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Who We Are

Welcome to the UMass Chan Medical School/UMass Memorial Medical Center Clinical Neurophysiology Fellowship program page.

We offer an ACGME-accredited one year fellowship which accepts one fellow per year. Our graduates have been well prepared and successful in both academic and community practice.

Clinical training is based at the UMass Memorial Medical Center, an academic medical center in Worcester, Massachusetts, and the primary teaching hospital of the UMass Chan Medical School. We provide a flexible educational experience centered on the fellow’s interests including the traditional combined EMG/neuromuscular and EEG/epilepsy track or a single-track with EEG/Epilepsy focus or EMG/neuromuscular focus.

Fellows are encouraged to involve themselves academically in the many clinical and basic research opportunities in the Department of Neurology as well as the teaching of medical students and residents. Our department includes many faculty who are involved in research, including world-renowned neuromuscular and ALS specialist Dr. Robert Brown.

Interested applicants should contact our fellowship program coordinator David DeMarzio at David.DeMarzio@umassmed.edu. We look forward to hearing from you and working with you in the future.

Thank you again for your interest in our fellowship program and our department.

Sincerely,

Lan Qin, MD, PhD, FAAN

Professor of Neurology

Program Director, Clinical Neurophysiology Fellowship

Our faculty

Lan Qin, MD, PhD, FAAN, Professor, Neuromuscular Medicine Division
Director, Clinical Neurophysiology Fellowship program
Director, Neurodiagnostics

Academic Profile
Physician Profile

Education:
- fellowship training in clinical neurophysiology at UMass Chan Medical
- residency training in neurology at UMass Chan Medical School
- medical school, at Capital Institute of Medicine, Fengtai, China

Pegah Afra, MD, Professor
Academic Profile
Physician Profile

Education:
- fellowship training in Clinical Neurophysiology and Epilepsy at Johns Hopkins Hospital (Baltimore, MD)
- residency training in neurology at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health (Madison, WI)
- medical school, Albert Szent-Gyorgyi Medical University (University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary), and an Internship in Internal Medicine: SIU School of Medicine (Springfield, IL)

Isabelita Bella, MD, Associate Professor
Academic Profile
Physician Profile

Education:
- fellowship training at UMass Chan Medical School
- residency training at University Hospitals of Cleveland, Case Western Reserve University
- medical school, the University of Pittsburgh, School of Medicine

Shivkumar Bhadola, MD, neuromuscular medicine division

Shivkumar Bhadola, MD, Assistant Professor, Neuromuscular Medicine Division

Academic Profile
Physician Profile

Education:
- fellowship training in neuromuscular medicine at Mount Sinai Hospital, NY
- residency training in neurology at Boston Medical Center
- medical school, at UMass Chan Medical School

Felicia Chu, MD, Assistant Professor
Director of Epilepsy Division
Academic Profile
Physician Profile

Education:
- fellowship training at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
- residency training in neurology at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
- medical school, Brown University, Warren Alpert Medical School

Kate Daniello, MD, Associate Professor
Program Director, Neurology Residency Program
Academic Profile
Physician Profile

Education:
- fellowship training, at Massachusetts General Hospital/Brigham and Women Hospitals, Harvard Medical School
- residency training, at Boston Medical Center, Boston University
- medical school, Boston University, School of Medicine

Eleonora D'Ambrosio, MD, neuromuscular medicine division, assistant professor

Eleonora D'Ambrosio, MD, Assistant Professor, Neuromuscular Medicine Division

Academic Profile
Physician Profile

Education:
- fellowship training in neuromuscular medicine at Massachusetts General, Brigham and Women's Hospital (Boston, MA); Nationwide Children's Hospital (Columbus, OH)
- residency training in neurology at UMass Chan Medical School
- medical school, at the University of Rome (Rome, Italy)

Natalie Erlich-Malona, MD, neurology, assistant professor

Natalie Erlich Malona, MD, Assistant Professor, Neuromuscular Medicine Division

Academic Profile
Physician Profile

Education:
- fellowship training in neurology at Brown University, Rhode Island Hospital
- residency training in neurology at Brown University, Rhode Island Hospital
- medical school, at Tufts University, School of Medicine (Boston, MA)

