Mobinuddin Ahmad
Cohort: 2023
Mobinuddin Ahmad has a background in math and neuroscience. He enjoys being in nature as much as possible as it reminds him of the harmony of this world.
Priya Bhave
Cohort: 2022
Priya Bhave is a fourth-year medical student at HMSOM from East Brunswick, New Jersey. Prior to medical school, she worked as a physician assistant in a medically underserved area. She developed a passion for primary care and healthcare accessibility and uses art as a way to express herself. Her other interests include running, watercolor painting, and origami.
Zak Dabbagh
Cohort: 2024
Zak Dabbagh is an M2 at HMSOM interested in surgery. Outside of school, he spends his time gardening, cooking, and playing with his nieces and nephew. Zak finds joy in nature, science, mathematics, writing, and binge-watching TV shows. He's passionate about contributing to HMSOM's culture and hopes his work with Ripple makes a lasting impression.
Zephyr Hameem
Cohort: 2023
Zephyr Hameem is an M3 at HMSOM, interested in hematology/oncology. Her academic background consists of neuroscience, creative writing, and narrative medicine, and she stays in touch with her creative roots by writing whenever inspiration strikes. Her other hobbies include reading, taking walks in her neighborhood back home, singing, baking, and spending time with her family and friends.
Miriam Hoffman, MD
Faculty/Staff
Miriam Hoffman, MD is the Vice Dean for Academic Affairs at HMSOM. She is a family physician, mom, and medical educator. As an undergrad at Hopkins she studied English and Humanities.
Raymond Huang
Cohort: 2023
Raymond Huang is a M3 at HMSOM planning to pursue psychiatry. He finds writing stories particularly healing, and a way to bring imagination to life. During his free time, he’s drawn to philosophical works and the quiet wisdom of nature. Ray is also an avid rock climber, supported by the climbing brand Rúngne, and is always on the lookout for his next challenge outdoors.
Danielle Kong
Cohort: 2023
Danielle Kong is a third year medical student at HMSOM. From a young age, she was captivated by the arts, always found with a sketchbook or camera. Danielle previously served as Co-Editor-in-Chief of Ripple Magazine and is excited about bridging the arts with medicine.
Kenzo Lacuarta
Cohort: 2024
Kenzo Lacuarta is a second year student at Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine. He enjoys playing sports, music, and watching movies. Kenzo has a background in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and is excited to write more short stories about the world around him.
Susannah LaPointe
Cohort: 2024
Susannah LaPointe is an M2 interested in Geriatrics, Palliative Care, and women’s health. She loves a good mystery, and she prides herself in being a grammar nerd. In her spare time, she cooks, knits, and spends time with friends. She graduated from Tufts University, where she studied Biopsychology and Child Study & Human Development and volunteered as a medical advocate with the Boston Area Rape Crisis Center.
Grace Lee
Cohort: 2024
Grace Lee is an M2 at HMSOM interested in oncology and endocrinology. She does not consider herself a poet but was pressured by Karen Liu to submit something. She is excited to contribute to Ripple and is continually in awe of the creativity and talent of her classmates!
Sarah Mohideen
Cohort: 2021
Sarah Mohideen is an alumni at HMSOM who will be starting neurology residency this July. She has been writing for most of her life and also enjoys traveling, nature, and spending time with friends.
Gun Ho Moon
Cohort: 2024
Gun Ho Moon is a second-year medical student at HMSOM with interests in palliative and interventional psychiatry. He enjoys conversations on mortality and has a passion for mind mapping, journaling, and writing. His work is guided by themes of narrative, introspection, and self-discovery.
Jack Noto
Cohort: 2022
Jack Noto is an M4 at HMSOM planning to pursue psychiatry. He has interests in bioethics, artificial intelligence, and psychotherapy. Jack is an avid baseball and Pokémon fan. He enjoys writing poetry as a creative outlet to reflect on medicine, family, and life. He is excited for the opportunity to contribute to Ripple and share his writing with his peers.
Bryna Patel
Cohort: 2025
Bryna Patel is an M1 at HMSOM still exploring specialty interests. She graduated from Barnard College in 2024, where she majored in biology and minored in English. In her free time she enjoys songwriting, painting, and writing poetry. She is excited to contribute to Ripple and read and reflect on the works of her peers.
