Year 5. May 11. UCLA Department of Medicine Faculty and Trainees Brainstorming Across America

DoM Faculty Shine at American College of Physicians Internal Medicine Meeting

DoM internal medicine faculty once again made our department proud at the American College of Physicians (ACP) Internal Medicine Meeting, which this year was held April 16 through 18 in San Francisco. Our excellence was felt both behind the scenes and in the spotlight of the event’s programming: Rachel P. Brook, MD served on the meeting’s National Progrxam Planning Committee, and Carolyn J. Crandall, MD, MS, FACP represented both the DoM and the ACP as chair of the ACP Clinical Guidelines Committee. Pritha P. Gupta, MD, PhD, Lisa N. Kransdorf, MD, MPH, Nupur Agrawal, MD, MPH and Karol E. Watson, MD, PhD shared their expertise as speakers.

“The annual ACP meeting is known for selecting the best academic clinicians in the United States as presenters,” internist and Iris Cantor-UCLA Women’s Health Center Director Janet P. Pregler, MD, noted. “The UCLA DoM was very well represented.”

Dr. Brook served on the scientific planning committee for the 2018 and 2020 ACP National Internal Medicine Meetings and has been a planning member of the organization’s Multiple Small Feedings of the Mind Committee, each year since 2018. This is a small but influential committee of three physicians who choose subject areas, develop questions, select speakers and moderate these core sessions presented at the national meeting.

“It has been an honor and extremely rewarding to get to work so closely with the ACP leadership team and my co-committee members to help optimize these sessions’ content,” Dr. Brook said. “Getting the opportunity to develop nuanced, challenging and sometimes controversial questions for our specialist speakers allows me to remain engaged with the clinical art and science of medicine.”

Dr. Brook added that she loves being able to bring our exceptional faculty into the fold. She has recruited at least one to two UCLA speakers to deliver these sessions; since 2018. Our faculty presentations typically draw a crowd of between 500 and 1000 attendees.

“They are both great educational and networking opportunities for our UCLA community,” Dr. Brook said.

The ACP annual meeting will be held in L.A. next year, and registration is open for those who wish to start planning now. L.A. was supposed to host the meeting in 2020 but was unable to do so due to the COVID-19 pandemic, so next year’s event will be extra special.

“We are very much looking forward to having many representatives from our Olive View, DoM and VA communities present,” Dr. Brook said. Dr. Pregler added that she strongly encourages her colleagues to attend — and to consider applying for fellowship in the ACP, as several of our outstanding faculty have recently done successfully.

DoM Faculty and Affiliates Elected to American College of Physicians Fellowship

Several of our DoM faculty and affiliates were celebrated at a special convocation during the ACP meeting for their recent election as ACP fellows. Faculty members Jeffrey Fujimoto, MD, MBA, FACP, Lucinda Leung, MD, FACP, Diane V. Reed, MD, FACP and Adam Solis-Cohen, MD, FACP were all elected to the ACP on March 1, as were affiliates Lakshmi Sadasivam, MD, FACP, a hospitalist at UCLA-Olive View; Stanley E. Yuan, MD, FACP, of Cedars-Sinai Medical Center; and Kasey Fox, DO, FACP at Kern Medical.

Dr. Fujimoto said he felt honored to be elected to the fellowship of the ACP. From a professional standpoint, he feels that it represents his continued commitment to excellence in internal medicine not only in clinical care, but in lifelong learning, teaching and improving systems of care. It also reinforces the importance of staying engaged with the broader medical community and contributing beyond day-to-day responsibilities.

On a personal level, “I appreciate the moment of affirmation and feel grateful to be joining this exceptional community,” said Dr. Fujimoto, who serves as medical director of ambulatory quality for the DoM. He expressed gratitude for his regional medical director and mentor Mina W. Ma, MD, for her guidance and support, as well as to the DoM Quality team for their dedication and leadership in advancing patient care.

