Christina Bolton, M.D.

St. George’s University School of Medicine
Rutgers University
Saint Joseph’s University

I was born in Astoria, NY and shortly thereafter moved with my family to New Jersey. Do not be fooled by my married name; I am a proud first generation Greek-Cypriot American. My culture had a strong influence on my upbringing and the person I am today. My parents raised me with a strong emphasis on service, philanthropy, and education. Though nearly the youngest of my big, fat Greek family, I still always felt the desire and responsibility to care for everyone. At a young age, my two grandmothers were unwell and I wanted to be very involved in their care. From there stemmed my passion for medicine and my dream of becoming a physician. I studied Biology as an undergraduate before receiving a Master’s Degree in Biomedical Science. From there I worked in an emergency department where my love for and interest in clinical medicine blossomed. Like some of my colleagues, I attended medical school on the beautiful Caribbean island of Grenada. I completed my clinical studies in NJ, NY, and CT. It was during my first rotation in Family Medicine that I felt I was being the doctor I always wanted to be. I feel it is important for everyone to see a family practitioner who is genuinely passionate about what they do and someone you can trust with your most prized possession, your family. I love the variety that comes with its everyday practice and I will cherish the responsibility of caring for you and your loved ones for years and years to come. I continue to involve myself in service and philanthropy, for it is in giving that we receive. This, demonstrated by a strong commitment to its community and the cohesive camaraderie of the group, is what drew me to this program. I am honored and excited to be part of this team.

Nicole Cahalan, M.D.

St. George’s University School of Medicine
Northumbria University

I’m originally from Colorado. For undergrad, I decided to have a change of pace and went to NYU where I studied Neuroscience and minored in Studio Art. For medical school, I spent my first year in Newcastle, England and my second year in the Caribbean. My last two years of med school brought me back to New York where I did my clinical rotations in Brooklyn.

I was drawn to Family Medicine for its ability to combine medicine with prevention and counseling, while building long-lasting relationships with patients. I enjoy working with every age from babies to the elderly and feel that medicine becomes more powerful when a strong patient-doctor relationship has been developed over time. I’m interested in working with underserved populations, both in the U.S. and abroad. Apart from medicine, I enjoy making art, being outdoors, reading, traveling, and spending time with my animals. I can’t wait to work with the wonderful people at UConn Family Medicine and see where the coming years take me!

Andrea DeDonato, D.O.

New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine
Northeastern University

I am originally from the small town of Southbury, CT, where I grew up in a large Italian family! I went to Boston, MA to pursue my undergraduate degree in biology and Psychology at Northeastern University. During my time in Boston, I had the opportunity to explore various clinical and research settings, which consistently re-affirmed my passion for the medical field. I worked in pre-clinical research, studying Alzheimer’s disease and ALS as well as in clinical research, assisting in cardiovascular trials through the TIMI Study Group at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. Additionally, I pursued various teaching and volunteering opportunities, which developed my passion for leading and educating others. After six years in Boston, I decided it was finally time to move to New York! I attended medical school at New York college of Osteopathic Medicine. As an osteopathic student, I learned the philosophy and benefit of holistic and manual medicine and was exposed to a variety of patient care experiences in the greater New York Area. Over the past few years in medical school, I found that I was drawn to long term, comprehensive care and the focus on the patient-doctor relationship. This led me to the realization that a career in Family Medicine was the perfect fit! I firmly believe that ensuring well-being, educating patients, and preventing disease are the most important initial steps in achieving overall health promotion.

In my spare time, I enjoy spending time with family and friend, cooking, exercising, boating and scuba diving. I have also done my fair share of traveling, all the way from the gold Cost of Australia, to Rio de Janeiro, to the many cities of Europe. As much as I enjoy exploring the world and learning from all of the amazing experiences I have had thus far, home is where my heart is. As a Connecticut native, I have always had a desire to return to and practice medicine in a community that I have a strong connection with. I am thrilled to come home to Connecticut to join the Family Medicine residency team at UConn!

Kyle Elligers, M.D.

