While the pandemic made this year particularly challenging for fellowship recruitment efforts and interviews, a series of videos showing each program’s strengths was a creative solution, introducing viewers to faculty and current fellows, with a brief glimpse into what it might be like to join the program. And although it was impossible to replicate the experience of visiting in-person, the UNC Department of Medicine came as close as possible by meeting candidates through video interviews. In the end, program directors are very pleased to recognize the following new fellows who recently matched to subspecialty training programs. They will start July 1, 2021.
Division of Cardiology
Lisa Rose-Jones, MD, Director of Fellow Training Program in Cardiovascular Medicine: “I am very excited for an extremely successful match this year having been able to recruit from all over despite the shift to the nontraditional virtual interview experience. We look forward to welcoming a very successful and awesome group of cardiology fellows in July, 2021!”
Adult Cardiology
Crystal Azu, MDResidency: Indiana University
Kapil Bhatia, MD
Residency: Morehouse School of Medicine
Andrew De La Paz, MDResidency: UNC-CH
Siri Kadire, MD
Residency: Indiana University
Brian Kelley, MDResidency: UNC-CH
Olusola Laja, MDResidency: University of Virginia
Bo Nebolisa, MD
Residency: Tulane University
Mason Sanders, MD
Residency: UNC-CH
Jiandong Zhang, MD
Residency: Vidant Medical Center
Division of Endocrinology & Metabolism
Eduardo Lopez, MD
Residency: Baylor University
Jalal El-Akawi, MD
Residency: Georgetown University
Karthik Subbu, MD
Residency: Indiana University – Indianapolis
Division of Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Millie D. Long, MD, MPH, Director, Gastroenterology and Hepatology Fellowship Program: “We had an outstanding recruitment year for the gastroenterology and hepatology fellowship program. The move to 100% virtual was a challenge, but our faculty really worked together to be able to communicate as much of the culture of our program as possible. We are thrilled to have a diverse class that will be an asset to the department of medicine at UNC!”
Sydney Greenberg, MD
Chief Resident: UNC-Chapel Hill
Josh Hudson, MD
Chief Resident: UNC-Chapel Hill
Luke Baldelli, MD
Residency: UNC-Chapel Hill
Ryan Balko, MD
Chief Resident: Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN
Walker Redd, MDResidency: Brigham and Women’s
Christina Gainey, MD
Residency: University of Southern California
Kim Darlington, MD, PhD
Residency: Duke
Vivian Lee, MD
Residency: Case Western Reserve
Division of Geriatric Medicine
Geriatric Medicine
Maureen Dale, Director, Geriatric Medicine Training Program: “A virtual interview season was a challenge for all of us in an already challenging year, but I think ultimately allowed us to interview a more diverse applicant pool from all over the country, and I think it will be a part of our process in years to come.”
Brianna Harder, MD
Residency: UNC-Chapel Hill
Max Hockenbury, MD
Residency: UNC-Chapel Hill
“We were able to have fellows meet with other faculty outside of the division actually more easily by Zoom than in person—less schlepping across campus—more interactive time. We were thus able to recruit someone with a PhD in nanotechnology—who will likely work with a faculty in Radiation Oncology with a nanotechnology lab. “All in all—this was a surprisingly wonderful recruitment season—filled with anxiety and the unknown—but due to resilience and flexibility and effort and enthusiasm—we did well in the match and are looking to train another class of amazing fellows.” Residency: NYU Residency:Loyola Medicine MacNeal Hospital Residency: Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center 
Tiffany Long, MD
Residency: UNC-Chapel Hill
Sarah Stoneking, MD
Residency: Cambridge Health AllianceHospice and Palliative Medicine
Gary Winzelberg, MD, MPH, Director, Hospice and Palliative Medicine Fellowship Program: “Our program is excited to welcome another group of outstanding fellows from multiple specialties.”
