Complex Family Planning
Alena Hoover, MD (She/her/hers), PGY5
AnnaMaria Maples, MD (She/her/hers), PGY6
Dr. Maples was born and raised in the Missouri Ozarks and then moved to Kansas City to enroll in the 6-year combined B.A/M.D program at the University of Missouri - Kansas City School of Medicine. There she worked on many projects providing healthcare to underserved communities and seeking out further education for herself and her classmates in abortion care. She left the Midwest to complete Obstetrics and Gynecology residency in Gainesville, FL, at the University of Central Florida/Hospital Corporation of America (HCA) Graduate Medical Education Consortium. She continued her mission to provide comprehensive reproductive healthcare after residency and moved to Atlanta for Complex Family Planning at Emory University with plans to graduate in 2024. Outside of medicine, Dr. Maples enjoys hiking, local cuisine, sewing, and hanging out with her dog, Rhett.
Female Pelvic Medicine and Reconstructive Surgery
Nicole Rainville (she/her/hers), PGY5
I grew up in Falmouth, Maine, where I received my Bachelor of Arts in Biology with a minor in Cultural Anthropology at Colby College and attended the University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine. I then completed a residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology at Danbury Hospital in Danbury, Connecticut. I am thrilled to join the Female Pelvic Medicine and Reconstructive Surgery fellowship at Emory and fulfilling my goal of helping women with pelvic floor disorders and incontinence improve their quality of life. In my free time, I enjoy exploring local restaurants, yoga, horseback riding, and spending time with my Fiancé and my cat.
Amanda Paquet, MD (She/Her/Hers), PGY6
Dr. Paquet received her bachelor’s in biology and Afro-American and African studies at the University of Michigan. She received her medical degree at Wayne State University School of Medicine and then went on to complete her residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, Michigan. After her residency, she spent three years in Japan with the Air Force as an ObGyn. Her passions are serving active-duty women and dependents and healthcare management. She enjoys spending time with her family chasing after her kids in her spare time as well as reading and spending time outdoors.
Mallory Youngstrom, MD (She/Her/Hers), PGY7
Dr. Youngstrom moved from California to Alabama to attend the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Medicine. She completed her residency at Emory University and then completed a fellowship in Lower Anogenital Screening and Treatment and went on to become an Urogynecology Fellow here at Emory. She is interested in trans health, specifically transmasculine persons experiencing pelvic floor disorders. In her free time, she is an avid knitter and loves spending time with her puppies. There is nothing more important to Dr. Youngstrom than her family, most importantly, her husband and daughter.
Maternal and Fetal Medicine
Noor Al-Shibli, MD, PGY5
Noor is from Knoxville, TN, and received her B.S. in Biochemistry from the University of Tennessee. She then went to medical school at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center in Memphis, TN for medical school. She completed her OB/GYN residency training at Duke University in Durham, NC prior to joining Emory as a fellow in Maternal Fetal Medicine. Her clinical and research interests include maternal nutrition, infectious diseases, and community health. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with family, hiking, kayaking, and camping.
Daniella Spielman, MD (She/Her/Hers), PGY6
Dr. Spielman graduated from Washington University in St. Louis with a major in anthropology and a minor in biology. She then went on to earn her medical degree from Rutgers - Robert Wood Johnson Medical School in New Jersey, where she graduated with Distinction in Research. She completed her residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology at Emory University School of Medicine, where she received multiple teaching awards. She is currently a fellow in Maternal-Fetal Medicine. In her free time, Dr. Spielman enjoys Peloton, fantasy football, and spending time with her husband, son, and two dogs.
Danielle Vuncannon, MD (She/Her/Hers), PGY7
Dr. Vuncannon previously completed her medical degree at the University of North Carolina and residency training in obstetrics and gynecology at Emory University. Her clinical and research interests include severe maternal morbidity, maternal mortality, and the transition to postpartum care.
Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility
Daniela Diego, MD (she/her/hers), PGY 5
Dr. Diego is from Miami, Florida. She received her B.A. in dance from Washington University in St. Louis prior to moving back home to attend medical school at the University of Miami. She completed her OB/GYN residency at Emory University and was thrilled to match at Emory for the REI fellowship. In her free time, she loves to bake, explore new restaurants, and spend time with her husband and two cats (Ellie and Mila).
