Meet the current residents and fellows enrolled at the University of Maryland.
POST-GRADUATE YEAR ONE PROGRAMS |
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Daniel Cericola, PharmD BWMC Pharmacy Resident Daniel.Cericola@umm.edu Daniel grew up on the eastern shore in Ocean City, Maryland. He earned his Bachelor of Science in Chemistry from Towson University and went on to obtain his Doctor of Pharmacy at the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy in Baltimore. His professional interests include emergency medicine and critical care. Outside of pharmacy his hobbies include grilling, golfing, fishing, and watching hockey. Daniel is excited and motivated for the opportunity to begin his pharmacy career at the University of Maryland Baltimore Washington Medical Center. |
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Paige Gilk, PharmD Albertson's Community Pharmacy Resident Paige.Gilk@albertsons.com Dr. Paige Gilk is originally from Lake Station, Indiana. She earned her Doctor of Pharmacy degree from Purdue University College of Pharmacy. During pharmacy school she worked as a pharmacy intern for Meijer Pharmacy which is where her love for community pharmacy started. Her professional interests include ambulatory care, HIV, and oncology. Outside of pharmacy she enjoys antique shopping with her mom, dancing ballet, visiting the beautiful city of Chicago and assisting her husband at their tattoo shop. Dr. Gilk is so excited to expand her HIV knowledge and apply it to direct patient care during the residency year! |
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Reid LaPlante, PharmD Pharmacy Resident Reid.Laplante@umm.edu Dr. Reid LaPlante is from Chateaugay, NY, located within the Adirondack Mountains in Upstate New York. He earned his Doctor of Pharmacy from Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences in Albany, NY. His current clinical and academic areas of interest include critical care, pediatrics, and infectious disease. His ultimate career goal is to pursue a clinical pharmacist role, associated with a school of pharmacy, where he can practice and teach within his specialty area of interest. In his free time, he loves to play soccer, ski, hike, travel, and go on walks with his girlfriend and dog Winnie. Reid would like to personally thank his family, friends, and mentors for their encouragement and support over the many years of education that have gotten him here today. He is so excited to start his PGY-1 Pharmacy Residency at the University of Maryland Medical Center and is very enthusiastic to see what this year may bring! |
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Allison Loi, PharmD Albertson's Community Pharmacy Resident Allison.Loi@albertsons.com Allison Loi was born and raised in Denver, Colorado. She received her Bachelor of Science in biochemistry and biology from the University of Denver and her Doctor of Pharmacy from the University of Colorado Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences. Her professional areas of interest include medication safety, specialty pharmacy, quality improvement, and patient care services. Allison enjoys spending time with friends and family in her spare time, discovering new coffee shops and places to eat, and can’t resist a good Netflix binge. She would like to sincerely thank her family, friends, and mentors for their continued guidance and support. Allison is excited to join the Albertsons Companies and looks forward to exploring her professional interests and a new city this year. |
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Pari Majethia, PharmD BWMC Pharmacy Resident Pari.Majethia@umm.edu Dr. Pari Majethia was born and raised in Baltimore, Maryland. She earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Biological Sciences from University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC). She completed her Doctor of Pharmacy from University of Maryland, Baltimore School of Pharmacy. Her areas of interest include ambulatory care, internal medicine, and transitions of care. Outside of pharmacy, she enjoys hiking, trying new restaurants, watching movies, and TV shows. She would like to thank all her family, friends, mentors, advisors, and professors for their support and encouragement. She is extremely grateful and excited to complete her PGY-1 residency at UM Baltimore Washington Medical Center. |
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Ibtihal Makki, PharmD Pharmacy Resident Ibtihal.Makki@umm.edu Dr. Ibtihal Makki was born and raised in Dearborn, Michigan. She earned both her Bachelor of Science in Biopsychology, Cognition, and Neuroscience and her Doctor of Pharmacy degrees from the University of Michigan. Her professional interests include pain management and substance use disorders. She is particularly interested in the roles she can play on the public health and public policy levels to advocate for her patients. In addition to pharmacy, Ibtihal enjoys cooking for others, hiking, and spending time in public libraries. She also loves to recharge by spending time with her family, friends, and mentors who she wholeheartedly thanks for their support and encouragement throughout her journey. Ibtihal is excited to work and train as a pharmacy resident at the University of Maryland Medical Center! |
