Chief Residents 2026-2027

Daniel Cho, MD, MS

Daniel Cho was born in Seoul, South Korea and immigrated to New Jersey in elementary school where he first dreamt of becoming a professional tennis player. Ultimately, work as an EMT during high school shifted his ambitions to medicine. He attended Brown University for a combined BS/MD program, where he studied public health, economics, and completed several exchange programs to learn about healthcare systems in China, Taiwan, London, and Copenhagen. During his master’s thesis, he investigated the role of corporate corruption in driving the opioid epidemic and took part in the National Prescription Opiate Litigation.

At Cornell, Daniel has brought a collaborative spirit and appreciates learning from not only the attending faculty, but also from senior residents and peers. Even as a junior resident, he took leading roles in the Residency Support Council, and engaged and produced with the Extended Reality Anesthesiology Immersion Lab. Daniel is known for a quiet but warm intensity and for being a deeply kind, caring, and supportive friend. Outside of medicine, Dr. Cho is a dedicated (albeit suffering) fan of the Mets, Knicks, and Tottenham Hotspur.

Taylor Fortson, MD

Taylor Fortson grew up in Claremont, California and from a young age immersed herself in the community through academics and team sports. Taylor’s family placed a strong emphasis on education, and there was an unspoken household belief that doctors held the most altruistic and principled roles in society. Matriculating close to home at Pomona College and studying neuroscience/pre-med while performing undergraduate research and playing Division III soccer—serving as captain senior year — were natural outcomes.

As a Weill Cornell Medicine student, Taylor appreciated that anesthesiology attendings and residents challenged her to perform procedures, ask questions, and provide input on clinical decision-making despite being the most junior member on the team. During chalk talks about the physiology of ventilation and how to problem-solve during critical moments in each case, she found herself captive. She was particularly drawn to the composure and problem-solving required during critical moments in each case.

Taylor is a deep thinker and a keen observer who brings focused due-diligence and rigor to her clinical practice, routinely demonstrating full and complete engagement and situational awareness. Engagement in pipeline and recruitment programs, mentoring of STEM students, and leadership roles with Weill Cornell’s SNMA chapter are just some of the extracurricular activities that Dr. Fortson enjoyed along the way. She has demonstrated a commitment to both the department’s Humanizing Medicine curriculum and to national engagement, attending meetings including SOAP, SCA, PGA, and SNMA. Dr. Fortson has all the characteristics of a Chief Resident: she values mentorship and holds herself accountable for the highest levels of patient care.

Anvesh Macherla, MD

Anvesh Macherla grew up in San Diego and has always valued being part of a team. He spent a lot of time playing soccer and running track growing up. This inclination continued as an undergraduate at the University of California San Diego where he was a member of a Bollywood dance troupe. Anvesh realized medicine was a good fit because it combined science with the chance to work closely with and help people. He excelled in medical school at the University of California, Irvine where he was inducted in the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Society. Anvesh became interested in anesthesiology after he rotated on the acute pain service and saw how quickly regional anesthesia could make a significant impact on patients; he saw similar intraoperative threads, and loved the physiology and pharmacology that permeated anesthesiologists’ clinical practice.

Anvesh is universally liked by and gets along with everyone, which makes him a very vibrant and strong part of the Cornell community. His interpersonal skills, professionalism, and love for anesthesiology are infectious and inspire those with whom he works. Endless energy, enthusiasm, and positivity are the hallmarks of Anvesh's working persona. He is hungry for knowledge, for ‘reps,’ and can always be counted on to be doing the right thing. Dr. Macherla is a resilient, well-rounded, and lovely human being — on top of being a very talented physician.