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  1. Faculty Affairs
  2. Faculty Development
  3. HSCOE | Career Development
  4. Faculty Scholar Profiles

Current and Past Faculty Scholars

HSCOE Faculty Scholars are newly recruited (within 1-2 years) underrepresented faculty members with an at least 50% salaried faculty appointment (any series or rank) in Health Sciences.  

Faculty Scholars are invited to apply each fall to this one year faculty development program. Once Faculty Scholars complete their year in the program, they are considered alumni and a vital part of the HSCOE community. 

HSCOE Faculty Scholars 2023 Cohort

HSCOE Faculty Scholars 2021 Cohort

  • Matthew Banegas, PhD, MPH

    Matthew Banegas, PhD, MPH

    Associate Professor
    Department of Radiation Medicine and Applied Sciences
    CAP Title: Development of a research-focused division within a clinical department at UCSD: the RMAS Division of Applied Sciences​
  • Alexander Bullen, MD

    Alexander Bullen, MD

    Assistant Professor
    Department of Medicine
    CAP Title: Kidney Tubular Secretion and Adverse Events​
  • Joseph Diaz, MD

    Joseph Diaz, MD

    Assistant Professor
    Department of Medicine
    CAP Title: Stumbling Upon Wellness, strategies for mitigating physician burnout
  • Inma Hernandez, PhD, PharmD

    Inma Hernandez, PhD, PharmD

    Associate Professor
    School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences
    CAP Title: Drivers of Rising Insulin Prices: Tracking Cash Flow Across the Drug Supply Chain 
  • Nicole Lopez, MD

    Nicole Lopez, MD

    Associate Professor
    Department of Surgery
    CAP Title: Rectal Cancer Surgery—Understanding Trends in Decision Making
  • Eric Mendez, MD

    Eric Mendez, MD

    Assistant Professor
    Department of Medicine
    CAP Title: Management of Chronic Conditions in Patients Using Pre-exposure Prophylaxis to HIV​
  • Jessica Montoya, PhD

    Jessica Montoya, PhD

    Assistant Professor
    Department of Psychiatry
    CAP Title: Community-engaged ap​proach to identify HIV prevention strategies among members of American Indian tribal communities in Southern California
  • Angelique Richardson, MD

    Angelique Richardson, MD

    Assistant Professor
    Department of Medicine
    CAP Title: Breaking Barriers and Bridging Gaps: My Journey in Addressing Breast Cancer Health Disparities in Black Women in San Diego​
  • Fabian Rivera-Chavez, PhD

    Fabian Rivera-Chavez, PhD

    Assistant Professor
    Department of Pediatrics
    CAP Title: Project: ​Submitting a NIH Director’s New Innovator Award Program (DP2)
  • Richard Silva, MD

    Richard Silva, MD

    Assistant Professor
    Department of Pediatrics
    CAP Title: Health Equity Education in the Clinical Setting
  • Dorathy Tamayo-Murillo, MD

    Dorathy Tamayo-Murillo, MD

    Assistant Professor
    Department of Radiology
    CAP Title: Assessing Liver Fat in Adults with Obesity by Expert and Non-Expert Operators Using Point-of-Care Ultrasound: A Pilot Study on Feasibility and Accuracy​

HSCOE Faculty Scholars 2020 Cohort

  • Omonigho Aisagbonhi, MD, PhD

    Omonigho Aisagbonhi, MD, PhD

    Assistant Professor
    Department of Pathology
    CAP Title: Community Building; Research
  • Luis Cajas-Monson, MD

    Luis Cajas-Monson, MD

    Vascular Surgeon
    Sharp HealthCare
    CAP Title: TBD
  • Natalie Castriotta, PhD

    Natalie Castriotta, PhD

    Assistant Professor
    Department of Psychiatry
    CAP Title: Increasing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Within the UCSD/VA Clinical Psychology Postdoctoral Residency Program
  • Veronica Gonzalez, MD

