Meet the Residents

Antonio Avalos-Perez, MD
PGY Level: PGY-1
Hometown: Garden Grove
Undergraduate: University of California Berkeley
Medical School: University of California San Francisco
Favorite Hobbies/Weekend Activities: Watching movies at the cinema, gaming & board games, exploring up and coming tech, cooking, relaxing at the beach
Favorite LA Restaurant: Tsujita Artisan Noodle
Pathology Interest(s): Breast Pathology & Gynecologic Pathology

Donald Doanman, MD, PhD
PGY Level: PGY-1
Hometown: Westminster, CA
Undergraduate: University of California Davis
Medical School: Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
Favorite Hobbies/Weekend Activities: Scuba diving, volleyball, food adventures, gaming, traveling, fitness
Favorite LA Restaurant: Tacos Por Favor, Guisados, Quán Mii, A Nù Quán
Pathology Interest(s): Dermatopathology, Gastrointestinal Pathology, Bioinformatics, and Molecular Pathology

Alexandra Elias, MD
PGY Level: PGY-1
Hometown: Houston, TX
Undergraduate: University of Houston
Medical School: McGovern Medical School
Favorite Hobbies/Weekend Activities: Spending time with family and friends, hiking, lifting
Favorite LA Restaurant: Still exploring!
Pathology Interest(s): Undecided

Donavon Garcia Heglund, MD
PGY Level: PGY-1
Hometown: La Quinta, CA
Undergraduate: University of Pennsylvania
Medical School: University of California San Francisco
Favorite Hobbies/Weekend Activities: Spending time outdoors, reading, walking my dogs, movies, road trips
Favorite LA Restaurant: I still have much to explore!
Pathology Interest(s): Undecided

David Lauzier, MD
PGY Level: PGY-1
Hometown: Hickory, NC
Undergraduate: University of North Carolina
Medical School: Washington University in St. Louis
Favorite Hobbies/Weekend Activities: Soccer, Tennis, Reading
Favorite LA Restaurant: Holbox
Pathology Interest(s): Neuropathology

Victoria Lee, MD
PGY Level: PGY-1
Hometown: Cupertino, CA
Undergraduate: University of California Los Angeles
Medical School: University of California Los Angeles
Favorite Hobbies/Weekend Activities: Hiking with my dog, trying new restaurants, reading and watching TV
Favorite LA Restaurant: Spoon & Pork
Pathology Interest(s): Women's Health and Dermatopathology

Giovanni Botten, MD, PhD
PGY Level: PGY-2
Hometown: Santa Clarita, CA
Undergraduate: University of California Irvine
Medical School: University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center
Favorite Hobbies/Weekend Activities: Spending time with family and friends, cooking, tennis, gardening, hiking
Favorite LA Restaurant: Holbox, Bestia, Jeong Yuk Jeom, Sushi Gen, Carousel, Moo's Craft BBQ
Pathology Interest(s): Molecular Pathology, Hematopathology

Cody Forsyth, DO
PGY Level: PGY-2
Hometown: El Monte, CA
Undergraduate: Pennsylvania State University - University Park
Medical School: Touro University California College of Osteopathic Medicine
Favorite Hobbies/Weekend Activities: Eating, sunsets, plants in nature, cooking, hanging with friends and family
Favorite LA Restaurant: So many!
Pathology Interest(s): Bone and Soft Tissue, Neuropathology, Hematopathology, Molecular and others

Eevee Hojberg, MD
PGY Level: PGY-2
Hometown: Anaheim, CA
Undergraduate: American Jewish University
Medical School: Western Michigan University
Favorite Hobbies/Weekend Activities: Anime, gaming, dancing
Favorite LA Restaurant: KazuNori, Angel's Tijuana Tacos
Pathology Interest(s): Undecided

Maggie Tsang, MD
PGY Level: PGY-2
Hometown: San Mateo, CA
Undergraduate: University of California Berkeley
Medical School: UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine
Favorite Hobbies/Weekend Activities: Hiking with my dog, thrifting, ceramics/pottery, road trips, sleeping, reality TV
Favorite LA Restaurant: Pine & Crane, Jus' Poke, Ginger's Divine Ice Creams, Coffee Connection, Santa Monica Brew Works
Pathology Interest(s): Undecided

Ken Zhu, MD
PGY Level: PGY-2
Hometown: Houston, TX
Undergraduate: Dartmouth College
Medical School: UT Southwestern Medical Center
Favorite Hobbies/Weekend Activities: Running, cooking, traveling, pottery/ceramics, snorkeling/scuba diving
Favorite LA Restaurant: Izakaya Akatsuki, Mr. Sate, Fortune No. 1
Pathology Interest(s): Hematopathology and Molecular Pathology

