Year 4. June 9. It’s Award Season
Leading the UCLA Department of Medicine (DoM) has its challenges. However, many of these are eclipsed when I pause and appreciate the deep well of talent among our exceptional colleagues. One manifestation of that is each time I learn of ways in which we are recognized by our peers, our professional societies and the larger community. During this season of graduations and transitions, members of the DoM have been deserving recipients of multiple awards that exceed what has happened in prior years. This week, I invite you to learn about some of our award winners and their achievements that make us proud and confirm our LEADERShip as a premier academic department of medicine committed to leading in innovation, transforming care and advancing health for all.
Sylvia Lambrechts, MPH, MA Honored for Quality Excellence
The DoM is fortunate to attract world-class staff who drive excellence and innovation in our field every day. One such example is Sylvia Lambrechts, MPH, MA, senior program manager for the quality program within the DoM, who was recently recognized with the 2025 Kevin McCauley Memorial Outstanding Staff Award from the UCLA Staff Assembly. She also received the Friends of Nursing Award from the 2025 Compass of Ambulatory Nursing Excellence Awards.
“I am incredibly honored and humbled to be recognized by my peers and the selection committee for my contributions to UCLA," Sylvia said at the UCLA Staff Assembly awards ceremony.
As a senior program manager for DoM Quality, Sylvia leads transformative quality initiatives throughout the DoM and the broader health system. With an expertise in process improvement, she collaborates closely with stakeholders to design, implement and evaluate programs that elevate patient care. She is known for cultivating effective interdisciplinary teams and has been recognized by University of California Health leaders as a “leader in enterprise-wide population health initiatives.” She has also been a sought-after leader in quality improvement, presenting work at national conferences, and tasked with developing large-scale quality initiatives focused on inclusive excellence in chronic disease management, including diabetes and hypertension.
“As a leader in quality improvement, I believe it’s important to create an inclusive environment, fostering a culture of safety to empower others to share ideas, and leading by example.” she said. By engaging teams and helping individuals find meaning in their work, we’ve been able to develop meaningful, value-based programs throughout our health system.”
One of Sylvia’s most significant accomplishments is her work expanding access to diabetes retinal screening by implementing retinal cameras in primary and specialty care clinics. The focus of this effort was to improve diabetes eye screening, recommended annually for patients with diabetes, and increase access across the UCLA Health enterprise. These projects were small in scale when she initiated them in 2019 — for instance, her team started off with implementing three retinal cameras across the health system.
As of this year, their team has implemented 19 retinal cameras and improved the rate of completed eye exams among patients with diabetes by nearly 13% in six years. They’ve also increased access of the service across nearly 200 miles — from primary care and specialty care clinics in the South Bay to a forthcoming camera in the San Luis Obispo area.
“I'm very proud of the highly impactful and patient-centered initiatives that we’ve been able to lead in the department of medicine,” Sylvia said. She expressed her appreciation to Chief of Ambulatory Care Maria A. Han, MD, MS who has served as a mentor, and to Interim Chief Quality Officer and Director Anna Dermenchyan, PhD, RN and Jeff Fujimoto, MD, MBA, DoM Quality Medical Director of Ambulatory Care, who nominated her for the award.
“I feel fortunate to be part of a strong and supportive team and department and look forward to continuing to advance our shared mission and uphold the values of the department over the next several years,” she said.
Congratulations, Sylvia, and thank you for your outstanding work!
Douglas Ruiz Carbajal Receives Scholarship for Professional Development
The DoM strives to help our exceptional LEADERS boost their professional development through educational opportunities. I am excited to share that Director of Education Administration Douglas Ruiz Carbajal is the recipient of a UCLA Staff Assembly Scholarship, a grant from the UCLA Retirees Association that will support his enrollment in one of the UCLA Extension courses for leadership communication strategies.
“This is a neat opportunity for me to refine my skills and from there hopefully be able to communicate better with my team and all those I work with,” Douglas said. “I think it will benefit me in a lot of different ways.”
