Current Students

Originally from Chicago, Michelle graduated from St. Xavier University earning her BSN. Michelle dove into critical care nursing and worked in the MICU in Chicago and Century City before coming to Cedars-Sinai 11 years ago. She is currently working in the Health Information Department as a clinical documentation specialist. Michelle has a special interest in health informatics as well as alternative healing therapies.

Marissa began in the healthcare industry at a young age. While attending college, she was able to work in healthcare administration by learning Medicare guidelines and paying claims. Once she established herself in Medicare, she began to move into different aspects of the business. This motivated her to continue building her knowledge and experience within healthcare. Marissa felt that her contributions within the industry helped others receive the care they need. Apart from enjoying her work, she also contributes the same amount of energy and love to her family.

Joshua completed his bachelor’s degree in microbiology at UCLA, where he worked in the Carmichael Laboratory studying stem cells for stroke treatment. He works as a clinical research associate at the Cedars-Sinai Center for Outcomes Research and Education (CS-CORE), working under Brennan Spiegel, MD, and Christopher Almario, MD. His interests include the dynamics of healthcare delivery in the United States as well as the emergence of digital innovations in healthcare.

Kimberly Fuleihan is a senior EIS application specialist and has worked at Cedars-Sinai since early 2020. Prior to working at Cedars-Sinai, Kimberly worked and volunteered for other healthcare organizations for almost 11 years, building a foundational skill set in healthcare data and understanding of hospital operations. During her undergraduate studies at University of California, Riverside (UCR), Kimberly pursued a degree in business economics and a minor in statistics. Kimberly is interested in deepening her skills within health analytics and would like to gain greater exposure to digital health and technology. She believes the MHDS Program will provide immense growth, augmenting a student’s ability to think creatively using real- world scenarios, in service of revolutionizing and improving healthcare.

Emily is a critical care nurse from Portland, Oregon who has worked in both community and large academic medical centers in the Midwest. She joined hospital epidemiology with Cedars-Sinai in 2016 and earned her certification in infection prevention. Emily’s interests include understanding transmission of infections within healthcare settings and supporting other working parents. In her free time, Emily enjoys outdoor activities with her family.

Andrew Charles Gordon graduated from the University of the Philippines with a bachelor of science in nursing. He is currently a senior administrative assistant for Cedars-Sinai’s Brawerman Nursing Institute and has worked at Cedars-Sinai since 2008. Andrew is also an American Heart Association and American Red Cross CPR Training Center Administrator and Instructor and has recently been appointed as the Shared Leadership Council Logistic Coordinator.

Rafael is originally from Venezuela, trained in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and is a full-time practicing surgeon in the U.S. His specialties include general, trauma, advanced laparoscopic and robotic-assisted surgery. Throughout his career, Grossmann has focused on tapping the paradoxical power of technology to coexist with better, more humane medical care. Being a telemedicine, global health and digital medicine advocate, he is a strong believer in the power of technology to augment healthcare and education, to better connect providers and patients.

Joshua Hakimian earned his bachelor’s degree in neuroscience from UCLA in 2015 and is a research associate at UCLA Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior. From 2015 to 2018, he conducted preclinical research on the interacting mechanisms of chronic neuropathic pain and opioid dependence at the Hatos Center of Neuropharmacology at the UCLA Semel Institute. Since 2018, he has been conducting longitudinal and evaluation clinical research on populations with substance use disorders (most notably opioid and cannabis use disorders) at the Integrated Substance Abuse Programs at the UCLA Semel Institute.

His passion for integrating new technologies into healthcare led to his pursuit of the MHDS Program. In the future, he plans to attend medical school to combine these experiences to improve both quality of care and treatment outcomes on a large scale.

As a Los Angeles native, Joshua enjoys long distance road cycling and exploring national parks.

Lilit received her bachelor of science in health administration in 2011 from California State University, Northridge (CSUN), and has worked at Cedars-Sinai for over six years as a patient liaison in the Patient Relations/Advancement Department. Lilit’s role entails coordinating care, meeting/escorting patients to their designated appointment areas and protecting the identities of our high-profile figures.