Mahmuod Abdeljaber, MD, PharmD
PGY Level: PGY-2
Hometown: Dyer, Indiana
Undergraduate: Purdue University
Medical School: Western Michigan University
Favorite Hobbies/Weekend Activities: Exploring LA, cooking
Favorite LA Restaurant: Tatsu Ramen
Pathology Interest(s): Undecided

Benjamin Emert, MD, PhD
PGY Level: PGY-3
Hometown: Los Angeles, CA
Undergraduate: University of California Los Angeles
Medical School: University of Pennsylvania, Perelman School of Medicine
Favorite Hobbies/Weekend Activities: Hiking, running, yoga, visiting family and friends
Favorite LA Restaurant: Shamshiri, Sage, Tatsuya, Hoy-Ka Thai Noodle, Salt's Cure
Pathology Interest(s): Molecular, Hematopathology, Bone and Soft Tissue, Digital Pathology

Cullen Lilley, MD, MS, MA, MB(ASCP)
PGY Level: PGY-3, Chief Resident
Hometown: Atlanta, GA
Undergraduate: Loyola University New Orleans
Medical School: Loyola University Chicago
Favorite Hobbies/Weekend Activities: Fitness, hanging out with my dog, watching bad reality TV
Favorite LA Restaurant: Merois, Laya, and Cobi's
Pathology Interest(s): Dermatopathology, Medical Renal Pathology, Infectious Disease Pathology

Heather Ross, MD
PGY Level: PGY-3
Hometown: Burbank, CA
Undergraduate: Cornell University
Medical School: Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University
Favorite Hobbies/Weekend Activities: Running, tennis, and trying new restaurants
Favorite LA Restaurant: Gracias Madre and Castaway
Pathology Interest(s): Gastrointestinal Pathology and Dermatopathology

Hiro Ross, MD
PGY Level: PGY-3
Hometown: Edmonton, AB
Undergraduate: University of Oregon
Medical School: Oregon Health and Science University
Favorite Hobbies/Weekend Activities: Reading, writing, climbing, music, weird museums and dogs
Favorite LA Restaurant: Sushi Sasabune so far, but open to recs
Pathology Interest(s): Forensics

Ruoji Zhou, MD, PhD
PGY Level: PGY-3
Hometown: Kunming, China
Undergraduate: Not Applicable
Medical School: Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University
Graduate School (PhD): MD Anderson Cancer Center UTHealth Houston Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences
Favorite Hobbies/Weekend Activities: Ballet dancing and playing electric bass
Favorite LA Restaurant: TBD, exploring
Pathology Interest(s): Undecided

Joseph Giessinger, DO, MS
PGY level: PGY-4
Hometown: Westlake Village, CA
Undergraduate: University of California San Diego
Medical School: A.T. Still University
Favorite Hobbies/Weekend Activities: Weightlifting, TV/Film, Champagne and Wine, Baking
Favorite LA Restaurant: Polo Lounge, Orla, Hotel Bel-Air
Pathology Interest(s): Transfusion Medicine

Joel Raqueno, DO
PGY Level: PGY-4, Chief Resident
Hometown: Buena Park, CA
Undergraduate: UC Riverside
Medical School: Kansas City University
Favorite Hobbies/Weekend Activities: Listening to music, working out, video games, basketball, going out to eat, watching shows
Favorite LA Restaurant: Sun Nong Dan, Anju House
Pathology Interest(s): Hematopathology

Yuan Shui, MD
PGY Level: PGY-4, Chief Resident
Hometown: Wuhu, China
Medical School: Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, China
Graduate School (PhD): Capital Medical University, China
Favorite Hobbies/Weekend Activities: Spending time with my family, trying new food
Favorite LA Restaurant: Northern Hotpot, Tsujita
Pathology interest(s): Gastrointestinal and Hepatobiliary Pathology, Cytology

Rosa Valencia, DO
PGY Level: PGY-4
Hometown: Corona, CA
Undergraduate: California State University - San Bernardino
Medical School: Western University of Health Sciences - College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific
Favorite Hobbies/Weekend Activities: Watching TV shows and movies, reading, baking, cake decorating, spending time with friends and family
Favorite LA Restaurant: Gracias Madre, Monty’s Good Burger
Pathology Interest(s): Forensics

Weibo Yu, MD
PGY Level: PGY-4, Chief Resident
Hometown: Henan, China
Medical School: Xinxiang Medical University (MBBS), Peking Union Medical College (MD)
Favorite Hobbies/Weekend Activities: Hiking/Road trips/Outdoor Adventuring, cooking, watching movies, listening to music
Favorite LA Restaurant: In-N-Out, Meizhou Dongpo Restaurant
Pathology Interest(s): Gastrointestinal and Hepatobiliary Pathology