Class of 2024 Fellows
Fellow Spotlight
Shehab Alansari, MD
Where did you grow up? Dubai
Where did you do residency? Cleveland Clinic Foundation
Why did you go into cardiology? I have always been passionate about establishing a heart transplant center back home. Cardiology allows me to become a versatile physician with the capabilities of utilizing evidence-based medicine and basic physiological principles into clinical practice on a daily basis. The field is always evolving and can be challenging at times; thus I will be learning for the rest of my life which truly resonates with me as a physician.
Why did you choose UT? The sense of camaraderie was very palpable from the start. The staff and fellows are very supportive thus creating an excellent learning environment to grow professionally. The diverse array of diseases range from simple to complex and the program is very clinical. In my first week of fellowship, I did more than 10 transesophageal echocardiograms.
What are some strengths of the UT program? It prepares fellows to become a multi-faceted cardiologist by being able to work in an academic (regular floor, CICU) or in a private practice setting, with a perfect balance between autonomy and guidance. Everyone I met is willing to help. We rotate through several hospitals, which means more exposure to a diverse set of patients.
What specific fields of cardiology are you interested in/ what are your plans after fellowship? Heart failure + critical care + interventional ( focus on cardiogenic shock)
What are your hobbies/ what do you like about Houston? Playing the drums, exploring new restaurants in Houston.
Ahmad Barout, MD
Tell us about yourself. I grew up in Aleppo, Syria and went to medical school at the University of Aleppo. I did my residency at the University of Massachusetts.
Why did you choose UTHealth? UT is one of the strongest programs in hands-on cardiology training, especially in Interventional and Electrophysiology. I addition, UT has a robust heart transplant program that a lot of other institutes can’t match.
What are some strengths of the UT program? The hands-on training, opportunity to work with world-renowned cardiologists who are leaders in their area of expertise, and a wide range of pathology.
What specific fields of cardiology are you interested in/ what are your plans after fellowship? I am interested in interventional cardiology and electrophysiology.
What are your hobbies/ what do you like about Houston? Hobbies include traveling, fitness training, cooking, technology, cars, and mechanical watches. I like that Houston is a very diverse city with a lot of opportunities to meet people from different cultural backgrounds, great food venues, nice and warm weather. No snow storms!
Maximillian Bourdillon, MD
Where did you grow up? Cupertino, CA
Where did you go for residency? Boston University Medical Center.
Why did you go into cardiology? Inspired by cardiologists who cared for my family members as well as the blend of physiology, and acute and longitudinal approaches to practice.
Why did you choose UT? Broad exposure to quarternary heart failure care/mechanical circulatory support and interventional procedures.
What are some strengths of the UT program? Amazing exposure to the breadth and depth of cardiology from ECMO and advanced mechanical circulatory support to multi modality imaging coupled with the opportunity to learn in a variety of practice settings.
What specific fields of cardiology are you interested in/ what are your plans after fellowship? Interventional or advanced heart failure.
What are your hobbies/ what do you like about Houston? Peloton and soccer, runs by to the Bayou and Hermann Park, exploring the diverse food offerings in Montrose!
Victor Liu, MD
Where did you grow up? Minneapolis, MN
Where did you go for residency? Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston
Why did you go into cardiology? Cardiology is unique in that it is one of few fields where you have the capability to both obtain and interpret your own primary data, giving you the ability to provide comprehensive care for patients. In a way, we can be medicine doctors, radiologists, and proceduralists all in one if we choose.
Why did you choose UT? I went here for medical school so it was a familiar environment, and I wanted a high-volume program where I would be exposed to a wide range of pathology.
What are some strengths of the UT program? High volume. Between our main hospital, our community site, and MD Anderson we see a very broad mix of patients giving exposure to both bread-and-butter cardiology as well as unique, rare pathologies
What specific fields of cardiology are you interested in/ what are your plans after fellowship? Not sure – possibly general or interventional cardiology.
What are your hobbies/ what do you like about Houston? Being outdoors, tennis, rock climbing, traveling, exploring Houston’s food scene, finding new hobbies.
Leslie Ynalvez, MD
Where did you grow up? Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Where did you go for residency? Baylor College of Medicine
Why did you go into cardiology? My role models growing up in medical school instilled in me how amazing the heart works. Then residency really showed me how many ways you can care for your patients: from therapeutic drugs (so many up-and-coming trials especially in the HFrEF arena) to technology with LVAD, CardioMEMS, PET imaging for prevention and transplant.
Why did you choose UT? As I learned more about UT, I was drawn to its role in the Texas community. I grew up in three health minorities in the Philippines, Louisiana, and TX-Mexico border city of Laredo and so the program’s Century Health Study and Cameron County Hispanic Cohort project in Brownsville, TX were projects that I could see myself being a part of.
What are some strengths of the UT program? UT has extensive hands-on experience especially in advance heart failure, imaging, and interventional. You get to care for LVAD, ECMO, and heart transplant patients at one of the most active advanced Heart Failure and cardiac transplantation program. And of course, you get to do all that in the biggest medical center in the world and learn from so many smart people!
What specific fields of cardiology are you interested in/ what are your plans after fellowship? Preventive Cardiology and Imaging.
What are your hobbies/ what do you like about Houston? Diversity! Houston has a way of making you feel like home on day 1. And yet, it offers the cuisines and cultures from places you’ve never visited before.