Our Residents
PGY-5
Sai Nimmagadda, M.D.
Hometown: Novi, Michigan
Medical School: University of Rochester School of Medicine & Dentistry
Undergraduate School: University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
Interests in Otolaryngology: Rhinology, Head and Neck Surgery, Pediatric Otolaryngology, Laryngology
Hobbies: Hiking, Basketball, trying new restaurants, attending Red Wings/Bills games and all things related to Michigan/Detroit sports
Favorite Activities To Do In Rochester: Summer festivals, Trying the diverse array of restaurants/breweries, Hiking, Visiting local parks, Rochester Red Wings and Amerks games.
Ryan Patrick, M.D.
Hometown: Sioux Falls, South Dakota
Medical School: University of South Dakota, Sanford School of Medicine
Undergraduate School: Harvard College
Interests in Otolaryngology: Otology, Comprehensive Otolaryngology
Hobbies: Golf, Wildlife Photography, Biking
Why Rochester: My wife and I both felt Rochester's residency programs offered everything we were looking for in a training program, and more! The faculty, fellow residents, and community have made us feel welcome and supported as we start our careers. We could not be happier to call ourselves New Yorkers!
Lee Porterfield, M.D.
Hometown: Allegany, New York
Medical School: University of Rochester School of Medicine & Dentistry
Undergraduate School: Chatham University
Interests in Otolaryngology: General, Facial Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery
Hobbies: Ice Hockey, Art, Food
Why Rochester: The great surgical experience and the wonderful people!
PGY-4
Sarah Jeoung, MD
Hometown: San Diego, CA
Medical School: University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry
Undergraduate: California Institute of Technology
Interests in Otolaryngology: Comprehensive Otolaryngology, Pediatric Otolaryngology, Facial Plastics & Reconstructive Surgery
Hobbies: Cooking and baking, board games, hiking, painting, plants
Why Rochester: Not only does Rochester provide an in-depth and comprehensive education, but it has such a tight-knit community. I can't wait to start my career in such a collegial and supportive environment with great mentors!
Emma D. Ryan, MD
Hometown: Boise, ID
Medical School: University of Washington School of Medicine
Undergraduate: Amherst College
Interests in Otolaryngology: Comprehensive Otolaryngology, Laryngology, Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
Hobbies: Hosting dinner parties, cross country skiing, watching Formula 1 and Mariners baseball
Why Rochester: A close-knit group of residents and engaging faculty in an affordable city! My significant other is a radiology resident and Rochester offered great options for us both.
PGY-3
Zhaoyu Chen, MD
Hometown: New York, NY
Medical School: New York Medical College
Undergraduate: Cornell University
Lauren DiNardo, MD
Hometown: Penfield, NY
Medical School: University at Buffalo Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences
Undergraduate: Villanova University
Interests in Otolaryngology: Pediatrics, Laryngology, Sleep
Hobbies: Staying active, golf, pickle ball, cooking, baking, reading
Why Rochester: Rochester's otolaryngology residency is clinically well rounded and provides strong research support, both of which were very important to me when choosing a program. I enjoyed my away rotation here and found the residents and faculty to be warm and welcoming.
Alexander Poulakis, MD
Hometown: New York, NY
Medical School: University of Rochester School of Medicine & Dentistry
Undergraduate: Hunter College
Interests in Otolaryngology: Comprehensive Otolaryngology, Facial Plastics and Reconstructive Surgery, Laryngology
Hobbies: Weightlifting, Cooking, Video Games, History, Language Learning
Why Rochester: Hiking neighboring state parks, wine tasting in the Finger Lakes, eating Ridge Donuts and Abbott's Frozen Custard.
PGY-2
Annie Birmingham, MD
Hometown: Rochester, NY
Medical School: University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry
Undergraduate: University of Notre Dame
Interests in Otolaryngology: Head & Neck, Facial Plastics, General
Hobbies: Staying active (weight lifting, swimming, golfing, racquet sports), reading, NYT crossword puzzles, trying new (and old favorite) restaurants, Notre Dame football.
Why Rochester: Supportive faculty and co-residents, strong surgical experience, and the privilege of caring for the community I grew up in with the support of my family and friends.
Nathan Luzum, MD
Medical School: Duke University
Undergraduate: Duke University
Interests in Otolaryngology: Undifferentiated!
Hobbies: Baking, trivia, baseball, visiting National Parks.
Why Rochester: Outstanding training across subspecialties, great access to the outdoors, affordable cost of living, presence of a baseball team.
Ola Soliman, MD
Medical School: Baylor College of Medicine
Undergraduate: Emory University
Interests in Otolaryngology: Outcomes in head and neck cancer and health equity and access to care primarily, but I love everything ENT.
Hobbies: Yoga, rock climbing, long walks, traveling, volunteering at local school
Why Rochester: Everyone I met was so incredibly welcoming and kind and the city was beautiful (with all 4 seasons)!!!!
PGY-1
Raag Patel, MD
Hometown: Lilburn, GA
Medical School: Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University
Undergraduate School: University of Georgia
Hobbies: Love the outdoors: long-distance road biking, group bike rides, backpacking, mountaineering (Mt Rainier, Everest & Kanchenjunga base camps). Amateur starting quarterback for my medical school intramural football team that won back-to-back championships. NFL and fantasy football fan.
Avni Shridhar, MD
Hometown: Alanta, GA
Medical School: Louisiana State University School of Medicine in New Orleans
Undergraduate School: Georgia Institute of Technology
Hobbies: Paint portraits, sketch, and upcycle jewelry, Perform Bharatanatyam classical dance, Lead a fiction book club, Swim and play pickleball for fitness/fun, Try out new recipes (Indian & other cuisines), Listen to comedy/pop culture podcasts, Play mobile games, ranked top 150 in Squad Busters.
Jared Zhao, MD
Hometown: San Antonio, TX
Medical School: Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
Undergraduate School: University of Southern California, LA
Hobbes: I love to cook—I recently learned recipes for aji de gallina, mentaiko pasta, and omurice. My Korean cucumber salad recipe is popular at potlucks. I have played piano since age 6. My favorite composers are Debussy and Chopin. Other hobbies are training for a marathon, fostering kittens, and karaoke.