PGY-5 Chief Residents
Yi Cai, MD
Hometown: Louisville, KY
Undergrad: Harvard University, Cambridge, MA
Medical School: Columbia University, New York, NY
Outside Interests: Concerts and performances, culinary adventures, maximizing outdoor time, keeping my plants alive
Research Interests: Systems improvement, sinus and sleep surgery, precision medicine in head and neck cancer
Nicole Jiam, MD
Hometown: Phoenix, AZ
Undergrad: Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD
Medical School: Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD
Outside Interests: Listening to music, watching sports, exploring restaurants, traveling, rock climbing, working out
Research Interests: Cochlear implants, complex sound processing, music perception, image-guided surgical approaches and outcomes
Elizabeth Shuman, MD
Hometown: Murrieta, CA
Undergrad: Bob Cole Conservatory of Music at California State University, Long Beach
Medical School: University of California, San Francisco
Outside Interests: Singing, opera, live music, travel, video games, exploring Bay Area restaurants and coffee shops
Research Interests: Care of the professional voice, head and neck oncology, medical and surgical education
Katherine Wai, MD
Hometown: Carlsbad, CA
Undergrad: University of California, Berkeley
Medical School: University of California, San Francisco
Outside Interests: Hiking, running, baking, traveling, arts and crafts, watching stand-up comedy
Research Interests: Undecided
PGY-4 Residents
Kara Brodie, MD, MPhil
Hometown: Davis, CA
Undergrad: University of California -Berkeley
Medical School: University of California -Davis
Outside Interests: Skiing, hiking, board games
Research Interests: Pediatric otolaryngology, Pediatric hearing loss, Global health.
Abel P. David, MD
Hometown: Centreville, VA
Undergrad: Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA
Medical School: University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA
Outside Interests: Golf, Hiking, Craft Beer
Research Interests: Undecided
Gaelen Stanford-Moore, MD, MPhil
Hometown: South Pasadena, CA
Undergrad: UC Berkeley
Medical School: University of California, San Francisco
Outside Interests: soccer, hiking, snowboarding, art, heart-breaking Cal football
Research Interests: Health disparities, head and neck cancer, Global surgery
PGY-3 Residents
Tania Benjamin, MD
Hometown: Los Angeles, CA
Undergrad: California State University Northridge
Medical School: UCSF School of Medicine
Outside Interests: Traveling, cooking, dancing, music, scrapbooking, movies
Research Interests: systems improvement, surgical devices, facial reconstruction, head and neck cancer, surgical outcomes
Jacqueline Harris, MD
Hometown: Kennesaw, GA
Undergrad: Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA
Medical School: Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN
Outside Interests: Social dancing (kizomba!, salsa, bachata), hiking, rock climbing, yoga, board games, travel
Research Interests: global health, pediatric otolaryngology, health disparities
Neil N. Patel, MD, MSc
Hometown: Niles, Ohio
Undergrad: University of Pennsylvania (Wharton School & College of Arts and Sciences)
Medical School: Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania
Outside Interests: International travel, ceramics (pottery wheel-throwing), hiking, photography
Research Interests: Immune regulation of airway mucosa, tumor biology, medical innovation, and medical devices
Karolina Plonowska-Hirschfeld, MD
Hometown: Warsaw, Poland
Undergrad: Cornell University
Medical School: University of California, San Francisco
Outside Interests: photography, travel, hiking, yoga and spinning, parenting a Samoyed
Research Interests: quality of life outcomes in head and neck cancer treatment, sialendoscopy
Sifon Ndon, MD
Hometown: San Jose, CA
Undergrad: Harvard University
Medical School: Yale School of Medicine
Outside Interests: Hiking, Volleyball, Baking (especially if it involves chocolate), Board Games
Research Interests: Health policy, surgical outcomes
PGY-2 Residents
Jacquelyn K Callander, MD
Hometown: Toms River, New Jersey
Undergrad: University of Pennsylvania
Medical School: University of California San Francisco
Outside Interests: Running, hiking & backpacking, baking, skiing, podcast-listening
Research Interests: Medical and surgical education, head and neck oncology, surgical outcomes research & quality improvement
Shayan Fakurnejad, MD
Hometown: Moraga, CA
Undergrad: University of California, Berkeley
Medical School: Stanford University School of Medicine
Outside Interests: Music, cooking, soccer, Bay Area sports
Research Interests: Image guided surgery, head and neck cancer, medical devices
Danielle Gillard, MD, MAS
Hometown: San Diego, CA
Undergrad: Tufts University
Medical School: University of California San Diego
Outside Interests: Yoga, hiking, dogs, dancing, trivia
Research Interests: Cost-effectiveness research, genetics of hearing loss
Michael Lindeborg, MD
Hometown: San Clemente, CA
Undergrad: Harvard University
Medical School: Harvard Medical School
Outside Interests: Traveling, snowboarding, batch cooking, and following famous YouTube chefs.
Research interests: global health, health disparities, craniofacial, oncology
Spenser S. Souza, MD
Hometown: Castaic, CA
Undergrad: Cornell University
Medical School: Tulane University School of Medicine
Outside Interests: Snowboarding, Hiking, Golfing, Mindfulness and Mindful Meditation, Surfing, Reading, Cooking, and all Gustatory Pursuits
Research Interests: Racial and Socioeconomic Disparities in Healthcare, Surgical Outcomes Research
PGY-1 Residents
Alyssa Civantos
Hometown: University of Pennsylvania
Undergrad: Harvard University, Cambridge, MA
Medical School: Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania
Outside Interests: travel, yoga, movies/tv, baking and eating dessert, spending time with family and friends
Edgar Ochoa
Hometown: Sacramento, CA
Undergrad: University of California, Davis
Medical School: University of California, San Francisco
Outside Interests: Live music, listening to podcasts, traveling, documentaries, golfing, spending time with friends and family
Research Interests: Head and neck oncology, health services research, quality of life outcomes
Evan Patel, MD
Hometown: Longmeadow, MA
Undergrad: Yale University
Medical School: Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine
Outside Interests: Snowboarding, basketball, watching stand-up comedy, exploring the outdoors
Research Interests: Tumor immunology, cochlear implants, facial reconstruction, medical devices
Ana Marija Sola, MD
Hometown: Saratoga, CA
Undergrad: University of California, Davis
Medical School: University of California, San Francisco
Outside Interests: All things soccer, reading, gardening, watching Food Network
Research Interests: Pediatric hearing loss, automated speech processing, head and neck cancer outcomes, quality of life
Taylor Standiford, MD
Hometown: Ann Arbor, MI
Undergrad: Cornell University
Medical School: University of Michigan Medical School
Outside Interests: Running, biking, skiing, Peloton, international travel, podcast-listening
Research Interests: Health services research, surgical outcomes, improving the continuum between undergraduate and graduate medical education