UConn School of Medicine
Boston College

As corny as those commercials are for the store “at the corner of happy and healthy,” I have to admit that such a corner would be the ideal place to set up shop. I mean, what else could we want besides happiness and health? The problem is that those streets are pretty hard to find, and also pretty difficult to stay on. So, my goal as a Family Medicine physician is to help people with this journey, which is both day-to-day and lifelong. I knew that becoming a doctor could be a great job as a young age, as my father is an OB/GYN in the Hartford area, and has always loved meeting and caring for so many people. Though, I had often considered other careers; I have always enjoyed the performing arts as a dancer and jazz piano player, but I realized that I could keep these as great hobbies; I also pursued a Bachelor’s degree in philosophy, but I finally realized that my ultimate philosophy of life was to be working with and helping people; thus, my decision to go to medical school. At my side during this whole journey has been my amazing wife, who is an academic director at a non-profit after-school program in New Haven, which is where we have resided for 10 years. It has been living in this delightful urban community that I have developed the desire to practice urban community medicine in the future. Other specific interests that I have are mental/behavioral health in primary care, as well as integrative/alternative medicine. In addition, I have found the field of Parenting to be the most fulfilling of all! My 2-year-old son gives me a million reasons to wake up smiling every day, and although life can get pretty crazy, I wouldn’t change anything about it!

Janae Hunter, M.D.

Ross University School of Medicine
Oakwood University

I am originally from Philadelphia, PA and I grew up mostly in the south. I attended college in Alabama, where I majored in Biology with a pre-medicine focus. While in college, my interest in primary care sparked. Volunteering alongside passionate family medicine physicians, I helped to provide medical care to individuals of medically underserved communities. I screened for hypertension and diabetes and counseled on nutrition and exercise. Oftentimes, I encountered the same families during subsequent community visits, which opened my eyes to the beauty of continuity of care.

While in medical school, I participated in community health clinics held throughout Dominica. Over time, it became clear that my passion is working with the medically underserved. I am very excited to be a part of a residency program that has a long history of making a positive impact in the medically underserved community.

In my spare time, I enjoy canvas painting, traveling, cooking, and spending time with family and friends.

Onyinyechukwu Kanu, M.D.

New York Medical College
Dartmouth College

I am a 1.5-generation immigrant who was born in Nigeria and migrated to the Bronx, NY with my family. One of my fondest memories of my time there was when I got to join the Red Cross Society at Fountain School. I spent my undergraduate years at Dartmouth College. I was able to explore New England outdoors through hiking, skiing, camping and playing rugby. I was also able to explore my interests in culture and travel by living in New Zealand. During my post undergraduate years I returned to the Bronx and through AmeriCorps, taught at a public school in the South Bronx. I also had the chance to go back to my high school and teach students health education topics through Peer Health Exchange, an organization whose mission is to empower young people with the knowledge, skills, and resources they need to make healthy decisions. Attending medical school allowed me to continue to work with the marginalized populations.

My passion has always been the under-served. Family medicine allows me to a patient advocate and at the forefront of preventive medicine. I am excited to join the UConn/Saint Francis family where I will be able to explore my interests in women’s health, adolescent, geriatric and sports medicine. My hobbies outside of medicine include but are not limited to, traveling, soccer, working out with Fitness Blender, and watching documentaries.

Ivan Loker, M.D.

St. George’s University School of Medicine
Penn State Erie, The Behrend College

Growing up in rural Pennsylvania, I’ve always loved being outdoors, whether hiking forested trails or picking wild strawberries in my own backyard. After graduating from Penn State, Erie, I married my high school sweetheart, someone with whom I’ve found amazing happiness and support. Together we’ve traveled to 6 different countries and enjoyed the scenic beauty of nature along our adventures.

Even with the joy that I found in my personal life, I wanted to give back more to my community. When my position as an engineer became unstable during the Great Recession, I turned to a more fulfilling and altruistic calling: medicine.

I began volunteering at the local hospital and realized, almost instantly, that the reward I felt through my experiences and interactions with patients and professionals was exactly what was missing in my life.

I attended St. George’s University and completed my clinical rotations in Brooklyn, NY. It was in the city that I decided to focus on family medicine – a specialty that allows me to provide constant support and presence to my patients and their families throughout their lives.

I look forward to spending my residency at University of Connecticut, Saint Francis Hospital and learning from some of the most admirable and skilled doctors in the country.