Our Team
A dynamic team of mission-driven health care research, education and policy experts focused on serving the underserved.
Scientific Director
Dr. Godino serves as the scientific director of the Laura Rodriguez Research Institute and the director of quality improvement and innovation at Family Health Centers of San Diego (FHCSD). His research, largely funded by the National Institutes of Health, focuses on developing and evaluating interventions using mobile and wearable technology — such as smartphones, accelerometers and heart rate monitors— to promote healthy changes in physical activity, sedentary behavior, diet and sleep. These efforts aim to prevent chronic diseases, particularly in populations with health disparities. A key aspect of his role at FHCSD is translating these interventions and technologies into routine clinical practice.
In addition to his NIH-funded work, Dr. Godino leads pragmatic quality improvement research efforts within the primary care setting. These efforts are designed to enhance patient care and population health outcomes by integrating evidence-based practices and innovative technologies into everyday clinical workflows. His projects often involve close collaboration with operational leaders, health care providers and patients to ensure that the interventions are effective and sustainable in real-world settings. By focusing on pragmatic research, Dr. Godino aims to bridge the gap between research findings and actual clinical practice, ultimately improving the quality of care delivered to patients.
Dr. Godino is also an associate research scientist at UC San Diego’s Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Human Longevity Science. Here he directs the Exercise and Physical Activity Resource Center (EPARC), a university recharge unit specializing in deep phenotyping. Through EPARC, Dr. Godino leads various industry-sponsored research projects on the analytical validity of both on- and off-body sensors that measure various components of human physiology and behavior.
Dr. Godino holds a B.A. in anthropology and an M.S. in epidemiology from Temple University, and a Ph.D. in epidemiology from the University of Cambridge. He completed his postdoctoral training in the epidemiology and biostatistics of aging at Johns Hopkins University.
Medical Director
Dr. Besterman is the medical director of the Laura Rodriguez Research Institute and a child and adolescent psychiatrist at FHCSD. He leads efforts to integrate precision medicine into community mental health settings, with a focus on rare diseases and complex psychiatric disorders in children and adolescents. His work bridges clinical care, research and policy to bring advanced genomic technologies, novel diagnostics and targeted therapeutics to historically underserved populations.
Dr. Besterman’s research spans translational neurogenetics, immunogenomics and early-phase clinical trials for rare neurodevelopmental syndromes and pediatric psychiatric disorders. He has led or co-led multiple investigator-initiated studies involving genome sequencing, proteomic biomarker discovery, and is currently developing projects on experimental therapeutics — including N-of-1 trial design for ultra-rare conditions. His clinical research is grounded in direct patient care and has focused on conditions such as autism spectrum disorder, catatonia, psychosis and Smith-Kingsmore Syndrome. He collaborates with rare disease foundations, national research consortia and biotech partners to accelerate discovery and implementation in pediatric precision psychiatry.
Prior to joining FHCSD, Dr. Besterman completed his psychiatry residency at UCSF, where he served as chief resident for research. He completed a fellowship in child and adolescent psychiatry and a postdoctoral research fellowship in medical genetics at the UCLA Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior. He served as an attending psychiatrist and clinical investigator at Rady Children’s Hospital and the Rady Children’s Institute for Genomic Medicine (RCIGM) and held a faculty appointment in the Department of Psychiatry at UC San Diego, where he continues to serve as a health sciences associate clinical professor.
Associate Director
Jane Samaniego initially joined LRRI as a research program manager focused on implementing research studies within FHCSD clinics. She earned her B.S. in information systems from San Diego State University and her M.S. in health care informatics from the University of San Diego. As a certified project management professional, Jane has 10 years of experience managing projects, providing operational support and analyzing data sets for research projects. In her new role as the associate director of LRRI, she is focused on streamlining operations and implementing strategic plans to maintain organizational effectiveness across the department. As a native of south bay San Diego, Jane is committed to supporting and operationalizing meaningful research that improves the health and well-being of her community.