    Veronica Gonzalez, MD

    Assistant Professor
    Department of Medicine
    CAP Title: Advance Care Planning for Older Spanish-Speaking Adults
  • Sara Higginson, MD

    Sara Higginson, MD

    Assistant Professor
    Fresno Surgery at School of Medicine at University of California, San Francisco
    CAP Title: TBD
  • George Hightower, MD, PhD

    George Hightower, MD, PhD

    Assistant Professor
    Department of Dermatology
    CAP Title: Narratives, Ethics, Medicine, and Performing Art
  • David Inwards-Breland, MD

    David Inwards-Breland, MD

    Professor of Clinical Pediatrics
    Morehouse School of Medicine at Morehouse College
    CAP Title: LGBTQA+ Advocacy Through Research/Academia
  • Ana "Cristina" Llorente Izquierdo, PhD

    Ana "Cristina" Llorente Izquierdo, PhD

    Assistant Professor
    Department of Medicine
    CAP Title: Gut-Liver Axis in Alcohol-Associated Liver Disease
  • Joseph Osorio, MD, PhD

    Joseph Osorio, MD, PhD

    Assistant Professor
    Department of Surgery
    CAP Title: Personalization in Spine Care for the Adult Spinal Deformity Patient
  • Tukisa Smith, MD

    Tukisa Smith, MD

    Assistant Professor
    Department of Medicine
    CAP Title: Vaccine Hesitancy vs. Vaccine Access: Equitable COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution and Uptake
  • James Templeman, MD, MPH

    James Templeman, MD, MPH

    Assistant Professor
    Department of Medicine
    CAP Title: Geriatric Elective: A Spoonful of Sugar

HSCOE Faculty Scholars 2019 Cohort

HSCOE Faculty Scholars 2018 Cohort

  • Jessica Bomyea, PhD

    Jessica Bomyea, PhD

    Assistant Professor
    Department of Psychiatry
    CAP Title: Pursuing Independent Grant Funding
  • Yuliana Gallegos Rodriguez, PhD

    Yuliana Gallegos Rodriguez, PhD

    Assistant Professor
    Department of Psychiatry
    CAP Title: Implementing A Peer Specialist's VVC Curriculum to Veterans at High Risk For Suicide
  • Hector Gonzalez, PhD

    Hector Gonzalez, PhD

    Associate Professor
    Department of Neurosciences
    CAP Title: 
  • Tamara Maginot, PhD

    Tamara Maginot, PhD

    Assistant Professor
    Department of Psychiatry
    CAP Title: Business Plan Development for a Medical-Psychiatric Partial Hospitalization Program
  • Ryan Orosco, MD

    Ryan Orosco, MD

    Associate Professor
    Health Sciences at University of New Mexico
    CAP Title: Translating Technologies from the Bench Toward the Bedside
  • Natalie Rodriguez, MD

    Natalie Rodriguez, MD

    Associate Professor
    Department of Family Medicine
    CAP Title: Developing a Longitudinal Medical Spanish Curriculum
  • Leidy "Johana" Tovar Padua, MD

    Leidy "Johana" Tovar Padua, MD

    Assistant Professor
    Department of Pediatrics
    CAP Title: Developing Pediatric Transplant Infectious Diseases Program
  • Kiyomi Tsuyuki, PhD, MPH

    Kiyomi Tsuyuki, PhD, MPH

    Assistant Professor
    Department of Medicine
    CAP Title: Implementation Science to Engage and Retain Laino Men in HIV Care
  • Marcus "Tony" Urey, MD

    Marcus "Tony" Urey, MD

    Assistant Professor
    Department of Medicine
    CAP Title: Developing an Amyloidosis Center of Excellence
  • June Yoshii-Contreras, MD

    June Yoshii-Contreras, MD

    Assistant Professor
    Department of Neurosciences
    CAP Title: Developing an Adult Epilepsy Fellowship Program