Douglas’ decision to dip back into academics is well-aligned with the spirit of his work. He and his colleagues in education are passionate not only about promoting the learning of others, but also themselves. They consider themselves fortunate to work in a setting with so many opportunities for self-improvement, from grants to take part in professional development programs or courses to participation in councils and online trainings.
“I think everyone I work with feels a constant need to grow and develop,” he said. “I’m very much supportive of that for my team.”
Doug’s team’s ambition shows up in their exceptional execution of important events, like the DoM’s internal medicine spring retreat and trainee match days. He is proud of their ability to balance logistical challenges to pull off successful projects, and of his work’s contribution to UCLA’s education mission.
“I really feel like I’m in a unique position to be able to contribute significantly to a lot of those efforts to support our current learners and future physicians,” he said. “Ultimately, we’re supporting our communities. It’s a really rewarding experience.”
Douglas encourages all staff in the DoM to take advantage of funding opportunities like the UCLA Staff Assembly scholarship, which is given out on an annual basis, to support professional development activities. Those who are unsure of what development opportunities are out there can convene with their supervisors to find what fits best with their interests.
“These are great opportunities to take advantage of opportunities that create more fulfillment or help you identify the next step,” he said.
Congratulations, Doug!
Kaiser-Permanente Award for Excellence in Teaching Celebrate Outstanding Educators
Our education mission is stronger than ever thanks to the hard work of the many faculty whose leadership and dedication shapes our trainees into outstanding physicians and physician-scientists. Several of them were recently recognized with awards for their exceptional education during a special reception on May 21. We begin with the Kaiser-Permanente Award for Excellence in Teaching, a peer-nominated award that recognizes outstanding faculty educators who contribute to our core mission to develop future physicians. DoM faculty were the overwhelming recipients this year, of these prestigious awards.
Michael F. Ayoub, MD
Assistant Clinical Professor of Medicine
Dr. Ayoub’s interest in medical education started in medical school and residency, when he took electives to learn about medical education and gained hands-on experience teaching at the medical school alongside faculty. Since then he has participated in medical education at multiple levels; he has especially enjoyed his time teaching simulation to medical students and residents, in addition to his time as a small-group instructor in the medical school through project-based learning, doctoring, clinical skills, and as an Educator for Excellence.
“I feel honored to have been recognized as an award recipient, especially alongside such amazing educators, many of whom were my teachers in medical school and residency, and all of whom continue to teach me as colleagues and mentors today,” Dr. Ayoub said. “Receiving this award renewed my hope that I am successful in paying it forward and teaching others whenever given the opportunity.”
Who inspired you to become a medical educator?
Since my time as a medical student at UCLA, I have witnessed the devotion of the hospitalists to medical education, and they served as an early inspiration to me. Now as a member of that group, I continue to be inspired every day by the amazing skill and devotion to teaching demonstrated by my mentors and peers in the hospitalist group.
What’s the best teaching advice you ever received?
I remember being told that a good clinician educator is always watching, but never seen – while I always make sure my trainees are comfortable reaching out to me for assistance, and while I’m always supervising and monitoring their care of their patients and their progression in a simulation case or clinical skills session, I also make sure my students feel that they are independently moving forward – so they can gain confidence in their skills and grow in their roles as independent physicians.
Noel G. Boyle, MD, PhD
Clinical Professor of Medicine
Dr. Boyle has been involved in medical education at UCLA since he joined the cardiology division in 1996. He has directly impacted the careers of hundreds of students through a medical student elective in cardiology and cardiac arrhythmias that he established in 2000. Since then, over 500 medical students from UCLA, other U.S. and international medical schools have taken this elective. Many have become colleagues in multiple departments at UCLA, with over 30 becoming cardiologists — two are even now his colleagues in the UCLA Cardiac Electrophysiology group.
“My approach to medical education is that it is a partnership in learning and discovery for the student and educator, as we work together to expand our knowledge and find opportunities for collaboration in research studies and publications to advance the field of medicine,” Dr. Boyle said.
Who inspired you to become a medical educator?
No particular individual!
What’s the best teaching advice you ever received?
As the title doctor is derived from the Latin ‘docere’ (to teach), I believe teaching is as intrinsic as learning and discovery to the field of medicine.
