How a PhD Student Is Transforming Sleep Research and Real-Time Patient Monitoring at Mount Sinai

Updated on Apr 16, 2026 | Featured, School

Ben Fox, MS

Ben Fox, MS, is a fourth-year student in the PhD Biomedical Sciences at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. He is in the Artificial Intelligence and Emerging Technologies (AIET) training area.

In this Q&A, he discusses how Mount Sinai’s access to data and clinicians enabled his research with signal data from sleep studies and the ICU to forecast risk for future disease.

What is your education and career background?

My research journey began while studying physics at Pepperdine University, where I investigated geophysical phenomenon manifesting in the aurora borealis measured from observatories in Svalbard, Norway. This introduced me to research, allowed me to attend my first conferences, and travel throughout Norway to collect data.

Shortly after, I began working with Sarah Faubel, MD, at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus in Aurora, Colorado, for a summer research internship, where I was first introduced to AI and machine learning to interpret metabolomics data from different organs in mice with acute kidney injury. This resulted in my first, “first author” publication and the thesis of my masters project at the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB), where I studied computer science.

Following graduating from UCSB, I switched from studying omics and joined Evidation Health where I worked for three years as a data scientist building new health metrics from consumer wearables (such Fitbit, Garmin, Oura) and analyzing sleep and activity data for new drug clinical trials. My work at Evidation inspired me to pursue a PhD in the AIET program at Mount Sinai to continue my work in AI, signal data, and wearable devices.

“I knew that I needed to work in the health care space, and I was particularly drawn to Mount Sinai being primarily a hospital, with access to health data, high-performance computing, clinicians, and other experts to drive research.”

Why continue your education with a PhD in Biomedical Sciences?

I wanted to continue my education to become an expert in my field and open doors to teach and become an independent researcher in my future career. Further, I wanted to learn more about the fields I was working in (wearables/signal data/AI/omics) and find ways to contribute to bettering human health and well-being. I was inspired by my previous colleagues (who had PhDs) and their ability to drive new research projects, teach complex topics, and help others. Lastly, I knew that I wanted to work in health and given that the PhD in Biomedical Sciences is physically located at a hospital, I knew it was a near perfect match.

 Why did you choose to study at Mount Sinai?

I knew that I needed to work in the health care space, and I was particularly drawn to Mount Sinai being primarily a hospital, with access to health data, high-performance computing, clinicians, and other experts to drive research. While interviewing for schools, it was noticeable how happy the students at Mount Sinai seemed compared to other schools. Also, I wanted to move to New York City. I am originally from Colorado, studied in California, and was excited to live in New York for a few years.

What made you interested in the Artificial Intelligence and Emerging Technologies training area?

The AIET training area did feel like a perfect fit for me, given my background in health and computer science/machine learning research. Beyond that, the faculty research was the main appeal. Many faculty were doing research that matched my interests. I spoke with some of them while deciding if I should come to the program, and they assured me that I could devise my own projects with wearables/signal data and work across a multitude of different health domains. At some other programs, I did not envision getting the same support, nor having the access to data or clinicians that have been essential to my research.

Who are your mentors, and what is the focus of your research?

My mentors are Girish Nadkarni and Ankit Parekh. My research uses AI-derived representations of signal data, from sleep studies and bedside monitoring data in the ICU, to estimate risk. Signal data is routinely collected in the sleep clinic, at home, and via wearable devices. However, links between that signal data and disease risk has not been established. My work aims to utilize this signal data from sleep studies to assess risk for future disease and from ICU bedside devices to better monitor patients in real-time.

How have the resources at Mount Sinai contributed to your success in the program?

The resources at Mount Sinai have substantially contributed to my success. Specifically, the high-performance computing team and the Minerva supercomputer have made building scale AI models doable. Additionally, the data access and faculty connections have enabled more efficient data acquisition for developing my work. Clinician connections, internal Mount Sinai conferences, and the TL1 predoctoral fellowship have also allowed me to continue to learn about the medical domains I study and continue to get feedback on my work from a multitude of perspectives. Outside of research, the Mount Sinai climbing club and running club have helped me through the ups and downs of the program and meet some of my closest friends.

What are your plans after you complete your PhD?

After I finish my PhD, I plan to do a postdoc at Mount Sinai and switch projects to more wearable focused research, potentially alongside omics data. After that, I hope to eventually secure a faculty position at a university where I can teach and build my own research projects.