Shawn was born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area. He graduated from the University of California at Berkeley and went on to attend medical school in Philadelphia at the Drexel University College of Medicine. He completed his residency at Loma Linda University Medical Center in physical medicine and rehabilitation. He currently works in Los Angeles at the Kaiser Permanente Panorama City Medical Center as a physical medicine and rehabilitation attending. In addition to his responsibilities to patient care, he is an innovation leader and is involved in local, regional and national innovation projects. These projects span disciplines including telehealth, care coordination and optimization, remote patient monitoring, electronic medical records, medical informatics, connected digital strategies and behavioral economic solutions aimed at influencing patient and clinician engagement. He is completing the master’s degree of healthcare innovation at the University of Pennsylvania and looks forward to learning the tools and principles from the Cedars-Sinai Master's Degree in Health Delivery Science (MHDS) Program. He is very interested in learning from his MHDS colleagues, the MHDS faculty, the Cedars-Sinai leadership, and the Cedars-Sinai models of innovation and care transformation.

Yvonne graduated from the University of Detroit Mercy with a bachelor’s degree in nursing, starting her nursing career at Johns Hopkins Hospital as a medical telemetry nurse, and later advancing to a critical care nurse on a medical intensive care unit. While working as a nurse, Yvonne started participating in informatics projects throughout the hospital. She loved informatics so much that she decided to transition into nursing informatics full time and has since worked in an informatics or analytics role. Yvonne worked at Cedars-Sinai for a year and a half as a clinical workflow optimization RN and currently works in clinical analytics at Amazon Care.

With the emergence of value-based care incentives, healthcare delivery systems have been challenged with providing cost-effective, equitable care without sacrificing the quality of care delivered. “I believe that using data and emerging technologies will help achieve value-based care and Cedars-Sinai’s MHDS Program will prepare me with the skills needed to be an effective leader during this era of healthcare transformation.”

Karisma Kothari attended University of California, Riverside (UCR) in her hometown of Riverside, California. There she received her bachelor of science in biology (cum laude) with a minor in film and visual culture, and was inducted into the academic honor society, Phi Beta Kappa. She went on to receive her medical degree from Xavier University School of Medicine (XUSOM).

While in medical school, Karisma found herself gravitating toward the field of women’s health, and since graduating, has spent her time participating in various clinical opportunities in the field to enhance her skills as she applies for residency. Karisma has always been committed to being a leader and helping those around her. She is currently working with the American Red Cross NHQ as a Humanitarian Finance Communication volunteer. She has been an alumni guest speaker and panelist at XUSOM, participated in multiple health fairs within the U.S. and internationally, volunteered at medical clinics in Mexico, peer-mentored for the UCR Honors Program, served as UCR Chapter President for Best Buddies International, and was a clinical care extender at Riverside Community Hospital.

Omer Liran, MD, is an assistant professor at Cedars-Sinai where he co-directs virtual medicine and cares for patients on the psychiatry consult and liaison service. Academically, Liran is studying how to leverage the unique properties of virtual and augmented reality (XR) technologies to improve outcomes in patient care. He has also been using XR together with EEG to study neural mechanisms that underlie human behaviors and psychiatric pathologies. He has an extensive programming background, which enables him to code and quickly iterate XR experiences based on patient feedback.

Theresa received her bachelor of science degree in management information systems from the University of Rhode Island. She continued working in computer systems support for many years and was one of the lead technologists in converting the United States Coast Guard New England units from obsolete minicomputer systems to networked desktop PCs. During her time with the military, she did search and rescue on Lake Erie, protected the waters of Rhode Island from oil and hazardous material spills, and provided technical support to USCG units. Theresa retired as a USCG Reservist after 21 years of service.

After moving to New Mexico, Theresa began her current career supporting pharmaceutical research and development with the VHA Cooperative Studies Program Clinical Research Pharmacy Coordinating Center (CSPCRPCC). Throughout her career Theresa has worked on over 30 research studies in various positions. After achieving Project Management Professional (PMP) certification, she became a pharmaceutical project manager with current responsibility for six research projects.