Manager, Data Science
As a data scientist for LRRI, Adam is responsible for all data in emerging research opportunities and quality improvement projects within the population health department. This includes study preparation, such as creating randomization schemes and choosing analytical methods, creating digital surveys to proactively plan and implement data infrastructure, monitoring and reporting data in visualizations using PowerBI and R and quantitative analysis. Adam has also created surveys and worked with front-line staff to ensure data quality for the former Housing Navigation Center, contributed to FHCSD’s first published paper by using Poisson regression to indicate the success of FHCSD’s use of an ECHO model to treat underserved HCV patients, illustrated the low incidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection in San Diego’s congregant-living situations using testing data from FHCSD and Father Joe’s Villages and has created data collection platforms and PowerBI reports for FHCSD’s Refugee Health Assessment Program and Care Coordination Insurance Enrollment program. Adam came to FHCSD because he cares about improving the quality of care for the underserved. His interests include climbing, science fiction and fantasy, Dodgers baseball and craft beer.
Physician Scientist
As a clinician-educator focused on the care and treatment of disadvantaged populations affected by infectious diseases, including HIV/AIDS, viral hepatitis, tuberculosis, and most recently, COVID-19, Dr. Ramers has witnessed the impact of health disparities on marginalized minority populations. He currently serves as chief of population health at Family Health Centers of San Diego and medical director of Laura Rodriquez Research Institute. Dr. Ramers contributes subject matter expertise in infectious diseases, infectious disease guideline review and adaptation and didactic education and training for primary care providers in a Federally Qualified Health Center setting. As a core member of FHCSD’s COVID-19 Response Team, he has advised on the development of COVID-19-specific best practices and evidence-based screening, testing and infectious disease protocols. In addition, Dr. Ramers hosts biweekly virtual clinic rounds that serve as a living-learning network for the review of the latest scientific literature and rapid dissemination of NIH, IDSA, CDC, state and local guidelines, as well as FHCSD-specific policies.
Regionally, he serves on the County of San Diego COVID-19 Laboratory Testing Task Force and the Regional COVID-19 Task Force for Equitable Recovery established to ensure the San Diego’s COVID-19 recovery efforts address health disparities impacting underserved communities. Throughout the pandemic, Dr. Ramers worked tirelessly to provide the community with timely, accurate COVID-19 prevention education through interviews with local news media in English and Spanish. Dr. Ramers works nationally as a member of the IDSA-CDC COVID-19 Call Escalation volunteer group, providing expert, guideline-based advice to physicians who call the CDC COVID-19 Call Center. On an international level, he has presented on asymptomatic infection for the WHO AFRO region special virtual training series and launched and co-facilitated the bimonthly Spanish-language COVID-19 ECHO for Latin America. In addition, he is site principal investigator for the COVID-19 Prevention Network, facilitating community engagement, sensitization and recruitment for phase III SARS-CoV-2 vaccine candidates.
Manager, Research Programs
Prior to joining LRRI, Shadia worked in community health programs as a health coach. In her current role as a research programs manager, she specializes in clinical trial management and research project design. She holds bachelor’s degrees in public health policy and anthropology from the University of California, Irvine and earned her master’s in public health from San Diego State University. Since then, she has acquired extensive experience managing and implementing large clinical trials, designing technology-mediated health interventions and working with a variety of researchers and health care providers. In her free time, Shadia enjoys running, reading and listening to her favorite podcasts.
Supervisor, Digital Health Program
Jacqueline Poblete is a digital health specialist at Laura Rodriguez Research Institute. In 2022, she received her master’s degree in public health from the University of California, San Diego. She is highly committed to work relating to community health, health education and health promotion. Jacqueline has taken on a leadership role within the routine digital health programming at Family Health Centers of San Diego. She understands what it takes to develop, deliver and maintain high-quality digital health care services. Jacqueline aspires to improve public health by encouraging healthy lifestyles through behavior change, digital health and educational outreach.
Manager, Research Programs
Sydney Sharp earned a master’s degree in public health from the University of California San Diego. She joined LRRI as a research coordinator supporting multiple COVID-19 studies. Since then, Sydney has continued expanding her skills in study design, project management and health promotion to support multiple projects. Outside of work, she enjoys surfing, running and hiking.
Manager, Healthy Together
Cynthia Juarez Nunez is the research program manager for the Healthy Together Program at Laura Rodriguez Research Institute. She has a bachelor’s degree in kinesiology as well as a master’s in public health. She is also a certified health education specialist and completed the Leadership and Management Certification program at UCSD Extension. Cynthia is passionate about health equity and addressing health disparities. Her personal interests include physical activity and spending time with her family.
