RESIDENTS

Roxanne Almas, PL-2
Roxanne is a newcomer to the New England area. Roxanne was born in Los Angeles California and went to medical school at UC Davis. However, she is not just a California girl, she received a scholarship to go to Switzerland as a Global Health fellow where she interned at the WHO in the Department of HIV/AIDS.  Prior to medical school she completed an MSPH at Tulane University and as part of her thesis project went to Pakistan and studied tuberculosis meningitis and published an article on her findings! Roxanne is not only interested in global health, she was also active in community service/outreach projects starting a food and coat drive at her medical school and volunteering in a student run free clinic. In her spare time Roxanne enjoys photography, creative writing, and afro-Caribbean dance.  

Jen Barkley, Med/Peds PL-3
A native of New England, Jen went to college at Yale, where she spent much of her time teaching middle school students non-violent conflict resolution, and helping to coordinate a homeless shelter. One of our most eclectic professionals, Jen worked as a naturalist on a whale watch boat on Stellwagon Bank, an EMT trainer for the Rugby team, a lab tech, and a 9th grade biology teacher in Florida. She then went to UMass Medical School and loved it so much that she decided to stay for residency. Jen's favorite hobby is photography, but she also likes traveling and hiking. She hopes to go into primary care.

Stacey Beberman, Med/Peds PL-1
Stacey grew up in Worcester, MA.  She left to attend Connecticut College as an undergraduate and then worked in Washington DC doing breast cancer reseach at the NIH.  She returned to Worcester to attend medical school at UMass, and decided to stay at UMass for residency.  During medical school, Stacey performed healthg policy reseach on student health insurance plans in Massachusetts, volunteered in a free clinic and actively participated in the Massachusetts Medical Society student section.  Stacey plans to practice primary care in Massachusetts after residency.  When she is not in the hospital, Stacey likes to read, make jewlery, and cook, especially desserts.

Christine Bielick, Med/Peds PL-1
Chris spent much of her childhood in Wisconsin, but left shortly after receiving her BS in Biology from the University of Wisconsin.  Prior to matriculating at medical school, she spent a year in California taking care of her grandfather, which helped confirm her desire to care for critically ill patients.  While attending Tufts University School of Medicine, she spent a summer studying the impact if HIV on children in rural India, and trained for and completed the 2007 Boston Marathon.  Since moving to the New England area, she has enjoyed all of the hiking opprotunities the region offers, as well as rooting for her beloved Packers, Cubs, and Badgers teams.

Eugene Boss, Med/Peds PL-4, Med/Peds Chief Resident
Eugene "Geno" Boss grew up in nearby Springfield as the oldest of five children.  After his undergraduate years at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, and before attending medical school at the UMass, he worked as an Americorps member for the Providence Community Health Corps in the Pediatrics department of a health clinic.  In his free time, Geno enjoys playing basketball and softball, spending time with his dog, and staying up to date on any and all New England professional sports teams.  After finishing his Med/Peds residency, he plans to practice primary care Med/Peds somewhere in New England.

Tamara Chang, Med/Peds PL-3
Tamara "Tammie" Chang grew up in Portland, Oregon and has a great love for the Pacific Northwest, but has also now come to love New England after living in Providence, Rhode Island where she completed Brown University's 8-year medical program, then moving all 25 miles across the border to Worcester, Massachusetts. Tammie's loves are the piano (especially Rachmaninoff), ballroom dancing, running, the outdoors and, of course, food. She has a special interest in heme/onc transitional care from childhood to adulthood and secondary effects of childhood cancer.

Anne Coates, PL-3
Anne comes to us from Vermont, where she spent her childhood surrounded by several OB/GYN physicians in her large, close knit family. Anne attended Princeton University for her undergraduate studies. There she was a fierce competitor on the varsity tennis team, and named a 2001 NCAA All American Scholar Athlete. After Princeton, she returned to Vermont where she worked for the State Department of Health, as well as the Vermont Medical Society as a lobbyist and outreach coordinator.  As a student at UVM Medical School, Anne received the prestigious Ring Award, in recognition of her kindness, compassion, and intellectual curiosity. Anne is excited to finish residency and begin her fellowship in pulmonary medicine.

