Research and Scholarly Activity

Our program recognizes that research and scholarship are integral to developing both your mind and your career, especially during residency.

Whether writing a clinical vignette or participating in translational research, our program fully supports and encourages your pursuit of scholarly endeavors through a strong mentoring program, travel funding, research elective time, and dedicated support resources.

Internal medicine research day 2023

Research support

We are a program that sees the benefits of research and scholarly activities to all residents, whether they are pursuing a fellowship, looking to improve clinical performance, or curious to learn.

The Internal Medicine Residency Program Research Committee, co-chaired by Tarun Sharma, MD, and Mario Castagnaro, PhD, is composed of MDs and PhDs who have a passion for research and a drive to see our residents excel. Our Research Committee facilitates collaboration between residents, fellows, and faculty across the entire Medicine Institute, to ensure that you can do research with a mentor from one of the subspecialties during your training.

As a resident, you can take full advantage of the following resources:

  • Elective Research Time - In your second and third year, you can apply for a full or half block of protected elective time away from rotations to complete key research-oriented tasks.
  • Biostatistical Support - We can offer you support from trained biostatisticians that will help you design your study, collect, and interpret your research data.
  • Research Funding - You can apply for dedicated funds to help defray the costs  of doing research. We help residents with funds to cover publication fees,  travel and conference-related costs, or materials or services needed to conduct their work.
  • Research Lecture Series - this series of collaborative discussions, created by residents and faculty, will not only help you learn about different facets of research. It is designed with the specific goal of helping you complete research during your residency here at AHN.
  • Academic Support - You can count on support from a dedicated core of experienced writers and educators who will help you with a number of tasks such as reviewing and critiquing your work, helping you edit and revise your work, and even arranging a mock presentation of your work (so you are well prepared for questions).
  • Medicine Institute Trainee Poster Competition (MI Research Day) - You, your co-residents, and fellows across the Medicine Institute can present your work at our annual poster competition. In addition to circulating your work and networking with faculty across Medicine Institute, you will compete to win prizes.

Publications & Presentations

Resident Presentations

We are proud that of our residents for representing the AHN at all nearly all of the major medicine and subspecialty conferences across the nation.  

Table of IM Resident National Presentations for the 2022-2023 academic year

Resident Publications

Our residents' collaborative approach to research and scholarship ensures their enormous success in publishing, with steady growth in output over the last ten years. 

Pie chart of IM Resident publications for the 2022-2023 academic year. Lists 44 published abstracts and 63 journal articles.