Learn more about the PhD in Biomedical Sciences Program at Mount Sinai

How Mount Sinai Is Transforming Geriatrics Training to Close the Workforce Gap

Updated on Apr 8, 2026 | Featured, School

Dan Kwon, MD, left, a third-year resident in Mount Sinai’s integrated Internal Medicine-Geriatrics track, and Nick Safian, MD, Chief Resident in Internal Medicine, who will pursue his geriatrics fellowship at The Mount Sinai Hospital after completing his chief year.

Nick Safian, MD, remembers when his grandparents began showing signs of dementia while he was in college. His family faced difficult decisions about where they would live, how to keep them safe, and how to preserve their independence. He watched the strain on his mother and her siblings as they searched for appropriate care.

“There were limited options, and my grandparents weren’t always treated with dignity in medical settings,” Dr. Safian says. “No one seemed to step back and look at how everything was affecting them or how it was affecting our family.”

When he entered medical school, he knew he wanted to work with older adults.

Dr. Safian is a resident in Mount Sinai’s integrated Internal Medicine-Geriatrics track (Med-Geri), a four-year pathway combining three years of internal medicine residency with a fourth-year fellowship in geriatrics. He currently serves as Chief Resident in Internal Medicine and will pursue his geriatrics fellowship at The Mount Sinai Hospital after completing his chief year.

An Integrated Approach to Training

Helen M. Fernandez, MD, Vice Chair of Education and Professor of Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, leads one of the nation’s largest geriatrics and palliative medicine training programs through the Brookdale Department of Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine. The Department has trained an estimated one in five geriatricians and palliative medicine physicians nationwide.

Dr. Fernandez sees the integrated Med-Geri pathway as part of a broader effort to strengthen the pipeline of clinicians by introducing geriatrics at the start of residency and reinforcing that focus throughout training. The need is pressing as the nation’s aging population expands even as fewer physicians enter the field.

The United States currently has approximately 7,300 board certified geriatricians, according to the American Geriatrics Society—about one specialist for every 10,000 older adults. In the 2025 National Resident Match Program, only 213 of 382 geriatric medicine fellowship positions were filled, continuing a trend in which roughly half of training spots fill annually despite rising demand.

“Many students may enter residency with an interest in aging, often inspired by personal experiences or close relationships with older adults,” Dr. Fernandez says. “However, if that focus isn’t reinforced, if they do not see mentors practicing geriatrics or do not have consistent clinical experiences in the field, it can fade.”

“Many students may enter residency with an interest in aging, often inspired by personal experiences or close relationships with older adults,” says Helen M. Fernandez, MD, Vice Chair of Education and Professor of Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine. “However, if that focus isn’t reinforced, if they do not see mentors practicing geriatrics or do not have consistent clinical experiences in the field, it can fade.”

To sustain that early interest, the Icahn School of Medicine embedded structured exposure and mentorship directly into the Internal Medicine Residency. Close faculty guidance, Dr. Fernandez says, helps trainees see aging not as a niche focus but as central to medical practice.

Mount Sinai launched its Med-Geri pathway in 2020 as one of three pilot programs nationwide. The ACGME-accredited, four-year Primary Care-Geriatrics track introduces geriatrics at the outset of residency rather than as an afterthought and weaves aging-focused training across the residency.

Trainees complete six months of geriatrics training, participate in a continuity clinic focused on older adults, and then pursue a fourth-year fellowship offering advanced clinical experience and protected time for scholarship. About a dozen residents are enrolled across Mount Sinai Morningside and Mount Sinai West.

High Satisfaction Despite Lower Pay

Recruiting geriatricians remains challenging. Despite requiring an additional year of fellowship training, geriatricians earn lower salaries than many other internal medicine subspecialists. The field has historically carried less prestige within academic medicine, and outcomes are often measured in stability and quality of life rather than cure. Visits typically involve extended conversations about cognition, safety, independence, and family dynamics.

Yet physicians who choose geriatrics consistently describe deep professional satisfaction, citing the intellectual demands of managing complex conditions and the meaningful connections formed with patients and families.

Dr. Safian says what appeals to him most about geriatrics is the stories patients bring into the exam room.  “They have lived so much life,” he says. “Getting to know those stories and seeing how they guide the choices we’re making together invigorates me.”

He also finds fulfillment in supporting families as they navigate difficult decisions about safety and independence. “You’re helping families think through what matters most,” he says.

Dan Kwon, MD, a third-year resident in the program at Mount Sinai West, began volunteering with older adults long before medical school and built on that commitment during residency.

Growing up in a close-knit Korean American household, he watched his grandparents thrive through connection and community—his grandmother teaching knitting at a local senior center and his grandfather playing golf every other day. That example shaped his early understanding of healthy aging.

