Letter from the Board President
Dear Alumni,
It is with immense humility, gratitude, and honor that I accept the role as the current President of the Stanford Medicine Alumni Association (SMAA). I am truly excited to embark on this journey with all of you.
The strategic mission of SMAA is to Reach, Inspire, Serve, and Engage (RISE) Stanford Medicine alumni from the Stanford School of Medicine and Stanford Health Care. We are committed to building a vibrant and inclusive community, providing enriching educational programs, strengthening alumni connections, supporting excellence and diversity, and encouraging robust volunteerism across our network.
Our alumni association is unique. Unlike many other medical alumni programs focused solely on MD graduates, we proudly serve a diverse audience of degreed alumni in medicine and the biosciences, residents, fellows, postdocs, and other alumni constituencies. This incredible breadth is our strength, and it is what makes our community so special and gives our alumni network its strength and vibrancy. While our professional journeys are diverse, we share a common academic heritage and a deep connection to Stanford Medicine.
Whether you are looking to give back through mentorship, volunteerism, or simply connecting with former colleagues, there are countless ways to engage and make an impact. I invite you to visit our website to explore the many opportunities for involvement and to stay informed about upcoming events, initiatives, and ways you can contribute to the ongoing success of our community.
We believe in the power of connection. We are eager to hear from you – your insights, ideas, and experiences are invaluable. Your involvement can help continue the spirit of innovation that defines Stanford Medicine and shape the training of the next generation of physicians and scientists. Together, let's make this an exceptional year for SMAA!
With anticipation,
Ethan A. Nicholls, M.D.
President
Stanford Medicine Alumni Association
Board Officers
Ethan Nicholls
MD ’88
PRESIDENT
Dr. Ethan A. Nicholls received his A.B. from Harvard University, his M.D. from Stanford University and completed his Anesthesia residency and fellowship in Pain Management at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF).
He joined the Palo Alto Foundation Medical Group in March 2015 where he currently serves as Chair of the Department of Anesthesia, Alameda Division. Previously, he was a senior partner and served as President of Northern California Anesthesia Associates (2004-2015). After completing his residency and fellowship training, Dr. Nicholls held the position of Assistant Professor of Anesthesiology and Pain Management at the University of California, San Francisco before leaving for private practice and working at El Camino Hospital, and later Washington Hospital.
In addition to his clinical practice, Dr. Nicholls has served in numerous other roles. Most recently on the Board of Trustees, Castilleja School in Palo Alto (2011-2017). He served as a Delegate, District 4, California Society of Anesthesiology (2001-2007) and previously held multiple staff and committee positions at El Camino Hospital including Chief, Department of Anesthesiology.
Dr. Nicholls has two daughters, is a Stanford Women’s Basketball season ticket holder and enjoys traveling and attending the theatre and SF Opera.
Shelley Force Aldred
PhD ’05
PRESIDENT-ELECT
Shelley Force Aldred, Ph.D., is Co-founder and CEO of Rondo Therapeutics. Prior to starting Rondo, Dr. Force Aldred was a member of TeneoBio’s founding team where she led preclinical development for the company’s CD3 T-cell engager platform which ultimately generated $1.5B in up-front payments through partnerships and an acquisition by Amgen. Early in her career, Dr. Force Aldred developed a passion for starting companies when she co-founded SwitchGear Genomics which later sold to Active Motif. Dr. Force Aldred earned a Ph.D. in Genetics from Stanford where she continues to be involved as an advisor for Stanford’s SPARK translational medicine program and as a member of the Board of Governors for the Stanford Medicine Alumni Association.
Deval Lashkari
PHD ’96
PAST PRESIDENT
Dr. Lashkari has worked in the life sciences area developing and commercializing novel technologies. During his time as a graduate student, Dr. Lashkari worked at the Stanford Genome Technology Center on new technologies used in the human genome project. He was also President of BioMASS and was involved with summer research programs for minority undergraduate students. After completing his PhD in Genetics, he became a founding research director for a genomics tools company. He gained corporate and business development experience through senior management positions in a number of life science businesses. Dr. Lashkari is a co-founder and Senior Partner at Telegraph Hill Partners, a San Francisco based life sciences and healthcare venture capital firm and works closely with innovative healthcare companies.
