Meet Our Rheumatology Fellows

"The CU rheumatology fellowship program, provides a stimulating environment that balances academic rigor with clinical application. Each day, I tackle intricate autoimmune diseases, refining my diagnostic and therapeutic skills alongside supportive faculty and peers. What truly resonates with me is the program's commitment to tailoring training to each fellow's interests, be it through research, subspecialty electives, or MSK ultrasound. This personalized approach fosters my passion for rheumatology and has shaped my journey towards becoming a skilled rheumatologist."David Defrancisco, MD
"I am generally drawn to places by the people, and this was certainly the case with CU.  On interview day, it was easy to see both the warmth and the rigor of this program as well as the diversity of the patient population with a large urban center as well as a sizeable rural catchment area. Since matching, Dr. Kolfenbach, Rachael (program coordinator) and the fellows have been responsive and welcoming beyond my expectations.  I am excited to be on this journey with CU Rheumatology!"Laura Nichols, MD


New 2024-25 Fellows:

Clinical/Research Interests: Rheumatoid arthritis, early screening and prevention, health equity

Hometown: Glendale, Arizona

Medical School: University of Arizona Tucson

Residency: University of Colorado Internal Medicine

Hobbies/Interests: Hiking, cooking, video and tabletop gaming, reading

Clinical/Research Interests: Lifestyle Medicine in Rheumatology, Medical Education.

Hometown: Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.

Medical School: Universidad Nacional Pedro Henríquez Ureña

Residency: Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center

Hobbies and Interests: Jogging, biking, hiking, cooking, finances, and learning new skills

Clinical/Research Interests: Vasculitis, extraatricular manifestations of rheumatoid arthritis, intersection of rheumatology and primary care, and medical education.

 

Hometown: Fargo, ND

 

Medical School: University of Iowa

 

Residency: Medical College of Wisconsin

 

Hobbies and Interests: Reading and crafting, traveling, exploring, hiking, and skiing (basically everything) with my husband and two children. 

2023- 2024 Fellows

  
Julia Chernis, MD

Julia Chernis, MD
Clinical Fellow
Graduation Date: June 30, 2025

Clinical/Research Interests: Scleroderma, Immunotherapy-related arthritis.

Hometown: Houston, Texas
Medical School: McGovern Medical School
Residency:  McGovern Medical School

Hobbies and Interests: Trying out new table-top games with friends, juggling different crochet projects, and exploring Denver with my husband and my dog. 

Samuel Lazaroff, MD

Samuel Lazaroff, MD
Clinical Fellow- Dual Fellowship with Pediatric Fellowship
Graduation Date: June 30, 2027

Clinical/Research Interests: pediatric to adult transitions of care, health literacy, medical education.

Hometown: Columbus, OH
Medical School: The Ohio State University College of Medicine
Residency: Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Internal Medicine & Pediatrics

Hobbies and Interests: Playing tennis/pickleball and chess, reading, running, hiking, trivia, cooking.

Christine Loftis, MD

Christine Loftis, MD
Clinical and Research Fellow
Graduation Date: June 30, 2026

Clinical/Research Interests:

Hometown:
Medical School:
Residency:

Hobbies and Interests

Daniele Marcy, MD

Daniele Marcy, MD
Clinical and Research Fellow
Graduation Date: June 30, 2026

Clinical/Research Interests: Women’s Health, Lupus

Hometown: Galt, CA
Medical School: 

University of Colorado School of Medicine


Residency: University of Colorado

Hobbies and Interests: Spending time with family and friends, baking, cooking, exercising, hiking

amarjyot randhawa mdAmarjyot Randhawa, MD
Clinical Fellow
Graduation Date: June 30, 2025

Clinical/Research Interests: Spondyloarthritis, asculitis, autoinflammatory diseases.

Hometown: Amritsar, India
Medical School: Government Medical College, Amritsar
Residency: Creighton University School of Medicine, Omaha
Hobbies and Interests: Spending time with family and friends. I also enjoy yoga, dancing, gardening, and trying new cuisines
Dave Defrancisco, MD

Dave Defrancisco, MD
Clinical Fellow
Graduation Date: June 30, 2024

Clinical/Research Interests: Spondyloarthritis

Hometown: Hollidaysburg, PA
Medical School: Drexel University College of Medicine
Residency: University of Utah

Hobbies and Interests: Spending time with my wife and children. Fly fishing, hiking, hunting, gardening, and snowboarding.


