2026 Simulation Committee Leader Spotlight

Vanya Zvonar, MD

Vice Chair of the EMRA Simulation Committee, 2026

Program:
Mount Sinai Hospital

What is your goal as an EMRA leader?
To be part of an awesome group interested in simulation that learns together and gets other residents and members of our EM community involved in fun activities!

Why did you get involved in a professional society?
Enthusiastic, receptive to feedback, great team player.

What is the best advice you have ever received?
Don’t take anything too seriously!

What is something that people don't know about you?
I can ride a unicycle!

If you weren't an emergency physician, what would you be?
A linguist!

What is your favorite hack for night shifts?
Wake up early, work out and get myself very tired, have a big meal and go back to sleep for a nice nap before shift!

What app on your phone consumes the most of your time?
New York Times games

What is the last non-textbook you read?
People We Meet on Vacation - Emily Henry

Favorite channel on social media?
Peaceful studying music on YouTube :)

What are your tops songs on your Spotify Wrapped?
Ordinary - Alex Warren

Paraskevi (Vivian) Papas, MD, MS

Chair-Elect of the EMRA Simulation Committee, 2026

Program: 
Northwell Health/North Shore LIJ- Zucker School of Medicine

What is your goal as an EMRA leader?
My goal as an EMRA leader is to have a positive impact on emergency medicine residents by shaping education and advocating for better opportunities. Residency is often stressful and busy, and I want to help other residents keep their sense of purpose and keep our community strong. Through the Simulation Academy, I believe in using simulation training to prepare for rare events and ultimately be part of something bigger than myself, ensuring we’re all more confident and connected.

Why did you get involved in a professional society?
One of the biggest reasons I wanted to become an EMRA leader and be involved in a professional society is because I’ve been so fortunate to have had incredible mentors guiding me along my own path.EMRA is such a strong organization with amazing ways for both residents and med students to grow, and is behind a lot of the incredible opportunities we have. I wanted to be part of that so we can shape our education and create a stronger sense of purpose and community. Residency is a challenging time, but with dedicated leaders, we can really be part of shaping what’s next in the ever-changing world of emergency medicine.

What do you think are the top three traits of a great leader?
1. Integrity
2.Consistency
3. Approachability

What is the best advice you have ever received?
Be flexible with the route, but not the destination.

What is something that people don't know about you?
I was born in Greece to parents who immigrated to the U.S. in their late twenties and thirties. Watching them start over instilled resilience in me and taught me that it’s never too late to work toward where you want to be. My path to medicine was far from linear, but I firmly believe that with the right strategies and an unrelenting belief in yourself, anything is possible. Whenever I struggle, I remind myself that if they could get to where they are today from where they started, I can succeed too.

If you weren't an emergency physician, what would you be?
Immigration law or interior design. I like helping people through stressful transitions… and I also really care where the couch goes

What is your favorite hack for night shifts?
My favorite night-shift hack is pre-flipping my sleep schedule. I stay up super late the night before switching to nights so my body is already in night mode. If I don’t, I wake up way too early, exhaust myself all day trying to be tired enough to nap, and hope it works. And no night shift starts without a vanilla latte or Bloom in hand.

What app on your phone consumes the most of your time?
Instagram, Open-Evidence, le Chat GPT

What is the last non-textbook you read?
I wish I had a great book answer, but lately my non-textbook ‘reading’ has been light podcasts and a little too much YouTube. It’s my post-shift decompression.

Favorite channel on social media?
I love Dr. Shereene Idriss for skincare, Abbey Yung for hair, and Akis Petretzikis for Greek food. Honestly, if it’s anything skincare-related, food, or travel/history related, I’m in. I’ll happily go down a deep dive

What are your tops songs on your Spotify Wrapped?
1. Luther- Kendrick Lamar and SZA
2. Xilometra- APON
3. KOUKLA- Sicario

Zoie Sadler

Assistant Vice Chair of the EMRA Simulation Committee, 2026

Program: 
Liberty University College of Osteopathic Medicine

What is your goal as an EMRA leader?
My goal as an EMRA leader is to organize simulations that can be shared among EMIGs to highlight some scenarios commonly seen in the ER to promote the specialty. I also think that being able to organize events where medical students and residents can interact and network would be a great way to share knowledge and experiences from different regions.

Why did you get involved in a professional society?
I wanted to get involved in EMRA because I am passionate about emergency medicine and want to be part of its growth. I'm excited to be part of the team that gives colleagues the space to grow and challenge themselves in the safety of a simulation.

What do you think are the top three traits of a great leader?
I think the top 3 traits of an effective leader is being an effective communicator, working well within a team, and listening to others perspectives.

What is the best advice you have ever received?
The best advice I've received is to stop and breathe. It's easy to think about all the things I have to do and become overwhelmed, taking a second to breathe and clear my head helps to reorient me to what is actually important.

What is something that people don't know about you?
I hate ranch dressing.

What app on your phone consumes the most of your time?
TikTok or Messages

What is the last non-textbook you read?
Enigma by RuNyx