Renal-Electrolyte Fellowship Program

2013-2019 : MBBS, Gujarat Cancer Society, Ahmedabad, India
2020-2023 : Internal Medicine Residency, Western Reserve Health Education, Ohio
2023-present : Nephrology Fellowship, UPMC, Pittsburgh, PA

With a solid foundation in medicine, acquired through the completion of medical school in India, Nimit embarked on a journey to pursue further training in the United States. He chose Ohio as his destination for residency. During this time, his fascination with nephrology deepened, sparking a desire to specialize in this field.

Nimit contemplates a future in interventional nephrology or general nephrology, both of which he believes offer unique opportunities to make a meaningful impact on patients’ lives.

Beyond the realm of medicine, Nimit leads a fulfilling life outside the hospital. He is an ardent adventurer, often found exploring scenic hiking trails.

2009-2013: B.A., University of California, Berkeley
2015-2019: M.D., University of California, San Diego
2019-2023: Internal Medicine-Pediatrics Residency, University of California, San Diego

Dr. Michelle Keyser grew up in the Bay Area in Northern California and completed her undergraduate degree in anthropology and integrative biology at the University of California, Berkeley. She then attended medical school at the University of California, San Diego where she discovered her passion for caring for both children and adults and decided to pursue residency in Internal Medicine-Pediatrics. Throughout residency, nephrology remained a foundational interest and she decided to pursue fellowship in adult and pediatric nephrology in order to care for patients with kidney disease across the age spectrum. Within nephrology she is interested in transitions between pediatric and adult care, transplant medicine, medical education and health equity. Outside of the hospital she enjoys playing tennis, yoga, biking, running and spending time outdoors.

Nephro/CCM Fellow, 2023-2026

2016-2020: MD, Weill Cornell Medicine in Qatar
2020-2023: Internal Medicine Residency, University of Massachusetts Baystate Medical Center, Springfield, MA
2023-present: Nephrology and Critical Care Fellowship, Pittsburgh, PA

Sabiha completed her medical school education at Weill Cornell Medicine, between Qatar and New York City. During the time, she developed an interest in renal physiology, clinical research and medical education which motivated her to pursue internal residency at UMass Baystate where she participated in several research and medical education projects. During this time, she lead and directed her program’s POCUS Curriculum and helped to develop an ICU curriculum for residents which incorporated chapters in acid/base derangements, toxic ingestions and CRRT. She developed a special interest in the intersection of nephrology and critical care and is very excited to continue this subspecialty training at UPMC. Outside of the hospital, she enjoys reading fiction and poetry, attending theater productions, playing guitar and traveling.

Dr. Zain AlShanableh completed her medical school education in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. She then moved to the States to pursue her dream in medicine and started her internal medicine residency at St Vincent Charity Medical Center, Cleveland, Ohio in 2019. Dr. Zain discovered her true passion for nephrology after completing her nephrology rotation during residency. She is delighted to start her Renal-electrolyte fellowship at UPMC with particular interest in academic nephrology and glomerular diseases. Dr. Zain enjoys playing sports during her free time (soccer, volleyball and swimming), as well as hiking and traveling.

Dr. Massiel Cruz Peralta completed her medical school education in Santiago de los Caballeros, Dominican Republic, at the Mother and Teacher Pontifical Catholic University. During medical school, she developed a particular fascination with renal physiology. This interest continued to grow under the influences of her mentors and teachers during her clinical rotations. Determined to become a Kidney Medicine specialist she decided to pursue training in the United States. She completed her internal medicine residency at St Vincent Charity Medical Center, where she was exposed to a variety of renal diseases, and her interest in consolidated nephrology. She also discovered her passion for teaching and clinical education. Dr Cruz Peralta is excited to enter this new chapter in her path by starting her training at UPMC, Renal-Electrolytes fellowship program. She has a particular interest in clinical education, renal physiology, and transplant nephrology. Outside hospital work she loves baseball, backpack traveling, and dancing to Latin music.