Her goal is to join current Veterans Health Administration (VHA) innovators in championing the use of VR and digital wearables to improve the health and wellbeing of military veterans. “I truly believe that a multifaceted approach that leverages these technologies will improve the health and wellbeing of all veterans. As with any new approach, these technologies must always be used in a safe, secure and ethical way, and I am committed to being at the forefront of supporting those seeking to utilize these innovations in the VHA, starting with the completion of this course of study.”

Luke joined Cedars-Sinai in 2019 as the Emergency Department's business data analyst after completing a master's degree in business analytics. He's helped the ED measure, review and improve its patient flow. Before making the switch to analytics, Luke was a journalist for a decade, working as a copy editor, digital editor, national and international wires editor and everything in between. In the MHDS Program, he hopes to broaden his understanding of the U.S. healthcare system with an eye toward weeding out implicit biases that stand in the way of all patients getting the care they need.

Lisa B. Nguyen, DDS, attended New York University College of Dentistry before completing a pediatric dentistry residency program at Staten Island University Hospital. She currently serves as an assistant professor in the section of pediatric dentistry and as an associate director, she helped to implement and continues to oversee the Community-Based Clinical Education (CBCE) Program at UCLA School of Dentistry and delivers direct patient care at a Federally Qualified Health Center. Her professional interests include increasing access to care for underserved populations through collaborative learning, quality improvement, nontraditional partnerships and mentorship. While her formal training is in pediatrics, Nguyen’s programs strive to increase and improve access to oral healthcare for various ages and stages. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with family and friends, trying new restaurants and kickboxing.

Bill is originally from Orange County, California and received his undergraduate degree in chemistry from the University of California, Irvine (UCI). To further his studies, Bill attended the University of Virginia (UVA) and received an MA in chemistry. While in Virginia, Bill started a family and began working for UVA in environmental health and safety. He began his career in safety for the UVA Hospital and research community focusing on radiation safety. Bill then changed roles to focus primarily on laboratory safety as a safety professional.

He joined the Cedars-Sinai team in April 2017 as the chemical safety officer of the Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) Department. In this role, Bill works closely with the research community to ensure that their workplace is free of recognized hazards and that their work is conducted in a safe and appropriate way. In the MHDS Program, he hopes to learn about the healthcare ecosystem and to gain insights into the workings of healthcare.

Korak Sarkar, MD, completed his undergraduate studies at Johns Hopkins University where he received degrees in neuroscience, mathematical science and biomedical engineering. He attended medical school at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD), and went on to complete his neurology training at the University of California, Davis (UCD). He is a board-certified neurologist who completed subspecialty training at Northwestern and the Shirley Ability Institute (formerly the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago) in brain injury medicine. He has served as an innovation fellow at Northwestern’s Center for Device Development. Sarkar has been very active in research throughout his career and was awarded the American Academy of Neurology’s (AAN) Founder's Award in Translational Research. He participates in the AAN's policy and advocacy efforts and serves as a member of its health policy subcommittee. He is currently an attending physician in the Department of Neurology at Ochsner Health and a staff physician in the Department of PM&R in the New Orleans Veterans Affairs Medical Center. He serves as a clinical liaison for innovation Ochsner (iO) as well as the director of Ochsner’s Neurosciences Medical 3D (M3D) Lab, which applies advanced manufacturing, virtual and augmented reality to healthcare delivery. In his spare time, he enjoys spending time with his wife and twin boys in their hometown of New Orleans. Laissez les bon temps rouler.

Samantha graduated from California State University, Long Beach (CSULB), in 2014 with a BS in healthcare administration. She became a part of the Cedars-Sinai family in September 2014 as a patient service representative and worked to become a lead patient service representative in May 2021.

Originally from New Jersey, Kaytlena graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a BA in economics and a minor in biology and Mandarin Chinese. She went on to complete her MD/MPH at Tufts University School of Medicine and completed her residency training in emergency medicine from the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, where she graduated as chief resident. She is a physician and research fellow in the Emergency Department at Cedars-Sinai. Kaytlena's academic interests include social emergency medicine and health equity. While in residency, she designed and implemented a social determinants of health curriculum for her fellow residents, and conducted research exploring health disparities among the West Philadelphia patient population. Through the MHDS Program, Kaytlena is excited to learn more about ways in which health innovation and improvements in health delivery systems can facilitate and promote health equity.