Patient Health Navigator
Yarian Abitia studied at Universidad Iberoamericana in Tijuana and graduated in 2020 with a degree in nutrition. After graduation, Yarian did some freelance work and worked as a promotora for a year and a half. Yarian joined LRRI as a patient engagement specialist II for the Healthy Together Plus Program, providing health education and coaching to families with children experiencing obesity and a high-level of exposure to adverse childhood experiences. In her free time, Yarian likes maintaining a healthy lifestyle and practicing Pilates.
Clinician Scientist
Dr. Rodas serves as a Clinician Scientist at the Laura Rodriguez Research Institute and a Licensed Clinical Psychologist in the Pediatric Developmental Services Department at FHCSD. Her work focuses on infant-family and early childhood mental health, perinatal mood and anxiety disorders (PMADs), and neurodiversity with a particular interest in autism.
Dr. Rodas is passionate about advancing equity in developmental and mental health services, particularly for individuals from underserved communities. Her research bridges clinical practice and implementation science. She has led and collaborated on research funded by various institutions including The Conrad Prebys Foundation and the NIH. She is deeply committed to integrating culturally responsive care, research, and training to better support the developmental and emotional wellbeing of young children and their caregivers.
Dr. Rodas earned her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from UCLA. She completed her APA-accredited clinical internship and postdoctoral fellowship at the USC/Children’s Hospital Los Angeles University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities, specializing in early childhood mental health and interdisciplinary assessment. Her clinical expertise includes developmental and behavioral assessment, as well as trauma informed intervention for young children and their families.
Patient Health Navigator
Yukary is a social, friendly and outgoing individual from Sonora, Mexico, who has been living in the United States since 2004. She attended Southwestern College and San Diego State University, where she earned her degree in child development teaching. Yukary actively participates in various programs and organizations, striving to make a positive impact on the San Diego community. She has been working with FHCSD for over two years and finds great satisfaction in helping others. Yukary joined LRRI as a Promotora/COVID prevention specialist in the COVID prevention program, using her bilingual skills to support Spanish-speaking patients and contribute to community safety. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, camping, traveling, working out and dancing. Additionally, she has a passion for modeling and acting and has appeared in movies. Family and friends hold a special place in her heart, and she values spending quality time with them.
Patient Health Navigator
Originally from Cuernavaca, Morelos in Mexico, Dr. Dulce Calzado-Moore moved to the U.S. in 2009 where she became dedicated to promoting and educating others about health. She joined LRRI as a patient engagement specialist for FHCSD’s Healthy Together Program, focusing on providing health education and coaching families with children who were facing obesity and high levels of exposure to adverse childhood experiences. In addition to her work in health education, Dr. Calzado-Moore is a practicing dentist and manages her own dental clinic in Tijuana, Mexico. In her free time, she cherishes spending Sundays and vacations with her family, finding joy in their company and creating lasting memories together.
Health Navigator
Born and raised in southern California, Cassandra Candia works as a health navigator at Family Health Centers of San Diego. She provides direct and indirect patient services to support linkage and maintenance in care, including completion of internal and external referrals for the assigned program. Cassandra graduated from CSULA with a degree in public health and hopes to complete her master’s degree at UCSD in the future. She is passionate about art, music and nature and her personal interests include traveling, going to the gym and spending time with her family, pets and friends.
Executive Assistant
LaTasha supports the management of activities and provides high-level administrative support.
Infectious Disease Specialist
Dr. Vidaurrazaga serves as an internal medicine/infectious disease physician at FHCSD. Since joining the organization in 2020, she has contributed to the management and care of patients affected by a wide range of infectious diseases, including HIV/AIDS, hepatitis B and C, tuberculosis and COVID-19. From 2020-2024, she was integral to the outpatient COVID therapeutics clinic, which administered monoclonal antibodies, oral antivirals and Remdesivir infusions. Additionally, Dr. Vidaurrazaga has participated in a CDC-funded initiative, the Long-COVID & Fatiguing Illnesses Recovery Program (LC&FIRP), aimed at improving the understanding and management of long-COVID and other post-infectious illnesses. Her role in disseminating emerging best practices through a nationwide webinar series demonstrates her commitment to improving patient outcomes through collaboration and knowledge-sharing. Her overarching mission is to improve the health and well-being of underserved communities through equitable, patient-centered care.