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Sumeen Mirza, PharmD Pharmacy Resident Sumeen.Mirza@umm.edu Dr. Sumeen Mirza was born and raised in Dallas, Texas. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Biology from the University of Texas at Dallas. Afterwards, she pursued her Doctor of Pharmacy from Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center Jerry H. Hodge School of Pharmacy. Her current professional areas of interest are solid organ transplant, ambulatory care, and administration/leadership development. Outside of pharmacy, Sumeen enjoys traveling, watching movies and television shows, and playing sports. Additionally, she loves to spend time with her family and friends who she would also like to thank for their continuous love and support. Sumeen is looking forward to continuing her pharmacy journey at the University of Maryland Medical Center! |
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Ami Patel, PharmD Pharmacy Resident Ami.Patel@umm.edu Dr. Ami Patel was born in Chicago, IL and grew up in Harrisburg, PA. She did her undergraduate and Doctor of Pharmacy studies at the University of Pittsburgh. Her professionals interests include cardiology, solid organ transplant, and ambulatory care. Her career goal is to practice as a cardiology pharmacy specialist, teach students, and be involved with clinical research. Outside of pharmacy, Ami loves to travel, be active (especially her newest hobby of rock climbing), drink Dunkin’, and watch anything Marvel-related. Ami would like to thank her family, friends, and mentors who supported her to achieve her dream of being a PGY-1 resident at the University of Maryland Medical Center, and she is so excited for the upcoming year! |
POST-GRADUATE YEAR ONE/TWO PROGRAMS |
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Marisa Rinehart, PharmD PGY-1 Pharmacotherapy Resident mrinehart@rx.umaryland.edu Marisa Rinehart is originally from Cleveland, Ohio, and earned her Doctor of Pharmacy from Ohio Northern University Raabe College of Pharmacy. Her professional interests include internal medicine, critical care, and research. During her spare time, Marisa enjoys being outside, cooking, and visiting breweries and wineries. She is grateful for her family, friends, and mentors' continued support throughout this transition. Marisa is excited to spend the next two years training at the University of Maryland! |
POST-GRADUATE YEAR TWO PROGRAMS |
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Chelsey Axelrod, PharmD Psychiatric Pharmacy Resident chelsey.axelrod@rx.umaryland.edu Dr. Chelsey Axelrod was born and raised in the suburbs of Philadelphia, PA. She earned her Bachelor of Science in psychology with a biology minor from University of Miami. Subsequently, she attended Nova Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale, Florida where she received her Doctor of Pharmacy. Chelsey completed her PGY-1 pharmacy residency at Lakeland Regional Health, located in Lakeland, FL. Her current professional interests include acute psychosis, child and adolescent psychiatry, forensic psychiatry, and substance use disorders. For fun, Chelsey likes to enjoy time with her friends and family, watch television shows, play with her cat and dog, and explore different restaurants. Chelsey would like to thank her family, friends, and mentors for their continued support throughout her pharmacy training. She is grateful and excited to begin this new journey at University of Maryland as the psychiatric pharmacy resident! |
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Joshua Borris, PharmD Pain and Palliative Care Pharmacy Resident jborris@rx.umaryland.edu Josh was born and raised in Pikesville, Maryland. He received his bachelor's degree in cellular biology & genetics from the University of Maryland College Park and his doctor of pharmacy degree from the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy. His professional interests include pain management, substance abuse, and palliative care. In his free time, Josh enjoys spending time with friends and family, catching up on TV shows, trying new foods and cooking, and going to breweries and wineries. Josh would like to thank his fiance, family, and all his friends for their constant support. Josh is excited to be back at the University of Maryland to complete his PGY2 training. |
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Jessica Cercone, PharmD Critical Care Pharmacy Resident Jessica.Cercone@umm.edu Jessica was born and raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She earned her Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the University of Pittsburgh School of Pharmacy. She went on to complete her PGY1 pharmacy residency at Duke University Hospital in Durham, North Carolina. Her professional interests include academia, infectious diseases, and transplant. In her free time, she enjoys traveling, hiking, biking, and sports. Jessica would like to thank her family, friends, and mentors for their continued support as she pursues her passion for critical care! |
