Resident Bios
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PGY-6 | PGY-5 | PGY-4 | PGY-3 | PGY-2 | PGY-1
PGY-6
Katherine Fero, MD
Resident PGY6
Dr. Kelly Fero was born in San Francisco and raised in the Bay Area. She studied Biology at Stanford University and performed honors thesis research in Molecular and Cellular Biology. At Stanford she was a member of the NCAA Division 1 Women’s Rowing Team. She attended UC San Diego School of Medicine where she was awarded an NIH training grant that funded a dedicated research year and Masters degree program. Her masters studies were focused in biostatistics and her area of research interest at UCSD was practice variability and cost-effectiveness of oncologic surgical interventions. She will spend her research year with Dr Karim Chamie and the support of an AUA Care Grant, developing a validated symptoms questionnaire for patients undergoing intravesical therapy for bladder cancer. In her free time Kelly enjoys surfing, skiing and distance running. She looks forward to a career in academic urology.
Dr. Efe Chantal Ghanney grew up in Ghana and attended Yale University where she double-majored in Chemistry and French. She received her medical degree from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, where she graduated with Distinction in Medical Education and was inducted into the Gold Humanism Honor Society. Through her work with the African Research Academies for Women, Chantal established fully-funded research internships for women in African universities, work that has had her share a stage with President Bill Clinton at the Clinton Global Initiative and has had her awarded the 2017 United States President’s Volunteer Service Award by President Barack Obama. She is currently a Master Card Foundation Advisor for Clinton Global Initiative University Alumni. As a urologist, Chantal hopes to be a conduit of both knowledge and technology with the goal of creating urology training opportunities in Ghana. Chantal will also pursue a career that occupies a niche at the intersection of palliative care, geriatrics and urology.
Desiree Sanchez, MD
Resident PGY6
Dr. Desiree Sanchez was born and raised in Delano, California and graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles with a degree in Psychobiology. She then worked in a neuropathology translational medicine laboratory before attending medical school at the University of Washington, Seattle. During medical school, she spent two years doing research in vascular surgery and developed the very first vascular surgery research database at UWSOM. Her clinical and research interests center on healthcare delivery to the underserved, which will be the focus of her research year work with Dr. Stanley Frencher at the Martin Luther King Hospital at UCLA. She is still deciding which type of fellowship she would like to pursue after residency.
Alvaro Santamaria, MD
Resident PGY6
Dr. Alvaro Santamaria was born and raised in Los Angeles, California. He attended the University of California, San Diego and majored in Bioengineering with a focus in Biotechnology. As an undergraduate, he conducted research in a vaccine development lab involved in Dengue Virus research. After graduation, he worked as a development engineer and later as a project manager at a biotech company overseeing the design and manufacturing of an adipose tissue grafting device for plastic and reconstructive surgery. He attended medical school at the David Geffen School of Medicine, where he earned a letter of distinction in surgery. As a resident, he plans to continue pursuing his interest in translational research and medical innovation.
PGY-5
Thomas Gaither, MD
Resident PGY5
Dr. Thomas Gaither was born and raised in Indianapolis, Indiana. He attended Indiana University and majored in neuroscience and psychology. After graduation he joined the Teach for America program and taught high school chemistry and biology in San Jose, CA. He later completed medical school at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). During his time at UCSF, he completed a master’s degree in epidemiology and biostatistics (MAS) and received a grant to study complications to gender affirmation surgery. His research interests include reconstructive urology, LGBTQ+ health, medical education, and all facets of pediatric urology. He would like to pursue a fellowship after completing residency. In Los Angeles, Tom enjoys long distance running, swimming, weight lifting, rooftop bars, and brunch!
Dr. Peter Muraki grew up in Auburn, California. He graduated with honors from the University of California Davis, where he majored in Physiology and International Relations. He earned his M.D. at Eastern Virginia Medical School in Norfolk, Virginia. He spent a summer doing pediatric neurology research at the University of Hawaii, Manoa. His research interests during medical school included patient centered management of nephrolithiasis.
