Internal Medicine Residency: Residents

Dr. Arman Bonyadi was born in Tehran, Iran and later immigrated to Vancouver, Canada at the age of 6. He then moved to Agoura Hills, California at the age of 10 and later attended Oak Park High School, where he discovered his passion for the sciences. He received his undergraduate degree in Biology from California State University, Northridge and his Master’s Degree in Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine at the University of Southern California. During his time at USC, he discovered his love for cancer research and would later work closely with patients with chronic illnesses in his clinical rotations at the University of the Incarnate Word School of Osteopathic Medicine, where he graduated in May of 2021. In his spare time, Arman enjoys playing basketball, watching the Los Angeles Lakers, going to the beach, writing, reading, watching movies and spending time with his friends and family. Dr. Bonyadi is proud to join the Community Memorial Health System Internal Medicine residency and is excited to serve the Ventura community.

Dr. James “Ty” Daly was born in Sonoma, California and raised in southern Utah. He attended the University of Utah where he completed research on cone snail conotoxins before graduating with a B.S. in Exercise and Sport Science. Afterwards he returned to Sonoma and became involved in the wine industry, working two harvests at Benziger Family Winery and a third harvest in Casablanca, Chile. Ty then obtained his medical degree from Touro University California and is now pursuing his passion of Internal Medicine at Community Memorial Hospital System. His hobbies include exploring the great outdoors, astronomy, and eagerly following the San Francisco Giants, 49ers, and Golden State Warriors.

Dr. Jaspreet Garcha was born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area. She graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles with a Bachelor of Science in Psychobiology. She then went on to attend medical school at Rocky Vista University in Colorado and did a rotation at CMHS during her 4th year where she had an amazing experience seeing the camaraderie between residents and the exceptional teaching provided by the program. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her family and friends, exploring new restaurants, hiking, and watching The Office reruns.

Dr. Thatcher Huynh was born and raised in Arcadia, California. She received her Bachelor of Science in Biological Sciences at University of California, Irvine. After undergrad, Dr. Huynh focused her time on clinical research in Hepatology, and enjoyed connecting with patients and their families. Realizing her passion for pathophysiology and aiding others, she decided to pursue a career in practicing medicine. Dr. Huynh moved to Florida to attend medical school at Nova Southeastern University. In her spare time, she enjoys traveling, eating delicious eclectic food, and spending time with family and friends. Dr. Huynh is excited and honored to join the warm and excellent team at Community Memorial Health System and look forward to serving the Ventura community. 

Dr. Hayden Ivey was born and raised in Texas. He received his undergraduate degree in Cell and Molecular Biology from The University of Texas at Austin. He then moved to Mississippi, where he earned master’s and doctorate degrees. He comes to Ventura to continue pursuing his love for Internal Medicine with the wonderful team at Community Memorial Health System. In his spare time, he enjoys fishing, hiking, and relaxing on the beach with his wife and dog.

Dr. Sam Jazayeri was born in Tehran, Iran and immigrated to the United States at the age of 16. He received his undergraduate degree in Physiological Sciences from University of California Los Angeles. He then worked as a Biological Lab Tech at the Greater Los Angeles Veteran Affairs Hospital before starting medical school at Western University of Health Sciences in Pomona California. As a medical student, Dr. Jazayeri was fortunate to be selected as one of the Pre-Doctoral NMM/OMM Teaching Fellows where he spent one additional year at Western University to help teach the Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine course to first- and second-year medical students. Dr. Jazayeri completed his internal medicine residency at the Community Memorial Health system in Ventura. While at CMHS, he has developed an interest in quality improvement research projects and is very happy to have the opportunity to serve as the Quality Improvement and Patient Safety fellow for this upcoming year. In his spare time, he enjoys relaxing with friends, watching films, and listening to music. Dr. Jazayeri is proud to join the team at Community Memorial Health and is excited to serve the Ventura community.

