Current Cardiovascular Fellows
Current Cardiovascular Fellows
Our 2023-24 Cardiovascular Fellows.
Third Year Cardiovascular Fellows
Tarun Bathini, M.B., B.S. (PGY-6) – Kakatiya Medical College, India.
Hometown: Hyderabad, India.
Clinical Interests: Cardiac MRI, coronary CT, and advanced heart failure.
Research Interests: Cardiac MR imaging, coronary CT FFR, novel echocardiographic techniques, and HFpEF.
About: Tarun grew up in Hyderabad, India and completed medical school at Kakatiya Medical College in Warangal, India. Prior to residency he was part of a research group at New York Methodist Hospital, where he looked at improvement in myocardial function after revascularization based on viability assessment using cardiac MRI. At the University of Pennsylvania, Tarun was involved with looking at the effect of inorganic nitrate on exercise capacity in HFpEF.
After completing his internal medicine residency training at Bassett Medical Center he took an academic hospitalist position at the University of Arizona, and after fellowship he plans to obtain additional training in advanced imaging with special focus on cardiac MRI. His long-term goal is to practice at an academic teaching hospital with dedicated time for clinical research.
Outside of work, Tarun likes spending time with friends, exploring places, and watching movies and sports.
Bishesh Shrestha, M.B., B.S. (PGY-6) – University of Dhaka International Medical College, Bangladesh.
Hometown: Pokhara, Nepal.
Clinical Interests: Cardiovascular interventions, pulmonary hypertension, and lipidology.
Research Interests: Novel cardiac biomarkers, cardio-metabolic pathways, and cardio-oncology.
About: Bishesh was born and raised in Nepal. He studied medicine in Bangladesh before he moved to the U.S. for his internal medicine residency which he completed at Bassett Medical Center.
During his residency, Bishesh developed a keen interest in novel biomarkers that are of prognostic significance in patients with acute coronary syndrome. He was involved in research that looked at cardiovascular outcomes in cancer survivors and was also involved in percutaneous cardiac intervention case series. During his fellowship, among other things, Bishesh has started working on lipid metabolism and its relationship with major adverse cardiovascular outcomes.
Outside of medicine, he enjoys travelling, playing guitar and sketching.
Second Year Cardiovascular Fellows
Shwetha Gopal, M.D. (PGY-5) – Davao Medical School, Philippines.
Clinical Interests: Advanced heart failure and transplant.
Research Interests: Atrial fibrillation and CHADs-VASc score, heart failure, and SGTL-2.
About: Shwetha was born in the “Silicon Valley of India”, also known as Bengaluru. She ventured to the Philippines to do her medical school where she gained inspiration and insight into the physician-patient relationship. Shwetha became interested in the research of cholesterol metabolism and moringa oleifera, the effect of watermelon on hypertension. It was this experience coupled with four years of medical practice in India that solidified her interest in working with underserved populations and understanding the complexities of the social determinants of health.
Shwetha finished her residency at Saint Barnabas/Robert Wood Johnson where she worked on thrombotic risk in COVID patients, 30-day readmission rate and TAVR complications in bicuspid aortic valve, and several projects on COVID-19. She was part of the patient safety and quality improvement committee on which she reviewed hospital mortality data and analyzed systemic deficiencies in an attempt to improve patient safety and quality in the hospital. She was involved in performing critical reviews of patient safety events. Shwetha plans to pursue further training in advanced heart failure and transplant fellowship.
In her free time, she enjoys her time with friends and family, camping, hiking, learning new recipes, and painting.
Ankur Panchal, M.B., B.S. (PGY-5) – SBKS Medical Institute and Research Ctr, India.
About: After finishing medical school in India, Ankur moved to New York where he worked at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai as a postdoctoral research fellow. He completed his internal medicine residency there and accepted a hospitalist position at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center where he was involved in caring for critically ill cardiac patients. Ankur continued his clinical research, working on CMR findings in COVID-19 myocarditis. He also performed a meta-analysis of over 65,000 patients on propitious temporal changes in short-term hard outcomes over two decades after TAVR compared SAVR. He is looking forward to strengthening his clinical acumen and knowledge in cardiology while continuing his clinical research.
Ankur enjoys cooking, hiking and traveling.
First Year Cardiovascular Fellows
Aamir Gilani, M.B., B.S. (PGY-4) – Jinnah Sindh Medical University, Karachi, Pakistan.
Hometown: Karachi, Pakistan.
Clinical Interests: General and interventional cardiology.
Research Interests: Clinical studies, coronary/structural intervention, healthcare disparities.
About: Following the completion of his medical education and an internship in Karachi, Pakistan, Aamir ventured to Atlanta, Georgia. There, he pursued his residency at Northside Gwinnett, where he had the privilege of also serving as a chief resident.
Aamir‘s dedication to advancing the field of cardiology led him to delve deeply into research during his residency, resulting in the prestigious recognition of the Resident Scholar Award. Aamir’s research endeavors primarily focused on the critical aspects of CTO intervention outcomes and addressing disparities in mechanical circulatory device utilization.
Beyond his professional pursuits, Aamir finds solace and inspiration in weightlifting, reconnecting with nature through leisurely walks, and exploring new destinations through travel.
Hardikkumar Patel, M.B., B.S. (PGY-4) – Medical College, Baroda, India.
Hometown: Unjha Mehsana, India.
Clinical Interests: Advanced heart failure and transplant.
Research Interests: Cardiomyopathies.
About: After finishing medical school in India, Hardy moved to New York where he completed his internal medicine residency from Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai (Morningside and West). Afterwards he decided to work at Montefiore Medical Center as a hospitalist where he was involved in taking care of critically ill patients. Alongside he continued his clinical research where he worked on TAVR in heart failure patients, post-TAVR conduction disturbances, and post-afib/-aflutter ablation change in atrial strain. He also volunteered at Montefiore’s Structural Heart Clinic where he worked on pre- and post-TAVR, mitral clip, PFO, and structural clinical trial patients. After that he completed an Advanced Heart Failure and Transplant Cardiology fellowship at Montefiore.
