Our Residents
2nd Year Residents 3rd Year Residents 4th Year Residents Mohs Surgery Fellow Dermatopathology Fellow
PGY-4
Alexandra Bender, MD, PhD (Chief Resident)
Hometown: Sartell, MN
Medical School: Johns Hopkins School of Medicine
Undergraduate School: Johns Hopkins University
Interests In Dermatology: Medical dermatology, Research
Hobbies: Running, cycling, hanging out with my husband, son & daughter, cooking, gardening
Favorite Activities To Do In Rochester: biking to dinner, weekend trips to the Finger Lakes and Adirondacks, hiking on the nearby trails.
Irina Lerman, MD, PhD (Chief Resident)
Hometown: Rochester, NY
Undergraduate School: University of Rochester
Medical School: University of Rochester
Interests in Dermatology: Medical Dermatology, Dermatopathology, Rheum-Derm
Hobbies: Cooking and eating diverse cuisines, traveling, hiking local parks with my husband and our 2 dogs, fishing, escape rooms, watching the X-Files
Favorite Activities To Do In Rochester: Exploring new restaurants and frequenting old favorites (Ox and Stone is #1), strolling along Erie Canal while enjoying Pittsford Farms Dairy ice cream, watching our dogs play at Spring Lake Park, wine tasting in the Finger Lakes, finding new escape rooms to try, hanging out with good company.
Eric Kowalski, MD
Hometown: Chicago, IL
Medical School: University of Illinois at Chicago
Undergraduate School: Loyola University Chicago
Interests In Dermatology: Medical dermatology, cutaneous oncology
Hobbies: Exploring our national & local state parks, hiking, skydiving, vegetarian cooking, sashiko style clothing repairs, summiting all 46 Adirondack tall peaks, board games
Favorite Activities To Do In Rochester: Farmer's markets, kayaking, the local music scene.
Brendon Verhave, MD
Hometown: North Salem, NY
Medical School: SUNY Upstate Medical University
Undergraduate School: Cornell University
Interests In Dermatology: General Dermatology, Dermatopathology, Procedural Dermatology
Hobbies: Weightlifting, Reading/Golf, Watching/Following Sports, Movies/Television
Favorite Activities To Do In Rochester: Anything outdoors, going to breweries, restaurants, spending times with friends, and co-residents.
Benjamin Williams, MD
Hometown: Bridgeport, WV
Medical School: Marshall Joan C. Edward’s SOM
Undergraduate School: Marshall University
Interests In Dermatology: Surgical & Cosmetic dermatology
Hobbies: Watching football, baseball, weightlifting
Favorite Activities To Do In Rochester: Wegmans, exploring local restaurants, downtown life.
PGY-3
Josephine D’Angelo, MD
Hometown: Rochester, NY
Medical School: SUNY Upstate Medical University
Undergraduate School: St. John Fisher University (formerly St. John Fisher College)
Interests In Dermatology: Medical and Procedural Dermatology, Autoimmune Skin Disease, Integrative Dermatology, Hair disorders
Hobbies: Cooking and trying new recipes, enjoying nature/being outdoors, traveling, spending time with family
Favorite Activities To Do In Rochester: Walking/biking along the Erie Canal, kayaking or paddleboarding at Canandaigua Lake, going to local shops and markets.
Robert Fort, MD, MBA
Hometown: Pittsburgh, PA
Undergraduate School: Case Western Reserve University
Medical School: Penn State
Interests in Dermatology: Procedural Derm, Rheum-Derm
Hobbies: Vinyl record collecting, concerts, working out, cooking
Favorite Activities To Do In Rochester: Roc cinema, running in Cobbs Hill Park, going to the many Rochester festivals.
Regina Liu, MD
Hometown: Arcadia, CA
Medical School: David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA
Undergraduate School: Washington University in St. Louis
Interests In Dermatology: Medical Dermatology, Skin of Color, Environmentalism in Dermatology, Medical Education
Hobbies: International travel, road trips, chilling in coffee shops, reading on my Kindle, hanging with friends
Favorite Activities To Do In Rochester: Exploring the ever-growing food scene, taking scenic walks along Erie Canal, enjoying ice cream at Pittsford Dairy, visiting local festivals.
Joy Lowry, MD
Hometown: Bennington, VT
Medical School: The Robert Larner College of Medicine at the University of Vermont
Undergraduate School: University of Vermont
Interests In Dermatology: Broad interests! General dermatology draws my interest at this time because it captures so many aspects of dermatology that I enjoy - cutaneous oncology, pregnancy dermatoses, immunologic dermatology, rheum/derm conditions. Who knows how that will change over time!
