Faculty and Fellows

Current fellows

Class of 2025-2028

Saswat Das, DO
I grew up in Bentonville, Arkansas, and went to the University of Tulsa for undergrad before heading back to Arkansas for medical school and residency. I was drawn to Children’s Mercy because it felt like a really welcoming, close-knit place with great mentors. It also seemed to strike a nice balance between solid clinical training and education. Outside of medicine I love live music, colleting vinyls, and exploring different coffee shops and restaurants in Kansas City! 

Juan Farias Torres, MD
I was born and raised in Monterrey, Mexico, where my journey in medicine began at Tecnológico de Monterrey. After graduating, I hopped on I-35 and drove 17 hours north to Kansas City to start my pediatric residency at Children’s Mercy. From day one, I’ve been surrounded by brilliant, compassionate people who are deeply committed to both education and improving children’s health. I’ve been fortunate to learn from amazing mentors, collaborate with inspiring colleagues, and make great friends along the way. Because of that, I chose to stay in KC for another three years to pursue a Pediatric Cardiology fellowship! While I'm still exploring which specific area I’ll dive into, I’m drawn to a mix of clinical work and research. Outside of medicine, you’ll find me firing up the grill for some carne asada (a Monterrey classic!), discovering new restaurants, hiking and capturing nature through landscape photography, and keeping up with soccer, football, and tennis. I’m truly excited to stay in Kansas City and start focusing on the things I love most—both inside and outside the hospital!

Class of 2023-2026

Mohamed Abdul Ghayum, MBBS
My medical journey has taken me half-way across the globe; born in India and raised in Dubai, I moved to United States to fulfill my dream of becoming a pediatric cardiologist. I completed my medical school at RAK College of Medical Sciences, UAE and did a pediatric residency including a chief year in Dubai, and then went on to complete a second residency at Bronxcare Health System, Icahn School of Medicine at Mt Sinai, NY. Through my years of medical education and training, I was able to envision an ideal learning environment that would be suitable for my professional growth. During my fellowship interview trail, I was convinced that I would be able to achieve this at CM and was beyond excited to match here! I was blessed with a beautiful daughter last year and I am thrilled to begin this new phase of my life in Kansas City with my family.

Tony Zunica, MD
I was born and raised in Carmel Indiana just outside of Indianapolis, and my journey through medical education has slowly but surely taken me westward.  I spent twelve years in Saint Louis: four at Washington University for undergrad and eight at Saint Louis University for med school, residency, and a chief resident year.  I’ve been fortunate to have some truly amazing mentors in my training thus far, and that sense of mentorship and family is what ultimately drew me to Children’s Mercy.  While I’m not certain what the focus of my career will be, I do have an interest in medical education that I plan to pursue during fellowship and beyond.  Outside of work, I’m a musician and a lifelong Chicago Bears/Bulls/Cubs fan. 

Class of 2024-2027
Adenike Adenikinju, MD
I was born in Baltimore, Maryland and grew up in a railroad town just southwest of the city called Odenton. In addition to schooling in Maryland, my educational journey has led me though Delaware, Pennsylvania, Virginia and now Kansas City, MO for fellowship training! As an avid lover of music and musician myself, I am so excited to explore the music scene that KC is nationally renowned for. In addition to fellowship training, I am also very excited to explore my interest in diagnostic cardiogenetics research. 

Mahmoud Jaara, MBBS
I grew up in Jordan and developed a passion for cardiovascular physiology and human sciences early on. I pursued medical school and graduated from Quaid Azam Medical College-University of health sciences in Pakistan, then I had the opportunity to do my internship in Jordan and worked an additional year with pediatric hematology-oncology patients as well.  This experience led me to pediatrics, and I went on to complete my pediatric residency in Shands Children’s Hospital at the University of Florida, where I also served as academic chief resident after graduation.  I am undergoing Fellowship training in Pediatric cardiology with interest in interventional cardiology and electrophysiology. My career interests include academic medicine, clinical research, medical simulation, and AI integration in healthcare. Outside of work, I enjoy spending quality time with my lovely wife and delightful son, am an avid soccer fan, and love reading about history, volunteering, and helping those in need.

