Meet the Fellows

Trang Dinh, MD 

Medical School: UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine 

Residency Program: UCSF

Mentor: David Cornfield, MD

Prior Experience: My commitment to improving children's health disparities has led me to specialize in pediatric pulmonology. I am interested in working with patients and families of all backgrounds. I am dedicated to lifelong learning in evidence-based medical care to alleviate patients' disease burden so children can live their best lives. Outside of the clinic, I am pursuing research opportunities to improve children's lung health. As well, I am interested in medical education to continue future generations of pediatric pulmonologists.

Jean Lee, MD

Medical School: University of Illinois at Chicago - College of Medicine

Residency Program: VCU Health – Internal Medicine and Pediatrics

Mentor: MyMy Buu, MD

Prior Experience: My interest in pediatric pulmonology also stems from the broad pathophysiology it encompasses. I enjoy the variety of cases one sees in pediatric pulmonology such as tracheobronchomalacia, Cystic Fibrosis, asthma, pulmonary hypertension, and interstitial lung disease amongst many others. I also enjoy the physiology of the lungs.

Kalen Hendra, MD

Medical School: Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine

Residency Program: UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital Oakland

Mentor: Jochen Profit, MD

Research: The Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) population is one of the most rapidly growing racial/ethnic groups in the United States and has not been well studied. My research will investigate bronchopulmonary dysplasia and respiratory-related outcomes in AANHPI infants born prematurely using previously collected data from NICUs across California. My project will highlight differences in health outcomes between the various AANHPI populations, which will serve as a foundation for future research aimed at finding solutions to these disparities.  

Prior Experience: I was born and raised in the East Bay and then traveled to Virginia where I attended University of Richmond for college and Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine for medical school. I was thrilled to come back home to do my residency at UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital Oakland and to stay in the Bay for my fellowship training. My passion for pulmonology began as a result of my own experience with asthma and has grown over time. I love that pulmonology provides amazing opportunities for continuity of care, a balance of in-patient and outpatient work, as well as the ability to perform procedures (bronchoscopies). In my free time I like to watch movies and TV (especially superhero-related movies and shows), listen to music and go to concerts, and do yoga.    

Jeff Ni, MD

Medical School: Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine

Residency Program: University of Chicago

Mentor: Maya Kumar, PhD

Research: Pulmonary hypertension is a heterogenous group of diseases that remains progressive and fatal, oftentimes leading to right heart failure and the need for lung transplantation. Available medical therapies for pulmonary hypertension are largely supportive but not curative, thus understanding the underlying molecular and cell signaling pathways that drive the formation of obstructive lesions, or "neointima", in the pulmonary vasculature is essential for developing therapies to prevent and reverse pulmonary hypertension. My research aims to characterize the activity and downstream effects of the canonical Wnt signaling pathway in neointima formation using single cell sequencing, in situ hybridization, and Cre-lox recombination in a variety of rodent models and human tissue samples. 

Prior experience: I spent most of my years in the windy Midwest, attending Washington University in St. Louis for undergraduate, Loyola University in Chicago for medical school, and the University of Chicago for pediatric residency training. During residency, I was drawn to pediatric pulmonology because of the balanced ability to practice in both the inpatient and outpatient settings, the focus on understanding and applying core pathophysiology principles to challenging medical cases, and the opportunity to participate in exciting and innovative research. I am also passionate about holistic and interdisciplinary patient care, impacting medical health disparities and improving access to subspecialty care. In my free time, I enjoy travelling and hiking with my wife, being humbled in Muay Thai, attempting to dance hip hop, and playing and listening to music. 

Krystal Jin, MD

Medical School: Loma Linda University School of Medicine

Residency Program: Valley Children's Healthcare

My interest in pediatric pulmonology started during my intern year as I was taking care of complex patients with cystic fibrosis and interstitial lung disease. As I progressed through my training and continued to learn about various respiratory diseases-- such as complex asthma, bronchopulmonary dysplasia, and chronic lung disease-- I realized my passion to become a pediatric pulmonologist. The aspect I love most about pulmonary medicine is the ability to take the basic science knowledge I learned throughout medical school and apply it directly into clinical practice. I am very excited that I will be working with the Stanford Children’s pediatric pulmonary team and learn from a very hard working group of people who are dedicated to the world of pediatric pulmonology.

My hobbies include spending time with my family, hiking with my adorable dog Bruce, and watching Netflix!