Northwestern Memorial Hospital Pharmacy Residency Program Current Residents

Specialties

Health-System Pharmacy Administration and Leadership
Ambulatory Care
Cardiology
Critical Care
Infectious Disease
Medication Use Safety and Policy
Oncology
Solid Organ Transplant

PGY-1 Pharmacy Residents

Sarah Fierek PGY1Sarah Fierek: Dr. Fierek is from Wausau, Wisconsin and is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Pharmacy where she earned her PharmD degree in 2023. Prior to pharmacy school, she graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a Bachelor's of Science in Pharmaceutical Sciences. Her professional interests include solid organ transplant and hematology/oncology. Dr. Fierek’s research project will focus on whether subtherapeutic posaconazole concentrations result in an increased risk of invasive fungal infections post-lung transplant. Outside of work, Dr. Fierek enjoys trying new restaurants, reading, working out and spending time with friends and family.

Molly Gavin PGY1Molly Gavin: Dr. Gavin is from Mokena, Illinois and is a graduate of the University of Iowa College of Pharmacy where she earned her PharmD degree in 2023. Her professional interests include solid organ transplant and infectious disease management within transplant. Dr. Gavin’s research project will focus on whether crushed posaconazole delayed-release tablets result in therapeutic posaconazole concentrations. In her free time, she enjoys exploring different restaurants and coffee shops in Chicago, running along the lakefront, shopping, trying new recipes and spending time with friends and family.

Catherine Hayes PGY1Cat Hayes: Dr. Hayes is from Plainfield, IL and earned her bachelor’s degrees in biochemistry and Spanish from Virginia Tech in 2019 (go Hokies!) She earned her PharmD in 2023 from the University of Illinois Chicago College of Pharmacy – Rockford campus. Her professional interests include cardiology and medication use policy. Dr. Hayes’s research project will focus on the optimal Envarsus dose needed for Hispanic patients who receive a kidney transplant. Outside of pharmacy, she enjoys playing Pokémon Go, camping, and cuddling with her cats Vincent and Leo.

Sydney Judge PGY1Sydney Judge: Dr. Judge is from Speedway, Indiana and is a graduate of the Purdue University College of Pharmacy where she earned her PharmD degree in 2023. Her professional interests include critical care and oncology. Dr. Judge’s research project will focus on the frequency of adverse drug events with milrinone utilization in critically ill patients requiring continuous renal replacement therapy. In her free time, she enjoys binge watching Grey's Anatomy and New Girl, listening to Taylor Swift, or finding the best espresso martini in Chicago!

Sarah Khaddage PGY1Sarah Khaddage: Dr. Khaddage is from Glen Allen, Virginia, and graduated with her PharmD from Virginia Commonwealth University in 2023. She also completed her Bachelor of Science in Biology and Bachelor of Arts in French at VCU. Her professional interests include hematology/oncology and transplant. Dr. Khaddage’s research project will focus on comparing and aligning MAR administration instructions with Alaris pump instructions for medications with special administration requirements. In her free time, she enjoys roller skating, going to metal shows, and traveling as much as possible.

Lauren Lacoursiere PGY1Lauren Lacoursiere: Dr. Lacoursiere is from Tecumseh, Ontario and is a graduate of the University at Buffalo School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences where she earned her PharmD degree in 2023. Prior to pharmacy school she earned her Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry at the University of Windsor. Lauren’s professional interests include cardiology and critical care. Dr. Lacoursiere’s research project will focus on whether anticoagulating with therapeutic unfractionated heparin in patients with IABPs at 1:1 increases the risk of bleeding. In her free time Lauren enjoys travelling, reading non-fiction books, and practicing yoga. She also loves visiting her parents and golden retriever named Henry back home whenever she can!