Journal Articles: 2023-2024 Academic Year

  1. Al-Abdouh A, Mhanna M, Jabri A, Alhuneafat L, et al. A Meta-analysis of the Use of Polypill for Secondary Prevention of Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease. Am J Ther. Mar-Apr 01 2024;31(2):e193-e195. doi:10.1097/mjt.0000000000001583
  2. Al-Ajlouni YA, Al Ta'ani O, Shamaileh G, et al. The burden of Cardiovascular diseases in Jordan: a longitudinal analysis from the global burden of disease study, 1990-2019. BMC Public Health. Mar 21 2024;24(1):879. doi:10.1186/s12889-024-18316-0
  3. Akhlaq A, Aamer S, Hasan KM, Muzammil TS, Sohail AH, Quazi MA, Khan MS, Sheikh AB. Systemic lupus erythematosus is associated with increased risk of mortality and acute kidney injury in patients with COVID-19 hospitalization: Insights from a National Inpatient Sample analysis. Lupus. 2024 Jan 9:9612033241227027. doi: 10.1177/09612033241227027. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 38194931.
  4. Al-Abdouh A, Mhanna M, Jabri A, Mdanat L, Alhuneafat L, Mostafa MR, Kundu A, Gupta V. Bivalirudin versus unfractionated heparin in patients with myocardial infarction undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Cardiovasc Revasc Med. 2023 Oct 19:S1553-8389(23)00856-4. doi: 10.1016/j.carrev.2023.10.014. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 37872022.
  5. Aldiabat M, Alsakarneh S, Daniel T, Butt MA, Jagdish B, Rock J, et al. Inpatient outcomes of inflammatory bowel disease in hospitalized patients with COVID-19: analysis of a nationally representative sample. Baylor University Medical Center Proceedings.1-9. doi:10.1080/08998280.2024.2303402
  6. Aldiabat M, Kilani Y, Arshad I, Rana T, Aleyadeh W, Al Ta'ani O, Aljabiri Y, Alsakarneh S, Abdelfattah T, Alhuneafat L, Manvar A. Determinants and outcomes of acute pancreatitis in patients hospitalized for COVID-19: Early pandemic experience. Pancreatology. 2023 Dec;23(8):926-934. doi: 10.1016/j.pan.2023.10.012. Epub 2023 Oct 16. PMID: 37865613.
  7. Alhuneafat L, Omar YA, Naser A, Jagdish B, Alameh A, Al-Ahmad M, Abdouh AA, Mhanna M, Hammad N, Khalid U, Yousaf A, Madanat L, Al-Amer M, Gharaibeh A, Siraj A, Nasser F, Jabri A. Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Peripheral Vascular Disease Admissions Using a Nationally Representative Sample. Am J Cardiol. 2023 Sep 1;202:74-80. doi: 10.1016/j.amjcard.2023.06.055. Epub 2023 Jul 7. PMID: 37421733.
  8. Alhuneafat, L., Khalid, M. U., Jabri, A., Deicke, M. D., Virk, S., Jacobs, M. W., … Link, C. Early pandemic in-hospital outcomes and mortality risk factors in COVID-19 solid organ transplant patients. Baylor University Medical Center Proceedings. 2024 37(3), 414–423. https://doi.org/10.1080/08998280.2024.2325310
  9. Alhuneafat L, Ta'ani OA, Jabri A, Tarawneh T, ElHamdan A, Naser A, Al-Bitar F, Alrifai N, Ghanem F, Alaswad K, Alqarqaz M, Van't Hof JR, Adabag S, Virani SS. Cardiovascular disease burden in the Middle East and North Africa region. Curr Probl Cardiol. 2023 Dec 14;49(3):102341. doi: 10.1016/j.cpcardiol.2023.102341. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 38103814.
  10. Alhuneafat L, Ta'ani OA, Tarawneh T, et al. Burden of cardiovascular disease in Sub-Saharan Africa, 1990-2019: An analysis of the Global Burden of Disease Study. Curr Probl Cardiol. Jun 2024;49(6):102557. doi:10.1016/j.cpcardiol.2024.102557
