Summer Fellows

 

Damaris Arriola Zarate
Professional Program: DDS
Institution: UCLA
Project: Establishing a Quality-Adjusted Life Year Proxy for Children’s Dental Caries to Calculate Incremental Cost-Effectiveness Ratio: A Discrete Choice Experiment
Mentor: Francisco Ramos-Gomez, DDS

 

Jasmeet Dhaliwal
Professional Program: MD
Institution: UCLA
Project: Undertreatment of Hypertension in Patients with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus and Rheumatoid Arthritis
Mentor: Joseph Ladapo, MD, PhD

 

Rosemarie DiPentino
Professional Program: MD
Institution: UCLA
Project: Identifying an adolescent vital sign: gradebook data as a marker for substance use among low-income minority middle school students
Mentor: Mitchell Wong, MD, PhD

Mariam Khan
Professional Program: MD
Institution: UCLA
Project: Evaluating the Associations between Domains of Positive Childhood Experiences and Adult Health Outcomes
Mentor: Adam Schickedanz, MD PhD

Jennifer Wenchi
Professional Program: DDS
Institution: UCLA
Project: Dental Referral Tracking at California's Federally Qualified Health Centers
Mentor: Nadereh Pourat, PhD

Neda Ashtari
Professional Program: MD
Institution: UCLA
Project: Eliminating Gaps in Medicaid Coverage During Youth Reentry
Mentor: Elizabeth Barnert, MD

Natalia Garcia Penaloza
Professional Program: MD
Institution: UCLA
Project: Developing an Evidence-based, Culturally Appropriate Survey to Assess the Needs of Immigrant Youth and Families in LA County
Mentor: Alice Kuo, MD

Allison Leggett
Professional Program: MD
Institution: UCLA
Project: The Role of Nontraditional Risk Factors in the Development of Chronic Kidney Disease
Mentor: Keith C. Norris, MD, PhD

Vanessa Nunez
Professional Program: MD
Institution: UCLA
Project: Whole Person Care Los Angeles: Community Stakeholder Analysis
Mentor: Arleen Brown, MD, PhD

Vivek Shah
Professional Program: MD
Institution: UCLA
Project: An Evaluation of the Relationship between ACE Scores, Social Connectedness, and Medical Utilization
Mentor: Adam Schickedanz, MD, PhD

Imran Ahmed
Professional Program: DDS
Institution: UCLA
Project: Medical-Dental Integration in Pediatric Health
Mentor: Francisco Ramos-Gomez, DDS, MPH

Amanda Ankrom
Professional Program: DDS
Institution: UCLA
Project: Evidence-Based Management of Dental Caries in Los Angeles County Community Clinics
Mentor: Ian Coulter, PhD

Vania Chan
Professional Program: DDS
Institution: UCLA
Project: Early Oral Health Education in Los Angeles Schools
Mentor: Kathryn Atchison, DDS, MPH

Kearny Chang
Professional Program: DDS
Institution: UCLA
Project: The effects of e-cigarettes on the oral microbiome, host defense, and periodontal health.
Mentor: Flavia Pirih, DDS, PhD

Anna Dermenchyan
Professional Program: PhD
Institution: UCLA
Project: Impact of Sociodemographic Factors on Outcomes in Primary Care Heart Failure Patient Population
Mentor: Lynn Doering, PhD

Brittany Tate
Professional Program: DDS
Institution: UCLA
Project: Effect of Academic Climate on the Development of Practitioners
Mentor: Kathryn Atchison, DDS, MPH

George Truong
Professional Program: MD
Institution: UCLA
Project: Effects of substance use on ART adherence and viral suppression among PLWH entering jail.
Mentor: William Cunningham, MD, MPH

Olivia Wu
Professional Program: MD
Institution: UCLA
Project: Building and Evaluating a Medical-Financial Partnership: Measuring the Impact of Financial Coaching on Health
Mentor: Adam Schickedanz, MD

Victoria Chen
Professional Program: DDS
Institution: UCLA
Project: Caregivers’ Engagement in and Attitudes towards Pediatric Oral Health Practices: Findings from Los Angeles Community-Based Health Clinics
Mentor: James Crall, DDS MS, ScD