Sophia Luk PGY1Sophia Luk: Dr. Luk is from Columbus, Ohio and is a graduate of The Ohio State University College of Pharmacy, Class of 2023. Prior to pharmacy school, she completed her undergraduate degree at The Ohio State University, graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Pharmaceutical Sciences. Her professional interests include oncology, infectious disease, and internal medicine. Dr. Luk’s research project will focus on the difference in adverse drug events among patients who receive iron sucrose IV push compared to IV piggyback. In her free time, Dr. Luk enjoys exploring new restaurants, spending time with family and friends, and traveling!

Tara Tanriverdi PGY1Tara Tanriverdi: Dr. Tanriverdi is from Oconomowoc, WI and is a graduate of the University of Illinois Chicago College of Pharmacy where she earned her PharmD degree in 2023. Prior to pharmacy school she earned her Bachelor of Science in Biology and Spanish with a certificate in Global Health from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Her professional interests include transitions of care, ambulatory care, and cardiology. Dr. Tanriverdi’s research project will focus on the rate of adherence to GOLD guideline recommended inhaler therapy on discharge in patients admitted for COPD exacerbation. Outside of the world of pharmacy, she enjoys yoga, tennis, visiting friends and family, and soaking up all that Chicago has to offer!

Brady Woods PGY1Brady Woods: Dr. Woods is from Bolivar, Ohio and is a graduate of the Ohio State University School of Pharmacy where he earned his PharmD degree in 2023. Prior to pharmacy school he earned his Bachelor of Science in Pharmaceutical Sciences from Ohio State. His professional interests include hematology/oncology, infectious disease, and emergency medicine. Dr. Woods’s research project will focus on the percentage of patients who are on antibiotic regimens that are concurrent with guideline recommendations for UTI, CAP, and acute sinusitis. In his free time, he enjoys running along the lakefront, watching movies, and exploring the Chicago food scene with his co-residents.

Dylan Zanolla PGY1Dylan Zanolla: Dr. Zanolla is from Hobart, Indiana and is a graduate of the Purdue University College of Pharmacy where he earned his PharmD degree in 2023. His professional interests include cardiology and critical care. Dr. Zanolla’s research project will focus on evaluating the use of Cyanokit in the CTICU with respect to time to MAP attainment, rates of AKI, number of dosages, and other endpoints. In his free time, he enjoys playing music and exploring the local music scene, fishing with his friends and family, and attending Chicago sporting events.

PGY1&2 Health System Pharmacy Administration & Leadership

Tyler Howse PGY1Tyler Howse: Dr. Howse is the PGY-1 Health-System Pharmacy Administration and Leadership resident. He is from Moriarty, New Mexico and is a graduate of the University of New Mexico College of Pharmacy and the University of New Mexico Anderson School of Management where he earned his PharmD and MBA degrees in 2023. Prior to pharmacy school he earned his Bachelor of Science in Biology at the University of New Mexico. Dr. Howse’s research project will focus on cephalexin versus Bactrim or fluoroquinolones for UTI. His professional interests include operations management, revenue cycle, and acute care clinical pharmacy management. In his free time, he enjoys spending time with his wife, running, trying new restaurants in Chicago, and checking ESPN constantly.

Kevin Blake PGY2 HSPALKevin Blake: Dr. Blake is the PGY-2 Health-System Pharmacy Administration and Leadership resident. He is from Minneapolis, Minnesota and is a graduate of Shenandoah University School of Pharmacy where he earned his PharmD in 2022. Prior to pharmacy school, he attended undergraduate at the University of Minnesota with a Bachelor of Science in chemistry and a minor in pharmacology. He completed his PGY-1 Pharmacy Residency training here at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago, IL. His professional interests include operations management, quality and safety, and formulary management. In his free time, Dr. Blake enjoys walking on the lakefront, trying new breweries, and traveling.

