S, Abraham J, Harwani NM, Hickey GW, Schwartzman AD, Khalife W, Mahr C, Kim JH, Bhimaraj A, Sangal P, Kong Q, Walec KD, Zazzali P, Fried J, Burkhoff D, Kapur NK. Serial Shock Severity Assessment Within 72 Hours After Diagnosis: A Cardiogenic Shock Working Group Report. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2024 Aug 1:S0735-1097(24)07740-4. Epub ahead of print. Erratum in: J Am Coll Cardiol. 2025 Mar 25;85(11):1288.
• Kochar A, Vallabhajosyula S, John K, Sinha SS, Esposito M, Pahuja M, Hirst C, Li S, Kong Q, Li B, Natov P, Kanwar M, Hernandez-Montfort J, Garan AR, Walec K, Zazzali P, Sangal P, Ton VK, Zweck E, Kataria R, Guglin M, Vorovich E, Nathan S, Abraham J, Harwani NM, Fried JA, Farr M, Hall SA, Hickey GW, Wencker D, Schwartzman AD, Khalife W, Mahr C, Kim JH, Bhimaraj A, Blumer V, Faugno A, Burkhoff D, Kapur NK. Factors associated with acute limb ischemia in cardiogenic shock and downstream clinical outcomes: Insights from the Cardiogenic Shock Working Group. J Heart Lung Transplant. 2024 Nov;43(11):1846-1856.
• Velury DK, Rajapreyar I, Konstam MA. Late Cardiac Allograft Failure: The Importance of the Metabolic Syndrome. JACC Heart Fail. 2025 Jun 25;13(8):102517
• Alabdul Razzak I, Fares A, Stine JG, Trivedi HD. The Role of Exercise in Steatotic Liver Diseases: An Updated Perspective. Liver Int. 2025 Jan;45(1):e16220.
• Youn J, Hsia K, Khadilkar S, Zeina T, Rai P, Rastogi A, Hussani S, Spence S, Adavelly P, Yanes J, Kotlier J, Sweigart B, Levy AN, Friedman S. The Impact of Obesity on the Prevalence and Complications of Perianal Fistulas of Crohn's Disease. Dig Dis Sci. 2025 Jan;70(1):323-332.
• Wessler BS, Tsoi M, Dehn MM, Patel AR. Complete Hemodynamic Assessment of the Aortic Valve. J Am Soc Echocardiogr. 2024 Nov;37(11):1120-1121.
• Wohlfahrt A, Ablavsky A, John KJ, Kiernan M, Kapur NK, Kawabori M, Chweich H. Mesenteric Ischemia During Intra-Aortic Balloon Counterpulsation Therapy: Case Series. ASAIO J. 2025 Feb 24.
• Wang F, Ning A, Sun X, Zhou Y, Deng H, Zhou H, Chen S, He M, Meng Z, Wang Y, Xia H, Ma X, Xia Q. Fabrication of a transforming growth factor β1 functionalized silk sericin hydrogel through genetical engineering to repair alveolar bone defects in rabbit. Biomaterials. 2025 May;316:122986.
• Karmiy S, Huang Z, Velury D, Mai E, Li J, Dehn MM, Balian DR, Ramsingh D, Martin J, Kantrowitz J, Patel AR, Hughes MC, Wessler BS. Machine learning-enabled screening for aortic stenosis with handheld ultrasound. Eur Heart J Imaging Methods Pract. 2025 May 8;3(1)
• McGrath D, Lee H, Sun C, Kawabori M, Zhan Y. Right transaxillary transcatheter aortic valve replacement is comparable to left despite challenges. Gen Thorac Cardiovasc Surg. 2024 Oct;72(10):641-648.
• Ghosalkar R, John K, Li J, Steinhauer R, Wessler BS, Patel AR, Downey BC. Indexing Aortic Dimensions Using Ideal Body Weight Significantly Reclassifies Aortic Dilation in Overweight and Obese Patients. J Am Soc Echocardiogr. 2024 Oct;37(10):1012-1014.
• Miki A, Tandon M, Murad D, Loughman J, Gilman J, Jangi S. Increasing Prevalence of Cannabinoid Hyperemesis Syndrome in Young Adults and Minority Populations. Am J Gastroenterol. 2025 Jun 13.
• Berake TB, Almeqdadi M, Negash L, Ualiyeva S. A Case Report of Mycophenolate Mofetil-Induced Fulminant Colitis in a 76-Year-Old Renal Transplant Recipient. Cureus. 2024 Dec 28;16(12):e76505.
