Trainees
Meet the current trainees in the vascular surgery program at Saint Louis University's School of Medicine.
Marguerite Ballou, M.D.
PGY-7 Fellow
Hometown: Covington, Virgina
Undergraduate: Roanoke College
Medical school: Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine
Marguerite Ballou completed her general surgery residency at West Virginia University in Morgantown, West Virginia. An Appalachia native from the southwest mountains of Virginia, she felt drawn to the complexity of not only surgery but the healthcare disparities of vascular surgery patients during her time in general surgery residency. While at VCU, she participated in an honors program (i2CRP) dedicated to training students in identifying and managing an array of health care disparities. Ballou is passionate about health equity and addressing and understanding systemic issues at play, particularly in urban underserved settings. She is also passionate about women's health, racial equity and providing care to the LGBTQ+ community. When not in the hospital, she enjoys spending time with her dog, Moonshine; exploring the outdoors and hiking; and painting. She admires the diverse and welcoming environment at SLU and was attracted to the wide array of surgical training; particularly the high exposure to open vascular procedures.
David Ebertz, M.D.
PGY-6 Fellow
Hometown: Phoenix, Arizona
Undergraduate: University of Arizona
Medical School: Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine
David Ebertz completed his general surgery training at Case Western University in Cleveland, Ohio. Throughout his time there, his interests in research, medical education, and things such as theatre and board games flourished. He and his wife, Natalie, are proud cat parents. Both of them have a strong love for animals, the outdoors, and music. If you can't find David in the hospital at any point, there's a good chance he may be in forest park at The Muny or another local production. David loves the creativity and planning that vascular surgery has to offer. He often finds himself applying similar creative skills and strategies that he has honed during his dynamic experience with musical productions. And yes, he loves bowties and has claimed the online title @TheBowTieSurgeon
Charles Marquardt, M.D.
PGY-5 Chief resident
Hometown: London, England
Undergraduate: Duke University
Medical school: Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine
During medical school, Charles Marquardt produced podcasts on death and consciousness and therapy dogs. “Vascular surgery provides opportunities to be creative, adaptable, and innovative both in and out of the O.R. in a way that I have not experienced in other fields.” He enjoys fencing, writing fiction and music, clay pigeon shooting, fly fishing, racquet sports and metaphysics and philosophy.
Mark Awad, M.D.
PGY-4 Chief resident
Hometown: Staten Island, New York
Undergraduate: Fordham University – New York
Medical school: St. George’s University School of Medicine
Mark Awad, a native of New York, was drawn to vascular surgery for its blend of technological advancements and longitudinal patient care. He finds great satisfaction in creating educational videos for surgical demonstrations and complex endovascular peripheral arterial disease treatment. Outside his medical pursuits, Awad is actively working towards his pilot's license and indulges his passion for cooking.
Pavitra Ravishankar, M.D.
PGY-3
Hometown: Fremont, California
Undergraduate: University of California - Davis
Medical school: Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine
Pavitra Ravishankar first found vascular surgery as a second-year medical student looking for a free dinner by signing up for a TEVAR simulation workshop and was immediately hooked. These days, her passion for free pizza has since waned but her love of vascular surgery remains. She was drawn to vascular surgery for the wide diversity in day-to-day cases and the ability to work with an often-underserved patient population. Since joining, her favorite thing about SLU has been the incredible program culture and comradery between trainees. In her free time, she enjoys reading sci-fi and fantasy books and cooking, has an unhealthy obsession with loose-leaf tea, and plays in a local soccer league.
Michael Carey, M.D.
PGY-2
Hometown: Sugar Land, Texas
Undergraduate: University of Texas at Austin, Cockrell School of Engineering
Medical school: Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center School of Medicine
Michael Carey's background is in petroleum engineering and fluid dynamics with nearly a decade of industry and research experience before attending medical school. His interest in medicine began after learning about the continuous flow artificial heart, and he eventually chose vascular surgery because of how tightly interwoven fluid flow and engineering were into the specialty. His hobbies include cooking, tennis, cycling, skiing, hiking, and exploring the local farmer’s market with his significant other and dog. What he enjoys most about the SLU vascular program are his fellow trainees and enjoys spending time with them both during and after the workday.
Noah Cassidy, M.D.
PGY-1
Hometown: Puyallup, WA
Undergrad: University of Washington
Medical School: University of North Carolina
Noah Cassidy completed his Bachelor of Science in Microbiology at the University of Washington, where he established a strong foundation in biomedical research and pursued his interest in medicine. Prior to medical school, he conducted basic science research for two years with a primary focus on developing a multiplex assay to quantify the HIV reservoir in global populations. He then attended medical school at the University of North Carolina, where he discovered his passion for surgery. Cassidy was drawn to the diversity and innovation within vascular surgery that allows for the delivery of personalized patient care. In his free time, he enjoys cooking, weightlifting, basketball, and playing with his dog.