Dr. Leung learned that she was elected to the ACP during the National Academy of Medicine Emerging Leaders Forum, an event she helped plan and where she moderated a plenary panel about navigating career inflection points alongside other leaders in medicine. She noted that the convocation at ACP felt like a celebration of not just her own wins, but for those of the larger community that has supported her along the way — a community that includes her family, her friends and her colleagues within UCLA and the Greater Los Angeles Veterans Affairs Healthcare System, where she is an internist and health services researcher.

“My election as an ACP fellow made me reflect on the meaning of ‘fellowship’, including the friends and mentorships I have found in medicine since my earliest days as a student,” she added. She feels that it is a privilege to practice alongside colleagues who share her commitment to high quality and patient-centered care.

Dr. Solis-Cohen said he felt extremely grateful and elated to learn he had been elected as an ACP fellow. The recognition made him feel appreciative and proud of his accomplishments as a physician so far.

“Moreover, learning that I had been elected as an ACP fellow galvanized my feeling of responsibility to continue to provide exceptional patient care, to serve as a leader in internal medicine and to embody the highest standards of the profession,” he added.

In his clinical practice as a hospitalist in the South Bay, Dr. Solis-Cohen enjoys educating and connecting with patients and families, making diagnoses, prescribing vital treatments and striving to provide a source of calmness and healing during a stressful time in patients’ lives. He feels that the department is an exceptional environment for him to educate future physicians, collaborate with colleagues and publish scholarly activity.

“The DoM provides an incomparable venue to practice high quality evidence-based medicine, work with a likeminded team who share in the goal of the furtherance of obtaining and exchanging knowledge and provide premier quality clinical care,” he added.

Please join me in congratulating all of our new ACP fellows!

Trainees, Faculty and Staff Stand Out at the Alliance for Academic Internal Medicine Week

The excellence of our internal medicine colleagues was on brilliant display during the 2026 Alliance for Academic Internal Medicine (AAIM) Week, held April 19 through 22 in Seattle. This year’s conference integrated with the Med-Peds Program Directors Association (MPPDA) meeting, and the exceptional LEADERS in our Med-Peds program represented us well!

Among the highlights of our presence at AAIM Week were a poster presentation from Alexandra Kaufman, MD and a workshop led by Katya Lavine, MD, both of whom are incoming chief residents; poster presentations from Med-Peds residents Sahana Shankar, MD and Rachel To, MD; workshop presentations by Executive Clerkship Coordinator Sarah Chun and Administrative Director of Education Douglas Ruiz Carbajal and a forum presentation by Med-Peds Program Coordinator Vanessa Galvan, who serves as president of the Association of Med-Peds Program Administrators (AMPPA) within the Med-Peds Program Directors Association; and a workshop presentation by DoM faculty member Sarah W. Takimoto, MD. DGSOM Co-Chair of Internal Medicine Clerkship Tyler Larsen, MD, FACP officially received the AAIM Clerkship Directors of Internal Medicine Early Career Medical Student Educator Award, which was first announced this past winter.

The workshop Sarah ran was part of programming for the CDIM Clerkship Administrators subgroup. It focused on illuminating ways that administrators can build and sustain strong partnerships in medical education, with an emphasis on practical strategies for working well with key partners and how clear communication and shared expectations help those relationships succeed over time. 

“I enjoyed connecting with clerkship administrators from across different programs,” Sarah said. “We’re a small subgroup within AAIM, and I’m glad to have the opportunity to contribute, share our perspectives and stay connected with my peers.”

Vanessa’s forum covered updates on AMPPA’s goals, initiatives and progress over the past year, including the many ways that AMPPA is supporting Med-Peds program coordinators around the country. She felt that the most rewarding part of presenting at AAIM Week was getting the chance to bring greater awareness to the Med-Peds coordinator community and amplify their voices.

