Skip to main content

Our Current Residents

PGY 5s

Andrew Hu, MD

Andrew Hu, MD

  • Medical School: University of Sheffield Medical School
  • Hometown:  Toronto, Ontario
  • Clinical Interest: Pediatric Surgery
  • Research Interest: Clinical Outcomes
  • Hobbies: Traveling, Rock Climbing, Running, Reading
Rachel Joung, MD

Rachel Joung, MD

  • Undergraduate: University of Western Ontario
  • Medical School: New York University
  • Hometown: Mississauga, Ontario, Canada
  • Clinical Interest: Surgical Oncology
  • Research Interest: Outcomes in complex surgical oncology
  • Hobbies: Traveling, biking, hiking & musicals
Andy Lee, MD

Andy Lee, MD

  • Undergraduate: UCLA
  • Medical school: University of Virginia
  • Hometown: Taipei, Taiwan
  • Clinical interest: Thoracic surgery
  • Research interest: Frailty, Ex Vivo Lung Perfusion 
  • Hobbies: Baseball, softball, spending quality time with my family
Sam Linton, MD

Sam Linton, MD

  • Undergraduate: Vanderbilt University
  • Medical school: University of Kentucky College of Medicine
  • Hometown: Nashville, TN
  • Clinical interest: pediatric surgery
  • Hobbies: Parks with Kids, Reading, Traveling, Fishing, Ultimate Frisbee
Kate Ott, MD

Kate Ott, MD

  • Undergraduate: University of Pennsylvania
  • Medical School: Washington University in Saint Louis
  • Hometown: Buhler, KS
  • Clinical Interest: Pediatric Surgery
  • Research Interest: Neural tube defects
  • Hobbies: Going rogue, gold, 1734-36, puppies

PGY 4s

Emily Cerier, MD

Emily Cerier, MD

  • Undergraduate: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
  • Medical School: The Ohio State University College of Medicine
  • Hometown: Schaumburg, IL
  • Clinical Interest: Cardiothoracic Surgery, Vascular Surgery
  • Research Interest: Surgical outcomes, cardiothoracic surgery, surgical ergonomics, bioengineering
  • Hobbies: Marathoning, figure skating, traveling & forever searching for the best rooftop bar
Jessie Ho, MD

Jessie Ho, MD

  • Undergraduate: The University of Texas at Dallas
  • Medical School: Texas A&M College of Medicine
  • Hometown: Plano, TX
  • Clinical Interest: Vascular Surgery
  • Research Interest: Clinical outcomes in vascular surgery, translational research in septic and hemorrhagic shock
  • Hobbies: Rock climbing, fantasy football, cooking & outdoor activities
Juan Noda, MD

Juan Noda, MD

  • Undergraduate School: United States Military Academy
  • Graduate School: University of Michigan Ross School of Business (MBA)
  • Medical School: University of Michigan Medical School
  • Hometown: Troy, MI and Miami, FL
  • Clinical Interests: Trauma and Acute Care Surgery
  • Research Interests: Medical device development
  • Hobbies: Woodworking, exercise, learning languages
Sara Nunnally, MD

Sara Nunnally, MD

  • Undergraduate: Harvard University
  • Medical School: Northwestern Feinberg School of Medicine
  • Hometown: Potomac, MD
  • Clinical Interest: Endocrine surgery, general surgery 
  • Research Interest: outcomes in endocrine surgery, national healthcare trends including shift toward value-based care, digital transformation, and payer-provider dynamics
  • Hobbies: Tennis, travel, making vegan treats
Audra Reiter, MD

Audra Reiter, MD

  • Undergraduate: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
  • Graduate School: UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health
  • Medical School: University of North Carolina School of Medicine
  • Hometown: Cary, NC
  • Clinical Interest: Pediatric Surgery, Global Surgery
  • Research Interest: Global health, outcomes/health services research
  • Hobbies: Running, yoga, working out, baking, trying new restaurants, exploring this awesome city
Suhail Zeineddin, MD

Suhail Zeineddin, MD

  • Graduate School: Northwestern University
  • Medical School: University of Aleppo (Transferred) / International Americal University
  • Hometown: Aleppo, Syria
  • Clinical Interest: Pediatric Surgery
  • Research Interest: Pediatric surgery, surgical education
  • Hobbies: Running, Tennis, Food, Languages, Sitcoms