Pradeep earned his bachelor’s degree from Boise State University in 2012. He joined Cedars-Sinai in April 2010 and works as a senior respiratory therapist, primarily in the pulmonary functions lab. Pradeep believes that there are a lot of opportunities to create a delivery system that can have a meaningful impact on reducing cost, reducing utilization of low-value services, and deliver quality care where needed with better patient outcomes.

Nicholas received his bachelor of science in 2014 from Whittier College. From 2009 to 2013, he assisted at the Center of Excellence for Chagas Disease at the Olive View—UCLA Medical Center, contributing to community outreaches and screenings. He has worked at Cedars-Sinai for over four years as a phlebotomist and a research lab assistant at the Angeles Clinic and Research Institute. Nick believes with new innovative therapies and technology there are many opportunities for creating systems that deliver patient care efficiently.

I’m a clinical research coordinator in the Department of Cardiology at the Smidt Heart Institute and graduated from UCLA in 2018 with bachelor of science in biological sciences and evolution.

I currently work in the Smidt Heart Institute as a clinical research associate. It is a great privilege being a part of the Makkar research team in interventional cardiology. I am thrilled to be a part of the 2023-24 cohort of the MHDS Program. It is inspiring to be able to learn from this great faculty and I look forward to tackling the curriculum with my classmates. I hope to be able to grow into a valuable member of the medical community and have a meaningful impact moving forward. In my free time, I enjoy bicycle touring and have embarked on several long-distance bicycle tours. I love the outdoors and being able to engage with communities around the world.

Oscar has been at Cedars-Sinai since 2021 as a clinical research coordinator with the Samuel Oschin Cancer Center, Cancer Clinical Trials Office. He received his bachelor of arts degree in psychology with a minor in public health from UCLA in 2017. Oscar has worked in clinical research for five years with experience in HIV, HIV prevention, hepatitis B/C, liver diseases and urologic oncology. Oscar is passionate about healthcare and is excited and hopeful that he’ll learn new skills to keep up with and contribute to the changing landscape that is healthcare. In his free time, he likes spending time with his fiancé Kevin, his dog Disco, and volunteering with WayOUT LA to raise awareness for at-risk LGBTQ+ youth.

Eleanor received her bachelor of science degree in microbiology, immunology and molecular genetics from UCLA. She joined the Cedars-Sinai family on the Samuel Oschin Comprehensive Cancer Institute Cancer Prevention and Control Program team to work on multiple NIH studies involving the evaluation of pancreatitis and pancreatic cancer. She looks forward to learning from the MHDS Program to help her gain skill sets to better bridge data modeling to be applicable and useful in clinical settings. She believes modern digital medicine can be practiced within the framework of patient-centered values.

I graduated from California State University, Long Beach (CSULB) in 2020 with a BS in molecular cell biology and physiology. As an undergraduate I conducted research on the physiology of the parasite Toxoplasma gondii and received a Biotechnology Certificate through an internship last year at Cedars-Sinai in the Regenerative Medicine Institute, and where I currently work as a research associate. In my spare time, I volunteer in the ED at Martin Luther King Jr. Community Hospital helping nurses triage and as a Spanish translator. While in the program, I hope to receive new insight in data and technology to further enhance my future career in healthcare and science. I believe the MHDS Program will provide the tools and skills needed to do so.

I chose to enroll in the MHDS Program to gain a strong foundation in the science behind healthcare delivery and analytics to further incorporate the rapidly changing fields of both information technology and medicine to change and improve patient care. What interests me in the Health Delivery Science Program is its curriculum. It is applicable and provides a more hands-on experience. I’m excited to learn the fundamental information needed to improve how we care and provide care to more diverse areas. I received my bachelor’s degree in clinical laboratory science at California State University, Dominguez Hills (CSUDH), and I have been a clinical laboratory scientist for almost 18 years. I am also a specialist in histocompatibility and am excited to join the program.