Jessica Ngo
MD ’05
SECRETARY
Jessica Ngo is board certified in Emergency Medicine, fellowship trained in Emergency Medical Services and Disaster Medicine, and certified in Wound Care and Hyperbaric Medicine. She completed her undergraduate degree from University of Pennsylvania, then transplanted to the west coast where she completed medical school, residency and fellowship at Stanford University. She served as an attending physician and Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine at Stanford University for 12 years. Dr. Ngo has a passion for disaster response as well as education. She served on the Stanford Hospital Disaster Planning Committee Board, then co-founded Stanford’s first disaster deployment team named SEMPER (Stanford Emergency Medicine Program for Emergency Response). She has directed numerous disaster responses around the world, starting with the 2010 Haiti earthquake. During her tenure, she spent over a decade directing key educational programs, including the Emergency Medicine Clerkship, the Medical School Procedure Course, and the Stanford EMT Course.
Dr. Ngo transitioned to Palo Alto Foundation Medical Group in 2020 and currently serves as Department Chair of the Urgent Care, Los Gatos Division. In addition to her clinical leadership, she also serves as an internal executive coach within the organization.
In her free time, she loves to spend time with her husband and 3 children. They enjoy staying active through hiking, biking, skiing and traveling.
I-Han Liang
BA ’97
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, ALUMNI RELATIONS
Board Members
Isha Arora
PhD Candidate
Isha is a PhD candidate in the Stanford Immunology program. Prior to Stanford, she earned a B.S. in Biomedical Engineering with a minor in Computer Science from Cornell University. For her thesis work, Isha is computationally identifying the immune mechanisms that lead to sex biased disease prevalence, presentation, and outcomes in Interstitial Lung Diseases with the goal of identifying sex-specific therapeutic targets for the same. She is also an awardee of the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP). After her PhD, Isha plans to start or join an early-stage startup. Outside of work, she enjoys dancing, swimming, and crocheting.
Sofia Beskid
PhD Candidate
Sofia is a Ph.D. candidate in the Stanford Biology program. In her thesis work, she investigates the evolutionary forces driving protein sequences. She is also an awardee of the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP). Before arriving at Stanford, Sofia earned a B.S. in Environmental Science from the University of Texas at Austin. After her Ph.D., she is interested in joining an early-stage startup.
Jane Binger
BS ’73, MA '80, EdD '82
Dr. Binger has dedicated her career to the intersection of education, healthcare, and breaking barriers so college students and healthcare professionals of all backgrounds can reach their professional dreams.
Presently, Jane is Co-Founder and Chief Learning Officer of DeepTok, a Foundation for California Community Colleges non-profit; Senior Advisor, Center of Excellence in Diversity in Medical Education, Stanford Medicine; Diplomat, University of California Merced Foundation where she co-sponsors the Grad Slam Research Presentation Competition; and an Executive Board Member, California Medicine Coalition. Previously, she was a Senior Research Officer, Sutter Health, where she led teams that developed the first system-wide strategy for research, personalized medicine, and graduate medical education. She was Executive Director, Physician Leadership Education, Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford for nine years.
Dr. Binger enjoys volunteering for the National Hispanic Medical Association Annual Conference Committee, Napa Valley College MESA/STEM Center Advisory Board, and Stanford University as an undergraduate admissions alumni interviewer. She earned her BS, and MA and Doctorate in Education from Stanford University, and MS from UCSF. On weekends, you will find Jane hanging out with her husband (Bob Bernstein, AB ’77, AM ’77, MD ‘80) and family, and fishing in the High Sierra.
Mark Ping Chao
MD ’08, PhD ’11, Resident ’14, Fellow ’16
Dr. Mark Chao is a physician-scientist, hematologist and biotechnology entrepreneur. He is currently Chief Medical Officer of Antares Therapeutics, a precision medicine therapeutics company. Previously, Mark was CMO at Scorpion Therapeutics resulting in an acquisition by Eli Lilly and Company for up to $2.5B. Prior to that Mark was co-founder and CEO of TenSixteen Bio, a precision therapeutics platform company. Mark also previously served as Vice President of Oncology Clinical Research at Gilead Sciences. Prior to that, Mark was co-founder and Senior Vice President of Clinical Development at Forty Seven, Inc., an immuno-oncology company which was acquired by Gilead Sciences for $4.9B. Mark was named one of the 20 under Forty in biopharma leaders by Endpoints News. He has broad interests in translational research, clinical development and biotechnology company formation. He received his medical degree, PhD in cancer biology and internal medicine and hematology training at Stanford University. He serves on the board of directors for the Northern California Chapter of the Leukemia Lymphoma Society and the A.P. Giannini Foundation. He and his wife Alice (BA ’99, PhD ’09) are proud Stanford alumni and have three young girls.