When the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted those routines, he saw how quickly circumstances could change. His grandparents rarely left home, and Dr. Kwon delivered groceries to them twice a week, often serving as their only in-person contact.

As isolation increased, he noticed gradual changes in their energy, mobility, and emotional well-being. “Watching that contrast, seeing how the health system and social systems affect older adults, solidified my interest,” he says.

The experience reshaped his understanding of clinical care. Housing, transportation, family structure, and social connection, he learned, often shape outcomes as much as medical treatment.

Preparing for an Aging Nation

Dr. Fernandez frames the Med-Geri pathway within a broader demographic shift reshaping health care. Americans over age 65 account for nearly half of hospitalizations and face elevated risks of falls, delirium, medication complications, and functional decline. Most are treated by physicians without formal training in geriatrics.

The U.S Census Bureau projects that by 2030 one in five people in the United States will be over 65. That population now represents 34 percent of physician demand and is projected to account for 42 percent by 2034.

“We have to train clinicians to care for our increasingly older and sicker population,” Dr. Fernandez says. “Medical education must evolve to reflect who our patients are.”

To advance this transformation, physicians across all specialties must embrace a new approach to aging that prioritizes careful frailty assessment, aligns treatment with patient goals, and champions independence. “Geriatrics embraces that complexity,” she says.

Strengthening the Model

Dr. Fernandez attributes the program’s progress to close mentorship and consistent engagement throughout training. Residents who commit to aging care often become ambassadors within their programs, encouraging peers to consider the specialty and broadening exposure to geriatrics across disciplines, she says.

Nationally, the combined Medicine-Geriatrics pathway now includes about a dozen programs, with additional sites in development.

Dr. Fernandez advises institutions exploring similar models and shares lessons learned about implementation and long-term program development. Accrediting bodies have expressed support, and formal recognition of the model as a permanent national pathway could occur within the next two years.

That broader vision extends beyond residency training. With the launch of the ASCEND curriculum in fall 2024, the Icahn School of Medicine redesigned its MD program to integrate geriatrics and palliative care principles from the first year. Geriatrics fellows also serve as educators during inpatient and ambulatory rotations, reinforcing aging-focused care across clinical settings.

Ultimately, she says, geriatrics is not confined to a single discipline.

“Every specialty now cares for older adults,” she says. “Our responsibility is to prepare physicians who understand aging in all its complexity and can bring that perspective into whatever field they choose.”

How to Navigate Couples Match for Residency

Apr 7, 2026 | Featured, School

Two couples who met at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Ayman Mohammad and Morgan Steelman (left), and Jiwoo Park and Daniel Kwon (right), at Match Day, March 20, 2026.

It began with a shared connection: Jiwoo Park and Daniel Kwon, students at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, met on the second day of orientation. When Ms. Park introduced herself as being from Colorado, her classmates told her she “had to meet Daniel,” who is also Korean American and from Colorado.

They learned they shared almost parallel lives: both grew up in the suburbs of Denver, and worked in biotech and pharmaceutical firms during their gap years. Ms. Park and Mr. Kwon soon started dating.

When it came to the point where they had to plan for where they wanted to do their residency training, Ms. Park and Mr. Kwon knew they wanted to match to programs that would allow them to stay together, a process informally known as Couples Match.

“The National Resident Matching Program (NRMP) Match is already a complicated algorithm, and attempting Couples Match is more complicated,” says Valerie Parkas, MD, Senior Associate Dean for Admissions and Recruitment at the Icahn School of Medicine. “The students have to put down on their rank list every possible combination of their programs. They need to think through factors that impact career decisions while considering their partner’s preferences also.”

Ms. Park and Mr. Kwon were not the only couple from the Class of 2026 navigating Couples Match. Morgan Steelman and Ayman Mohammad, too, had a romance that blossomed in medical school. They met on the first day, were in the same learning community, and quickly became close friends.

“By the spring of MS1 (first year of medical school), we were spending more time studying together on the 13th floor of the Annenberg building and playing a lot of ping pong in the student lounge,” says Mr. Mohammad. “We shared the same friend group, and it was obvious to them that we really loved each other before we even realized it ourselves!”

Valerie Parkas, MD, Senior Associate Dean for Admissions and Recruitment at the Icahn School of Medicine, speaking at Match Day on March 20, 2026, and giving the students a toast.

It was Match Day, March 20, when graduating medical students across the country learned where they would be placed for their residency. With bated breath, Ms. Park and Mr. Kwon, and Ms. Steelman and Mr. Mohammad, tore open their envelopes. Both couples were elated: Ms. Park and Mr. Kwon matched to The Mount Sinai Hospital—OB/GYN and plastic surgery, respectively—and Ms. Steelman and Mr. Mohammad to Massachusetts General Hospital—both in internal medicine.