Dr. Khiatah was born in Leipzig, Germany and graduated from Tishreen University in Latakia, Syria. He was completing a residency in Internal Medicine with a specialty in pulmonary critical care at Zahi Azrak Hospital in Aleppo, Syria before he moved to the United States in 2014. Dr. Khiatah worked at City of Hope Medical Center in the Diabetes and Metabolic Department. As part of the Islet Transplant Team, he assisted in research related to understanding the mechanisms of diabetes mellitus and investigating new therapies of treatment, including mesenchymal stem cell therapy applications. He has received two patents: for developing a new method for islet staining, and for developing a new media for growing mesenchymal stem cells. He has been published in Scientific Report , Stem Cell Research , and Islets . Dr. Khiatah is eager to start his residency in the wonderful environment at CMH, learn from the esteemed faculty and residents, and serve the community of Ventura. In his spare time, Bashar enjoys exploring the beauty of the United States with his wife, cooking great Mediterranean food, and eating s’mores.

Dr. Dennis Kulp is from Garden Grove, California. He earned his Bachelor of Science in Biological Sciences from UC Irvine. He then joined a research laboratory where he dedicated several years studying immunology and inflammation in San Antonio, TX before pursuing his dream of medicine at the UNT Health Science Center ‐ Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine in Fort Worth, TX. There, alongside his studies, he continued his research in inflammation and immunology within the context of chronic diseases while serving his local community as a leader and volunteer. These rich experiences have captivated his passion for the broad field of Internal Medicine, the diverse patients he has met, and his strong interest in exploring how inflammation underlies the spectrum of chronic illnesses. Outside of medicine, he loves to draw, cook, bake, play video and board games, create stories, and organize his never‐ending planner. He is thrilled to be a part of the Community Memorial Health System family.

Dr. Nguyen was born in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. She and her family moved to San Diego, CA when she was twelve years old. She received her undergraduate degree in human biology at UCSD and completed medical school training at ACOM. In her free time, she loves to read, hike, and hang out with family and friends. She is fluent in both English and Vietnamese and enjoys reading in both languages. Dr. Nguyen is excited to continue her journey at CMHS and is looking forward to learning and growing as both a professional and an individual.

Dr. Varsha Prasad is originally from Fremont, California. She attended UC Davis where she was heavily involved in extracurricular activities, including volunteer work and student run clinics, all of which cultivated her passion for serving others. Varsha graduated with a B.S. in Genetics, a field which sparked her scientific curiosity. Her interests led her to pursue medical school at Midwestern University – AZCOM. Varsha immediately decided on Internal Medicine, for the ability to connect with patients and solve diagnosis. In her free time, she is an avid hiker, loves gardening, and enjoys spending time with her family and friends. Varsha is excited and honored to be serving the Ventura community at CMHS.

Dr. Wisam Razook was born and raised in Baghdad, Iraq. He immigrated to the United States with his family in 2006 to pursue new opportunities away from conflict. In 2013, he earned a bachelor’s degree in general biology from the University of California, San Diego. He then worked at a basic science research lab at UCSD before being able to utilize his passion for medicine through the education he received at Midwestern University: Arizona College of Osteopathic Medicine. Attending AZCOM gave him the opportunity to learn medicine while developing his clinical skills and care for underserved populations. After earning a D.O. degree, he is privileged to be back in California to train at the internal medicine program at CMHS and serve the community in Ventura. In his spare time, he enjoys watching and playing soccer, hiking, cooking, and going to the beach. He is a Real Madrid fanatic and dreams of watching them play at their stadium in Madrid.

Dr. Melissa Russell was born and raised in Woodland Hills, California and she has taken the scenic route to medicine. She graduated from Boston University with a degree in Film and Television and spend three years in wine marketing before realizing her passion for helping to improve patient’s lives and health outcomes through diagnostic medicine. She earned her medical degree from Western University of Health Sciences, and spent her 3rd year at Community Memorial Hospital where she developed her clinical skills serving the people of Ventura. She is proud to become a member of the Community Memorial family and continue to serve as a medical resident. In her free time, Melissa enjoys eating, cooking, reading books, and spending time with her husband and her dog.