Heidi Currier, PL-1
New to the area, Heidi comes to us from the Midwest. After attending undergrad in Minnesota, she spent some time in North Dakota before graduating medical school at Creighton. Heidi was very active throughout her training and coordinated clinics for the uninsured in addition to participating in Habitat for Humanity and other service projects in Honduras and Nicaragua. Heidi continues to keep active playing basketball and volleyball outside of work.

Jessica Davidson, PL-1
Jessica comes from just outside Philadelphia and completed her undergraduate degree in Life Sciences at Penn State University. While she was there, she prepared for her future nights on call by showing off her moves in a 48 hour dance marathon to raise money for kids with cancer at Hershey Medical Center. She also spent a semester abroad on the floating university Semester at Sea. After visiting 10 countries in 100 days, the travel bug had bitten and she sought work in Italy after graduating college. Once she returned to Philadelphia to pursue medical school, she worked in clinical research in anesthesia at Jefferson. She attended medical school at Jefferson, where she was able to maintain her devotion to all Philadelphia sports teams, especially the Flyers. Her husband is a pathology resident in Boston and they are thrilled to be here in Massachusetts where they can hike with their dog Buddy and ski in NH whenever they get a chance.

Adam DeTora, PL-1
Adam DeTora started his academic journey on the shores of Cayuga Lake at Cornell University where he divided his time between the bio lab and cheering on the Big Red. In his first years of medical school, he traveled to Venezuela to study the formation of microvesicles in patients infected with Dengue while honing his Spanish speaking skills. His ardor for research also led him to study gene regulation in mature neutrophils to better understand early inflammatory response. Although he has traveled the world pursuing his dual passions of research and pediatric health, he has settled down close to his hometown of Auburn, MA to continue his training at UMass. He enjoys foreign travel and loves to cook.

Rebecca Dixon, PL-3
Rebecca studied American Civilization as an undergrad at Brown University before spending several years at Boston Children’s Hospital working as a research coordinator for a project focused on providing comprehensive primary care for teen parents and their children. Her interests then led her to Vermont, where she performed research in quality improvement in adolescent health and health care for children in foster care. She attended UVM Medical School, where she spent much of her time volunteering on the board of directors and as a youth mentor for an organization committed to helping homeless, runaway, and disconnected youth. She was also inducted into the prestigious Gold Humanism Honor Society for her excellence in clinical care and compassion. Rebecca is a well rounded and experienced athlete, with her current interests revolving around snowboarding, long distance running, hiking, and kayaking. We are expecting her to give Jerry a run for his money on Mt. Katahdin this year!

Alexandra Evindar, PL-2
Alexandra “Alex” Evindar is no stranger to cold winters! A native of Canada, Alex was born in Montreal, Quebec, and completed her undergraduate work at University of Waterloo in Ontario, Canada.  After graduation Alex moved to Massachusetts to complete a Masters in Biology at UMass Boston.  After obtaining her degree, she headed back north to start work at the University of Toronto in Ontario, Canada.  It was there that Alex worked on multiple clinical and molecular research projects in the areas of cardiac rehabilitation and cerebral glucose uptake, among others! These projects resulted in numerous peer reviewed articles and posters.  Alex then decided to attend medical school at Albany Medical College in Albany, NY.  She impressed the faculty and housestaff here at UMass when she rotated through our NICU as a visiting student, and we are thrilled to have her joining us!  In her free time Alex enjoys running, traveling, and spending time with her husband and two daughters.

