Anirban Dutta, Mari Grief, Youngtae Kang, Rachel Kwon, Tiffany Lau, Thanaporn “Ant” Ratchataswan, Mari Ueno, Joshua Umland
The Department is happy to announce the promotion of our faculty members. The promotion of Dr. Rachel Coel and Dr. Kelley Hutchins will be effective July 2024. And the promotion of Dr. Andras Bratincsak and Dr. Pia Francisco-Natanauan will be effective August 2024. We wish them success in their careers as they continue the pursuit of their academic endeavors at the Department of Pediatrics, John A. Burns School of Medicine and the University of Hawaii and their commitment to the communities they serve.
Nagisa Matsumoto, DO
Nagisa Matsumoto was born and raised in Honolulu and graduated from Punahou School where she went on to complete her undergraduate degree in Exercise Science at Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska. During her gap year, she spent two months as an assistant teacher in Hiroshima, Japan after which she returned to Honolulu and worked as an optometrist technician at a local optometry office. She then completed medical school at Touro University Nevada in Las Vegas and is excited to be returning home to start pediatrics residency at the University of Hawaii. Her hobbies include crocheting, ballet, going to the beach, traveling, and everything and anything related to her puppy Miyu, who is an endless ball of energy.
Emily Nip, MD
Emily Nip was born in Houston, Texas, and attended UT Southwestern Medical School. She also received her MPH due to her interest in pediatric community health and global health. Before medical school, she worked for Hawaiʻi Children’s Action Network and spent a year living in Lilongwe conducting research with UNC Malawi Surgical Initiative. She is interested in pursuing fellowship after residency, possibly in infectious disease or gastroenterology, but is still exploring all that pediatrics has to offer. She considers Honolulu one of her hometowns and is excited to reconnect with friends and family. In her free time, her hobbies include rock climbing, hiking, surfing, cooking, and playing with pugs.
Brachelle Nueku, MD
Brachelle Ann Kealohapumehana Nueku was born and raised in Honolulu, HI. She is a graduate of Kamehameha Schools Kapālama, Occidental College, and soon-to-be University of Hawai‘i John A. Burns School of Medicine. She loves spending time with her family and friends, going to the beach, playing/coaching basketball, and taking mid-day naps. Brachelle is currently interested in becoming a general pediatrician in her community or pursuing a sports medicine fellowship. She is excited to continue her training in the UH Pediatrics Residency Program, serving the diverse Hawai‘i communities in which she has grown up
Anna-Kaelle Ramos, MD
Anna-Kaelle Ramos was born and raised in Honolulu, Hawai’i. She obtained her B.S. in Public Health Sciences from the University of California, Irvine before attending the John A. Burns School of Medicine. Anna-Kaelle is excited to continue her training here at home! Her academic interests include general pediatrics, pediatric hematology-oncology, and community health and advocacy. She also enjoys mentoring and hopes to continue supporting local students in their journeys to medicine. In her free time, Anna-Kaelle loves playing volleyball, bouldering, reading, baking (and eating) cookies, and spending time with her cat.
Tori Teramae, MD
Tori Teramae is from Pearl City, Hawaii and graduated from Iolani School. She is the oldest of three girls and the first in her family to attend medical school. She graduated from Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska with a B.S. in Neuroscience. She then received her medical degree from the University of Hawaii John A. Burns School of Medicine. In her free time, she enjoys hiking and spending time in the mountains, distance running, learning about native plants, catching sunsets, trying out new coffee and matcha shops, and spending time with her family including her senior chihuahua terrier mix, Roxy. She is beyond excited to join the UH Pediatrics family and care for Hawaii’s keiki..
Davis Wong, MD
Davis Wong grew up in Kaneohe, Hawai’i and obtained his B.S. in Biochemistry at UH Manoa. He worked as a Registered Behavioral Technician for three years before attending the John A. Burns School of Medicine. His academic interests include developmental pediatrics, allergy and immunology, and pediatric emergency medicine. Davis’ personal hobbies include bouldering, playing pickleball, and playing video games.
Anna Young, MD
Anna Young is born and raised in Honolulu, Hawaii, and graduated from Hawaii Baptist Academy. She obtained undergraduate degrees in Investigative & Medical Sciences and Forensic Science from Saint Louis University then returned home to attend John A. Burns School of Medicine. She is thrilled to have matched with the UH Pediatrics Residency program and is looking forward to further exploring different fields of pediatrics. Her hobbies include finding new boba shops, traveling, crafting, yoga, and baking.
