Endocrinology Fellowship

The fellowship has strong educational, research and patient care components and is supported by the division’s full time and volunteer faculty. Training is based at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, New Brunswick, New Jersey, the primary teaching hospital of Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. 

In order to achieve the goals of the program, the twenty-four months of training are structured into two progressively advancing levels of ACGME competency-based objectives, with an aim of building the medical knowledge, technical skills and competencies of the trainee.  

Fellows in the Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism training program will acquire expertise to care for patients with a vast diversity of endocrine and metabolic problems. Our emphasis is to provide fellows with solid medical knowledge and technical skills that will make you a clinically astute endocrinologist. This will prepare fellows for productive careers as general endocrinologists or subspecialists. Clinical training with academic faculty motivated for inquiry and scholarship will also prepare the fellow for academic endocrinology as a clinician or physician scientist. We feel that the more career options fellows have once they leave the program the better.  

Through caring for our diverse patient population, fellows learn to treat a wide array of disease states including diabetes mellitus, obesity, thyroid conditions, bone and mineral metabolism disorders, adrenal and pituitary disorders.   

The curriculum addresses the art, science and business of medicine. Weekly conferences include journal clubs, research presentations, a core didactic curriculum conference, case management conferences, and tumor boards.

Fellows are involved in the educational training of residents and medical students during their electives in our division and as preceptors in the physical diagnosis course.  

Fellows participate in quality improvement/performance improvement projects and contribute to committees including but not limited to the graduate medical education committee, hospital diabetes committee, and hospital nutrition committee.   

In addition, fellows have the opportunity to take part in both laboratory-based basic scientific research and clinical research projects in the division of Endocrinology, Department of Medicine, and Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences.  Our fellows are funded to present their research at national conferences yearly.  

We encourage the fellows to seek educational and professional experiences outside of our institution by joining regional and national professional societies and attending outside educational opportunities. We purchase a subscription to the Endocrine Society’s “Fellows Training Series” for each fellow which includes an In-Training Exam, online procedural training modules, and subspecialty modules. Fellows are supported to attend a board review course in their second year of training. Our faculty is well connected to several major national societies such as the ADA, ATA, Pituitary Society, Endocrine Society and AACE and we encourage fellows to begin long-term involvement in these premier societies.  

The combination of the clinical activity, conferences and research opportunities creates a well-balanced program in which to develop in the field of endocrinology and launch successful careers.

Training takes place at the Rutgers Health faculty practice (outpatient) and Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital (inpatient).  The training program provides opportunities to observe and manage a diverse population of inpatients, outpatients and consults along the spectrum of endocrine disease. Fellows are supervised and closely mentored by dedicated faculty. 

Fellows rotate on inpatient consultation service, ambulatory clinic, and subspecialty/research blocks.   

In the Rutgers Health faculty practice the fellows rotate through general endocrine and subspecialty clinics including osteoporosis, pediatrics, women's health, transgender and thyroid procedure clinics. Each fellow maintains a continuity clinic which provides them with the opportunity to learn the course of disease and develop long-term patient relationships.  Our clinic has professional CGM, a DXA machine, an ultrasound machine, and a CDE always accessible to the fellows.     

Our trainees are an integral part of the Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital multidisciplinary teams that care for patients undergoing cardiovascular surgery, heart transplants, kidney and pancreas transplants, stem cell transplants, bariatric surgery and pituitary surgeries.  

 As part of the Cancer Institute of New Jersey we often collaborate on patients with neuroendocrine tumors and immune related endocrinopathies. 

We have the capabilities to treat our patients with radioactive iodine for hyperthyroidism and thyroid cancer, gamma knife radiosurgery, gender affirmation surgery and perform petrosal sinus sampling, adrenal vein sampling and parathyroid venous sampling. 

Fellows may participate in research projects related to clinical, basic science or both with any of the fulltime faculty members in the division. Clinical trials sponsored by the National Institutes of Health and the pharmaceutical industry are routinely conducted in the division. Current faculty research interests include osteoporosis and other metabolic bone diseases, pituitary disease, hyperlipidemia, diabetes and obesity, exercise physiology, and thyroid disorders.

Recent Publications:

Ten S, Bhangoo A, Buettner C. Tirzepatide for Congenital Generalized Lipodystrophy. N Engl J Med. 2025 Jan 29. doi: 10.1056/NEJMc2413871

Izarraras K, Shah A, Prasad K, Tan H, Zhou Z, and Bhattacharya M. Kisspeptin Mitigates Hepatic De Novo Lipogenesis in Metabolic-Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease, Cells; 2025; 14:1289

Meng L, Shapses SA, Wang X. Parathyroidectomy Reduces Inflammatory Cytokines and Increases Vitamin D Metabolites in Patients With Primary Hyperparathyroidism. Endocr Pract. 2025 Jan;31(1):52-58. doi: 10.1016/j.eprac.2024.10.005

