Senior Editors

Tao Le, MD, MHS

Tao developed a passion for medical education as a medical student. He currently edits more than 15 titles in the First Aid series. In addition, he is the founder and editor-in-chief of the USMLE-Rx online video, test banks, and flash cards series and a cofounder of the Underground Clinical Vignettes series. As a medical student, he was editor-in-chief of the University of California, San Francisco Synapse, a university newspaper with a weekly circulation of 9000. Tao earned his medical degree from UCSF in 1996 and completed his residency training in internal medicine at Yale University and his allergy and immunology fellowship training at Johns Hopkins University. At Yale, he was a regular guest lecturer on USMLE review and an advisor to the Yale School of Medicine curriculum committee. Tao subsequently went on to cofound Medsn, a medical e-learning company, and served as its chief medical officer. He is currently section chief of adult allergy and immunology at the University of Louisville. He enjoys travel, movies, good food, and spending time with his family.USMLE-Rx online video, test banks, and flash cards series and a cofounder of the Underground Clinical Vignettes series. As a medical student, he was editor-in-chief of the University of California, San Francisco Synapse, a university newspaper with a weekly circulation of 9000. Tao earned his medical degree from UCSF in 1996 and completed his residency training in internal medicine at Yale University and his allergy and immunology fellowship training at Johns Hopkins University. At Yale, he was a regular guest lecturer on USMLE review and an advisor to the Yale School of Medicine curriculum committee. Tao subsequently went on to cofound Medsn, a medical e-learning company, and served as its chief medical officer. He is currently section chief of adult allergy and immunology at the University of Louisville. He enjoys travel, movies, good food, and spending time with his family.

YunXiang Chu

Yun is from St. Louis, Mo., and graduated from Stanford University in 2008, where she majored in chemistry and neurobiology. She is entering her fifth year as an MD/PhD candidate at Harvard Medical School, and studies mechanisms of synaptic transmission in the Harvard Program in Neuroscience. In her spare time, Yun enjoys reading history books, gardening, shopping, and exploring new cafes and restaurants in the Boston area.

Richard A. Giovane, MD

Richard is from a small town just north of Toronto, Ontario. He graduated from the University of Guelph in 2010 with a major in biological sciences and from St. George’s University School of Medicine in 2016. Richard is very excited to begin his residency in family medicine at the University of Alabama (Roll Tide!). His hobbies and interests include reading science fiction novels, video game programming, playing Magic: The Gathering with his older brothers, and spending time with his friends and girlfriend

Maniver Deol, MD

Maniver is from New York and earned her medical degree in India. Her focus is medical education, and she has also helped manage the USMLE-Rx Step 2 CK QMax and Step 2 Flash Facts projects. She is a vegetarian who loves authentic NY pizza and trying new restaurants. In her spare time, Maniver enjoys reading, going to museums, gardening, and spending time with family, friends, and her rambunctious pitbull.

Sean Alemi, MD

Sean is a resident in otolaryngology—head & neck surgery at the University of California, San Francisco. Originally from Davis, Calif., he graduated from the University of California, Berkeley with a degree in molecular and cell biology, and then went on to medical school at the University of California, Irvine, graduating in 2013. During medical school, he was granted a one-year research fellowship at UCSF by the American Otological Society, where he investigated virally mediated gene therapy for genetic forms of deafness. Sean is also the former Editor-in-Chief of the Firecracker USMLE Step 1 and Step 2 study tools, specializing in preparing medical students for their board exams. When he is not running around the hospital, Sean enjoys cooking, working out, and practicing yoga.

Jeffrey Hofmann

Jeff is in Brown University’s MD/PhD program, completed his PhD on the molecular biology of aging in 2014, and is looking forward to earning his MD in 2016. He has worked on and led a variety of First Aid projects beginning in 2009, including First Aid Flash Facts, First Aid for the USMLE Step 1, and the First Aid Step 1 Express video course. In addition to biology and medicine, Jeff loves biking, playing the guitar, and spending time with friends and family.

Matthew Sochat, MD

Matthew is currently an internal medicine intern at Brown University. He will be moving to New York City during the summer of 2014 for neurology training at New York University. In his spare time, Matthew enjoys skiing, cooking/baking, traveling, the company of friends and loved ones, and coming up with helpful puns and mnemonics.