Research Data Scientist
Deisy earned her MPH in epidemiology from the University of California, San Diego. With more than five years of experience in the field of public health research and health care delivery, she has worked in diabetes, hypertension, mental health, HIV and obesity programs throughout communities in San Diego County and Tijuana. In her free time, Deisy loves to cook and explore new recipes.
Data Analyst
Grace Cota is a health educator with experience in health care communication and nonprofit work. She earned degrees in health communication and women’s studies from San Diego State University.
Grace began working at LRRI as a patient engagement specialist for the COVID Prevention Program, where she provided health education and supported patients with COVID-19 prevention resources.
She is passionate about patient-centered communication and addressing the unique needs of the communities FHCSD serves. Outside of work, she enjoys cooking, exploring San Diego and spending time with her dogs.
Community Health Worker
Earl Felisme is a community health worker and digital health specialist for Laura Rodriquez Research Institute and also serves as a case manager for FHCSD’s Refugee Clinic. Throughout his life, Earl has lived in Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia running successful voting and food drives as a member of the Urban League in Virginia and now California. Earl started his career as an HIV test counselor and has worked his way up into serving various roles throughout these states. Earl helped coordinate needle exchange outreach programs in Baltimore and trained students from John Hopkins University on how to perform safe, successful street outreach. He also helped the Virginia Department of Health link Haitian migrants to medical care with translation services. Earl has coordinated several Campaigns for CDC, Greater Than AIDS and Stomach Cancer Awareness. Earl was also awarded a Walter M. Shell Humanitarian award in February of 2018. After the passing of Earl’s twin Marc, he began mentoring other twins who are living with the loss of their twins. Earl is passionate about being there for others, especially during their darkest times. Since 2020, Earl has helped feed over 35 students and families who attend Southwestern College and over 50 throughout the Chula Vista and San Diego areas.
Clinical Research Coordinator
Paloma has worked at FHCSD since 2010 with roles ranging from an HIV caseworker for the Minority Aids Initiative and HRSA’s SPNS Initiative: Building a Medical Home, a medical assistant preceptor for special populations, a hepatitis C patient navigator and a population health study coordinator. In her current role a clinical research coordinator, she is involved in several tobacco-related disease research-funded projects that include the Feasibility and Acceptability of a Suite of Tobacco Cessation Services for Low-income Populations and Nicotine Cessation: Adapting a Counseling Program for Young Adults. Her personal interests include astronomy, wildlife photography and long-distance, open-water paddle boarding.
Clinical Research Coordinator
Naomi Romero Alvarez earned a bachelor’s degree in anthropology with a minor in global sustainability from the University of California Irvine. She started at LRRI supporting the COVID Prevention Program as a promotora and COVID-19 prevention specialist, helping connect community members with resources and health education. Naomi is passionate about community engagement, education and patient support. Outside of work, she enjoys trying new foods, spending time outdoors, writing and listening to music.
Patient Health Navigator
Jorge Juarez is a patient health navigator at Laura Rodriguez Research Institute and is dedicated to enhancing patient care by facilitating communication between patients, providers and service staff. He conducts patient interactions over the phone, assessing needs, providing referrals and ensuring continuity of care through follow-ups. Fluent in English and Spanish, he effectively communicates with diverse patient populations, ensuring they receive the support and resources they need.
His research has been presented at national conventions, including the National Communication Association Convention, and his manuscript, “The Road to Healthcare is Paved with Good Intentions: A Culture-Centered Approach to Mexico City’s Government Managed Healthcare”, is under review at the Journal of Communication in Healthcare. Jorge’s academic and professional pursuits reflect a commitment to bridging communication gaps in healthcare and fostering inclusive, patient-centered approaches to service delivery. Jorge holds a Master of Arts in Speech Communication from San Diego State University, where he graduated in the Summer of 2020. He also earned a Bachelor of Applied Arts and Sciences in Health Communication from San Diego State University, graduating in Spring 2018.
With a strong background in health communication and public speaking, Jorge has taught Public Speaking (COMM 103) at San Diego State University, where he designed and delivered dynamic lectures, facilitated discussions, and integrated technology to enrich student learning in Spanish and English. He also served a Teaching Assistant for the department’s inaugural bi-national course in collaboration with Universidad Autónoma de Baja California (UABC) in Tijuana, Mexico, emphasizing cross-cultural collaboration and community engagement.
Beyond his professional endeavors, Jorge enjoys traveling whenever possible, exploring national parks all across the country, and has a hidden talent beatboxing and knows conversational American Sign Language (ASL).