“This role can sometimes feel isolating, given how small and unique our programs are, so it was incredibly meaningful to highlight the work coordinators are doing and create visibility for our shared challenges and successes,” Vanessa said. “It was also rewarding to see how engaged and receptive attendees were, whether it was through interest in joining AMPPA initiatives, contributing resources, or simply connecting with one another.”

AAIM Week also features special workshops for new chief residents; it is a rite of passage that our new chiefs always take part in. All of them attended this year, including Greater Los Angeles VA Chief Resident Nancy Miles, MD. 

“The programming at AAIM Week really feels like the start of our year as chiefs,” Dr. Miles said. “It gave us the chance to learn from both the challenges and success stories of other programs, which helps frame our own goals for the year.”

Dr. Miles emerged from the AAIM chief resident programming with a renewed appreciation for how excellent and thoughtful her medical education at UCLA has been, particularly with regards to how the residency morning report is structured to create an inclusive learning environment. She had not realized how much intention went into implementing certain structures, like pair-share and pre-assigning groups to answer learning level-appropriate questions — and that our residency program is ahead of others in incorporating these elements. Dr. Miles also found the sessions on AI to be very informative.

“It was encouraging to see how educators across institutions — including UCLA — are thinking about its role in medical education,” Dr. Miles said. 

Dr. Miles added that being surrounded by future, current and past chiefs from other institutions underscored that career development is an ongoing, iterative process. It also reinforced her commitment to medical education as a core part of her long-term career path. 

The incoming chiefs also took time to enjoy Seattle after the sessions, including a Mariner’s game. As a graduate of the University of Washington School of Medicine, this was a particularly special highlight for Dr. Miles. 

“It was especially fun to experience the city with my future co-chiefs,” Dr. Miles said.

Way to go, internal medicine and Med-Peds! On a personal note, back in the fall I learned that I had received the APM Robert H. Williams, MD Distinguished Chair of Medicine Award. This was one of several awards that were recognized at AAIM Week. Do you recognize any other faces up there? Here's a hint: Check the third image on the second row!

Primary Care and Med-Peds LEADERS Take Advocacy Trip to Sacramento

As we celebrate another fantastic year of conference participation, I would also like to highlight an important trip taken by a group of our internal medicine faculty and trainees that demonstrates our commitment to patient care and access in medicine. I share this reflection from Mina W. Ma, MD, director of the UCLA Internal Medicine Primary Care Residency Program:

"Faculty and residents from our primary care and Medicine-Pediatrics programs recently traveled to Sacramento for an impactful Advocacy and Legislative Day held in conjunction with the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF); the University of California, Davis; the University of California, San Diego; UCSF-Fresno; and Stanford University. The visit provided a valuable opportunity to engage directly with state legislators and their staff, discussing key issues affecting patient care, access to services and the future of medicine.

Throughout the day, trainees and faculty shared firsthand clinical experiences to highlight the real-world impact of health policy decisions. Conversations focused on topics such as healthcare access, workforce development and support for underserved communities, areas central to our mission as clinicians and educators. 

Beyond policy discussions, the experience empowered our residents to see themselves as physician-advocates and leaders in shaping a more equitable healthcare system. The trip reinforced the importance of civic engagement in medicine and strengthened our commitment to advocating for our patients both inside and outside the clinics and hospitals.

This sounds like a great experience! I could not be prouder of our faculty and trainees for going above and beyond your work in the clinic and the lab to advocate for our patients. Thank you for your dedication to our mission to Advance Health for All!

Bruin Hearts Make Strong Showing at American College of Cardiology Scientific Sessions 2026

In late March, the UCLA Division of Cardiology headed to New Orleans to laissez les bons temps rouler — and share world-class research — at the American College of Cardiology Scientific Sessions 2026. Our fellows, residents, medical students and faculty were at the top of their game, with a phenomenal show of scholarship that made an impact across the conference.

