Meet Our Fellows

Class of 2024

Mehdi Farishta, MD

Hometown: Karachi, Pakistan

Medical School: Dow University of Health Sciences

Residencies/Fellowships: Pulmonary & Critical Care Medicine Fellowship, Ascension Providence Hospital/Michigan State University

Favorite Thing to Do in Chicago: Visiting national parks

Class of 2024

Mirza Abu Sayeem, MBBS

Hometown: Dhaka

Medical School: Dhaka Medical College

Residency: Internal Medicine, University of Alberta

Favorite Thing to Do in Chicago: Play racquet sports, fishing and hiking

AIRE Fellow - Class of 2025

Sarah Bjork, MD

Hometown: Voorheesville, NY

Medical School: American University of Antigua College of Medicine

Residency: New York - Presbyterian Brooklyn Methodist Hospital

Fellowship: Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine (current), RUSH

Favorite Thing to Do in Chicago: Explore new restaurants or travel with my fiancé

AIRE Fellow - Class of 2025

Deepanjali Jain, MD

Hometown: North Potomac, MD

Medical School: University of Maryland

Residency: Temple University Hospital

Favorite Thing to Do in Chicago: I love exploring new restaurants in the area, with a special focus on vegetarian food!

Alumni - Class of 2023

Joseph Cataline, MD

Hometown: Youngstown, OH
Medical School: Northeast Ohio Medical University
Residency: Cleveland Clinic
Favorite Thing to Do in Chicago: Play PS5/PC gaming

Alumni - Class of 2023

Jiansan Gu, MD

Hometown: Queens, NY
Medical School: RUSH Medical College
Residency: Resurrection Medical Center
Favorite Thing to Do in Chicago: Going on outdoor adventures with my wife and daughter

Alumni - AIRE Fellow - Class of 2023

Arya Nikamal, MD

Hometown: Chicago, Illinois
Medical School: Midwestern University in Arizona
Residency: Advocate Christ Medical Center Internal Medicine
Favorite Thing to Do in Chicago: Go to a Cubs game or go on a pizza eating tour of all my favorite spots

Alumni - Class of 2022

Diana Plata, MD

Hometown: Barranquilla, Colombia/ Chicago, IL
Medical School: RUSH University Medical College
Residency: Internal Medicine/ RUSH University Medical Center
Favorite Thing to Do in Chicago: Love a Cubs game in the summer!

Alumni - Class of 2022

Omar McTabi, DO

Hometown: Maywood, IL
Medical School: Midwestern University / Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine
Residency: Franciscan Health, Internal Medicine - Olympia Fields, IL
Fellowship: Pulmonary Critical Care - Parkview Medical Center, Pueblo, CO
Favorite Thing to Do in Chicago: Eat all different kinds of diverse ethnic foods, attend live music, concerts, walk, run, bike, skate, longboard on lake shore drive, hang out with friends and dogs :-)

Alumni - Class of 2021

Sara Sarfraz, MD

Hometown: Naperville
Medical School: Aga Khan University Hospital
Residency/Chief Residency: ACMC/UIC (Advocate Christ Medical Center/University of Illinois at Chicago)
Fellowship: Pulmonary and Critical Care - RUSH University Medical Center
Favorite Thing to Do in Chicago: The outdoor summer festivals are my favorite thing in Chicago!

Alumni - Class of 2021

Upneet Chawla, MD

Hometown: Ashburn, Virginia
Medical School: St. Geroge’s University
Residency: Mercy St. Vincent Medical Center
Favorite Thing to Do in Chicago: Exploring rooftops and Soul Cycling

On

- Imran Shaikh, MD (2020): Private. Internal Medicine/Sleep Medicine; RUSH Oak Park Hospital.
- Marvi Bikak, MD (2020): Private. Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine; Palos Hospital.
- Lindsay McCullough, MD (2019): Academic. Assistant Professor - Primary Care and Sleep Medicine; RUSH University Medical Center
- Tara Thomas, MD (2019): Academic. Assistant Professor - Psychiatry and Sleep Medicine; Baylor College of Medicine
- Aaron Kirkpatrick, MD (2018): Academic. Assistant Professor - Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine; RUSH University Medical Center
- Jaime Torres, MD (2018): Academic. Internal Medicine and Sleep Medicine; Cook County Hospital
- Georges Asaf, MD (2017): Private. Geriatrics/Sleep Medicine; Lebanon
- Ali Salem, MD (2017): Private. Internal Medicine/Sleep Medicine; LA/California
- Alejandra C. Lastra, MD (2016): Academic. Assistant Professor Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine; The University of Chicago Medical Center.
- Elie Zouein (2016): Academic. Pulmonary and Critical Care Fellowship; RUSH University Medical Center
Imran Shaikh. Session Proposal for SLEEP 2020. COVID-19 Associated Sleep Changes in Disorders of Sleep Apnea and Insomnia Influenced by Shelter in Place Orders in the State of Illinois

