Current Residents

Sally Boyd, MD

General Surgery Residency Program

Medical School: Eastern Virginia Medical School
Undergraduate: James Madison University
Hometown: Salem, Virginia
Post Graduation Position: Vascular Surgery Fellowship, Emory University
In my free time, I enjoy spending time with my husband and our dog, Bailey. I also enjoy reading, hiking, and exploring Richmond. 
Chief Resident in Quality and Safety through the Hunter Holmes McGuire VA.

Christine Dart, MD

General Surgery Residency Program

Medical School: University of Pennsylvania
Post Graduation Position: Surgical Critical Care Fellowship, Ohio State University

Lucas Keller-Biehl, MD

General Surgery Residency Program

Medical School: Wright State University Boonshoft School of Medicine
Undergraduate: The Ohio State University
Hometown: Loveland, OH
Post Graduation Position:
Minimally Invasive Surgery Fellowship, Cleveland Clinic

Research resident working at the VA with Dr. Amendola. I enjoying spending time with my wife and son, my fellow residents, playing sports, exercising, visiting the various breweries and restaurants around Richmond, and reading.

Clinical Interest: I want to go into bariatrics

Julie Kilpatrick, MD

General Surgery Residency Program

Medical School: University of Utah School of Medicine
Undergraduate: Westminster College, Boston University
Hometown: Miami, FL
Post Graduation Position: Private Practice, St. Francis Medical Center

I try to spend most of my free time outdoors, whether running, biking, hiking, fishing, tubing the James River or even mowing the lawn. I also enjoy baking, but mostly because I enjoy eating.

Alexander Simmonds, MD

General Surgery Residency Program

Medical School: Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine
Undergraduate: Greenville University, IL
Hometown: Greenville, IL
Post Graduation Position: Surgical Critical Care Fellowship, LA County / University of Southern California

My favorite activities include playing the guitar, riding my motorcycle, and cooking.

Research Interest: I'm currently interested in trauma and acute care general surgery

Matt Wishnoff, MD

General Surgery Residency Program

Medical School: Virginia Commonwealth University
Hometown: Chicago, IL
Post Graduation Position: Surgical Critical Care Fellowship, VCU Health

I enjoy spending my free time outdoors mountain biking, skiing, or even just wandering and exploring the neighborhoods around me. My favorite places in Richmond are the Pipeline and North Bank trails, and the restaurants in Church Hill.

M. Aurora Casillas Abundis, MD

General Surgery Residency Program

Medical School: Tecnológico de Monterrey Escuela de Medicina

Devon Freudenberger, MD

General Surgery Residency Program

Medical School: Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine, MI
Undergraduate: University of Maryland College Park
Hometown: Elkton, MD
Outside the hospital you can find me spending my time with my husband, a new baby boy, playing with my 3 cats and 2 dogs, running my dog's Instagram account (@berkley.belle.theshelties), crocheting, or at my parents' farm.
Research Interests: Surgical oncology, intra-abdominal malignancies, surgical education, women in surgery

Email: Devon.Freudenberger@vcuhealth.org

McKenzie Lee, MD

General Surgery Residency Program

Medical School: Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine
Undergraduate: University of Oklahoma
Hometown: Newark, CA

Passionate about working towards global health equity; currently completing my Msc Public Health for Development at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine
Extracurricular interests include water polo, techno, mixing music, studying French, learning about climate change, and continuously pushing myself outside of my comfort zone.
My goal is to do trauma/global surgery

Email: McKenzie.Lee@vcuhealth.org

Diana Otoya, MD

General Surgery Residency Program

Medical School: Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine
Undergraduate: College of William and Mary
Hometown: Winchester, Virginia

About me: Proud immigrant from Peru. I enjoy spending time with my boyfriend, dog, family, and co-workers. I love my plants, traveling, food, live music, making memes, horror movies, Halloween, and hiking.
Favorite things to do in RIchmond: floating the James river and going to breweries.
Research Interests: vascular surgery, surgical education, diversity, and inclusivity, 3D Printing and simulation.