Dave Fish, Med/Peds PL-4
Never straying too far from home, Dave was raised near Boston before earning his undergraduate degree at Providence College and then attended UMass Medical School.  Dave plans to enter a combined subspecialty fellowship upon completion of his training. When he’s not following the Red Sox or Patriots, Dave spends his time camping and reading.  He is also looking forward to serving as a Pediatric Chief Resident during the 2010-2011 academic year.

Bryon Gentile, Med/Peds PL-2
A native of Connecticut, Bryon earned his undergraduate degree from Providence College, where he spent part of his time studying the molecular basis of osteosarcoma and Paget's Disease.  Following graduation, Bryon moved to Hershey, PA where he attended medical school at Penn State.  He now returns home to New England and plans to pursue subspeciality training after completing his Med/Peds residency here at UMass.  Outside of work, he enjoys spending time with family and friends, running, skiing, golfing and playing piano.

Jessica Hahn, PL-1
Staying close to Worcester, Jessica is a graduate of UMass. She attended undergraduate training at Georgetown where she performed research in Multiple Sclerosis and coordinated an EMT-B program. While in medical school, she acted as student coordinator of the Epworth Free Clinic. When outside of the hospital, Jessica likes to spend her time hiking, skiing, and baking.

Will Hanna, Med/Peds PL-3
Will has lived most of his life in the heart of appalachia, attending Marshall University as an undergraduate and then the University of Kentucky for medical school. While the love for is hometown of Huntington, WV remains strong, he is very excited to start a new life in the New England area. Will is strongly thinking about a career in primary care after residency, and possibly practicing rural medicine. When not medically involved, Will loves being with family and friends, spending time outdoors, basketball, and reading--especially international literature and religious studies.

Mona Hinrichsen, PGY-4
Raised in the Midwest and then transplanted to Texas, Mona has finally found a place to call home with the Med/Peds residency in Worcester! After graduating with a Biochemistry degree from Trinity in San Antonio, Mona served as a Peace Corps volunteer. She spent two years in Tanzania, East Africa, as a teacher and was also involved in HIV/AIDS workshops.  Mona attended medical school at Texas A&M, where she was extensively involved in health fairs in underserved communities and legislation. After training, Mona envisions combining her skill set with her passion to serve and her interest in global health.

Julie Jaffray, PL-3
Julie grew up in California, and attended California Polytechnic University, receiving a degree in biology. It was an exchange program in Sweden during these years that ignited her passion for travel and inspired her to attend medical school “down under”. She studied medicine at Flinders University in Southern Australia.  In medical school she organized fund raisers for the pedi ED, and developed a program to provide pharmaceutical aid to developing countries. When she is not traveling, she enjoys photography, cooking, and spending time with her husband. While happily settled in Worcester, Julie is looking forward to beginning her Hem/Onc fellowship in NYC next year.

Asavari Kamerkar, PL-2
Vari comes to us from Touro University College of Osteopathic Medicine in Vallejo, California.  But, don’t be fooled by the California thing, Vari is really a local gal.  She was born in Worcester and was raised in Shrewsbury, Massachusetts.  Vari completed her undergraduate work at Brandeis University where she had the opportunity to spend a semester abroad in Brisbane, Australia.  Before attending medical school, she spent a year in New York City working for the prominent national service organization, City Year.  An exercise and fitness enthusiast, Vari’s clinical interests include weight management and obesity prevention among children, and pediatric hematology/oncology although she ultimately envisions a career in Critical Care.  Vari’s additional hobbies include Indian Dance and Yoga.

Carolyn Keiper, PL-2
Carolyn has been a New Englander most of her life, growing up in Attleboro, MA. She spent her college years in South Bend, Indiana at the University of Notre Dame where she earned a Bachelor in Arts.  Prior to her decision to pursue a career in medicine, Carolyn collected a wealth of varied and interesting work experience.  Gaining fluency in Spanish while living in Mexico during a summer in college, Carolyn put her language skills to use in a two year service program where she worked in an orphanage in Santiago, Chile.  After returning to the States, she again used her Spanish skills by working as a teacher’s assistant in a bilingual first grade classroom here in Massachusetts.  Carolyn quickly yearned for another international experience and spent two years in Peru working as a research assistant in the area of pediatric HIV.  Carolyn returned to Massachusetts to attend medical school at the University of Massachusetts where she distinguished herself as an active member of Physicians for Human Rights, and as a researcher in the Departments of Child Protection, and the Injury Free Coalition for Kids.  Carolyn enjoys traveling, hiking, and spending time with her husband Neal and their daughter Georgia.