Interestingly, the Class of 2026 saw more students participating in Couples Match than in prior years, remarks Dr. Parkas. “A constellation of factors somehow landed all these folks in one class! But we as advisors are ready to help them succeed together as partners in their next step of their medical and science careers,” she says.

What does it take to successfully navigate the NRMP Match as a couple? Dr. Parkas and the two graduating couples share their stories, tips, and advice.

Start thinking about Couples Match early

“We started thinking about couples matching together pretty early in the process, probably in the summer before residency applications were due,” says Ms. Park. “We’ve always supported each other in aiming high and chasing after our career goals, and we quickly realized that we wanted to stay close to each other throughout residency—which we anticipate will be some of the most challenging years of our medical training.”

Early communication and planning are key to both strong relationships and a successful Couples Match, says Dr. Parkas. This helps them not only decide where to apply, but also where they need to do “away electives”—fourth-year medical school clinical rotations at other institutions.

That conversation about planning looks different for every couple. “We never had a formal conversation about Couples Matching,” says Ms. Steelman. “However, we knew we wanted to be together beyond medical school and we were very upfront with the residency programs we were interested in. It was very fun to finally share with faculty that we were Couples Matching.”

A successful Couples Match might require compromises

Ideally, a successful match for couples sees both graduates placed in the same institution, or at the very least, institutions within the same city.

“We decided to apply to mostly the same programs and tried to cluster programs in big cities like New York City and Los Angeles to maximize our chances of overlapping interview invites,” say Ms. Park and Mr. Kwon.

“Even though we’re both in internal medicine, share similar values, and were looking for many of the same qualities in a program, there were still differences,” Ms. Steelman and Mr. Mohammad note. “As we moved further down our rank list, we had to seriously consider what kinds of professional compromises we might be willing to make for each other, which was not always easy.”

Ms. Park and Mr. Kwon both matched to The Mount Sinai Hospital—OB/GYN and plastic surgery, respectively. “We couldn’t be more excited!” says Mr. Kwon. “Throughout the entire application process, Mount Sinai has consistently been our number one program, and we’re both so grateful that we get to train here.”

“One piece of advice that really stayed with us came from a close friend: ‘It’s a gift to give your partner permission to put themselves first.’ That perspective helped us approach the process with more clarity and generosity,” add Ms. Steelman and Mr. Mohammad.

Applying to areas with multiple programs that are within reasonable commuting distances, strategizing where both partners will do away electives, as well as program signals (an option to express of interest in a program) will increase the chances of being near each other, says Dr. Parkas.

In addition, couples need to discuss if they’re willing to be in programs close to each other, but not in the same city, such as in New York City and Philadelphia, or Boston and Providence, she notes.

Leverage all resources at your disposal

“Your career and specialty advisors will be some of the best help you will have to navigate Couples Match,” says Dr. Parkas. At the Icahn School of Medicine, students can also seek out the Career and Professional Development leadership and the Office for Student Affairs. “The team meets with every couple together as they prepare for applying and as they rank their programs.”

Additionally, the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) has good resources, and things like Google Maps, Amtrak, and airport accessibility might even factor in should couples need to be flexible about making distances work, she adds.

“Katherine T Chen, MD, MPH, Vice Chair of Education in the OB/GYN department at Mount Sinai, was such an instrumental part of our journey—we couldn’t be more thankful,” says Ms. Park. “She was there to guide us through the entire process, checking in regularly and advocating for us as much as she could. Dr. Parkas was also such a great sounding board and mentor; she checked in regularly and made sure that we felt incredibly supported.”

“The most helpful resource for us was connecting with other couples who had already gone through the process, especially those at programs we were considering,” says Mr. Mohammad. “They told us how to best advocate for each other during interviews. Our faculty made sure we were being honest with each other and ourselves about our individual and shared goals.”

Don’t stress too much

After all, just making it through medical school as a couple to get to the point of Couples Match planning is a testament to a strong relationship. Focus on what makes the relationship special, and the pieces of the puzzle will fall in place.

“I’m truly so grateful that we got to go through medical school together,” says Mr. Kwon. “It was like having a study buddy, support system, and partner in crime, all in one person. In our preclinical years, it was so nice going through each course at the same time, truly being able to study hand in hand. Once we started clinical rotations and sub-internships in our respective specialties, it was so fun and fulfilling to be able to share stories from our day with one another over dinner.”

