Sara Ross, MD Director, Pediatric Residency Program
Charles (Chas) Hannum, MD Associate Program Director, Pediatrics Residency Program
Jaclyn Boulais, MD Associate Program Director, Pediatric Residency Program
Adrianna Serrao Program Coordinator, Pediatric Residency Program
Hala Al-Safarjalani, MD Hi there! I come from the deep south, where I studied at the University of South Alabama (Go Jags!) for college and medical school, and I am very excited to join my new family at Tufts! I'm happy to escape the humidity of the south and brave the cold weather of Boston, with the help of some clam chowder and my new Canada Goose investment. I enjoy bodybuilding, failed attempts at cooking, and the guilty pleasure of watching the Kardashians...which my hubby also secretly enjoys. I'm 5'2" and am a huge proponent for Tufts Children's's catch phrase: You Don't Have To Be Big To Be Strong! Eleanor Allen, MD I grew up in Belvedere, a small town near San Francisco, and attended a French immersion school from pre-K through high school. I then moved to Houston to attend Rice University, where I was a French literature major and pre-med. I also did a short stint as pre-vet, and worked at the Houston Zoo! After undergrad, I stayed in Texas and moved to Dallas for medical school at UT Southwestern. There, I stayed very busy studying, doing clerkships, volunteering, and taking care of my Golden Retriever/Great Pyrenees, Sonoma. Now, I am super excited to move to Boston and start my residency training at Tufts Children's!
Ruba Barbar, MD Hello, I am originally from Damascus-Syria. I earned my Medical Degree from Damascus University School of Medicine and then moved to Beirut /Lebanon to finish my training in general pediatrics. Later on, I was so fortunate to join the Pediatric Infectious Diseases Fellowship at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital /Le bonheur Children's Hospital in Memphis, TN which was a fascinating period of my life. Outside medicine, I have a 3-year-old son who keeps me busy all the time. My husband and I enjoy cooking, watching TV, traveling and hanging out with friends. Although I have been in Boston for short period, I have fallen in love with this city! Too many outdoors activities and great people to hang out with. I am so happy to be part of such an amazing pediatric residency program at Tufts Medical Center and looking forward for the next 2 years here!!
Daneille Burton, MD I was born in New York City and then grew up in a ballet studio in beautiful Boulder, Colorado. I attended Smith College where I double majored in Dance and Chemistry. After graduating, I was a professional ballerina with American Midwest Ballet, Missouri Ballet Theatre, and the Montgomery Ballet. During that time I taught dance as well, which is when I fell in love with working with children. Seeing my students struggle with illness and injury inspired to go to medical school to become a pediatrician. My passion for psychiatry developed when I moved back to Colorado to complete my medical training at University of Colorado School of Medicine. I am thrilled to be a part of the Triple Board Program at Tufts Medical Center and to work at the intersection of pediatrics and psychiatry. I am excited to live in Boston with my husband, Ryan, and two kittens, Autumn and Earl Grey. Outside of medicine, I enjoy dancing, drinking coffee with friends, long walks, and folding paper cranes. Rebecca Clayman, MD Hi Everyone! I grew up just north of Boston in Marblehead, while spending my summers working at a summer camp up in Maine. I then travelled out to the Midwest to study Biomedical Engineering at the University of Wisconsin (Go Badgers!). Eventually, I returned back to Boston to teach, do research and get my masters at Boston University. My research brought me to Botswana, and ignited my interest in global health. I soon after left for medical school in Ireland and was able to spend four wonderful years in Dublin. That being said, I am so excited to be returning to Boston for residency and to join Tufts Children's Hospital Family! Geoffrey Daves, MD Hello! I was born and raised in Laredo, Texas, a small South Texas border town filled with fantastic Mexican food. I grew up playing sports and enjoying the outdoors, particularly hunting and fishing with my parents and sister. I attended college at Texas A&M International University, where I majored in Biology and played collegiate golf. After college, I earned a Masters of Anatomical Sciences from The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio. After graduate school, I attended medical school at Ross University which is located on a small island in the Caribbean. It was here where I met my beautiful wife, Seanna. Seanna, who grew up in Easton, MA, introduced me to Boston and I absolutely loved it. I am extremely excited and appreciative to train at Tufts Children's. Sarah Ghabbour, MD Hello! I am originally