Laura Lewandowski, PL-3
Laura was born and raised not far from the UMass Memorial campus and she spent her university years cheering for the Crusaders at the College of the Holy Cross. After graduating she worked in research at UMass focusing on localization and transport of SRP RNA. Laura then attended medical school at Pennsylvania State University where she was a member of AOA and a student investigator of maternal PKU. She was also involved in international medical work in Guayaquil, Ecuador. Laura enjoys writing and was the senior editor for Wild Onions journal which is a collection of poetry, art, and prose contributed by the hospital community at Penn State.  She is looking forward to serving as a Pediatric Chief Resident during the 2010-2011 academic year.

Mike Mazzotta, Med/Peds PL-1
Mike grew up in Newton, Massachusetts and attended Middlebury College in Vermont.  At Middlebury, he filled his time studying chemisty and running on the cross country and track teams.  Mike then followed his wife to Missoula, Montana where he worked inj a microbiology lab studying Lyme disease.  Mike returned home for four great years at UMass Medical School and is excited to join the Med/Peds residency program.  He plans to pursue a career in primary care taking care of both children and adults.  Mike loves to spend time with his wife, run, play sorts and explore the outdoors.

Brigid McKenna, Med/Peds PL-4
Although Brigid was born in New York, she will always consider the Worcester area home.  She received her undergraduate degree in Psychology from Georgetown and also worked with autistic children as an Applied Behavioral Analysis therapist.  hile an undergraduate, she studied abroad in Sydney, Australia and wrote her senior thesis on the Stolen Generations of Aboriginal children.  Following graduation, she returned home to attend medical school at UMass. Since she loved her years at UMass, she was delighted to stay here for her Med/Peds residency. She is also excited to stay on at UMass as an adult Cardiology Fellow beginning in July 2010.  Brigid loves traveling and photography, and is, of course, a diehard Red Sox fan.

Kathleen Mitchell, PL-1
After four long years in faraway Vermont, Kate is excited to be coming home for residency at UMass! A native of Worcester, Kate attended the College of the Holy Cross, where she majored in sociology and anthropology and was active in the college choir and Habitat for Humanity. After college Kate spent a year cleaning oil spills and protecting conservation lands as a member of AmeriCorps Cape Cod, and then did clinical research in women's health at Brigham and Women's. During medical school she volunteered at a diabetes camp and helped start an a capella group. She enjoys singing, baking, spending time with her husband Tim, and buzzing in early during the annual Worcester trivia contest at morning conference.

Caitlin Neri, Chief Resident
Caitlin is a New England native, raised in Andover, MA. She attended medical school at Ross University. During medical school, she participated in missionary work that provided medical care to the underserved population of West Indies. While coming from the tropics, she is no stranger to our climate as she did her undergraduate work in nursing at Georgetown University. Caitlin enjoys snowboarding, yoga and spending time with a good book.  She is looking forward to beginning a Hem/Onc fellowship in Washington DC upon the culmination of her Chief Resident year.

Carolyn O’Donnell, PL-3
Carolyn was born in New England and attended University of Massachusetts Amherst where she studied biochemistry and spent much of her time in biology research. She then matriculated at UMass Medical School and became a member of the Golden Key International Honor Society. Carolyn is interested in working with underserved populations and spent the summer after her first year of medical school working with Health Care for the Homeless in Boston.

