WashU Nephrology welcomes our 2021-2023 fellows. We are proud to introduce:
Jonathan Kopacz Jakubowski, MD, earned his medical degree from Pomorski Uniwersytet Medyczny w Szczecinie, Poland, and completed his residency at Chicago Medical School/Rosalind Franklin University in McHenry, IL.
In his first year of residency, Jonathan was presented with a case of hyponatremia with no obvious etiology. Delving into the literature and analyzing the labs to find the cause of his patient’s illness, he developed a deep appreciation for the complex field of nephrology.
“I had experienced a similar feeling when I first learned how to scuba dive. The sensation of being submersed in a new and unfamiliar world would forever be remembered. From that point on, my admiration and passion for the field of nephrology grew to where it is today. Little did I know my love of math, equations and numbers would come in handy long after my high school days!”
Going forward, Jonathan is interested in an emerging discipline of nephrology: studying the effect of oncological medications on the kidneys. “With the advancement in treating malignancies, a greater number of individuals will present with cancer-associated kidney complications and require advanced care.”
His experiences organizing soccer games for medical students in Poland and volunteering as a swimming teacher for the Strathcona High School Swim Team in Edmonton, AB, Canada, fostered a strong desire to teach and mentor students.
Jonathan is an avid skier (and ski instructor), has a keen interest in swimming and sailing, and is a scuba PADI Divemaster. He also enjoys mountain biking, soccer, and landscape and underwater photography. Jonathan is fluent in English and Polish.
Zoey Levine, MD, earned her medical degree from St. George University, Grenada, and completed her residency at The Brooklyn Hospital Center, Brooklyn, NY.
Zoey’s interest in nephrology, which began in the early years of medical school, grew throughout her residency as she learned more about various renal diseases and the intricacies of renal physiology. She was honored to take part in an Observership at The Mount Sinai Hospital in New York with the transplant team at the Recanati/Miller Transplantation Institute as they performed kidney transplants. She found the teamwork and close professional collaboration appealing.
During her residency at the Brooklyn Hospital Center when it was, in part, the epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic, Zoey witnessed the unexpected impact of the COVID-19 virus on the kidneys. “The hands-on experience I gained from training at a community hospital in Brooklyn, both prior to and during the pandemic, is something I will carry throughout my career.”
Zoey has been able to combine her love of traveling with community service. She volunteered in mobile clinics in small communities in Lima, Peru, to provide medical care and screening to those with limited medical access and assisted with building structures in an underdeveloped community with limited running water and electricity.
As part of her undergraduate degree, Zoey completed a semester abroad in Manchester, UK, which gave her an opportunity to travel extensively throughout Europe and the UK. She also spent a month in Southeast Asia the following summer. “I enjoy immersing myself and learning about local cultures, meeting new people and trying authentic cuisines.”
Skiing is another down-time interest. “It’s a great way to be active and outdoors. It was enjoyable during the long winters growing up in Montreal!” At the end of the day, Zoey likes to unwind by cooking. She speaks fluent English, French and Spanish/Spanish Creole.
Nyein Chann Wai Lynn, MBBS, earned his medical degree from the University of Medicine 2, Myanmar, and completed his residency at Maimonides Medical Center, Brooklyn, NY.
When Nyein joined the field of medicine, he knew his professional life could have followed one of many paths. However, it was when his aunt received a kidney transplant after her own kidney failed due to uncontrolled hypertension that he realized nephrology was the specialty where he could make the greatest difference in the lives of future patients. A desire to learn and gain skills convinced him to make the bold decision to continue his medical training in the United States.
“I know that I have only scratched the surface of this specialty. This fellowship will give me the opportunity to learn about transplant nephrology, where I believe the most significant advancements in the field will occur over the course of the next decade.”
Nyein hopes to one day work as a transplant nephrologist, ideally taking the expertise and experience he gains from this fellowship back to his home country. “There is a major shortage of dialysis centers there, which presents a challenge that I am eager to help solve.”
In his down time, Nyein enjoys playing soccer, watching movies, and always looks forward to fine dining and sightseeing trips with family, friends, and colleagues. He is fluent in English and Burmese.
Follow Nyein on Twitter @NyeinLynn1
Morgan Brooke Schoer, MD, earned her medical degree from Washington University in St. Louis and completed her residency at Barnes Jewish Hospital/Washington University.