PGY 3s

Paola Barrios Martinez, MD

Paola Barrios Martinez, MD

  • Undergraduate School: University of Miami
  • Graduate School: Case Western Reserve School of Medicine
  • Medical School: Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine of Case Western Reserve
  • Clinical Interests: MIS, Thoracic, Surgical Oncology
  • Research Interests: Health Disparities, Surgical Education
  • Hometown: Mexico City / Miami, FL
  • Hobbies: Playing soccer, painting, playing with my dog, Nala 
Raheem Bell, MD

Raheem Bell, MD

  • Undergraduate School: Boston College
  • Medical School: Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine
  • Graduate School: Tufts University (Master of Science in Biomedical Science)
  • Hometown: Born and raised in Jamaica before moving to West Orange, New Jersey
  • Clinical Interests: Thoracic Surgery, Global Health
  • Research Interests: Surgical Outcomes, Oncology
  • Hobbies: Basketball, soccer, running, biking
Daniel Liesman, MD

Daniel Liesman, MD

  • Undergraduate School: University of Michigan
  • Medical School: University of Michigan Medical School
  • Hometown: Okemos, Michigan
  • Clinical Interests: CT surgery, pediatric surgery
  • Research Interests: Telehealth, quality improvement
  • Hobbies: Watching the Lions, roasting and drinking coffee, going to breweries
Nicole Ontiveros, MD

Nicole Ontiveros, MD

  • Undergraduate: Princeton University
  • Medical School: Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California
  • Hometown: Laguna Niguel, CA
  • Clinical Interests: Trauma and Critical Care, Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Minimally Invasive Surgery
  • Research Interests: Quality improvement, post-oncologic reconstruction, lymphedema, health disparities
  • Hobbies: Running, Peloton, eating my way through Chicago's amazing food scene, baking and sharing my creations, traveling, doing my best impression of an interior designer, napping on the beach, Costco runs
Saieesh Rao, MD

Saieesh Rao, MD

  • Undergraduate School: University of Chicago
  • Medical School: University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine
  • Hometown: Buffalo Grove, IL
  • Clinical Interests: Surgical Oncology, HPB, GI/MIS
  • Research Interests: Health Policy and Economics, Computational Modeling, Statistical Methods
  • Hobbies: Cooking, exercise, Settlers of Catan, houseplant gardening, reading about etymology and philosophy
John Rode, MD

John Rode, MD

  • Undergraduate School: Connecticut College
  • Medical School: Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth
  • Hometown: Philadelphia, PA
  • Clinical Interests: Pediatric Surgery, Trauma/Surgical Critical Care
  • Research Interests: Clinical Outcomes, Quality Improvement, Health Equity
  • Hobbies: Hiking, snorkeling, museums, comedy clubs, die-hard Philly sports fan 

PGY 2s

Johanna Borst, MD

Johanna Borst, MD

  • Undergraduate: University of California, Davis
  • Medical school: University of California, San Diego
  • Hometown: San Jose, California
  • Hobbies: skiing, triathlons, hanging out with dogs that aren’t mine, attending live performances of any kind
Alyssa Brown, MD, PhD

Alyssa Brown, MD, PhD

  • Undergraduate: Centre College
  • Medical school: University of Louisville
  • PhD: Mayo Clinic in Biomedical Engineering and Physiology
  • Hometown: Chattanooga, TN
  • Clinical interest: pediatric surgery
  • Hobbies: Baking, embroidering, going to concerts, finding new restaurants and breweries!
Jessica Colin Escobar, MD

Jessica Colin Escobar, MD

  • Undergraduate: University of California, Irvine 
  • Medical school: University of California, Irvine 
  • Hometown: Modesto, California
  • Clinical interest: colorectal surgery
  • Hobbies: I enjoy taking my pug and husky on long walks and teaching them new tricks! Houseplant enthusiast: I find comfort in taking care of my plants and propagating them to share with my friends.
Teja Devarakonda, MD

Teja Devarakonda, MD

  • Undergraduate: Saint Louis University, Saint Louis
  • Medical school: Virginia Commonwealth University
  • Hometown: Warangal, India
  • Clinical interests: cardiothoracic, trauma, surgical critical care
  • Hobbies: Guitar, rock climbing, listening to podcasts and watching reality TV (sometimes)
Caitlin Jacobs, MD

Caitlin Jacobs, MD

  • Undergraduate: Boston University
  • Medical school: Feinberg
  • Hometown: Greenbrae, CA
  • Hobbies: taking my cats on walks, eating my way around cities, travel, hiking, binging TV, caretaking plants
Rachel Van Doorn, MD

Rachel Van Doorn, MD

  • Undergraduate: University of Wisconsin-Madison GO BADGERS
  • Medical school: University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health 
  • Hometown: Crystal Lake, IL
  • Clinical interest: surg onc, transplant
  • Hobbies: Cooking, trying new restaurants, spending time with family and friends, golfing, being outside (when it's warm!), crossword and jigsaw puzzles. 