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Keren Darzi, PharmD Oncology Pharmacy Resident keren.darzi@rx.umaryland.edu Dr. Keren Darzi is originally from New York City, where she earned her Bachelor of Science degree in biology from Brooklyn College. She then received her Doctor of Pharmacy degree from Long Island University located in Brooklyn, New York, and completed a PGY-1 Pharmacy Residency at Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx, New York. Her current areas of interest include breast cancer and bone marrow transplant. Outside of being “bonkers for onckers,” she can be found visiting museums such as the Natural History Museum, spending time with friends and family, reading, and trying new restaurants wherever she may be. Dr. Darzi would like to personally thank her family for their constant guidance and support, and is very excited to join the University of Maryland family on this next step of her journey! |
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Nabila Faridi, PharmD Ambulatory Care Pharmacy Resident nfaridi@rx.umaryland.edu Dr. Nabila Faridi was born and raised in Montgomery County, Maryland. She earned her Bachelors of Science in Chemistry at Towson University, followed by Doctor of Pharmacy at University of Maryland Baltimore School of Pharmacy. She went on to complete her post-graduate year one (PGY-1) residency at Xavier University of Louisiana College of Pharmacy in New Orleans, LA, where she enjoyed southern cuisine for an entire year. Over the course of her training she has been involved in leadership and service roles. Her professional areas of interest include hematology/oncology, infectious diseases, solid organ transplant, anticoagulation and academia. Ultimately she would like to pursue a career as an ambulatory care pharmacist with academic responsibilities. In her free time she enjoys reading, hiking, spending time with family and friends, and traveling. Dr. Faridi is incredibly excited to continue her training at the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy and give back to her community. |
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Emily Garcia, PharmD Solid Organ Transplant Pharmacy Resident Emily.Garcia@umm.edu Dr. Emily Garcia was born and raised in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where she gained a lifelong affinity for both cheese and the Green Bay Packers. After earning her Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and her Doctor of Pharmacy from the University of North Carolina Eshelman School of Pharmacy, Emily completed her PGY-1 Pharmacy Residency at Northwestern Memorial Hospital. Outside of solid organ transplant, her professional interests include optimizing transitions of care, promoting health equity, and connecting with other new practitioners. In her free time, she enjoys attending fitness classes, curating Spotify playlists, and exploring the Baltimore food scene. Emily would like to thank her family, friends, and mentors for their unwavering support, inspiration, and encouragement. She looks forward to a formative year of professional growth at the University of Maryland Medical Center. |
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Karen Huang, PharmD Solid Organ Transplant Pharmacy Resident Karen.Huang@umm.edu Dr. Karen Huang was born and raised in right outside of Baltimore City. She attended the University of Maryland Baltimore County for her undergraduate studies and received her PharmD in 2020 from the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy. During her 4th year clinical track at UMMC, she developed a love for transplant pharmacy. After completing her PGY-1 pharmacy residency training at Penn State Health Milton Hershey Medical Center, she is thrilled to be returning home to Baltimore for a PGY-2 in solid organ transplant at UMMC, closer to the family and friends who supported her thus far! Outside of work, Karen loves listening to music, going to concerts, procrastibaking, finding new restaurants, and being active, including lifting, hiking, kayaking, running, or playing badminton. She cannot wait to continue her professional journey and create memories with her new coresidents this year! |
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Sydney Israel, PharmD Pain and Palliative Care Pharmacy Resident sydney.israel@rx.umaryland.edu Dr. Sydney Taylor Israel was born and raised in Lansing, Michigan. She earned her Bachelor of Science in a biology and psychology interdisciplinary from Loyola University Maryland in Baltimore. She then went on to receive her Doctor of Pharmacy degree from Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond. Following pharmacy school, she resided in Charlotte, NC while completing an acute care PGY1 residency at Novant Health Presbyterian Medical Center. Her professional interests include inpatient palliative care, oncology, and substance use disorders. Outside of pharmacy related activities, Sydney can be found exploring local restaurants and reading psychological thrillers. Ten years ago she moved to Baltimore to start her undergraduate career, and she is now very excited to return to continue her professional pursuits. Sydney would like to thank her family, friends, and mentors for their continued Nsupport and guidance. |