Email: Diana.Otoya@vcuhealth.org

Travis Sullivan, MD

General Surgery Residency Program

Medical School: University of Tennessee Health Science Center College of Medicine
Undergraduate: University of Tennessee
Hometown: Knoxville, TN

I grew up and lived in Tennesssee prior to moving to Richmond, VA. Outside of work, I enjoy watching the Tennessee Volunteers, hiking, cooking, continuously improving my house/yard and will soon be a father! I have wanted to be a surgeon since my high school years and general surgery encompasses a variety of pathology that allows me to be hands on while caring for our patients. I am planning to pursue fellowship training upon completion of residency.

Research Interests: Pediatric Critical Care, Neuroinflammation

Natalie Wall, MD

General Surgery Residency Program

Medical School: University of Utah
Undergraduate: Arizona State University
Hometown: Scottsdale, AZ

Mohamad Chehab, MD

General Surgery Residency Program

Hometown: Beirut, Lebanon
Medical School: American University in Beirut
Undergrad: Lebanese American University
Short Bio: born and raised in Lebanon, moved to the USA after medical school for my surgical training; enjoy the intricacies of surgery involving critical thinking, technical skills, and effective communication; interested in the multidisciplinary approach to the management of patients with cancer; avid football fan (read: soccer); you'll find me driving across country roads on my days off
Favorite things about RVA: diverse cuisine; close proximity to the beach, mountains, and DC; not too hot and not too cold
Favorite thing about VCU Residency: high volume across specialties with a variety of training settings including academic, community, and the VA

Bhavishya Ramamoorthy, MD

General Surgery Residency Program

Medical School: University of Virginia School of Medicine
Undergraduate: University of Virginia
Hometown: Charleston, SC

In my spare time, I enjoy baking, eating, playing piano, and rewatching Disney and Pixar movies with my little sister.

Zachary Rollins, MD

General Surgery Residency Program

Hometown: Bloomfield, MI
Medical School: Oakland University William Beaumont
Undergrad: University of Minnesota
Short Bio: I choose surgery for the opportunity to be both a clinician and to help fix problems through operative techniques. My long term interest is to be an academic transplant surgeon but I also have an interest in critical care and global surgery. In my free time I enjoy spending time traveling, hiking, running, and trying new foods.
Favorite thing about Richmond: Exploring belle isle
Favorite thing about VCU: I wanted to work at a urban safety net hospital with great trauma and transplant exposure. My favorite part about VCU is the people and the opportunity to learn to operate

Dan Scheese, MD

General Surgery Residency Program

Medical School: Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine
Undergraduate: Virginia Tech
Hometown: Reading, PA
About me: I am spending my research years in a necrotizing enterocolitis lab at Johns Hopkins University and pursuing a fellowship in Pediatric Surgery. I am an outdoor enthusiast and spend my free time hiking, camping, skiing, and backpacking.
Favorite thing about VCU residency: The quality of the attendings in every specialty we rotate through and the case volume.
Favorite thing about Richmond: The proximity of Richmond to Shenandoah National Park allows you to live in a city with an easy escape into the wilderness!
Research interest: Necrotizing Enterocolitis

Email: Daniel.Scheese@vcuhealth.org

Vignesh Vudatha, MD

General Surgery Residency Program

Medical School: University of Central Florida College of Medicine
Undergraduate: Duke University
Hometown: Jacksonville, FL

Vignesh describes surgery as a field that is constantly evolving which provides the desired opportunity to interpret and explore new information. He states that problem-solving and participating in the OR offers the greatest satisfaction. In his spare time, Vignesh likes hiking, piano.

Kyeong Ri (Katherine) Yu, MD

General Surgery Residency Program

Medical School: Virginia Commonwealth University
Undergraduate: Boston College
Hometown: Ranchos Palos Verdes, CA

After spending a wonderful four years in Richmond as a medical student, I decided to spend many more to pursue general surgery, for which VCU Health provides both breadth and depth of experience! Outside of the hospital I'm often found in various restaurants Richmond has to offer.