Our collaborators play a vital role in advancing our mission and expanding our impact. Through meaningful partnerships and shared expertise, they provide valuable insight and support to our research efforts. We appreciate their collaboration and are proud to recognize those who help foster lasting research partnerships.
Chief, Translational Immunopsychiatry Unit, National Institute of Mental Health
Dr. Bartley serves as Chief of the Translational Immunopsychiatry Unit at the National Institute of Mental Health. A board-certified psychiatrist and physician-scientist, he studies immune processes that contribute to neuropsychiatric illness, with a particular emphasis on identifying autoimmune neurobehavioral disorders. His research also focuses on defining biologically distinct subgroups of psychiatric illness, identifying cells and neural circuits in the central nervous system that are vulnerable to immune attack, and characterizing the effects of immune-antigen interactions on brain function and behavior. Dr. Bartley received his M.D. and Ph.D. from Yale University, completed his residency in Adult Psychiatry at the University of California, San Francisco, and went on to fellowship training in behavioral immunology at UCSF before joining NIMH in 2022
Clinical Psychologist and Professor, Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health & Human Longevity Science, UCSD
As a clinical psychologist within the Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Human Longevity Science, I am committed to the mission to improve health through preventive, epidemiological and clinical research. I am the UCSD Director of the UCSD/SDSU Joint Doctoral Program (UCSD/SDSU JDP) in Public Health and I have been actively involved in Centers of Excellence in Research and Intervention in Tobacco Control and in Health Promotion and Equity.
For the past 20 years I have been engaged in behavioral research to inform treatments for tobacco use. My recent research in tobacco has focused on population health impact of behavioral patterns of tobacco product use, regulatory science that supports the evaluation of the risks and benefits of tobacco regulatory decisions, the impact of proposed graphic warning labels on tobacco use behavior, identified screening tools that identify youth at risk for tobacco use, developed instruments to assess tobacco dependence and worked to promote engagement in behavioral tobacco treatment within large healthcare settings using Electronic Health Records. Since arriving at UC San Diego ten years ago I also have been working with colleagues to develop and evaluate behavioral treatments for adults overcoming overweight and obesity through changes in diet and lifestyle changes. These population-level systems and clinical interventions are designed to prevent disproportionate health impacts among those with low income communities, those with mental health conditions, and individuals receiving cancer care.
Chief of Neurology and Co-Director of the Neurological Institute at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles
Dr. Santoro serves as the Las Madrinas Endowed Chair and Chief of Neurology and Co-Director of the Neurological Institute at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. He is also the Director of Neuroimmunology and an Associate Professor of Neurology and Pediatrics at the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California. Dr. Santoro completed his undergraduate, masters, and medical degrees at Tulane University. He completed residencies in pediatrics and child neurology at Stanford University which was followed by sub-specialty training in neuroimmunology at Harvard Medical School. Dr. Santoro is one of only a handful of national clinician-scientists who treats neurologic disorders associated with Down syndrome. Dr. Santoro’s translational and clinical research expertise in neuroinflammation as it is related to cerebrovascular disease and neurocognitive disorders such as Down Syndrome Regression Disorder (DSRD), of which he has spoken internationally.
Professor, School of Physical Therapy, San Diego State University
Dr. Sara Gombatto is a physical therapist and professor at San Diego State University, where she co-directs the Rehabilitation Biomechanics Laboratory. Her research focuses on chronic-recurrent low back pain and the development of interventions for treatment and prevention. Her lab has used 3D movement analysis, mobile sensor technology, and MRI to identify posture and movement factors associated with low back pain.
She is a former scientist-in-residence at Family Health Centers of San Diego. Her clinical research, in partnership with FHCSD, focuses on developing and culturally adapting physical therapy and health systems interventions to address disparities in chronic spine pain management in minoritized populations. She is a co-leader of the Community Engagement Core of the SDSU HealthLINK Center for Transdisciplinary Health Research, working with FHCSD to build infrastructure that supports collaborative research.
Dr. Gombatto has received funding from the Foundation for Physical Therapy, the National Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation.
Executive Director, UCSD Center for Community Health
Blanca Meléndrez is executive director of UCSD CCH. She brings two decades of leadership in community-engaged public health practice. She focuses on addressing health disparities and promoting health equity, especially in communities of color. Her work is informed by her experiences as an immigrant from Mexico and includes developing health programs, building community coalitions and securing funding to enhance community health. She has helped secure more than $80 million to support these efforts.
