Current Residents
PGY1
Marissa Carranza, MD
Marissa grew up in the suburbs of Pennsylvania (Nazzareth, PA) and completed her Bachelors in Nutrition and Food Science at the University of Vermont. After graduating from UVM she spent two years working for the Women Infant and Children (WIC) program as a program nutritionist where she performed nutrition counseling, pediatric group cooking classes, lactation counseling and community outreach.
Marissa then completed her medical education at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson where she solidified her commitment to a career in community and family medicine. During her time at RWJMS Marissa served as a leader of the Medical Students for Choice group where she led the schools largest papaya and IUD workshop, as well as advocated for abortion and reproductive health rights on a state level with the local Planned Parenthood. Marissa additionally served on the board of the White Coats 4 Black Lives group where she was involved, with the rest of the e-board, in co-creating the first structural racism in medicine and implicit bias in medicine mandatory curriculum for first and second year students. Marissa additionally co-founded the asylum clinic, a clinic that provides medical and psychiatric evaluations for individuals seeking asylum. In addition to advocacy on the school level, Marissa also volunteered with a local refugee resettlement agency, Interfaith-Rise, where she served as a key volunteer for families who were newly arrived to this country.
When not studying medicine or dismantling the patriarchy, you can find Marissa doing one of her many hobbies including running, camping, reading, dancing salsa or juggling! Marissa is excited to start her Family Medicine journey at NYP-Columbia by learning how to be the best primary care doctor she can be while continuing to get in some good trouble.
Alyssa Haag, MD
Alyssa grew up in the Los Angeles suburb of Palos Verdes and earned her bachelor's degree in Integrative Biology and Education from the University of California, Berkeley.
After graduating, Alyssa worked as a medical assistant at a primary care clinic in New York City. When COVID-19 struck in early February 2020, Alyssa was inspired by the clinic's prompt and personal response to the pandemic, along with their efforts to educate and empower patients. This experience sparked her interest in family medicine which was only furthered in medical school.
During her time at Nova Southeastern University College of Allopathic Medicine (NSU MD) in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Alyssa began working for Osmosis, an online healthcare platform that provides education for healthcare learners and the general public. As a script editor, she ensures that the content is comprehensive and accessible. This role has become a significant passion of hers, one she has continued into residency.
Throughout her four years in Fort Lauderdale, Alyssa also frequently volunteered at Lotus House, a transitional living facility for unhoused women and children. This experience deepened her understanding that medicine involves not only caring for individuals but also serving the community.
Alyssa is thrilled to join the NYP Columbia Family Medicine community. Family medicine offers her the opportunity to provide comprehensive care, build strong patient relationships, and emphasize prevention and education. She has passions within family medicine that include reproductive health, preventive medicine, and adolescent health.
In her free time, Alyssa enjoys walks in Central Park, binge-watching TV shows, and exploring new restaurants in the city.
Destiney Kirby, MD
Destiney (Des) has lived in many different cities around the United States, but she has called the Bronx her home for the longest amount of time among them all. She attended Arizona State University where she studied Biology and Statistics, completing her honors thesis on an analysis of after-school K-12 programs for racially and financially marginalized children. She then went on to complete an MD/MPH through the Albert Einstein College of Medicine. During this time, she focused on community work related to reproductive justice, global health, and adolescent medicine. She spent her Saturday's volunteering at local abortion and women’s health clinics, partnering with community members to create a better experience for patients. She participated in multiple medical Spanish electives to learn to better take care of her Bronx and upper Manhattan community. She helped to lead multiple youth programs with students from high school age through college, empowering young people to pursue careers in STEM. These experiences helped shape her view of healthcare and develop a more holistic view of health, leading her to pursue Family Medicine. Outside of work, Des loves to be active. She spends most of her time running or playing sports with her friends. She also loves spending time with her cat, Zadie.