Lud Eyasu, MD

General Surgery Residency Program

Medical School: Larner College of Medicine at the University of Vermont
Undergrad: Emory University
Short Bio: I like to spend time with my family and friends! I am also a big fan of podcasts and live music. 
Favorite thing about Richmond: My favorite thing about Richmond so far is the new friends that I have made.

Franklin Gergoudis, MD

General Surgery Residency Program

Medical School: Virginia Commonwealth University

Anna Gibson, MD

General Surgery Residency Program

Medical School: Virginia Commonwealth University

Makenna Laffey, MD

General Surgery Residency Program

Hometown: Pittsburgh, PA
Medical School: University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
Undergrad: Georgia Institute of Technology
Favorite things about Richmond: King's Dominion is pretty cool if you like roller coasters. I also love the Capitol Trail
Favorite thing about VCU residency? The attendings and my co-residents are absolutely amazing.
Research/Specialty interest? Pediatric surgery

Short Bio: I enjoy running and swimming, when there's time. I also like drawing and painting when I can. Surgery was always my plan because I like working with my hands and working with a team.

Devin Shah, MD

General Surgery Residency Program

Medical School: University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center

Deki Tsering, MD

General Surgery Residency Program

Hometown: Falls Church, VA
Medical School: Virginia Commonwealth University
Undergrad: Georgetown University
Short Bio: My hobbies are cooking and yoga.
Favorite thing about Richmond: My favorite things about Richmond are the countless outdoor activities and Francine (the Broad Street Lowes Cat).
Favorite thing about residency at VCU? The wonderful faculty, co-residents, and staff.

Sonora Windermere, MD

Surgery

Hometown: Peoria, Arizona
Medical School: University of Florida
Undergrad: Duke University

Short Bio: I enjoy playing with my dog, Jabberwocky, eating my weight in waffles, and hitting at the batting cages.

Antonio Dominguez, MD

Surgery

Adam Finkelstein, MD

Surgery

Hometown: Wellesley, MA
Medical School: Penn State College of Medicine
Undergrad: Lafayette College

Short Bio:I appreciate the hands on nature of surgery and the close bonds that surgeons form with their patients. My career interest is colorectal surgery with a focus on IBD. Outside of the hospital I love playing basketball/baseball, exploring the area, reading, and cooking.

Nathaniel Faber, MD

Surgery

Hometown: Virginia Beach, VA
Medical School: Eastern Virginia Medical School
Undergrad: Washington and Lee University
Short Bio: I play recreational sports, exercise often, and enjoy visiting Virginia Beach. I don't yet know what specialty I will pursue, but look forward to finding my surgical niche during residency.

Favorite thing to do in Richmond: Run the trails around Belle Isle.
Favorite thing about VCU residency? VCU has a unique combination of high-volume clinical training and research opportunities.

Aalap Herur-Raman, MD

Surgery

Hometown: Melbourne, Australia/Chicago, IL
Medical School: George Washington University
Undergrad: Northwestern University

Short Bio: I was born in Australia but spent my teens and twenties in Chicago. After graduating as a biomedical engineer I worked for a startup using virtual reality for surgical planning in Washington DC before starting medical school. In my free time I enjoy cooking, Bollywood dancing, and practicing Capoeira (a Brazilian martial art). I was drawn to surgery due to the hands-on and high-acuity nature of the field, as well as its utilization of cutting-edge medical technology.

Emily Krueger, MD

Surgery

Hometown: Middleton, Wisconsin
Medical School: Medical College of Wisconsin
Undergrad: University of Wisconsin

Short Bio: I chose general surgery because I love the variety of disease and pathophysiology you get to see throughout the abdomen, and because you can intervene on a patient with an operation and they can leave your care feeling better relatively quickly. In my free time I enjoy running with my dog, sampling local breweries, bingeing reality television, and reading at cute coffee shops.

Hisham Qadri, MD

Surgery

Hometown: Johns Creek, GA
Medical School: Wake Forest University School of Medicine
Undergrad: Wofford College

Short Bio: I love spending time with those closest to me. I chose surgery for the opportunity to help patients using a variety of different interventions, including our hands. I’m interested in academic surgery. I enjoy being around other learners.

