Our Fellows

Current Fellows

Hannah Giunta, D.O., Ph.D., M.P.H.
Fourth Year Fellow (Dual Pediatric Pulmonology and Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine)
Hometown: Peoria, IL
Undergraduate: Bradley University, Peoria, IL
Graduate: University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC
Medical School (Combined DO/PhD): Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI
Residency Program: Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN
Research Project: The Good Parent in the NICU (Primary Mentor: Erin M. Denney-Koelsch, MD)
Favorite Spot in Rochester: Genesee Country Village and Museum
Past Time Activities: Kayaking, distance walking, reading, playing with my dog, cooking, and baking
One Word to Describe Our Program: Customizable

Antoinette Jones, M.D., M.S.
Third Year Fellow
Hometown: Brooklyn, NY
Undergraduate: Cornell University, Ithaca, NY  
Graduate: Columbia University, New York, NY
Medical School: Howard University, Washington, DC
Residency Program: Penn State Health Children’s Hospital, Hershey, PA
Research Project: The Effects of Caffeine Exposure on Postnatal Growth in Moderately Preterm Infants (Primary Mentor: Jeffrey Meyers, MD)
Favorite Spot in Rochester: Durand Eastman Beach   
Past Time Activities: Singing on choirs, reading, and creative writing.  When I’m home with my family, I love reading to my nephew and watching him learn new things!
One Word to Describe Our Program: Rigorous  

Stephanie Vachon, D.O.
Third Year Fellow
Hometown: Hagaman, NY
Undergraduate: Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY  
Medical School: University of New England Osteopathic Medicine, Biddeford, ME
Residency Program: University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY
Research Project: Pulmonary Hypertension in Preterm Infants: The Effect of Screening At-Risk Infants on Morbidity and Mortality (Primary Mentor: Gloria Pryhuber, MD)   
Favorite Spot in Rochester: Running trails & Pittsford Dairy
Past Time Activities: Distance running, hiking, being with my dog and husband
One Word to Describe Our Program: Passionate  

Danielle Ackley, M.D.
Second Year Fellow
Hometown: Oswego, NY
Undergraduate: Clarkson University, Potsdam, NY
Medical School: State University of New York Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY
Residency Program: University of Rochester Medical School, Golisano Children’s Hospital, Rochester, NY
Research Project: Daily Macronutrient Variability in Human Milk Based Feeds of Infants <30 weeks (Primary Mentor: Bridget Young, PhD)
Past Time Activities: Ice hockey, lacrosse, volleyball, Crossfit, being outside and on the water. Spending as much time as possible with my husband and son!
Why I Chose Rochester: I specifically chose to come to URMC for pediatric residency due to the neonatologists I met on interview day and the NICU experience I knew I would receive.

Cassandra Drees, M.D., M.B.A.
Second Year Fellow
Hometown: Rochester, NY
Undergraduate: Elmira College, Elmira, NY
Medical School: Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at the University of Buffalo, Buffalo, NY
Residency Program: Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI
Research Project: Improving mother's own milk at discharge for VLBW infants in the NICU (Primary Mentor: Jeffrey Meyers, MD)
Past Time Activities: Spending time with my husband and 16 month old son (Quentin), cooking, drinking craft beer, being outdoors
Why I Chose Rochester: I grew up in Rochester and couldn't pass up the opportunity to come home and be close to relatives while also getting an amazing education in this fellow run unit. I was looking specifically for the opportunity to be exposed to both ECMO and babies with complex cardiac defects.

Ragnheidur Hera Sigurdardottir, M.D.
Second Year Fellow
Hometown: Hafnarfjordur, Iceland
Undergraduate: Hjukrunarfraedi Haskoli Islands, Reykjavik, Iceland
Medical School: University of Debrecen Medical School and Health Science Centre, Hungary
Residency Program: University of Connecticut, Hartford, CT
Research Project: Neurodevelopmental outcomes and ABD rates of infants born < 28 weeks GA who develop IVH versus no IVH (Primary Mentor: Ronnie Guillet, MD, PhD)
Past Time Activities: Reading, travelling, eating/cooking food, hanging out with friends, painting
Why I Chose Rochester: When I interviewed here I felt like I was home, talking to everyone from the faculty, fellows to the nursing management. I felt like NICU here in Rochester is more like a big family rather than a work place. And since I am from Iceland, I am looking forward to the winters here.

Mashfiq Hasan, M.D.
First Year Fellow
Hometown: Providence, RI
Undergraduate: Brown University, Providence, RI
Medical School: New York Medical College, Valhalla, New York
Residency Program: Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI  
Areas of Research Interest: Clinical informatics, medical education, neonatal outcomes
Past Time Activities: Reading fantasy novels, working out, eating out
Why I Chose Rochester: I was looking for a warm program that was supportive of its fellows, had a full range of neonatal pathology (including cardiac surgery), and had faculty working on clinical informatics research and medical education, and gladly found all of the above at URMC's neonatology program!

Rachel Kitt, M.D. 
First Year Fellow
Hometown: Akron, NY
Undergraduate: University of Rochester, Rochester, NY
Medical School: St. George's University School of Medicine, Grenada
Residency Program: St. Peter's University Hospital, New Brunswick, NJ
Areas of Research Interest: Neurodevelopment of the premature infant, Periventricular leukomalacia (PVL), and Hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE)
Past Time Activities:  Anything outdoors! Beach, hiking, wineries, farms, ice skating, tubing, etc.
Why I Chose Rochester: Rochester has the clinical experience and resources of a large research center, but still maintains the friendliness and closeness of a smaller community hospital. Everyone genuinely wants you to learn and succeed! Plus, I like the snow, so that's a bonus for me. 

Elizabeth Masotti, M.D.
First Year Fellow
Hometown: Pittsford, NY
Undergraduate: Canisius College, Buffalo, NY
Medical School: State University of New York Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY
Residency: Johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital, St. Petersburg, FL
Areas of Research Interest: Congenital Cardiac Defects, Breastmilk and Breastfeeding, Medical Education
Past Time Activities: Anything to do with water - swimming, snorkeling, going to the beach, boating, etc. And spending time with my husband and terrier puppy Maggie
Why I Chose Rochester: To be able to serve and provide care to my hometown community and to be closer to my own family