Dr. John Tucker Sigalos was born and raised in Tucker, GA. He attended Vanderbilt University as a Lanier Scholar and graduated Phi Beta Kappa with a major in Neuroscience and a minor in Spanish. He then attended Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, TX where he was elected to the Gold Humanism Honor Society. His academic interests include public health, sexual medicine, and infertility.
James Weinberger, MD
Resident PGY5
Dr. James Weinberger was born and raised in Los Angeles, California. He studied Chemistry and
Psychology at Duke University, where he graduated magna cum laude. At Duke, he played cornerback for the NCAA Division 1 Men’s Football team. He then spent a year as the research coordinator for the Institute for Bladder and Prostate Research, under the direction of Jerry Blaivas. He earned a dual degree MD, MBA at UCLA's David Geffen School of Medicine and Anderson School of Management. He was elected to AOA as well as the MBA Honor Society. He is interested in leadership, improving access to care, and health services research and looks forward to a career in academic urology.
PGY-4
Andre Belarmino, MD
Resident PGY4
Dr. Andre Belarmino was born in Brazil and raised in South Florida. He attended Princeton University and majored in neuroscience and psychology. His research in undergrad focused on behavioral learning and plasticity. He earned his M.D. from Weill Cornell Medical College. His medical research was focused on understanding the socioeconomic impact on surgical outcomes. During his time in medical school, he began an advocacy in medicine initiative to promote physician activism for underserved populations. He is interested in using technology to improve access to healthcare.
Dr. Andre Belarmino is devoting his fourth year to leading the research endeavors of the Men’s Clinic at UCLA, under the mentorship and guidance of Drs. Jesse Mills and Sriram Eleswarapu, UCLA Urology faculty members. There, he will focus on identifying causes and possible therapeutic interventions for male factor infertility. His main project utilizes a mail-in semen analysis kit to assess rates of DNA fragmentation among sub-fertile cohorts, and optimization of semen cryopreservation. Dr. Belarmino will collaborate with Fellow Health in its DNA fragmentation test and mail-in semen kits, and will work on projects examining the cost-effectiveness and compliance of mail-in semen testing in the post-vasectomy patient. “My goal for this research year is to further my knowledge of infertility and andrology, and better understand how medical startups can integrate with academic medicine to advance health care,” Dr. Belarmino says.
Dr. Cindy Gu was born in China and raised in Houston, Texas. She attended Vanderbilt University where she graduated magna cum laude with a B.A. in Molecular Cellular Biology and a minor in Chemistry. She earned her medical degree at the University of Texas at Houston, where she was elected to AOA and the Gold Humanism Honor Society. During her medical school career, she was rewarded the John P. McGovern Humanities Scholar. She is interested in medical education, medical ethics and humanities, and looks forward to pursuing a career in academic urology. During her free time, she enjoys film, hiking, and exploring restaurants and rooftop bars around LA.
Dr. Cindy Gu is spending her research year investigating new diagnostic tools to better understand and treat patients afflicted with interstitial cystitis or bladder pain syndrome (IC/BPS), under the guidance and mentorship of Dr. A. Lenore Ackerman, UCLA Urology assistant professor and director of research for the Division of Female Pelvic Medicine and Reconstructive Surgery. Her research project aims to better categorize and identify clinical phenotypes of IC/BPS through objective measures by using machine-learning approaches and identifying unique urinary microbiome groups through PCR and next generation sequencing. “We often see IC/BPS patients in clinic and they can be some of the most difficult patients to treat because we just don’t know enough about them,” Dr. Gu says. “Treatments courses are often prolonged because it requires a lot of trial and error, as each patient’s symptoms are unique. Through better diagnostic tools and more accurate categorization of IC/BPS patients, future treatments and research can be tailored appropriately and accurately."
Dr. Lin was born and raised in Wenzhou, a small coastal city in southeast China. She studied Biosciences and Biotechnology at Tsinghua University, Beijing, China. After graduation, she moved to Los Angeles, California, and completed her doctoral study in human immunity and inflammatory bowel disease under the guidance of Dr. Jonathan Braun at UCLA. After completion of her Ph.D., she attended Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University for medical school with a full scholarship. During medical school, she spent a year of dedicated research investigating prostate cancer radiation immunotherapy with Dr. Robert Reiter at UCLA. Her current research interests include basic and translational research on immunotherapies for urological cancers. In her spare time, she enjoys long distance mountain biking, backpacking, interior design, and hunting for the best Asian street food that Los Angeles affords.
