Our Fellows

I am originally from the western part of India, where I did my med school training. I finished my pediatric residency training at the University of Missouri. The Pediatric Gastroenterology program at UVA has the perfect size for learning, coupled with great training resources and opportunities for research. On my interview day at UVA, I immediately felt welcomed and at home. Everyone I have met so far has been very helpful, and the faculty is easily approachable. While large cities and small towns have their pros and cons, I believe that Charlottesville represents the best of both worlds: it offers the vibe and amenities of a large city, and, at the same time, the charm of a small town. I am excited and looking forward to my training here.

I received my BS in Biology from the University of Texas at Dallas and my MD from Texas Tech University School of Medicine in Lubbock, TX, where I also completed my pediatric residency. My interview at UVA stood out as an exceptional experience, and I was drawn to the program’s robust clinical and research opportunities designed to offer a comprehensive fellowship training.

During my PGY-4 year at UVA, I received extensive hands-on clinical training in pediatric gastroenterology, hepatology and nutrition. In addition to the general GI clinic, I rotated through various subspecialty clinics, including those focused on intestinal rehabilitation, EGIDs, FPIES, and alpha-gal syndrome. I also gained valuable experience from our liver transplant team and performed a wide range of procedures, from standard endoscopies to more advanced interventions.

My clinical interests lie in the broad spectrum of general pediatric GI diseases, and I am also passionate about contributing as a clinical educator. As part of my current scholarly work, I am conducting a research project investigating the role of iron in modulating T cell responses in celiac disease. This involves analyzing PBMC specimens from affected patients and performing T cell immunophenotyping via flow cytometry. I aim to correlate immunophenotypic findings with clinical outcomes to determine whether specific T cell populations can serve as predictive markers.

Estermari Gonzalez-Polanco
Pediatric Gastroenterology, Puerto Rico

Jonathan Medernach
Allergy and Immunology Fellowship, University of Colorado

Norbert Donias
Assistant Professor, El Paso, Texas

Julee Sunny
Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, University of Virginia

Craig McKinney
Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, University of Virginia