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Cecilia Li, PharmD Infectious Diseases Pharmacy Resident cecilia.li@rx.umaryland.edu Dr. Cecilia Li is originally from Naperville, Illinois and hails from the University of Michigan College of Pharmacy (Go Blue!). She completed her PGY-1 Pharmacy Residency at the University of Maryland Medical Center and is thrilled to be continuing her training here for another year! Her professional interests include infectious diseases in immunocompromised hosts, mechanisms of resistance, diagnostic stewardship, and HIV/AIDS. In her free time, she enjoys working out and practicing yoga, going to concerts and musicals, and exploring new Bmore eateries. Dr. Li would like to thank her family, friends, and mentors for their continued support and encouragement through each chapter of her pharmacy training! She is so grateful to have the opportunity to pursue her dream of becoming an ID pharmacist and learn from the amazing team here at Maryland! |
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Amanda Loomis, PharmD Geriatric Pharmacy Resident amanda.loomis@rx.umaryland.edu Dr. Amanda Loomis was born and raised in Rhode Island. She earned her Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the University of Rhode Island and then completed her PGY-1 Pharmacy Residency at Veteran Affairs Connecticut Healthcare System. Her professional interests include geriatrics, hospice, palliative care, and ambulatory care. In her free time, Amanda enjoys ballroom dancing and reading. She is thrilled to be spending the next year doing what she loves as the PGY-2 Geriatric Pharmacy Resident and can’t wait to explore the city of Baltimore. |
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Bobbie Nguyen, PharmD Cardiology Pharmacy Resident bobbie.nguyen@rx.umaryland.edu Dr. Bobbie Nguyen was born and raised in Charlotte, North Carolina. She earned a bachelor’s degree in both chemistry and sociology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and went on to complete her Doctor of Pharmacy at the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy. She completed her PGY1 at the University of Maryland Baltimore Washington Medical Center. Her professional interests include heart failure, cardiac critical care, and electrophysiology. Upon completion of PGY2, she plans to pursue a cardiology specialist position in tandem with teaching responsibilities and clinical research. She enjoys baking, hiking, cheering on her NC sports teams, and watching movies with her partner. |
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Richard Rovelli, PharmD Cardiology Pharmacy Resident rrovelli@rx.umaryland.edu Dr. Richard (Ricky) Rovelli was born and raised in Albany, New York. He went to pharmacy school at the University at Buffalo School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, where he completed a six-year degree program to earn his PharmD. Ricky completed his PGY-1 pharmacy residency training at the University of Massachusetts Memorial Medical Center in Worcester, Massachusetts. Ricky is currently one of the PGY-2 cardiology residents at the University of Maryland Medical Center. Ricky’s professional interests include advanced heart failure, mechanical circulatory support and electrophysiology. In his spare time, Ricky enjoys hiking, bowling, and exploring new areas around Baltimore! Ricky is excited to continue his career at the University of Maryland and looks forward to further exploring the world of cardiology pharmacy! |
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Irene Ruiz, PharmD Pediatric Pharmacy Resident iruiz@rx.umaryland.edu Irene Ruiz was born in Spain and raised in Lexington, South Carolina. She attended the University of South Carolina to complete her pre-pharmacy prerequisites and continued her studies at the Medical University of South Carolina for her Doctor of Pharmacy. Irene completed PGY-1 residency training at the University of Maryland Medical Center. Her primary professional interest is pediatrics with a focus in the neonatal population, congenital disorders, and infectious diseases. In addition to pharmacy, Irene enjoys going to the beach and on hikes with her dog Kalu, getting dinner with friends and baking. She would like to thank her family and mentors for their continued support and guidance. Irene is excited to continue her journey as a PGY-2 Pediatric Pharmacy resident at University of Maryland Medical Center! |
