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

Our Executive Board

Nina Uzoigwe

Althea Tapales

vice President

President

Keyana zahiri

Andrew Kalra

Secretary

treasurer

Nina uzoigwe

Born and raised in Brooklyn, NY, Nina Uzoigwe is a 5th-year MD/PhD candidate at NYU

Grossman School of Medicine. A proud graduate of Harvard University, she earned recognition

as a John Harvard Scholar while concentrating in Bioengineering with a Secondary in Global

Health and Health Policy. Her award-winning senior thesis – honored with the prestigious

Thomas T. Hoopes prize — examined pulmonary valve replacement in neonates with congenital

heart defects at Boston Children’s Hospital. Today, her doctoral research bridges cardiology and

immunology, fueled by her passion for cardiothoracic surgery, global health equity, and

strengthening healthcare systems. She presented her work A Cross-Continental Analysis:

Implications of Workforce Diversity and Surgical Capacity at the 1st Pan-African Cardiothoracic

Surgery Summit in Ghana, offering a global assessment of cardiac surgical capacity and

proposing measurable strategies to address disparities in low-resource and underserved

settings. She aspires to serve as a surgeon-scientist, expanding research, clinical care, and

policy initiatives to reduce the global burden of cardiovascular disease, particularly in

marginalized communities. Outside the lab and operating room, Nina co-founded and leads

RISE UP, a physician-scientist summer outreach program for high school students in NYC, and

enjoys dancing, weightlifting, and spending time with loved ones. Energized by the remarkable

community within the TSMA, she is honored to serve as Executive Board President and is

committed to uplifting the next generation of cardiothoracic surgeons.

Althea Tapales

Althea, a native Pacific Islander from Guam, embarked on her academic journey at the University of Guam (UOG), where she pursued dual majors in Biology and Chemistry alongside a minor in Sociology. Currently in her fourth year at the Robert Larner College of Medicine at the University of Vermont, she holds the esteemed title of Sarnoff Cardiovascular Research Fellow. Her current focus is her second-year fellowship at Stanford University, delving into research on familial hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. With a steadfast commitment to her community, Althea harbors ambitions of returning to Guam as a physician-scientist. Her goal is to address health disparities among the underserved Micronesian population through a multifaceted approach encompassing outreach, research, and clinical care. Aspiring to pioneer Micronesia’s inaugural local cardiothoracic surgery clinic, she aims to enhance medical accessibility within her island homeland. Beyond her medical pursuits, Althea actively advocates for marginalized populations, particularly minority doctors in Micronesia. She plays a pivotal role in mentoring future physicians through initiatives like the Guam H.O.M.E. Program and UOG Alumni Series, guiding pre-medical students toward their professional aspirations.

Keyana Zahiri

Keyana Zahiri is a current MS3 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 research at the Stanford Cardiovascular Institute and at a cardiac tissue engineering lab at Brown, and 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 has been involved with TSMA leadership for two years on the communications committee and is now excited to serve on the executive board as Secretary and build community amongst the next generation of CT surgeons.

Andrew Kalra

Andrew Kalra is a native of Northern Virginia and a fourth-year medical student at Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University. He completed his undergraduate studies at UCLA, majoring in Biochemistry (Physical Sciences), and conducted translational immunology research at both the National Institutes of Health and the David Geffen School of Medicine. Prior to medical school, he worked as a research technician at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, where he investigated molecular mechanisms of gastroesophageal neoplasia and developed biomarker platforms for Barrett’s Esophagus and esophageal cancers.

Andrew currently collaborates with the Hopkins Exploration, Research, and Advancement in Life Support Devices (HERALD) team and the Thoracic Working Group at Johns Hopkins, with a research focus spanning ECMO, mechanical circulatory support, and transplantation. He is passionate about pursuing a career as an academic cardiothoracic surgeon.

Outside the hospital and lab, you can likely find him lifting at the gym, jogging along the Schuylkill River, or listening to some Classic Rock. As TSMA Treasurer, Andrew is excited to leverage his connections within the cardiothoracic surgery community to support the mission and growth of the organization.