Medical student receives Emory Global Ophthalmology Research Fellowship

Sridhar Karne

By Michelle Ryan-Day 

Sridhar Karne, a third-year medical student at the Whiddon College of Medicine, has been selected for the Emory Global Ophthalmology Research Fellowship. This highly competitive opportunity will allow him to advance research and gain hands-on experience in expanding access to eye care in underserved communities worldwide. 

Karne’s passion for ophthalmology began during college while traveling with his ophthalmologist, Heather Estopinal, M.D., to Migori, Kenya, through Kenya Relief, a nonprofit group based in Cullman, Alabama, that delivers life-changing healthcare. In just four days, their team provided care to more than 500 patients lacking basic eye health services. 

“When I traveled to Migori, I was reminded of our home village and the disparities in overall healthcare that exist in this world,” Karne said. “This disparity touches me personally as I receive annual eye care and I am aware of the privilege that I have had growing up with access that members of my close family do not necessarily have back in India.”  

Locally, Karne has gained extensive clinical exposure in ophthalmology through Premier Medical Eye Group in Mobile, shadowing mentors including Mark Douglas, M.D., and Christopher Semple, M.D.  

“I am extremely thankful for their support and mentorship throughout my medical school experience,” Karne said. 

In addition to the Emory fellowship, Karne was awarded the U.S. Fulbright-Nehru Research Grant in India. With a strong interest in global health and health systems improvement, Karne applied for the Fulbright grant to study models that increase access to eye care and reduce preventable blindness in India. 

Bri Ard, Ph.D., executive director of global engagement at the University of South Alabama, provided critical mentorship throughout the year-long application process. 

“I am humbled to have received the Fulbright award,” Karne said, “but I am also greatly honored and will be partaking in the Emory Global Ophthalmology Research Fellowship to work under my mentor, Jacquelyn O’Banion, M.D., M.Sc., who is the Director of Global Ophthalmology at Emory University.” 

Sridhar Karne, left, cares for a patient

in Kenya.

During the next year, Karne will conduct research with the Emory Global Eye Department in Atlanta, Georgia, while collaborating with international partners abroad. This work aims to develop and evaluate strategies that improve access to eye care in resource-limited settings both domestically and globally. 

“My future plans are to further understand the delivery of health care and systems that can improve resource-limited areas. Specifically, with my interest in eye care, access is still a large issue here in the United States as well,” Karne said. “There are many reasons for this, but if we can identify specific limitations in regions that are disproportionately affected by preventable conditions such as preventable blindness, then we can develop tailored models to address and improve the health of our local communities.” 

The Emory Global Ophthalmology Research Fellowship Program improves medical training, service capacity, and vision care for under-resourced populations in Georgia and around the world. The collaboration gives Emory-trained ophthalmologists new insights into the delivery of care to diverse population groups. 

In partnership with more than 140 countries worldwide, the Fulbright U.S. Student Program offers unparalleled opportunities in all academic disciplines to passionate and accomplished graduating college seniors, graduate students, and young professionals from all backgrounds. Program participants pursue graduate study, conduct research, or teach English abroad. 

USA Health expands pulmonary care with addition of Eman

Gerardo Eman, M.D.

USA Health is expanding its pulmonary division with the addition of Gerardo Eman, M.D., a fellowship-trained pulmonary specialist.  

He will also serve as an assistant professor at the Frederick P. Whiddon College of Medicine in the division of pulmonary and critical care medicine. Working in an academic health system, he said, will allow him to improve the quality of patient care.  

“I’ve been fortunate to learn from mentors who made a lasting impact on my own path,” Eman said. “Academic medicine allows me to stay involved in teaching, engage in research and continue evolving as a clinician. It is incredibly rewarding to be part of a community that values curiosity, collaboration, and a shared pursuit of excellence.”  

Eman was drawn to the field of pulmonary and critical care medicine for its complexity and real-time impact on patients.  

“There is something uniquely powerful about the interplay between the heart and lungs during critical illness,” said Eman. “And how the right intervention, at the right moment, can completely change a patient’s trajectory, sometimes in a matter of minutes. Helping people breathe easier, recover their strength, and regain hope remains one of the most meaningful aspects of my work.”   

While treating sick patients can be demanding, for Eman, it is also deeply rewarding. The intensive care unit (ICU) environment drives him to remain constantly focused and willing to adapt in such a high-stake setting. On the other hand, pulmonary medicine provides longer-term experience that allows Eman to build lasting relationships with patients.  

