Current Students

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 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 the degree, 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.

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 nonprofit organization. In her free time, she volunteers at her local church and for Cedars-Sinai's Emergency Department. 

Through the program, Mariel seeks to immerse herself in the advancement of medical technology while diving into the fundamental principles of health systems, 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 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 program, Dr. Poole is excited to learn more about ways in which health innovation, quality improvement initiatives and developments in health 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 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 nonprofit 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.

Originally from Northern California, Dominic attended UC Davis for her undergraduate degree in Neurobiology, Physiology, and Behavior and then spent a year working at The Scripps Research Institute in atherosclerosis research. She returned to UC Davis for her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine. After veterinary school, she went to Pilchuck Veterinary Hospital for her internship and completed her residency in Large Animal Internal Medicine from Cornell University. She headed back to UC Davis as Clinical Faculty in the Equine Medicine Department and eventually spent a year in private practice. Shortly after starting a family, she started with VCA Animal Hospitals as a Recruiting and Professional Relations Director. She was excited to move into her current role as Director of Veterinary Mentorship five years ago. Outside of work, she enjoys spending time in nature with her three daughters and husband. She is very excited to be studying in the MS in Health Systems program as she believes many of the concepts will translate directly into better care for animal patients and more effective use of veterinary medical team’s time in the hospital.  

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 program and decided to pursue it as an avenue to become a successful leader.

Katherine Eckert is a clinical research coordinator with the Cancer Clinical Trials Office at Cedars-Sinai, currently working with the GI oncology group. She has over six years of clinical research experience, previously working with lymphoma patients at Washington University and hematology CAR-T patients at the University of Chicago. Katherine received her BS in biology at the University of Evansville in 2016.

Brianna graduated from UC Santa Cruz in 2020 with a Bachelor of Science degree in molecular biology. After graduation, she worked as an HIV counselor at the AIDS Healthcare Foundation in Los Angeles. In 2022, she joined Cedars-Sinai as a research associate, where she has spent the last two years collaborating with colleagues to address complex questions in transplant immunology. As a student in the MSHS program, she aims to develop innovative solutions that address healthcare disparities. She believes that this program will offer valuable exposure to the innerworkings of our healthcare system and solidify her commitment to improving it.

Thomas (Tom) Hoffmann is an MN Clinical Program Manager of LA PULM, overseeing the medical network’s American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) fully accredited sleep facility.  He received his bachelor’s degree in psychology and sociology from Ohio Northern University in 2000 and began his career in sleep medicine immediately following graduation.  Thomas has extensive experience in the study, diagnosis, and treatment of sleep disorders, earning two Board of Registered Polysomnographic Technologists (BRPT) certifications.  He received his Registered Polysomnographic Technologist (RPSGT) certification in 2003, and his Certification in Clinical Sleep Health (CCSH) in 2021.

LeeAnn Jackson is a Clinical Nurse III Registered Nurse working in Cedars-Sinai's Emergency Department at Beverly Hills since 2021. She obtained her bachelor’s in science in Nursing at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and obtained her CEN (Certified Emergency Nurse) certificate in 2023. Since the beginning of her nursing career, she has specialized in Level One Trauma Emergency Medicine. LeeAnn completed IRB approved research during her baccalaureate studies. She plans to utilize her previous research experience and knowledge learned from the MSHS program to further the advancement of emergency medicine day-to-day operations. Her hope is to practically apply capabilities of AI and advancements in medical/healthcare technology to deliver the highest quality of care available to patients.   

Rongsen dropped out of school at age 15 and thought he would never have to attend school. In his early 20s, Rongsen came to the United States without lawful permanent status and essential language skills. He worked as a dishwasher, busboy, delivery guy, and waiter to make a living. Several years later, he finally received his green card and went to East Los Angeles College to take ESL classes. Meanwhile, Rongsen worked as a long-haul truck driver, coach bus driver, limo driver, and tour guide. He saved every penny he could because he wanted to attend a 4-year university after community college. In 2019, Rongsen was naturalized to be a U.S. citizen, worked as a research intern at NASA’s JPL for six months, and received admission offers from UC Berkeley and UCLA. In 2022, Rongsen graduated from UC Berkeley with a bachelor’s degree in data science and decided to get into medical research. He is deeply enthusiastic about the integrated biomedical curriculums the MSHS program provides, equipping him with advanced technical skills, a profound understanding of healthcare contexts, and the ability to lead innovative projects.

Oscar Munos is a dedicated healthcare professional with a robust background in communication, patient care, and leadership. He has successfully led projects that enhanced operational efficiency and improved patient outcomes, demonstrating his commitment to excellence in healthcare delivery. Currently pursuing a Master of Science in Health Systems, Oscar aims to leverage his skills and knowledge to become an Operations Manager, driving transformative changes in the healthcare sector.

Michelle received her Bachelor of Science in Biology from the University of California at Santa Barbara in 2000. Upon graduation she completed Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) coursework and spent considerable hours volunteering her time and furthering medical expertise. After undergrad, Michelle moved to New York and attended Bronx-Lebanon Physician Assistant (PA) Program from 2000-2002. After PA school she did a 1-year Orthopedic PA Fellowship specializing in Trauma at Lincoln Medical Center (a Level 1 Trauma Center) in the Bronx, NY. After her fellowship, Michelle worked at Lincoln Medical Center, North General Hospital and Nassau County Medical Center (a Level 1 Trauma Center) specializing in Joint Replacements, Plastic Surgery and Spine during the day, and Trauma at night.