Emily E. Cantor, MD
Associate Clinical Professor of Medicine
Dr. Cantor’s love for teaching was confirmed through her work with medical students early in her career as an academic hospitalist. She later honed her skills through the UCLA Medical Education Fellowship and her work with the Medical Education Pathway. These opportunities deepened her understanding of curriculum design, mentorship, and educational scholarship and have connected her to a vibrant community of clinician-educators.
“This award reflects what I hope to contribute as an educator: helping learners build confidence and ultimately shape the kind of physicians they become,” Dr. Cantor said. “It’s a reminder of the lasting impact teaching can have.”
Who inspired you to become a medical educator?
The earliest spark came from Nancy Bowan, my high school advanced anatomy teacher, who taught with infectious enthusiasm and made every student feel capable. I started tutoring organic chemistry in college after a few supportive nudges from teaching assistants who saw something in me before I saw it myself. That kind of encouragement, small but powerful, has stayed with me. I try to pay it forward by helping learners recognize their own potential and guiding them toward opportunities they might not have imagined for themselves.
What’s the best teaching advice you ever received?
Great teaching starts with preparation and practice, grows with feedback, and works best when you are having fun.
Daniel G. Kahn, MD
Associate Clinical Professor of Medicine
Director, Internal Medicine Ultrasound Education
Associate Director, Internal Medicine Global Health Pathway
Dr. Kahn's LEADERShip in education spans global health, point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS), and clinical performance exam preparation. He is grateful to be able to devote so much of his clinical time to teaching — and has witnessed the impact of his instruction in a very personal way.
“I've had the unique experience—both fortunate and difficult—of having family members hospitalized at UCLA and cared for by physicians who were once my students or residents,” Dr. Kahn said. “Watching my own father receive the highest level of care and compassion from my UCLA colleagues represents the ultimate validation of why we teach. It's a reminder that every interaction we have with learners has the potential to impact countless future patients.”
Who inspired you to become a medical educator?
My inspiration comes from the many residents and attendings who shaped my training. I remember staying late as a medical student to scrub into an emergency case with my thoracic surgery mentor when his patient developed a complication. Seeing him handle one of his most challenging days with skill and composure became one of my most significant learning experiences (I almost became a surgeon after that).
Additionally, I am inspired by my supervising residents and attendings at UCLA who made medicine exciting— the ones who always seemed to have a relevant study ready in their back pocket as I presented patients, or who modeled healing touch at the bedside.
But honestly, my greatest inspiration continues to come from my current residents and medical students. They teach me as much as I teach them, and trying to keep up with them keeps me sharp.
What’s the best teaching advice you ever received?
While I can't point to a single transformative quote, I recently joined a coaching program led by Dr. Rachel Brook that has fundamentally changed my approach to teaching. The coaching program has taught me to approach my teams from a place of curiosity.
The most powerful lesson has been the importance of verbalizing thought processes. We often assume others follow our reasoning or that we understand theirs, but when we actually articulate our thinking out loud, we discover gaps, learn from each other, and ultimately provide better patient care. This simple practice of thinking aloud has become central to how I teach clinical reasoning.
Lastly, collaboration is key. Whether it’s working with the innovative Dr. Chiem, or my inspiring office of clinician educators, or my residents and medical students, the outcome of our collaboration is always superior to what I could have accomplished alone.”
Antonio M. Pessegueiro, MD
Director, Medical Education Pathway, UCLA Internal Medicine Training Program
Director, Intersessions Course, DGSOM
Dr. Pessegueiro is a long-time Bruin who completed his medical education and residency training at UCLA. He has made numerous high-impact contributions to medical education at UCLA, including personally developing the Medical Education Pathway within the UCLA Internal Medicine Training Program. His academic interests lie in curriculum development, clinical teaching and mentoring learners at all stages of their training.
“Teaching has always been one of the most fulfilling aspects of my career and this award affirms the time and energy I’ve devoted to support our learners,” Dr. Pessegueiro said. “I’m also deeply honored to share this recognition with so many remarkable and inspiring colleagues in my department this year. Their dedication to teaching continues to positively transform and elevate our learning environment at UCLA.”
