Dr. Raghavendran is pursuing a career in academic Hematology/Oncology with a focus on Hematology. His interests include lifespan care for hematologic disorders, hemostasis and thrombosis, myeloproliferative disorders and palliative care.

Dr. Chakravarthy is pursuing a career in academic Pediatric Hematology/Oncology. She is particularly interested in stem cell transplantation for pediatric malignant and non-malignant diseases. She is also interested in the areas of medical education and fertility preservation.

Hope was born and raised in Kitty Hawk, N.C. where she lived until she attended college at NC State University in Raleigh, N.C. There, she majored in Biology with a concentration in Human Biology and a minor in Genetics. She then attended medical school in nearby Greenville, N.C. at the Brody School of Medicine with a special interest in Global Health, spending a rotation in Arusha, Tanzania. She went on to complete pediatric residency training at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital in Cincinnati, OH. There she was selected for the Global Health Pathway and returned to Tanzania twice during her training, with a special interest in learning about antimicrobial stewardship for neonatal sepsis treatment in a developing nation. After completing residency, she began training in Pediatric Infectious Diseases here at Vanderbilt.

Hope enjoys travel outside the States, but also likes exploring the U.S. National Parks with her pup, Ezra (they have a goal to visit them all). She loves to explore new cultures through their cuisine, the spicier the better — bring on the hot chicken!

Areas of Interest: Advocacy, firearm safety, injury prevention, public health, community-based interventions

Fellowship Projects:

• 1st Year:
  • Led a PHIS study quantifying pediatric firearm-related and total encounters during the initial 2020 SARS-CoV-2 pandemic period compared to prior three years.
  • Organized a voter registration drive at the Shade Tree Clinic (Vanderbilt University free clinic) and distributed VotER badges amongst faculty and residents.
  • Co-authored 2 OpEd pieces for the Tennessean (One discussing “VoteKids” and the most recent one discussing the constitutional carry bill).
• Ongoing: Implementation of an Evidence-Based Firearm Safety Counseling Multimedia Training Platform for Pediatric Primary Care Providers Nationwide

Additional Training: Master of Public Health, Health Policy track at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine (expected graduation May 2023); Trainees for Child Injury Prevention (T4CIP)

Fellowship Honors, Awards, and Grants: Working on the F32! Recipient of Vanderbilt University's 39th Annual Research Forum Top 30 Abstract

Publications and Presentations from Fellowship Projects:

• Gastineau KAB, Williams DJ, Hall M, Goyal MK, Wells J, Freundlich KL, Carroll AR, Browning WL, Doherty K, Fritz CQ, Frost PA, Kreth H, Plancarte C, Barkin S. Pediatric Firearm-Related Hospital Encounters During the SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic. Pediatrics. 2021 May 12:e2021050223. doi: 10.1542/peds.2021-050223. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 33980696.
• Gastineau KAB, Williams DJ, Hall M, Goyal MK, Wells J, Freundlich KL, Carroll AR, Browning WL, Doherty K, Fritz CQ, Frost PA, Kreth H, Plancarte C, Barkin S. (2021, April 30-May 4). Increasing Pediatric Firearm-Related Hospital Encounters Despite Decreased Overall Hospitalizations During the COVID-19 Pandemic. Highlighted E-Poster. Pediatric Academic Societies, Virtual.

Publications from Residency Projects:

• Gastineau KAB, Stegall CL, Lowrey LK, Giourgas BK, Andrews AL. Improving the Frequency and Documentation of Gun Safety Counseling in a Resident Primary Care Clinic. Acad Pediatri. 2021 Jan-Feb;21(1):117-123. Doi:10.1016/j.acap.2020.07.013. Epub 2020 Jul 14. PMID: 32673765.

Personal Interests: I have the sweetest little pup named Emerson Kay that is the light of my life! My husband and I love to explore the local brewery and live music scene. Trivia in Nashville has been a surprising new treat, although I am truthfully mostly the team cheerleader and country music specialist. Baking also brings me a lot of joy, especially biscuits with a heap of apple butter.

Why I Chose Vanderbilt: Is it too cliché to say the people? Because after meeting Whitney, My-Linh, Derek and the rest of the crew, it was hard to imagine myself anywhere else! Vanderbilt brought together all the things I was looking for in a fellowship: training within a strong clinical environment, mentorship by nationally-known researchers and opportunities for advanced training like an MPH.