 

Cassandra DeWitt
Professional Program: MD
Institution: UCLA
Project: Statin Use: Patient Problems Obtaining Recommended Treatment (SUPPORT)
Mentor: Joe Ladapo, MD, PhD

Gerardo Flores
Professional Program: PhD
Institution: UCLA
Project: Influence Of Source Of Pay On Emergency Department Visits And Hospitalization Rates Among Patients Presenting To U.S. Emergency Departments After A Soccer-Related Injury
Mentor: Dorothy Wiley, PhD, RN, FAAN

Walter Fuentes
Professional Program: DDS
Institution: UCLA
Project: DentiCal Service Utilization, in 0-5 Year Olds Across LA County, Based on Socioeconomic Status, Marital Status, and Ethnic Demographics of Zip Codes
Mentor: James Crall, DDS MS, ScD

Bria Pettway
Professional Program: MD
Institution: Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science 
Project: The Role of Parent Engagement in Access to Health Care for Youth After Incarceration 
Mentor: Elizabeth Barnert, MD

Mercedes Scott
Professional Program: MD
Institution: UCLA
Project: Screen to Save: A Faith-based Approach to Increasing the Awareness of Colorectal Cancer Screening in African Americans
Mentor: Juana Gatson, PhD

Sogole Tabatabaiepur
Professional Program: DDS
Institution: UCLA
Project: Dentist to Patient Figures for DentiCal Accepting Dentists Across Los Angeles County
Mentor: James Crall, DDS MS, ScD

Kelly Vitzthum
Professional Program: DDS
Institution: UCLA
Project: Applying the Integrated Behavioral Model to promote better oral health communications
Mentor: James Crall, DDS MS, ScD

Marquell Craddock
Professional Program: MD
Institution: Charles R. Drew University of Medicine  
Project: Evaluation of the UCLA-Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP)
Mentor: O. Kenrik Duru, MD, MSHS and Wendy Slusser, MD

Sandy Ha
Professional Program: DDS
Institution: UCLA
Project: Dentists' Knowledge, Attitudes, and Perceptions in Treating Medically Complex Patients
Mentor: Fariba Younai, DDS

Desiree Hsiou
Professional Program: DDS
Institution: UCLA
Project: Evaluate the correlation between the perception of e-cigarettes as a smoking cessation aid and an individual's poverty and education level in the Los Angeles County
Mentor: Diana Messadi, DDS, MMSc, DMSc

Haejin Kang
Professional Program: DDS
Institution: UCLA
Project: A knowledge, attitude, beliefs, and practices (KABP) survey on special needs patients and their student dentist providers
Mentor: Francisco Ramos-Gomez, DDS, MPH

Deborah Lee
Professional Program: DDS
Institution: UCLA
Project: Patient's knowledge and perception on medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw (MRONJ) among the users of anti-resorptive drugs rs
Mentor: Reuben Kim, DDS, PhD

Tiffany Lin
Professional Program: DDS
Institution: UCLA
Project: Proteomic Analysis of Chronic Alcohol Use
Mentor: Shen Hu, PhD

Damond Ng
Professional Program: MD
Institution: UCLA
Project: Hypertension control in urban underserved communities: Impact and analysis of a behavioral economics intervention
Mentor: Martin Shapiro, MD, PhD

My Nguyen
Professional Program: DDS
Institution: UCLA
Project: User's View of Electronic Cigarettes
Mentor: Diana Messadi, DDS

Rebekah Rogers
Professional Program: MD
Institution: Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science
Project: Do Changes in Adolescent Career Aspirations Predict their Health Behaviors?
Mentor: Rebecca Dudovitz, MD, MS

Sharlene Cam
Professional Program: DDS
Institution: UCLA
Project: Risk of complications in HIV-seropositive patients undergoing invasive dental procedures
Mentor: Fariba S. Younai, DDS

Mahsa Dousti
Professional Program: DDS
Institution: UCLA
Project: Impact of Parent's actions during pregnancy and after childbirth on children's behavioral health
Mentor: Nancy Reifel, DDS, MPH