Edeline Sanchez, MD
Born and raised in Washington Heights, Edeline has always felt a deep connection to her community. Witnessing her grandparents navigate the healthcare system, grappling with language and cultural barriers as Dominican immigrants, was the catalyst for her pursuit of Public Health studies at Syracuse University. During her time at Syracuse University, through her public health major and community service, Edeline spent a lot of time at the SUNY Upstate Medical University Cancer Center. There, she learned about the barriers that exist in colorectal and breast cancer screening in the African American and Hispanic communities. She contributed to creating brochures and health materials, and through close collaboration with community members, gained profound insights into the community's specific needs, allowing her and her team to address them effectively.
At Drexel University College of Medicine, Edeline served as a Diversity Ambassador, collaborating with the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion to promote engagement among student organizations, develop diversity-focused events, and participate in discussions on improving admission rates for underrepresented students. She also worked with The Alliance of Minority Physicians, Cracking the Clerkships course, to help prepare underrepresented minority medical students for success during their clinical rotations. Passionate about mentorship, Edeline found joy in mentoring and advocating for underrepresented students in medicine, notably as Director of the Latino Medical Student Association (LMSA)-Northeast. As Director, she represented over 1,300 students and 45 chapters in the region, managed a $200,000 annual budget, and supervised LMSA-Northeast affairs along with an executive board of 15 members. She collaborated to develop and implement strategic plans for the organization and coordinated regional conferences. Additionally, she facilitated the review and award of student scholarships, distributing $400,000 in awards and establishing a scholarship endowment fund. This role fostered her leadership growth and allowed her to channel her passion for increasing Latinx representation, supporting pre-medical and medical students through expanded scholarship opportunities and various events.
Now, Edeline is thrilled to be part of the NewYork-Presbyterian-Columbia family medicine program and to return home to her community in Washington Heights. She is especially interested in adolescent medicine and mental health and plans to continue her leadership skills in residency to advocate for her co-residents while serving her community. In her free time, Edeline enjoys working out, watching Love Island, and spending quality time with her Shih-Tzu Poodle, Jax, as well as her closest friends and family.
Lena Shally, MD
Lena moved around a lot growing up, spending the majority of her childhood outside of the United States, in England and the Netherlands. Currently, her family lives in Philadelphia. She attended Boston University where she earned a degree in Neurobiology with a minor in Chinese.
After graduating, Lena started medical school at Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine. Entering medicine at the height of the global pandemic she quickly learned the value in engaging with the community in any way she could, volunteering to administer hundreds of COVID-19 vaccines and creating an educational curriculum for highschools and colleges in Scranton to dispel myths about the vaccine. Lena continued her involvement in the community throughout medical school, whether that meant planting flowers in downtown Scranton or helping neighbors shovel their driveways in the winter.
During her clinical years, she began to gain a deeper understanding of the healthcare system and saw the enormous impact good primary care made on the overall health of patients. It was fascinating to compare the health system she was studying within to the vastly different systems she grew up with. The focus on prevention of disease rather than the management of symptoms once the disease has already manifested is what brings Lena meaning in medicine.
As a kid, Lena was the pin-cushion for her mother who was learning acupuncture. Lena continues to advocate for the value of integrative medicine and is excited to continue that work with the NYP-Columbia Family Medicine Program and become the well-rounded physician she aspires to be. The program’s clear commitment to the Washington Heights community and holistic approach to health is what brought her here. Her other interests include reproductive health, preventive medicine, health policy and improving her medical Spanish!
When not brainstorming ways to improve our healthcare system or trying to be a good doctor for her patients, you can find Lena anywhere outdoors, planning skiing trips with friends, and convincing her co-residents to play board games with her.
Stephanie Ureña,MD
Stephanie Ureña was born and raised in the Bronx, New York and her family is from the Dominican Republic. She attended the University of Pennsylvania where she majored in Health and Societies with a concentration in Public Health. She joined the Flexmed Program her sophomore year of college, in which she had admission into the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai upon graduation. While in medical school, she was a Primary Care Scholar where she worked with the family medicine department and explored different fields of primary care throughout her medical school training. She also participated in the student run clinic as a senior care clinician where she got to longitudinally treat her patients.
She became president of the Students of Equal Opportunities in Medicine via the Student National Medical Association. She also became a mentor for the Latino Medical Student Association.
She researched identifying American Descendants of Slavery on Medical School applications and she came up with a proxy to collect this data.