Lawrence Hayward, MD, PhD, Professor
Director of Neuromuscular Division
Academic Profile
Physician Profile

Education:
- fellowship training in Muscular Dystrophy at Massachusetts General Hospital and
- fellowship training in Neuromuscular research at Howard Hughes Medical Institute
- residency training in neurology at Massachusetts General Hospital
- medical school, at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, TX

Margaret Owegi, DO, Assistant Professor
Academic Profile
Physician Profile

Education:
- fellowship training in neuromuscular disease at John Hopkins Hospital
- residency training in neurology at John Hopkins Hospital
- medical school, Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences.

Lead Technologist

Nancy Bellantoni

For more information, contact:
David DeMarzio
Fellowship Coordinator
David.DeMarzio@umassmed.edu
Telephone: 508-334.8173

Fellows and Alumni

Clinical Neurophysiologist Fellows graduating from UMass Chan We are very proud of our graduates. Clinical Neurophysiologists are in high demand and our graduates have been successful in their subsequent careers in both academic medicine and private practice. We currently have a 100% board pass rate.

July 2024 - June 2025
Hande Can, MD, was our graduating fellow in June 2025. Can, MD, went on to practice medicine at the Reliant Medical Group in Worcester, MA. Dr. Can received her medical degree from Gazi University School of Medicine, and completed her residency program in neurology at UMass Chan Medical School, in Worcester, MA.

July 2023 - June 2024
Zakir Shaikh, MBBS, was our graduating fellow in June 2025. Shaikh, MBBS, practices neurology at Middlesex Health Neurology affiliated with the Mayo Clinic. Dr. Shaikh received his medical degree at Surat Municipal Institute of Medical Education and Research and completed his neurology residency and clinical neurophysiology fellowship program at UMass Chan Medical School in Worcester, MA.

July 2021 - June 2022
Muhammad Zak Alam, MD, was our graduating fellow in June 2022. Alam, MD, went on to practice medicine at Redington-Fairview General Hospital, Skowhegan, Maine. Dr. Alam received his medical degree from Aga Khan University Medical School and completed his neurology residency and clinical neurophysiology fellowship program at UMass Chan Medical School in Worcester, MA.

July 2020 - June 2021
Justin Donaghy, MD, was our graduating fellow in June 2021. Dr. Donaghy practices at the Community Neuroscience Service affiliated with St. Vincent's Hospital. Dr. Donaghy received his medical degree from UMass Chan Medical School and completed his neurology residency and clinical neurophysiology fellowship program at UMass Chan Medical School in Worcester, MA.

July 2019 - June 2020
Andrew Slater, DO, was our graduating fellow in June 2020. Slater, DO, practices neurology at Dartmouth Health in Bedford and Nashua, NH. Dr. Slater received his medical degree from Liberty University and completed his neurology residency from Penn State Health, St. Joseph's Medical Center, and clinical neurophysiology fellowship program at UMass Chan Medical School in Worcester, MA.

July 2017 - June 2018
Nazish Riaz, MD, was our graduating fellow in June 2018. Riaz, MD, is a neurologist at St. Luke's Hospital in Chesterfield, MO. Dr. Riaz received her medical degree from Khyber Medical College and completed her internal medicine residency program from Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and Mount Sinai Hospital, a neurology residency program from UMass Chan Medical School, and a neuromuscular medicine fellowship from Washington University/B-JH/SLCH Consortium, and a clinical neurophysiology fellowship program from UMass Chan Medical School in Worcester, MA.

July 2016 - June 2017
Jatinder Patti, MD, was our graduating fellow in June 2017. Patti, MD, went on to practice medicine at the University of Michigan. He is now affiliated with Blanchard Valley Health System in Findlay, OH. Dr. Patti received his medical degree from Punjabi University Guru Gobind Singh Medical College of Medicine and a neurology residency and clinical neurophysiology fellowship program at UMass Chan Medical School in Worcester, MA.

