Medical Student Leadership
4 Executive Board Members
19 Committee Chairs
28 Committee Members

Our Executive Board

Keyana Zahiri

Keyana Zahiri is a current MS4 at the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University. She grew up in New Orleans, LA and attended Brown University in Providence, RI, where she graduated with a Sc.B. in Health & Human Biology and Cognitive Neuroscience with honors through the Program in Liberal Medical Education (PLME) BS/MD program.

She aspires to become an academic cardiothoracic surgeon and her research interests lie in the intersection between artificial intelligence and cardiac surgery. She has conducted cardiac surgery research at the Stanford Cardiovascular Institute, Yale, and cardiac tissue engineering lab at Brown. She now does clinical cardiac surgery research at Rhode Island Hospital. She was a Massachusetts General Hospital CT Surgery Summer Scholar in 2024, where she had the opportunity to gain significant clinical exposure to CT surgery and further her passion for the field.

Outside of academics, she enjoys swimming, karate, hiking, and spending time with family and friends. She joined TSMA as an undergraduate in 2020 and has served on TSMA leadership for the past four years. She is now honored and excited to serve as Executive Board President, with a passion for fostering connection, mentorship, and community among aspiring cardiothoracic surgeons. She looks forward to building on TSMA’s legacy and helping create a space where the next generation of CT surgeons can learn from one another, find mentorship, and feel inspired to pursue this field.

Reannon Suzuki

Reannon Suzuki is a native of Hawaii and a third-year medical student at the University of Hawaii John A. Burns School of Medicine. She earned her degree in Biomedical Sciences from The College of Idaho, where she also completed minors in Criminal Justice, Psychology, and Medicine. She is currently a Sarnoff Cardiovascular Research Fellow completing a dedicated research year at Duke University under the mentorship of Dr. Carmelo Milano and Dr. Dawn Bowles. She hopes to pursue a career as an academic cardiothoracic surgeon with interests in heart transplantation, surgical innovation, and medical education.

Outside of medicine, Reannon enjoys tennis, crocheting, and spending time with friends and family. She is honored to serve as TSMA's National Treasurer and looks forward to expanding opportunities for the next generation of cardiothoracic surgeons.

Riya Bhasin

Riya Bhasin is a third-year medical student at Kansas City University College of Osteopathic Medicine. Originally from the Chicagoland area, she earned her undergraduate degree in Biomedical Sciences from Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. During her undergraduate years, she completed an Anatomy Fellowship, where she developed a strong interest in cardiac anatomy and the surgical management of cardiovascular disease, particularly coronary artery disease.

Her passion for cardiothoracic surgery has continued to grow through her involvement in research focused on early and midterm clinical outcomes in patients undergoing robotic cardiac surgery. Riya is inspired by the innovative, minimally invasive techniques that many cardiothoracic surgeons employ and aspires to become a skilled surgeon who advances patient care through such approaches.

Riya is an active member of the ACOS-MSS National Research Committee and previously served on TSMA’s Project & Proposals Committee. She is excited to serve as TSMA’s Executive Secretary this year and looks forward to helping expand opportunities for student engagement and growth. Outside of academics, Riya enjoys exploring local coffee shops, running, practicing yoga, and traveling.

Juli Buchwald

Juli Buchwald received her BS in Chemistry from the University of Pittsburgh in 2017. She then completed a Postbaccalaureate Intramural Research Training Award at the NIH National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases before joining the MD/PhD Medical Scientist Training Program at UMass Chan Medical School in 2018. She defended her PhD in June 2025 and has since returned to complete her medical training. Juli’s research focuses on developing novel siRNA-based therapeutics to mitigate ischemia-reperfusion injury in the heart, lung, and liver, with the goal of improving organ preservation and transplantation. Her work has involved collaborations with cardiothoracic surgeon-scientists at Massachusetts General Hospital and has reinforced her aspiration to become a cardiothoracic transplant surgeon-scientist.

Juli has served on the TSMA Research Committee for three years and is excited to continue advancing the organization as Vice President. She is passionate about expanding research opportunities, mentorship, and educational resources for medical students interested in cardiothoracic surgery. Outside of medicine and research, Juli enjoys kayaking, hiking, and reading.