“We are always exceptionally grateful for the training and supportive culture that inspires our trainees to explore and research the whole spectrum of cardiology disease — and gives them the chance to present their work on a national level,” Eric H. Yang, MD, associate program director of the UCLA Cardiovascular Diseases Fellowship Program, said. Our trainee and student participation included 25 posters and talks from 17 fellows, including some pulmonary and critical care fellows; 14 internal medicine residents; and 3 UCLA medical students.

One highlight among our many fantastic abstracts was the work of internal medicine resident Harveen Sekhon, MD and cardiology fellow Pradeep Rajendran, MD, PhD, who presented a case study centered around a patient with a unique presentation of myocarditis stemming from the use of immune checkpoint inhibitors to treat his cancer. The disease affected the patient’s right ventricle, leading to cardiogenic shock. Dr. Sekhon and Dr. Rajendran’s report was simultaneously published in JACC Cardio-oncology. 

Dr. Sekhon felt that being able to present the case at ACC was highly impactful because it gave her and Dr. Rajendran a platform to discuss a rarely described but highly consequential cardiovascular complication of potent immunotherapy with clinicians and researchers who are experienced in managing cardio-oncology patients. 

“The case sparked several insightful discussions into the possible pathophysiologic mechanisms as well as opportunities for early diagnosis,” she said. Moreover, she added, “the strong UCLA resident and fellow presence at ACC fostered a highly supportive environment for presenting our work.” 

Dr. Rajendran added that being a trainee at UCLA affords a unique privilege to manage patients with complex, rare disease processes alongside world-renowned clinicians and educators.

“It is an incredible opportunity to present this work at international conferences and share our experiences with our colleagues around the world,” he said. 

Among our trainees’ many other outstanding ACC abstract highlights were two studies by resident Qicong Sheng, MD, one of which focused on a fellow-run dashboard clinic at the VA to improve guideline-directed medical therapy adherence to heart failure treatment and another that examined statin implementation in patients with cancer who are treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors.

“Both projects are deeply meaningful to me, and it was a privilege to share our findings at ACC while exchanging ideas with researchers and clinicians from other institutions,” Dr. Sheng said. His statin project sparked great conversations and valuable feedback from heart failure leaders at Cleveland Clinic and Brigham and Women’s Hospital. The dashboard clinic caught the eye of a pharmacist, who expressed interest in implementing similar projects with pharmacy support.

“This underscores great potential for future multidisciplinary and cross-institutions collaborations,” Dr. Sheng said.

They also shared their expertise in other ways: Cardiology fellow Rachel Ohman, MD discussed the challenges and institutional goals required to support trainees who wish to start families during fellowship. Other trainees partook in some scholarly fun and games. Chief cardiology fellows Christopher Lee, MD and Shaitalya Vellanki, MD took part in the “Prevention Pearls” game show, and STAR cardiology fellow Giuliana Repetti, MD managed to confound and impress a panel of seven nationally renowned cardiology educators with her case “A Cholesterol Curveball” in an exciting round of “Stump the Professors.” Dr. Repetti had initially submitted the case as an abstract; conference organizers found it so challenging that they thought it would make great material for one of ACC’s most popular sessions.

“They were all indeed very stumped,” Dr. Repetti said. The patient in her case had developed myocarditis, hepatitis and extremely high LDL cholesterol levels after starting immune checkpoint inhibitors for cancer treatment. While myocarditis and hepatitis are both known side effect of the drugs, hypercholesterolemia was not. She and her mentors Tamer Sallam, MD, PhD and Eric H. Yang, MD, looked closer and sent samples of the patient’s blood off to the Mayo Clinic for further analysis.

As it turned out, the immune checkpoint inhibitors had caused the patient to develop lipoprotein X — an extremely rare particle in the bloodstream that can falsely elevate LDL on a cholesterol panel. It was the first time this phenomenon had ever been directly recorded in relation to immune checkpoint inhibitors!