PGY-2 Pharmacy Residents

Ambulatory Care

Abigail Baniel PGY2 Ambulatory CareAbby Baniel: Dr. Baniel is a PGY-2 Ambulatory Care Pharmacy Resident at Northwestern Memorial Hospital. She is from Green Bay, Wisconsin and is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Pharmacy where she earned her PharmD in 2022. Prior to pharmacy school, she graduated from the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities with a Bachelor of Arts in Biology, Society, and Environment. Her professional interests include primary care and professional development. Dr. Baniel's research project will focus on whether adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus who have or are at high risk for ASCVD or CKD are being appropriately initiated on SGLT2i and/or GLP1 RA with proven benefit. In her free time, Abby enjoys walking along the Chicago Lakefront, exploring new restaurants and breweries, spending time with her family and friends, including her husband and her pug "Tubby", and cheering on the Green Bay Packers.

Rawan Harb PGY2 Ambulatory CareRawan Harb: Dr. Harb is a PGY-2 Ambulatory Care Pharmacy Resident at Northwestern Memorial Hospital. She is from Vernon Hills, Illinois, and is a graduate of the University of Michigan College of Pharmacy, where she earned her PharmD degree in 2022. Prior to pharmacy school, she graduated from Loyola University Chicago with a degree in Neuroscience. Her professional interests include internal medicine with a focus on diabetes and HIV. Dr. Harb’s research project will focus on assessing the diabetes tune up pathway in primary care clinics. Outside of pharmacy, Dr. Harb enjoys trying new restaurants, working out and spending time with friends and family.

Katie Noonan PGY2 Ambulatory CareKatie Noonan: Dr. Noonan is a PGY-2 Ambulatory Care Pharmacy Resident at Northwestern Memorial Hospital. She is from Memphis, TN and is a graduate of the University of Tennessee Health Science Center College of Pharmacy, where she earned her PharmD degree in 2022. Prior to pharmacy school, she earned her Bachelor's of Science in Biology while minoring in chemistry and Spanish from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. She completed her PGY-1 Pharmacy Residency training here at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago, IL. Her professional interests include cardiology, GI disorders requiring nutrition support, mental health disorders, and palliative medicine. Dr. Noonan’s research project will focus on outcomes in diabetic patients who receive a continuous glucose monitor prior to discharge. Outside of work, she enjoys trying new restaurant happy hours and breweries, playing with her dog, Snickers, traveling to new places, and spending time with friends and family.

Cardiology

Lily Hiott PGY2 CardiologyLily Hiott: Dr. Hiott is the PGY-2 Cardiology Pharmacy Resident at Northwestern Memorial Hospital. She is from Raleigh, NC and is a graduate of the University of North Carolina Eshelman School of Pharmacy, where she earned her PharmD degree in 2022. She completed her PGY-1 Pharmacy Residency at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, SC. Her professional interests include heart failure and heart transplant. Dr. Hiott’s research project will focus on evaluating if pre-operative amiodarone use is associated with increased incidence of primary graft dysfunction in heart transplant recipients. Outside of work, she enjoys exploring the city with her dog, shopping, cooking, and spending time with her family.

Critical Care

May Zhang PGY2 Critical CareMay Zhang: Dr. Zhang is the PGY-2 Critical Care Pharmacy Resident at Northwestern Memorial Hospital. She is from New London, Connecticut and is a graduate of the University of Connecticut where she earned her Doctor of Pharmacy in 2022. She completed her PGY-1 Pharmacy Residency at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. Her professional interests include critical care, emergency medicine, infectious disease, and cardiology. Dr. Zhang’s research project will focus on time to restarting anticoagulation in acute ischemic stroke for indications other than atrial fibrillation. Outside of work, she enjoys baking, reading, going to brunch, board games, music/musicals, and petting dogs.

Infectious Diseases

Samantha Pan PGY2 Infectious DiseasesSamantha Pan: Dr. Pan is the PGY-2 Infectious Diseases Pharmacy Resident at Northwestern Memorial Hospital. She is from Houston, Texas, and is a graduate of The University of Texas at Austin College of Pharmacy where she earned her PharmD degree in 2022. She completed her PGY1 residency at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center. Her professional interests include HIV and immunocompromised infectious diseases, pediatric infectious diseases, and antimicrobial resistance. Dr. Pan’s research project will focus on PK/PD outcomes in beta-lactam therapeutic drug monitoring. In her free time, she enjoys going to concerts, spending time outdoors, thrift shopping, and exploring the city.

