Class of 2028 Spotlight
Fellow Spotlight
Matthew Antonioli, MD
Where did you grow up? Plano, Texas
Where did you do your Residency? Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, TX.
Why are you interested in Cardiology? I have always loved the balance of patient care being both inpatient, fast paced medicine with an outpatient focus on prevention. This, coupled with utilizing various imaging modalities allows for a great mix of daily practice.
What are some strengths of the UTHealth Houston program? We have a breadth of pathology that comes through our three sites: LBJ, Memorial Hermann, and MD Anderson. This allows us to get excellent exposure and training for our diverse patient population.
What are your future career goals after fellowship? I hope to practice general cardiology, likely with a mix of some imaging as well. I plan on focusing on outpatient management and prevention. I am planning to stay in Houston with my wife who is an OBGYN.
What do you like to do in Houston? Houston is one of the top food cities in the nation. We have incredible diversity, and an excellent scene for foodie restaurants now evidenced by the Michelin guide coming to Texas as well. Trying all the new restaurants is my favorite thing to do. I also love walking, running, and cycling along our Bayou trails during the beautiful and length fall/spring seasons.
James Going, MD
Where did you grow up? I grew up in Atlanta, GA.
Where did you do your Residency? UT Houston
Why are you interested in Cardiology? I like cardiac physiology and hemodynamics. I think it’s cool how a patient’s clinical presentation correlates with different imaging modalities, and treatment strategies are personalized to each patient.
What are some strengths of the UTHealth Houston program? The diversity and acuity of patient cases here are incredible, and the faculty are very supportive.
What are your future career goals after fellowship? Interventional cardiology, advanced heart failure
What do you like to do in Houston? Explore Houston’s great food scene.
Amier Haidar, MD
Where did you grow up? Cypress, Texas
Where did you do your Residency? UCLA
Why are you interested in Cardiology? I am interested in cardiology for many reasons. I enjoy the breadth of the field, from caring for critically ill patients in the CCU and managing complex consults in the hospital to building long-term relationships with patients in the outpatient setting. Cardiology also offers the opportunity to perform procedures while maintaining strong involvement in both inpatient and outpatient care.
Cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of death worldwide, yet much of its burden is driven by modifiable risk factors. My interests in nutrition, cardiometabolic risk, and population health align naturally with cardiology’s growing emphasis on prevention. The field allows me to care for patients during critical moments while also working upstream through research and education to reduce the burden of cardiovascular disease at the population level.
What are some strengths of the UTHealth Houston program? As fellows, we gain exposure to complex and advanced cardiovascular disease, including advanced heart failure, mechanical circulatory support, structural heart disease, cardiogenic shock, and cardio-oncology through our training at Memorial Hermann and MD Anderson within the Texas Medical Center. We also receive robust procedural and cardiovascular imaging training with exposure to advanced modalities, including cardiac PET through our dedicated PET center. In addition, the faculty are outstanding, highly supportive, invested in fellow education, and always receptive to feedback, creating a collaborative learning environment.
What are your future career goals after fellowship? My goal is to become an academic cardiologist practicing in both the inpatient and outpatient settings, caring for patients in clinic while also working in a CCU and on consult services. In parallel, I hope to build a career that integrates clinical cardiology, epidemiologic research, and public health to better understand and address modifiable drivers of cardiovascular disease. Ultimately, I aim to translate population-level research into practical strategies that improve cardiovascular prevention and patient care.
What do you like to do in Houston? I enjoy trying new restaurants and spending time with my family in Houston. Houston has a very diverse food scene, so it’s always fun to explore different cuisines and discover new places to eat together.
Meera Kapadia, MD
Where did you grow up? Phoenix, Arizona
Where did you do your Residency? The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston
Why are you interested in Cardiology? Prior to medical school, I studied chemical engineering, which sparked my interest in how cutting-edge technology can be applied to medicine. As I progressed through my training, I was drawn to cardiology for its unique combination of advanced imaging, procedural innovation, and the opportunity to provide longitudinal, patient-centered care. The ability to guide patients through some of their most challenging moments ultimately solidified my commitment to this field.