Erin O'Hara, Med/Peds PL-3
Erin was born and raised in Massachusetts. She attended Assumption College in Worcester where she studied Biology, Chemistry and French. Between college and medical school she studied E. coli transposons and their relationship to genetic pathnogenicity islands as a Fulbright Fellow in Limerick, Ireland. She attended UMass for medical school and was involved in volunteering at and coordinating student volunteers for a local free clinic. During her free time she enjoys watching the Red Sox and Patriots with her fiancé, knitting, and hiking. Upon finishing her Med/Peds training, Erin plans to practice primary care for both adults and children in an underserved community in Massachusetts.

Emily Pollakowski, PL-3
Emily was born and raised in the Boston area. She attended Dartmouth College where she studied biology and spent time abroad in Madrid, Spain and Azores, Portugal. After college, she moved from Hanover, NH to Boston where she worked for the next two years in women’s health and childhood asthma research/clinical education. She attended the UMass Medical School and was a member of the Golden Key Honor Society. She plans on practicing in a primary care setting.

Kelly Reynolds, PL-3
Kelly grew up in New Bedford Massachusetts. She attended Stonehill College for her undergraduate education. During her time at UMass Medical School, Kelly was involved in many volunteer activities. Most notably, she started a tutoring program for immigrant African children as a board member of the Student National Medical Association. She also taught HIV and AIDS education to local students, as well as being involved with our own Injury Free Coalition for Kids. In her free time, Kelly enjoys spending time with her husband Mike and daughter Lauren, watching a good movie, and going out to eat.  Kelly is considering a fellowship in neonatology once her residency is complete.

Laura Sasur, PL-1
Staying in New England, Laura is a graduate of UVM Medical School. After graduating from Mount Holyoke for undergraduate training, Laura went on to do research at MGH in the Pediatric Surgery research lab investigating different cancer treatments. During medical school, she had the opportunity to study abroad in Japan where she encountered some different diagnoses like blowfish toxicity. She also spent some time doing a Pathology Student Fellowship and educating her fellow classmates in the field. When not making pierogis in her free time, Laura likes to spend some time outdoors.

Sabine Schnyder, PL-2
Sabine brings a unique European perspective to our residency.  She was born and raised in Switzerland where she attended medical school at Universitat Berne. Sabine left her native Switzerland to take a research position in the Thyroid Research Lab at Northwestern University.  After her husband was accepted to residency at the University of California, Davis, Sabine relocated to Sacramento.  There, she returned to the lab working as a researcher in the department of Radiation Oncology.  Sabine has a strong interest in pediatric infectious disease.  When not working, Sabine enjoys traveling and playing the saxophone.

Nicole Sheanon, Chief Resident
New to the Northeast, Nicole hails from Ohio.  She stayed close to home when she received undergraduate degrees in Biochemistry and Psychology from the University of Cincinnati. Not yet ready to leave, she then successfully completed her medical school training at the University of Cincinnati. Nicole brings with her many years of experience as a volunteer at a camp for diabetic children. She is planning to pursue subspecialty endocrinology training after residency.  In her free time, she enjoys jogging, boating, reading and spending time with her husband, Jonathan.  Nicole is looking forward to beginning a pediatric endocrinology fellowship in July 2011.

Michael Sylvia, Med/Peds PL-2
Mike, a native New Englander, was raised in Dartmouth, MA and attended Providence College earning his BS in biology.  Throughout college he worked in an ICU and ED developing a fondness for critical care medicine early on.  In addition, he studied in Scotland for 6 months where he perfected his fencing amongst Olympic hopefuls and won several awards.  Immediately after college Mike continued his interest in basic science earning a Master’s from Boston University where he investigated pediatric immunizations and infectious diseases, in particular HIV.  He attended UMass for medical school where he was active in basic science education and curriculum improvement.  Mike is ecstatic to stay at UMass for residency where he hopes to pursue his interests in teaching, science, and critical care.  When not in the hospital he enjoys spending time with family and friends, traveling, photography, and occasional fencing!