Dr. Lin Lin is spending her research year investigating the metabolism of a common type of kidney tumor called oncocytoma, under the supervision of Dr. Brian Shuch, UCLA Urology associate professor, director of the Institute of Urologic Oncology Kidney Cancer Program, and Henry Alvin and Carrie L. Meinhardt Chair for Kidney Cancer Research; and Dr. David Shackelford, associate professor in the Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine and an expert in signal transduction and cancer metabolism. Using next-generation sequencing, gene expression analysis, and metabolic functional assays, the team aims to characterize the metabolic alterations in oncocytomas. “Renal oncocytoma is one of the most commonly encountered benign renal tumors, and currently we are unable to differentiate these lesions from malignant kidney cancers, which leads to unnecessary treatment and tremendous health care costs,” Dr. Lin explains. “We know oncocytomas are densely packed with mitochondria, where the biochemical processes of respiration and energy production occur; given that many cancers have mitochondrial defects, I hope this work will be a critical step toward understanding a wide range of pathologies in urologic cancers.”
Grace Sollender, MD
Resident PGY4
Dr. Grace Sollender was born in Chicago and raised in Denver, Colorado. She completed both her undergraduate and M.D. degrees at Dartmouth. As an undergraduate, she graduated cum laude with majors in Biology and Spanish. In medical school, she graduated with honors and was elected to AOA. Outside of work, she enjoys running, skiing, baking, and yoga. She plans on pursuing a fellowship after completing residency and looks forward to a career in academic urology.
Dr. Grace Sollender is spending her research year exploring the experiences of patients and their families with the diagnosis and management of adolescent varicocele. Under the primary mentorship of Dr. Sriram Eleswarapu with Drs. Jennifer Singer and Christopher Saigal as co-mentors, she is employing qualitative research methods to elicit core themes that inform decision-making. "To better counsel patients and their families on how to proceed after diagnosis of a varicocele, this project aims to identify key factors at play when families are making a decision on management. Ultimately, our goal is to improve the patient and family experience," Dr. Sollender notes. She states, "During residency, my clinical work has focused my understanding of the importance of the family perspective as a key component of disease management in pediatric urology. To this end, I hope this work will be an initial step in sparking a career dedicated to taking care of pediatric patients and their families."
PGY-3
Dr. John Cabri was born and raised in San Jose, CA. He remained in the Bay Area for college where he attended Santa Clara University. In addition to working in residence life as a Resident Assistant and Assistant Resident Director, John volunteered as an on-campus EMT, led numerous undergraduate retreats, and was a two-time champion in intramural football and softball. He graduated magna cum laude with a B.S. degree in Biology (concentration in Molecular and Cell Biology) and Psychology. After graduating, John went on to work for a pediatric anesthesiologist for two years in a practice that focused on providing sedation for children undergoing major dental work and surgeries. It was in this role that John gained a valuable understanding of the inner workings of health insurance, medical billing, and healthcare disparities. John received his M.D. from The David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. As a medical student, John facilitated curricular and admissions reform and represented DGSOM to the OSR, the student-led branch of the AAMC. His research in medical school focused on evaluating and describing the state of patient decision-making for urologic diseases and on shared decision-making between patients and their urologists, especially for kidney stones. Outside of medicine and the hospital, John enjoys cooking, hiking, golfing, snowboarding, and picnicking on the beach. If you take nothing else away from all this, just know that the ridiculous mustache in this photo no longer exists.
Ashley Green-Lott, MD
Resident PGY3
Dr. Ashley Green-Lott was born in Fairfield, California and raised in Sacramento. She completed her Bachelor of Science in Human Physiology at the University of Oregon in Eugene, Oregon. Ashley attended medical school at Uniformed Services University in Bethesda, Maryland and is an active duty Captain in the United States Air Force. Her research in medical school involved the prevalence of prostate cancer in veterans. Her current research interests include infertility and andrology, as well as developments in community education about prostate cancer and its treatment, especially in the Black community and for those underserved. Her hobbies include powerlifting, rock climbing, collecting sneakers and sampling as much Asian cuisine as possible.