“For me, the combination of acute, hands-on care in critical care and thoughtful, long-term problem-solving in pulmonary medicine is what makes this specialty so fulfilling,” said Eman.  

Eman holds a certification in critical care echocardiography from the National Board of Echocardiography. He is interested in acute respiratory failure and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and specializes in advanced critical care ultrasound (POCUS).  

“I am especially interested in developing clinical tools and severity scoring systems to better guide the care of patients experiencing acute exacerbations of COPD,” said Eman. “I am also deeply interested in the cardiopulmonary interplay that often defines the trajectory of critically ill patients.”  

Eman earned his medical degree from the University of Carabobo in Venezuela and completed his residency and subsequent fellowship at the Einstein College of Medicine in New York City. As a fellow, he developed knowledge of pulmonary diseases and performing procedures such as bronchoscopy and thoracentesis. During his time, he served as an ambulatory clinic chief for the pulmonary division.  

Eman is member of the American College of Chest Physicians and the American Thoracic Society, where he received an abstract scholarship award at an international conference in 2021. The specialist has also led various presentations nationally and internationally, including Italy and San Francisco, and has contributed to numerous online research publications about his area of expertise.  

Third-year medical students present at American College of Physicians state chapter meeting

Third-year medical students, from left, are Sridhar Karne, Peter Doan, Harris Bolus, Brandon Schonour, Megan Rasmussen, and Will Gannaway.

By Michelle Ryan-Day

A group of third-year Whiddon College of Medicine students recently presented their research at the 2025 Alabama and Mississippi Chapters American College of Physicians (ACP) Scientific Meeting in Gulfport, Mississippi.  

Peter Doan

Peter Doan, Will Gannaway, Sridhar Karne, Megan Rasmussen and Brandon Schonour all made poster presentations during the three-day meeting. 

Harris Bolus, also a third-year medical student, was appointed as the medical student representative from the Whiddon College of Medicine to the Alabama chapter of the ACP by Ross B. Vaughn, M.D., FACP, ACP Governor, Alabama chapter, and internal medicine physician in Tuscaloosa. In this role, Bolus will serve on the Governor’s Advisory Council, which advises the chapter governor on resolutions pending before the national Board of Governors.  

“My role is to represent students from the University of South Alabama, as well as to serve as a contact person for students interested in ACP meetings and events,” Bolus said. “I'm excited to learn more about the process of connecting and advocating for physicians in internal medicine and physicians in general.” 

For Doan, this was his first time making a presentation at a professional conference, which he described as a meaningful and rewarding experience. 

Sridhar Karne

“Presenting my poster provided a valuable opportunity to refine my communication skills and share a unique case report with fellow trainees and experienced physicians — some of whom may not have encountered a case like it before,” he said.  

The aim of his poster was to demystify a case involving Familial Mediterranean Fever, which is difficult to diagnose because of its transient nature. Patients often present with recurring fever, abdominal pain, and serositis, which can be commonly mistaken for acute infections, autoimmune disorders, or other periodic fever syndromes.  

“Beyond the presentation itself, the conference offered a great platform for networking with practicing physicians from Mississippi and Alabama,” Doan said. “Engaging in conversations about their clinical experiences and perspectives gave me deeper insight into the realities of medical practice in the region and helped shape the way I think about my future role as a physician.” 

For Karne, an experienced conference presenter, this was his first time traveling with medical students from his class, which he said made the meeting more enjoyable. 

Brandon Schonour

“At the ACP conference, I presented a case report on a patient who presented with an undiagnosed autoimmune condition called Immune-Mediated Necrotizing Myositis that I had the opportunity to be a part of the care team for during my internal medicine rotation,” he said. “This was a patient that I saw on admission, throughout the hospital course, on discharge, and then followed up with at his two-week outpatient primary care visit.”  

Karne credited second-year internal medicine resident Lauren Healey, M.D., and first-year internal medicine resident Wilhelm Basegoda, M.D., and his mentor, Katherine Glosemeyer, M.D., a hospitalist at USA Health and assistant professor in the Whiddon College of Medicine, for their guidance and collaboration on the project. He also acknowledged the departments of surgery and pathology for assisting with biopsy and diagnosis. 

“Conferences also serve as a great learning experience for me because they have interactive forums where they present interesting and rare cases where there is a lot of discussion amongst physicians that I can absorb from up close,” Karne said.  

Schonour found his participation in attending and presenting to be motivation for his future goals. 

