Current Residents

Class of 2030

PGY-1

 

Raj Dongol, MBBS

Raj was born and raised in Nepal, where he completed medical school, residency in General Surgery, and subspecialty training in Urology. Through close collaboration with pathologists during his surgical career, he developed a strong interest in pathology, which was further reinforced during his observership at The George Washington University. He is currently pursuing residency training in Anatomic and Clinical Pathology (AP/CP) at The George Washington University. His research focuses on clinicopathologic correlation, translational research, and surgical pathology, with multiple peer-reviewed publications on gastrointestinal, genitourinary, pulmonary, hepatobiliary, and transplant disease. His academic interests include genitourinary, breast, and molecular pathology. Outside of work, he enjoys meditation, yoga, movies, and music

PGY-1

Sumeyra Kartal, MD

Sumeyra was born and raised in Turkey. She earned her medical degree from Meram Medical School and completed her residency training in Anatomic Pathology at Cumhuriyet University. She subsequently moved to the United States to pursue cancer research as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the National Cancer Institute, NIH, where she primarily focused on the molecular features underlying prostate cancer radioresistance and contributed to several translational prostate cancer biology projects.
She is currently pursuing her AP/CP training. Her academic interests include Genitourinary Pathology and Molecular Genetic Pathology. In her spare time, she enjoys birdwatching, biking, and watching independent films from around the world.

PGY-1

Huma Saleem, MBBS

Born and raised in Pakistan, Huma earned her medical degree from Fatima Jinnah Medical University. She later relocated to the United States and pursued research at George Washington University. During this time, she contributed to multiple projects, including studies on the biomechanical transition from DCIS to IDC, as well as a randomized controlled trial comparing dimethyl sulfoxide–cryopreserved platelets with liquid-stored platelets. She also contributed to computational pathology research through a collaboration with Mount Sinai and SUNY, focusing on identifying worst patterns of invasion in oral cavity cancer. Her academic interests include surgical pathology and hematopathology. Outside of work, Huma is a proud soccer mom who enjoys spending time with her sons, Ali and Aahil.

PGY-1

Shirin Sedaghat

PGY-1

Caroline Wang

Caroline was born in the United States and raised in China. She attended Peking University Health Science Center, where she received her medical degree. Following graduation, she practiced as a dermatologist, during which time she developed a strong interest in dermatopathology. She subsequently relocated to the United States to pursue residency training in anatomic and clinical pathology (AP/CP) at The George Washington University. Her academic interests include dermatopathology. Beyond her professional pursuits, she enjoys traveling and taking in the natural scenery of new places.

 

Class of 2029

PGY-2

Elshaimaa Abdelrahman, MD

Elshaimaa Abdelrahman, MD was born and raised in Egypt, where she earned her medical degree. She later relocated to the United States to continue her career in pathology, gaining experience in flow cytometry analysis and hematopathology. Before joining George Washington University, she worked at Rutgers University’s Cancer Institute of New Jersey as a pathologist assistant, where she contributed to research projects and tumor banking. She also spent time at Moffitt Cancer Center in Florida, gaining hands-on experience in surgical pathology and further contributing to research initiatives. Outside of pathology, Elshaimaa enjoys hiking and watching documentary films.

PGY-2

Mahrukh Mumtaz, MD

Mahrukh was born and raised in Pakistan. She attended King Edward Medical University in Lahore, Pakistan where she received her medical degree. After graduation, she worked as a Medical Officer in Pathology at the Aga Khan University, Pakistan. She later moved to the United States to pursue residency training in Anatomic and Clinical Pathology (AP/CP) at The George Washington University. Her academic interests include surgical pathology and hematopathology. In her spare time, Mahrukh enjoys spending time outdoors, writing and traveling.