One bit of feedback that made Dr. Repetti particularly proud was that panelist Nanette Cass Wenger, MD — one of cardiology’s most lauded physician-scientists and one of the first women to graduate from Harvard Medical School — said that the case was the first time she had ever learned something new during this type of session.

Dr. Repetti added that ACC was a great experience for all fellows and trainees to support each other in a public venue.

“UCLA was very well-represented, and people were very impressed with all the research we brought from our institution,” she said. “It was a cool experience to see everybody’s work showcased.”

Congratulations to all!

Fellows Take the Spotlight at 2026 Digestive Diseases Week

The UCLA Vatche and Tamar Manoukian Division of Digestive Diseases is world renowned for excellence in research and patient care, and our vast presence at Digestive Disease Week® (DDW) 2026 shows exactly why. Dozens of faculty, fellows and trainees from the division took to Chicago May 2 through 5 to share their cutting-edge science and expertise. 

Among them were fellows Sigrid Young, MD and Yazan Abboud, MD, both of whom presented posters on their research. Dr. Young’s poster, “Increasing Incidence of Early-Onset Gastric Carcinoma in the United States: A Population-Based SEER Analysis by Histologic Subtype,” explored the trend of younger patients developing gastric cancer through the lens of histologic subtype. Her research — which was conducted under the mentorship of Folasade P. May, MD, PhD, MPhil — showed that incidence of gastric cancer is increasing in people under 50, driven mainly by rising rates of gastric adenocarcinoma. Incidence rates for other tumor subtypes, such as signet ring cell carcinoma, have decreased, while the incidence rates of gastric neuroendocrine tumors have increased across all ages.

Dr. Young’s participation at DDW led to many interactions with key leaders across several institutions, who she found to be very approachable. She noted that her conversations with them were truly bidirectional: They both answered her questions and also asked about her own background and career interests.

“Conferences like DDW are invaluable for the powerful networking opportunities they provide,” Dr. Young said. “Having the chance to engage in this one-on-one dialogue helps break down traditional barriers between trainees and experts, making the field feel far more accessible.”

Dr. Young found that the most rewarding part of DDW was witnessing the sheer scale of cutting-edge research and innovation on display — both quantitatively and in breadth. The data presented at the conference covered a wide range of topics, from new treatments for inflammatory bowel disease, to the integration of AI into endoscopy, to new guidelines on disorders of gut-brain interactions.

“Connecting with professionals at every career stage underscored our shared commitment to progress in a continuously evolving field,” Dr. Young said.

In Dr. Abboud’s poster, he shared new research findings that underscore a link between gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and more severe disease progression in patients with pulmonary fibrosis. His retrospective cohort study — which included data from hundreds of thousands of patients with pulmonary fibrosis — showed that those with GERD had 60% greater odds of aspiration pneumonia, along with a higher risk of other serious complications and death. He found that presenting his poster and taking part in other events at DDW was a great way to reconnect with old friends and colleagues, as well as to build new professional relationships.

“The meeting offers countless opportunities to learn, grow and foster future collaborations,” Dr. Abboud said. “In addition, attending lectures delivered by leading experts in the field provides tremendous value to our education and development as GI fellows.”

Lin Chang, MD, vice chief of the digestive diseases division and program director of the fellowship program, expressed her pride in Dr. Abboud, Dr. Young and all of the other fellows who presented research at the conference, including Megan Rose McLeod Aaronson, MD; Ellen Spartz, MD; Janice Oh, MD, MS and Farnoosh Vahedi, MD. 

“It is a tremendous source of pride to see our UCLA GI fellows presenting their research on a national stage at DDW,” Dr. Chang said. “Each of them has demonstrated outstanding dedication to scholarly work, patient-centered inquiry and academic growth. Their accomplishments highlight the strength of our fellowship program and the bright future of gastroenterology.”

Congratulations, GI fellows! I am also proud of the many others from the division who took part in DDW. Their names are bolded in this document.