July 2015 - June 2016
Breta Boots, MD, was our graduating fellow in June 2016. Boots, MD, is practicing medicine at Columbia University Irving Medical Center. Dr. Boots received her medical degree in osteopathic medicine from Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine, followed by internal medicine at Lakneau Medical Center in Pennsylvania and a neurology residency and clinical neurophysiology fellowship program at the University of Massachusetts Medical School in Worcester, MA.

July 2014 - June 2015
Kit Mui, MD, was our graduating fellow in June 2015. Mui, MD, went on to practice medicine at Newton Wellesley Hospital in Newton, Massachusetts. Dr. Mui received his medical degree from Boston University School of Medicine. He completed the neurology residency program at Tufts New England Medical Center and the clinical neurophysiology fellowship program at the University of Massachusetts Medical School in Worcester, MA..

July 2013 - June 2014
Nambiuur Vidyashanker, MD, was our graduating fellow in June 2014. Vidyashanker, MD, continued to practice medicine in Massachusetts. Dr. Vidyashanker completed his neurology residency program at the University of Pittsburg Medical Center and the clinical neurophysiology fellowship program at the University of Massachusetts Medical School in Worcester, MA.

July 2012 - June 2013
David Cachia, MD, was our graduating fellow in June 2013. Cachia, MD, joined the UMass Neuro-Oncology department following the program completion.

July 2011 - June 2012
Jonathan Tisdell, MD, was our graduating fellow in June 2012. Tisdell, MD, continued to practice medicine in Massachusetts following the program completion.

July 2010 - June 2011
Jing Ji, MD, was our graduating fellow in June 2011. Ji, MD, practiced at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Hospital in New Hampshire following the program completion.

July 2009 - June 2010
Jeremy Gill, MD, was our graduating fellow in June 2010. Gill, MD, practices at TidalHealth, affiliated with Atlantic General Hospital in Berlin, MD. Dr. Gill received his medical degree from the University of Maryland School of Medicine, and a neurology residency and clinical neurophysiology fellowship program from the University of Massachusetts Medical School.

July 2008 - June 2009
Jane Louie, MD, was our graduating fellow in June 2009. Louie, MD, was from Tufts MC Neurology in Massachusetts following the program completion.

July 2007 - June 2008
George Gonzalez, MD, was our graduating fellow in June 2008. Gonzalez, MD continued in Private Practice in Florida following the program completion.

Igor Porotov, MD, was our graduating fellow in June 2008.Porotov, MD practices neurology at Jefferson Health home of Sidney Nimmel Medical College. Dr. Porotov received his medical degree from St. Petersburg State Pediatric Medical Academy, Russi, and an internship and residency program at Jersey Shore University Medical Center, and a neurology residency and clinical neurophysiology fellowship program at University of Massachusetts Medical School.

July 2005 - June 2006
Robin Schwartz, MD, of IHA Neurology Consultants, was our graduating fellow in June 2006. Schwartz, MD, practices neurology and internal medicine at Gifford Medical Center in Randolph, VT. Dr. Schwartz completed her medical degree from the University of Arizona College of Medicine and neurology residency and clinical neurophysiology fellowship program at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, in Worcester, MA.

Jaymes Venema, MD, was our graduating fellow in June 2006. Venema, MD, is a neurologist at Pacific Medical Centers Specialty Care in Bothell, WA. Dr. Venema received his medical degree from Hahnemann, Drexel University College of Medicine, and a neurology residency and clinical neurophysiology fellowship program from the University of Massachusetts Medical School in Worcester, MA.

July 2004 - June 2005
Lan Qin, MD, was our graduating fellow in June 2005. She is the current Director of the UMass Chan Clinical Neurophysiology fellowship program and a member of the Neuromuscular Division. Dr. Qin received her medical degree from Capital Institute of Medicine, Fengtai, China, and a neurology residency and clinical neurophysiology fellowship program at the University of Massachusetts Medical School in Worcester, MA.