Vadim Osadchiy, MD
Resident PGY3
Dr. Vadim Osadchiy was born in the far east of Russia and raised in Los Angeles, California. He attended UC Berkeley and graduated with highest honors, majoring in microbial biology. Prior to medical school, Vadim worked as an analyst at a biotech startup focused on delivering an at-home model of clinical trials to patients with rare diseases. He earned his M.D. at UCLA’s David Geffen School of Medicine. Vadim is interested in men’s health, infertility, and the microbiome, and looks forward to a robust career in academic urology. Outside of work, Vadim enjoys weight lifting, tending to his indoor plant collection, and exploring new LA coffee shops.
Dr. Kyle Zuniga was born and raised in the Bay Area. He went to the University of Southern California for college where he majored in biological sciences with a minor in Spanish. While in college, he taught science to local elementary school students, studied abroad in the Basque region of Spain, and served on the executive board of USC's chapter of Alpha Epsilon Delta, the national health preprofessional honor society, as a mentor and career counselor. He attended medical school at Columbia University where he co-organized a monthly open-mic night in which he performed with a 90's cover band, was co-president of the LGBTQ+ organization Lambda, and served as a peer counselor through Columbia's Addiction Information and Management Services. Kyle also served as the medical student representative on the American Urological Association Medical Student Education Committee. He spent a year doing NIH-funded epidemiologic research at the University of California, San Francisco on diet and lifestyle, pathology, and outcomes among patients with urologic malignancies. This research ultimately culminated in a master's thesis on complementary medicine use among patients with prostate cancer. In his spare time, Kyle enjoys cooking and baking, is an avid podcast consumer (and is always looking for recommendations), and plays acoustic guitar. During his first year in urology, Kyle is looking forward to learning with and from his peers and joining the fabulous community of physician-leaders at UCLA.
PGY-2
Dr. Asha Ayub grew up in Portland, ME and graduated from Wellesley College with a degree in Health and Society. After graduation, she worked in health policy at Massachusetts Health Policy Commission. Subsequently, she worked in health services research at RTI International on federally funded evaluations of Medicaid Expansion, Healthcare Innovation Awards, and the Microbicide Trials Network (in East and Southern Africa). She attended medical school at Tufts University School of Medicine, where as a Ho Health Justice Scholar, she worked on initiatives to address prostate cancer disparities in African American men. As a resident, she plans to continue to research on healthcare delivery and healthcare disparities.
Aboubacar Kaba, MD
Resident PGY2
Dr. Aboubacar Kaba was raised in Atlanta, GA after his family immigrated from N'Zérékoré, Guinea when he was five years old. He graduated summa cum laude from THE ILLUSTRIOUS Alabama State University with a bachelor's degree in Biology and double minor in chemistry and math. He earned his medical degree with a distinction in Medical Education from Saint Louis University School of Medicine (SLUSOM), where he was inducted into Alpha Omega Alpha and The Gold Humanism Honor Society. During his time in medical school, he advocated for curricular and policy changes to help facilitate a more equitable medical school experience for students of diverse backgrounds; earning him many recognitions including the Michael T. Railey Diversity Award and Robert H. Felix Award for extensive contributions to the welfare of the SLUSOM community. He research interest include medical education, quality improvement, patient & trainee advocacy and he is excited for a career in academic urology. He enjoys listening to Beyoncé, hiking, running, and trying new restaurants. He is a proud member of the Yelp Elite Squad.
Dr. Austin Lee was born in Texas, and subsequently raised in Chicago and Southern California. He ventured out east to Harvard University for college where he was a member of the NCAA Division 1 Men's Water Polo Team and graduated summa cum laude with a degree in Human Developmental and Regenerative Biology. After college, Austin worked as a consultant leveraging data-driven insights for hospitals, pharmaceutical companies, and insurance providers to gain a broader understanding of the healthcare delivery space. He then pursued his medical degree at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). While at UCSF, Austin spent a summer as an AUA Urology Care Foundation Summer Medical Student Fellow working on a mobile application to optimize lower urinary tract symptom and tamsulosin side effect tracking in elderly men with BPH. Now at UCLA, he is looking forward to developing his urologic research interests and surgical management. When not in the hospital, you can find Austin enjoying LA's finest beaches, hiking trails, gyms, and Korean BBQ.
