Meet the Trainee Council
Since 2001, the Trainee Council has provided a forum for hematology fellows to discuss issues relevant to fellowship training and career development and provides suggestions regarding programs that may increase interest in hematology. The council projects include Hematopoiesis, Ash-a-Palooza and other trainee activities at the ASH annual meeting, Grants Clearinghouse, ASH Hematology Career Planner, and more.
The Trainee Council consists of MD, MD, PhD, and PhD trainees from across North America. The council is governed by a chair who is elected by the members of the council and each council member serves a two-year term.
Second-Year Council Members FIRST-YEAR COUNCIL MEMBERSSince 2023 the council has expanded to include four new positions:
- Medical student
- PhD student in a hematology laboratory
- Resident (MD, DO, MD/PhD enrolled in a duly accredited residency program related to internal medicine that may lead to hematology-related practice)
- A clinical or post-doctoral fellow from outside of North America
Fellows are invited to apply for a position on the Trainee Council at the top of each year. Trainees who exhibit leadership qualities and a high potential for a successful career in hematology or a hematology-related discipline are the best fit.
Second-Year Council Members
Ruby Arora, MD, University of Illinois at Chicago
Dr. Ruby Arora is currently a PGY-1 Internal Medicine Resident at the University of Illinois in Chicago. She graduated from Tulane University School of Medicine in 2024. Prior to medical school, she worked as a clinical research coordinator at Washington University in St. Louis with a focus on lymphoma clinical trials. She is an alumni of the Memorial Sloan Kettering Summer Medical Student Research Fellowship. Dr. Arora plans to pursue a career in malignant hematology with a focus on healthcare disparities and advocacy for underserved patients.
Claire Drysdale, BA, BSc, Regents of the University of Michigan
Claire Drysdale is a 6th-year MD/PhD student at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. Before matriculating at Michigan, she completed a post-baccalaureate intramural research fellowship at the NIH/NHLBI focused on gene therapy for sickle cell disease. She is currently completing her PhD in Cell and Developmental Biology in the lab of Rami Khoriaty, where she is investigating novel targets for fetal hemoglobin induction, which may lead to improved treatments for beta-hemoglobinopathies. After finishing her MD/PhD, she plans to pursue her clinical and research interests in beta-hemoglobinopathies through a physician-scientist training program in hematology.
Ritika Dutta, MD, Stanford University
X: @ritikulocyte
Dr. Ritika Dutta graduated from Stanford School of Medicine and completed her Internal Medicine residency at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. She is a currently hematology/oncology fellow at Stanford. Her research in myeloid malignancies focuses on developing novel therapeutics, understanding mechanisms of bone marrow failure in leukemia, and investigating germline predisposition syndromes. She has presented her work at multiple prior ASH meetings and is an HHMI and HONORS award recipient. Ritika is also deeply engaged in health equity initiatives to reduce structural barriers to care and is passionate about mentorship of trainees. She hopes to develop a career as a clinician-investigator, leading clinical trials with correlative studies to bring insights from the lab to the bedside in an inclusive and equitable manner.
Nicholas C. Lee, MD, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
X: @NickLeeMD
Dr. Nicholas Lee is currently a dual adult hematology and pediatric hematology/oncology fellow sponsored by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute and the joint National Cancer Institute/Johns Hopkins University programs, respectively. He received his medical degree from Yale School of Medicine and trained in combined internal medicine and pediatrics residency at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center—where he was an HONORS Award recipient. Dr. Lee is focused on bone marrow failure diseases across the lifespan with an emphasis on translational research and clinical trials. He works with Dr. Neal Young’s group where he is investigating germline influences on bone marrow failure disorders and is an associate investigator on clinical trials in aplastic anemia and telomere biology disorders.
Randolph B. Lyde Jr., MD, PhD, UPMC Hillman Cancer Center
Dr. Randolph B. Lyde Jr. obtained his medical degree from the Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University and his PhD from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. He is currently a 1st year Hematology-Oncology Fellow at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center where he also completed medical residency training in internal medicine. He is interested in both classic and malignant hematology and conducts research on sickle cell disease and leukemia. He is particularly interested in mentorship, health disparities, medical education and leadership and currently serves on the ASH Hematology Inclusion Pathway (HIP) Programs Subcommittee.
Yoshito Nishimura, MD, PhD, MPH, Mayo Clinic
X: @yoshi735
Dr. Yoshito Nishimura is a Hematology/Oncology Fellow at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. He earned his medical degree and completed his internal medicine residency and general internal medicine fellowship at Okayama University in Japan, as well as a PhD in immunopharmacology. After working at the Ministry of Health in Japan for global health policy, he completed an internal medicine residency and a chief residency at University of Hawaii. With over 130 peer-reviewed publications, his work has significantly advanced understanding of rare hematologic diseases and influenced clinical guidelines. Dr. Nishimura's research focuses on Castleman disease, oncoimmunology, and long-term cancer epidemiology and disparity studies among different racial and ethnic groups.