“One of my favorite parts of nephrology is the diversity of diseases related to the kidney, such as autoimmunity, bone health, metabolism, and more,” she says. “In fact, it’s difficult to think of a subspecialty within internal medicine that isn’t intertwined with nephrology.”
Educating patients about these complex diseases, counseling them on recommendations, and developing longitudinal relationships have become some of the most important parts of medical practice for her. “My goal is to become an academic nephrologist and clinician-educator with a diverse scope of practice.”
Morgan took an extra year between her third and fourth years of medical school to do full-time research. She is first author of “The Role of Patient Advocacy and the Declining Rate of Clitoroplasty in 46,XX Patients With Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia” published in Clinical Pediatrics in 2018, and co-author of “Effect of Perioperative Gabapentin Use on Postsurgical Pain in Patients Undergoing Head and Neck Mucosal Surgery: A Randomized Clinical Trial” published in JAMA Otolaryngology in 2019. In 2020, she was voted Junior Resident of the Year by interns and residents in the Barnes Internal Medicine residency program.
Off-time interests include trying new restaurants, cooking and baking. In fact, early in her medical education, Morgan was a member and coordinator of Culinary Medicine in St. Louis, where she planned and prepared healthy meals for a low socioeconomic, inner-city, immigrant population and taught a six-week course on the core tenants of nutrition and exercise.
She also enjoys biking in the park and visiting the Missouri Botanical Gardens.
Scott Christopher Stockholm, DO, earned his medical degree from Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine – Carolinas Campus and completed his residency from Cape Fear Valley Hospital, Fayetteville, NC.
Having earned bachelor’s degrees in both mathematics and chemistry, Scott found that he was pulled towards the field of medicine. But it was as a resident when he rotated in nephrology that he found himself hooked. “With my strong foundation in mathematics and chemistry, I was immediately drawn to acid-base disturbances, evaluations of arterial blood gasses, the ebb and flow of electrolytes across the different channels of the nephron. The joy of watching a patient improve in front of your eyes before and after a session of hemodialysis is a marvel. I have found my passion in medicine!”
Volunteering has been an important part of Scott’s education. During his undergraduate work, Scott tutored elementary, middle, high school and college levels of mathematics and assisted with SAT and ACT prep. During his medical studies, he volunteered for a medical mission trip to the Dominican Republic, where he worked alongside doctors to help diagnose and treat approximately 100 patients a day. He also volunteered at the St. Lukes Free Medical Clinic in Spartanburg, SC, where he assisted with general patient treatment and care. In addition, he volunteered at the Give Kids The World theme park in Kissimmee, FL, that caters to terminally ill children; he made sure park guests were entertained and helped run the theme park for a week.
Scott is first author of “Cannabinoid-Induced Brugada Syndrome: A Case Report” and co-author of “A Retrospective Analysis of Hospital Electrocardiogram Auto-Populated QT Interval Calculation,” both published in Cureus in 2020.
He is an avowed coffee lover and enjoys socializing. Hobbies and interests include playing technology/video games, visiting scenic locations, home improvement, gardening and rescuing animals. One of his rescues is the cat Artemis, who was attacked by a dog and unfortunately lost a leg. “He is pretty happy being inside now!”
Ojaswi Singh Tomar, MD, earned her medical degree from Saint Petersburg State Pediatric-Medical University, Russia, and completed her residency at SSM Health St. Mary’s Hospital – St. Louis, MO.
“My journey from a medical student to being a chief resident has been challenging and exciting. Looking back at my experiences, I strongly believe that the things one feels passionate about are not random, they are our true calling.”
Ojaswi enjoys aspects of both the inpatient and outpatient experience and would like to build a future practice with a good mixture of both. Although interested in practicing as a general nephrologist after completing the fellowship, Ojaswi would like to take advantage of exploring other areas of interest including transplant and interventional nephrology, as well as research.
Her volunteer experience includes performing routine screening on employees and visitors at a medical checkup camp at the regional transport office in Mumbai, India, and working at a general health camp in an underserved area of Pune, India.
Off-time interests include aerobics, Zumba, socializing with friends and colleagues, cooking and reading spiritual books. Ojaswi is fluent in English, Hindi, Marathi and Russian.
Follow Ojaswi @tomar_ojaswi on Twitter.