Anthony Peterson
Cohort: 2023
Anthony Peterson is an M3 at HMSOM from Ashburn, VA interested in Orthopedic Surgery. He has always loved nature and wildlife, and got his first camera in 8th grade, while living in Chengdu, China. He has since had the opportunity to pursue his passion across the U.S. and across the world. He is a former member of the BYU Ballroom Dance Touring Company and loves playing volleyball and reading.
Leigh Plasil
Cohort: 2022
Leigh Plasil is an M4 at HMSOM applying to OB/GYN. She enjoys writing poetry and short stories, oil painting, drawing, and baking. Leigh currently lives in Asbury Park and can often be found reading on the beach or exploring local antique shops. She is an original co-editor and logo designer for Ripple and is proud to see it grow in the previous years.
Pepper Powell
Cohort: 2024
Pepper Powell is a New Jersey native, second-year medical student and lifelong painter and cartoonist. She believes in art as a form of medicine, and medicine as a form of art.
Sanjana Sharma
Cohort: 2023
Sanjana Sharma is an M3 at HMSOM, born and raised in Northern Somerset county of NJ. As a medical student, she has leveraged her leadership, research, and community outreach experiences to advocate for equitable health outcomes among underserved populations. Driven by a passion for story-telling and patient-centered education, she is excited to contribute to Ripple and highlight the human side of medicine.
Laurie Sullivan
Faculty/Staff
Laurie Sullivan is the Senior Associate Dean of Student Affairs and Wellbeing at the HMSOM and welcomes listening to students on their journey to become physicians. She is passionate about ensuring that students learn to take good care of themselves so that they can take good care of their patients.
Naomi Szabo-Wexler
Cohort: 2024
Naomi Szabo-Wexler is currently a second-year medical student at HMSOM. Originally from the Boston area, Naomi matriculated from McGill University with a degree in Biochemistry and a minor in East Asian history. When she's not in class you can find her reading a new book, spending time in nature, or journaling.
Meghna Thomas
Cohort: 2025
Meghna Thomas is an M1 at HMSOM with a strong passion for early intervention and prevention, especially in pediatric medicine. Drawing from her background in Child Life, mental health, and advocacy, Meghna enjoys writing poetry to honor the humanity in her experiences, both clinical and personal. She uses written expression as a way of connecting with others, bridging perspectives, and appreciating shared moments. An avid lover of music, books, and learning new things, you’ll often find Meghna taking long walks, traveling to new places, and singing songs from all kinds of genres and era! Guided by her Catholic faith and spirituality, love for connecting with others, and passion for giving a voice to the unheard, Meghna looks forward to contributing to Ripple and the literary community at HMSOM.
Staci White
Faculty/Staff
Staci White is the Director of Student Affairs and Wellbeing. Staci’s motto is fearless joy. She views life’s challenges as avenues for clarity. She was diagnosed with pemphigus vulgaris (PV) shortly after admission to Hackensack University Medical Center's emergency room on Memorial Day weekend in 2011. PV awakened her creativity; she writes poetry, inspirational articles, and dabbles in photography. This piece was written in 2018 and originally featured in the quarterly journal of the International Pemphigus and Pemphigoid Foundation. Staci celebrated 9 years in remission in July 2025. Butterflies have become one of her signatures, and yes, she got the tattoo, actually two. Staci is humbled to contribute to Ripple and share space with such a rich, creative community.
Orion Yedidia
Cohort: 2023
Orion Yedidia is an M3 at HMSOM still exploring specialty interests. He enjoys composing for piano in his free time, as well as performing in various concerts that the Music in Medicine student run organization puts on each year. He is excited to contribute to Ripple and connect with fellow readers and writers.
Tomaima Yousef
Cohort: 2024
Tomaima Yousef is a second-year medical student at HMSOM with a growing interest in surgery. Born and raised in Jersey, she loves hanging out with family and friends around Princeton or soaking up the sun at Belmar Beach. One of her favorite hobbies is photography—ever since she was a kid, she was hardly ever seen without a disposable camera in hand, even at family gatherings in Egypt where food was any little girl’s top priority.