Hematology-Oncology Fellows Eileen Shiuan, MD, PhD and Lisa Shiliang Zhang, MD Present Research Posters at AACR

Back in early April, UCLA Health shared an exciting preview of the impactful work that DoM and UCLA Health Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center researchers planned to present at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting, held April 17 through 22 in San Diego. Among them were fascinating poster presentations from two hematology/oncology fellows, Eileen Shiuan, MD, PhD and Lisa Shiliang Zhang, MD, whose research is breaking new ground in the oncology field.

Dr. Shiuan is part of a multidisciplinary team that is developing a first-of-a-kind animal model to enable testing of diagnostic assays for leptomeningeal disease (LMD). LMD is a rare but devastating consequence of advanced cancer where the disease spreads to the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and the membranes around the brain and spinal cord, or leptomeninges. It is currently very difficult to diagnose — a problem that Dr. Shiuan and her collaborators in a bioengineering lab are working to solve with a point-of-care liquid biopsy to diagnose LMD and quantify the tumor burden in the CSF. Dr. Shiuan’s poster at AACR provided an overview of the animal models and offered data that shows they allow for highly sensitive detection of tumor burden, a critical quality for accurately diagnosing LMD with the liquid biopsy.

The research sparked important conversations with other conference attendees.

“There is a clear, shared urgency in the oncology community to better understand and diagnose LMD,” Dr. Shiuan said. “At the conference, I had the opportunity to engage with several researchers from both UCLA and external institutions, some of whom are working on the frontier of liquid biopsies. These conversations have generated new ideas and insights into our work.”

For Dr. Shiuan, those connections were the most rewarding part of attending AACR.

“Speaking with fellow oncologists and cancer researchers and seeing how our work resonates with the clinical challenges we face on the wards and in the clinic is incredibly rewarding,” Dr. Shiuan said. As a fellow, she sees conferences like AACR not only as a chance to present her work, but to build her network — and catch up with friends.

“I was able to meet with old classmates, as well as faculty members from other institutions,” she said. “It was great to reconnect and hear what everyone is working on.”

Dr. Zhang’s work investigates how COVID-19 infection may be associated with breast cancer recurrence. Using a large dataset including information from more than 24,000 patients who had been diagnosed with localized breast tumors between 2011 and 2024, her team found that those who later tested positive for COVID-19 were more likely to develop breast cancer recurrence, either in the same location or at a distant site. Among individual subtypes, the risk was greater for those whose original breast tumors were estrogen receptor positive (ER+). Analysis of laboratory results of patients who had COVID-19 demonstrated that patients with lower numbers of lymphocytes after COVID-19 were more likely to be associated with breast cancer recurrence than those who did not develop low lymphocyte count after COVID-19.

Dr. Zhang’s poster provoked keen interest from scientists who are pursuing similar topics, including some from the National Cancer Institute.

“I’m hopeful that these conversations develop into formal collaborations,” Dr. Zhang said. “More broadly, since the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been growing recognition of and curiosity about how viral infections can shape the immune system in ways that may have downstream effects on cancer biology which warrants future research.”

Dr. Zhang, too, found that the connections made at AACR were the most rewarding part of participating in the conference.

“Being able to have discussions with colleagues at different institutions who are thinking about the same problems was very energizing,” Dr. Zhang said. “Meeting people who are invested in the same questions as you reminds you why the work is interesting and matters.”

Congratulations to Dr. Zhang and Dr. Shiuan on their excellent posters! I would also like to acknowledge the many other DoM members who participated in AACR, including Aditya Bardia, MD, PhD, Joann G. Elmore, MD, MPH, Antoni Ribas, MD, PhD , Neil A. O’Brien, PhD, and Amy L. Cummings, MD. I am proud to have so many exceptional colleagues influencing the field of cancer research!

