Current fellows

Akshar Kalola, DO

Hometown: Deptford, NJ

College: The College of New Jersey

Medical school: Touro University COM

Residency: The George Washington University

Interests within Heme-Onc: Likely Solid Oncology

Personal interests/hobbies:

• Working out, sports (BJJ, basketball, Cycling, swimming)
• Trying new restaurants, cooking, EDM concerts
• Going down internet rabbit holes

Favorite thing about Philly/Philly suburbs:

• Center City SIPS
• Schuylkill River Trail
• Spruce Street Harbor Park
• Its walkability

Favorite restaurant: Tulip Pasta, Masala Kitchen, The Angelo Pizza

Sophia Rokkas, MD

Hometown: Athens, Greece

College: Boston University

Medical school: St. George's University of London

Residency: Lankenau

Interests within Heme-Onc: Breast and lung cancer

Personal interests/hobbies: Pilates

Favorite restaurant: Suraya

Alisha Maity, MD

Hometown: Bryn Mawr, PA

College: Columbia University

Medical school: Sidney Kimmel Medical College, Thomas Jefferson University

Residency: Lankenau Medical Center

Interests within Heme-Onc: Solid Onc

Personal interests/hobbies:

• Squash, tennis, pickleball, ping-pong (any racquet sport)
• Film — fan of Christopher Nolan, Scorsese, Sofia Coppola, Tarantino, Bong Joon-Ho, Greta Gerwig
• Reading via audiobooks

Favorite thing about Philly:

• Walkability of the city, hanging out at the Schuylkill River Park, spending time with my sister and her dog

Favorite restaurant:

• Barbuzzo/Apricot Stone/Kalaya/Vernick

Talar Telvizian

Hometown: Rabieh, Lebanon

College: American University of Beirut

Medical school: American University of Beirut Medical School

Residency: Lankenau Medical Center

Interests within Heme-Onc: Solid tumors, still exploring!

Personal interests/hobbies:

• Hiking and visiting national parks
• Trying new restaurants around Philly
• Yoga/pilates, trying to find the best classes in town

Favorite thing about Philly/Philly suburbs: Moving here and finding out that stereotypes about Philadelphia are just that — stereotypes

Favorite restaurant in Philly: Apricot stone — they have authentic dishes that remind me of home

Obed Agyei, MD

Hometown: Greensboro, North Carolina by way of Kumasi, Ghana West Africa

College: North Carolina State University

Medical school: Ross University School of Medicine

Residency: Moses Cone Hospital, Greensboro, North Carolina

Interests within Heme-Onc: Thoracic Oncology and Breast Oncology. I'm also falling in love with Multiple Myeloma.

Personal interests/hobbies:

• Soccer!
• Traveling! (Goal for the next 5 years is to travel within Africa, at least 15 countries)
• Hiking!
• Playing instruments (drums, piano, djembe)

Favorite thing about Philly/Philly suburbs:

• The proximity to DC, NY, NJ. Makes traveling very convenient.
• Museums.
• Lots of history.
• The drivers are insane.

Favorite restaurant:

• Aburi Gardens Restaurant (Virginia)

Karthik Shankar, DO

Hometown: Stroudsburg, PA

College: Villanova University

Medical school: West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine

Residency: Allegheny General Hospital — Pittsburgh, PA

Interests within Heme-Onc: Lung, breast, leukemia

Personal interests/hobbies:

• Sports!!! Tennis (Djokovic), cricket (India, Virat Kohli, RCB), basketball (Sixers), football (GO BIRDS)
• Shows (Narcos, Succession, Peaky Blinders, Breaking Bad)
• Sunset views
• My dog (Australian Shepherd)

Favorite thing about Philly/Philly suburbs:

• Obviously the sports team as above since I've grown up in Eastern, PA
• Food, so many amazing restaurants
• Summer SIPS
• Walks with my dog on Kelly Drive

Favorite restaurant:

• Zahav or Amma's cuisine