Asim Mohamed MDAsim Mohamed, MD
Clinical Fellow
Graduation Date: June 30, 2024

Clinical/Research Interests: 

Efforts to Standardizing diagnosis and treatment of rheumatological diseases, safety and cost of using DMARDs & Immune modulator therapies in underserved populations, Myositis, SLE, RA and UCTD.

Hometown: Rufa'a Sudan

Medical School: University of Khartoum Faculty of Medicine, Sudan.
Residency: Ascension St. John Hospital


Hobbies and Interests: Sports including soccer, table tennis, bike riding, and beach volleyball. Acting in mini theatres and comedy shorts. Volunteering, Reading, teaching and revising for medical students and residents. Music and watching documentary shows.
Yawen Ren, MDYawen Ren, MD
Clinical Fellow
Graduation Date: June 30, 2024

Clinical/Research Interests: Scleroderma

Hometown: Houston, Texas
Medical School: McGovern Medical School at the University of Texas Health Science Center. 
Residency: University of Texas Health

Hobbies and Interests: Cooking - I like trying to recreate dishes from restaurants I've visited while traveling and while exploring the local area. Listening to movie recaps - I listen to movie recaps in Mandarin to practice the language. I enjoy experiencing multiple plot lines in a short span of time. Teaching my dog tricks - My newest project is teaching him to communicate with "words" via sound buttons. Keeping in touch with friends - I make time for phone calls to long-distance friends.
Hunter Stone, MD

Hunter Stone, MD
Clinical Fellow
Graduation Date: June 30, 2024

Clinical/Research Interests: 
Research interests: lupus, vasculitis, rheumatic lung disease, clinical trials, value based care, and practice management skills


Hometown: Dallas, Texas
Medical School: The University of Texas Southwestern Medical School
Residency: University of Texas
Southwestern Medical School

Hobbies and Interests: Backpacking, skiing, live music, gardening, cooking, woodworking, travel, and comedy. I like reading nonfiction about plants and the social sciences and fiction in the sci-fi, fantasy, and political thriller genres.

 

Former Fellows

McGee_Corwin_110

Corwin (Cory) McGee, MD

Clinical Fellow

Graduation Date: June 30, 2023


Hometown: Mobile, AL

Medical School: University of South Alabama College of Medicine

Residency: University of Colorado School of Medicine

Sapkota, Smarika_110

Smarika Sapkota, MD

Clinical Fellow

Graduation Date: June 30, 2023

 

Hometown: Kathmandu, Nepal

Medical School: Kathmandu University School of Medical Sciences

Residency: University of Minnesota Medical Center

Sen, Rouhin_150

Rouhin Sen, MD
Research Fellow, 2020-2022

Hometown: Roswell, GA

Medical School: Creighton University
School of Medicine

Residency: Creighton University

 

Tim_1 (1)

Timothy Wilson, MD

Research Fellow 2020-2022

Hometown: Philadelphia, PA

Medical School: Temple University School of Medicine
Residency: Temple University Hospital

 

Sonia_1 (1)_cropped

 

 

Sonia Khatter, MD

Clinical Fellow 2020-2022

Hometown: Aurora, CO

Medical School: University of Colorado School of Medicine
Residency: University of Colorado


Trevor_1 (1)_cropped

 

Trevor McKown, MD

Clinical Fellow 2020-2022

Hometown: Madison, WI

Medical School: University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health
Residency: Middleton Memorial Veterans Hospital

 

 


Tara_1 (1)

Tara Skorupa, MD

Clinical Fellow 2020-2022

Hometown: Kansas City, MO

Medical School: Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine
Residency: Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center

Stephen_1 (1)

Stephen Slade, MD

Clinical Fellow 2020-2022

Hometown: Des Moines, IA

Medical School: University of Iowa College of Medicine
Residency: Virginia Mason Medical Center


  
Adam (1)

Adam Berlinberg, MD

Research Fellow, 2018- 2021

Community Rheumatologist, Denver Arthritis Center

Denver, CO

 

Hometown: Littleton, CO

Medical School: University of Cincinnati Colorado School of Medicine

Residency: University of Colorado

Guiset_1 (9)

Guiset Carvajal Bedoya, MD

Clinical Fellow, 2019- 2021

Community Rheumatologist

Billings, MT

 

Hometown: Cali, Colombia

Medical School: Universidad del Valle

Residency: Billings Clinic

Bowers 3

Emily Bowers, MD

Clinical Fellow, 2018- 2020

Community Rheumatologist, TriHealth

Cincinnati, OH

 