PGY-2

Paul Nagao, MD

Born in DC, Paul spent part of his childhood in Japan before growing up in the U.S. He earned his MA (Honors) in International Relations from the University of St. Andrews, including a year abroad at the University of Hong Kong. He completed a post-baccalaureate program in premedical studies at Columbia University and worked at the Charlottesville Free Clinic before attending GW SMHS. At GW, he developed a strong interest in pathology, especially in genitourinary pathology and microbiology. His passion for the field was shaped by the mentorship and support of the GW pathology faculty, and he is excited by the field’s ongoing transformation through technology. Outside of work, Paul enjoys gardening, cooking, beekeeping, rowing, and spending time with his wife and their two young sons.

Class of 2028

PGY-3

Sujitha Chougani, MD

Sujitha was born and raised in India. She obtained her doctoral degree from the Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences in Kadapa, India, and finished her pathology residency at Osmania Medical College in India. Following this, she practiced pathology in India and Saudi Arabia for a few years. She is currently enrolled in the anatomic and clinical pathology residency program at The George Washington University, with aspirations to specialize in hematopathology and surgical pathology. During her free time, she enjoys watching comedy shows, cooking, dancing, and hanging out with her loved ones. 

PGY-3

Narine Muselimyan LeFevre, MD

Narine Muselimyan LeFevre was born in the USSR/Georgia and raised in Russia. She earned her medical degree from Samara State Medical University. Later she pursued a Master of Business Administration in Healthcare at GWU School of Business and Administration. She worked as research scientist at The George Washington University focused on cardiac tissue engineering. Additionally, she contributed gastrointestinal cancer research focused on spatial transcriptomics. Her contributions to medical research have resulted in several published research articles in peer-reviewed journals. Her academic interests include cytopathology and molecular pathology. In his spare time, Narine enjoys cooking, spending time with family, traveling, gardening, playing golf. Narine is pursuing AP/CP.​

PGY-3

Christopher Yin, MD

Christopher Yin was born and raised in Elmhurst, Queens, NY. He attended Florida International University Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine in Miami, FL where he earned his MD degree. During his medical education, he was involved in public health research, specifically overall survival in glioblastoma patients in Whites, Blacks, and Asian Pacific Islanders. He is currently interested in gastrointestinal pathology but is keeping his mind open. During his free time, Christopher enjoys coin collecting, creating artwork using 3D modeling software, investing in precious metals and stocks, learning how to play tennis, and going on nature walks. He is currently pursuing AP/CP training.​ 

PGY-3

Natalia Zamalloa, MD

Natalia was born in Washington D.C. and raised in Lima, Peru. She attended Universidad San Martin de Porres where she received her doctorate degree. She worked as a physician in a clinical trial for a COVID-19 vaccine in Lima, Peru. She then relocated to the United States to work as a post doctorate fellow at University of Florida where she gained experience in the surgical pathology Gross Room. Her academic interests include ENT/Endocrine pathology, Breast pathology and Genitourinary pathology. In her spare time Natalia likes going to a good restaurant, watching movies, hiking and spending time with her husband, Francisco and their two cats.​

PGY-3

Xingbang Zheng, MD

Xingbang Zheng was born and raised in Hefei, China. He attended the Peking University Health Science Center, where he received his doctorate degree. He then worked as an OB/GYN physician in China, primarily focusing on female infertility and reproductive surgery. His clinical research concentrated on subtle distal fallopian tube abnormalities and their relationship with endometriosis and infertility. In his free time, Xingbang enjoys swimming, visiting museums, and spending time with his family. Xingbang is currently pursuing AP/CP training.

 

Class of 2027

PGY-4

Maher Ali, MD

Maher was born in and raised in Amman, Jordan. He attended Jordan University of Science and Technology, where he received his doctorate degree. After graduation, he completed two years of anatomic pathology residency at King Hussein Cancer Center in Jordan. He then relocated to the United States to start his combined anatomic and clinical pathology (AP/CP) training at The George Washington University. His academic interests include gastrointestinal and breast pathology. Outside of the hospital, he enjoys cooking, hiking, exploring new restaurants, and spending quality time with his family and friends.