  11. Alnaimat S, Mascara M, Lygouris G, Biederman RWW. Blueberry-on-Top Phenomenon in Apical Variant Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy. CASE (Phila). Apr 2024;8(4):296-302. doi:10.1016/j.case.2024.01.006
  12. Alrifai N, Alhuneafat L, Jabri A, Khalid MU, Tieliwaerdi X, Sukhon F, Hammad N, Al-Abdouh A, Mhanna M, Siraj A, Sharma T. Pregnancy and Fetal Outcomes in Patients with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome: A Nationally Representative Analysis. Curr Probl Cardiol. 2023 Jul;48(7):101634. doi: 10.1016/j.cpcardiol.2023.101634. Epub 2023 Feb 16. PMID: 36806636.
  13. Attah A, Peterson C, Jacobs M, Bhagavatula R, Shah D, Kaplan R, Samhouri Y. Anti-PF4 ELISA-Negative, SRA-Positive Heparin-Induced Thrombocytopenia. Hematol Rep. May 9 2024;16(2):295-298. doi:10.3390/hematolrep16020029
  14. Bilal MI, Gajjar R, Bobba A, Zabel KM, Davis MG, Nasrullah A, Gangu K, Sheikh AB, Yadav N. Assessing 30-day readmissions and outcomes in acute heart failure patients with concurrent COVID-19: A nationwide study during the 2020 pandemic. Curr Probl Cardiol. 2024 Feb;49(2):102246. doi: 10.1016/j.cpcardiol.2023.102246. Epub 2023 Dec 2. PMID: 38048854.
  15. Bilal M, Ansari F A, Gondal M, et al. (May 26, 2024) Exploring the Unknown: Appreciating the Challenges of Non-compaction Cardiomyopathy. Cureus 16(5): e61142. doi:10.7759/cureus.61142 Butt MA, Aamer S, Kapetanos A. Henoch-Schonlein Purpura, an Unusual Presentation of Acute Myeloid Leukemia. Anticancer Res. 2023 Aug;43(8):3579-3582. doi: 10.21873/anticanres.16536. PMID: 37500160.
  16. Butt MA, Gangu K, Ghosh N, Awan RU, Chourasia P, Bobba A, Sheikh AB, Shekhar R. COVID-19 and acute pancreatitis clinical outcomes among hospitalized patients in the United States: A propensity matched analysis of national inpatient sample. Pancreatology. 2023 Dec;23(8):935-941. doi: 10.1016/j.pan.2023.10.013. Epub 2023 Oct 24. PMID: 37925334.
  17. Cunningham C, Jabri A, Alhuneafat L, Aneja A. A Comprehensive Guide to Sodium Glucose Cotransport Inhibitors. Curr Probl Cardiol. 2023 Oct;48(10):101817. doi: 10.1016/j.cpcardiol.2023.101817. Epub 2023 May 19. PMID: 37211299.
  18. Davis MG, Akhlaq A, Aamer S, Shuja H, Edigin E, Sheikh AB. COVID-19 Infection and Clinical Outcomes in Hospitalized Patients With Rheumatoid Arthritis: Insights From the National Inpatient Sample. J Community Hosp Intern Med Perspect. 2024;14(1):5-12. doi:10.55729/2000-9666.1288
  19. Desai A, Khataniar H, Hashash JG, Farraye FA, Regueiro M, Kochhar GS. Effectiveness and Safety of Semaglutide for Weight Loss in Patients With Inflammatory Bowel Disease and Obesity. Inflamm Bowel Dis. Apr 20 2024;doi:10.1093/ibd/izae090
  20. Gupta M, Naser A, Doyle M, et.al. Ventricular arrhythmia outcomes in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy from a high level myectomy centre, European Heart Journal, Volume 44, Issue Supplement_2, November 2023, ehad655.616, https://doi.org/10.1093/eurheartj/ehad655.616
  21. Hayden MK, El Mikati IK, Hanson KE, Ta'ani OA et al. Infectious Diseases Society of America Guidelines on the Diagnosis of COVID-19: Serologic Testing. Clinical Infectious Diseases. 2024:ciae121. doi:10.1093/cid/ciae121
  22. Hickmann K, Sweeney R, Peterson C, et al. Successful Treatment of Refractory Post-Transplant Lymphoproliferative Disorder With Chimeric Antigen Receptor T-Cell Therapy in a Heart Transplant Recipient. J Hematol. Apr 2024;13(1-2):34-38. doi:10.14740/jh1211