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Emily Von Bulow, PharmD Emergency Medicine Pharmacy Resident Jacqueline.VonBulow@umm.edu Dr. J. Emily Von Bulow was born and raised at the Jersey Shore in Wall, NJ. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Biology from the University of Delaware and then went on to pursue her Doctor of Pharmacy Degree from Temple University School of Pharmacy in Philadelphia, PA. The clinical aspect of pharmacy has been a passion of Emily’s since she first learned about it her first year of pharmacy school. She did her PGY1 training at the University of Maryland Medical Center, where she found her passion for emergency medicine with the help of all the amazing preceptors at UMMC. Her interests include adult emergency medicine, trauma/resuscitation, and academia. She enjoys going to the beach with her family and friends, going on adventures with her dog, Charlie, and finding the best ice cream in whatever area she finds herself in. Emily cannot thank her family, friends, and mentors enough who have given her so much love and support throughout her years of education. She is incredibly excited to be staying on for another year and to start her career as a PGY2 in emergency medicine! |
FELLOWSHIP PROGRAMS |
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Nicholas Husak, PharmD Clinical Toxicology Fellow nhusak@rx.umaryland.edu Nicholas Husak is originally from Syracuse, NY. He completed his undergraduate studies at St. John Fisher College in Rochester, NY, and obtained his Doctor of Pharmacy from the college's Wegmans School of Pharmacy. Following graduation, Nicholas moved to Shreveport, La. in order to complete his post-graduate year one residency with Ochsner LSU Health. His interest in emergency medicine and toxicology allowed him to pursue a clinical toxicology fellowship with the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy and Maryland Poison Center. Nicholas’ professional interests within the field include molecular mechanisms of toxicity, chemical warfare, and emergency preparedness. Outside of pharmacy, he enjoys maintaining an active lifestyle by working out and playing recreational sports such as football and pick-up basketball. Nicholas also enjoys staying in-touch with friends and previous classmates by playing online video games. Nicholas is extremely appreciative of his family, friends, and numerous teachers and preceptors who have contributed to his success throughout his academic career. |
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Angela Lam, PharmD Angela was born in Hong Kong, SAR, and was raised in Shoreline, WA. She earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Biology and Biochemistry and Doctor of Pharmacy degree at the University of Washington in Seattle, WA. She completed her PGY-1 Pharmacy Residency at Multicare Good Samaritan Hospital in Puyallup, WA. Her professional interests include toxicology, emergency medicine, critical care, and improving health outcomes and equity. Outside of pharmacy, she enjoys spending time with family, friends, and pets, and play music. She is grateful to have encountered supportive pharmacy mentors, preceptors, and colleagues along the way and for the opportunity to learn here. |
| Merton Lee PharmD, PhD Drug Therapy and Aging Geriatric Pharmacotherapy Fellow merton.lee@rx.umaryland.edu Born in Cheyenne Wyo., Merton Lee grew up in Poughkeepsie, NY, and attended Cornell University for biological sciences. He earned a PhD in English from the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign, teaching and pursuing scholarship in poetry and critical race theory. He completed his PharmD with a certificate in the Geriatrics and Palliative Care Pathway at the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy. Merton’s research interests include social determinants of health, medication therapy management, and geriatrics, and his professional interests include advocacy, ensuring that pharmacists are empowered as the health system evolves. For fun, Merton still reads poetry, especially works written in old age by poets like Donald Hall and John Ashbery. He is grateful for the support of his mentors and his family. |
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Farideh Sistani, PharmD Dr. Farideh Sistani received her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) from the University of Shahid Bahonar, Iran in 2011. Then, she moved to the United States in 2014 and earned her Doctor of Pharmacy from the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy in 2021. Prior to pharmacy school, she was a summer intern at NIH and during her time in pharmacy school, she worked as a graduate research assistant at the Departments of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Pharmaceutical Health Services Research. She also worked as an intern in Inpatient Pediatric Pharmacy at Johns Hopkins Hospital. Her research interests include health outcomes and economics. She is also interested in gaining experience in the application of machine learning and artificial intelligence in the healthcare system and research. She enjoys traveling, hiking, camping, and hanging out with friends in her spare time. She is greatly looking forward to the next two years of her fellowship program and would like to personally thank her family, friends, and mentors for their love and unconditional support over the years. |