Imran Shaikh, Inna Husain, Marvi Bikak, Erika Kahan, Lindsay McCullough, Phillip LoSavio, James J. Herdegen, Alejandra C. Lastra. "Use of Laryngopharyngeal Reflux Questionnaires in the Sleep Clinic".

Marvi Bikak, Imran Shaikh, Henry B. Arantes, Zakal Shah, Erika Kahan, Andrew M. Klein, Sara Mirza, Lindsay Mccullough, Aaron R. Kirkpatrick, James H. Herdegen, Alejandra C. Lastra. "Feasibility of Inpatient Sleep Screening in Diagnosing Obstructive Sleep Apnea in Patients with Hypoxemic Respiratory Failure".

Aaron R. Kirkpatrick, Tara Thomas, Lindsay McCullough, Kelly G. Baron, James J. Herdegen and Alejandra C. Lastra. “Inpatient vs. Outpatient Portable Monitor Use for Obstructive Sleep Apnea Screening”. Accepted for Poster presentation, SLEEP 2019.

Lindsay M. McCullough, Zin Mar Htun, James J. Herdegen, Alejandra C. Lastra. “Novel Treatments Should Be Considered to Treat Residual Sleepiness and Cataplexy in Patients with Narcolepsy”. Accepted for Poster presentation, SLEEP 2019.

Tara Thomas, Elie Zouein, Alejandra C. Lastra. “To split or not to split: Impact of different hypopnea definition use during polysomnography”. Accepted for Poster presentation, SLEEP 2019.

Z. Htun, E. Zouein, A. Lastra. “Effect of Obesity in Baseline Characteristics and Severity of Obstructive Sleep Apnea in COPD-OSA Overlap Patients”. Accepted for Poster presentation American Thoracic Society (ATS) 2019.

AC Lastra, A; Baron, Kelly; B Arantes, H; J Herdegen, J. “Increasing Patient Access: In-Laboratory Portable Monitoring Program Feasibility, Diagnostic and Treatment Outcomes”. SLEEP 2018. Sleep. 41. A397-A397. 10.1093/sleep/zsy061.1068.

E Zouein, AC Lastra. “When Everything Else Fails: Volume Assured Pressure Support in a Patient with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, Sleep Apnea and Morbid Obesity”. Journal of Sleep and Sleep Disorders Research 40 (suppl_1), A452-A453

Assaf G, Herdegen JJ. Night Eating Syndrome: An Undiagnosed Contributor To Obesity In Narcolepsy Type I. SLEEP 2017 Apr 1 (Vol. 40, pp. A458-A458). journals dept, 2001 evans rd, cary, NC 27513 USA: oxford univ press inc.

Lastra AC, Pu C, Zouein E, Herdegen JJ. “Efficacy of Inpatient Diagnosis of Sleep Disordered Breathing and Barriers to Follow-up”. Accepted for Poster Presentation SLEEP 2016, Denver, Colorado. SLEEP, Volume 39, Abstract Supplement, 2016. A385.

Lastra AC, Zouein E, Pu C, Herdegen JJ. “Inpatient Type III Monitoring: Feasibility, Diagnostic and Treatment Outcomes”. Accepted for Oral Presentation SLEEP 2016, Denver, Colorado. SLEEP, Volume 39, Abstract Supplement, 2016. A123.

Young Investigators Research Forum Scholarship Recipients

The AASM Foundation awards a scholarship to attend the Young Investigators Research Forum yearly in Bethesda, Maryland. This is a unique sleep research educational event supporting the development of clinical and translational sleep research careers of selected trainees and provides them with an opportunity to interact with senior sleep investigators, peers and National Institutes of Health program officers.

- Alejandra C. Lastra, MD- 2017

- Marvi Bikak, MD- 2020

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Past Fellows: Where are they now?

Fellows' Scholarly Activities