Meet the Medical College of Wisconsin Adult Neurology Residents

The Adult Neurology Residency at the Medical College of Wisconsin is fully accredited by the ACGME as a categorical program. Our outstanding residents are the heart of the program. We take either 6 or 7 residents per year (alternating years).

2025-2026: 6 residents
2026-2027: 7 residents
2027-2028: 6 residents

To give you a better feel for our program, below are videos from some of our residents sharing their residency experiences. During our interview process, you will have additional opportunities to speak with our residents. In the meantime, we invite you to view these videos to get to know us better.

What do you like to do for fun?

What interested you in the Neurology Residency at the Medical College of Wisconsin?

What will you miss the most when you graduate from the Neurology Residency at the Medical College of Wisconsin?

What do you like about life in Milwaukee and southeastern Wisconsin?

Class of 2027

Nicole Avendano, MD

Resident

Medical School: University of Illinois-Peoria | About me: I was a competitive gymnast for 15 years.

Whitt Davis, DO

Resident

Medical School: A.T. Still University of Health Sciences Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine | About me: I am a motorsport enthusiast.

Priya Dhindsa, DO

Resident

Medical School: Lincoln Memorial University - DeBusk College of Osteopathic Medicine | About me: I have a great interest in learning about different natural stones. I have a vast collection of crystals, gemstones, and rocks from all over the world.

Ruaa Elbella, MD

Resident

Medical School: University of Khartoum Faculty of Medicine | About me: I enjoy baking in my free time. My favorite thing to make/eat is baklava.

Jonathan Kiermayr, DO

Resident

Medical School: Arizona College of Osteopathic Medicine | About me: I'm a triplet, but I'm the only one of us in medicine and I take great joy in that.

Joseph Perrigoue, DO

Resident

Medical School: Lincoln Memorial University - DeBusk College of Osteopathic Medicine | About me: Becoming a neurologist is my second career, my first was as a combat medic in the Army,

Jessica Smith, MD

Resident

Medical School: University of Kansas | About me: As a kid growing up in Colorado, my dad would encourage me to keep up with the adults on hikes by saying "the bears always target the slowest person." So now when you see me speed walking though the hospital, you know why!

Class of 2028

Gustavo Barroso Machado, MD

Resident

Medical School: Pontificia Universidade Catolica do Rio Grande Do Sul (PUCRS) Faculdade de Medicina | About me: When asked about what I would like to work with as an adult, my answer was always “Be a professor.” Curiously, before residency I taught Intro to Psychology and Ed Psych for two semesters as a lecturer at UW-Milwaukee.

Fiona Fitzgerald, DO

Resident

Medical School: Des Moines University College of Osteopathic Medicine | About me: I walked 100 miles in a week in Portugal as part of the Camino!

Camila Ishueva, MD

Resident

Medical School: Medical College of Wisconsin | About me: I'm a gardening enthusiast, both indoors and outdoors! My favorite houseplant is the orchid, and I love to grow tomatoes.

Donald "Kirk" Lester, DO

Resident

Medical School: Kansas City University College of Osteopathic Medicine | About me: I’m a 5 star Uber driver, who started a lawn care business, and worked as an aquatics director while pursing my medical education.

Tessa Miller, MD

Resident

Medical School: Medical College of Wisconsin | About me: I love to bake. I’ve recently gotten into pies and breads.

Negar Molazadeh, MD

Resident

Medical School: Islamic Azad University, Ardabil Branch Faculty of Medicine | About me: As a teenager, I used to write short stories for a children’s magazine!

Class of 2029

Kaylynn Carew, MD

Resident

Medical School: Medical College of Wisconsin | About me: My first job in high school was at a local dairy store and I once personally won a competition for best ice cream cone (a true Wisconsin honor!)

Tasnim Elgazzar, MD

Resident

Medical School: Alfaisal University College of Medicine Saudi Arabia | About me: I love going on cooking adventures and cooking purely on vibes.

Kevin Li, MD

Resident

Medical School: University of Kansas School of Medicine-Wichita | About me: I love outdoor activities like climbing, rafting, and most recently, spelunking. I spent a day crawling through mud and freezing water in the second longest cave system in Missouri (Berome Moore), confirming that I can most likely tolerate an MRI.

Rohan Oberoi, DO

Resident

Medical School: Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine | About me: I have mastered 30 different ways to tie a tie. Shoe knots? Still in clinical trials.

Ryan Potter, MD

Resident

Medical School: Northeast Ohio Medical University | About me: Part of my daily routine is playing an album I've never listened to before. If you have a favorite, I should check out next, send it my way!

Nicholas Quirini, MD

Resident

Medical School: Chicago Medical School at Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine & Science | About me: I made a pact with my family to go on a new adventure inside or outside the country every year since residency started. Skiing, camping, climbing mountains, crossing the desert-you name it!

Rasika Viswanathan, MD

Resident

Medical School: Medical College of Wisconsin | About me: I’m a wedding photographer (and I still photograph weddings!)

Class of 2030

Lama Hanbali, MD

Resident

Medical School: University of Louisville | About me: I love travelling and traveled to six countries during medical school.

Chinenye E. Ibekwe, MD

Resident

Medical School: University of Wisconsin | About me: I have a fun collection of coffee mugs!

Ginger Kwak, MD

Resident

Medical School: Medical College of Wisconsin | About me: I have a corn snake named Noodle!