Amanda Truong, MD, PhD and Shannon Wongvibulsin, MD, PhD’s Research Takes Off With Fellowship and Career Development Awards

The Dermatology Foundation (DF) recently recognized the exceptional talent of two of our dermatology and UCLA STAR program fellows, third year fellow Amanda Truong, MD, PhD and fourth year fellow Shannon Wongvibulsin, MD, PhD. Dr. Truong was awarded the Dermatologist Investigator Research Fellowship and the ACCR-Conquer Cancer®-ASCO Foundation Young Investigator Award for Translational Cancer Research, and Dr. Wongvibulsin received the Physician Scientist Career Development Award.

Dr. Truong and Dr. Wongvibulsin were at the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) Annual Meeting when the DF announced its 2026 research award recipients. Dr. Wongvibulsin received a text from Dr. Truong telling her that she should check the DF website right away. She was in the middle of a meeting for the AAD Augmented Intelligence Committee, of which she is a member, so Dr. Truong sent her a screenshot.

“I was excited to receive this award alongside Dr. Truong, and I feel incredibly grateful for the support of my mentors, collaborators and colleagues who made this achievement possible,” said Dr. Wongvibulsin, who recently was honored with an E-Gen Award from the American Society for Clinical Investigation. The DF award provides protected research time and salary stipend of $75,000; Dr. Wongvibulsin plans to use this support to further her research on the development of a wearable, artificial intelligence-based technology to diagnose and monitor inflammatory skin diseases. 

Dr. Wongvibulsin said what excites her most about her work is the opportunity to bridge disciplines, combining clinical dermatology, engineering and artificial intelligence to address gaps in care. 

“I am excited to work on solutions that have the potential to expand access, improve diagnosis and make care more personalized,” she said. She thanked the mentors and staff who have supported her throughout her training in the UCLA Dermatology Residency Specialty Training and Advanced Research (STAR) Program, particularly those who have provided mentorship for her career as a physician scientist, including Aydogan Ozcan, PhD; Philip O. Scumpia, MD, PhD; Roger Lo, MD, PhD; Paul Levins, MD; April Armstrong, MD, MPH; Marcia Hogeling, MD; Medhi Farshchian, MD, PhD; Raquelle Alamat; Shaun Mason; and Linda L. Demer, MD, PhD; and Tamer Sallam, MD, PhD, STAR program co-directors. She also thanked her mentors from Memorial Sloan Kettering Medical Center and Stanford University, physician-scientist dermatologists Veronica Rotemberg, MD, PhD and Roxana Daneshjou, MD, PhD, respectively.

Dr. Truong said she felt it was a true honor to receive her awards and is excited to apply them to her research. The ACCR-Conquer Cancer®-ASCO Foundation award provides funding for her research project — an investigation of the unique biology of desmoplastic melanoma and why it responds especially well to immunotherapy compared to other types of melanoma — while the Dermatology Foundation fellowship will provide salary support. 

“These awards affirm that my path as a physician scientist in dermatology is the right one,” Dr. Truong said. “They also strengthen my upcoming applications for career development awards as I plan to transition to an independent investigator.”

Dr. Truong added that as a first-generation college student, she knows firsthand how transformative the right mentorship can be. The guidance she has experienced within the UCLA Division of Dermatology and the STAR Program from her post-doctoral mentor Antoni Ribas, MD, PhD and others has been a critical catalyst in her ability to reach her goals. 

“I am grateful to conduct research and learn within an exceptionally supportive environment," Dr. Truong said. “Dr. Ribas is one of the world’s leading experts in melanoma and an outstanding example of what it means to be a successful physician-scientist.” I would like to highlight that when the DoM communications team reached out to Dr. Truong and Dr. Wongvibulsin for comment, both of them were eager to share the others’ accomplishments as much as their own. The collegial spirit that is so prevalent throughout our department is what makes the DoM such a fantastic place to work, and I am proud to work with colleagues who are so eager to celebrate each other. Congratulations, Amanda and Shannon!