Current Students

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.

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.

Arlet Arratoonian, DDS, completed her undergraduate studies at the University of California Los Angeles and earned her Bachelor of Science in Psychobiology. She then earned her DDS Degree from USC Ostrow School of Dentistry. After owning a private practice for 10 years, Dr. Arratoonian sold her practice to pursue her community and public health passion. She is currently the Dental Director of a Health Care Center in Los Angeles and is also an assistant professor of clinical dentistry at USC School of Dentistry. She spends her free time enjoying her family and traveling.

Melissa graduated from California State University of San Bernardino in May 2022. She double majored in pre-med biology and biochemistry with a minor in business administration. She has always had an interest in healthcare and started volunteering in clinics and hospitals when she was 16. She started doing undergraduate research during her junior year of college which inspired her to apply for the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM). After being accepted in 2021, she chose Cedars-Sinai as her host institute to join an orthopaedic lab. After her time as a research intern, she decided to join the orthopaedic team as a Research Assistant I to focus on establishing an in vitro model for osteoarthritis.

Odette is originally from Acapulco, Mexico. She moved to California after her first year of college and completed her undergraduate degree in biological sciences at UC Irvine. She started her research career at the UC Irvine Health Policy Research Institute where she worked on studies focusing on the assessment and improvement of healthcare quality with an emphasis on understanding and reducing disparities in health and healthcare for ethnic minorities and vulnerable populations. She has participated in a broad range of clinical studies, including behavioral perinatology, pediatric exercise, cervical cancer survivorship, coached care for diabetic patients, fatty liver and the first treatments for COVID-19. 

In 2021, she joined the Barbra Streisand Women's Heart Center at Cedars-Sinai, which is working to correct gender inequality in cardiovascular research, as well as to educate women on how to recognize female-pattern heart disease symptoms. In her free time, Odette enjoys spending time with her husband and her two boys, traveling and volunteering in her community.

Harpriya Chugh has been working at Cedars-Sinai for the past 15 years as a Clinical Research Data Specialist. She has been creating, managing and analyzing databases for the Center for Cardiac Arrest Prevention (CCAP) at the Smidt Heart Institute. Before that she was a senior software engineer with SPSS for 11 years.

Jigna’s goal is to bridge the gap between information technology and laboratory science to revolutionize patient care. With a bachelor's degree in clinical laboratory science from California State University, Dominguez Hills (CSUDH), and nearly 12 years of experience as a clinical laboratory scientist, Jigna is confident that joining the MHDS program will be a transformative step in her career.

Brent Di Meo is a Clinical Laboratory Scientist in the Division of Transfusion Medicine at Cedars-Sinai. He oversees the quality assurance and regulatory compliance programs for the Transfusion Service’s blood, milk and tissue banks. Prior to joining Cedars-Sinai, Brent worked at Lab Corp’s National Genetics Institute performing high complexity molecular testing. He received his BS in biology from Pepperdine University, completed his postbaccalaureate degree in clinical science at Cal State Dominguez Hills and finished his clinical laboratory rotations at Cedars-Sinai. His unique views on healthcare and drive to make it more equitable for everyone was fostered from his time growing up in Pohnpei, Micronesia and Oahu, HI. Brent is a proud father of two and loves to spend his free time with the family going on awesome adventures!

Michael joined the Cedars-Sinai Cancer Research Center for Health Equity in 2022. Previously he worked with the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research as a communications manager on a CDC funded grant seeking to reduce secondhand smoke exposure in multi-unit housing settings in underserved communities. Prior to UCLA, Michael oversaw business development and communications for FAME Corporations, the nonprofit arm of the First AME Church of Los Angeles in South L.A. oversaw fund development, community and strategic partnerships, and organizational and external communications for multiple programs serving high-need communities including nutrition education and obesity prevention, transportation, conservation education, housing, and tobacco cessation campaigns. Michael received his bachelor’s degree from Temple University. In his spare time, when he has spare time, he enjoys trying to keep up with his six-year-old daughter.  

While studying at the University of Southern California in the 1980s, Jeff's passion for healthcare was ignited as a clerk in the radiology department at Children's Hospital of Los Angeles. His journey into healthcare administration has been marked by diverse experiences in management roles. Early in his career, he focused on physician practice management, leading practices in varied specialties ranging from radiation oncology to orthopaedic surgery. He briefly pursued entrepreneurial interests, operating his own bail agency, but his unwavering commitment to healthcare brought him back to the industry, and he assumed pivotal roles at Kaiser Permanente Los Angeles Medical Center as Department Administrator for Neurosurgery and at Cedars-Sinai where he currently serves as Associate Director in Imaging. Throughout his journey, Jeff has witnessed the transformative impact of digital and information technology in patient care. Driven to advance his knowledge and make a meaningful impact, he is now pursuing a Master’s in Health Delivery Science, aiming to leverage data analytics and healthcare innovation for positive change in the industry.

Ann grew up in Milwaukee and has a BA in physics from Grinnell College and an MS in civil engineering from the University of Minnesota. She worked briefly as an inspector on construction sites through a Minneapolis winter before moving to Los Angeles. She started working at Cedars-Sinai almost twenty years ago as a writer of patient materials for the imaging department, but she then drifted into data, first for the department's marketing team and now for the department's leadership.

Brett joined Cedars-Sinai as an EIS Application Specialist in 2020. Over the past 3 years he’s worked on several projects implementing new standards for providing Covid-19 test results to the department of health. He is also the lead for Care Everywhere, which focuses on the interoperability of patient information between organizations. Prior to joining Cedars-Sinai, he worked at City of Hope and UCLA Health. His hobbies include playing golf and playing on his soccer team LA United FC.