Medication Use Safety and Policy

Kelsey LaMartina PGY2 Medication Use Safety PolicyKelsey LaMartina: Dr. LaMartina is the PGY-2 Medication Use Safety and Policy Resident at Northwestern Memorial Hospital. She is from Aurora, Illinois, and is a graduate of the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Pharmacy, where she earned her PharmD in 2022. She completed her PGY1 Pharmacy Residency here at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago, IL. Her professional interests include data analysis, medication safety, and formulary management. Dr. LaMartina’s research project will focus on the clinical and strategic impact of medications added to a hospital formulary approved via the accelerated FDA review process. Outside of pharmacy, she enjoys spending time with her Chihuahua Luna, listening to true crime podcasts, binging watching TV shows, and trying new recipes.

Oncology

Virginia Bland PGY2 OncologyVirginia Bland: Dr. Bland is a PGY-2 Oncology Pharmacy Resident. She is from High Point, North Carolina and is a graduate of the University of North Carolina Eshelman School of Pharmacy, where she earned her PharmD degree in 2021. Prior to pharmacy school, she earned her Bachelor of Science in Nutrition from North Carolina State University. She completed her PGY-1 Pharmacy Residency at Northwestern Memorial Hospital. Her primary interest areas include malignant hematology, stem cell transplant, and infectious disease. Dr. Bland’s research project will focus on infectious complications in patients who receive tocilizumab post CAR-T. In her free time, she enjoys traveling, attending concerts, trying new restaurants, and spending time with friends and family.

Kyle Ritter PGY2 Oncology Kyle Ritter: Dr. Ritter is a PGY-2 Oncology Pharmacy Resident at Northwestern Memorial Hospital. He is from Louisville, Kentucky and is a graduate of the University of North Carolina Eshelman School of Pharmacy where he earned his PharmD in 2022. He completed a PGY-1 Pharmacy Residency at Northwestern Memorial Hospital. His professional interests include malignant hematology and melanoma. Dr. Ritter’s research project will focus on the real-world efficacy and tolerability of axitinib + pembrolizumab in the treatment of Renal Cell Carcinoma. In his free time, he enjoys running on the lakefront, reading fantasy novels, and going to concerts with his co-residents.

Daniel Tobben PGY2 OncologyDaniel Tobben: Dr. Tobben is a PGY-2 Oncology Pharmacy Resident at Northwestern Memorial Hospital. He is from Charlotte, North Carolina and is a graduate of the University of North Carolina (UNC) Eshleman School of Pharmacy where he earned his PharmD in 2022. Prior to pharmacy school, he received his BS in Biochemistry from Furman University in Greenville, South Carolina. He completed his PGY-1 Pharmacy Residency at UNC Rex Hospital. His professional interests include stem cell transplant and advanced therapies for hematologic malignancies. Dr. Tobben’s research project will focus on assessing the efficacy of premedications and an extended infusion as an alternative to desensitization for patients who experience a hypersensitivity reaction to oxaliplatin. Outside of work, he enjoys playing tennis, lifting weights, listening to podcasts, and exploring the outdoors through hiking and traveling.

Solid Organ Transplant

Jennifer Novak PGY2 Solid Organ TransplantJenny Novak: Dr. Novak is the PGY-2 Solid Organ Transplant Pharmacy Resident at Northwestern Memorial Hospital. She is from Mount Prospect, Illinois and is a graduate of the University of Illinois Chicago where she earned her PharmD degree in 2022. Prior to pharmacy school, she received her Bachelor of Science in Chemistry from the University of Illinois Chicago. She completed her PGY-1 Pharmacy Residency at Northwestern Memorial Hospital. Her professional interests include medication access, highly sensitized transplant recipients, and hepatology. Her research project will focus on bone fractures in lung transplant recipients. Outside of work, Jenny enjoys walking down the lakeshore with her dog Yukon, playing soccer, and trying new bars and restaurants.