Stephanie is very excited to be a part of the NYP-Columbia Family Residency Program because she was born in the Allen Pavilion and she gets to work with a majority Spanish-speaking community. She feels right at home being surrounded by the strong Dominican community. She is very passionate about working with an adolescent population where she can focus on preventive health and she would like to continue working with community-based organizations. In her spare time, she likes to go to the gym, join workout classes, and dance the night away (preferably some bachata or merengue).
PGY2
Megan Cavanaugh, MD
Born and raised on Long Island, New York, Megan went on to receive her Bachelor of Science in Biology from Northeastern University in Boston. At Northeastern, she developed her interest in medicine while simultaneously discovering a passion for working with underserved communities through volunteering at local hospitals and working on the planning board of the University’s Relay For Life fundraiser. Megan stayed in Boston to work in cancer research,contributing to several immunotherapy clinical trials at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.
After many Red Sox games and runs along the Charles River, Megan finally made her way back to New York to become the first physician in her family, attending New York Medical College. As a medical student working in New York City’s public health care system, she learned more about the socioeconomic and racial disparities patients face and became involved in research efforts to educate fellow medical students on ways to mitigate their implicit biases. In addition, Megan advocated for patients during her time on the Public Health Commission with the New York State Academy of Family Physicians, where she also gained insight into how physicians can fight for their patients through proposing legislation and lobbying government officials. She believes in a doctor’s responsibility not only to their patient but the community as a whole, one of the many reasons she pursued family medicine!
Megan is excited to continue her journey at NYP-Columbia Family Medicine, where she hopes to give patients and their families the comprehensive healthcare they deserve. She is thrilled to pursue her interests in reproductive health, advocacy, and preventative medicine, among many others. Outside of medicine, Megan enjoys time consuming baking projects, running all over the city, and spending time with her family and friends.
Ella Chaffin, DO
Ella was born in Maine and raised in a small town in the mountains of Colorado. She attended Colorado State University and majored in Human Development & Family Studies. As a University Honors Scholar she completed her Senior Honors Thesis on a research project exploring type 2 diabetes mellitus risk factors in adolescent girls with depressive symptoms. This experience helped form her interests in primary care, mental health, and disease prevention. Following graduation Ella moved to Madrid, and later Barcelona, to work as an English language teacher, primarily with elementary school children. During this time, she took advantage of the opportunity to improve her Spanish language skills to better serve her future patients. She fell in love with the Spanish language, culture, food, atmosphere, and lifestyle, and met her husband, Pablo.
Ella attended the Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine at Midwestern University. While in medical school she became involved with the Community Health Clinic, a volunteer-based health center providing free primary care and mental health services to uninsured patients in the Chicago area. This furthered her passion for community medicine and working with underserved populations in an urban setting.
She is thrilled to be joining an incredible team of physicians at the NYP-Columbia Family Medicine Program. Her interests include reproductive health, addiction medicine and preventative care. Outside of medicine, Ella can be found baking sourdough bread (a pre-pandemic hobby if you can believe it), exploring the various neighborhoods in Manhattan, and taking weekend escapes to the mountains that remind her of her hometown in the Rockies.
Alexandra Greenberg, MD
Ali is a born-and-raised New Yorker but left the city to attend Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore for her Bachelor of Arts in Public Health Studies and Master of Science in International Health with a Concentration in Social and Behavioral Interventions as well as a Certificate in Health Communications. For her thesis research Ali spent six months living in Lima, Peru studying disparities in asthma management and control before moving to Washington DC to work as the Advocacy and Campaigns Officer for the global health non-profit Universities Allied for Essential Medicines (UAEM). Through her work with UAEM, Ali discovered a passion for grassroots organizing and an appreciation for community medicine. Ali attended medical school at SUNY Downstate in Brooklyn where she served as president of the school’s Medical Council, led the institution’s student-run free clinic and graduated with distinctions in both the Medical Educator and Health Advocacy, Equity, and Leadership Pathways for her engagement in curricular reform and social justice efforts, both locally and more systemically. She was recently recognized as a 2022 recipient of the national Pisacano Scholarship for emerging leaders in family medicine for her leadership, service, and dedication to advocacy in medicine and particularly for access to appropriate and affordable primary care.