Shah A, Xu H, Kwon H, Wondisford FE. In Vivo Glycerol Metabolism in Glycerol Kinase Deficiency Disease, Journal of Inherited Metabolic Disease Reports; 2024; 65: 392-400

L Meng, X Wang, JL Carson, Y Schlussel, SA Shapses. Vitamin D Binding Protein and Postsurgical Outcomes and Tissue Injury Markers After Hip Fracture: A Prospective Study. The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism 2024; 109 (1), e18-e24

Sakamoto K, Butera M, Zhou C, Maurizi G, Chen B, Shawkat A, Patlolla L, Thakker K, Calle V, Morgan D, Rahmouni K, Schwartz G, Tahiri A, Buettner C. Overnutrition causes insulin resistance and metabolic disorder through increased sympathetic nervous system activity. Cell Metab. 2024 Oct 15:S1550-4131(24)00376: PMID: 39437790

Buettner C, Sakamoto K, Butera A. M. Why do some individuals with obesity remain metabolically healthy? Trends Endocrinol Metab.; 2024 Jul 2:S1043-2760(24)00176-0 PMID: 38960837

Cohn AY, Grant LK, Nathan MD, Wiley A, Abramson M, Harder JA, Crawford S, Klerman EB, Scheer FAJL, Kaiser UB, Rahman SA, Joffe H. Effects of Sleep Fragmentation and Estradiol Decline on Cortisol in a Human Experimental Model of Menopause. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2023 Oct 18;108(11):e1347-e1357. doi: 10.1210/clinem/dgad285. PMID: 37207451; PMCID: PMC10584010

Bisno DI, Lubitz S, Marshall I, Cohen DA. A National Survey of United States-Based Endocrinologists Who Prescribe Gender-Affirming Hormone Therapy. Endocr Pract. 2023 Jun;29(6):465-470. doi: 10.1016/j.eprac.2023.03.003. Epub 2023 Mar 9. PMID: 36906069.

Correa R, Miragaya J, Cohen DA, Hoang TD, Jasim S, Lieb DC, Weber SL, Bird MD, Stec C; Clinical Practice Guidelines Oversight Committee. Protocol for Development of American Association of Clinical Endocrinology Clinical Practice Guidelines and Consensus Statements: Summary of Methodology, Process, and Policy - 2023 Update. Endocr Pract. 2023 May;29(5):341-348. doi: 10.1016/j.eprac.2023.01.012. PMID: 37150580.

Bassin SR, Lubitz S. Integrating Basic Science into Endocrine Clinical Electives. Med Sci Educ. 2023 Jun 30;33(4):835-839. doi: 10.1007/s40670-023-01824-w. PMID: 37546212

Zhou C, Ruiz HH, Ling L, Maurizi G, Sakamoto K, Liberini CG, Wang L, Stanley A, Egritag HE, Sanz SM, Lindtner C, Butera MA, Buettner C. Sympathetic overdrive and unrestrained adipose lipolysis drive alcohol-induced hepatic steatosis in rodents. Mol Metab. 2023 Sep 29;78:101813. PMID: 39437790

Grant LK, Coborn JE, Cohn A, Nathan MD, Scheer FAJL, Klerman EB, Kaiser UB, Harder J, Abramson M, Elguenaoui E, Russell JA, Wiley A, Rahman SA, Joffe H. Sleep Fragmentation and Estradiol Suppression Decrease Fat Oxidation in Premenopausal Women. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2022 Jul 14;107(8):e3167-e3176. doi: 10.1210/clinem/dgac313. PMID: 35569055; PMCID: PMC9282266

Kim H, Shah K, Buettner C. Use of Patient-Reported Outcomes for Assessing Diabetes Outcomes. Endocrinol Metab Clin North Am. 2022 Dec;51(4):781-793. doi: 10.1016/j.ecl.2022.05.001

Shah A, Wang Y, Wondisford FE; Differential Metabolism of Glycerol Based on Oral and Intravenous Administration in Humans, Metabolites; 2022; 12:890

Cohen DA, Ricotta DN, Parikh PD. Things we do for no reason™: Routinely holding metformin in the hospital. J Hosp Med. 2022 Mar;17(3):207-210. doi: 10.12788/jhm.3644. PMID: 34424186

Sullivan AM, Beltran CP, Ranchoff BL, Hayes MM, Atkins KM, Tibbles CD, Cohen AP, Cohen DA, Huang GC, Schwartzstein RM; Clinician Educator Research Group. Enhancing Clinical Teaching in Critical Thinking, High-Value Care, and Health Care Equity. J Contin Educ Health Prof. 2022 Jul 1;42(3):164-173. doi: 10.1097/CEH.0000000000000441. PMID: 36007516