Mark Orland, MD, PhD Candidate, Case Western Reserve University
@OrlandMarkMD
Dr. Mark Orland is a current PhD candidate at Case Western Reserve University. He completed his medical school at University of Illinois College of Medicine at Chicago. His research in Dr. Jaroslaw Maciejewski's lab focuses on the clonal evolution and epigenetic dysregulation underlying myeloid malignancies, with a particular interest in how somatic alterations shape hematopoietic fitness and disease progression. Dr. Orland is passionate about bridging basic science discoveries with clinical application and aims to develop targeted therapeutic strategies informed by clonal and epigenetic architecture. He is currently a co-investigator for a clinical trial examining the impact of GLP-1s on clonal hematopoiesis. He is a committed physician-scientist advocate with experience in health policy and legislative outreach.
Maaike GJM van Bergen, PhD, Radboud University Medical Center, Nimegen, The Netherlands
Dr. Maaike van Bergen is a postdoctoral researcher at the Radboudumc in Nijmegen, the Netherlands. She is trained as a medical biologist and specializes in molecular hematology. In 2022, she obtained her PhD on transcription regulation of megakaryopoiesis at Radboud University in Nijmegen. She is now investigating clonal hematopoiesis in the general population. Her interests focus on identifying targets for early intervention strategies to ultimately help prevent the development of myeloid malignancies.
Carolina Velez-Mejia, MD, VCU Health
@cvelezmejia
Dr. Carolina Velez-Mejia received her medical degree from Universidad CES in Medellin, Colombia, and then completed her residency in Internal Medicine and Chief Year at the University of Texas at San Antonio. She is currently pursuing a fellowship in Hematology and Oncology at Virginia Commonwealth University. Her research has focused on understanding survival outcomes in underrepresented populations across different lymphoma subtypes. Dr. Velez-Mejia is interested in a career as a clinical educator and researcher in malignant hematology, with a special focus on lymphomas, health disparities, and advocacy for underserved patients.
Taishi Yonezawa, PhD, Baylor College of Medicine
@TaishiYonezawa
When Dr. Taishi Yonezawa was in high school, he was diagnosed with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS). Fortunately, he was cured through treatment that included chemotherapies and a bone marrow transplant from his sister. However, this experience inspired him and motivated his pursuit of a career in hematology research. Dr. Yonezawa received his Ph.D. at the University of Tokyo, Japan. His Ph.D. thesis work has established a therapeutic approach to hematologic malignancies targeting RUNX1 in the lab of Drs. Toshio Kitamura and Susumu Goyama. Dr. Yonezawa is currently a postdoctoral fellow in Dr. Margaret (“Peggy”) Goodell’s lab at Baylor College of Medicine. The side effects of current chemotherapies and bone marrow transplants for hematologic malignancies including MDS, even when curative, can often interfere with daily life. Therefore, Dr. Yonezawa became interested in the preleukemic stage, specifically clonal hematopoiesis (CH) and its prevention or treatment as CH is strongly associated with the risk of MDS. Dr. Taishi Yonezawa is developing a method that prevents and treats CH and MDS with fewer side effects.
Sharlene Dong, MD, MS
Dr. Sharlene Dong is currently a Hematology and Oncology fellow at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. She received her medical degree from Wake Forest School of Medicine and completed Internal Medicine residency at The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, where she also served as Chief Resident. Dr. Dong’s clinical and research interests are focused on multiple myeloma and other plasma cell dyscrasias and cellular therapy, specifically defining predictors of response and resistance and investigating emerging toxicities. Dr. Dong plans to pursue an academic career as a clinical investigator in hematologic malignancies.
Mónica Fernandes Pineda, MD
Monica Fernandes is a physician who completed her Internal Medicine residency at Universidad del Valle. She is currently pursuing a fellowship in Hematology and Oncology at Fundación Valle del Lili, affiliated with Universidad Icesi. Her academic and clinical interests focus on sickle cell disease and acute leukemias, particularly through multidisciplinary approaches to patient care and research.
Victoria Gill, BA
Dr. Victoria Gill is a fourth year medical student at The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University pursuing a career in hematology/oncology. She brings prior work experience in healthcare consulting and tech strategy to the council. At Brown, she is a member of the Trainee Oncology Research Collaborative, and helps lead the My Life, My Story program for the Sickle Cell Clinic at Hasbro Children’s Hospital. Her research interests include characterizing and predicting immunotherapy-related toxicities and improving the quality of cancer care.
