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October 23, 2020

New Clinical Scholars Join the Center for Clinical and Translational Science
By Editorial Staff

On July 1, 2020 five new Clinical Scholars joined the Rockefeller University Clinical Scholars Program. They are Drs. Yelina Alvarez, Charlie Buffie, Katherine Knorr, Mira Patel, and Rashid Rumah.

New Scholar orientation takes place the first Wednesday in July. The orientation is usually in-person for the Scholars and the Clinical Scholars program leadership meet and get to know each other as the curriculum and goals for the Scholars are reviewed and discussed. This year’s orientation was virtual to adhere to the social distancing requirements, but the engagement and interest in the program and for each other was just as interactive as past orientation. Please join us in welcoming the incoming Clinical Scholars.

Yelina Alvarez, MD, PhD
Mentors: Daniel Mucida, PhD
Laboratory: Laboratory of Mucosal Immunology
 
Research Interest: Dr. Yelina Alvarez’s research focuses on understanding the mucosal immune system and how it communicates with the rest of the resident cells and microbiota and how dysfunctional interactions can lead to human diseases such as functional disorders and inflammatory bowel disease.
 
Bio: Dr. Alvarez received her MD and PhD from the New York University School of Medicine. She completed her internal medicine residency at New York University and gastroenterology fellowship at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania.
 
Charlie Buffie, MD, PhD
Mentors: Sean Brady, PhD
Laboratory: Laboratory of Genetically Encoded Small Molecules
 
Research Interest: Dr. Charlie Buffie uses a variety of in vitro screening approaches and animal model systems to elucidate the identity and function of genetically-encoded small molecules made by native intestinal bacterial populations, with special attention to the prevalence and abundance of these metabolites in human subjects.
 
Bio: Dr. Buffie received his PhD from Weill Cornell Graduate School and his MD from Weill Cornell Medical College. Dr. Buffie completed his internal medicine residency and is completing his Gastroenterology & Hepatology Fellowship at New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medicine.
 
Katherine Knorr, MD, PhD
Mentors: Jeffrey Ravetch, MD, PhD
Laboratory: Leonard Wagner Laboratory of Molecular Genetics and Immunology
 
Research Interest: Dr. Katherine Knorr’s research focuses on research involves defining patterns of aberrant spliceosome protein snRNP500 expression on the surface of malignant myeloid cells. Expression of this protein correlates with durable responses after allogeneic stem cell transplantation in patients with acute myeloid leukemia and myelodysplastic syndrome. The proposed mechanism of response involves formation of antibodies against the snRNP500 protein.
 
Bio: Dr. Knorr received her MD and PhD from the University of Minnesota. Dr. Knorr completed her internal medicine residency at New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medicine and is completing her Oncology Fellowship at Memorial Sloan Ketterin gCancer Center.
 
Mira Patel, MD
Mentor: Dr. Sohail Tavazoie
Laboratory: Elizabeth and Vincent Meyer Laboratory of Systems Cancer Biology
 
Research Interest: Dr. Mira Patel studies the role of immunosurveillance in mechanisms of cancer progression and metastasis, particularly as it relates to germline genetic variants that may predispose to metastatic disease.
 
Bio: Dr. Patel received her MD from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Dr. Patel completed her Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery at Washington University in St. Louis/Barnes-Jewish Hospital and is completing her radiation oncology residency at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.
 
Rashid Rumah, MD, PhD
Mentors: Vincent Fischetti, PhD
Laboratory: Laboratory of Bacterial Pathogenesis and Immunology
 
Research Interest: Dr. Rashid Rumah’s research focuses on how the gut-brain axis contributes to serious neurological diseases of unknown origin, including multiple sclerosis (MS) and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).
 
Bio: Dr. Rumah received his MD from Weill Cornell Medical College and his PhD from the Rockefeller University.