Medical Student Leadership
4 Executive Board Members
9 Committee Chairs
26 Committee Members

Global Surgery

Isaac Faith

Isaac Faith is a medical student at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine with interests in cardiac surgery, surgical innovation, and global health. He has contributed to research in thoracic and cardiovascular surgery, including projects on aortic disease, lung cancer outcomes, and the use of AI to improve clinical trial design. Isaac has been awarded both a Sarnoff Cardiovascular Research Fellowship and a Memorial Sloan Kettering Summer Fellowship. At Einstein, he founded the Einstein Innovation Group and serves on the leadership team of the Einstein Global Health Group. Building on this experience, he now leads TSMA’s Global Health Committee, where he is eager to strengthen collaborations, expand research opportunities, and support mission-driven surgical initiatives. He previously completed the Massachusetts General

Hospital Thoracic Surgery Summer Fellowship and hopes to build a career that combines clinical excellence in cardiac surgery with innovation in therapeutics, devices, and global health delivery.

Lesley Coe

Lesley is originally from New Orleans and moved to Los Angeles for high school before attending the University of California, Berkeley, where she majored in Molecular Environmental Biology and Spanish Linguistics. She is currently a fourth-year medical student at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, where she conducts research in thoracic oncology, including studies on surgical approaches, artificial intelligence, and molecular profiling in non-small cell lung cancer. She founded and serves as the president of the Einstein Global Health Organization, connecting students with global health opportunities, organizing educational events, and leading research on

the long-term career impact of these experiences. She has also participated in global health work in Madrid, Spain, and community-based research in Santiago, Chile. Outside of school, she can be found dancing, skiing, or exploring the New York City food scene. She looks forward to working with the TSMA Global Surgery Committee to promote education, collaboration, and student involvement in addressing global surgical disparities.

Maylis Basturk

Maylis Kanyana Basturk is a fourth-year medical student at the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California. She earned her Bachelor of Arts from Columbia University, where she minored in Biology. During medical school, she has pursued extensive research in cardiothoracic surgery and global health, including a five-week fellowship in Rwanda through the Dhablania and Kim Family Global Medicine and Health Fellowship, where she helped establish the country’s first national thoracic surgery database. Her work spans clinical outcomes research in complex aortic surgery, health equity in advanced heart failure therapies, and the creation of a multi-country surgical outcomes registry across Sub-Saharan Africa.

An aspiring cardiothoracic surgeon with a particular interest in global cardiac surgery, Maylis has secured over $80,000 in competitive funding to support her research and community-based initiatives. She is the founder and co-president of the Keck Transitions in Health Program, which delivers multidisciplinary health education workshops for justice-involved individuals in Los Angeles. Beyond her academic and professional pursuits, she enjoys gardening, traveling, skiing, and spending time outdoors. She is honored to serve as a Global Surgery Committee Member and is committed to advancing equitable access to surgical care worldwide

Akshaj Darbar

Akshaj is an Indo-Canadian that studied Computer Science with a specialization in Biomedical Computing at Queen’s University in Canada. He is currently a final-year medical student at McMaster University in Canada, and is currently an aspiring cardiac surgeon with passion for integrating artificial intelligence into cardiac surgery. He also has a keen research interest into clonal hematopoiesis of indeterminate potential, an inflammatory hematologic condition linked with many systemic chronic diseases. Outside of school, he can be found playing badminton with friends, going on hiking trips, and losing his mind over F1 races over the weekend.

Spurred on by his own experiences with healthcare in India and rural Canada, he looks forward to working with the TSMA’s Global Surgery committee to highlight global challenges and unique initiatives improving healthcare in remote regions.

Rishik Manthana

Rishik is a California native who graduated from Brown University with a major in Public Health through the Program in Liberal Medical Education (PLME). He is currently a third-year medical student at the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University. Rishik aspires to a career in academic cardiothoracic surgery, with a particular interest in enhancing recovery after surgery (ERAS) protocols in global settings. He has conducted research in both translational cardiac surgery and clinical thoracic surgery. Outside of his academic pursuits, Rishik enjoys reading, hiking, and spending quality time with family and friends. He is excited to contribute to the TSMA Global Surgery Committee, where he looks forward to supporting students pursuing careers in cardiothoracic surgery, especially within the field of global surgery.

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Amisha Paul

Amisha Paul is a second-year medical student at Case Western Reserve University (CWRU) School of Medicine in Cleveland, Ohio. She completed her undergraduate studies at the University of Connecticut, earning a B.S. in Physiology & Neurobiology and a B.A. in Economics, with minors in Anthropology of Global Health and Global Studies.

In medical school, Amisha has pursued her interest in cardiothoracic surgery through numerous research projects, electives, and leadership roles. She currently serves as Vice President of the Holden Surgical Society, Chapter Lead for the Association of Women Surgeons, and Co-Leader of the American Medical Women's Association at CWRU. She is passionate about surgical education, building community, and facilitating mentorship opportunities. After completing medical school, she aims to pursue a career as a cardiothoracic surgeon.

She also has a strong interest in global surgery capacity building and addressing disparities in surgical access worldwide. She chairs the Education Committee for the World Medicine Pathway at CWRU and has engaged in numerous global health academic, research, and clinical experiences. Outside of school, she enjoys traveling, DIY projects, and being by bodies of water. She looks forward to expanding TSMA’s global reach and opportunities to learn about global cardiothoracic surgery.