Catherine Gliwa
Professional Program: MD
Institution: UCLA
Project: Perceived effects of social support on diabetes management in African American women with type 2 diabetes
Mentor: Arleen Brown, MD, PhD

Jacob Gutierrez
Professional Program: MD
Institution: Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science
Project: Adolescents' desire for popularity and its influence on substance use
Mentor: Mitchell Wong, MD, PhD

Amit Iyengar
Professional Program: MD
Institution: UCLA
Project: Lung Transplantation in the LAS era
Mentor: Abbas Ardehali, MD

Grace Kim
Professional Program: MD
Institution: UCLA
Project: Urban Student Perspectives on School-Based Social Networks, Identity, and Substance Use
Mentor: Rebecca Dudovitz, MD, MSHS

Sue Kim
Professional Program: DDS
Institution: UCLA
Project: Nanodiamond-Based Growth Factors As Alternative To Costly Bone Graft Procedures
Mentor: Dean Ho, PhD

Kevin Lee
Professional Program: DDS
Institution: UCLA
Project: Gammaherpesvirus ORF10 selectively inhibits cellular mRNA nuclear export
Mentor: Ting-Ting Wu, PhD

Rachel Lim
Professional Program: DDS
Institution: UCLA
Project: Optimization of NELL-1 Dosage Frequency and Delivery Method in Osteoporotic Mice
Mentor: Eric Kang Ting, DMD, DMedSci

Lawrence Lin
Professional Program: DDS
Institution: UCLA
Project: Effectiveness of Oral and Overall Health Instruction in Underprivileged Teenage Populations
Mentor: Diana Messadi, DDS

Christina Ma
Professional Program: MD
Institution: UCLA
Project: The effects of vitamin D3 versus 25D3 on mineral balance and immune function in a multi-ethnic cohort of healthy adults
Mentor: John S. Adams, MD

Cherlyn Perez
Professional Program: MD
Institution: UCLA
Project: Pharmacodynamic Changes in Notch3 Expression Levels in Response to Targeting Notch3 with an Antibody Drug Conjugate
Mentor: Sara Hurvitz, MD

Thomas Poelman
Professional Program: DDS
Institution: UCLA
Project: Attitudes and Knowledge of Dental Students towards Caries Management by Risk Assessment
Mentor: Francisco Ramos-Gomez, DDS, MS, MPH

Deborah Rothhaar
Professional Program: PHD
Institution: UCLA
Project: The Effect of Patient Attributes on Alarm Burden in the ICU
Mentor: Dorothy Wiley, PhD

Hafifa Siddiq
Professional Program: PHD
Institution: UCLA
Project:Cultural Influences On Breast Cancer Screening Among Korean American Women
Mentor: Eunice Lee, PhD

Eric Tam
Professional Program: MD
Institution: UCLA
Project: Engagement with physician, ART adherence, and viral load suppression among HIV+ men leaving LA County jail
Mentor: William Cunningham, MD, MPH

Ryan Wong
Professional Program: DDS
Institution: UCLA
Project: Evaluating Peri-implantitis and Periodontitis in a Murine Model
Mentor: Flavia Pirih, DDS, PhD

Jeffrey Brumbaugh
Professional Program: DDS
Institution: UCLA
Project: Identification of Gene Expression Signatures in Smoking Related Oral Cancer
Mentor: Shen Hu, PhD

Noel Carillo
Professional Program: MD
Institution: UCLA
Project: Differences Between Substance Abuse, Mental Illness, and HIV Disease Status Among Persons Living in HIV Supportive Housing
Mentor: Steve Shoptaw, PhD

Clayton Chan
Professional Program: DDS
Institution: UCLA
Project: Impact of Parent Characteristics on Child Development
Mentor: Nancy Reifel, DDS, MPH

Yoonah Danskin
Professional Program: DDS
Institution:UCLA
Project: E-Cigarette (e-cigs), Marijuana, and Cigarette usage among UCLA Dental Patients
Mentor: Diana Messadi, DDS, MMSc, DMSc

