Division of

Geriatric Medicine

Current Fellows

Aaiza Aamer, MD

Education:
MD, Hacettepe University Faculty of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey

Training:
Internal Medicine, Lincoln Medical Center affiliated with Weil Cornell , Bronx, NY

Born in Pakistan, raised in Qatar, she completed her medical school in Turkey. During her training, Aaiza found that the her most memorable patients were her Geriatric patients and she recognized that there would be a huge need for trained geriatricians to provide quality care of an aging population. Elder adults have multiple comorbidities which makes treating them challenging yet fulfilling.

Ilia Bernstein, MD

Education:
BSc (Hons), University of Toronto, ON, Canada
BMBS, University of Limerick, Ireland

Training:
Jewish Hospital of Cincinnati

Coming from Toronto, Ilia moved to Pittsburgh to train at UPMC and enhance his knowledge and ability to provide optimal care for older adults. Having the perspective of training in multiple health systems he identified the universal need of managing the increasing needs of a growing senior population. He hopes the comprehensive training provided at UPMC will allow him to become a more versatile physician.

Outside of his medial training Ilia is an avid hockey fan and enjoys traveling. His favorite author is James Joyce.

Anita Chandra, MD

Education:
BA Public Health Studies, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD
MD, St. George’s University School of Medicine, Grenada, WI

Training:
Internal Medicine, Allegheny Health Network

Anita was born and raised in Pittsburgh but left the city for college and medical school. She was excited to finally return home after a decade for residency and now fellowship.

Growing up, Anita spent most summers in Bangalore, India with her grandfather who ran a foundation for older adults that focused on allowing senior citizens to lead active lives. This experience led to Anita’s special interest in caring for the geriatric population during medical school and residency. Anita has a special interest in in-hospital delirium and fall prevention.

Anita enjoys dancing, international travel, Pittsburgh sports and spending time with her husband and son.

Nivedita Gunturi, MD

Education:
BA English, Tufts University, Boston, MA
MBBS, Sri Ramachandra University, Chennai, India

Training:
Internal Medicine, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center

A native of Dallas, Texas, Nivedita came to Pittsburgh for the first time when she began her residency in internal medicine. During that time, she developed a deep interest in the care of older adults as well as end-of-life care. In particular, she is interested in the continuum of patient-centered care through patients’ final years, in both primary care and long-term care settings. After working for a year as a UPMC hospitalist, she decided to remain for a two-year Geriatrics-Palliative Care Fellowship. Nivedita hopes to continue her research on goal-setting and communication among patients, providers, and families.

During her free time, Nivedita enjoys spending time outdoors, either gardening or hiking with her husband and her dog, Angel.

Alison O’Donnell, DO, MPH

Education:
BA Public Health and Social Wellness, Haverford College, Philadelphia, PA
MPH, Jefferson College of Population Health, Philadelphia, PA
DO, Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine, Philadelphia, PA

Training:
Internal Medicine, Allegheny Health Network, Pittsburgh, PA
Alison grew up in the suburbs of Pittsburgh and traveled to Philadelphia for college and medical school. She has an interest in geriatrics and population health, which prompted her to major in public health in college and subsequently attend medical school and pursue a Master in Public Health degree. She was excited to have the opportunity to return to Pittsburgh for her internal medicine residency and remain for a geriatrics fellowship.

During her training, Alison found that older adults, who often have multiple comorbidities as well as psychological and social issues, were some of the most interesting and challenging patients for whom she had the privilege of caring. She realized that as the population ages, the healthcare system will face growing demands, and there will be an even greater need for training in geriatrics. She hopes to be a geriatrician who can make an impact at both the individual and population level as the healthcare system continues to evolve.

Alison enjoys spending time with her family, hiking, and traveling, and she has recently taken up gardening.

Ravneet Sandhu, MD

Education:
Bsc. University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada
MD Saba University, Dutch Caribbean

Training:
Internal Medicine, MedStar Internal Medicine Baltimore

Ravneet was born in India and raised in Toronto, Canada. He studied biochemistry and human biology at University of Toronto and medicine at Saba University. He completed his Internal medicine training in Baltimore where he developed a keen interest in care for the elderly. While working with various geriatricians, he saw firsthand the clinical skills and knowledge that is required to take care of patients with high degree of medical complexity. He was attracted to UPMC due to its strong academic faculty and balance of inpatient and outpatient rotations. Furthermore, he was drawn to the city of Pittsburgh due to its warm and vibrant nature. Ravneet’s interests in geriatrics include acute care, polypharmacy and rehabilitation.

Outside of medicine, Ravneet is an avid hockey fan and enjoys running and watching movies.