Ms. Steelman and Mr. Mohammad matched to Massachusetts General Hospital—both in internal medicine, with Ms. Steelman in the Primary Care track. “We’re elated, honored, and grateful!” says Ms. Steelman. “MGH was our number one choice. We think it is an amazing fit for both of us.”

In her years advising students at the Icahn School of Medicine, Dr. Parkas sees a similarity on what makes medical school romances work, and ultimately successful Couples Matches. “While I’m not sure I’m an expert on romance at medical school—I met my husband when we were residents and interns together—it seems what works for med school romance is the same as what improves any other romance: kindness, communication, humor… and talk about things outside of medicine!”

“Every relationship is different, so it’s important to be honest with yourself and your partner about what you want in this next chapter,” says Ms. Steelman. “It’s also worth acknowledging that the process can be exhausting, with so many hypotheticals to consider. Even though we ultimately matched at our top choice, we’re grateful we worked through those decisions together because it made our relationship stronger.”

Sparking an Interest in Science and Medicine in Youths

Apr 3, 2026 | Community, Community Outreach, Featured, School

Sparking an Interest in Science and Medicine in Youths

It can never be too early to get children interested in the fields of science, medicine, and health care, says Kenya Townsend, Director of the Center for Excellence in Youth Education (CEYE) at Mount Sinai. That has been the mission of the program since its founding in the 1960s: helping students in New York City prepare for careers in science, technology, engineering, and medicine (STEM).

And what better way for students to learn about what it’s like to work in research and health care than hands-on learning in an academic hospital? One recent initiative from CEYE had middle-school students from Riverdale Country School in the Bronx attend an immersive three-day program at Mount Sinai’s campus in East Harlem on Monday, March 16, where they learned what being a health care professional and researcher entails.

Eighth graders from the Riverdale Country School visiting at The Mount Sinai Hospital campus, March 16, 2026.

The event was jointly supported by the BioMedical Engineering and Imaging Institute (BMEII), part of the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, and by the Talent Development and Learning division of the Mount Sinai Health System.

“I was able to deepen my understanding of different aspects of medicine,” says Athena Pearson, an eighth-grade student. “It was really interesting to see actual people in the field come and teach us about their jobs and what they do.”

“I loved how many different things we were able to cover in such a short amount of time,” says Lily Lappas, also in eighth grade.

The eighth-graders donned lab coats and toured research labs, saw magnetic resonance imaging machines in action, learned to code, and more.

“Everything we’ve been learning is very relevant, about stuff that could happen in our lives, and I’ve always been interested in medicine, so I think it was really nice for me to get a little bit of background information before heading into high school,” says Lily.

Kenya Townsend, Director of the Center for Excellence in Youth Education (CEYE) at Mount Sinai (center), introducing the three-day curriculum to the students of Riverdale Country School.

Ms. Townsend and two instructors who participated in the Riverdale Country School visit share their thoughts on what motivates them to inspire young school children to have a passion for health and science.

What was teaching in this program like?

“It was a very meaningful experience,” says Yun Soung Kim, PhD, Assistant Professor of Diagnostic, Molecular and Interventional Radiology at BMEII. Dr. Kim, who participated in a CEYE program for the first time, conducted a MakerSpace session—a collaborative workspace for learning and discovery—in which students learned to measure materials, got hands-on with mixing silicone rubber, and learned to record electromyogram signals.

For Dr. Kim, meeting the students brought back memories of when he was younger and would sit in class full of questions, always asking why and what if: “Their curiosity was a powerful reminder that this mindset should not fade once you become a scientist, engineer, or educator.”

Meeting the students brought back memories of when he was younger and would sit in class full of questions, says Yun Soung Kim, PhD, Assistant Professor of Diagnostic, Molecular and Interventional Radiology at BMEII, who participated in a CEYE program for the first time.

In Dr. Kim’s session, students learned about smart patches that can record health vitals, mixed silicone rubber, and learned to record electromyogram signals.
CEYE programs provide hands on, real world training that allows youth to engage in spaces not typically accessible to high school students. The programs are credit bearing and recognized by the New York City public schools as part of the students’ science experience.

“The kids asked really great questions. Some of them answered some of my questions in a very impressive way,” says Tamiesha Frempong, MD, MPH, Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology at the New York Eye and Ear Infirmary of Mount Sinai, who has participated in CEYE programs for more than a decade. Dr. Frempong led a course on the eye, its anatomy, eye health, and diseases. “It’s always really fun.”

CEYE has evolved over its many decades. It serves more than 500 students annually and continues to grow, notes Ms. Townsend. Its programs are now credit-bearing at New York City public schools and are reflected on students’ transcripts as part of their science experience.

