Post-Doctoral Fellows
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Clemens Vogt, Medical Student (2025-Present)
Research – Clemens Vogt is a final-year medical student at the Technical University of Munich and visiting research fellow at the Jaffer Lab. His research focuses on intravascular molecular imaging and inflammation in atherosclerosis.
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Shang Gao, PhD Postdoctoral Fellow (2025-Present)
Research – Advancing cardiovascular disease diagnosis and treatment through optical and acoustic imaging technologies.
Shang’s publications on Pubmed
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Tao Qiu, MD, PhD Postdoctoral Fellow(2025-Present)
Research – Studying the effect of different therapeutics on inflammation in cardiovascular disease assessed by molecular imaging.
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Mahira Kaabeche, PhD Postdoctoral Fellow (2024-Present)
Research — Studying the impact of stress and depression on thrombosis and vein wall.
Mahira’s publications on Pubmed
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Burak Cilhoroz, PhD Postdoctoral Fellow (2024-Present)
Research — Studying the immunological underlying mechanisms of atherosclerosis using intravital imaging.
Burak’s publications on Pubmed
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Aatira Vijay, PhD, Instructor (2021-Present)
Research- Studying the mechanism of Post-Thrombotic Syndrome and vein wall scarring using intravital imaging.
Recipient of International Early Career Investigator Award- AHA Scientific Sessions 2019
ATVB Early Investigator Travel Grant
Aatira’s publications on Pubmed
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Mohamad Kassab, MD, Instructor, (2019-present)
Research: Effect of different therapeutics on inflammation in cardiovascular disease and arteriovenous fistula assessed by molecular imaging.
Mohamad’s publications on Pubmed
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Jie Cui, MD, Assistant Professor of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital (2014-present)
Research: Imaging of inflammation and thrombosis in arteriovenous fistula.
Recipient George B. Rathmann Research Fellowship, American Society of Nephrology (2013-2015) Abstract presentation, ATVB 2013, WMIC 2013, ASN 2013, ASN 2014
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Lab Manager
Adam Mauskapf, BS, Lab Manager (2008-present)
Adam Mauskapf has been the lab manager for the Jaffer Lab since 2012, and has been with the lab since 2008. He graduated from Bucknell University in 2007. He helps to run the large and small animal research labs and is the research surgeon for the large animal lab, performing all large animal surgeries as well as many other technical tasks. He has experience in catheterization techniques, micro- and macro-surgery, animal care, anesthesia monitoring, and other aspects of animal research.
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Research Technicians
Khailah Griffin, BS, Technician (2023-present)
Khailah Griffin is from Spotsylvania, Virginia and recently graduated from Northeastern University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Pre-medical studies and Business Administration. She is currently attending Northeastern University’s Postbaccalaureate Program focusing on biological/chemical sciences and plans to pursue a career in medicine.
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Alumni
Purvish Patel, BS, Graduate Student (2006-2008)
Subsequent Positions: Scientist, Biogen
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Kiyuk Chang, MD, PhD, Post-doctoral Fellow (2007-2009)
Subsequent Positions: Director of Cardio-Cerebro-Vascular Center of Seoul St. Mary’s Hospital, Professor of Cardiology, Department of internal Medicine, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea
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Ion Botnaru, MD, Post-doctoral Fellow (2008-2010)
Subsequent Positions: Cardiologist, Olympia, Washington
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Amit Saxena, PhD, Post-doctoral fellow (2008-2010)
Subsequent Positions: Clinical Pharmacist, Texas Health Resources
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Neha Jakete, BS, Graduate Student (2009)
Subsequent Positions: Assistant Professor of Medicine, University of Maryland Medical System
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Georgios Mallas, PhD, Graduate Student (2009-2012)
Subsequent Positions: Data Science and Algorithms Manager, Medtronic Diabetes, Los Angelos
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Crystal Ripplinger, PhD, Post-doctoral Fellow(2009-2010)
Subsequent Positions: Associate Professor and Vice Chair for Research & Administration, Dept. of Pharmacology, University of California, Davis
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Amir Rosenthal, PhD, Post-doctoral Fellow (2009-2010)
Subsequent Positions: Associate Professor at the Andrew and Erna Viterbi Faculty of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Technion, Israel Institute of Technology
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Marcella Calfon Press, MD, PhD, Post-doctoral Fellow (2009-2012)
Subsequent Positions: Associate Professor in Dept. of Medicine, Co-Director UCLA Women’s Cardiovascular Health Center, Division of Cardiology at RR UCLA Medical Center, Los Angeles
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Jin Won Kim, MD, PhD, Post-doctoral Fellow (2009-2011)
Subsequent Positions: Associate Professor of Medicine, Guro University, Seoul, Korea
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William Hucker, MD, PhD, Post-doctoral Fellow (2010-2012)
Subsequent Positions: Assistant Professor in Medicine, Electrophysiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Instructor, Harvard Medical School
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Tetsuya Hara, MD PhD, Post-doctoral Fellow (2010-2014)
Subsequent Positions: Assistant Professor, Kobe University, Japan
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Brian Thompson, PhD, Research Technician (2010-2011)
Subsequent Positions: CEO at 3BC, Inc.
