Author: V. Lau

Yale Neurology gathered yesterday evening to celebrate the completion of training for nine residents and three fellows.

The event took place at Amarante’s Sea Cliff, attended by over a hundred of faculty members, trainees and family members. This year, three residents will remain at Yale while others start fellowship training on both coasts:

• Dr. Diane Chan: Massachusetts General Hospital/Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Movement Disorders
• Dr. Jeffrey Dewey: Yale University, Neuromuscular Medicine
• Dr. Ilena George: Mount Sinai Hospital, Multiple Sclerosis and Neuroimmunology
• Dr. Krithi Irmady: Columbia University, Movement Disorders
• Dr. Saien Lai: Stanford University, Epilepsy/Clinical Neurophysiology
• Dr. K. H. Vincent Lau: Massachusetts General Hospital/Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Neuromuscular Medicine
• Dr. Andrew Liu: UCSF, Cognitive/Behavioral Neurology
• Dr. Reshma Narula: Yale University, Neurovascular
• Dr. Sirisha Sanamandra: Yale University, Neuromuscular Medicine

The department also recognized fellows Dr. Amy Chan for completion of neuro-oncology fellowship, Dr. Arman Fesharaki-Zadeh for behavioral neurology and neuropsychiatry fellowship, and Dr. Sarah Wesley for neuroimmunology fellowship. Other fellows will be recognized at a separate event.

Graduating residents: (left to right) Drs. Sanamandra, George, Chan, Dewey, Liu, Narula, Imrady, Lai and Lau

Chief residents Drs. Jeffrey Dewey and Vincent Lau recognized program leadership with tokens of appreciation for program director Dr. Jeremy Moeller, associate program directors Drs. Caitlin Loomis and Darren Volpe, department chair Dr. David Hafler and coordinator Ms. Cynthia Petersen. Dr. Jeffrey Dewey received the Resident of the Year Award, Dr. Paul Fu the Gilbert Glaser Award and Dr. Bryce Buchowicz the Lewis Levy Award. Drs. Jeffrey Dewey, Vincent Lau and Reshma Narula received certificates in Neurology Education.

Dr. Daniel DiCapua was named the Attending of the Year, as selected by residents. Dr. David Greer was honored with the Excellence in Mentorship award.

The 69^th American Academy of Neurology (AAN) Annual Meeting took place at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center this week.

The meeting was well attended by residents and fellows. Presenters included Drs. Priyanka Chilakamarri, Diane Chan, Stacy Chu, Eliezer Sternberg.

(clockwise from top left) Drs. Chu, Chilakamarri, Chan and Sternberg) present their research

Senior resident Dr. Jeffrey Dewey gave a platform presentation on his research in bedside teaching in medical education.

Dr. Dewey presents his work on bedside teaching

Throughout the week, residents attended lectures by international experts and participated in mentored small groups. They also attended the exposition for learning via the latest technologies.

Residents undergo simulation in epilepsy

Residents explore the pathogenesis of multiple sclerosis via virtual reality

Critical-care epilepsy fellow Dr. Carolina Maciel was recognized for her work as a TRANSCENDS (Training in Research for Academic Neurologists to Sustain Careers and Enhance the Numbers of Diverse Scholars) scholar, a joint initiative of the AAN and the Medical University of South Carolina.

Dr. Maciel speaks about her work as a TRASCENDS scholar

Senior residents Dr. Ilena George and Dr. Vincent Lau attended the Faculty and Trainee reception on April 24 as a representative of the Residents and Fellows section of Neurology and as a recipient of the Resident Scholarship to the Annual Meeting respectively. Later that evening, the Yale Neurology Alumni Reception gathered current and past trainees and faculty at the lavish Public Garden of the Sheraton Boston Hotel.

Outside the conference, trainees enjoyed dining at local eateries such as Worden Hall and the Publico Street Bistro and Garden in South Boston.

Faculty and trainees dine at Worden Hall

Residents look forward to attending the 70th AAN Annual Meeting in Los Angeles next year.

Over four weekend days last month, groups of residents and fellows took part in Escape New Haven, a game in which 4-8 players are locked into a room and must find a way out using teamwork. Residents tackled theme rooms such as The Space Station and The Crypt.

The residency program is grateful for the funding of $3600 provided by the Graduate Medical Education office for this team-building activity, as part of the hospital’s wellness initiative.

Clinical Neuroscience Grand Rounds ends a successful fall run this December with one of the most diverse group of speakers in the history of the lecture series. Lecturers ranged from neurology department leadership to the president of Yale-New Haven Hospital, from leaders in basic science research to experts in medical education.

Asked about her philosophy in selecting speakers, Grand Rounds resident coordinator Dr. Krithi Irmady says the committee aims to expose the audience to fields outside their expertise: “To me, the purpose of Grand Rounds isn’t just to educate but also to ignite new ideas and possibilities.” She appreciates ample funding from the department that allows her to invite lecturers from both within the Yale academic community and around the world.

Dr. Irmady MD-PhD is a fourth-year resident on the research track. She will continue her clinician-researcher career at Columbia University this July.