from Arlington, Massachusetts, where I grew up with my little sister and parents. Staying close to home, I attended Boston University, where I majored in health science and minored in business administration. After graduating, I ventured two hours north to attend medical school at Dartmouth Geisel School of Medicine. I am super excited to be back in Boston and joining Tufts Children's Hospital family! Outside of pediatrics, I enjoy figure skating, running, soccer, listening to podcasts, and spending time with family. Courtney Hanna, MD Hi everyone! I grew up in Ann Arbor, Michigan and went to the University of Michigan for college. I made the move to Penn State for medical school, but have always remained a loyal Wolverine (even in enemy territory)! I did a 1-week pediatric rotation outside of Boston during my first year of medical school and fell in love with the city, so I am incredibly excited to be doing my training here! Samuel Hilbert, MD When people ask me where I’m from I usually say “the east coast.” I was born in Columbia, South Carolina but grew up in Southborough, Massachusetts. I went to college at Boston University where I majored in biology with a specialization in neuroscience and played rugby. After graduating I stayed in Boston for four years doing a little bit of everything. During that time, I created my own position at a high-end restaurant, L'Espalier, volunteered at Horizons for Homeless Children, drove for Lyft/Uber, pursued a masters in medical science at BU, and researched LASIK surgery. I then was lucky to have the opportunity to attend medical school at Drexel University in Philadelphia where I was able to work with a diverse patient population and explore a new city. While in Philadelphia I enjoyed running, cooking, and hiking with my foster dog. Now I am thrilled to return to Boston and have the opportunity to learn and grow as a resident at Tufts Children's. Diane Saint-Victor, MD Hi! Originally born and raised here in Boston but spent a lot of time travelling (one of my favorite hobbies) since then. I went to undergrad at Williams College, where I majored in psychology, started a slam poetry group, and helped out doing some theater tech for plays my friends were in. Then I flew down to Atlanta for grad school at Emory and stayed in the city doing some health research for a few years. I was excited to explore a new city and eat lots of Southern comfort food! Eventually, I left the warmth to go to Pennsylvania for medical school at Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine. After all that, I made my way back home to Tufts Children's! I am so excited to be back and see new and familiar sites. Looking forward to exploring Boston with friends, new and old. Outside of loving pediatrics, I also enjoy running, yoga, reading, and trying to train my cat. I couldn't be happier to join this great group of future pediatricians and I'm so honored to be at Tufts Children's Hospital! Millie Shah, DO Hi! I was born and raised along the famous Jersey Shore and grew up loving the sand, waves, and salt of the water. But, I soon found my love for the mountains when I attended Lehigh University (real life Hogwarts!) for my undergraduate years. After Lehigh, I moved back to South Jersey to earn my masters at UMDNJ and then went on to attend Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine. I enjoy drawing, climbing, reading, hiking, and, of course, spending time at the shore. Philly is the first city to claim a spot in my heart as home but I am incredibly excited to be making the one way trip to Boston and to join the Triple Board and Tufts Children's family! Cristina Stefanescu, MD Boston has been my home for a long time and I'm super excited to spend another three years here as a Tufts pediatric resident! I grew up in Needham, MA and went to college at MIT, majoring in Materials Science and Engineering. I then worked for several years in biomedical research focused on developing controlled drug delivery systems to enhance medical treatments at the Koch Institute in Cambridge. While working there, I realized I wanted to pursue a career in medicine and enrolled in Tufts MBS masters program. After that, I went on to start medical school at Tufts University School of Medicine. Needless to say, I am very familiar with Beantown and the Tufts medical community! In my free time, I enjoy hanging out with my husband cooking or catching a show at the House of Blues. I also love spending time with family, including my 15 month-old nephew who is currently obsessed with fish and balloons. I also used to play both field hockey and ice hockey in college and still like to play pick-up games of either sport whenever I get a chance. I am ecstatic to be staying in Boston and to be joining Tufts Children's Hospital family! Lauren Winter, MD Hi! My name is Lauren Winter and I am from Lake Placid, New York - Home of the Winter Olympics! Although