2026 Chief Residents
2026 Chiefs wtih Dr. Fields and Dr. Qi
Paul Burchard, M.D.
Administrative Chief Resident
Paul was born and raised in Hanover, NH. He earned his Bachelor of Science in biology with a minor in medical humanities from the University of Richmond in Virginia and studied medical practice and policy while abroad in Copenhagen, Denmark. Following his undergraduate degree, he spent two years working in a molecular pathology lab at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center prior to attending West Virginia University School of Medicine, where he was inducted into both the Alpha Omega Alpha and Gold Humanism Honor Societies. He joined the University of Rochester General Surgery program in 2018 and spent an additional 3 years in the Center for Tumor Immunology developing novel therapeutic strategies for Cholangiocarcinoma and Pancreatic Cancer resulting in multiple publications and national presentations. During his research years, he and his wife had their daughter, Ella. Outside of work, he enjoys spending time with and cooking Persian food for his family, golfing, and the outdoors. He is interested in surgical oncology and will be starting his fellowship in complex general surgical oncology at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center in 2026.
Yatee Dave, M.D.
Yatee Dave was born and raised in New Jersey. She obtained her BA in Biology from Rutgers University and medical degree from Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. She began general surgery residency at the University of Rochester in 2019. During residency, she spent two years working in Dr. Linehan’s basic science tumor immunology laboratory, exploring the pathophysiology of cholangiocarcinoma with the goal of identifying a novel therapeutic target. She also worked extensively within the quality improvement space to design and implement projects to significantly reduce perioperative labwork within the Colorectal Surgery and Acute Care Surgery departments. Her work has garnered several awards, publications and presentations at conferences. After residency, Dr. Dave will be completing a Minimally Invasive Surgery fellowship at the University of Wisconsin. Outside of work, her favorite activities include spending time with her husband and son, baking, gardening, and exploring restaurants.
Alexa Melucci, M.D.
Administrative Chief Resident
Alexa was born and raised in South Jersey. She graduated from Penn State University, University Park where she earned her Bachelor of Science in vertebrate physiology and a minor in Kinesiology. She moved back to New Jersey and started her medical training at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School where she met her husband, Mackenzie. Alexa and Mackenzie, a couple, matched to the University of Rochester in 2018, where they both began their surgical training. During residency, Alexa completed 3 years of dedicated research time largely focusing on the perioperative outcomes of older adults with cancer and post-operative opioid reduction. She earned two masters’ during this time—one in health professions education and another in epidemiology. She is interested in geriatric surgical oncology and will be completing a fellowship in complex general surgical oncology at MD Anderson Cancer Center in 2026. Her favorite activities include spending time with her family, running, baking, and singing.
Neilesh (Neil) Parikh, M.D.
Neil was born and raised in Ann Arbor, Michigan. He earned his Bachelor of Science at the University of Michigan, where he minored in astronomy and philosophy. He attended medical school at Central Michigan University, then began his general surgery residency at the University of Rochester in 2018. During residency, he spent 3 years at the National Cancer Institute completing an immunotherapy/surgical oncology fellowship, where he worked on harvesting, creating, and administering adoptive cell therapies, including TCR, CAR-T, and TIL. He has since developed an interest in acute care surgery and will complete a surgical critical care fellowship following residency. Outside of work, Neil enjoys hiking with his wife, Karishma (who is an environmental engineer), as well as weight lifting, playing basketball, and cooking healthy meals.
Orjola Prela, M.D.
Brittany Rocque, M.D.
Brittany was born and raised in Saint Albans, Vermont. She graduated from McGill University in Montreal, QC with a Bachelor’s degree in Neuroscience and subsequently a Master’s degree in Physiology. From there she went to medical school at the University of Vermont where she first discovered her passion for transplant and hepatobiliary surgery before heading to Rochester. During residency, she took 3 years of dedicated research time where she worked on projects in Pediatric Liver Transplant Immunology at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles. Outside of work, she enjoys painting, cooking, being a coffee snob, and traveling. She will be headed to Columbia/Cornell in 2026 for a fellowship in Transplant and Hepatobiliary Surgery.
Haowei Wang, M.D.
Haowei was born in Suzhou, China, but moved to Canada at a very young age, primarily growing up in Ottawa, Ontario. He earned his Bachelor's degree at Saint Louis University and his MD at the University of Virginia. He then came to the University of Rochester for a general surgery residency. Following residency, he will be pursuing a career in community general surgery, with a specific interest in minimally invasive hernia repair. Outside of medicine, Haowei loves all things hockey, playing basketball, and listening to and writing music.