Dr. Sargsyan was born and raised in Armenia and immigrated to the U.S. at the age of 19. She attended UC Berkeley where she received her B.A. in Molecular and Cell Biology. During her time at Berkeley, she was involved in research in biochemistry lab and worked as a biochemistry tutor in Student Learning Services. Exposure to science further inspired her to pursue medicine. She attended Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences where she received her osteopathic medical degree. Dr. Sargsyan’s interests outside of medicine include playing the piano, since she was 9 years-old, and guitar. She also regularly practices yoga, and enjoys spending time in the nature with friends and family.

Dr. Shah was born and raised in India, and lived in Canada for 4 years prior moving to Houston, TX in high school. He completed undergraduate at Texas A&M University, and medical school at Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine. Dr. Shah is a vegetarian, with love for Chipotle, Taco Bell, and Dominos. In his spare time, he loves to play badminton, cricket, basketball, chess, tennis, and go hiking. His favorite TV shows include Game of Thrones, Marco Polo, Spartacus. His favorite movies include Marvel movies, the Dark Knight Series, and The Fast and Furious sequel. Dr. Shah is very proud to join the Internal Medicine program at Community Memorial Health System, and looks forward to serving the Ventura community.

Dr. Tatevik Simavorian was born in Yerevan, Armenia and moved to San Diego, CA in 2000.
She completed his undergraduate degree at the University of California, Santa Barbara with a B.S. in Cell and Developmental Biology. Prior to medical school she worked at Scripps Research, La Jolla in the lab of Dr. Eros Lazzerini Denchi. She graduated with her medical degree from Touro University California before joining Community Memorial as an Internal Medicine resident.

Dr. Tiffany Tahata was born and raised in Honolulu, Hawai’i and is a triplet. She completed her undergraduate degrees in Biology and Psychology at the University of Hawai’i at Manoa and attended medical school at Rocky Vista University College of Osteopathic Medicine in Colorado. Her passion for internal medicine inspired her to become the president of the internal medicine club at her campus. Music has always been a big part of her life and she’s enjoyed playing in multiple bands and orchestras since middle school. She also loves the outdoors and being active; when she’s not outside running she can be found playing volleyball, kickboxing, climbing, or at the beach. She plans to become a hospitalist and is interested in pursuing a fellowship in addiction medicine, going on global outreach trips, and participating in medical education.

Dr. Harman Virk attended Reedley College before transferring to the University of California, Davis, where he graduated with his degree in Biological Sciences. While taking a few gap years before attending medical school at A.T. Still University in Mesa, AZ, Harman got involved in volunteering and working positions centered towards providing healthcare and personal services to the underserved communities in his hometown of Fresno, California. It was his time at various homeless health clinics, free mobile health clinics, and other events centered around neglected populations that led Harman to value health and life in its entirety, and helped solidify his decision to pursue medicine. Dr. Virk is excited, humbled, and extremely grateful to begin his Internal Medicine residency in the beautiful city of Ventura at Community Memorial Health System. In his time away from the hospital and clinic, Harman enjoys cooking, weightlifting, running, listening to music and podcasts, creative and motivational writing, and likes to volunteer his time with different organizations involving underserved and underrepresented communities. Dr. Virk hopes to use his newfound knowledge and experience gained at CMHS to become a better healer, role model, and a competent physician providing the best care for all members of the Ventura community.”

He was raised in Camarillo, California. He received his B.S. in biology from the University of California, Los Angeles. After a surfing accident, Dr. Wood was diagnosed with Ankylosing Spondylitis and devoted himself to pursuing a career in medicine. He worked as a research associate at Amgen before beginning his medical training at Easten Virginia Medical School. As a medical student, Dr. Wood volunteered his time at free clinics to help the underserved of the Hampton Roads area and promoted the benefits of preventative medicine to his patients. He is enthralled to return to his community as a physician and continue to serve those in need. In his spare time, he enjoys DIY projects, cycling, cooking, hiking, and promoting proof of stake cryptocurrency.