Recent Graduates
There is not a more supportive environment for stroke fellowship training in the nation. The Department Chair, the Division Chief, and especially the Fellowship Director each deserve to be recognized specifically for their remarkable dedication to education."
2023 Graduates
Jonathan Donnelly, MBBS Shant Afarian, MD
Stroke Program Director Experimental Therapeutcs Fellow
Unity Hospital University of Rochester
Rochester, New York Rochester, New York
2022 Graduates
Muhammad Waqas Khan, MBBS Uday Nadimpally, MBB
Fellow, Interventional Neuroradiology Neurohospitalist
Tenet Health, Tucson, Arizona hsner Medical Center, New Orleans
2021 Graduates
Dimitrios Manou, M.D.
Senior Instructor of Neurology
University of Rochester
Rochester, NY
Carolina Vivar, M.D.
Neurohospitalist
Geisinger Medical Center
Danville, PA
2020 Graduates
Mitchell Onken, M.D.
Neurohospitalist
Geisinger Medical Center
Danville, PA
Usman Shehzad, M.D.
Neurohospitalist
Bayhealth Medical Center
Dover, DE
2019 Graduates
Jaclyn E. Burch, M.D.
Assistant Professor of Neurology
University of Rochester
Rochester, NY
Varun Pulakanti, M.D.
Neurohospitalist
Geisinger Health Center
Danville, PA
Igor Titoff, D.O.
Assistant Professor of Neurology
University of Rochester
Rochester, NY
2018 Graduates
Gaurav Dighe, M.D.
Neurohospitalist
Mercy Clinic
Springfield, MO
Jorge Risco, M.D.
Assistant Professor of Neurology
University of Rochester
Rochester, NY
2017 Graduates
Justin Chandler, M.D.
Neurohospitalist
Centerpoint Medical Center
Independence, MO
Eugene Scharf, M.D.
Assistant Professor of Neurology
Mayo Clinic
Rochester, MN
2016 Graduates
F. Robert Gil, M.D.
Neurohospitalist, Clinician Educator
Northshore University Health System
Evanston, IL
Anthony Noto, M.D.
Vice Chair of Neurology
Geisinger Health Center
Danville, PA
2015 Graduates
Ania Buzsa, M.D., Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Neurology
University of Rochester
Rochester, NY
2014 Graduates
Michael Manchak, MD
Stroke Program Director
Sanford Health
Fargo, ND
Roople K. Unia, MD
Stroke Program Director
Eastern Maine Medical Center
Bangor, ME
What Our Graduates Have to Say...
The University of Rochester offers a very well structured and organized fellowship program with multiple learning opportunities. A significant amount of supervised independence is offered in running the acute stroke service and staffing evening and night float consults by phone with the residents. These experiences provide the best opportunities to develop the skills necessary for acute medical decision-making demanded by the specialty."
The stroke fellows journal club was one of the best educational opportunities. The Friday neurovascular case conference provided a great platform for discussing our most challenging cases. All the didactics were very helpful for learning."
I was able to take a project from the idea phase through the IRB phase and enroll a patient. It was a great experience and I am really thankful for the mentorship and support of the Department. I also enjoyed participating in the multicenter trials and understanding how they work."
The program director made a heroic effort to teach and arrange extra educational opportunities. I really enjoyed the format and depth of the stroke fellows journal club. We covered many important topics. I also enjoyed the hot scan of the week cases, which were always challenging and fun to complete."