Chief
Med-Peds Nephrology Fellow, 2022-2026

2010-2012: University of Mary Washington, Fredericksburg, VA
2012-2014: Temple University, Philadelphia, PA
2014-2018: Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine-VA campus, Blacksburg, VA
2018-2022: Internal Medicine-Pediatrics Residency, Baystate Medical Center, Springfield, MA
2022-Present: Nephrology Fellowship, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center and UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA

Dr. Katie O’Brien completed her medical school training in Blacksburg, VA at the Edward Via College of Osteopathic medicine. During her 4th year of medical school, she was exposed to pediatric nephrology, which first sparked her interest in the field. While completing her Internal Medicine-Pediatrics residency at Baystate Medical Center in Springfield, MA her passion for nephrology solidified, and as a provider for both adults and children, knew that she wanted to pursue a fellowship dedicated to the treatment of both pediatric and adult kidney disease. As a Pennsylvania native, she is very excited to return to Pennsylvania to complete a combined fellowship training program in Nephrology at UPMC and the UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, surrounded by extraordinary faculty and mentors. Her interests range from glomerular diseases, critical care, transplant nephrology, and pediatric nephrology. Outside of the hospital she enjoys playing soccer, traveling, and cheering for her favorite Philadelphia sports teams.

IM – Arnot Ogden Medical Center, NY
MS – Nova Southeastern University Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Osteopathic Medicine, FL

Nephro/CCM fellow, 2022-2025

2008-2012: BS, University of Maryland – College Park, College Park, MD
2015-2019: MD, Temple University School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA
2019-2022: Internal Medicine Residency, George Washington University Hospital, Washington, DC
2022-present: Nephrology and Critical Care Fellowship, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA

Dr. Anna Woodall completed her undergraduate degree in microbiology at the University of Maryland, College Park. She went on to work at an infectious disease laboratory in Gaithersburg, Maryland where she realized that despite enjoying bench science, her true passion is medicine. She attended Temple University School of Medicine in Philadelphia, PA where she fell in love with nephrology. She then completed her training in internal medicine at the George Washington University Hospital where she was involved in examining the effects of IL-6 and TMPRSS6 on cardiovascular outcomes in CKD. After completing her training in nephrology, she will continue onto training in critical care at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. Outside of medicine Anna enjoys cooking and spending time with her husband.

Chief

Education/Training:
2011-2015: BS, Biomedical Engineering, The Ohio State University, Columbus OH
2015-2019: MD, The University of Toledo College of Medicine and Life Sciences, Toledo OH
2019-2022: Internal Medicine Residency, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh PA
2022-present: Renal Electrolyte Fellowship, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh PA

Originally from Hilliard, Ohio, Dr. Kevin Stephenoff completed his undergraduate education in biomedical engineering at The Ohio State University followed by his medical education at the University of Toledo College of Medicine. He moved to Pittsburgh in 2019 for internal medicine residency training at UPMC during which he quickly developed an expanding interest in nephology. Following completion of residency, Kevin is excited to continue his nephrology training in Pittsburgh. Outside of medicine, Kevin enjoys traveling – especially to national parks, hiking, and basketball.

University of Malawi, College of Medicine, Blantyre, Malawi
2013-2015: Clinical Internship, Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital, Blantyre, Malawi
2018-2021: Internal Medicine Residency, UPMC Mercy, Pittsburgh, PA
2021- Present: Nephrology Fellow at Renal and Electrolyte Division, UPMC, Pittsburgh, PA

Dr. Kalaria completed his medical school from the Warm Heart of Africa, Malawi. The spark in Nephrology was born during his Transplant Nephrology elective in Birmingham, UK. After completing his medical school and internship, he moved to the US to follow his dream of Nephrology. He completed his internal medicine residency at UPMC Mercy, Pittsburgh PA. During that time, he continued to strive towards his passion in Nephrology by presenting at national conferences and by being selected as a Kidney Star and NephSIM Nephron. In addition, he attended the Nephrology Business Leadership Conference. He is privileged to continue his training at UPMC with elite faculty, with special interest in transplant and glomerular disease.
He enjoys soccer, cricket and traveling outside of work.