Ali is thrilled to join the NYP-Columbia Family Medicine Program and continue to train in an urban, underserved setting within a community-anchored residency. She is even more eager to work alongside committed, collaborative, and conscientious providers while remaining in the city she considers home and ultimately plans to practice in. While at Columbia, Ali cannot wait to get to know the Washington Heights community. She also looks forward to continuing to pursue her broad interests in community medicine and advocacy, health policy, structural competency, social justice, LGBTQIA+ healthcare, integrative medicine, medical education… and basically everything else! When she isn't in the clinic or the hospital, Ali enjoys getting outside into nature, taking candid and landscape photos, doing yoga/stretching, getting a massage or acupuncture, cuddling with her cats Jackie and Hyde, and spending time out and about in the city with friends and family.
Haorui Sun, MD
Haorui was born in Beijing and moved to the suburbs outside Philadelphia at age 6. She grew up interested in everything, bouncing between Science and English and Art. In college at Pennsylvania State University, she discovered an interest in service by volunteering at a community center providing basic needs services and a 24-hour crisis hotline. While looking for a course to complete her English minor, she accidentally and happily discovered a way to merge her interests in science and the arts via a medical humanities course.
At Pennsylvania State College of Medicine, Haorui continued her pursuit of medical humanities by publishing multiple poems both in medical and literary journals and received the Ballantine award to create paintings of patients' hands during her palliative care rotation. She also pursued projects in racial equity in medicine including: writing and editing more inclusive Problem Based Learning cases for her medical school curriculum, grant writing and content creation for the National Antiracism in Medicine Curriculum Coalition, and conducting a research project on the insurance coverage of dermatological conditions found in lighter-skinned vs darker-skinned patients.
Haorui is beyond excited to join all the amazing people at the NYP-Columbia Family Medicine Program. She looks forward to learning more about medical humanities and social justice and getting to know the Washington Heights community. In her free time, she loves weightlifting, reading and writing poetry, travelling, and painting.
Robert Volodarsky, MD
Robby and his fraternal twin were born on the Upper East Side at The New York Hospital which merged with Presbyterian Hospital a couple years later to form NewYork-Presbyterian. During high school he played home football games on 193rd and Audubon Ave, about halfway between Columbia University Irving Medical Center and The Allen Hospital. As an undergraduate he attended SUNY Binghamton in upstate New York where he studied Biochemistry and served two terms as Service Chair of his medical organization. After graduating he completed one year of biochemistry research studying cellular trafficking proteins which play a role in disease states such as Spinal Muscular Dystrophy when mutated. He attended Drexel University College of Medicine in Philadelphia for medical school where he was twice elected Service Representative of his learning society. During pre-clinical years he enjoyed volunteering at health fairs and free clinics that provided underserved residents of Philadelphia with medical care. His third year was completed at Crozer-Chester Medical Center in impoverished Chester, PA. It is there that he discovered his love for Family Medicine as he witnessed the breadth of care that doctors in that specialty were able to provide their patients. He particularly enjoyed conducting home visits and working at the Federally Qualified Health Center that served underinsured patients including several undocumented families spanning generations. Many of these patients were seeking medical care for the first time in the United States and had severely untreated conditions. Through it all Robby was blown away by the compassion and dedication to holistic care that the Family Medicine doctors embodied and decided that was the kind of physician he wanted to be. Prior to graduating he was awarded the Daniel M. Tabas Award for outstanding scholarly achievement within the pursuit of Primary Care.
Robby is elated to return home to NYC and train within the prestigious NYP-Columbia system while serving his community. In his down time he enjoys watching professional football and basketball or anime, going to the gym, playing videogames, and hanging out with his childhood friends – many of whom still reside in the city.
PGY3
Joel Castillo, MD
Joel was born in the same Allen Hospital he would eventually be a resident at, and was raised in Yonkers, NY. Raised in a Dominican household, Joel was able to learn both English and Spanish and utilize his languages to further connect with his community. He attended Fordham University in the Bronx, NY, where he combined his interests in Biology and Anthropology that ultimately rooted his journey into medicine. At Fordham University, Joel served as a Social Justice Leader, where he worked with community organizations focused on food insecurity, the experiences of individuals uprooted by gentrification, and police brutality. He also volunteered at the Montefiore Family Health Center in the Bronx, where he began to tune-in to the disparities in healthcare present in underserved populations such as his own.