Tiffany Ho, MD

Surgery

Kaivon Kouhestani, DO

Surgery

Hometown: Virginia Beach, VA
Medical School: Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine - Virginia Campus
Undergrad: University of Virginia

Short Bio: Surgery is a uniquely delicate balance between control and fluidity with the goal to solve human complexities using a blend of intra-operative skills and thorough understanding of anatomy and physiology. I grew up in Virginia my whole life, so I am very excited to continue to spend more time at a familiar location and be close to friends/family. Fun fact, my last name in the Persian language means "from the mountain."

Stephan Lazar, MD

Surgery

Hometown: Smithfield, VA
Medical School: VCU
Undergrad: Old Dominion University

Short Bio: I’ve lived in Virginia my whole life. Love to make music, mountain bike, snowboard, and most things outside. Surgery prelim to prepare me for my future in Interventional Radiology.

Sonia Lele, MD

Surgery

Anthony Ranasinghe, MD

Surgery

Hometown: Manassas, VA
Medical School: Virginia Commonwealth University SOM
Undergrad: Virginia Tech
Short Bio: I’m a huge foodie and will try anything at least once! I love playing and watching sports, especially basketball. Also, I will never not talk about my golden retriever, Harold.
Favorite things to do in Richmond: Breweries and restaurants!
Favorite thing about VCU residency: Complex patient population, proximity to home, fantastic faculty

Taylor Roach, MD

Surgery

Kyle Alexander, MD

General Surgery Residency Program

Medical School: Virginia Commonwealth University
Hometown: McLean, VA
Undergrad: UVA
Favorite things about Richmond: The outdoor parks and trails, great food, and proximity to both mountains and the beach are my favorite things about Richmond.
Research/Specialty Interests: Trauma, Critical Care, Global Surgery

Short Bio: Our program at VCU is made excellent by our mentors, complexity and acuity of operative cases, and collegiality within the residency. I'm aspiring to become a trauma and acute care surgeon.

Vashti Bandy, MD

General Surgery Residency Program

Medical School: University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill

Hometown: Charlotte, NC
Outside of the hospital I enjoy going to the gym, exploring new places, and traveling. I'm also a major foodie! & Richmond's food scene does not disappoint.

Ruby Barq, MD

General Surgery Residency Program

Medical School: George Washington University

Elizabeth Bashian, MD

General Surgery Residency Program

Medical School: Ohio State University

Graham Gardner, MD

General Surgery Residency Program

Medical School: Virginia Commonwealth University

Alyssa Habermann, MD

General Surgery Residency Program

Medical School: Duke University School of Medicine
White Plains, NY
Outside of work, some of the things I enjoy most are live music (and playing piano and guitar), breweries, and college basketball. And of course, maximizing time with family and friends!
Growing up I wanted to be a paleontologist, which it turns out is not all that different from digging around in the abdomen.

Taylor Jacobs, MD

General Surgery Residency Program

Medical School: Virginia Commonwealth University

Zachary Kiernan, MD

General Surgery Residency Program

Medical School: Eastern Virginia Medical School
Undergraduate: Virginia Tech
Hometown: Virginia Beach, VA

I enjoy spending time with my wife, reading when I have the time, watching college sports, and exploring all the great things Richmond has to offer.

Arunima Punjala, MD

General Surgery Residency Program

Medical School: The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine
About me: I enjoy surgery because I find the art and science behind operating to be absolutely mesmerizing and am awestruck by the impact it has on our patients. My future plans are currently undecided but I hope to serve vulnerable populations and communities in my long-term career. Outside of work I enjoy hiking, traveling, reading, spending time with my baby niece, and eating at new places.
Favorite thing about VCU residency: My colleagues

Email: Arunima.Punjala@vcuhealth.org

Cody Tragesser, MD

General Surgery Residency Program

Medical School: Indiana University School of Medicine
Cody is a lifelong Hoosier but has traveled to all 50 States and throughout Latin America. He enjoys live music, collecting vinyl, local coffee, and river hikes with his dog Chano. He is interested in pediatric surgery.