Dr. Zil Shah completed his Pediatrics residency at Tulane University in New Orleans. He earned his BS degree in Biology from the University of South Carolina at Columbia and his medical school degree at Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine in Spartanburg, South Carolina. During his residency, Dr. Shah was honored with the Ochsner Pediatric Teaching Award. His academic interests include the use of artificial intelligence with patient education and improvement of health literacy, inflammatory bowel disease, and intestinal failure.

Dr. Shah enjoys woodworking and technology, and he has built coffee tables, cutting boards, and computers in addition to 3D printing.

Dr. Shivani Patel grew up in Memphis, Tennessee. She earned her undergraduate degree in Neuroscience from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville and her medical school degree at Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine. Dr. Patel continued to grow her academic career during Pediatrics residency at Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center in New Orleans. Her professional interests include quality improvement projects to streamline care for patients with increasingly complex diagnoses. During her residency, Dr. Patel developed this focus through multiple research endeavors, including standardizing management of constipation in the emergency department.

Outside of the hospital, she enjoys hiking, cooking, and gardening with over 40 house plants being cultivated for an outdoor garden.

Dr. Mahad Alvi completed his Pediatrics residency at Southern Illinois University School of Medicine in Springfield. He earned his medical degree from Fatima Memorial Hospital College of Medicine and Dentistry in Lahore, Pakistan. During his training at SIU, Dr. Alvi chaired the Residency Advisory Committee. He also served as the PICU Quality Improvement Project Lead, and this group enhanced workflow efficiency with interventions to reduce time for preparing and finalizing handoffs.

During his free time, he enjoys outdoor activities and creative pursuits, such as hiking, kayaking, photography, and making short films.

Dr. Thomas Strobel grew up in Greenville, Indiana. He earned both his MD degree and undergraduate degree in Biology at Indiana University. At Vanderbilt University Medical Center, he completed combined residency training in Internal Medicine-Pediatrics. His professional interest focuses on improving the transition of care for gastroenterology patients from pediatric to adult models of healthcare. Dr. Strobel participates in transition of care improvement initiatives, and he has authored multiple publications on transition for patients with inflammatory bowel disease.

He spends his free time exploring Nashville with his wife and daughter, cooking with his cast iron, and cheering on his Indiana Hoosiers.

Dr. Seifein Salib was born in Alexandria, Egypt. He earned his medical degree in the same city, and he continued to grow his academic career during residency at University of Florida Pensacola/Studer Children’s Hospital.

Between medical school and residency, Dr. Salib pursued research under the mentorship of Dr. Natasha Halasa as part of COVID-19 studies here at Vanderbilt. He is excited to be back in Nashville with his family and to reconnect with lots of familiar faces in the Vanderbilt community.

Nick Obremskey grew up in Nashville, Tennessee with his now wife, Hannah Obremskey, before moving to South Carolina for both undergraduate and medical school at the University of South Carolina Columbia and the University of South Carolina School of Medicine Greenville. He recently completed his pediatric residency at UAB. He is still exploring his research interests but plans to focus his attention to underserved communities and infection prevention at the community level. He is also interested in medical education for residents and medical students.

Outside of medicine, he loves going to concerts with his wife, playing soccer and enjoying time with his daughter.

Rachel Alexander was raised in Holland, Michigan. She pursued her education at Calvin University, where she completed a degree in Nursing and a minor in Biochemistry. She completed her medical degree at Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine. Following her graduation, Rachel completed her pediatric residency at Advocate Children's Hospital in Oak Lawn, IL.

Throughout her residency, Rachel developed a passion for improving antibiotic use through thoughtful, evidence-based decision-making. Drawn to the complexity and impact of infectious diseases, she is pursuing fellowship training to deepen her expertise and contribute to better outcomes for pediatric patients.

Outside of her medical career, Rachel enjoys spending time country swing and line dancing, as well as swimming and being outdoors.

Rachel is eager to pursue a pediatric infectious disease fellowship to further develop her skills in clinical care and antimicrobial stewardship, and to be part of a field that combines diagnostic challenge, collaboration, and meaningful impact on patient outcomes.