Krystle Frazier
Professional Program: MD
Institution: UCLA
Project: Clinical Trial of Stem Cell Therapy for Sickle Cell Disease: Development of a Novel Immunoassay to Detect Immunogenicity to HbAS3
Mentor: Donald Kohn, MD

Elyse Guran
Professional Program: MD
Institution: UCLA
Project: Evaluating a New Model for School Based Health Centers
Mentor: Rebecca Dudovitz, MD, MSHS

Kia Skrine Jeffers
Professional Program: PhD
Institution: UCLA
Project: LA Seniors Get "On the Move": A Pilot Evaluation of a Media-Based Intervention Aimed to Improve Physical Activity
Mentor: Catherine Sarkisian, MD, MSPH

Clark Knowlton
Professional Program: DDS
Institution: UCLA
Project: California Dentist’s Compliance with AAPD Recommendations for a Year-one Dental Visit
Mentor: Chanel McCreedy, DDS

Carter Le
Professional Program: DDS
Institution: UCLA
Project: Comparison of Behavioral Self-Management Goals in Remineralized and Non-Remineralized White Spot Lesions In Patients Ages 1-5 From Disadvantaged Communities
Mentor: Francisco Ramos-Gomez, DDS, MS, MPH

 

Alan Nguyen
Professional Program: DDS
Institution: UCLA
Project: Phenamil Diet Counteracts Ovariectomy-induced Osteoporosis
Mentor: Eric Kang Ting, DMD, DMedSc

Kelly Nguyen
Professional Program: DDS
Institution: UCLA
Project: Individuals with Single White Spots on Tooth Enamel had Higher Childhood Stress
Mentor: Shane White, PhD, BDentSc, MS, MA

Steve Petritz
Professional Program: DDS
Institution: UCLA
Project:  Nanomedicine application to the field of dentistry
Mentor: Dean Ho, PhD, MS

William Sheppard
Professional Program: MD
Institution: UCLA
Project: Occult Hypoperfusion is Associated with Mortality Following Traumatic Brain Injury
Mentor: Dennis Kim, MD

Graal Ventura-Diaz
Professional Program: PhD
Institution: UCLA
Project: Health, Injury and Sociodemographic Predictors of Hip Fractures in Public-Use Datasets: National Emergency Department Survey (NEDS) and the National Inpatient Survey (NIS)
Mentor: Dorothy Wiley, MSN, RN, MPH, PhD

 

Drake Williams
Professional Program: DDS
Institution: UCLA
Project: Role of Interleukin 36 in Bisphosphonate Related Osteonecrosis of the Jaw (BRONJ) pathogenesis
Mentor: Reuben Kim, DDS, PhD

Lindsay Williams
Professional Program: PhD
Institution: UCLA
Project: Women Veterans Perceptions of Mental Health Outpatient Services
Mentor: Sally Maliski, PhD, RN, FAAN

Hoover Wu
Professional Program: MD
Institution: Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science
Project: The Socioeconomic Realities Behind Elevated Pre-Operative Hemoglobin A1c and Surgical Risk of Cardiothoracic Surgery
Mentor: James McKinnell, MD

Judith Afonta
Professional Program: MSN
Institution: Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science
Project: Low HPV Vaccination Rates Among African Americans, A Literature Review
Mentor: Nadereh Pourat, PhD

Eric Chen
Professional Program: DDS
Institution: UCLA
Project: HIV Discrimination in Dental Care: An Investigation of Discriminatory Behavior among General Dentists in Los Angeles accepting Delta Dental Insurance
Mentor: Fariba Younai, DDS

Gerardo Flores
Professional Program: PhD
Institution: UCLA
Project: Comorbid Conditions Influence Hospitalization Rates across Age Groups Among those who Fall
Mentor: Dorothy Wiley, PhD, RN, FAAN

Marcel Fomotar
Professional Program: MSN
Institution: Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science
Project: Conceptualizing Challenges to Optimizing Health and Healthcare Access among Transgender Persons in the U.S.
Mentor: Martin Shapiro, MD, PhD