Hometown: Edgewood, KY

Medical School: University of Cincinnati College of Medicine

Residency: University of Colorado Internal Medicine Program

Dill 5

Sarah Dill, MD

Research Fellow, 2017- 2020

Academic and Community Rheumatologist

Assistant Professor, Virginia Mason and Pacific Northwest University

Yakima, WA

 

Hometown: Sunnyside, WA

Medical School: University of Washington

Residency: University of Colorado Internal Medicine Program

Harley, Isaac_150

Isaac Harley, MD, PhD

Research Fellow, 2017- 2020

Academic Rheumatologist

Assistant Professor, University of Colorado

Aurora, CO

 

Hometown: Oklahoma City, OK

Medical School: University of Cincinnati College of Medicine

Residency: University of Colorado Internal Medicine Program

Mosa 3

Abo Mosa, MD

Clinical Fellow, 2018- 2020

Rheumatology locum tenens

 

Hometown: Omdurman/Sudan

Medical School: University of Kassala Sudan

Residency: University of Texas Health Science/Tyler

Berens Headshot 040820_small

Heather Berens, MD, PhD

Research Fellow, 2016- 2019

Community Rheumatologist, Colorado Arthritis Associates

Lakewood, CO

 

Medical School: University of Colorado School of Medicine

Residency: University of Colorado Internal Medicine Program

Erhardt 4

Daniel Erhardt, MD

Clinical Fellow, 2017- 2019

Community Rheumatologist, Colorado Arthritis Center

Lakewood, CO

 

Hometown: Brookfield, WI

Medical School: University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Medicine and Public Health

Residency: University of Utah

Maier 3

Kyle Maier, MD

Clinical Fellow, 2017- 2019

Military Rheumatologist, United States Air Force

San Antonio, TX

 

Hometown: Houston, TX

Medical School: University of Texas at Houston (now McGovern Medical School)

Residency: Wright State Internal Medicine

Melissa Griffith, MD

Clinical Fellow, 2016- 2018

Academic Rheumatologist, University of Colorado

Aurora, CO

Patrick Wood, MD

Research Fellow, 2015- 2018

Community Rheumatologist

Helena, MT

Emily Pfeifer, MD

Clinical Fellow, 2015- 2017

Community Rheumatologist, Colorado Center for Arthritis & Osteoporosis (CCAO)

Longmont, CO

Greg Barron, MD

Clinical Fellow, 2015- 2017

Community Rheumatologist, Denver Arthritis Clinic

Denver, CO

Lindsay Kelmenson, MD

Research Fellow, 2014- 2017

Community Rheumatologist, Rheumatology Care Center

Hoover, AL

Neha Ohri, MD

Research Fellow, 2013- 2016

Academic Rheumatologist, Mt. Sinai

New York, NY

Anthony Kahr, MD

Clinical Fellow, 2013- 2015

Community Rheumatologist

Bend, OR

Adam Bagley, MD

Clinical Fellow, 2013- 2015

Community Rheumatologist

Jacksonville, FL

Itziar Quinzanos Alonso, MD

Research Fellow, 2012- 2015

Academic Rheumatologist, University of Colorado and Denver Health

Denver, CO

Christina Bright, MD

Clinical Fellow, 2011- 2013

Community Rheumatologist

Bend, OR

Jennifer Stichman, MD

Clinical Fellow, 2011- 2013

Academic Rheumatologist, University of Colorado and Denver Health

Denver, CO

Joseph Nahas, MD

Clinical Fellow, 2011- 2013

Academic Rheumatologist, Creighton University

Omaha, NE

Kristen Demoruelle, MD, PhD

Research Fellow, 2010- 2013

Academic Rheumatologist, University of Colorado

Aurora, CO

Robert Koval, MD

Clinical Fellow, 2009- 2011

Community Rheumatologist

Austin, TX

Korey Ullrich, MD

Clinical Fellow, 2009- 2011

Community Rheumatologist

Boca Raton, FL

Lisa Davis, MD

Research Fellow, 2008- 2011

Academic Rheumatologist, University of Colorado and Denver Health

Denver, CO

Kim Tyler, MD

Clinical Fellow, 2008- 2010

Community Rheumatologist, Denver Arthritis Clinic

Denver, CO

Jason Kolfenbach, MD

Research Fellow, 2007- 2010

Academic Rheumatologist, University of Colorado

Aurora, CO

 

Rheumatology (SOM)

CU Anschutz

Barbara Davis Center for Diabetes

1775 North Aurora Court

3102

Aurora, CO 80045


303-724-7605

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