Yale cardiology selects its latest fellows

Each year, hundreds of candidates apply for a coveted spot in Yale’s Fellowship Training Program in Cardiovascular Disease. The decades-old program trains future cardiologists to conduct research and practice clinical cardiology. Over the past 30 years, the training has broadened, said Dr. Russell Raymond, associate professor of medicine and the fellowship’s program director. It now offers opportunities for fellows to pursue their interests in an increasingly specialized field, and to learn from Yale faculty in and outside of cardiovascular medicine.

From an initial pool of over 500 applicants, the nine fellows for 2015 were selected through a highly competitive selection process that matches the interests and talents of the applicants with the capabilities of the program. Their diverse backgrounds and interests reflect the future of cardiovascular medicine.

Dr. Roy Arjoon completed his residency at Boston University. Arjoon’s clinical interest is in noninvasive imaging and his research interest is CT scan-based coronary flow analysis, or analysis of circulation in the heart’s vessels.

Dr. Ashley Brogan also completed her residency at Boston University. Brogran’s clinical interest is in noninvasive imaging and her clinical interest is PET evaluation of cardiac sarcoid, a rare disease in which clusters of inflammatory cells form in the tissue of the heart.

Dr. Moulin Chokshi completed his residency at Yale. His clinical interest is in electrophysiology, a cardiology specialty that diagnoses and treats heart arrhythmias. His research interest is in outcomes measures in patients with an implantable cardioverter defribrillator (ICD).

Dr. Katharine Clapham completed her residency at Massachusetts General Hospital. Clapham’s clinical interest is in heart failure and her research interest is in cardiovascular genetics.

Dr. Burcu Gul completed her residency at Vanderbilt University. Gul’s clinical interest is in interventional cardiology, which pertains to catheter-based treatment of heart disease. Her research interest is in the application of biomaterial technology to stent design.

Dr. Karthik Murugiah completed his residency at Albert Einstein College of Medicine. Murugiah’s clinical interest is in noninvasive imaging and his research interest is in outcomes and health policy.

Dr. Sameer Nagpal completed his residency at Yale. Nagpal’s clinical interest is in interventional cardiology and his research interest is in outcomes in peripheral vascular interventions to treat blocked or narrowed arteries outside the heart.

Dr. Samit Shah completed his residency at Yale. Shah’s clinical interest is in heart failure and his research interest is in the immunobiology of plaque formation.

Dr. Brian Young completed his residency at Yale. Young’s clinical interest is in noninvasive imaging; his research interest is in signaling in endothelial cells, which line blood vessels.

The Fellowship Training Program in Cardiovascular Disease is the fourth largest in the country. It includes a minimum of 24 months of training dedicated to acquiring broad skills in clinical cardiology, followed by one to three subsequent years of advanced training. The program started accepting applications for 2016 on July 1, 2015.