“Through our partners and students, we have learned that while students seek out these opportunities to shape their career trajectories, we also rely on them to share what they need—and to return and give back to the next generation of future scientists and medical professionals,” says Ms. Townsend.

What motivates you to be part of CEYE?

“One thing I often say is that once you are in CEYE, you become family,” notes Ms. Townsend. “Community has therefore been a consistent theme for us—and that matters, because strong support systems are one of the most critical factors in student success in STEM. Our students are mentored not only by Mount Sinai faculty, but also by CEYE alumni who return, eager to give back in meaningful ways.”

That mission resonates with Dr. Frempong, who adds that exposure gets students to think about health and science in ways they’ve never thought before.

The eye, for example, is something one might not learn very much about normally, says Dr. Frempong. “I actually thought it was dumb to go to medical school and become an eye doctor until I learned about ophthalmology in medical school,” she remarks. Early exposure to specialties is not only helpful for helping students think about their careers, but also helps with awareness about their health too.

“We know there are so many things about the eye that can impact diabetes, stroke, preventable blindness—they can use it to benefit themselves, their parents, their grandparents. It’s education, it’s exposure, it’s getting kids excited about medicine and the eye in particular,” says Dr. Frempong.

The mission of CEYE to inspire a future generation of doctors and scientists is what brings her back, says Tamiesha Frempong, MD, MPH, Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology at the New York Eye and Ear Infirmary of Mount Sinai, who has participated in CEYE programs for more than a decade.
Dr. Frempong taught a course on eye anatomy, eye health, and its diseases. CEYE programs are an opportunity for students to think about certain specialties they might not ordinarily be exposed to. “I actually thought it was dumb to go to medical school and become an eye doctor until I learned about ophthalmology in medical school,” she says.
Students were also introduced to other topics that would be helpful for entering STEM careers. Xueyan Mei, PhD, Assistant Professor of Diagnostic, Molecular and Interventional Radiology in the Windreich Department of Artificial Intelligence and Human Health, led an introductory coding lesson.
As the Riverdale Country School students toured the hospital campus, they got to see health care professionals in action, such as how magnetic resonance imaging works and is carried out.
Students also got to see research in action, as Abraham Teunissen, PhD, Assistant Professor of Diagnostic, Molecular and Interventional Radiology, and Instructor at the Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Institute (left), gave a tour of the labs.

For Dr. Kim, the CEYE program was an opportunity to communicate science to the broader public as a researcher. “I have always found it rewarding to share my work with people outside my field,” he says. “I was excited to see how students at that age and stage of learning would respond to the work we do in the lab. I also viewed it as a valuable opportunity to reflect on how to explain complex ideas in a way that is clear, engaging, and meaningful.”

What do you hope CEYE programs can achieve?

The Center prepares students to succeed in health, science, and other professional pathways and to contribute to a more equitable future. “Getting young people interested in STEM is an investment in our future workforce,” says Ms. Townsend. “It fosters innovation, expands opportunities for those who need them most, and helps shape students’ identities while building their confidence.”

CEYE also creates opportunities for students to network with professionals whom they can continue to connect with beyond their time in the Center’s programs.

Representation in medicine influences health outcomes, says Dr. Frempong. The more diverse groups of kids CEYE can reach, the better it bodes for the future of medicine.

Dr. Frempong (center) with the students from the Riverdale Country School.

“They’re going to be our doctors, so [in a way] I’m kind of looking out for myself,” she laughs. “I’m looking to make sure we have knowledgeable, compassionate, passionate people to take care of all of us.”

Dr. Kim hopes he can help the students see that science and engineering are not just classroom subjects but fields that can directly shape human health and patient care: “I found myself wondering whether, for some of them, this visit might become one of the moments that helps shape what they choose to study in the future,” he says.

Department of Emergency Medicine Hosts Inaugural Doctors Award Celebration

Updated on Apr 2, 2026 | Featured

Standing Left to Right: Benjamin S. Abella, MD, MPhil; Ahmed Chaudhry, DO; Sylvia Garcia, MD; Charles Hartley, MD; Edward Diaz, MD; Mikhail Budovich, MD; Elizabeth Yetter, MD; Noah Skantz, DO; Deborah Dean, MD; Judah J. Sueker, MD Sitting Left to Right: Christine Saracino, DO; Sean Dhanraj, MD; Jonathan Spitz, MD; David Neubert, MD; Benedikt Ilyaguyev, DO

The Mount Sinai Department of Emergency Medicine recently hosted the inaugural Emergency Medicine Doctors Awards Celebration.  Eighteen emergency medicine doctors from across the Mount Sinai Health System were celebrated.