Yi Yu, MD
Yi Yu grew up in Liliha, O‘ahu and graduated from Roosevelt High School in Honolulu. She obtained her bachelor’s degree in Molecular Cell Biology at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa prior to matriculating into the John A. Burns School of Medicine. She is excited to continue her medical training in Hawai‘i where she will be able to keep learning from the community she wishes to serve in the future. Her current interests include general pediatrics and hospital medicine, but she is also open to pursuing a fellowship after exploring various pediatric subspecialities during residency. In her free time, she enjoys trying new crafts, going to new restaurants, doing puzzles, reading books, and watching Asian dramas.
FELLOWS
Abigale Cox, MD
Hello! I write my name as Abigale, but please feel free to call me Abby. I was born and raised in San Antonio, Texas, where I developed a great love for BBQ and breakfast tacos. I earned my undergraduate degree in Neurobiology from the University of Texas in Austin, and I served as an ER travel and training scribe for a year post-grad—it took me all over the US and I’m grateful for that experience! I went through medical school at Texas Tech University School of Medicine in Lubbock TX, and am now finishing up my pediatric residency at Tripler Army Medical Center. I am beyond grateful to be able to continue my education here in Hawaii, where our little family has thrived. My husband’s name is Noah, and we have two sons (Henry, age 6 and Hudson, age 3) with one daughter on the way (due May 2024).
Elizabeth Young, MD
Elisabeth Young is from Lihue, Kauai. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry from the University of Puget Sound, a Masters in Public Health from Harvard University, and her Medical Doctorate from John A. Burns School of Medicine. She completed her Pediatric Residency at the University of California San Francisco and has worked for the last two years as a NICU/PICU pediatric hospitalist at Lurie Children’s Hospital in Chicago. Academically, she is interested in applications of point of care ultrasound, health equity, and community-centered initiatives. Her personal interests include hiking, reading, and anything involving the ocean. She has always dreamed of serving the community that raised her, and could not be happier to return home
CHIEFS
Mari Grief, MD
Dr. Mari Grief will be joining us following her graduation this spring from the University of Hawaii Pediatric Residency Program. Mari was born and raised on Oahu. She moved to the mainland for college, where she attended the University of Notre Dame. She briefly lived in Dallas, Texas as a medical scribe, before returning to the midwest for graduate school at Loyola Chicago University. She returned home to Hawaii for medical school at JABSOM, and stayed in Hawaii for her pediatric residency. From a career standpoint, she is interested in emergency medicine and medical education, and hopes to pursue a fellowship in Pediatric Emergency Medicine in the future. Mari enjoys baking, spending time with her fiance, family, and friends, and teaching her cats new tricks.
Mari Ueno, MD
Dr. Mari Ueno will be joining us following her graduation this spring from the University of Hawaii Pediatric Residency Program. Mari was born and raised on Maui and enjoyed playing soccer throughout her childhood. She moved to the mainland for college, where she attended Santa Clara University in Northern California. She returned home to Hawaii for medical school at JABSOM, and stayed in Hawaii to complete pediatric residency. Mari hopes to pursue a fellowship in Pediatric Cardiology in the future. In her free time, she enjoys running, yoga, hiking, and learning to cook new things.
The Department is happy to announce the promotion of our faculty members. The promotion of Dr. Natascha Ching will be effective August 2023. Dr. Aimee Grace and Dr. Russell Woo were also promoted to their respective appointments effective July 1, 2023. We wish them success in their careers as they continue the pursuit of their academic endeavors at the Department of Pediatrics, John A. Burns School of Medicine and the University of Hawaii and their commitment to the communities they serve.
Lyndsay Long, DO
Aloha! I’m Lyndsay. I grew up in a military family and have enjoyed the opportunity to live, work, and travel in many different parts of the world. For undergrad, I landed at Texas A&M University (Gig’em Aggies!) where I majored in International Studies and Economics. From there, I went to work with the consulting firm, Accenture, and was part of several systems integration projects with the Department of State, Lockheed Martin, and Accenture Federal Services. After deciding that I wanted to pursue a long-term career where I was able to help people more directly, I upshifted to medical school and attended Lincoln Memorial University – DeBusk College of Osteopathic Medicine. With LMU-DCOM, I completed training in both Harrogate, TN on the east side of the state in Appalachia and Memphis, TN on the Mississippi River. I completed my Pediatrics Residency in Oak Lawn, IL on the south side of Chicago at Advocate Children’s Hospital. I fell in love with the care of the tiniest humans and their families and I am thrilled to be doing my NICU fellowship training in Honolulu with UH, JABSOM, and TAMC.