I loved growing up in a small town and loved being in the mountains, when I applied to college I wanted to experience living in a city. So I came to Boston, went to Northeastern, and studied Finance. Northeastern's co-op program helped me realize finance wasn't my true calling and allowed me to find my passion for medicine. After graduation I did research at GW in DC before starting medical school in Albany, NY. Before starting at Albany Med, I was drawn to pediatrics, which was only reaffirmed during my clinical years. Children are so optimistic and resilient, and I am so happy that I get to spend every day with them. I am thrilled to join Tufts Children's Hospital Family in pursuit of my dream of becoming a pediatrician! Ying Yi Zhang, MD Hello everyone! I was born in China but moved to New York City with my mom to pursue "the American dream" when I was in elementary school. I love everything about New York City, even the very old and always delayed subway system, but I decided that I need to explore other places. So after graduating high school, I moved to MA to attend Wellesley College for undergraduate studies where I majored in Economics and Chemistry. During this time, I made so many meaningful friendships, and I met my then boyfriend, now husband, who is native to MA. I then spent two years doing research in Boston at Brigham and Women's Hospital before moving back to New York to attend medical school. While I will surely miss New York, I am excited to come back to Boston and train at Tufts Children's. I look forward to this next stage in my life, making new friends, and being part of the Patriots fandom.
Peri Akchurin, DO University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth/Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine
Hello! I am originally from Iowa but spent my teen years in Lubbock, Texas. I then moved north to attend Vassar College in New York, where I majored in neuroscience and behavior, worked as a peer health educator, and volunteered as an EMT. Between my undergraduate years and medical school, I worked in New York City at a pediatric psychiatry practice before returning to Texas for medical school at the University of North Texas Health Science Center. While there, I participated in multiple women’s health advocacy programs and realized my passion for mental healthcare and adolescent medicine. Though I will always love the warmth and unique character of the Lone Star State, I am thrilled to join the Tufts Triple Board family and cannot wait to explore Boston and its many sources of oysters! In my free time, I enjoy knitting, drawing, cooking, hiking, and yoga, all while listening to some good classic rock.
Michael Coughlin, DO University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine
I’m originally from Cleveland, Ohio where I grew up in the chaos of a large family alongside my 2 siblings and 54 first cousins. I attended John Carroll University for college where I majored in biology, ran the 400 meter hurdles, and created a charitable organization to benefit a local children’s hospital. After college, I conducted physiology research at Case Western Reserve University and coached my high school track team. During this time I began the process toward medical school and was fortunate to be accepted into the University of New England. Having spent the majority of my life in Cleveland, I was thrilled with the opportunity to explore a new area in coastal Maine. I quickly fell in love with the east coast and all it has to offer: beautiful beaches, delicious seafood, and many outdoor activities. At UNE, I took advantage of the outdoors and led the Maine Adaptive ski program for kids and adults with disabilities. Outside of Pediatrics, I enjoy running, skiing, and exploring new areas. I’m looking forward to discovering Boston and its sports scene. I’m excited to begin this next stage in my medical career and couldn’t be happier to be at Tufts and a new member of Tufts Children's Hospital family.
Robert Joseph Daniels-Mulholland, MD New York Medical College
Born and raised in east Tennessee, I grew up playing all sorts of sports, hiking, mountain biking, and cheering for the North Carolina Tar Heels (my parents both attended and met each other at UNC-Chapel Hill). After a great college experience at the University of Tennessee, I followed a yearning to branch out and explore another part of the country, landing in Westchester County, NY at New York Medical College. The past 4 years of medical school have been filled to the brim with classes, work, studies, extracurricular sports and hiking, not to mention meeting some of my very best friends. Moving on will be hard, but I’m so excited to explore my new town of Boston, go to Celtics games, find some pickup basketball to play, and to grow as a person and physician at Tufts Children's Children’s. And hopefully I’ll get to meet some new neat friends along the way!