Benjamin Mayberry, DO

Resident

Medical School: Des Moines University College of Osteopathic Medicine | About me: Before going to medical school, I learned unusual skills, met awesome people, and traveled to faraway places in the USMC infantry.

Cirus K. Shiran, DO

Resident

Medical School: Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine | About me: I am fascinated by the history of the neurologic reflex hammer, from Déjerine and Babinski to Rabiner and Trömner. While most people collect baseball cards or coins, I collect reflex hammers — my collection is now up to 12 unique hammers.

Teighan Thompson, MD

Resident

Medical School: University of Illinois College of Medicine - Rockford | About me: I love to write and have written multiple short stories. My side quest outside of medicine is that I am working on a novel that I hope to publish someday!

Recent Program Graduates

Following graduation from our program, our former residents have pursued many different career opportunities. While some chose to go directly into practice after residency, most pursued fellowships. We have had graduates complete fellowship training in virtually all subspecialty areas of Neurology at a wide range of outstanding programs across the country including the Medical College of Wisconsin, Cleveland Clinic, Mayo, Johns Hopkins, Washington University at St. Louis, University of Chicago, and Emory to name but a few.

all

2026

Osayd D. Buirat, DO
Vascular Neurology Fellowship, Medical College of Wisconsin

Britta L. Bureau, MD
Neuro-Oncology Fellowship, Cleveland Clinic

Erie Gonzalez Gutierrez, MD
Neurocritical Care Fellowship, Medical College of Wisconsin

Shama Patel, DO
Neurohospitalist, Central Dupage

Parker Reid Scott, MD
Neuroimmunology Fellowship. Medical College of Wisconsin

Dean Waldhart, DO
Headache Fellowship, Medical College of Wisconsin

2025

Adil Chohan, DO
Vascular Neurology Fellowship, Medical College of Wisconsin

Amro Elrefaei, MD
Vascular Neurology Fellowship, Cleveland Medical Center

Chehan Herath, MD
Clinical Neurophysiology Fellowship, University of Southern Florida

Brian Kelley, DO
Clinical Neurophysiology Fellowship, Medical College of Wisconsin

Joseph Nashid, DO
OSF Healthcare

Krysten Rutzinski, MD
Vascular Neurology Fellowship, Medical College of Wisconsin

2024

Armghan Ans, MD
Vascular Neurology Fellowship, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center

Tyler Heinrich, DO
Clinical Neurophysiology Fellowship, Medical College of Wisconsin

Brittany Legg, MD
Headache Medicine Fellowship, Medical College of Wisconsin

Michael Mendoza, MD
Clinical Neurophysiology Fellowship, Medical College of Wisconsin

Hatem Tolba, MD
Vascular & Endovascular Fellowship, University of Missouri

2023

Jennifer Collins, MD
Headache Medicine, Medical College of Wisconsin

Michael Dryden, MD
Clinical Neurophysiology Fellowship, Medical College of Wisconsin

Annaliise Hayrynen, MD
Sleep Medicine Fellowship, University of Wisconsin-Madison

Ryan Lee, MD
Movement Disorders Fellowship, Medical College of Wisconsin

Tina Nigam, MD
Vascular Neurology Fellowship, University of Michigan

William Pennant, MD
Neurosurgery Residency, Medical College of Wisconsin

2022

Allison Block, DO
Multiple Sclerosis Fellowship, University of Chicago

Darren DuGas, MD
Clinical Neurophysiology Fellowship, Yale

Brian Johnson, DO
Headache Fellowship, Oregon Health and Science

Joyce Okendo, MD
Neuro Critical Care Fellowship Washington University in St. Louis

Danish Pardhan, MD
Neurohospitalist, Medical College of Wisconsin

2021

Kevin Chow, MD
Vascular Fellowship, Medical College of Wisconsin

Ruchi Dhyani, MD
Clinical Neurophysiology and Epilepsy Fellowship, University of Pittsburgh

Brandon Overholt, DO
Neurocritical Care Fellowship, University of Maryland

Vishal Pandya, MD
Epilepsy Fellowship, John Hopkins

Ahmad Sawalha, MD
Epilepsy Fellowship, Mayo Clinic

2020

Daniel Champeau, MD
Neurophysiology Fellowship, Medical College of Wisconsin

Marek Cierny, MD
Vascular Neurology Fellowship, Cleveland Clinic

Sam Hooshmand, DO
Neuroimmunology and MS Fellowship, Medical College of Wisconsin

Tracy Trolanikunnel, MD
Movement Disorder Fellowship, University of Florida

Pamela Youseef, MD
Private Practice, Doral, Florida

2019

Nicola Carlise, MD
Neuroimmunology and MS Fellowship, Medical College of Wisconsin

Salman Farooq, MD
Neurology Attending, Medical College of Wisconsin

Salman Jafri, DO
Private Practice, Ponoma, California

Sumaiya Khondker, MD
Neurocritical Care Fellowship, Emory University

Amanda Willcox, DO
Neurocritical Care Fellowship, Medical College of Wisconsin

2018

Gabriel Bonnell, MD
Neurology Attending, Medical College of Wisconsin

John Andrew Cox, MD
Neurocritical Care/Neurointerventional Fellowship, Medical College of WI

Mohammad (Ashish) Kabir, MD
Clinical Neurophysiology Fellowship, University of WI-Madison

Gregory Rozansky, MD
Neurocritical Care Fellowship, Medical College of Wisconsin

Brandon Strawn, DO
Private Practice, Beloit, WI