Hobbies: Pottery, drawing, painting, chasing my toddler, spending time with my family, traveling.
Favorite Activities To Do In Rochester: So far I've enjoyed exploring the many parks and beautiful natural areas Rochester has to offer. There are also many farmers markets and Rochester Public Market is really neat! The city is very family friendly!
Liliana Montoya, MD
Hometown: Oak Brook, IL
Medical School: Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine
Undergraduate School: Northwestern University
Interests In Dermatology: Pediatric Dermatology, Procedural Dermatology, Cosmetic Dermatology, Dermoscopy, Clinical Research
Hobbies: Weight lifting, playing piano, biking, make-up artistry
Favorite Activities To Do In Rochester: Visiting Wegman's, breweries, and wineries.
PGY-2
Leah Laageide, MD
Hometown / Gjøvik, Norway
Medical School / Roy J & Lucille A Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, Iowa
Undergraduate School / St. Olaf College, Northfield, MN
Interests In Dermatology / Medical, procedural, and cosmetic dermatology - I enjoy the whole spectrum! I am also very interested in clinical research. I enjoy working with faculty and students on projects spanning dermato-immunology, -oncology, and rheumatology, among others.
Hobbies / photography and digital design, fitness - particularly skiing and hiking, cooking and traveling with my husband
Favorite Activities To Do In Rochester / Genuinely, there are too many to write. I've lived in both small towns (population <2000) and metropolitan areas (>800,000). Rochester has everything one could ask for: broad spectrum cuisine; skiing and trails; lakes and waterfalls; countless wineries and breweries; easy to maneuver airport with cheap parking/shuttle; short commutes to other US and Canadian experiences!
Gayin Lee, MD
Hometown / Amherst, MA
Medical School / University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry
Undergraduate School / Wesleyan University
Interests In Dermatology / General Dermatology, Cosmetic Dermatology, Psychosocial Impact of Skin Disease, Medical Education, Skin of Color
Hobbies / Cooking (mostly Korean food!), traveling, rock climbing, snowboarding, watching TV while knitting
Favorite Activities To Do In Rochester / Checking out different restaurants/breweries with my husband, hosting dinner parties, hiking on nearby trails
Alicia Mizes, MD
Hometown / Rochester
Medical School / University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
Undergraduate School / Pomona College
Interests In Dermatology / cutaneous oncology, general dermatology, medical and procedural dermatology, LGBTQIA+ dermatology
Hobbies / distance running (marathons, half marathons, RAGNARs), hiking, biking, camping, lifting, Zumba, international travel, arts and crafts, pampering my kitty
Favorite Activities To Do In Rochester / running along the Genesee River/Erie Canal/in Mendon Ponds Park, enjoying breweries/restaurants, going to the various music/art festivals, joining running and workout clubs, WEGMANS, going to ROAR
Jay Patel, MD
Hometown / Dayton NJ
Medical School / Western Michigan
Undergraduate School / Rutgers
Interests In Dermatology / Autoimmune, Skin Cancer, Surgery, Dermatopathology
Hobbies / Weightlifting, Cars, Matcha
Favorite Activities To Do In Rochester / Explore local gyms, hiking, tackling buffets
Christopher Yao, MD/MPHD
Hometown / Long Island, NY
Medical School / University of Rochester
Undergraduate School / University of Pennsylvania
Interests In Dermatology / Medical dermatology, Public health
Hobbies / Hiking, swimming, running, chess
Favorite Activities To Do In Rochester / Dining at Aladdin's in Pittsford, shopping at Rochester Public Market, exploring the Finger Lakes and Adirondacks
Mohs Surgery Fellow
Benjamin Kahn, MD
Hometown / Indianapolis, Indiana
Medical School / Emory University School of Medicine
Undergraduate School / Northwestern University
Interests In Dermatology / Procedural Dermatology and Cutaneous Oncology
Hobbies / Tennis, hiking, fitness, developing recipes and cooking diverse foods, exploring restaurants, mindfulness
Favorite Activities To Do In Rochester / Excited to explore local restaurants, hike in the Finger Lakes region, and to walk/bike across the city!
Dermatopathology Fellow
Chau Minh Bui, MD
Hometown / Quang Ngai, Vietnam
Medical School / University of Medicine and Pharmacy Ho Chi Minh City
Interests In Dermatology / Dermatopathology
Hobbies / travel, movies/television, trying new food
Favorite Activities To Do In Rochester / Exploring nature and taking in the greenery, trips to nearby parks and lakes, snowboarding, visiting Rochester Public Market
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