• John KJ, Wahoud M, Rago C, Kawabori M, Leung LY, Kapur NK, Chweich H. Pattern and Outcomes of Stroke in Cardiogenic Shock Patients Supported by Impella 5.5. ASAIO J. 2025 Apr 4.
• John KJ, Belani DJ, Kapur NK, Lussier L, Chweich H. Comparison of Mixed Venous Oxygen Saturation and Premembranous Venous Oxygen Saturation in Patients on Peripheral Venous-Arterial Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation. ASAIO J. 2024 Sep;70(9):e130-e132.
• Erenler F, Katcher B, Phan V, Arkun K, Safain MG. Thyroid-Stimulating Hormone/Growth Hormone Cosecreting Pituitary Adenoma With Normal Thyroid-Stimulating Hormone Level. JCEM Case Rep. 2025 Apr 11;3(5):luaf063.
• Surya N, Wu CH, Ryan H. Rasburicase-induced methemoglobinemia and haemolytic anaemia in a patient with G6PD deficiency. BMJ Case Rep. 2025 Mar 31;18(3):e262830.
• Tenner RA, Grussing ED, Manning D, Ngassa Y, van den Berg JJ, Vazquez GA, Doron S, Campion M, Wurcel AG. "It's easier to take a pill than fix a problem:" qualitative analysis of barriers and facilitators to antimicrobial stewardship program implementation in carceral settings. BMC Glob Public Health. 2024 Aug 26;2(1):59.
• John KJ, Chweich H, Kimmelstiel C, Resor CD, Kapur NK. Clinical outcomes of the post-closure technique for arteriotomy closure with the Impella cardiac power percutaneous left ventricular assist device. J Invasive Cardiol. 2025 Feb;37(2).
• John KJ, Chweich H. In Response to Broman et al .: Time to Throw Out the Elephant in the Room: Proper Use of SvO2 in Extracorporeal Life Support. ASAIO J. 2025 Jan 1;71(1):e19
• Moises AI, Tighiouart H, Testani JM, Tuttle M, Banlengchit R, Oka T, Lee KJ, Ferguson K, Sarnak H, Harding C, Kiernan MS, Sarnak MJ, McCallum W. Association of Volume Overload With Kidney Function Outcomes Among Patients With Acute Decompensated Heart Failure. Am J Kidney Dis. 2025 Jun 6:S0272-6386(25)00874-1.
• Beaudrie-Nunn AN, Poyant JO, Groth CM, Rappaport SH, Kruer RM, Miller E, Whitten JA, Mcintire AM, McDaniel CM, Betthauser KD, Mohammad RA, Kenes MT, Korona RB, Barber AE, MacTavish P, Dixit D, Yeung SYA, Stollings JL. An international, multicenter post hoc analysis comparing in-person and virtual medication management strategies in post-ICU recovery clinics. Am J Health Syst Pharm. 2025 Feb 20;82(5):e262-e273.
• Port JJ, Weber BN, Kadiyala M. Inflammation and INOCA: Can Fat Attenuation Indexing by Coronary CT Angiography Help Identify Coronary Inflammation? JACC Case Rep. 2025 Apr 16;30(8):103215.
• Wu X, Toskic D, Zhou P, Scalia S, Ma X, Bhatt P, Fogaren T, Pilichowska M, Arkun K, Patel J, Riesenburger RI, Larson DP, Comenzo RL. Case Report: Avoiding misdiagnosis in amyloidosis-navigating transthyretin genopositivity and monoclonal gammopathy in a patient with advanced heart failure and spinal stenosis. Front Cardiovasc Med. 2024 Dec 16;11:1479676.
• Grussing ED, Sato T, Cabrera A, Wurcel AG. Offering is not enough: an attempt to increase infectious diseases testing at a large county jail in Massachusetts. Health Justice. 2025 Mar 15;13(1):15.
• Wu X, Toskic D, Zhou P, Scalia S, Ma X, Bhatt P, Fogaren T, Pilichowska M, Arkun K, Patel J, Riesenburger RI, Larson DP, Comenzo RL. Case Report: Avoiding misdiagnosis in amyloidosis-navigating transthyretin genopositivity and monoclonal gammopathy in a patient with advanced heart failure and spinal stenosis. Front Cardiovasc Med. 2024 Dec 16;11:1479676.
• Grussing ED, Sato T, Cabrera A, Wurcel AG. Offering is not enough: an attempt to increase infectious diseases testing at a large county jail in Massachusetts. Health Justice. 2025 Mar 15;13(1):15.