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Our Residents

PSTP Residents and Fellows

Nancy MikatiNancy Mikati, MD - PGY1
Mentor: Marina Del Rios, MD, MS
Interest Area: Resuscitation Research, Medical Education
Hometown: Beirut, Lebanon
Social Interests: Traveling, trying new cuisines, cooking, music, and sunsets
Favorite Dessert: Crepes and French Toast ("pain perdu")
Bio: Nancy received her MD from the American University of Beirut in May 2019. Nancy then moved to the US in August 2019 to persue her T32 postdoc EM research fellowship & MS in clinical research (Health Services Research Track)

 

 

 

Melvin Donaldson, MD, PhD - PGY3
Wellness Chief

Melvin is a graduate of the Physician Scientist Training Program at the University of Minnesota. He studied epidemiology and worked with the Center for Care Delivery and Outcomes Research at the Minneapolis VA Medical Center on resiliency in chronic pain. His thesis focused on yoga and other multimodal therapies. His clinical interests currently are in the care of acute overdose and preventable poisoning. His research interests focus on the intersection of critical care and overdose, currently exploring the use of Extracorporeal Life Support in overdose. In his free time, he enjoys foraging for edible mushrooms, learning guitar, and working on all sorts of projects around the house.

 

 

 

 

Karen Cyndari, MD, PhD - PGY-4/1st year Fellow
Mentor: Christine A Peterson, DVM, PhD (Epidemiology and Immunology) 
Project: Immune Mechanisms of Antibiotic-Refractory Lyme Arthritis
Description: Lyme Arthritis is a infectious arthritis that often presents as a relapsing and remitting arthritis, more similar to an inflammatory arthritis such as Rheumatoid Arthritis. Even when appropriately treated and cured with antibiotics, some patients continue to have chronic symptoms. With nationwide increases in rates of Lyme Disease and Lyme Arthritis, understanding how an infectious arthritis becomes an inflammatory arthritis is essential for preserving joint health, not just in Lyme Arthritis patients, but all patients with an infectious arthritis. 
Bio: Dr. Cyndari received her MS in Natural Sciences specializing in Immunology from Roswell Park Cancer Institute (Buffalo, NY) in 2011. She received her MD/PhD from SUNY Upstate Medical University (Syracuse, NY) in 2019. Her research speciality is osteoimmunology. 
Favorite Dessert: Chocolate. All the chocolate. 
Favorite Hobby: I make graphic novels! 
Contact: karen-cyndari@uiowa.edu