Third Year Fellows
Eric Czinn, M.D.
Hometown / Cleveland/Baltimore
Medical School / Albert Einstein College of Medicine
Residency / Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell at Lenox Hill Hospital Program
Hobbies / Interests / Art history, chess, track and training for my pilot’s license
Why did you choose Rochester for Fellowship training? I chose Rochester for Fellowship because it combines the incredible clinical training and research opportunities that you find within a large academic center with the camaraderie and collegiality of a smaller institution.
Jean-Pierre Iskandar, M.D.
Hometown / Akron, Ohio
Medical School / Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine
Residency / Cleveland Clinic Foundation
Hobbies / Interests / Traveling, with an emphasis on culture sensitivity and history-seeking. Favorite city: Rome, Italy. Reading, with an emphasis on learning and memory theory. Favorite book: Phèdre (in French). Skiing- Favorite place to ski: Whistler, Canada. Soccer- Captain of intramural soccer team.
Why did you choose Rochester for Fellowship training? URMC offers comprehensive Cardiology training with a wide variety of educational and research opportunities. From early on, I gathered a sense of the warm and welcoming environment both the program and the city offer.
Sneha Limaye, M.D.
Hometown / Avon, Ohio
Medical School / Northeast Ohio Medical University
Residency / Case Western Reserve University/MetroHealth Medical Center
Hobbies / Interests / I enjoy running, playing the classical violin, reading mystery novels, baking scones, and traveling. I hope to travel to more national parks, especially Glacier National Park, as the pandemic allows.
Why did you choose Rochester for Fellowship training? I chose URMC for cardiology fellowship due to the incredible span of acuity seen here, particularly the transplant & VAD programs, mechanical support and complex PCI, as well as the collegiality among the faculty and fellows – apparent even on Zoom! Choosing to train at Strong, a large quaternary care academic center, was an easy decision since I plan to pursue academic cardiology in my career. The beautiful lakes and parks of upstate NY are another major plus.
Jessica Duke, M.D.
Hometown / Santa Monica, CA
Medical School / University of Chicago Division of the Biological Sciences The Pritzker School of Medicine
Residency / Loyola University Medical Center
Hobbies / Interests / Zumba, yoga, jogging, art museums, live music, reading, journaling, making colorful salads
Why did you choose Rochester for Fellowship training? I chose the University of Rochester for the opportunity to train at a major academic medical center with strong support for my research interests. In addition, the faculty and fellows are collegial and welcoming, and Rochester's location in the Finger Lakes region is absolutely beautiful!
Ryan O’Connor, M.D.
Hometown / Buffalo, NY
Medical School / Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at the University at Buffalo
Residency / University of Rochester Medical Center
Hobbies / Interests / *Playing with my dog, spending time with my family and friends.
*Hiking, finding new trails or hiking trails at home.
*Traveling: I enjoy exploring various parts of the world and learning new cultures. *Home brewing with a special focus on IPAs.
Why did you choose Rochester for Fellowship training? While I was an Internal Medicine resident at URMC, I was able to see firsthand how happy and enthusiastic the fellows were about the training they were receiving. I really appreciated the camaraderie that the fellows had with each other and other members in the hospital. URMC Cardiology offers a wide variety of educational, clinical, and research opportunities and also allows fellows to participate in a great volume of cases to enhance their training. Finally, Rochester is a great place to live with great food and nature.
Second Year Fellows
Paul Blasio, M.D.
Hometown / Buffalo, NY
Medical School / Jacobs SOM and Biomedical Sciences at the University at Buffalo
Residency / University of Rochester Medical Center
Hobbies / Interests / Weightlifting, yoga, hiking, golfing, snowboarding, cooking and home improvement
Lefan He, M.D.
Hometown / Edison, NJ
Medical School / Rutgers, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School
Residency / Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center
Hobbies / Interests / Triathlon, sci-fi fantasy, exploring international McDonalds menus, blues guitar, board games, hip hop and classical music
Why did you choose Rochester for Fellowship training? URMC provides comprehensive training within each discipline of cardiovascular disease as well as a collegial work environment all situated in an affordable and livable mid-sized city.
Kimberly Hsu, M.D.
Hometown / Hicksville, NY
Medical School / Jacobs SOM and Biomedical Sciences at the University at Buffalo
Residency / University of Rochester Medical Center
Hobbies / Interests / Rock climbing (bouldering), gardening, hiking, traveling, cooking, baking
Why did you choose Rochester for Fellowship training? Rochester is an ideal place to train because it is balanced in just about every way. It is a major academic tertiary medical center with a huge catchment area, leading to the unique opportunity to care for patients both from both city and rural environments. Additionally it's in an environment that has the exciting offerings of a city, as well as rich and easily accessible nature and fresh air.
Nicholas Kurek, M.D.