Boubini Jones-Wonni, MD
Boubini Jones-Wonni is a current hematology fellow at Yale University School of Medicine through the American Society of Hematology's Hematology Focused Fellowship Training Program. She completed her undergraduate education in Biology at Miles College, received her Doctor of Medicine at Howard University College of Medicine and subsequently completed her Internal Medicine residency at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. She has a vested interest in medical education and has remained actively involved in the teaching and mentorship of trainees at different levels. Her clinical interest is in sickle cell disease.
Krisha Mehta, MD
Dr. Krisha Mehta is a hematology-oncology trainee at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson School of Medicine. She completed her medical degree and residency at the Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University. Dedicated to reshaping medical education, she has designed and instituted an evidence-based curriculum to teach medical trainees clinical compassion proving that the art of medicine can be measured, taught, and sustained. Her clinical and academic efforts focus heavily on hematologic malignancies, with a dedicated interest in lymphoma research and improving patient outcomes. Beyond clinical research, she is a passionate advocate for trainee development, medical representation, and the structured recruitment and retention of future hematologists.
Lauren Meyer, MD, PhD
Dr. Meyer completed her MD/PhD at the University of California, San Francisco. She then went on to complete her pediatric residency at the University of Washington, where she is now a pediatric hematology/oncology fellow. Her fellowship research focuses on studying the pathophysiology of hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH), and she has a particular interest in the association between HLH and hematologic malignancies. She also serves as the Trainee Co-Director of the Hyperinflammatory Patient Evaluation (HyPE) Team at Seattle Children’s Hospital, a multidisciplinary clinical working group designed to standardize the diagnostic approach and therapeutic management of patients with severe hyperinflammation and immune dysregulation.
Cara Noel, BS
Cara Noel is a 4th-year MD/PhD student in the Ohio State University MSTP. She is currently a PhD candidate in the Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program within Dr. Robert Baiocchi’s lab studying viral oncology. Her dissertation research investigates the spatial organization of the tumor microenvironment of Epstein Barr Virus-driven lymphoid malignancies, and how epigenetic therapies can be used to favorably remodel the tumor microenvironment. Prior to MSTP matriculation, Cara received a BS in microbiology and a music minor from the Ohio State University. She is a former ASH HONORS trainee and ASH Abstract Achievement Award recipient. Cara is dedicated to developing a career as a physician-scientist with clinical interests in hematologic malignancies and global health.
Yazmin Reategui-Almonacid, MD
Dr. Yazmin Reategui-Almonacid is currently a PGY-1 Internal Medicine Resident at Rutgers Health/Newark Beth Israel Medical Center in Newark, NJ. She received her medical degree from the Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University in 2025. Prior to medical school, Dr. Reategui-Almonacid worked at Bristol Myers Squibb in quality control and bioanalytical flow cytometry supporting immunotherapy and CAR-T cell therapy development, including ABECMA for multiple myeloma. Her research interests focus on malignant hematology, healthcare disparities, outcomes research, and improving care for underserved populations. She plans to pursue a career in academic malignant hematology with an emphasis on health equity, mentorship, and translational research.
Johnson Ung, PhD, MS
Dr. Johnson Ung is a K00 Postdoctoral Fellow at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute/Harvard Medical School where he leverages dynamic BH3 profiling, a functional assay that measures apoptotic priming, to identify and characterize novel therapeutic vulnerabilities in B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma and acute myeloid leukemia under the mentorship of Dr. Matthew S. Davids. He completed his undergraduate studies at the University of Redlands in Southern California, and in 2025, he earned his Ph.D. from the University of Virginia School of Medicine, where he received several major honors, including the Michael J. Peach Outstanding Graduate Student Award, Graduate Biosciences Leadership Award, and Raven Award. Molded by his experiences as a first-generation Cambodian American with limited access to professional mentorship, Dr. Ung is driven to “pay it forward” to ensure that other trainees, especially those with limited resources, can excel in hematology, oncology, and the biomedical sciences.
Farah Yassine, MD, MSc
Dr. Farah Yassine is currently a Hematology and Medical Oncology fellow at the Medical College of Wisconsin with a strong interest in malignant hematology, bone marrow transplantation, and cellular therapies. She earned her medical degree and Master of Science in Biology from the American University of Beirut before completing her Internal Medicine residency and serving as ambulatory Chief Medical Resident at Morristown Medical Center, NJ. Prior to residency, she had also completed a postdoctoral research fellowship in Bone Marrow Transplantation and Cellular Therapies at Mayo Clinic, Florida. Dr. Yassine’s academic and research interests are focused on advancing outcomes in patients with hematologic malignancies through clinical research, quality improvement initiatives, and translational approaches particularly in the realm of transplant and cellular immunotherapy.