Dr. James Young was born and raised in Shreveport, Louisiana. He attended the Brown-RISD Dual Degree Program, where he studied Illustration at the Rhode Island School of Design and Science and Society at Brown University, creating cross-disciplinary coursework at the intersection of art and science. After graduating, he spent several months in Guatemala studying the social determinants of health in Latin America and worked as the medical illustrator for multiple medical anthropology books with researchers at MIT and Brown. He earned his M.D. from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, where he graduated with Distinction in Medical Education. During a dedicated research year, he created videos on novel techniques for gender affirming genital surgery and built, illustrated, and piloted an online learning module on transgender healthcare for medical schools. He was invited to present this work at the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH) Scientific Symposium 2020, AUA 2019/2021, and the Association of Medical Illustrators Annual Meeting 2021. His current research interests include reconstructive urology, andrology, medical education, and health disparities. During his free time, James enjoys painting, camping, relaxing on the beach, and eating Cajun food.
PGY-1
Rashed Louay Kosber, MD
Resident PGY1
Dr. Rashed Louay Kosber (Chico) was born in Cairo, Egypt. He attended Amherst College where he graduated Magna Cum Laude with a degree in Economics. Prior to medical school, Chico taught elementary school with Americorps in New York City and sang tenor with the University Glee Club. He attended Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians & Surgeons where he graduated with The James McKiernan Prize for Compassionate Care in Urology and co-authored a successful grant from the Gold Humanism Foundation to prevent burnout in urology residents. He also conducted research with Dr. Steven Brandes on creating and comparing anterior urethral stricture scores. At UCLA, Chico is interested in reconstructive urology and a wide array of academic urology interests. Outside of residency he enjoys working through recipes from America's Test Kitchen, yoga, and enjoying the amazing LA weather ("it's a dry heat").
Dr. Jolie Shen grew up on an island near Seattle, WA. She graduated from Northwestern University with degrees in Economics and Global Health, then worked briefly in finance before making the decision to pursue medicine. Jolie returned to Seattle to attend medical school at the University of Washington where she was elected to AOA and the Gold Humanism Honor Society. As an underserved Pathway Scholar, she worked with several mentorship programs geared towards underrepresented groups in medicine and also as co-lead for UTEST, a nonprofit that provides free and anonymous HIV testing to the Seattle community. Her background in economics and statistics inspired her interest in population health and health services research, which she hopes to continue in residency. Outside of medicine, Jolie loves to golf, run, and attend anything where there might be live music.
Benjamin Tooke, MD
Resident PGY1
Dr. Benjamin Tooke was born and raised in Denver, Colorado. He attended Case Western Reserve University for his undergraduate education where he graduated summa cum laude with a degree in Biochemistry and a minor in Business Management. Subsequently, he attended University of Michigan Medical School (Go Blue!) where he was first introduced to the field of Urology. During his time in medical school, he generated a diverse portfolio of research focused on pregnancy outcomes after vasectomy reversal procedures, proper use of new MRI technologies for risk-stratification of prostate cancer, bladder recovery after renal transplant, and competent delivery of sexual healthcare to patients with disabilities. Outside of the classroom, he also performed in and directed The Smoker, a century old Michigan Medical School cabaret-style musical that satirizes the lives of medical students and physicians. Now in California, Ben plans to take full advantage of the opportunities UCLA has to offer to become a thoughtful and innovative urologist.
Kevin Walsh, MD
Resident PGY1
Dr. Kevin Walsh was born and raised in Glendora, California. He attended UCLA, graduating summa cum laude with a degree in physiologic science. Prior to medical school, he worked for a national educational company, redesigning and implementing new SAT and AP curriculums. He then pursued his medical degree at the David Geffen School of Medicine, receiving the Regents Scholarship. His research in medical school centered on the influence of patient preference on decision making for various urologic diseases. Outside of the hospital, you can find him playing volleyball a local beach, exploring new restaurants, or smoking various types of meats on his grill.