Chief Residents

Hello and Welcome Applicants!

Thank you for taking the time to visit our website, we are excited to share a little bit about ourselves as well as our wonderful program!

For the 2023-2024 Academic year, we have four chief residents leading the program: Farris Taha, Hamid Ali, Mattia Rosso, and Nimit Desai!

Farris Taha is an Atlanta native who received his biomedical engineering degree from Georgia Tech. In medical school, his interest in neurology blossomed when rotating on the vascular neurology service. He came to interview at MUSC because of the strong vascular neurology department and stayed for the people he met on interview day. As his residency unfolded, he found that his true calling materialized with the field of multiple sclerosis and neuroimmunology, noting the numerous interesting cases on the general neurology service and neuroimmunology clinic. Under the mentorship of attendings at MUSC, Farris has successfully matched into Multiple Sclerosis/Neuroimmunology fellowship at Washington University in St. Louis. After work, you can find him managing the yearly residency fantasy football league, flying kites at Folly Beach, or embracing his culinary creativity experimenting with a new recipe.

Hamid Ali, hailing from Lahore, Pakistan, always knew he was going to be a neurologist. He was attracted to MUSC due to its exceptional vascular neurology division. From his first stroke alert as a junior resident, his true passion for stroke neurology was confirmed. He loves the sense of community at MUSC, so much that he elected to stay on as a vascular neurology fellow at MUSC! Beyond his dedication to saving brains, Hamid enjoys playing tennis and soccer in the beautiful year-round weather of Charleston. He also takes pleasure in kayaking in the beautiful creeks and rivers of Charleston, bowling, and going to the beach.

Mattia Rosso is a passionate Italian captivated by the endless wonders of neurology. His journey into the world of neurology gained momentum during his postgraduate research days in Boston. MUSC became the natural choice for Mattia due to its exceptional faculty in the Movement Disorder division, his major interest. Early in residency, his creative energy led him to initiate the Neurohumanities Initiative, curating engaging after-work gatherings with the residents and faculty that explore the intriguing interplay between neurology, arts, and humanities. Clinically, Mattia matched successfully into Movement Disorders fellowship at Yale University. Outside work, Mattia's interests range from indulging in esoteric TV shows or immersing himself in the realm of peculiar podcasts, finding joy in the offbeat and the extraordinary.

Nimit Desai is a spirited neurology resident hailing from India, who holds the mantle of residency wellness advocate. From his earliest forays into EEG, Nimit showed remarkable prowess, earning him the title of a true whiz-kid. His heart finds solace in the interactions with patients with epilepsy, which guided him from the very start of this residency. We are so fortunate that Nimit will continue teaching the residents as an Epilepsy fellow at MUSC next year. If he's not delving into complex epilepsy cases in the weekly Refractory Epilepsy Conference, you'll likely find organizing invigorating wellness events or our residents.

As you can see, we all come from different backgrounds with diverse interests and career paths. However, our reasons for choosing MUSC are remarkably similar. Each of us felt a connection to the residents and faculty during our interview day and fell in love with Charleston. Objectively, we felt that the program had the resources and vision to make us into strong and compassionate neurologists. Beyond what can be found in a brochure, we found an inclusive, caring, and brilliant group of residents that we consider family. We look forward to meeting our next group of applicants and continuing to lead our program to grow and create excellent neurologists!