Jamie Merkison, MD (she/her/hers), PGY6
Dr. Merkison was born and raised in Detroit, Michigan, and received her B.S. and M.D. degrees from Howard University via a combined 6-year program, graduating Summa Cum Laude. She went on to complete her residency in Obstetrics & Gynecology at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, TX. Following residency, Dr. Merkison returned to the DC Metro area and worked as an Attending Physician at Howard University and as a Staff Clinician at the National Institutes of Health under the mentorship of Dr. Alan DeCherney. Her research interests include racial and ethnic disparities in assisted reproductive technology and primary ovarian insufficiency. Outside the hospital, Dr. Merkison enjoys spending time with family and friends, traveling, working out, and hanging out with her dog, Lilo.
Lisa Shandley, MD (She/Her/Hers), PGY7
Originally from suburban Chicago, Dr. Shandley attended Northwestern University before making Atlanta her home for the past 10 years. She attended Emory University for her medical degree. During her time in medical school, she received a National Institute of Health TL1 award to pursue a Master of Science in Clinical Research. Her interest in reproductive endocrinology and infertility (REI) stemmed from her work on her master's thesis studying the effects of tamoxifen for breast cancer treatment on future fertility in young women, so she was elated to stay at Emory as an REI fellow. Her research interests include oncofertility, fertility treatment in complex patients, infertility outcomes, and epidemiology. In her free time, she enjoys reading, running, trying new restaurants, and traveling with her husband.
Gynecologic Oncology
Liz Thayer, MD (She/Her/Hers), PGY5
Dr. Thayer received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Biological Sciences with a minor in Women’s and Gender Studies from Wellesley College before attending medical school at Penn State. During medical school, she led the Medical Students for Choice chapter and was a Global Health Scholar, traveling to Zambia twice for research and clinical training. She completed her OB/GYN residency at UMass in Worcester, MA, before moving to Atlanta and Emory as an Advanced Pelvic Surgery fellow. She is thrilled to be continuing her training as the inaugural Gynecologic Oncology fellow. Her clinical interests include perioperative quality improvement and optimizing patient engagement through education. Outside the hospital, she enjoys cooking, traveling, trying new restaurants, and hanging out with her two cats.
Advanced Pelvic Surgery
Chrissy Liu (She/her/hers), PGY5
Larissa Weirich, MD (She/Her/Hers), PGY-5
Dr. Weirich grew up in Oregon and received her B.S. in Biology with a minor in French from the University of Oregon. She graduated from medical school at the Oregon Health & Science University in Portland, Oregon where she completed a two month research fellowship in Thailand studying the prevalence and spread of Zika virus. She then moved from coast to coast and graduated from Ob/Gyn residency at Maine Medical Center in Portland, ME. Dr. Weirich is thrilled to join the department at Emory as a fellow in Advanced Pelvic Surgery and to explore Georgia. When not at the hospital she can most often be found outside running, hiking, canoeing, and visiting new restaurants and breweries with her partner Dane and their dog Hudson.
Lauren Millett, MD (She/Her/Hers), PGY6
Dr. Millett graduated from the University of Wyoming with a B.S. in Microbiology and a minor in history. She then completed an M.S. in Molecular Biology, where her research focused on Prion Biology. She then went on the earn her M.D. from the University of Washington School of Medicine. She completed her residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Connecticut, where she received several teaching and patient care awards. Dr. Millett is currently a fellow in Advanced Pelvic Surgery. In her free time, Dr. Millett enjoys hiking, exploring the outdoors, traveling, reading books, and spending time with her family, including her two cats.
Lower Anogenital Screening and Treatment (LAST)
Ghiara Lugo Díaz, MD, PGY5
I was born and raised in Puerto Rico, where I completed both my undergraduate as well as medical education at the University of Puerto Rico. I then completed my residency training in Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Puerto Rico before moving to Atlanta for fellowship. I am interested in research involving HPV-related cancer prevention and health disparities. In my free time, I enjoy photography, spending time with family, and hiking.
Minimally Invasive Gynecology
Elissa Trieu, MD (She/Her/Hers), PGY5
Elissa Trieu, M.D., is coming in from Richmond, Virginia. She went to undergraduate at the University of Virginia, medical school at Virginia Commonwealth University, and then up to Washington, DC, for her Obstetrics and Gynecology residency training at Medstar Georgetown/ Washington Hospital Center. Research interests include operating room sustainability. Outside of the hospital, she and her husband are avid hikers, bikers, and runners.