Kaitlyn Brettin grew up in Minot, North Dakota. She completed her undergraduate studies in psychology and biology at Tufts University and her medical degree from Harvard Medical School. Her internship was at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital. She loves to read, bake, and more importantly, eat baked goods.
Hannah Garrigan is originally from Chicago, Illinois, but has been on the East Coast for the past 11 years. She completed her undergraduate studies in biology at Boston College and earned her medical degree from Thomas Jefferson University. In medical school, she decided to further pursue her interest in public health by completing an MPH degree. During that year, she had the opportunity to rotate at LV Prasad Eye Institute, which sparked a love of traveling and multicultural experiences. In her free time, she enjoys exploring the food scene in Philly with friends and diving into a good book. Hannah finished her intern year at Jefferson and feels overjoyed to be a part of the Wills Eye family.
Leo Hall is from Grosse Pointe Park, MI. He received his undergraduate degree from the University of Notre Dame, where he studied German. Briefly believing he wished to become a German professor, he moved to Berlin following graduation to study the works of German playwright Bertolt Brecht. He afterwards returned to Michigan, where he attended the Wayne State University School of Medicine, there receiving his medical doctorate and a Master of Science in medical research. He completed his internship at St. Mary Mercy Hospital in Livonia, MI. He enjoys spending time with his fiancé, Kelsey, and their golden retriever, Luna, making and listening to music, playing squash, and caring for his house plants, of which he has many.
Saif Hamdan was born in Liverpool, England, and grew up in Nashville, TN alongside his two younger siblings. He attended Vanderbilt University for his undergraduate studies in Mathematics and Spanish and then stayed at Vanderbilt for his medical degree. He completed his internship at Thomas Jefferson University before joining his co-residents at Wills Eye Hospital. Outside of medicine, he enjoys traveling, fishing, playing soccer and tennis, and hanging out with his brother and sister!
Erik Massenzio is from Sparta, New Jersey. He completed his undergraduate studies in Philosophy at Princeton University where he wrote his thesis on Aristotelian meta-ethics. He graduated from Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University in 2021, and he completed his internship at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital before starting residency at Wills Eye. Erik is an avid juggler - he can juggle 5 balls and performed in juggling shows in college. His favorite activity is enjoying dim sum with his wife Samantha on a weekend morning.
Mara Penne grew up in the Philadelphia area and completed her undergraduate studies in Economics at Colgate University. She spent several years as a data analytics consultant in Washington, DC prior to pursuing a career in medicine. She completed a post-baccalaureate program at Thomas Jefferson University and received her medical degree from Georgetown University School of Medicine in 2021. She completed her internship at Jefferson before starting her ophthalmology residency at Wills Eye. In her spare time, Mara likes to travel, exercise, and cook. Her favorite travel experiences are in-home cooking classes with local residents. She also loves to spend time with her family, including her husband, Nate, and her 1 year old daughter, Laney.
Collin Richards grew up in Traverse City, Michigan. He attended Michigan State University for undergraduate and received his degree in Chemical Engineering with a concentration in Biomedical Engineering. He attended Wayne State University for medical school and completed his preliminary medicine internship at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital. Outside of work, Collin spends his free time running, fishing, hiking, camping, traveling, and reading. He is currently enjoying his time in Philadelphia by running Fairmount Park and exploring the nearby state parks and rivers!
Sandy Wong is from New York City, born and raised. She completed her undergraduate studies in Biology and Economics at Harvard University. She then spent a postgraduate fellowship year in England at Stowe School where she was Under Housemistress and taught maths and clay pigeon shooting. She ventured out to the West Coast for medical school at Stanford University before returning home for transitional year internship at Reading Hospital and ophthalmology residency at Wills Eye Hospital. In her free time, Sandy likes to run and hike, and is a big fan of East Asian cinema and the BBC. She comes from a large extended family of over 100, and loves spending time with her great grandmother, grandmother and gaggle of younger cousins.
