Binaytara Foundation

 President

Dr. Binay Shah
 
Dr. Binay Shah is a consultant hematologist and oncologist at St. Joseph Regional Medical Center, Lewiston, Idaho. Dr. Shah received his medical degree from BP Koirala Institute of health Sciences, Dharan, Nepal. He completed Internal Medicine residency from Long Island College Hospital, Brooklyn and Hematology Oncology fellowship from University of Illinois at Chicago.
 
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 Vice President

Dr. Abdur Shakir
 
Dr. Abdur Shakir was born in Chicago, IL, USA. He completed his internal medical residency from Jewish Hospital of Cincinnati. He also completed fellowship in Neuro-Oncology where he cared for people with brain tumors at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, Michigan. Seeking additional research in cancer care, Dr. Shakir then began his second fellowship Chicago. Studying general hematology and oncology during his second fellowship, he gained vast experience treating a large number of people suffering from many different types of cancer, also being involved in stem cell transplant. Dedicated to the academics Dr.Shakir published and presented his work at the American Society of Clinical Oncology Meetings. During his 3rd year he was nominated as the Chief Hematology Oncology Fellow bestowed to only one fellow in his class per year. Dr. Shakir is currently working as the director of Sarah Bush Lincoln Regional Cancer Center and also as an Assistant Professor at University of Illinois at Chicago.
 
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 Secretary

Tara Shah
 
Tara Shah is the founding secretary of this organization. Tara believes “helping people in need is the most sacred of all human actions”. A nurse by profession, she also loves reading, writing and travelling.
 
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 Treasurer

Sirjana Dahal
 
Sirjana Dahal is a graduate student at Missouri University of Science and Technology, Missouri, USA. Apart from her research in human computer interaction and usability, she utilizes her time in web design and volunteering for non-profit organizations.
 

 Members

Divyesh G. Mehta, MD
 
Divyesh G. Mehta, MD is Director of clinical oncology services, and associate professor of medicine at the University of Illinois Medical Center in Chicago. He runs the Breast Cancer and G I Cancer thematic clinics at the Univ of Illinois Hospital. Dr.Mehta has research interest in Triple Negative Breast Cancer and Multi modality treatment of Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

Dr Mehta received his MD from Medical College in Baroda, India. Subsequently, he completed two internships, one at SSG Hospital in Baroda and one at St. Mary of Nazareth Hospital in Chicago. These were followed by an internal medicine residency at Louis A. Weiss Memorial Hospital in Chicago and a hematology/oncology fellowship at the University of Illinois.

He pioneered several efforts in India including setting up Western India’s first comprehensive component blood bank at Children’s Hospital in Baroda and helping to found the Indian Cooperative Oncology Network, which focuses on cancer research. Dr Mehta has authored 3 book chapters; the most recent is titled “Platelet Disorders” for the 2003 edition of the API Textbook of Medicine.
 

Dushyant Viswanathan, MD
 
Dushyant Viswanathan, MD is BTF Newsletter Editor and Writer, and lives in Baltimore, MD. His medical roots run deep. He is the grandson of eminent cardiologist and professor of medicine, former Madras Director of Medical Services, Dr. P. Arunachalam. Dushyant spent his early years in Detroit, MI, and studied biology and philosophy at the University of CA, Irvine. He went on to study medicine at St. George’s University School of Medicine, and pursue Internal Medicine residency in the University of Maryland Medical System. He currently works as an internist focusing on both hospital medicine and patient home visits.

Thanks to his mother’s passion for literature, Dushyant was exposed to poetry, literature, and philosophy at an early age. He started original writings in his late teens. Over the past five years, Dushyant has published numerous articles, essays, short stories in various publications. He wrote chef reviews and music reviews for The Indian Express newspaper, published his first work of original poetry entitled Soma and Its Sequelae in 2007, and completed the first book of an epic novel in October 2010. Currently, besides serving as BTF newsletter editor and writer, Dushyant is a weekly columnist for Physicians Practice e-magazine. Dushyant’s literary heroes include William Blake, Tom Robbins, and Blaise Cendrars.