Hometown / Buffalo, NY
Medical School / Jacobs SOM and Biomedical Sciences at the University at Buffalo
Residency / University of Cincinnati Medical Center
Hobbies / Interests / Spending time with my parents, twin sister, and close friends, eating new foods, strength and conditioning training, soccer, live music
Why did you choose Rochester for Fellowship training? As a quaternary care hospital and sole heart transplant center in Upstate New York, Rochester provides fellows with the opportunity to treat a high volume of complex cardiac patients. In addition, Rochester allows for tremendous exposure across all cardiology subspecialties. Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, it was clear that both fellows and attendings alike were welcoming, approachable and down to earth.
Mohaned Serdah, M.D.
Hometown / Waterbury, CT 
Medical School / University of Connecticut SOM
Residency / University of Rochester Medical Center
Hobbies / Interests / I enjoy biking, hiking, swimming, traveling, and spending time with family and friends. I also like watching Arsenal and Patriot's games.
Why did you choose Rochester for Fellowship training? I chose URMC for Cardiology fellowship because of the culture of collegiality between the fellows and faculty. I had the privilege of experiencing this here as a resident. Fellows at URMC also have the opportunity to train at a quaternary medical center that offers advanced and complete cardiac care to some of the most complex patients in the state. Aside from the program, Rochester is an energetic and diverse city to live in.
Rithika Thirumal, M.D.
Medical School / Louisiana State University SOM in Shreveport
Residency / University of Cincinnati Medical Center
Hobbies / Interests / Tea collection (mostly green teas), binge watching crime TV shows, Cooking (especially gumbo)
Steven Avino, M.D.
Hometown / Buffalo, NY
Medical School / Jacobs SOM & Biomedical Sciences at the University of Buffalo
Residency / University of Rochester
Hobbies / Interests / Cooking and trying new restaurants, Traveling, Sports (golf, hockey, and the Buffalo Bills), Video Games, Chess
Why did you choose Rochester for Fellowship training? I completed internal medicine residency at URMC and am excited to continue my fellowship training here. The program offers comprehensive cardiology training. There is a spirit of collegiality throughout the hospital. Rochester has been a great place to live with many fun activities in the Upstate New York region.
Malcolm Dix, M.D.
Hometown / Vero Beach, FL
Medical School / Florida State University COM
Residency / Vanderbilt UMC
Hobbies / Interests / Performing Arts, Traveling, Tennis, Soccer, Cooking
Why did you choose Rochester for Fellowship training? I chose Rochester because of its cordial learning environment and outstanding comprehensive training within a large academic center located in the amazing city of Rochester.
Piotr (or Piotrek) Karmilowicz, M.D.
Hometown / Łomża, Poland (for 14 years) then Buffalo, NY (for the next 14 years)
Medical School / Jacobs SOM & Biomedical Sciences at the University of Buffalo
Residency / University of Rochester
Hobbies / Interests / Water skiing (still learning!), golf, sci-fi books, computer building and gardening!
Why did you choose Rochester for Fellowship training? During my residency at URMC, I got to see just how amazing the people in our cardiovascular department really are. The Heart Center is one of the most favored rotations for our internal medicine residents because it highlights the exceptional culture of learning that extends down to all levels of training, combined with a very collaborative and approachable environment. I am confident that continuing my training here will provide me with the opportunities and support to launch my professional career.
Keshav Patel, M.D.
Hometown / Canton, Michigan
Medical School / Western Michigan University Homer Stryker MD SOM
Residency / University of Illinois at Chicago
Hobbies / Interests / Biking, hiking, working out, and trying out new restaurants
Why did you choose Rochester for Fellowship training? I absolutely loved the culture of this program. Everyone is extremely kind and down to earth. Furthermore, I strongly believe that this program offers the best clinical training possible with abundant research opportunities regardless of your future career plans.
Joe Raco, M.D.
Hometown / Pittsburgh, PA
Medical School / Drexel University COM
Residency / Penn State Milton S. Hershey MC
Hobbies / Interests / Golf, sports, chess, grilling, running
Why did you choose Rochester for Fellowship training? I was searching for a program that offered top-notch clinical training with access to advanced procedures, complex patient care, and a strong cardiac transplant program that also had a warm, welcoming training environment. I am happy to have found this all here at URMC!
Matt Simson, M.D.
Hometown / Buffalo, NY
Medical School / Jacobs SOM & Biomedical Sciences at the University of Buffalo
Residency / University of Rochester Medical Center
Hobbies / Interests / Backpacking, hiking, working out, spending time with my wife and cat, smoking meat for Bills games
Why did you choose Rochester for Fellowship training? Strong cardiology program with diverse subspecialty exposure, friendly and supportive co-fellows, faculty that are eager to teach and excellent work-life balance