Who inspired you to become a medical educator?
There are truly too many individuals to name without the risk of leaving someone out! I feel incredibly fortunate to have trained at UCLA, where I was surrounded by many exceptional and inspiring hospitalists, primary care physicians, and subspecialists within the UCLA Department of Medicine. Many of them served as role models, demonstrating what a fulfilling and impactful career in medical education could look like. Their passion for teaching, commitment to learners, and joy in their work inspired me to pursue a path as a clinician-educator and showed me that this career could be a lasting source of meaning and professional satisfaction.
What’s the best teaching advice you ever received?
Students are always watching! Students often learn much more from your behavior and interactions with others than they do from your direct instruction. So always model professional behavior and demonstrate integrity, empathy, and respect in all that you do.
Satya Patel, MD
Health Sciences Associate Clinical Professor of Medicine
Dr. Patel has taught learners across the full spectrum of medical training, from students to residents and fellows. He considers himself an enthusiast of cognitive load theory and strives to design learning experiences that are structured, digestible and grounded in clinical relevance.
“Learners are not only absorbing knowledge but constantly teaching us in return. Teaching has become an integral part of who I am, supported by mentors, institutional leadership, and most meaningfully, by my family,” Dr. Patel said.
Who inspired you to become a medical educator?
Upon entering medical school, I noticed the generosity of so many medical educators and appreciated their willingness to give me their time so that I could learn and grow.
What’s the best teaching advice you ever received?
The best teaching advice I’ve received is to “stay a learner.” When we see ourselves as learners first, we teach with more humility, curiosity, and openness.
Wendy Simon, MD Honored with Serge & Yvette Dodone Clinical Teaching Award
The UCLA Department of Medicine has a long legacy of exceptional educators. That includes the late Dr. Saleh Salehmoghaddam, a nephrologist and prolific clinical instructor whose passion for education continues to reverberate through our wards. His work is memorialized with the annual Serge & Yvette Clinical Teaching Award in Honor of Saleh Salehmoghaddam, M.D., which recognizes educators whose work follows his spirit. This year’s winner is Wendy M. Simon, MD, a hospitalist who serves as the associate program director for the UCLA Internal Medicine Residency Program and Medical Director of Inpatient Quality for the DoM quality program.
“I felt honored and humbled to receive this award,” Dr. Simon said. “Dr. Saleh was a brilliant, generous teacher and to follow in that line in any way is incredible.”
One of Dr. Simon’s favorite aspects of clinical education is the opportunity to share excitement and curiosity with a team. She feels that the residents, education staff, inspiring colleagues and supportive leaders make the UCLA DoM a wonderful place to be a clinical educator.
“It’s a great day when we can all work together to take excellent care of patients, ask good questions, and bring our authentic selves to the learning environment,” Dr. Simon said.
When she reflects on how clinical education will evolve over the next decade, Dr. Simon envisions that there will be even greater use of technology, data, and focus on team-based care, value-based care and health equity.
“Core values like empathetic patient-centered care, collaboration, self-reflection, and the ability to make nuanced decisions in complex situations will stay the same and are where human physicians outperform AI — at least for now,” she said.
Congratulations, Wendy, and thank you for your dedication to growing LEADERS within the DoM!
For Landres Award Winner Susan D. Leonard, MD, Clinical Education is a Way to Give Back — and Keep Learning
Continuing our celebration of our department’s education excellence, I am proud to share that clinical professor and geriatrician Susan D. Leonard, MD, is the recipient of this year’s Renata ’58, MA ’61, MA ’66 and Peter ’51, MD ‘56 Landres Award for Clinical Teaching and Research Excellence, an award that recognizes and supports senior-level faculty and staff in the Multicampus Program in Geriatric Medicine and Gerontology who excel at clinical teaching or in public-facing community-engaged research that improves the quality of life for older individuals.