Ankita Deosthali, MD Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University
Hello! My name is Ankita and I am very excited to train at Tufts Children's at Tufts. I spent the first half of my childhood growing up in Austin, TX and moved to NY for the second half. Growing up in Texas developed my love for Mexican food and growing up in NY introduced me to my favorite season - fall! I returned to Texas for college at Rice University, a real life version of Hogwarts (Harry Potter is another love of mine). In college I was a Cognitive Science major and balanced my pre-med studies with an arts or theater related course every semester. I returned to the northeast for medical school, starting at LKSOM at Temple University in Philadelphia. Living in Philadelphia solidified how much I love city living, and am so grateful for the opportunity to explore Boston. I have been wanting to be a pediatrician for as long as I can remember, and truly cannot wait to work with Tufts Children's Hospital community!
Michelle Foley, DO University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine
I have been a New Englander throughout my entire life. I spent the majority of my childhood in Franklin, Massachusetts which is a small suburb of Boston. I decided to follow in my older sister's footsteps for college and attended Holy Cross in Worcester, MA where I obtained an undergraduate degree in Biology with a pre-med concentration. After college I took a few years off of school and did clinical research at Tufts before heading up to the wilderness of Maine for medical school at University of New England COM. While I loved Maine and all it had to offer (especially the close by beach in the summer), I knew that I wanted to head back down the coast for residency and am so excited to pursue my residency at the Tufts Children's! In my free time, I love exploring new places and new foods with my fiancé (a fellow Holy Cross Crusader), reading a good book, spending time with my family, and cooking and baking. I can't wait to spend the next three years in my favorite city and continue exploring everything it has to offer.
Lisa Hsu, MD National Yang-Ming University School of Medicine
I was born in California but raised and finished all my education in Taipei, Taiwan. I started to learn Chinese dance and ballet dance at the age of five, and they had become the most important part of my childhood. Until now, I keep it a habit to take dance classes in my spare time.The medical schools in Taiwan are 7-year programs right after high school, so I spent several years in National Yang-Ming University located on a tranquil hillside. It takes hundreds of steps to reach our medical building near the hilltop!
During my clerkship at Taipei Veterans General Hospital (on the other side of the hill), I met my husband, Kuan. He followed my dream to come to the US and got admitted to Boston University School of Dental Medicine last year. No word could express our excitement when the match results came out, and we knew we could stay together for the next few years! Tufts Children's Hospital is my No.1 choice, and I cannot wait to move to this beautiful city, meet Tufts Children's Hospital family, and attend the adult ballet classes in Boston Ballet.
Trupti Ingle, MD University of Massachusetts Medical School
Hi everyone! I grew up outside of Boston in Burlington, MA. I was a competitive figure skater growing up, but don't ask me to show you any tricks now! I stayed in Boston for undergrad where I majored in Health Sciences at Northeastern University. I love to travel, and I was fortunate enough to go on several study abroad trips to Singapore, Bali, and South Africa. After college I took a year off and worked at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston as a research administrative assistant before starting medical school at UMASS in Worcester, MA. I loved my time at UMASS where I was very involved in a project aimed at identifying patients who super-utilize medical resources. Outside of medicine, I enjoy trying new restaurants, traveling, and spending time with family and friends. I'm excited to be back in Boston yet again and to join Tufts Children's Hospital family!
Christina Kratlian, MD Albany Medical College
Born on the Cape and raised on the South Shore, I traveled up to Boston for my undergraduate education at Boston University. I majored in Psychology, developed a passion for Art History, and worked as a resident assistant on campus. I stayed at BU to obtain my Masters degree at the School of Medicine, where I studied bubble blowing as a way to help kids cope with immunizations - and met my fiance, Andrew! After finishing my degree, I ventured into the adult world and spent a few years researching the heart, and then ventured even further to New York for medical school at Albany Medical College. During medical school, I solidified my love of Pediatrics and became very involved with child advocacy and legislative efforts around pediatric issues. In my free time you can find me cheering for the Red Sox, cooking new recipes or exploring new restaurants, sitting on the beach (even in the winter), attempting to teach my cat how to fetch, or spending time with my family and friends. I couldn't be more overjoyed to come home to Boston and join Tufts Children's Hospital family!