Will Gannaway

“Attending and presenting at the ACP Alabama and Mississippi Chapters Scientific Meeting was a valuable experience,” he said. “It gave me the chance to share my work, receive meaningful feedback, and connect with physicians and students who are passionate about internal medicine. It reaffirmed my excitement for residency and lifelong learning.” 

Another experienced presenter, Schonour highlighted an instance in which the patient’s complex anatomy caused by wandering spleen syndrome masked an appendicitis diagnosis. Consideration of such anomalies and high clinical suspicion can be important in exploring all scenarios, he said.  

Gannaway’s research explored a rare case of a cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection that presented as an ampullary mass. No malignancy was found, but he concluded the case highlights the importance of tissue diagnosis to distinguish infection from malignancy, noting that such early consideration or recognition could prevent unnecessary surgical interventions.   

Megan Rasmussen

Rasmussen’s poster explained how sarcoidosis, a disease characterized by the formation of small clumps of inflammatory cells, can develop when cancers are treated with Nivolumab, an immune checkpoint inhibitor. A patient with a history of urothelial cancer developed Nivolumab-induced sarcoidosis, which is rare but important to recognize, as it can be mistaken for cancer progression. Such a scenario should be considered, she suggested, as misdiagnosis could lead to unnecessary changes in therapy or invasive procedures.  

The American College of Physicians is a prestigious organization that recognizes specialists from the internal medicine field and strives to improve patient care. Founded in 1915, ACP is the largest medical specialty organization in the world with 161,000 members in more than 172 countries. 

It promotes the science and practice of medicine, and it supports internal medicine physicians in their quest for excellence.  Through its physician specialist and subspecialists members, ACP leads the profession in education, standard-setting, and the sharing of knowledge to advance the science and practice of internal medicine.   

Save the date for Sickle Cell Disease conference

Save the date for the upcoming multidisciplinary regional conference, Sickle Cell Disease Practical Issues XIX: Nurses, Anchors of Healthcare in Sickle Cell Disease planned for Saturday, Oct. 4, from 7:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Strada Patient Care Center first floor conference room. 

This activity is accredited by the Alabama Board of Nursing for continuing education credit. It is ideal for advanced practice providers, registered nurses, social workers, case managers, allied health professionals, nursing students, medical students, and residents seeking to expand their knowledge and earn CE credits.

Registration details are coming soon.

Mitchell Cancer Institute publishes promising immunotherapy research in leading oncology journal

Ahmed Abdalla, M.D., assistant professor of interdisciplinary clinical oncology, is co-author of the study.

By Jessica Jones

Two physician-scientists at the USA Health Mitchell Cancer Institute (MCI) — Ahmed Abdalla, M.D., medical oncologist and assistant professor of interdisciplinary clinical oncology at the Whiddon College of Medicine, and Gaurav Sharma, M.D., hematology and oncology fellow — recently published research in ESMO Open, a prestigious journal of the European Society for Medical Oncology. 

The study explores how certain immune markers — particularly PD-L1 — can help guide treatment for a rare but serious form of cancer known as anal squamous cell carcinoma (ASCC). 

“By uncovering key biomarkers like PD-L1, PIK3CA, and CASP8, our research brings precision medicine one step closer to patients with anal squamous cell carcinoma — offering real hope for better, targeted treatments in a cancer that needs it most,” said Sharma, co-author of the research study. 

Study Highlights 

• The study analyzed more than 1,200 tumor samples from patients with ASCC. 
• It found more than 60% of tumors had high levels of PD-L1, a protein that plays a key role in how tumors interact with the immune system. 
• Tumors with high PD-L1 also showed more active immune environments and specific genetic changes — especially in the PIK3CA and CASP8 genes — that could be targets for future therapies. 
• Patients with PD-L1-positive tumors responded better to immunotherapy, staying on treatment longer compared to those without PD-L1 expression. 

“This study provides one of the most comprehensive genomic analyses of anal squamous cell carcinoma,” said Abdalla, co-author of the research study. “By identifying PD-L1 expression as a potential predictive biomarker for immunotherapy response, we hope to support more personalized treatment strategies in this rare and challenging disease.” 

ESMO is the European Society for Medical Oncology. Representing more than 40,000 oncology professionals in 179 countries and territories, ESMO is a reference for oncology education and information. Founded in 1975, its education and information resources support an integrated multi-professional approach to cancer care, from a medical oncology perspective. 

The study was conducted in collaboration with several academic institutions and published in the June 2025 issue of ESMO Open. 

Learn more about the published research at esmoopen.com.