Director, Institute for Behavioral and Community Health, SDSU
Dr. Noe Crespo is co-principal investigator for the COVID Prevention Program and the Vaccine Promotion Program in partnership with FHCSD. He leads the development, implementation and evaluation of behavioral intervention components. He is director of SDSU’s Institute for Behavioral and Community Health and oversees all research activities conducted through the institute.
Epidemiologist and Professor, Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health & Human Longevity Science, UCSD
Dr. Kimberly Brouwer is a professor and epidemiologist in the Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health at UC San Diego and associate dean for education and student affairs. Her work uses qualitative and quantitative approaches to public health challenges, focusing on improving access to care and reducing disparities. Since 2020 she has collaborated with FHCSD to improve tobacco-related treatment and screening.
Psychologist, Veterans Affairs San Diego Healthcare System | Professor In Residence, Psychiatry , UCSD
Dr. Mark Myers earned his PhD in clinical psychology from the UCSD/SDSU joint doctoral program and trained at the Brown University Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies. He is a psychologist at the VA San Diego Healthcare System and deputy director of the VA National Tobacco Cessation Clinical Resource Center. His research focuses on tobacco use interventions for high-risk populations including teens, college students, individuals with psychiatric disorders and military veterans.
Professor, Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Human Longevity Science, UCSD
Dr. Eric Hekler is a professor in the Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Human Longevity Science and the Design Lab at UC San Diego. He works at the intersection of health psychology, design, systems science and public health. He has NIH funding, numerous publications and international recognition in applied health science methods and digital health.
UC San Diego, academic co-director | Professor and dean, Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Human Longevity Science
Dr. Cheryl Anderson is director of the UCSD Center of Excellence in Health Promotion and Equity. Her research focuses on nutrition and chronic disease prevention, cardiovascular epidemiology and dietary interventions. She is a fellow of the American Heart Association and chairs its Nutrition Committee.
Director of Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Affairs
Tana Lepule directs Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Affairs at the Pacific Islander Collective San Diego, which works to increase visibility and provide support through education, advocacy and research.
Professor, Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health & Human Longevity Science, UCSD
Dr. Hong was born and raised in Seoul, South Korea. After she obtained a master’s degree in exercise psychology at University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana, she received her doctorate in the areas of psychoneuroimmunology and exercise immunology from the University of Georgia. She completed her post-doctoral training in psychoneuroimmunology and behavioral medicine research in the UCSD Department of Psychiatry. Dr. Hong’s research interests include neuroendocrine and immune cell activation, exercise and immune system activation and adaptation, and inflammation and its cognitive and psychological impact. Her NIH-funded studies have been focusing on immune cell activation and inflammation under sympathoadrenal activation among individuals living with chronic inflammatory conditions and their implications for cardiovascular, psychosocial, and cognitive outcomes. Her recent research projects also include investigations of multi-system risk factors for cognitive outcomes in older adults and depression among individuals living in socially under-resourced settings. Dr. Hong utilizes various cellular immunology methods in her research and is the Director of UCSD Integrative Health and Mind-Body Biomarker Core.
Psychiatrist, UC San Diego Health | Associate Clinical Professor, Department of Psychiatry, UC San Diego
Dr. Emily Troyer is associate clinical professor in the UCSD Department of Psychiatry and director of the Community Psychiatry Research Center. She directs the community psychiatry track for the child and adolescent psychiatry fellowship and supervises residents and post-graduate fellows. Her research emphasizes social drivers of mental health, community-based participatory research and academic-community partnerships.
Gastroenterologist, UC San Diego Health | Professor, Department of Internal Medicine, UC San Diego
Dr. Samir Gupta is a gastroenterologist affiliated with UC San Diego Health and the VA San Diego Healthcare System. He specializes in colorectal cancer detection and prevention, particularly in patients with a family history or complex polyps. He completed residencies and fellowships at UCSF, University of Pennsylvania and UT Southwestern Medical Center.
Assistant Professor, Department of Family Medicine and Public Health, UC San Diego
Dr. Brittany Larsen is an assistant professor in the Department of Family Medicine and Public Health at UCSD. Her research focuses on physical activity promotion, behavioral management of diabetes and cardiovascular disease, and chronic disease epidemiology in underserved populations.