I am originally from New York and moved to Los Angeles three years ago. I earned my undergraduate degree in biology at Morgan State University in Baltimore, Maryland, in 2012. I’ve been working in the research field for 10 years. My journey began as a research administrative assistant at Mount Sinai in New York, New York. With my biology background and experience in clinical research, I was then given the opportunity to become a research coordinator. I am currently a clinical research coordinator at the Cedars-Sinai Kerlan-Jobe Institute. In addition, I work very closely with the Regenerative Orthobiologics Center, where I provide support with my knowledge in study monitoring, patient recruitment and communication, as well as data collection. I plan to take the data analytics, healthcare finance, administration and core research principles obtained by completing this program to contribute to and push my passion for research and policy development, in service to improve healthcare delivery.

Caroline Gibson, MD, has been a faculty neonatologist at Cedars-Sinai since fall 2013. Originally from Los Angeles, California, she earned her BA from Princeton University and an MD from Boston University School of Medicine. She completed her pediatric residency at Loma Linda Children's Hospital and her fellowship at UCLA. During her training she secured multiple NIH grants, including at K-12. After joining the faculty at Cedars-Sinai, Gibson switched focus to clinical research and quality improvement. Her passion is patient safety for her preterm infant. In this MHDS Program, she hopes to learn the fundamentals in successful performance improvement and data analytics to better serve her patients by providing cutting-edge health delivery and care within her practice model.

Rajalakshmi ("Raji") Govalan is one of the chief residents of the Internal Medicine Program at Cedars-Sinai. She was born and brought up in India, where she received her bachelor's in biotechnology before moving to the U.S. She then received her master’s in biotechnology at the University of California, Irvine (UCI). She completed medical school at Indiana University School of Medicine and her residency in internal medicine at Cedars-Sinai. She aspires to become a transplant hepatologist and is passionate about reducing health disparities and improving healthcare delivery. Outside of work she loves to cook fusion Indian food and is a classical Bharatnatyam dancer.

I majored in business management in undergrad, and I worked as an Apple technician for five years prior to joining Cedars-Sinai. I now support the Cedars-Sinai research community from the EIS front. I am also an active member of the Honest Enterprise Research Broker Committee. In my role I lead a team of research data analysts, discover new technologies, connect implementation teams, review research protocols and teach internal workshops. I’m excited to be a part of the MDHS Program to receive a broader understanding of the U.S. health system and gain the experience to grow as a leader within this environment.

Edward is the lead data intelligence analyst for the Cedars-Sinai Research Data Intelligence team in EIS. He has a BSBA in business management and human resource management from Rider University in New Jersey.

Paulina Le is a data coordinator for the Community Outreach and Engagement (COE) team at Cedars-Sinai Cancer. She helps manage and analyze the COE data on community outreach, cancer education and cancer screening events. In the MDHS Program, she aspires to broaden her knowledge of inequities in the healthcare system and strengthen her skills in data analysis and applied epidemiology. Her short-term goal is to aid in efforts to improve data quality and data evaluation to effectively track the COE’s impact in addressing cancer disparities in Cedars-Sinai Cancer’s priority populations. In an era when healthcare policy is continuously evolving to become more inclusive, Paulina is committed to keeping tally of those previously omitted or overlooked from healthcare access and ensure the community infrastructure and system makes every effort to best serve them and their needs.

Paulina is also a family caregiver and has previously interned at the California Department of Public Health in the Comprehensive Cancer Control Program in 2021. This summer, she completed her second term as an AmeriCorps Fellow at AltaMed’s Institute of Health Equity and was an AltaMed HCOP scholar from June to August 2022. In her free time, she enjoys walking in green spaces, watching documentaries, appreciating and creating artwork, and spending time with her loved ones.

Muskaan completed her bachelor’s degree in neuroscience at UCLA, where she worked in the Golshani Laboratory studying cognition in mice models and later as a medical assistant at an orthopaedic spine surgery practice after graduating. She currently works as a clinical research associate at the Cedars-Sinai Center for Outcomes Research and Education (CS-CORE), working under Brennan Spiegel, MD, and Christopher Almario, MD. She also did an internship at a growing health-tech startup, which got her fascinated by the digital health space and drove her interest in the MHDS Program. She ultimately wants to work as a physician leader to reduce healthcare disparities and bring innovation and technology to clinical spaces to improve health outcomes both nationally and globally.