PGY 1s

Abou Khalil, Elissa

Abou Khalil, Elissa

  • Medical school: Université Saint-Joseph Faculté de Médecine Lebanon
  • Graduate School (if applicable): University of Pittsburgh - Research Fellowship 
  • Clinical interest: Trauma/Acute Care Surgery
  • Hometown: Tyre, Lebanon - Beirut, Lebanon - Paris, France - Pittsburgh, PA 
  • Hobbies: Reading, Yoga, Running, Hiking & Keeping my plants alive no matter what! 
Gonte, Madeleine

Gonte, Madeleine

  • Undergrad: University of Michigan Ann Arbor
  • Graduate School: Harvard School of Public Health
  • Med school: Wayne State University School of Medicine 
  • Hometown: Bloomfield Hills, Michigan
  • Hobbies: hiking, rock climbing, travel, backcountry camping, painting
Narvaez, Maria

Narvaez, Maria

  • Undergrad: Kenyon College
  • Graduate School: Boston University School of Medicine
  • Med school: Boston University School of Medicine
  • Hometown: Boca Raton, FL
  • Hobbies: meditating, yoga, monthly book club, cooking and baking
Polineni, Praneet

Polineni, Praneet

  • Undergrad: Northwestern University
  • Med school: Northwestern University The Feinberg School of Medicine
  • Hometown: Jacksonville, FL
  • Hobbies: tennis, science fiction and surgical history, blitz chess, espresso
Primas, Madisyn

Primas, Madisyn

  • Undergrad: Cornell University
  • Med school: University of Virginia School of Medicine
  • Hometown: New York City, NY
  • Hobbies: cooking international cuisine, rock climbing, traveling
Yost, Colin

Yost, Colin

  • Undergrad: Princeton University
  • Med school: Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University
  • Hometown: Portsmouth, NH
  • Hobbies: film, music, amateur geology, outdoors

PGY 1s Prelim

Hageman, Colton

Hageman, Colton

  • Undergrad: University of Nebraska-Lincoln
  • Med school: University of Colorado School of Medicine
  • Hometown: Lake Preston, South Dakota
  • Hobbies: traveling and being outdoors, growing fruits and vegetables
Malik, Asad

Malik, Asad

  • Medical school: Rawalpindi Medical College
  • Hometown: Hafizabad, Pakistan
  • Hobbies: Travelling and exploring places, spending time with my wife and daughter, and trying new cuisines
Solecki, Symeon

Solecki, Symeon

  • Undergraduate: Loyola University
  • Medical school: Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine
  • Career interest: Anesthesia/critical care
  • Hometown: Glenview, IL
  • Hobbies: Guitar, traveling, hiking, rock climbing, spending time with family/friends/my cat, accumulating plants, video games
Zitter, Ryan

Zitter, Ryan

  • Undergradaute: Park University
  • Graduate school: University of Oxford
  • Medical school: University of Kansas
  • Career plans: Radioton Oncology, hopefully pediatrics
  • Hometown: Kansas City
  • Hobbies: playing basketball, volleyball, cycling, visiting museums, and keeping up with my teams 

Research

Brooke Golisch, MD

Brooke Golisch, MD

  • Undergraduate: University of Arizona
  • Medical School: University of Arizona - Tucson
  • Home Town: Buffalo Grove, IL/ Phoenix, AZ
  • Clinical Interest: Surgical Oncology, Global Surgery
  • Research Interest: Medical education, outcomes research, health disparities
  • Hobbies: Yoga, travel, hiking, deep dish pizza, Amazon Prime
Ryan Jacobs, MD

Ryan Jacobs, MD

  • Undergraduate School: Washington University in St. Louis
  • Medical School: Baylor College of Medicine
  • Hometown: Fort Worth, TX
  • Research Interests: Health services research, outcomes research, quality improvement
  • Clinical Interests: Thoracic Surgery
  • Hobbies: Volleyball, guitar, basketball, hiking
Lauren Janczewski, MD