Anxhela is currently a Clinical Research Coordinator at Cedars-Sinai’s Smidt Heart Institute. As an undergraduate student at UCLA, she volunteered in the Transforming Care at Bedside (TCAB) program at Cedars-Sinai and went on to work at the S. Mark Taper Foundation Imaging Center after obtaining her BS in 2020. In her free time, she enjoys traveling and is a substantial advocate and enthusiast of foreign cinema.

Mariel Lansangan serves as the Ophthalmic Administrative Assistant to Dr. Sharon Nau Spooner, a pediatric ophthalmologist based in Santa Monica, California. Mariel earned her bachelor's degree in neuroscience with minors in chemistry and psychology from Regis University in 2019, graduating with cum laude honors. Following her academic achievements, Mariel ventured further into patient healthcare initiatives by becoming a Health Scholar and Projects Coordinator at COPE Health Solutions, located at Adventist Health Glendale. Additionally, she serves as the president of the Neuroscience Foundation, a student-led non-profit organization. In her free time, she volunteers at her local church and for Cedars-Sinai's Emergency Department. 

Through the MHDS program, Mariel seeks to immerse herself in the advancement of medical technology while diving into the fundamental principles of health delivery science, thereby paving her way to contribute to the broader field of medicine. She aspires to bridge the existing gaps of knowledge in data analytics, healthcare informatics and modern medical practices to transform present-day healthcare.

In the future, Mariel plans to attend medical school, using her knowledge and experiences from the MHDS program to change global medical care. Mariel enjoys balancing her mental and physical health outside of work through pilates and dining with family and friends.

Jennifer Poole, DO, MS, FACP, is an assistant professor of Medicine at Cedars-Sinai and University of California, Los Angeles. Currently, she is the Clinical Chief of General Internal Medicine and the Medical Director for the Inpatient Hospice Program at Cedars-Sinai. Her areas of expertise are in Hospice and Palliative Care and Hospitalist Medicine. In 2017, she began the Schwartz Rounds Program at Cedars-Sinai and remains the Physician Leader. She also is the Physician Wellness Ambassador for the Department of Medicine at Cedars-Sinai. Through the MHDS Program, Dr. Poole is excited to learn more about ways in which health innovation, quality improvement initiatives and developments in health delivery systems can facilitate and promote a multidisciplinary healthcare leader and physician.

Jaclyn joined the Cedars-Sinai clinical nutrition team in January of 2022 and currently works with a variety of patients including outpatient pediatrics and inpatient acute and critical care. Her background includes achieving highest honors from the University of California, Davis, with a degree in Clinical Nutrition in 2012. She went on to complete her dietetic internship at the Memphis VA Medical Center and became a registered dietitian in October of 2013. For the last decade she has dedicated her professional life to clinical nutrition and has contributed to the field through many different areas, including acute and critical care, ambulatory care, rehabilitation and pediatrics. Jaclyn is thrilled to enter the MHDS program not only to further her career but to also have a positive influence within the health care system for both her patients and colleagues. In her free time, she enjoys attending live shows, catching up on television, trying new restaurants and spending time in nature.  

Landon Scott is a research associate in the Lahiri Lab at Cedars-Sinai, working on developing novel therapeutic approaches to improve neurocognitive function after acute brain and systemic diseases. Landon graduated with a BS in neuroscience in 2022, and his research background includes nanoparticle cancer therapy, fruit fly morphology and using designer receptors to investigate the neurobiology of anxiety. Landon is passionate about advancing mental health treatment through both research and clinical practice.

Marina Sorace-Ferreyro is an Argentine national that came to the U.S. with her family as a child. She immediately became the default interpreter for her family, and this ignited an interest in creating bridges between cultures. She is a graduate of the University of Buenos Aires School of Law where she received her law degree and proceeded to practice corporate and commercial law while also teaching contracts law at her alma matter until she moved to the United States.

The reason for her second migration to the U.S. was falling in love with an American, and together they are raising three kids in El Segundo, CA. Once residing in the United States again, interpreting and translating became her full-time career and she obtained a certification as a translator and later as a medical interpreter. For the past 2 years she has been a certified medical interpreter for Cedars-Sinai and continues her freelance work as a medical/legal/community interpreter. She also believes her participation in the program brings racial and ethnic diversity that can help promote inclusion and raise awareness on cultural differences.

Marina dedicates her free time as a board member for the Immigration Resource Center of San Gabriel Valley, a non-profit that helps undocumented immigrants find a path to citizenship. She enjoys reading, writing, historical fiction, bike riding by the beach with her family and cooking.

Nirosha graduated from the University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka, with a medical degree and practiced as a public health physician and researcher. Interacting directly with the public by addressing public health concerns, implementing new healthcare services, providing healthcare-related legal and medical services, and ensuring the proper running of a statistical surveillance system confirmed her confidence and passion for the field of public health. In 2021, she joined Cedars-Sinai. While learning about the U.S. healthcare delivery system, she found the MHDS program and decided to pursue it as an avenue to become a successful leader.

Daniel is a dedicated medical professional from Brazil. With a background as an obstetrician and gynecologist specializing in maternal-tetal medicine and his experience in providing care to expectant mothers, he acknowledges the challenges faced by underserved communities in Sao Paulo. Driven by this realization and motivated by his supportive family, he believes the MHDS program will cultivate the knowledge and skills necessary to address healthcare disparities and contribute to creating a healthier and more equitable society. Daniel's favorites hobbies are traveling and sports.