  23. Jacobs MW, Bremmer DN, Shively NR, et al. Analysis of a beta-lactam allergy assessment protocol challenging diverse reported allergies managed by an antimicrobial stewardship program. Antimicrobial Stewardship & Healthcare Epidemiology. 2023;3(1):e153. doi:10.1017/ash.2023.432
  24. Karna R, Jagdish B, Mohy-Ud-Din N, Kulkarni A. Iliac Artery-Inferior Vena Cava-Duodenal Fistula: An Unusual Cause of Massive Gastrointestinal Bleeding. ACG Case Rep J. 2023 Aug 31;10(9):e01132. doi: 10.14309/crj.0000000000001132. PMID: 37663237; PMCID: PMC10470802.
  25. Karna R, S Deliwala S, Ramgopal B, Asawa P, Mishra R, P Mohan B, Jayakrishnan T, Grover D, Kalra T, Bhalla J, Saraswati U, K Gangwani M, Dhawan M, G Adler D. Gastrointestinal treatment-related adverse events of combined immune checkpoint inhibitors: a meta-analysis. Immunotherapy. 2023 Jul;15(10):773-786. doi: 10.2217/imt-2023-0001. Epub 2023 May 16. PMID: 37190949.
  26. Laharwal MM, Sweeney R, Samhouri Y, Shah D. Predictors of Response to Rituximab in Chronic Immune Thrombocytopenia: Do Race, Gender and ABO Blood Type Matter? Blood. 2023/11/02/ 2023;142:7304. doi:https://doi.org/10.1182/blood-2023-180186
  27. Liang MH, Lew ER, Fraser PA, Flower C, Hennis EH, Bae SC, Hennis A, Tikly M, Roberts WN Jr. Choosing to End African American Health Disparities in SLE. Arthritis Rheumatol. 2024 Jan 16. doi: 10.1002/art.42797. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 38229482.Mahabir S, Okumus N, Samra G, Mohammed A, Gupta M, Naser A, Puttur A, Bihler E, DuMont T, Nauer K, Khalif A, Ivanova V. Common Cardiovascular Diseases in Women. Crit Care Nurs Q. 2023 Oct-Dec 01;46(4):362-376. doi: 10.1097/CNQ.0000000000000473. PMID: 37684732.
  28. Muzammil TS, Gangu K, Nasrullah A, Majeed H, Chourasia P, Bobba A, Shekhar R, Bartlett C, Sheikh AB. Thirty-Day readmissions among COVID-19 patients hospitalized during the early pandemic in the United States: Insights from the Nationwide Readmissions Database. Heart Lung. 2023 Nov-Dec;62:16-21. doi: 10.1016/j.hrtlng.2023.05.014. Epub 2023 May 29. PMID: 37290138; PMCID: PMC10244017.
  29. Naser A, Puttur A, Saleh S, Ta'ani OA, Caudill A, Radhakrishnan A. Trends in female representation in cardiology and its subspecialties: The current state and the desired state. Curr Probl Cardiol. May 6 2024;49(8):102617. doi:10.1016/j.cpcardiol.2024.102617
  30. Nasrullah A, Virk S, Anam J, Shah AA, Ramanujam D, Sharma A, Gutierrez L, et. al. Effects of Pulmonary Rehabilitation on Functional and Psychological Parameters in Post-Acute Sequelae of Sars-Cov-2 Infection (Pasc) Patients. Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=4631572 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4631572
  31. Nasrullah A, Bilal MI, Malik K, DiSilvio B, Cheema T. Idiopathic Bilateral Pulmonary Vein Thrombosis. Eur J Case Rep Intern Med. 2024;11(2):004291. doi:10.12890/2024_004291
  32. Nasrullah A, Virk S, Javed A, et al. Effects of pulmonary rehabilitation on functional and psychological parameters in post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection (PASC) patients. BMC Pulm Med. May 14 2024;24(1):231. doi:10.1186/s12890-024-03047-0
  33. Owusu-Antwi P, Appiah-Kubi E, Kinfe M, Gbinigie S, Sarwal A. Severe Clozapine-Induced Agranulocytosis, Pharmacodynamic Synergism, and Lithium Promyelocytic Effects in Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor (G-CSF) Resistance or Delayed Response: A Case Report. Cureus. Jan 2024;16(1):e52092. doi:10.7759/cureus.52092