Class of 2025-2028
Saswat Das, DO
Juan Farias Torres, MD

Staff

Meet the team from the Heart Center.

Graduated fellows

What did they do after Cardiology Fellowship or where are they now?

Lavina Desai, MBBS (Class of 2025)
4th year Fellowship, Cardiomyopathy and Heart Transplant, Texas Children's Hospital Houston

Joshua Holbert, DO (Class of 2025)
Pediatric Cardiologist, Children's Mercy Kansas City

Nir Atlas, MD (Class of 2024)
Pediatric Cardiac Intensivist, Cleveland Clinic Children's Hospital

Mollie Walton, MD (Class of 2024)
Pediatric Research Cardiologist, Children’s Mercy Kansas City

Bianca Cherestal, MD (Class of 2023)
Pediatric Acute Care Cardiologist, Children’s Mercy Kansas City

Karoline Krzywda, MD (Class of 2023)
Pediatric Critical Care Fellowship, Children’s Mercy Kansas City 
Current Position: Pediatric Cardiac Intensivist, Advocate Children's Hospital

Amulya Buddhavarapu, MD (Class of 2022)
4th year Advanced Imaging Fellowship, UT Houston
Current Position: Pediatric Cardiologist, Nationwide Children’s Hospital

Anmol Goyal, MD (Class of 2022)
4th year Advanced Imaging Fellowship, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital
Current Position: Pediatric Cardiologist, Children’s Mercy Kansas City

Chris Mathis, MD (Class of 2021)
4th year Advanced Imaging Fellowship, Children’s Mercy Kansas City
Current Position: Pediatric Cardiologist, Children’s Mercy Kansas City

Sarah Studyvin, DO (Class of 2021)
ACHD Fellowship, University of Mississippi Medical Center
Current Position: ACHD Cardiologist, Indiana University 

Natalie Shwaish, MD (Class of 2020)
4th year Heart Failure and Transplant Fellowship, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital
Current Position: Pediatric Heart Failure and Transplant, Loma Linda University Children’s Hospital

Bethany Runkel, MD (Class of 2020)
Current Position: Pediatric Cardiologist, Cook Children’s, Fort Worth, TX

Natalie Behrle, MD (Class of 2019)
Current Position: Pediatric Cardiologist Ascension Healthcare, Portage, Michigan

Doaa Aly, MD (Class of 2019)
4th year Advanced Imaging fellowship, Children’s Hospital Colorado
Current Position: Pediatric Cardiologist, University of California San Francisco 

Muluneh Yimer, MD (Class of 2018)
Current Position: Pediatric Cardiologist, Sutter Health, Sacramento, CA

Chaitanya Panchangam, MD (Class of 2018)
Current Position: Pediatric Cardiologist, University of Missouri, MU Health Care

Meghan Chlebowski, MD (Class of 2017)
Pediatric Critical Care Fellowship, Washington University/ St. Louis Children’s Hospital
Current Position: Cardiac Intensivist, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital

Daniel Beissel, MD (Class of 2016)
Pediatric Cardiologist, Children’s Minnesota
Current Position: Pediatric Cardiologist and Emergency Medicine, Legacy Salmon Creek Medical Center, Vancouver WA

Sandhya Ramlogan, MD (Class of 2015)
4th year Imaging Fellowship, Children’s Mercy Kansas City
Current Position: Pediatric Cardiologist, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago

Natalie Jayaram, MD (Class of 2014)
4th year Cardiovascular Outcomes Research
Current Position: Pediatric Cardiologist, NIH funded Cardiovascular Outcomes Researcher, Children’s Mercy Kansas City

Jonathan Wagner, DO (Class of 2013)
4th year Clinical Pharmacology Fellowship
Current Position: Division Director, Clinical Pharmacology, Toxicology and Therapeutic Innovation, Children’s Mercy Kansas City