Catlyn Blanchard, MD
My name is Catlyn Blanchard. I am originally from Upstate New York, where I completed my education including graduate and medical school. I have spent the last 3 years in Washington state finishing my pediatrics residency at Madigan Army Medical Center. I am excited to start my neonatology fellowship in Hawaii with my Pembroke Welsh Corgi, Bean. In my spare time I enjoy hiking, swimming, reading, and traveling, particularly if there is good food. I am looking forward to exploring the mountains and ocean around O’ahu.
Dr. Allison Arrigoni will be joining us following her graduation this spring from the University of Tennessee Health Science Center Pediatric Residency Program.
Allison Arrigoni grew up in Seattle where she lived after college prior to moving to New Orleans for medical school, then to Memphis for residency. Having lived on all the US coasts, Allison is very excited to start life in Hawaii, where she and her dog will be reunited with her fiancé and his pug! From a career standpoint, she is interested in hospital medicine and critical care, and hopes to ultimately go into PICU. Allison enjoys spending time with friends, playing board and card games, exploring local restaurants and breweries and watching objectively bad TV. She is looking forward to getting back into hiking and running in Hawaii!
Megan Blair
Megan Blair is from Wailuku, Maui, Hawaii. She attended the Western University of Health Sciences, College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific Northwest in Lebanon, Oregon. She loves the outdoors and takes part in hiking, camping, snorkeling, and diving. She also appreciates a good cup of coffee and likes to find new coffee shops where she can chat with friends or read good books. Finally, she enjoys spending time with her friends and family. As for her goals, she is still figuring out whether she wants to became a general pediatrician in outpatient care, or if she would like to pursue a fellowship in pediatrics. However, one thing is for sure—she looks forward to making lifelong connections with the people she works with and the patients she sees.
Johanna Bonner
Johanna Bonner was born and raised in Greifswald, Germany, where she attended Universitätsmedizin Greifswald. She has been living in Hawaii for the past 3 years. Her personal interests include hiking, running, playing tennis, being in the water, and spending time with family. She hopes to eventually combine outpatient general pediatrics and sports medicine in her office on Oahu.
Alice Chen
Alice Chen was born in Vancouver, Canada and has lived in New York City for the past 7 years. Her academic interests are in neonatal intensive care, developmental-behavioral medicine, and community health and advocacy. Her personal interests include food-forward traveling, reformer pilates, learning about interior and floral design, and taking solo walks with good music.
Sung Hwan Choi
Sung Hwan Choi was born and raised in South Korea. He attended Seoul National University College of Medicine and is primarily interested in studying infectious diseases. His childhood dream was to become a concert pianist, and he continues this passion even now by playing classical or jazz piano pieces during his free time. His goals include pursuing a hematology or oncology fellowship, but he is open to exploring all aspects of pediatric practice.
Mohamed Kandil
Mohamed is originally from Egypt; and grew up in a rural/bedouin culture that values perseverance and teamwork. His people are known for their generosity and for their delicious food.
He is an excellent cook and food is his love language. He also enjoys drawing, painting, and gardening in his free time.
He is planning to pursue fellowship after residency. Still undecided, but loves Hem/Onc, Neonatology, and Cardiology.
Juyun Lee
Juyun Lee was born and raised in Busan, South Korea, and attended Kosin University College of Medicine. His interests include playing the guitar— specifically jazz music—and making his own beats. During his time in Hawaii, he would like to learn how to surf. He is interested in working in pediatric cardiology and critical care.
Furqaan Lim
Furqaan Lim is an IMG from the Philippines. She attended the University of the Philippines Manila College of Medicine. Her interests include drawing, reading fiction, and traveling. She is currently learning how to paint both digitally and in watercolor. She plans to pursue a pediatric cardiology fellowship in the future to achieve her ultimate dream of being a pediatric cardiologist-geneticist.
Safiuddin Hasan Mohammed
Safiudin is from Hyderabad, India. He enjoys Bollywood dancing and doing stand-up comedy.
He would like to see himself as a Pediatric Hospitalist one day.
The Department is excited to announce the promotion of our faculty members. The promotion of Dr. Jennifer Di Rocco, Dr. Jessica Kosut and Dr. Shilpa Patel will be effective August 2022. Dr. Randy Wada was recently retroactively promoted to Professor effective July 2021. We wish them success in their careers as they continue the pursuit of their academic endeavors at John A. Burns School of Medicine and the University of Hawaii and their commitment to the communities they serve.