“I was honored but also deeply humbled,” said Dr. Leonard, who also serves as the division lead for post-acute care and the skilled nursing facility (SNF) director for the UCLA Geriatrics Fellowship Program. “Receiving this recognition among such an incredible community of educators and mentors was really meaningful. This award reflects the collaboration, inspiration, and support I’ve received from my colleagues, trainees, and the teams I’ve had the privilege to work alongside. I feel very fortunate to be part of an environment that values teaching and fosters the development of our future clinicians, educators and leaders.”
Dr. Leonard’s work as a clinical educator focuses on post-acute and SNF care. While she teaches all levels of physicians — from medical students to fellows — she has been increasingly involved in mentoring and teaching geriatric fellows on their UCLA post-acute/SNF rotation and through her role in the geriatrics fellowship. She also leads efforts to integrate quality improvement, communication and practical problem-solving into clinical training.
“I genuinely love teaching,” Dr. Leonard said. “To me, teaching the life skills essential to this profession — such as navigating uncertainty, building resilience, and leading with empathy — is just as important as imparting clinical knowledge.”
The Landres Award is one of several that Dr. Leonard has received in her time as a medical educator. She is driven to teach by the opportunity to shape the next generation of physicians to be not only excellent clinicians, but also thoughtful advocates for their patients and communities. She views teaching as a way to give back to the mentorship she has received — and to keep on learning.
“Teaching allows me to continuously learn from the curiosity and insight of my trainees,” Dr. Leonard said. “It’s incredibly rewarding to help trainees express their clinical voice, make thoughtful decisions, and discover their passion for medicine.”
As the medicine evolves, Dr. Leonard expects the focus of clinical education to shift towards team-based care, health equity and technology integration. Educators will prioritize digital literacy, managing care across increasingly complex systems and addressing the social determinants of health. There will be an even more urgent need to prepare trainees to lead interdisciplinary teams, align expectations, and care for aging and diverse populations.
“At the same time, it’s important to not lose sight of what makes medicine meaningful: the human connection,” Dr. Leonard said. “We also need to keep nurturing educators and learners who not only care deeply, but see themselves as lifelong advocates for their patients, their colleagues, and the future of our field.”
Congratulations, Susan, and thank you for your dedication to helping our trainees become LEADERS in medicine!
Constance H. Fung, MD, MSHS and Her Team Win VA Health Services Research “Best Paper of the Year”
Health services research within the DoM is second to none. Just take the work of a team led by Constance H. Fung, MD, MSHS, a clinical professor and physician with training in both sleep medicine and geriatrics, who recently was awarded the VA Health Systems Research “Best Paper of the Year” award for their important randomized clinical trial on benzodiazepine receptor agonist (BZA) discontinuation.
“Although I knew the paper was nominated, there is so much outstanding research that is being conducted at the VA across all the sites, I didn’t expect that it would be selected,” Dr. Fung said. “I was really happy that my team’s efforts were recognized.”
The trial required extensive resilience from teams at both the VA Greater Los Angeles (VA-GLA) and UCLA Health, as it was launched during the pandemic and briefly stopped during lockdowns.
“We had a number of setbacks as we tried to restart the trial, so it was really a lot of effort to complete,” Dr. Fung recalled.
The goal of the study was to help middle-aged and older adults sleep better without using medication. Patients may be prescribed benzodiazepines and “z-drugs” — a class of BZAs that includes Ambien— for insomnia, but like all medications come with the risk of side effects. Dr. Fung’s team developed a new program to see if they could help patients with insomnia gradually wean off their medication, and in a randomized trial, they compared the new program to current best practice.
In an unusual twist, the researchers addressed potential impacts from placebo effects, or patients’ beliefs that they sleep better without the pills. One of the two study groups underwent a “masked” or “blinded” taper, meaning they did not know how much of their nightly sleeping pill they were taking. The other was aware of how much of their medication they were taking each night. Additionally, the researchers showed patients in the masked taper group content designed to improve their understanding of placebo effects. Both arms received cognitive behavioral therapy (CBTI), the first-line treatment for chronic insomnia disorder.
“The novelty of trying to target placebo mechanisms for deprescribing and the methods — a masked/blinded taper in combination with cognitive exercises targeting placebo mechanisms — make our study unique,” Dr. Fung said.