Priya Mishra, MD Sawai Man Singh Medical College
Hi everyone! I was born in the small town of Kota in India. I grew up with my parents and one older brother moving around. Right after high school, as the first person in my family joining the medical profession, I joined Sawai Man Singh Medical College for medical school which is at the heart of pink city of Jaipur. During my 6 years of medical school, I fell in love with the art of medicine and in particular, enjoyed interacting with children and making them smile. Outside of medicine, I enjoy playing badminton, dancing to bollywood music, painting and traveling the world. Matching at Tufts for residency is a dream come true and I am ecstatic to be a part of Tufts Children's Hospital family!
Rachel Olfson, MD Albany Medical College
I grew up in New York City with my parents and older sister, where I attended an international school in Manhattan from elementary through high school. I moved to Connecticut to receive a B.A. in Neuroscience and Behavior at Wesleyan University, where I also enjoyed volunteering in local schools to teach children hands-on science projects and discovered an interest in baking. After college, I returned to my home state to attend medical school at Albany Medical College. I am thrilled to be joining the Pediatric team at Tufts, and pursuing Triple Board training over the next five years! I am also looking forward to enjoying life in Boston by jogging on the Esplanade, exploring museums, and discovering all that the city has to offer.
Marina Santos Oren Universidade do Estado do Pará Hi! I was born in the north of Brazil, in the amazon region in a city called Belem. Where I grew up, it was always warm. What marked seasons were if there was a lot of rain or just a little! Winter in Boston will be amazing for me! My medical school was in my hometown at Para State University. I went to Sao Paulo for Residency in Pediatrics and Fellowship in Neonatology after that. I lived there for 7 years and I enjoyed every minute of the big city life. In one of my visits to my sister in Dallas, Texas, I had the opportunity to observe at Children’s Hospital, and I was fascinated by it. All the research, education, and resources to practice Medicine were amazing. I also met my husband there! So I decided to start my medical education here in the US. I went to the University of New Mexico to pursue a Fellowship in Neonatology. I learned to love green chile and New Mexican food there. I also had my two kids there! Outdoors were amazing too. I am very excited to be joining the Tufts Residency Program to finish my training. It is an amazing team and I am looking forward to our next 2 years!
Julian Ponsetto, MD Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine
Hello all! I grew up in Wayland Massachusetts and stayed close to home to attend undergrad at nearby Boston College. I knew I wanted to go into pediatrics after volunteering with the Big Brothers Big Sisters program during college. I spent two years after college working in a hematology/oncology lab at Mass General Hospital and then moved to Chicago to attend medical school at Loyola Stritch School of Medicine. My interests include reading, travel, live music, eating tacos, trying to cook, and playing pickup basketball. Recently my turnaround jump-shot has been developing well. I also enjoy spending time with my family’s pet dachshund, Finnegan. I’m excited to be back in Boston to continue my medical training!
Laura Rosenkrantz, MD Stony Brook University School of Medicine
Hello! I was born and raised on Long Island, NY. My college years were spent at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute where I received a BS in Biochemistry/Biophysics and MS in Biology. While there, I continued my love for running on the Track & Field team, became involved in research and met my future husband. After graduation, we moved to Boston and I spent three years working as a Clinical and Research Assistant at Brigham and Women's Hospital/Harvard Medical School. Among the quaint cobblestone streets and picturesque seashore, I found a welcoming and passionate community with unparalleled culture. Boston had stolen my heart! I returned home to Long Island to attend medical school at Stony Brook University School of Medicine and made monthly trips back to Boston to visit my husband. In addition to traveling, I enjoy hiking, camping, running, reading books on the beach, skiing and spending time with family and friends. I cannot wait to make a one-way trip back to Boston to start my pediatric career and serve this city as part of the Tufts Children's community!