After graduating from Fordham, Joel went on to attend Drexel University College of Medicine in Philadelphia, where he diligently worked to improve his medical knowledge base and cultural awareness. He briefly served as a certified Spanish medical interpreter at a pediatric hospital, and was on the board for the Latino Medical Student Association. He was inducted into the Alpha Omega Alpha society and was selected as a Gold Humanism Honor Society recipient, based on his service to both the school and to his patients.
Joel is excited to return to New York and give back to the communities that have built him from the ground up. His desire is to continue to approach patient care in a multidisciplinary way, collaborating with important services like social work and other physicians to deliver services to the patients that need them most. He is particularly interested in the experiences of Latinx patients in an urban setting, and how their health interacts with the various financial and social systems that may create barriers to their care. He looks forward to connecting with the Washington Heights & Inwood community, so that he may learn from and work with them to become a resource on their journeys to improve their mental and physical well-being.
In his free time, Joel has a passion for music that he channels through hip-hop music production and as a long-time pianist. He also enjoys video games, anime, dancing, dystopian thrillers, horror movies, and spending time with friends. "
Shean Hinds, MD
Shean Hinds is a Jamaican who immigrated to the United States at the age of three. He was raised primarily in New York and New Jersey. He is a first-generation college graduate and the first in his family to become a physician. He earned his Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Sciences from the City College of New York and earned his medical degree from the CUNY School of Medicine in one of the school’s first graduating classes. His first-hand experience in dealing with limited care options for low-income immigrants has motivated Shean to focus on a career that promotes healthcare access and health equity.
During his time in medical school, Shean served as the co-chair of the Advocacy in Medicine workgroup at the New York Academy of Medicine. This student-led group focuses on promoting health advocacy skills and creating a space to discuss and work toward solutions that dismantle barriers to care. During his time in leadership in the organization, Shean developed the foundation of how Advocacy in Medicine (AIM) operates and conducts outreach. Shean is also a founding member of FinGem, a social innovation organization that aims to uplift communities out of poverty by teaching financial literacy to underserved populations.
Shean is ecstatic to continue his journey of becoming a community doctor as he joins the NYP- Columbia Family Medicine Residency Program. In his new role, he will continue following his passion for advocacy work, community medicine, preventative medicine, financial literacy education, and the promotion of health care access. In his free time, Shean enjoys expressing his passion for the arts and reading manga.
Adjoa Mante, MD
Adjoa grew up in the Philadelphia suburbs. She was raised by Ghanaian parents with connections across the globe who fostered her curiosity about different languages, cultures, and communities. Adjoa graduated from Princeton University with a Bachelor's degree in Spanish with a focus on global health and Latin American studies. Her interests in the African diaspora, justice in health, and Spanish led her to further study and internships in Cuba and Colombia as an undergraduate. Adjoa continued to pursue population and community health work after graduation. As a public interest fellow in Chicago, she co-led neighborhood health planning efforts and developed tools to evaluate social service programs. Adjoa later returned to Philadelphia to attend the Perelman School of Medicine. As a medical student, she worked with community members to coordinate local health programs promoting activity through dance and barbershop-based blood pressure screenings. She also advocated for a more equitable and evidence-based approach to addressing race and racism in medical curricula alongside a team of students and mentors, earning a prize in medical education. Adjoa graduated as a member of the Gold Humanism Honors Society and was awarded the Morris Ginsburg Prize in recognition of her dedication to others.
Adjoa is grateful for the opportunity to take care of and learn from patients at Farrell Community Clinic and the Allen Hospital as a family medicine resident. She looks forward to getting to know the neighborhood of Washington Heights and exploring creative ways to address the individual, social, and structural factors influencing health. In her free time, Adjoa enjoys reading fiction and memoirs, running or dancing outdoors, and spending time with loved ones.