Shelia Ganjian
Professional Program: MD
Institution: Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science
Project: Determining What Physicians Know and Support in Health Care Reform
Mentor: Patrick Dowling, MD

Brian Hui
Professional Program: DDS
Institution: UCLA
Project: Impact of audio-visual aids on the informed consent of oral surgery patients
Mentor: Tara Aghaloo, MD, DDS

Phong Huynh
Professional Program: DDS
Institution: UCLA
Project: Identifying community perceived causes of childhood obesity in Boyle Heights and analysis of its pediatric health profile
Mentor: Wendy Slusser, MD

Eugen Kim
Professional Program: DDS
Institution: UCLA
Project: Dental Public Health - Who Cares? An Exploration of Dental Students' Perspective on the Specialty
Mentor: Katherine Atchison, DDS, MPH

Ebony King
Professional Program: MD
Institution: Charles R. Drew University
Project: National Trends in Access to Minimally Invasive Surgery for Adrenalectomy
Mentor: Jim Hu, MD

Eyerus Masho
Professional Program: MSN
Institution: Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science
Project: Cultural Variation and Perinatal Care Practice Between African American Women and Mexican American Women: a Critical Review
Mentor: Vanessa Miller, DrPH, RN

Judith McKelvy
Professional Program: PhD
Institution: UCLA
Project: Family and Friends Involvement in Self-Care Management of Type 2 Diabetes: A Review of the Literature
Mentor: Arleen F. Brown, MD, PhD

Linda Phi
Professional Program: DDS
Institution: UCLA
Project: Characterizing the Mechanism of Inflammation by Assessing Pro-Inflammatory Cytokines in Patients with TMD
Mentor: Francesco Chiappelli, PhD, MA

Kevin Quan
Professional Program: DDS
Institution: UCLA
Project: Oral Health Status Index Applied to NHANES
Mentor: Nancy Reifel, DDS, MPH

Pardis Rajabi
Professional Program: DDS
Institution: UCLA
Project: Prevalence of Enamel Hypoplastic Defects in a Psychological Stressor-Defined Population
Mentor: Shane N. White, BDentSc, MA, MS, PhD

Raymund Rebong
Professional Program: DDS
Institution: UCLA
Project: Racial Ethnic Disparities in Dental Care Based Health Status and Dental Insurance in California
Mentor: Nadereh Pourat, PhD

Dawn Santos
Professional Program: MSN
Institution: Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science
Project: The Relationship between Menopause and Sexual Function amongst Periomenopausal Women: A Literature Review
Mentor: Vanessa Miller, DrPH, RN

Samantha Tangchaiburana
Professional Program: MSN
Institution: UCLA
Project: Reducing Stimulant Use and Sexual Behaviors Among Gay/Bisexual Men: A Literature Review
Mentor: Adeline Nyamathi, PhD, ANP, FAAN

Maria Tobar
Professional Program: MD
Institution: UCLA
Project: Culturally Adapting Physical Activity Promoting Interventions for the Prevention of Stroke in Older Adults
Mentor: Catherine Sarkisian, MD, MSPH

Erica Tukiainen
Professional Program: MD
Institution: UCLA
Project: Evaluating the Impact of Health Education at a Federally Qualified health Center for Persons with Diabetes
Mentor: Carol M. Mangione, MD, MSPH

Uzoma Uwakah
Professional Program: MSN
Institution: Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science
Project: Cultural factors affecting pap smear utilization and adherence to the recommendations amongst Asian American Women in California
Mentor: Magda Shaheen, MD PhD

 

Professional Program: MSN
Institution: Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science
Project: No Time to Wait: Late Diagnosis of HIV & African Americans, A Literature Review
Mentor: Martin Shapiro, MD, PhD - UCLA

 

 

Alejandra Bautista
Professional Program: MD
Institution: UCLA
Project: Family Influence on Antidepressant Medication Use in Depressed Spanish-Speaking Latinos
Mentor: Jeanne Miranda, PhD - UCLA

 

Lubabah Ben-Ghaly
Professional Program: MD
Institution: UCLA
Project: The Effect of Implementing an Electronic Prescription Ordering System on Improving Health Outcomes and Eliminating Disparities in HIV+ Patients
Mentor: William Cunningham, MD, MPH - UCLA

