Current Residents
7th Year Residents (Chiefs)
Mark Piedra, M.D.
Mark Piedra, MD, joined neurological surgery in July 2006, as a year one resident. A native New Yorker he spent much of his childhood in Caracas, Venezuela, and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. After graduating high school, he worked as a computer consultant for IBM for several years and in 1996 graduated from the University of Alaska, Fairbanks, with a bachelor’s degree in physics. He then worked for some engineering firms before volunteering for the Peace Corps, where he spent two years teaching high school math and science in rural Zimbabwe. In 1999, Dr. Piedra returned to Alaska and spent a few more years working for engineering companies and as an instructor at the University of Alaska. He received his medical degree from the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine in May 2006. He enjoys the outdoors, hiking, canoeing, downhill skiing, and flying airplanes.
Eric Thompson, M.D.
Eric Thompson, MD, joined neurological surgery in July 2006, as a year one resident. In 2002, he completed a bachelor’s degree in psychology at Duke University, Durham, N.C. In May 2006, he completed a medical degree at University of Nebraska College of Medicine, Omaha. Throughout medical school, Dr. Thompson served as an academic leader and was the recipient of many academic achievement awards. His interests include international travel, music, classic literature, downhill skiing, golf, and he is fluent in Spanish.
6th Year Residents
Neil Roundy, M.D.
Research
Neil Roundy, M.D., joined neurological surgery in July 2007, as a year one resident. He graduated from the University of Arizona, Tuscon, AZ in June 2007. Dr. Roundy has served as coordinator of the Cross Streets Medical Free Clinic in Tuscon, and in other volunteer capacities for the underserved. His interests include rock climbing, mountain biking, snowboarding and photography.
Hai Sun, M.D., Ph.D.
Research
Hai Sun, M.D., Ph.D., joined neurological surgery in July 2007, as a year one resident. He graduated from Dartmouth Medical School, Hanover, NH in June 2007. Dr. Sun is trained in both medicine and biomedical engineering. His interests include woodwork, distance running and international travel.
5th Year Residents
Brian T. Farrell, M.D., Ph.D.
Senior Resident
Brian T. Farrell, M.D., Ph.D., graduated from University of Nebraska Medicine Center, College of Medicine, Omaha, Neb. in June 2008. Dr. Farrell’s doctoral dissertation examined Mechanistic Insights in CAG-CTG Contractions in Cultured Human and Simian Cells. His interests include surfing, running, golf, and classical and jazz trumpet.
Nathaniel Whitney, M.D., M.S.
Senior Resident
Nathaniel Whitney, M.D., M.S., received his medical degree from Loma Linda University, Loma Linda, Calif. in June 2008. He received a bachelor's degree from Walla Walla University in 2000 and a master's degree in developmental biology from the same university in 2003. His research focused on the ubiquitin system and its specific role in cell type differentiation and tissue organization. After his graduate studies Dr. Whitney worked as a new home framer, then entered medical school. Dr. Whitney has been involved with charity programs for adults and children, and he also enjoys the outdoors, hiking, canoeing, writing music and working with music groups.
4th Year Residents
Jesse Liu, M.D.
Veteran's Administration and Doernbecher Children's Hospital
Jesse Liu, M.D. was educated at Pacific Union College, Amgwin, Calif. and earned his medical degree from Loma Linda University School of Medicine, Loma Linda, Calif. in June, 2009. At Loma Linda, he has served in the elected role of class pastor and in the Student Senate. His scientific work has concentrated on embryological development of the limb bud. He is also a cellist and rock climber.
Jeffrey Raskin, M.D., M.S.