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Yair Mega, MSc, Graduate Student (2011-2012)
Subsequent Positions: Senior Software Development Manager at Oracle
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Thomas Jetzfellner, PhD, Graduate Student (2011-2012)
Subsequent Positions: Patentprufer, Deutsches Patent-und Markenamt
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Amr El Maghraby, MD, Pre-residency Fellow (2011-2013)
Subsequent Positions: Neurologist, Florida
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Ashley Stein-Merlob, MD, PhD, Medical Student, Harvard Medical School – HST program (2011-2015)
Subsequent Positions: Physician-Scientist, Clinical Instructor in Cariology at UCLA
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Jorge Zelada Castro, MD, Post-doctoral Fellow (2012-2013)
Subsequent Positions: Assistant Professor of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA
Medical Director, Inpatient Glycemic Service, UCLA Health
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Johan Verjans, MD, PhD, Post-doctoral Fellow (2012-2013)
Subsequent Positions: Cardiologist, SAHMRI. Deputy Director, Medical Learning at Australian Institute for Machine Learning, Adelaide, Australia
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Victor Guanming Qi, MD, PhD, Post-doctoral Fellow (2015-2017)
Subsequent Positions: Post-doctoral Fellow, Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, Tufts Medical Center, Boston
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Harkamal Jhajj, BS, Research Technician (2015-2017)
Subsequent Positions: Post-doctoral Fellow, Harvard
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Lang Wang, MD, PhD, Post-doctoral Fellow (2016-2017)
Subsequent Positions: Assistant Professor, Department of Cardiology, Wuhan University
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Makoto Orii, MD, PhD, Post-doctoral Fellow (2016-2018)
Subsequent Positions: Assistant Professor of Radiology, Iwate Medical University, Japan
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Mohammed Chowdhury, MB, ChB, PhD, Post-doctoral Fellow (2017-2018)
Subsequent Positions: Vascular Surgery Registrar and Research Fellow, University of Cambridge Hospital, UK
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Chase Kessinger, PhD, Post-doctoral Fellow; Instructor in Medicine, Harvard Medical School (2009-2018)
Subsequent Positions: Assistant Professor of Cardiovascular Medicine, Imaging Core Director, Masonic Medical Research Institute
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Daqing Li, MD, Post-doctoral Fellow (2017-2018)
Subsequent Positions: Chief Physician, Cardiology, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, China
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Xiaoxin Zheng, MD, PhD, Post-doctoral Fellow (2017-2019)
Subsequent Positions: Associate Chief Physician, Cardiology, Renmin Hospital of Wutan University; Cardiovascular Research Institute of Wuhan University; Hubei Key Laboratory of Cardiology, China
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Madeleine Grau, BS, Research Technician (2017-2019)
Subsequent Positions: Graduate Student, Dartmouth
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Stephan Kellnberger, PhD, Post-doctoral Fellow (2014-2019)
Subsequent Positions: Engineer, Siemens; Munich, Germany
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Patricia Giunta, BA, Clinical Research Coordinator (2018-2020)
Subsequent Positions: Medical Student, Univ. of Massachusetts Medical School
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Eric Osborn, MD, PhD, Post-doctoral Fellow; Instructor in Medicine, Harvard Medical School (2013-2020)
Subsequent Positions: Assistant Professor of Medicine, Interventional Cardiologist, BIDMC
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Matthew E. Spotnitz, MD, MPH
Subsequent Positions: Radiologist, General Surgeon, Post-doctoral Research Fellow at Columbia University Irving Medical Center in New York City, New York
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Mazen Albaghdadhi, MD, MSc, Post-doctoral Fellow (2017-2020)
Subsequent Positions: Interventional Cardiologist, Director of Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory, Associate Program Director Cardiology Fellowship at the Naples Heart Institute (NCH Healthcare System)
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Ryutaro Ikegami, MD, PhD, Post-doctoral Fellow (2019-2020)
Subsequent Positions: Cardiologist, Niigata City Hospital, Niigata University, Japan
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Georg Wissmeyer, PhD, Post-doctoral Fellow (2019-2021)
Subsequent Positions: Post-doctoral research fellow, Max-Planck Institute for Medical Research, Stuttgart, Germany
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Haitham Khraihah, MD, Post-doctoral Fellow (2019-2021)
Subsequent Positions: Cardiologist, Cleveland
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Wenzhu Li, MD, Post-doctoral Fellow (2016-2021)
Subsequent Positions: Associate Professor, Ruijing Hospital, Shanghai Institute of Hypertension, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine
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Julian Partha Bhowmik, MD, Visiting Research Fellow (2022)
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Yoichiro Kawamura, MD, PhD, Post-doctoral Fellow (2020-2022)
Subsequent Positions: Medical Affairs Physician, Johnson and Johnson
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Guillaume Goudot, MD, PhD. Post-doctoral Fellow (2022-2023)
Subsequent Position: Cardiologist and Vascular Physician in Vascular Medicine Department of the Georges Pompidou European Hospital, Paris University
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Praneetha Bheemarasetty, BS, Graduate Student (2024)
Subsequent Position:
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Autumn McDonald, MD, PhD, Postdoctoral Fellow (2022-2024)
Subsequent Position: Attending Emergency Room Doctor in greater Boston
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Philipp Rauschendorfer, PhD Postdoctoral Fellow (2023-2024)
Subsequent Position: Chief Scientific Officer at i3
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Alessandro Maino, MD Postdoctoral Fellow (2023-2024)
Subsequent Position: Clinical Fellow in Interventional Cardiology at University of Oxford
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Awards/Recognitions/Conferences
2025 Brinkhous Award Finalist(AHA)-Aatira Vijay
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