Lauren Janczewski, MD

  • Undergraduate: Saint Joseph's University
  • Medical School: Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University
  • Home Town: Endwell, NY
  • Clinical Interest: Surgical oncology
  • Research Interest: data-driven staging standards, personalized cancer survival risk stratification, hepatic artery infusion chemotherapy, quality improvement
  • Hobbies: playing with my Corgi named Chuck, taste-testing Chicago's best donuts, dedicated 76ers fan
Whitney Jones, MD

Whitney Jones, MD

  • Undergraduate School: University of Missouri - St. Louis
  • Graduate School: Bellevue University
  • Medical School: Howard University College of Medicine
  • Hometown: St. Louis, Missouri
  • Clinical Interests: Trauma, Surgical Oncology 
  • Research Interests: Medical Education, Surgical Outcomes
  • Hobbies​: Working out, traveling, having new experiences 
Marjorie Liggett, MD

Marjorie Liggett, MD

  • Undergraduate School: College of the Holy Cross
  • Medical School: Michigan State University College of Human Medicine 
  • Hometown: Detroit, MI
  • Clinical Interests: trauma, critical care; vascular surgery
  • Research Interests: surgical education, hemorrhagic shock, traumatic brain injury
  • Hobbies​: Finding the best Chili Cheese Fries in Chicago (open to recs), running, and whispering "sweet nothings" to my Basset Hound
Steven Papastefan, MD

Steven Papastefan, MD

  • Undergraduate: Vanderbilt University
  • Medical School: University of Illinois College of Medicine
  • Hometown: Lake Forest, IL
  • Clinical Interest: Pediatric Surgery
  • Research Interest: Fetal gene therapy, fetal and pediatric device innovation, ethics
  • Hobbies: Exploring Chicago with my wife and dog, reading, Sunday crosswords, travel and running
Joseph Sanchez, MD

Joseph Sanchez, MD

  • Undergraduate School: The University of Georgia
  • Medical School: Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians & Surgeons
  • Hometown: Atlanta, GA
  • Clinical Interests: Pediatric Surgery and Clinical Education
  • Research Interests: Outcomes and Translational Research
  • Hobbies: Baking, Rock Climbing, Scrolling through memes on Instagram, Lifting, Karaoke, and Archery
Jes Sanders, MD

Jes Sanders, MD

  • Undergraduate: University of Arkansas
  • Medical School: Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine
  • Hometown: Rogers, AR
  • Clinical Interest: Abdominal Transplant 
  • Research Interest: Basic science, transplant immunology, machine perfusion, transplant tolerance induction 
  • Hobbies: Whipping up a batch of dark chocolate protein pancakes, not skipping leg day, golf, fishing, Netflix, hanging out with friends
Catherine Valukas, MD, MS

Catherine Valukas, MD, MS

  • Undergraduate: University of Iowa
  • Graduate: Northwestern University
  • Medical School: VCU School of Medicine
  • Hometown: Evanston, IL
  • Clinical Interest: Minimally Invasive and bariatric surgery, complex abdominal wall reconstruction
  • Research Interest: Medical Education, quality Improvement, access to and timeliness of care for vulnerable populations and disparities in surgical outcomes, health equity
  • Hobbies: Adventuring around the world, cooking, finding the perfect pairing of popcorn and red wine, pad thai eating
Dominic Vitello, MD

Dominic Vitello, MD

  • Undergraduate School: Purdue University
  • Medical School: Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine
  • Hometown: Naperville, IL
  • Clinical interests: hepatobiliary and pancreatic surgical oncology, gastrointestinal malignancy
  • Research interests: health services and outcomes, gastrointestinal malignancy, pancreatic cancer, medical education
  • Hobbies: aeronautics and astronautics, cooking, film, no limit Hold 'Em, memetics
Samantha Warwar, MD

Samantha Warwar, MD

  • Undergraduate: The Ohio State University
  • Medical School: The Ohio State University College of Medicine
  • Hometown: Dayton, OH
  • Clinical Interest: surgical oncology, GI/MIS
  • Research Interest: global health, health disparities
  • Hobbies: Cleveland Browns football, the Real Housewives of New York, the perfect chilled glass of wine, candy connoisseur with a special interest in sour watermelons
Norah Zaza, MD

Norah Zaza, MD

  • Undergraduate School: Case Western Reserve University
  • Medical School: Case Western Reserve University SOM
  • Hometown: Libertyville, IL​
  • Clinical Interests: Surgical Oncology, Colorectal surgery, Endocrine surgery
  • Research Interests: Surgical outcomes and disparities
  • Hobbies: Traveling, hiking, watching movies, being a plant mom

Follow Surgery on