Award Recipients
2024 – 2025
Nadia Syed, DO & Kaille Meguiar, DO
The Lily's Garden Fellowship was established in 2022 by Mr. and Mrs. Phillip Featherstone and Mr. and Mrs. Ronald Johnston to provide support for a fellow in the Division of Hematology and Oncology, in the Department of Pediatrics at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.
During the 2024-25 year, the Lily's Garden Fellowship supported two third-year fellows in the Division of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology. As the only division in Tennessee with a unique combination of clinical programs in both hematology and oncology, they provide access to every pediatric subspecialty -all within the medical center. This fund provided resources for scientific investigations in pediatric and adolescent oncology, as well as salary and tuition support for Nadia Syed, DO, and Kaille Meguiar, DO, for the Master of Public Health Program.
The first fellow that was supported is Nadia Syed, DO, who is focusing in hematology, specifically sickle cell disease and bone marrow failure disorders. Along with Dr. Syed's many research projects, she is pursuing her interests in medical education and physician/care team wellness. She is currently conducting research to evaluate the impact of financial toxicity on patient and family outcomes in patients with leukemia and lymphoma, with specific focus on insurance, income, and geography as factors that influence disease outcomes and psychological well-being. Resources from the Lily's Garden Fellowship enabled Dr. Syed to pursue innovative research in improving care for pediatric, adolescent and young adults with cancer.
The second fellowship recipient is Kaille Meguiar, DO, a third-year fellow. Dr. Meguiar completed her undergraduate degree at the University of Michigan and then attended the Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine. She then completed her residency in Internal Medicine/Pediatrics at Spectrum Health/Helen DeVos Children's Hospital. Currently, she is focusing on cancer survivorship and medical education in her role as a clinician educator. The support from this fund will allow her to pursue higher education and impactful research in pediatric oncology and the psychosocial health of adolescent and young adult cancer survivors. Kaille Meguiar, DO
Philanthropy is a driving force that elevates health care locally and across the country. Your support empowers future leaders like Dr. Syed and Dr. Meguiar to conduct innovative research, further their education and drive progress in developing treatment options for patients. Thank you for making this important work possible.
2023 – 2025
Kaille Meguiar, DO
Kaille Meguiar, DO is studying the psychosocial outcomes in survivors of adolescent and young adult cancer. She has been further supported for her research with an NIH T32 grant and is currently completing her MPH degree at Vanderbilt, together with her fellowship in pediatric hematology and oncology.
2021 – 2023
Rohini Chakravarthy, MD
Rohini Chakravarthy, MD is studying outcomes of children treated with hematopoietic stem cell transplant, using a large national data base. She has been further supported for her research with an NIH T32 grant. Upon graduation from fellowship in 2023, Dr. Chakravarthy will enter a stem cell transplant fellowship at University of Colorado.
2019 – 2021
Brianna Smith, MD, MS
Brianna Smith, MD, MS is studying the biology of myeloid disease, including myelodysplastic syndrome and acute myeloid leukemia. She graduated from fellowship in 2020 and was recruited to our faculty at Vanderbilt University Medical Center as an Instructor and was promoted to Assistant Professor in 2022. She has been further supported for research with an NIH T32 grant, followed by a K12 grant.