In 2006, Michelle directed her focus exclusively on Hip and Knee Replacement surgeries. She relocated to Southern California and teamed with renowned physician Dr. Brad Penenberg. Michelle’s educational background and breadth of experience have contributed significantly in making her a highly effective PA.

Over the years Michelle has performed research studies that have been recognized by the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons annual meetings. In 2011, Michelle was selected to a podium presentation in Metal-on-Metal Total Hip Arthroplasties at the annual Orthopedic Surgeons meeting and continues to participate in Joint Reconstruction research.

Michelle’s interests outside of Orthopedics include playing competitive softball, watching professional sports and spending time with her son.

After earning a bachelor's degree in business administration with a minor in business law from CSUN, I began my career organizing international forums in the oil and gas industry. This role provided me with valuable global experience in business operations and management.

Upon returning to the US, I transitioned to healthcare, earning a degree as a vascular diagnostic sonographer. Since 2021, I have been working at Cedars-Sinai.

With a strong foundation in both business and healthcare, I am now eager to pursue a master's degree with a focus on data analysis and management in the healthcare industry. This program offers the perfect opportunity to leverage my diverse background and skills.

Alexa received her Bachelor of Science degree in nursing from the Universidad Adventista de las Antillas in Puerto Rico. With almost a decade working in healthcare, Alexa joined the Cedars-Sinai family as a Registered Nurse in the Step-Down Care Unit in 2022. Her diverse upbringing, unique perspective, and knack for technology have allowed her to bridge the gap between generations navigating the digital world. Alexa is passionate about how technology has and continues to improve healthcare systems. Driven to advance her knowledge in the biomedical space, she is pursuing this master's degree to become a leader in healthcare innovation and to improve patient care. She speaks Spanish and German and in her free time, she enjoys salsa dancing, scuba diving, and biking to the beach.

Julio Silvestre, MD, is an Assistant Professor of Medicine at Cedars-Sinai. Originally from La Paz, Bolivia, he completed his residency program in Internal Medicine and fellowships in Geriatrics, Palliative Care and Oncologic Emergency Medicine. Currently, he works as the staff Supportive Care Medicine physician at the Angeles Clinic and Research Institute. His areas of expertise include complex symptom management in cancer, sickle cell disease and brain metastases.

In addition to his clinical and educational leadership, Dr. Silvestre has made important contributions to medical research, authoring numerous peer-reviewed articles on opioid management and interdisciplinary care quality.

Through the MSHS graduate program, Dr. Silvestre is eager to learn leadership skills and health system innovations that best serve patients. He also hopes to use quality improvement and implementation science approaches to establish best clinical practices for patient-centered care.

Cleve Wong is an executive health coach and product manager with over a decade of experience in health care organizations and Fortune 5 technology companies. 

He led digital engagement strategy at UCLA Health, where he spearheaded a viral public health campaign that leveraged AR  technology to promote preventative behaviors such as masking and vaccination, garnering support from influencers and winning the Shorty Award for Social Impact. 

Cleve co-developed the first science-based mindfulness mobile app in the U.S that gave doctors and frontline health care workers stress management tool at their fingertips, earning recognition from the New York Times and Mashable. Cleve helped scale a precision medicine program, telemedicine services, and an AI-chatbot during COVID, which improved access to care for patients around the world. He led content strategy for a novel patient engagement solution, which won the e-Healthcare Leadership Award and a partnership deal with Youtube. 

Cleve was recruited to Google as Associate Director of Strategy to lead product marketing for cloud and AI solutions, supporting IT decision-makers in front-line organizations on their journey toward digital transformation. Cleve is the founding CMO of AnonNet, an AI-powered digital health platform that uses differential privacy to enable secure biomedical data exchange and accelerate disease prediction. He is an advisor to the Aspen Institute’s Tech Accountability Council, working with industry leaders to shape the future of responsible AI. 

One morning, Cleve woke up in an ER with his face paralyzed. He was diagnosed with a rare neurological disorder triggered by acute stress and burnout. This wake up call led him to let go of the corporate ladder, and follow a new path of recovery, reflection and self discovery. He volunteered with nonprofits in Norway and went on retreats in Bali. He completed post-graduate training at UCLA Neuroscience and UC Irvine Health — certifying as a health and wellness coach and mindfulness facilitator. 

Since then, Cleve has a newfound purpose in fostering healing for others, especially for creatives and high-performers who are prone to suffering silently from burnout. Cleve is dedicated to designing preventative medicine solutions that drive impact in hospitals and beyond. Cleve is a board member of the UCLA Alumni Association and is dedicated to serving marginalized parts of society, including people of color, LGBTQ, and immigrant communities. 

Outside of work, Cleve loves to travel to explore different cultures through their food and traditions. You can find him recharging by practicing yoga, frolicking in nature, or watching a good animation or sci-fi movie with his two kitties and family.