Shabnam Pourhassani, DACM, QME, L.Ac is a board-certified acupuncturist. Her outpatient practice consists of integrative primary care, pediatrics, spine, orthopaedics, acute postoperative pain management, and failed IVF. A large portion of her outpatient practice is taking care of patients who have developed chronic pain after surgery. She has had inpatient and outpatient privileges at Cedars-Sinai since 2015. Her specialization within the hospital setting is in acute care acupuncture for post-op pain management, spinal cord injuries and other acute post-op conditions (i.e., dysphagia, nerve damage, ileus, etc.).

Adeeba graduated from Ryerson University in Canada with a BSc (Hons) in biomedical science with a minor in psychology in June 2021. Prior to MHDS she was volunteering at Cedars-Sinai in the Saul and Joyce Brandman Breast Center—A Project of Women’s Guild and working at CVS Pharmacy. She is very passionate about working in the healthcare sector since the beginning of her undergraduate journey and has held many volunteering positions to understand the different types and levels of care patients can be provided with, and what avenues of care she is most interested in. The MHDS Program will help her prepare to be an excellent healthcare leader. She plans on working in the field of clinical research with a focus on oncology and autoimmune diseases.

The curriculum of the MHDS Program gets to the heart of the applied skills necessary to advance change in healthcare. I plan to be part of the teams that develop, test and implement data-driven solutions to address problems of diversity, health equity and justice.

Joseph Stuckelman has an undergraduate degree from the University of California, Santa Cruz (UCSC), and a graduate degree from the Rhode Island School of Design. After several years working in design and art education, he transitioned to healthcare. Since 2010, he has been the academic program administrator for the Diagnostic Radiology Residency Program at Cedars-Sinai. In 2014, he earned Training Administrators of Graduate Medical Education (TAGME) certification and was elected to the executive board of the Association of Program Coordinators in Radiology (APCR), where he has served in several leadership roles. Stuckelman has presented at local and national GME education conferences.

Stuckelman is the first author of The Evolving Role of the Program Coordinator: Five Essential Skills for the Coordinator Toolbox, published in Academic Radiology. He is a past recipient of the Cedars-Sinai President’s Award. In 2019, he was appointed to the Coordinator Advisory Group of the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education.

Christopher obtained his bachelor's degree in general biology from the University of California, San Diego (UCSD), and began working as a microbiology laboratory technician to pursue his interests in the analysis, detection and monitoring of diseases. After obtaining his clinical laboratory scientist license, he began working in Cedars-Sinai's Division of Molecular Pathology. Christopher has worked in the testing of COVID-19 samples and has watched as the pandemic demanded faster turnaround times, more automated processes, and more efficient workflows. He joined the MHDS Program to better understand the issues involved with limited hospital resources and providing quality healthcare. Outside of work, Christopher enjoys dancing and dining with friends and family.

Lauren White graduated in 2014 with a BS in biology from Old Dominion University and in 2019 with an OD from Salus University. After graduation, she worked as an optometrist in a synchronous telehealth setting for 2020NOW and in primary eye care at a private practice in Reseda, California. In 2021-22, she completed a residency in ocular disease at the Dayton VA (Dayton, Ohio). She hopes to make a meaningful impact by increasing access to effective eye care.

I am excited to be part of the Cedars-Sinai MHDS Program because I believe we live in an era where healthcare is more important than ever and where information and technology can influence positive outcomes. While I have been working in the healthcare industry for over 22 years, with a majority of those years spent overseas, I feel like I’m just getting started. At present I am a regional program director based in Singapore, working with a diverse international team and providing program management oversight of a large-scale U.S. military healthcare program. After graduating with a double major in liberal arts and sciences and Spanish from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, little did I know healthcare administration would become such an integral part of my life years later. The opportunity to focus on new and current aspects of U.S. healthcare delivery is thrilling to me because it represents a very relevant area for my professional growth.