Chief Digital Health Officer, University of Washington Medicine | Professor, Department of Medicine, University of Washington
Dr. John Scott is a professor of medicine and chief digital health officer at UW Medicine. He launched Project ECHO in Washington, the first replication of the model outside New Mexico. His work focuses on telehealth, virtual care delivery and digital health integration.
Professor, School of Physical Therapy, San Diego State University
Dr. Katrina Monroe is a professor in the School of Physical Therapy at San Diego State University. She studies psychologically and culturally informed physical therapy approaches to manage stress-related chronic pain, especially in underserved populations.
Assistant Adjunct Professor, Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health & Human Longevity Science, UCSD
Dr. Tala Al-Rousan is an assistant professor of behavioral medicine and epidemiology at UCSD and founder of the Displacement and Health Research Center. Her work focuses on improving health for displaced populations, including refugees and migrants. She has held leadership positions with WHO, CDC and Doctors Without Borders.
Professor and Clinician Scientist, Western University
Dr. Douglas Fraser earned his MD/PhD from the University of Calgary and holds fellowships in pediatrics and critical care/trauma medicine. He is a professor and clinician scientist whose research focuses on disease biomarkers, cellular mechanisms and drug repurposing using omics technologies.
Assistant Professor of Nutrition, San Diego State University
Dr. Amanda C. McClain is an Assistant Professor of Nutrition at San Diego State University. Dr. McClain’s research employs community-based and social science perspectives to investigate how the stress of marginalization, especially food insecurity, shapes food choice and dietary intake and gets ‘under the skin’ to impact cardiometabolic risk and allostatic load among low-income and historically-marginalized populations, particularly Hispanics/Latinos. Simultaneously, her research aims to identify and leverage existing capacities (i.e., assets), as a part of behavior-change interventions embedded in existing infrastructure (e.g., federally-qualified health centers, food assistance programs), to mitigate the stress of marginalization and promote food security, nutritious diets, and cardiometabolic health equity.
Experience Transformation Coach, Patient Experience, UC San Diego Health
Dr. Genesis R. Bojorquez is a PhD-prepared nurse with over a decade of experience at UC San Diego Health, she began her career as a clinical nurse in orthopedics, stroke, and transplant before assuming leadership roles during her graduate and doctoral studies. She now serves as an Experience Transformation Coach in the Patient Experience department, where she focuses on improving patient care delivery. Dr. Bojorquez has dedicated her career to addressing healthcare disparities, particularly among underserved populations. She leverages data-driven approaches to improve patient engagement and experience, with a focus on optimizing healthcare delivery through real-time feedback and evidence-based practices.
Assistant Clinical Professor, Department of Medicine, UC San Diego | Director, Cardiology Informatics, UC San Diego Division of Cardiovascular Medicine
Dr. Mattheus Ramsis was raised in El Cajon, CA. Early childhood experiences with limited healthcare resources inspired his commitment to medicine and equity, and he is passionate about improving healthcare access for underserved communities. During his training, he collaborated with Samsung Research America on using smartwatches for remote atrial fibrillation detection, sparking his interest in digital health and AI. He has since led projects to enhance disease detection in resource-limited settings, from using smartphone cameras for cardiovascular monitoring to deploying AI on routine ECGs to identify undiagnosed heart conditions. Dr. Ramsis’ research aims to create sustainable, patient-centered improvements across diverse populations.
Primary Care Physician, UC San Diego Health | Assistant Clinical Professor, Family Medicine, UC San Diego
Laurel Dang is a board-certified family medicine physician who provides primary care for patients of all ages, including obstetrics care. Dr. Dang believes in taking her patients’ values and cultural context into consideration when developing a treatment plan. She aims to empower patients with medical literacy to promote autonomy. Dr. Dang’s goal is to provide compassionate care to generations of patients and their families. Dr. Dang’s E-STaR project focused on piloting a new colorectal cancer screening test to observe
Associate Clinical Professor, Division of General Internal Medicine, UC San Diego
Dr. Joseph Diaz is an Associate Clinical Professor in the Division of General Internal Medicine (GIM). He practices predominantly in the primary care setting and serves as the Clinical Services Chief for the Division of General Internal Medicine. His clinical/operational interests include improving workflow efficiencies in the delivery of ambulatory care and better understanding how technological innovations can be implemented into daily clinical practice. His research interests include better understanding systemic drivers of physician burnout and how to mitigate burnout; how physician coaching may improve physician wellness; how operational process improvements can better patient and population health; and how AI technologies can enhance and/or harm patient care and physician and patient experience.