Michael Hoang
Professional Program: DDS
Institution: UCLA
Project: Children with Special Care Needs and their Access to Preventative Medical and Dental Care
Mentor: Carl Maida, PhD, MA - UCLA

Christine Kho
Professional Program: MD
Institution: UCLA
Project: Beyond the Grade: The Impact of High-Performing Schools on Adolescent Behavioral and Mental Health Outcomes
Mentor: Mitchell Wong, MD, PhD - UCLA

Catherine Kim
Professional Program: DDS
Institution: UCLA
Project: Impact of the Elimination of Denti-Cal Adult Services on Community Clinics in California
Mentor: Nadereh Pourat, PhD, MSPH - UCLA

David Lee
Professional Program: DDS
Institution: UCLA
Project: Children with Special Health Care Needs and their Access to Preventative Medical and Dental Care
Mentor: Carl Maida, PhD, MA - UCLA

Michael Mangubat
Professional Program: MD
Institution: Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science
Project: Methimazole Dose Titration for Maintenance of Hyperthyroid Patients
Mentor: Theodore Friedman, MD, PhD - CDU

Adrienne Martinez-Hollingsworth
Professional Program: MSN
Institution: Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science
Project: Use of Social Media via Mobile Phones to Promote Diabetes Education in South Los Angeles
Mentor: Patricia Humbles, PhD, MSN - CDU

Ozioma Nwosu
Professional Program: MSN
Institution: Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science
Project: Fruit and Vegetable Intake and Mortality in U.S. Adults
Mentor: David Martins, MB, MS - CDU

Amarachi Okoro
Professional Program: MD
Institution: UCLA
Project: Finding the "Win-Win": A Needs Assessment Identifying the Barriers and Facilitators to a Greater Partnership Between Academic and Community Collaborators in Los Angeles
Mentor: Michael Rodriguez, MD, MPH - UCLA

Mark Ortega
Professional Program: DDS
Institution: UCLA
Project: A Comparison of Perceived Peridontal Oral Health Status and Periodontal Oral Health Based on Clinical Determinants in a National Probability Sample
Mentor: Marvin Marcus, DDS, MPH - UCLA

Rebecca Paddack
Professional Program: DDS
Institution: UCLA
Project: A Comparison of Perceived Peridontal Oral Health Status and Peridontal Oral Health Based on Clinical Determinants in a National Probability Sample
Mentor: Marvin Marcus, DDS, MPH - UCLA

Walter Perez
Professional Program: MSN
Institution: Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science
Project: Actos Versus Discontinuing Actos HbA1c Outcomes in a Minority Population
Mentor: Theodore Friedman, MD, PhD - CDU

John Pierce
Professional Program: DDS
Institution: UCLA
Project: Impact of the Elimination of Denti-Cal Audit Services on Community Clinics in California
Mentor: Nadereh Pourat, PhD, MSPH - UCLA

Amy Tam
Professional Program: DDS
Institution: UCLA
Project: Evaluation of the Implementation of Health Literature Organization Tool Box Guidelines
Mentor: Jennifer Holtzman, DDS, MPH - UCLA

 

 

John Thanasukarn
Professional Program: MD
Institution: UCLA
Project: Perspectives on Parenting Education as a Prenatal School Readiness Intervention
Mentor: Ashaunta Tumblin, MD, MPH, MSHS - UCLA

 

Khoa Tran
Professional Program: DDS
Institution: UCLA
Project: First 5 California - Improving Children's Dental Homes within Greater Los Angeles County
Mentor: James Crall, DDS, MS, ScD - UCLA

Laura Van
Professional Program: DDS
Institution: UCLA
Project: Children with Special Health Care Needs and their Access to Preventative Medical and Dental Care
Mentor: Carl Maida, PhD, MA - UCLA

Olivia Yue
Professional Program: DDS
Institution: UCLA
Project: Evaluation of the Implementation of Health Literate Organization Tool Box Guidelines
Mentor: Jennifer Holtzman, DDS, MPH - UCLA