The Emergency Medicine Physician Patient Experience Award recognized top-performing physicians based on the Press Ganey Survey, while the Emergency Medicine Outstanding Physician Award recognized physicians who were nominated by their peers. Awardees and their families celebrated the awards.

Match Day 2026: The Next Step Toward Driving Change

Updated on Mar 31, 2026 | Featured, School

Each student at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai has their own personal story about what led them to want to become doctors and researchers, but they share a common vision: to improve health care as we currently know it.

For this year’s graduating students, the next step on that journey began with Match Day, when they learned where they will be placed to continue their residency training. On Friday, March 20, 138 students gathered at 583 Park Avenue to receive their placements to training programs in 20 different specialties across the country.

“I hope to see meaningful progress in reducing disparities in access to care,” says Michelle Tran, who is graduating with an MD/PhD and will be continuing her training in internal medicine at the University of California San Diego. “Throughout my training in New York City, I’ve become more aware of the many different types of structural and social barriers that patients face.”

The outgoing class is going into prestigious programs across the nation, including those at Columbia University Irving Medical Center, The Johns Hopkins Hospital, and Massachusetts General Hospital, to name a few.

More than a third of the class—55 students—will advance their training at the Mount Sinai Health System.

Icahn School of Medicine Class of 2026 Top Residency Matches by Specialty

Specialty Number of Matches
Internal Medicine 34
Anesthesiology 16
Psychiatry 11
OB-GYN 9
Click to read more as three graduating students share what drove them to enter the medical profession, insights into their time at the Icahn School of Medicine, and how they envision being able to drive meaningful change in health care as doctors and researchers.

Juan Arroyave Villada

Matched to: Urology at Brigham and Women’s Hospital/Harvard Medical School

What inspired you to enter the field of medicine?

My father is definitely my biggest inspiration in medicine in general. His work as a physician working with HIV patients was always something I admired. Specifically with regard to my interest in urology, my dad’s passing from kidney cancer opened my eyes to the field of urology.

Today I feel inspired to hopefully one day be able to help patients like my father through tough cancer diagnoses and be able to offer the curative solutions that can be offered at early stages.

What were your years like at the Icahn School of Medicine?

I learned that it takes a village to get through the journey, and I’m really grateful to have made it.

M3 (the third year) can be an isolating year, since you are constantly switching rotations and specialties. Dealing with that isolation can be challenging since all of your friends are also on different schedules and even in different places.

I think what helped me navigate this situation the best was being very intentional about keeping relationships going, even if it was just having a simple FaceTime with a friend or studying virtually with someone. I will miss the close relationships that I have with my friends and learning as a medical student.

What change do you hope to achieve as you progress in your medical career?

I hope to improve patient education for vulnerable communities, especially in urology, where there is still a lot of stigma for men to do their preventive screening.

“I am feeling really happy. I’m excited about this next chapter and hopeful that I can continue to grow as a physician. I’m excited to be more hands-on and hope to become a robotic surgeon one day.”

Katharine (Kat) Holmes

Matched to: Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Mount Sinai

What inspired you to enter the field of medicine?

My path toward medicine was shaped by my years as a competitive fencer. Even as an athlete, I knew I wanted to eventually serve athletes the way the physicians at Mount Sinai served me, helping future generations reach their potential just as those doctors helped me reach mine.

That aspiration came into sharp focus when I was 15 and suffered my first significant injury—a sprained ankle that sidelined me for a week. That experience was my first real encounter with sports medicine, and I remember thinking: I want to be one of them. From that moment on, the goal never wavered.

What were your years like at the Icahn School of Medicine?

I started at the Icahn School of Medicine three days after I got back from the Tokyo Olympics and did not miss a beat in regard to training or competing. I then qualified for the 2024 Olympic Games during my first two years of medical school. I traveled across the country and around the world during my first two years of medical school, training between two to six hours every day while balancing my studies.

It was the hardest thing I have ever done in my life. But I watched every lecture and never missed a practice or tournament. At the end of the day it really came down to organization. I would wake up every morning and ask myself, “What do I need to do today to pass the next exam and what do I need to do today to get myself ready for my next competition?” I had endless checklists, calendars, and planners. I worked on planes and took exams in between matches at World Cups.

In all honesty, I did not sleep for those two years and, looking back, qualifying for the Olympics while being in medical school seems impossible. I cannot believe that I managed to balance all of it, but somehow, I did! It took every ounce of focus, persistence, and determination that I had. But I guess when you want something badly enough, you are willing to go to any lengths to achieve them.