Associate Physician, Radiation Medicine and Applied Science, UC San Diego
Dr. Sangwoo Shawn Kim is a radiation oncologist at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD). He completed his undergraduate studies at Swarthmore College, followed by medical school and residency training at UCSD, where he served as the chief resident in the radiation oncology residency program. During his chief residency, Dr. Kim was the physician lead for the department’s transition to the Epic electronic health record (EHR) system, working closely with the clinical operations and information technology teams to facilitate a seamless experience for both patients and providers. He also plays a central role in the Radiation Oncology Quality Reporting System and currently serves as physician chair of the departmental Quality Committee. Motivated by a commitment to improving cancer care, Dr. Kim focuses his efforts on leveraging EHR-based tools to streamline workflows for patients receiving radiation therapy, enhance operational efficiency, and promote high-quality, patient-centered care.
Clinic Medical Director for Vascular Surgery at UC San Diego Medical Center | Associate Professor of Surgery, UC San Diego
Elsie Gyang Ross, MD, MSc is an Associate Professor of Surgery and Adjunct Professor of Medicine at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, where she also serves as a Medical Director for Surgical Informatics and Clinic Medical Director for Vascular Surgery at Hillcrest. Her research focuses on the application of artificial intelligence (AI), implementation science, and outcomes research to improve the detection and treatment of peripheral artery disease (PAD) in order to reduce adverse outcomes. She leads an NIH R01–funded program to develop and implement AI-enabled PAD detection in diverse patient populations and is building translational pipelines that integrate AI with clinical workflows to enhance equity and real-world impact. Her clinical work focuses on symptomatic PAD, limb salvage, dialysis access, and advanced endovascular care.
Primary Care Physician, UC San Diego Health | Associate Professor, Division of General Internal Medicine, UC San Diego
Dr. Megha Shankar is an Associate Professor of Medicine within the Division of General Internal Medicine and Department of Medicine at the University of California San Diego. She is a primary care physician, medical educator, and health services researcher who seeks to promote justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion in medicine with a focus on sexual and reproductive health. Clinically, she practices primary care at the UCSD 4th and Lewis Internal Medicine Clinic. She leads the women’s health quality efforts as the Co-Director of the Population Health Services Organization Wellness/Prevention Committee, seeking to promote cervical and breast cancer screening. As an educator, she teaches within both graduate and undergraduate medical education. She serves as Core Faculty with the UCSD Internal Medicine Residency Program as the Director of the Social Justice and Advocacy Pathway and Key Faculty within the Primary Care Track. She directs the School of Medicine elective MED 286: Refugee, Immigrant, and Migrant Health and participates in the third-year medicine clerkship Mentor Clinician Program.
Our LRRI alumni are an important part of our community and legacy. We’re proud to celebrate their accomplishments and transition to new roles within research and healthcare.
Aaron Tam joined LRRI as a project coordinator while earning a bachelor’s degree in public health from the University of California San Diego. After graduating in 2021, he attended the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
Aaron currently works with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation, supporting the development and evaluation of health care payment and service delivery models.
Sydney Lewis worked with LRRI for three years as a project coordinator while earning a degree in public health from the University of California San Diego. She later earned a master’s degree in epidemiology from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
Sydney now works as a clinical researcher at TruDataRx, where she develops evidence reviews focused on comparative effectiveness research across a range of medical conditions.
Digital Health Specialist
Diego Aguilera served as a digital health specialist while earning a bachelor’s degree in human biology from the University of California San Diego.
During his time at LRRI, he supported the Digital Health Program by helping patients use remote monitoring devices, including blood pressure monitors, glucometers and fitness trackers. His work focused on improving health education and supporting patients managing hypertension, diabetes and weight-related conditions.
Research Nurse
Born and raised in San Diego, Ernesto served as a licensed vocational nurse (LVN) at FHCSD and as a research LVN with LRRI. He holds certifications and experience as a CNA, EMT, and emergency room technician. As a research LVN, Ernesto supported study teams by recruiting patients and providing them with ethical and empathetic care as they participate in various studies. He is passionate about helping his community and fighting injustices.
Ernesto is now pursuing his bachelors in nursing to become a registered nurse.