  34. Paluri RK, Pulipati Y, Regalla DKR. Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors and Their Cardiovascular Adverse Effects. Oncol Rev. 2023 Nov 17;17:11456. doi: 10.3389/or.2023.11456. PMID: 38045806; PMCID: PMC10691592.
  35. Sweeney R, Omstead AN, Fitzpatrick JT, Zheng P, Gorbunova A, Grayhack EE, Goel A, Khan AF, Kosovec JE, Wagner PL, Jobe BA, Kelly RJ, Zaidi AH. Sitravatinib combined with PD1 blockade enhances cytotoxic T-Cell infiltration by M2 to M1 tumor macrophage repolarization in esophageal adenocarcinoma. Carcinogenesis. 2023 Nov 29:bgad087. doi: 10.1093/carcin/bgad087. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 38019590.
  36. Sweeney R, Rai M, Kharoud H, Bhagavatula R, Kaplan R, Shah D. Cyclic Thrombocytopenia in the Setting of Intracranial Hemorrhage: A Diagnostic and Therapeutic Challenge. J Hematol. 2023 Oct;12(5):231-235. doi: 10.14740/jh1171. Epub 2023 Oct 21. PMID: 37936978; PMCID: PMC10627363.
  37. Samanta A, Jacobs M, Bhatia S, Miller J, Nelson P. The Street Medicine Auto-Refraction Technology (SMART) Study: A Model for Screening and Treating Refractive Error in Unsheltered People. Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science. 2023;64(8):3045-3045.
  38. Shah A, Kapcin K, Deicke M, Pappan N, Holden K, Routray SK, Schmetzer A, DuMont T, Nashar K, Bajwa O, Ivanova V. Hypertension in Women and Pregnancy. Crit Care Nurs Q. 2023 Oct-Dec 01;46(4):377-390. doi: 10.1097/CNQ.0000000000000480. PMID: 37684733.
  39. Shah S, Asawa P, Abel S, Wegner RE. Validation of the Neoadjuvant Rectal Cancer (NAR) Score for Prognostication Following Total Neoadjuvant Therapy (TNT) for Locally Advanced Rectal Cancer. J Gastrointest Cancer. 2023 Sep;54(3):829-836. doi: 10.1007/s12029-022-00868-2. Epub 2022 Oct 17. PMID: 36253514.
  40. Shah S, Rana T, Kancharla P, Monga D. Targeted Therapy for BRAF V600E Positive Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma: Two Case Reports. Cancer Genomics Proteomics. 2023 Jul-Aug;20(4):398-403. doi: 10.21873/cgp.20391. PMID: 37400141; PMCID: PMC10320564.
  41. Shah S, Sweeney R, Wegner RE. Survival Benefit with Re-resection and Optimal Time to Re-resection in Gallbladder Cancer: a National Cancer Database Study. J Gastrointest Cancer. 2023 Dec;54(4):1331-1337. doi: 10.1007/s12029-023-00934-3. Epub 2023 May 25. PMID: 37231186.
  42. Virk S, Gangu K, Nasrullah A, Shah A, Faiz Z, Khan U, Jackson DB, Javed A, Farooq A, DiSilvio B, Cheema T, Sheikh AB. Impact of COVID-19 on Pregnancy Outcomes across Trimesters in the United States. Biomedicines. 2023 Oct 25;11(11):2886. doi: 10.3390/biomedicines11112886. PMID: 38001887; PMCID: PMC10669814.
  43. Virk S, Quazi MA, Nasrullah A, Shah A, Kudron E, Chourasia P, Javed A, Jain P, Gangu K, Cheema T, et al. Comparing Clinical Outcomes of COVID-19 and Influenza-Induced Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome: A Propensity-Matched Analysis. Viruses. 2023; 15(4):922. https://doi.org/10.3390/v15040922
  44. Virk S, Kassis-George H, Alhuneafat L, Deicke M, Naser A, Shah A. Racial Differences in Right Ventricular Response To Hemodynamics And Co-morbidities In Patients With Pulmonary Hypertension. Journal of Cardiac Failure. 2024/01/01/ 2024;30(1):279.