What change do you hope to achieve as you progress in your medical career?

I see myself contributing to change in health care, particularly at the intersection of sports medicine and research.

The U.S. Olympic Team is composed of some of the most accomplished athletes in the world, supported by world-class Olympic Training Centers, physicians, and sports scientists. Despite these incredible resources, there is still a surprising lack of research leveraging this unique environment.

This is something I’ve been especially motivated to address within fencing. As a smaller and historically under-studied sport, fencing presents a significant opportunity to better understand athlete performance, injury prevention, and training optimization. Through my own work, I’ve aimed to utilize the resources of USA Fencing and the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee to contribute to this growing body of knowledge.

Looking ahead, I hope to expand this model to other similarly under-studied sports. By helping these programs more effectively use the resources available to them, we can improve athlete care, advance performance science, and ultimately support the long-term health and success of athletes across a wider range of disciplines.

“Mount Sinai has always been my dream. It’s USA Fencing’s partner hospital, so from the beginning my goal was to attend Mount Sinai for medical school, match there for residency, and hopefully continue to a Sports Medicine fellowship. I hope to one day serve as a physician for Team USA at the Olympic Games and ultimately stay on as an attending physician at Mount Sinai.”

 

Michelle Tran

Matched to: Internal Medicine on the Physician-Scientist Track Program, followed by a guaranteed Hematology/Oncology fellowship, at University of California San Diego

What inspired you to enter the field of medicine?

I was drawn to medicine through both personal experience and a deep sense of curiosity shaped by my early exposure to science. Growing up in a family where my parents and maternal grandparents were scientists and engineers, I developed a strong interest in understanding how the natural world works.

That curiosity took on a more personal meaning when my grandfather was diagnosed with prostate cancer. Watching him navigate his illness, and witnessing its impact on our family, was a formative experience that drew me toward hematology/oncology.

At the same time, my paternal family’s experience as refugees from the Vietnam War, navigating language barriers and socioeconomic challenges, deepened my awareness of the obstacles many patients face and continues to shape my commitment to caring for diverse and underserved communities.

What were your years like at the Icahn School of Medicine?

One of the most challenging aspects of my time at the Icahn School of Medicine was navigating the uncertainty inherent to research during my PhD years. There were periods when experiments didn’t work as expected or when the data were difficult to interpret, which can be discouraging when progress feels slow.

This was especially true during the early stages of the project that ultimately became my published paper in Cancer Discovery—of which I was first author—where initial findings raised more questions than answers. I overcame these challenges by leaning on mentorship and by shifting my mindset: learning to view unexpected results not as setbacks, but as opportunities to refine the question and think more deeply about biology.

Over time, this experience taught me how to sit with uncertainty, remain persistent, and trust the process. It ultimately made me a more resilient and thoughtful scientist, and it’s a perspective I will carry forward as I continue training as a physician-scientist.

Something I learned, which surprised me, was how important it became for me to stay connected to the communities I care about, even during the most demanding periods of my training. During the spike in xenophobia and anti-Asian hate during the COVID-19 pandemic, I cofounded Soar Over Hate, which evolved into a 501(c)3 nonprofit focused on combating anti-Asian hate and expanding access to safety resources for vulnerable communities.

Balancing this work alongside clinical rotations and PhD research, there were many moments where things felt uncertain or overwhelming. Staying engaged in this work grounded me and gave my training a deeper sense of purpose. That perspective continues to shape how I approach both patient care and scientific discovery.

What change do you hope to achieve as you progress in your medical career?

As I continue my training, I hope to contribute to change in health care through both clinical care and research. As a future physician-scientist in hematology/oncology, I’m particularly interested in improving how we understand and treat cancer by bridging mechanistic insights with patient care. I hope to help advance more precise and effective therapies, by addressing why patients respond differently to treatment.

I’m motivated by the opportunity to better understand why some patients respond to therapy while others do not, and to translate those insights into more effective and personalized treatments that can meaningfully improve patients’ lives.

More broadly, I hope to see meaningful progress in reducing disparities in access to care. Throughout my training in New York City, I’ve become more aware of the many different types of structural and social barriers that patients face. I hope to be part of efforts that make care more equitable, accessible, and responsive to the needs of diverse communities.

“I’m immensely grateful and excited to have matched at UC San Diego. It’s a program that strongly aligns with both my clinical and research interests, and I’m especially looking forward to returning to Southern California to be closer to my family. At the same time, it’s bittersweet to leave the Mount Sinai community, which has been such an important part of my growth over the past eight years of my MD/PhD training.”