Veteran's Administration and Doernbecher Children's Hospital
Jeffrey Raskin, M.D. was educated at Pomona College, Claremont, Calif. and spent part of his undergraduate years doing research in Developmental Biology at University College London, London, England. He holds a master’s degree in cell and molecular neurobiology from the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, Calif. Dr. Raskin graduated in June, 2009 with a medical degree from the University of Nevada School of Medicine, Reno, Nev. where he has served as president of his class and was awarded "Outstanding Student in Surgery for the Class of 2009". In addition to his neuroscientific pursuits, Dr. Raskin is interested in literary descriptions of medical care and edited the UNSM literary annual. He enjoys camping and hiking.
3rd Year Residents
Priscilla Pang, M.D., M.S.
Elective Year
Priscilla Pang, M.D., M.S., graduated in June 2010 with a medical degree from Case Western University, Cleveland, OH. She also holds a Master of Science degree from Case in applied anatomy. Her research interests have included molecular mechanisms of neural protection and empiric antibiotic utilization in the clinical setting. While an undergraduate at Johns Hopkins University, she was a nationally competitive cyclist. She also enjoys rock climbing.
Abigail Rao, M.D.
Elective Year
Abigail Rao, M.D., graduated in June 2010 with a medical degree from Brown University, Providence, RI. As a Howard Hughes Research Scholar, she had worked at the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development on hippocampal dendritic potassium channels. As an undergraduate at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, she studied the expression of nestin in neural stem cells. She has served in the Big Sisters program and enjoys travelling with her family.
2nd Year Residents
Kelly Bridges, M.D.
Junior Resident
Kelly Bridges, M.D., graduated from the University of Nevada School of Medicine in June 2011, where she has been formally recognized for “altruism in medicine” and is a member of the Gold Humanism Honor Society. She was previously an undergraduate in neuroscience at UCLA. While at at UCLA she published in the Journal of Neuroscience for research regarding neuron circuitry in the brainstem. Kelly received "Outstanding Student in Neuroscience" award and the American Medical Women's Association award for "Academic Achievement" for being among the top 10% of women, while in medical school. She is an outdoor enthusiast and has built both a cabin and house with her family.
Frances Hardaway, M.D.
Junior Resident
Frances Hardaway, M.D., graduated from the Medical University Of South Carolina in June 2011, where she was elected a member of alpha omega alpha (AOA). She was previously an undergraduate in psychology at the University of Richmond, Virginia. She has published work during medical school on human functional brain imaging and magnetic stimulation. Her interests include tennis and piano.
1st Year Residents
Kunal Gupta, M.B.B.Chir., Ph.D.
Intern in Neurological Surgery
Kunal Gupta, M.B. B.Chir., Ph.D., graduated from the University of Cambridge, England, UK in June 2007, with a Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBChir). He was awarded a PhD, also from the University of Cambridge in June 2012. His PhD research work was focused on the novel discoveries he made around glial-neuronal interaction under molecular paradigms of traumatic brain injury, using a human stem cell platform. Dr. Gupta enjoys, competitive ballroom dancing (standard and Latin disciplines), tennis, skiing and snowboarding.
Katie L. Krause, M.D., Ph.D.
Intern in Neurological Surgery
Lynn K Krause, M.D., Ph.D., graduated from the Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI in May 2012. She was awarded a PhD, also from the Medical College of Wisconsin in May 2008. Her PhD research work was focused on examining plasticity within the neuronal respiratory networks of the brain. Dr. Krause, Ioves the outdoors, backyard astronomy, and spending time with her dog.
Tristan M Stani, M.D.
Intern in Neurological Surgery
Tristan M Stani, M.D., graduated from the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI in May 2012. In 2009 he was selected as the OHSU Campagna Scholar in Neurological Surgery. At OHSU he worked with Valerie Anderson, Ph.D., examining precision grip (holding an object between thumb and forefinger) performance in essential tremor subjects before and after deep brain stimulation. During his post-baccalaureate studies at Johns Hopkins, he participated in research on inhibiting angiogenesis in brain tumors. Dr. Stani, enjoys playing guitar and composing music, surfing, mountain-bike riding, scuba diving and long distance running.