To measure their intervention’s success, the researchers analyzed the rates of successful drug discontinuation in each group at one week and again at six months after the intervention period. While insomnia severity improved for both groups, the one that underwent the blinded taper plus additional cognitive exercises targeting placebo mechanisms had a higher rate of successful drug discontinuation.
Given the results, Dr. Fung now hopes to soon be able to conduct an implementation study of her team’s program.
“I’m really thankful for the support that I received locally and nationally to conduct the study, for my teams at VA Greater Los Angeles and UCLA, who worked really hard to keep the trial running, the clinicians who raised awareness about the study to their patients, and the many patients who participated!” she said.
Congratulations, Connie, on this exciting achievement! I look forward to the future of this work.
Eric Esrailian, MD, MPH Awarded 2025 Ellis Island Medal of Honor
Our faculty are routinely recognized for their excellence across the country and around the world. One recent example of this is Eric Esrailian, MD, MPH, a physician, philanthropist and prolific fundraiser who serves as chief of the Vatche and Tamar Manoukian Division of Digestive Diseases, director of the Melvin and Bren Simon Digestive Diseases Center, and the Lincy Foundation chair of clinical gastroenterology. He was recently selected to receive a 2025 Ellis Island Medal of Honor, an award from the Ellis Island Honors Society that recognizes individuals in philanthropy, public service, health care, media, philanthropy and sports who are working to better our country.
“My initial reaction was that there are far more deserving recipients. There are so many people, and their families, who have made — and continue to make — meaningful contributions to this country,” Dr. Esrailian said. “It is an honor to be considered alongside this year’s honorees and friends and mentors who have been previous recipients.”
As the great-grandchild of Armenian Genocide survivors, the child of immigrants, and someone who came to the U.S. under what he describes as chaotic circumstances as a child, Dr. Esrailian feels grateful for the opportunities that have come his way.
"This recognition motivates me to try to do even more to try to exceed expectations, help others personally and professionally, and to contribute to our institution, our community, our country and to the world,” he said.
Dr. Esrailian feels fortunate to have had such a broad impact at UCLA through his many roles across his division, the DoM, DGSOM, UCLA Health and the UCLA campus. His business partnerships and investments have enabled him to focus on giving back to the university and community that have helped him and his family over the years.
“I know it is rare to be able to support one’s university while still working, and because I can see UCLA’s various needs from within, I am trying to be strategic,” Dr. Esrailian said. “From supporting scholarships to funding clinical and research programs, it is fulfilling to create opportunities and to help people build their careers — careers that will make lives better … and will save lives every day.”
A Trip to Nara, Japan to Receive the Keith Reimer Award and Deliver the Keith Reimer Distinguished Lecture at the International Society for Heart Research World Congress
I recently had the good fortune to give the Keith Reimer Distinguished Lecture at the International Society for Heart Research (ISHR) World Congress in Nara, Japan. This is one of three distinguished lecture awards given annually by the ISHR. This honor specifically recognizes the contributions of distinguished scientists who study ischemia, coronary hemodynamics, cardiac metabolism, or contractile mechanisms. It is named for the late Dr. Keith Reimer, a prolific cardiovascular scientist. My lecture, “Mitochondria, Metabolism and Heart Failure – Beyond ATP”, focused on metabolic mechanisms that lead to heart failure, that transcend the traditional view of energy deficiency.
Whenever I receive an accolade or recognition for my laboratory’s research, I dedicate these awards to the many dedicated colleagues and trainees who have worked in my lab over the years. I also hope that our work will make an impact on developing new ways to treat and prevent heart failure and other cardiovascular complications of diabetes.
Abel Lab at the 2024 UCLA Department of Medicine Research Day.
Dale
P.S.
Last week, I shared that I had the opportunity to visit my 50th State in the USA. I put out a challenge for coffee to the first person to contact me with the correct answer. I came to learn that for many this triggered a flurry of investigative activity and sleuthing including reaching out to my wife for inside information! Below is the big reveal. There is also a winner, and that person’s identity will be revealed next week….
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