Bassin SR, Kohm K, Fitzgerald N, Cohen DA. An Assessment of Nutrition Education in Endocrinology Fellowship Programs in the United States. Endocr Pract. 2022 Mar;28(3):310-314. doi: 10.1016/j.eprac.2021.12.012. Epub 2021 Dec 26. PMID: 34965450

Cohn A, Nehs M, Chan J, Vaidya A. Casting a Wide Net. N Engl J Med. 2021 Apr 1;384(13):e50. doi: 10.1056/NEJMimc2028852. PMID: 33789015

Watari J, Vekaria S, Lin Y, Patel M, Kim H, Kang F, Lubitz S, Beninato T, Laird AM. Radiology report language positively influences adrenal incidentaloma guideline adherence. Am J Surg. 2022 Feb;223(2):231-236. doi: 10.1016/j.amjsurg.2021.06.015. Epub 2021 Jun 29. PMID:34243951

Scherer T, Sakamoto K, Buettner C. Brain insulin signalling in metabolic homeostasis and disease. Nat Rev Endocrinol. 17:468-488-483; 2021. PMID: 34108679

Bassin SR, Amorosa L. Prophylactic Antithyroid Treatment Prior to Contrast Imaging in Hyperthyroid Patients. Endocr Pract. 2021 Jul;27(7):757-759. doi: 10.1016/j.eprac.2021.03.003. Epub 2021 Mar 9. PMID: 33711486.

• USMLE steps
• ABIM board certified or board eligible
• NJ license (limited license if on visa)
• A valid ECFMG certificate for all foreign medical graduates
• Completion of a prior internal medicine residency

Louis Amorosa, MD, Professor

Christoph Buettner MD, PhD, Professor and Division Chief

David A. Cohen, MD, Associate Professor and Department of Medicine Vice Chair of Education

Aviva Cohn, MD, Assistant Professor

Hyon Kim, MD – Assistant Professor

Sara Lubitz, MD, Professor and Program Director

Anupam Ohri, MD, Associate Professor

Ankit Shah MD, Assistant Professor

Xiangbing D Wang, MD, PhD, Professor

Ranhika Bansal, MD, Assistant Professor

Faculty Emeritus

Dr. Stephen Schneider, MD, Emeritus Clinical Professor

Volunteer Faculty

Dr. Arthur Santora, MD, Clinical Associate Professor

Dr. Afshin Salsali, MD, Clinical Associate Professor

Research Faculty

Dr. Moshmi Bhattacharya, PhD, Associate Professor

Dr. Kenichi Sakamoto, MD, PhD, Assistant Professor

Dr. Xiaoyang Su, PhD, Associate Professor

Dr. Michelle Sheyman, MD -Assistant Professor of Medicine, Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra Northwell Health, NY

Dr. Carlos Rivera, MD - Assistant Professor of Medicine, University of Arizona Banner Health, AZ

Dr. Maryam Bojarian, MD - Assistant Professor of Medicine, New York Medical College Westchester Medical Center, NY

Dr. Tiffany Purewal, MD - Private Practice, San Antonio TX

Dr. Mina Botros, MD - Assistant Professor of Medicine, Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra Northwell Health, NY

Dr. Iqra Farooqi, MD - Private Practice, FL

Dr. Mangaiyarkkarsi Sivakumar, MD - Private Practice, NJ

Dr. Manthan Pandya, MD - Division Chief of Endocrinology, Trinitas Regional Medical Center, NJ

Dr. Niharika Yedla, MD – Clinical Instructor, Southern Illinois University, Quincy, IL

Dr. Chukwuka Akamnonu, MD - Private Practice, Glendale, CA

Dr. Sahil Parikh, MD - Private Practice, Los Angeles, CA

Dr. Julie Zaidan, MD - Assistant Professor, Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra Northwell Health, NY

Dr. Abeera Khan, MD - AtlantiCare, Egg Harbor NJ

Dr. Najaf Asrar, MD - Private Practice, North Brunswick, NJ

Dr. Juman Takeddin, MD - Private Practice, Raleigh, NC

Dr. Sima Patel, MD - Lead Scientific Director Medical Affairs North America, Recordati Rare Diseases, NJ

Dr. Navinder Jassil, MD - Assistant Professor of Medicine at Cooper Medical School at Rowan University, NJ

Dr. Garima Thapar, MD - Private Practice, Voorhees, NJ

Dr. Lissette Cespedes, MD – Medical Director Global Medical Affairs Rare Disease, Pfizer, NY

Dr. Jorge Vivar Aguirre, MD - Private Practice, Salisbury, MD

Dr. Pegah Yousefzadeh, DO - Private Practice, Lake Success, NY

Dr. Lyudmila Shvets-Gabriel, MD - White Plains Hospital Physician Associates, NY

Dr. Amy Chow, MD - UCLA Health, Thousand Oaks, CA

Dr. Anupa Sharma, DO – Section Chief of Endocrinology, Penn Medicine Princeton Health; Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, NJ