Elizabeth Figgatt, MD
Residency: Tulane University
Daniel Markwalter, MD
Emergency Medicine Residency: UNC-Chapel Hill
Regina McPherson, MD
Medicine/Pediatrics Residency: University of South Alabama
Mary Jeanette Steele, MD
Pediatrics Residency: Indiana University
Division of Hematology/Oncology
Alice Ma, MD, Director, Hematology and Oncology Fellowship Program: “I need to commend our current fellows who really took on the challenge of showing residents who may not have had any connection to the Triangle—what it would be like to live and work here—They did this using a variety of ways –they hosted Zoom dinners and Instagram Live events. They reached out to applicants, and the applicants thought we did the very best job in conveying the “feel” and “culture” of the program of any other hem/onc fellowship. Due to this, we recruited 4 trainees who have never been in NC let alone the Triangle. This is a stupendous achievement. Our faculty, Terri King, our amazing fellowship coordinator, our admin staff and IT support from the DOM also stepped up to make the Zoom interview process seamless.
Callie Berkowitz, MD
Residency: Duke
Dillon Craig Cockrell, MD
Residency: UNC-Chapel Hill
Luke Eastburg, MD
Residency: Rochester Med/Peds
Jorge Florindez, MD
Residency: Bridgeport, CT 
Andrew Gdowski, MD
Residency: Texas Dell
Michael Lorentsen, MD
Residency: UNC-CH
Jose Martinez, MD
Residency: UNC-Chapel Hill
Mofiyinfoluwa Obadina, MD
Residency: Rochester Med/Peds
Division of Infectious Diseases
Michelle Floris-Moore, MD, MS, Director, Infectious Diseases Training Program: “We’re very pleased with our Match Results for the Division of Infectious Diseases this year and are happy to have matched such a talented group of incoming ID Fellows. The Department of Medicine and UNC GME community provided outstanding support that made successful recruitment possible during this rather challenging year.”
Thomas Holowka, MD
Residency: Yale 
Diana Zychowski, MD
Residency: Univ. of Minnesota
Natalie Mackow, MD
Residency: Yale
Eleanor Saunders, MD
Division of Nephrology & Hypertension
Koyal Jain, MD, Director, Nephrology and Hypertension Training Program: “I am so proud to introduce our new batch of nephrology fellows for 2021. It is an honor to have such an amazing group of people join our team. I have no doubt each of them will enrich our fellowship, bring new ideas, and improve the fellowship experience. We are so excited and cannot wait to work with them in the future.”
Sameed Lodhi, MD
Residency: Carle Foundation Hospital/University of Illinois Urbana – Champaign
Joseph Ruberwa, MD
Residency: Newark Beth Israel Medical Center 
Tyler Thorne, MD
Residency: Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center
Maria Zabala Ramirez, MD
Yi Zhang, MD
Division of Pulmonary Diseases & Critical Care Medicine
Pulmonary Diseases and Critical Care Medicine
Aaron Lerner, MD
Residency: UNC-CH 
Divyesh Mehta, MD
Residency: Ohio State University 
Tai “Mary” Wang, MD
Residency: Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX
Ryan Threadgill, MD
Residency: Oregon Health & Sciences
Danielle Witt, MD
Residency: University of AlabamaInterventional Pulmonary Medicine
Gregory Grandino, MD
Chief Fellow: University of Southern California
Division of Rheumatology, Allergy & Immunology
Rheumatology
Louis Palomino, MD
Residency: University of Alabama at Birmingham
Allenzara Astia, MD
Residency: University of Pennsylvania
Michael Cunningham, MD
Residency: UNC-Chapel HillAllergy & Immunology
Edwin Kim, MD, “COVID-19 has tried to separate us, but a dedication to maintaining the fellowship has been the glue that has held us together. This year’s allergy recruitment season and match has showcased this as a culmination of the unified efforts of amazing staff, fellows and faculty. We could not be happier with the results and we are excited to welcome Jess and Alex to our allergy family!”
Alexander Gilmore, MD
Residency: Atrium Health/Levine Children’s Hospital 
Jessica Macdougall, MD
Residency: UNC-Chapel Hill