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Meet Our Fellows

Our fellows and faculty foster a collegial environment and education-focused culture that provides an inclusive learning experience. Training can be challenging, but our program is close-knit and each fellow brings a dedication to providing stellar patient care as well as a collaborative learning experience.

Meet our current fellows in the Cardiovascular Diseases Fellowship at Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida.

Class of 2025

Bria Rice, M.D.

Bria Rice, M.D.

Medical school: Howard University College of Medicine, Washington, D.C.

Residency: Mayo Clinic, Phoenix, AZ

Interests: Advanced heart failure and health disparities 

Plans after graduation: I'll be applying for a fellowship in advanced heart failure.

Goyal Umadat, M.D.

Goyal Umadat, M.D.

Medical school: Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY

Residency: Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL

Interests: Interventional cardiology and critical care

Plans after graduation: I hope to apply for advanced fellowships in critical care and subsequently interventional cardiology with the goal of working in a cardiac ICU setting.

Kevin Tayon, M.D.

Kevin Tayon, M.D.

Medical school: Florida Atlantic University College of Medicine, Boca Raton, FL

Residency: Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital, Dallas, TX

Interests: Cardiovascular imaging and cardiovascular changes associated with exercise and aging

Plans after graduation: I'll be starting the Advanced Cardiac Imaging Fellowship at Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida.

Class of 2026

Rashid Alhusain, M.B.B.S.

Rashid Alhusain, M.B.B.S.

Medical school: University of Khartoum, Sudan

Residency: Detroit Medical Center, Wayne State

Nahyr Lugo-Fagundo, M.D.

Nahyr Lugo-Fagundo, M.D.

Medical school: Ponce, Puerto Rico

Residency: Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL

Interests: Interventional cardiology and structural heart disease, women’s and Hispanic cardiovascular health

Plans after graduation: I plan to apply for a fellowship in interventional cardiology.

Carlos Vergara Sanchez, M.D.

Carlos Vergara Sanchez, M.D.

Medical school: Pontificia, Colombia

Residency: University of Miami, JFK

Interests: Non-invasive cardiology, cardiac imaging, preventative cardiology, ECGs

Plans after graduation: I hope to become an academic cardiologist and a great clinician to teach others and help my patients. 

Class of 2027

Jenna Bilodeau-Gandre, M.D

Medical school: Florida International University

Residency: University of South Florida

Interests: Advanced Heart Failure, Pulmonary Hypertension, Quality Improvement and Patient Safety, Medical Education

Plans after graduation: I plan on applying for advanced fellowship in advanced heart failure

James Howick, M.D.

Medical school: Virginia Commonwealth University

Residency: Mayo Clinic, Rochester

Interests: Interventional cardiology, teaching, and cardiovascular infectious disease

Plans after graduation: Academic cardiologist

Bridget Lee, D.O.

Medical school: New York College of Osteopathic Medicine, NY

Internal Medicine Residency: St. Bernards Medical Center, AR

Interests: Electrophysiology, Structural IC, and Advanced Cardiac Imaging

Plans after graduation: Further fellowship training, serving underserved communities, veterans, and minority patient populations 

William Mai, M.D.

Medical school: George Washington University, DC

Internal Medicine Residency: Mayo Clinic, FL

Interests: EP, Advanced Imaging, Community engagement, photography

Plans after graduation: I plan on applying for a subspecialty fellowship with hopes of continuing volunteer work at local homeless clinics

 

Ufuk Vardar, M.D.

Medical school: Ege Universitesi, Turkey

Internal Medicine Residency: John H. Stroger Hospital, IL

Interests: Playing the guitar (classic rock, thrash metal), sailing, visiting art museums and galleries, trying new restaurants, Galatasaray > Fenerbahce

Plans after graduation: Clinical Electrophysiology

 

Thirteen people from the Cardiovascular Diseases Fellowship program at Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida, stood outside on steps for a group portrait.
Cardiovascular Diseases Fellowship program at Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida, group portrait.