Wendy Timpson, PL-2
Wendy was raised on the North Shore in Ipswich, Massachusetts.  She attended Dickinson College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania with a major in Hispanic studies.  Always interested in working with children, Wendy moved back to Massachusetts to complete a Master’s Degree in Early Childhood Education at Boston College.  She then spent several years as a first grade teacher before making the decision to pursue a career in medicine. Medical school brought Wendy to Worcester where she was a standout at UMass, serving as a medical student representative on the Chancellor’s advisory committee.  At UMass, she applied her fluency in Spanish as a participant in a Medical Spanish Interviewing Elective.  She enjoys hiking, skiing, cooking, and spending time with her husband, Jonathan, and two dogs.

Kathleen Townes, Med/Peds PL-2
Katie grew up in Cohasset, Massachusetts and went to college at Harvard Univeristy where she sang in an all-women's choir and played on the Junior Varsity field hockey team.  Before coming to UMass for medical school, she spent time at Dana-Farber in Boston, studying HIV pathogenesis.  Katie enjoys reading, sailing, and watching movies with her husband.  Her career interests include primary care and infectious disease.

Susan Voute, PL-3
Susan was born in Boston and traveled to Ohio for her undergraduate training at John Carroll University.  Besides majoring in biology, she was also a varsity soccer player and coached youth soccer. Sue spent a summer during her college years as a research fellow at Ecuador’s Tropical Disease Institute where she focused on Chagas' disease. Due to her prowess in the classroom and the athletic field she was admitted to the Jesuit National Honor Society and the National Collegiate Athlete Honor Society. (Hopefully she will help the peds department soccer team). After graduation Susan worked at The Cleveland Clinic in research dealing with mitochondrial dysfunction in Multiple Sclerosis. She attended UMass Medical School and is planning a career in primary care pediatrics.

Stephen Weinberger, Med/Peds PL-1
Stephen is a New Yorker, but is excited to make the transition to Massachusetts life.  Raised in Westchester County, NY, he attended SUNY Binghamton and earned a double major in Biology and English.  He was active in Habitat for Humanity during college and captures mosquitoes wihle doing West Nile Virus field research.  Between college and medical school he worked on community outreach programs as an Americorps VISTA member at a health center in Mount Vernon, NY.  Stephen attended medical school at SUNY Upstate in Syracuse where he pursued his interest in international medicine while working at a clinic in the Peruvian Andes and also raised funds and awareness for international medical organizations on the Ride for World Health, a cycling trip across the United States.  He enjoys running, cycling, backpacking, and specning time with his finacee.  He plans to pursue a career in primary care or infectious disease.

Robyn Wing, PL-1
Robyn was born and raised in Fall River, Massachusetts. She attended Providence College as an undergrad before coming to Worcester for medical school where she was active in organizing free clinics, pursuing interests in Adolescent Medicine, and became a member of the AOA. She started making her contributions to the Pediatrics program as a student at UMass Medical School, where she was involved in studies to improve the quality of patient care in Pediatric Intensive Care Unit. Robyn stays busy outside of the hospital participating in various activities such as dance, running, volleyball, photography and reading (preferably on the beach!). 

William Zawatski, PL-1
Bill is a life-long resident of Massachusetts. He graduated from Saint Anselm College, where he majored in biology and minored in Spanish and Latin American studies. In college, he traveled to Costa Rica and Peru to volunteer in both urban and rural areas. His experiences in Latin America inspired him to study public health prior to attending medical school. He received an MPH from Boston University where he focused on environmental health. While studying public health, he again traveled to Costa Rica to study environmental and international law at the University of Costa Rica. As a medical student at UMass, he participated in research in cystic fibrosis and also studied infant mortality in Worcester. He is a member of AOA and received the New England Pediatric Society Award upon graduation from medical school. He was eager to remain at UMass for residency because of the program’s commitment to education and faculty support of medical students and residents.