HSCOE Faculty Scholars 2017 Cohort

  • Maria Aristizabal, MD

    Maria Aristizabal, MD

    Assistant Professor
    Department of Pediatrics
    CAP Title: Roll out of COMPRENDO: Adaptation and Implementation of a Peer-Navigation Intervention to Improve Research Literacy and Diversity in Pediatric Leukemia Clinical Trials
  • Joseph Avalos, MD

    Joseph Avalos, MD

    Assistant Professor
    Department of Medicine
    CAP Title: Curriculum Development: Improving Inpatient Progress Notes and Feedback
  • Kara Bagot, MD

    Kara Bagot, MD

    Assistant Professor 
    Department of Psychiatry at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
    CAP Title: TBD
  • Javier Cepeda, PhD, MPH

    Javier Cepeda, PhD, MPH

    Assistant Professor
    Department of Medicine at John Hopskin Bloomberg School of Public Health
    CAP Title: Dynamic Modeling of HCV Elimination in Substance Using Populations
  • Atim Ekpenyong, MD

    Atim Ekpenyong, MD

    Associate Professor
    Department of Pediatrics
    CAP Title: Course Director for the American Academy of Pediatrics National Conference and Exhibition Advanced Point-of-Care Ultrasound Course
  • Erika Fernandez, MD

    Erika Fernandez, MD

    Neonatologist, Associate Professor
    Department of Pediatrics
    CAP Title: Creating Standard Operating Procedures for a Critical Care Division
  • Natalie Guido-Estrada, MD

    Natalie Guido-Estrada, MD

    Assistant Professor
    Department of Neurosciences
    CAP Title: Curriculum Design, Scheduling and Mentoring for the Outpatient and Inpatient Rotating Trainees in the Child Neurology Division
  • Maria Marquine, PhD

    Maria Marquine, PhD

    Assistant Professor 
    Department of Medicine at Duke University School of Medicine
    CAP Title: Neuropsychological Test Norms for Spanish-Speakers Living in the US-Mexico Border Region
  • Isabel Newton, MD, PhD

    Isabel Newton, MD, PhD

    Associate Professor
    Department of Radiology
    CAP Title: HCOE Reflection
  • Richard Novotny, MD

    Richard Novotny, MD

    Family Medicine Doctor
    UC San Diego Health  - La Jolla, Hillcrest Hospitals
    CAP Title: Development of Community Medicine Rotation for Family Medicine
  • Maria "Paulina" Ordonez Naranjo, MD

    Maria "Paulina" Ordonez Naranjo, MD

    Assistant Professor
    Department of Family Medicine
    CAP Title: Progression from Steatosis to Steatohepatitis in Alcoholic Liver Disease is Enhanced by the Risk Allele of PNPLA3 via Remodeling of Lipid Droplets and Disruption of Bioactive Lipid Composition
  • Andres Roma, MD

    Andres Roma, MD

    Professor
    Department of Pathology
    CAP Title: Risk Stratification Pattern-Based System for Invasive Adenocarcinomas in Hispanic Population
  • Yahir Santiago-Lastra, MD

    Yahir Santiago-Lastra, MD

    Assistant Professor
    Department of Urology
    CAP Title: Transition Program for Adults with Congenital Urologic Conditions
  • Armin Schwartzman, PhD

    Armin Schwartzman, PhD

    Professor
    Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health
    CAP Title: Psychology of Grant Writing
  • Argentina Servin, MD

    Argentina Servin, MD

    Assistant Professor
    Department of Medicine
    CAP Title: Developing a Youth-Centered Mobile App for Sex Ed and Linkage into Care in California
  • Vanessa Tamas, MD

    Vanessa Tamas, MD

    Assistant Professor
    Department of Pediatrics
    CAP Title: Spatial Analysis Evaluation of Extended Spectrum Beta-lactamase (ESBL) Producing Organisms as a Cause of Urinary Tract Infections 
  • Gabriel Wardi, MD, MPH

    Gabriel Wardi, MD, MPH

    Assistant Professor
    Department of Emergency Medicine
    CAP Title: An Integrative Approach to Improving Awareness of Healthcare Disparities and Promoting inclusion in the Department of Emergency Medicine