Olivia Patsos, DO
Olivia was born in New Hampshire and raised primarily in Concord, Massachusetts. She attended Tulane University in New Orleans, where she earned both a Master of Science and a Bachelor of Science degree in Neuroscience, with a Minor in Spanish. While at Tulane, Olivia volunteered as an EMT where she witnessed first-hand the many social and economic factors that compromise access to healthcare. This experience ignited both a passion for social justice and a desire to become a primary care physician.
After graduate school, Olivia worked as a Professional Research Assistant for the University of Colorado in Denver, Colorado where she focused her academic research skills in behavioral health. This and her hands on clinical experience led her to attend medical school at the University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine. Here, Olivia was selected as a Gold Humanism Honors Society recipient and graduated with an honors distinction through the Care for the Underserved Pathways, a nationally recognized Area Health Education Centers Program for her dedication to serving marginalized populations.
Olivia’s approach to medicine is to focus on the root cause of disease instead of just treating the symptoms. Applying a holistic lens to her patients, Olivia is committed to treating her patients as a whole and in a manner that considers not only the patient’s role in their health, but the role that cultural and socioeconomic factors play in determinants of overall health. She is dedicated to serving all individuals and has a special interest in serving the LGBTQIA+ community and providing gender affirming care, advocating for reproductive justice and bodily autonomy, and taking harm reduction approaches to treatments.
Olivia is driven by learning from her patients and is looking forward to continuing to do so from the diverse medical community of NYP-Columbia University. She is so excited and fortunate to join the Family Medicine Residency at NYP-Columbia where she can provide comprehensive healthcare for all patients and their families while being supported by an outstanding group of co-residents and faculty.
Outside of medicine, Olivia enjoys running, reading historical fiction, going to her aunt’s 80s tribute band shows in the city, and binge-watching Jeopardy with her cat Leo.
Janani Prasad, MD
Janani was born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area. She received her Bachelor of Science in Neuroscience from UCLA with a minor in Public Policy. In addition to developing her interest in medicine at UCLA, she also discovered her passion for working with underserved communities through teaching after-school classes to students at underserved schools in LA. As a student at UC Irvine School of Medicine, she learned how socioeconomic disparities extend to healthcare while rotating at federally qualified health centers in Santa Ana and Anaheim, CA and as a board member of a An Lanh student-run free clinic. She enjoyed working with family medicine providers at these clinics, loving the perfect mix of patient-centered preventative medicine, and community medicine in the specialty. Janani also received the Medical Arts and humanities award and graduated with distinction in Arts and Humanities for her role on two medical humanities publications, which used various visual, written, and performing arts to reflect on experiences in medicine.
Janani is so excited to join the NYP-Columbia Family Medicine Program, where she is excited to pursue her interests in community medicine, preventative medicine, reproductive health, advocacy and more! Outside of medicine, Janani enjoys dancing, baking, playing with her pup, Riley, and is very excited to start exploring New York City with her partner, Ralph :)
Mattie Renn, MD
Originally from the border of Rhode Island and Connecticut, Mattie grew up tagging along to theatrical rehearsals and quahogging with family. She attended college at the University of Chicago, majoring in Biology and minoring in Human Rights, and stuck around post-graduation to work in biophysics research. Mattie then moved closer to home to become the first “doctah” in the family. She attended Columbia through the Bassett track, with training in health systems leadership and trauma-informed care. During medical school, Mattie co-founded the American Medical Student Association’s Medical Students for Gun Safety national campaign. She also served as their Education and Advocacy Fellow between her third and fourth year, supporting all AMSA’s national advocacy efforts.
Mattie has a particular passion for activism surrounding health justice for native populations, gun violence prevention, access to mental health resources, and rights for immigrant communities. She hopes to pursue a career in health equity, providing ethical and just care to communities who experience violence at the hands of the American healthcare system. In her free time, Mattie likes to bake pies, spend time with her family, and take long walks through Fort Tryon Park with her partner, Trevor, and their dog, Peaches. She is incredibly grateful to be joining her co-residents in the NYP-Columbia Family Medicine Residency Program and is excited to continue learning from the wonderful Washington Heights and Inwood communities.