What are some strengths of the UTHealth Houston program? One of the greatest strengths of the UTHealth Houston’s Cardiovascular Disease Fellowship is the breadth and diversity of its clinical training environment. Fellows gain experience managing complex cardiac conditions, including advanced heart failure and shock, at Memorial Hermann Texas Medical Center. The program also offers specialized exposure to cardio-oncology at MD Anderson Cancer Center and provides opportunities to care for underserved populations at Lyndon B. Johnson Hospital. Additionally, the faculty are exceptional mentors and leaders in their respective fields, creating a highly supportive and academically rigorous training environment.
What are your future career goals after fellowship? At this time, I am most interested in pursuing a career in general cardiology, given the breadth and versatility of the field. However, I remain open-minded and look forward to further refining my interests during fellowship training.
What do you like to do in Houston? Houston offers an outstanding and diverse culinary scene, making it easy to explore new cuisines regularly. I also enjoy spending time outdoors in the city’s parks, particularly running at Hermann Park.
Courtney McNeely, MD
Where did you grow up? Allen, TX
Where did you do your Residency? UT Houston
Why are you interested in Cardiology? Cardiology is a very broad and dynamic field. You get to take care of patients across all levels of acuity, from preventative care to critical illness. There’s also a constant efflux of exciting new data being published, with opportunities to integrate innovative techniques and technology into your daily practice.
What are some strengths of the UTHealth Houston program? UTH provides exceptionally high clinical volume and exposure to a diverse patient population across multiple training sites. We also have the opportunity to work with advanced subspecialties like congenital, advanced heart failure, advanced imaging, EP, IC, and critical care.
What are your future career goals after fellowship? General cardiology, imaging
What do you like to do in Houston? Eat!
Justin Salman, DO
Where did you grow up? I grew up in Corpus Christi, Texas
Where did you do your Residency? I did my residency at UT Houston
Why are you interested in Cardiology? I think cardiology offers a great mix of medicine and procedures, and I really loved hemodynamics on my cardiology rotations
What are some strengths of the UTHealth Houston program? Exposure to pathology as a trainee is probably some of the best in the country. Between Memorial Hermann, LBJ, and MD Anderson you get the gamut of cardiac pathology. Not to mention we have a robust shock center that does heavy volume ECMO and MCS if you’re into that.
What are your future career goals after fellowship? Interventional cardiology
What do you like to do in Houston? Houston is such an underrated metroplex. You have all the amenities of New York or LA in terms of culture, arts, entertainment, and sports. Also, the parks system here is criminally underrated, and the food scene is legendary.
Julianna West, MD
Where did you grow up? I grew up in Dallas, Texas
Where did you do your Residency? I did my internal medicine residency training at UT Southwestern in Dallas.
Why are you interested in Cardiology? I really enjoy the breadth of cardiology. Cardiologists manage chronic cardiovascular disease and risk factors in the outpatient setting, serve as consultants and primary teams on inpatient cardiology services, care for critically ill patients with cardiogenic shock in the ICU, perform life-saving procedures during STEMI call, and use advanced imaging to guide diagnosis and treatment.
What are some strengths of the UTHealth Houston program? UT Houston has everything to offer for a budding cardiologist. With our heart and vascular institute, we practice the full breadth and depth of cardiology. We are a fellow led program and have lots of hands on training. Additionally, the faculty are exceptional mentors and leaders in their respective fields, creating a highly supportive and academically rigorous training environment.
What are your future career goals after fellowship? I am most interested in general cardiology and advanced imaging/structural echocardiography.
What do you like to do in Houston? I enjoy eating out at great restaurants with friends, playing golf at Memorial Park, and hiking in Sam Houston National Forest.