Peter Yee-Chew Chiu
MD ’83
Dr. Peter Y. Chiu is an Emeritus Adjunct Clinical Professor of Medicine at Stanford University and has been actively involved in both the Stanford MD Admissions Program and the First-Generation Mentorship Program at Stanford Medical School.
Since 2013, Dr. Chiu has been on the Hearing Board of the Bay Area Air Quality Management District (BAAQMD) to adjudicate regulatory compliance matters involving the BAAQMD and local industries.
Dr. Chiu previously practiced as an Occupational Medicine and Emergency Department physician at Kaiser Permanente in Milpitas and Santa Clara, California from 1990 to 2011. Prior to that, he practiced Family Medicine in San Jose from 1986 to 1990.
His public service also includes appointments by Governor Jerry Brown to the California Regional Water Quality Control Board, where he served from 1979 to 1984, and to the California State Board of Behavioral Sciences, where he served from 2013 to 2019. He was also appointed by President Bill Clinton to the U.S. Presidential/Congressional Environmental Risk Assessment and Risk Management Commission, serving from 1994 to 1997.
Prior to his medical career, Dr. Chiu worked as a Principal Environmental Engineer for the Association of Bay Area Governments. Dr. Chiu received his MD degree from Stanford University and his BS, MPH, and DrPH degrees from University of California, Berkeley.
George Demetri
MD ’83
Dr. Demetri is the Quick Family Chair in Medical Oncology at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School, where he co-directs the Ludwig Center at Harvard with Joan Brugge, PhD. His career as a physician-scientist has focused on developing therapies targeting specific oncogenic mechanisms to treat molecularly-defined subsets of sarcomas and other cancers. He led the development of imatinib as the first effective therapy for gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) as a paradigm of a mutation-driven solid tumor. Subsequently, he led the development of the next two FDA-approved drugs for GIST (sunitinib and regorafenib) after resistance to imatinib appeared. On the basis of this body of work, Dr. Demetri was awarded the 2020 David A. Karnofsky Memorial Award from the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO). His research efforts have subsequently contributed to U.S. FDA approval of multiple other therapies to treat GIST (e.g. avapritinib), other sarcomas (e.g. trabectedin, pazopanib and eribulin), and other malignancies. Working at the interface of academic discovery and biopharma development, Dr. Demetri serves as director of academic research consortia as well as several scientific biopharma advisory boards; he also co-founded IDRx, a clinical stage biotech company acquired in 2025 by GSK which is actively developing next-generation therapies for GIST.
Robert Fishman
MD ‘86
Robert S. Fishman, MD is an alumnus of Stanford Medical School, a former member of the Stanford pulmonary medicine faculty, and a physician-scientist in the biotech industry.
Dr. Fishman trained in internal medicine at Deaconess Hospital, Boston, and in pulmonary and critical care medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital. He then began his career as a member of Stanford's pulmonary/critical care division and lung transplant team. He later entered industry, where he has served as a physician-scientist for 30 years, including chief medical officer roles at three biotech firms. He led the Phase 3 studies of inhaled loxapine (Adasuve®, Alexza Pharmaceuticals), approved for the noninvasive treatment of agitation associated with schizophrenia or bipolar I disorder. He later led the late Phase 3 clinical development of pirfenidone (Esbriet®, InterMune), one of the first two drugs approved for the treatment of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. He then led the Phase 2 and initial Phase 3 development of relacorilant (Corcept Therapeutics), which was ultimately approved as Lifyorli™ for the treatment of platinum-resistant ovarian cancer. More recently, he has focused on rare inherited diseases, overseeing initial development of gene therapies for cystic fibrosis, Fabry disease, and rare retinal diseases, as well as an mRNA-based approach to telomere biology disorders. For the past three years, Dr. Fishman has served as an independent advisor to early-stage biotech companies.
Dr. Fishman served as a teaching attending physician in the Stanford pulmonary fellows' clinic at Palo Alto Veterans Administration Medical Center (2016–2022), is a volunteer advisor to Stanford's SPARK Program in Translational Research, and served as Class Rep for his Stanford Medicine 40th Reunion. Dr. Fishman holds an A.B. in Biology from Harvard University and an M.D. from Stanford.
Maribel Hernández
MD ’85
Dr. Maribel Hernández received her undergraduate degree at Yale University and Medical Degree at Stanford University School of Medicine in 1985. In May 2025 she completed the 5 years appointment as member of the Board of Directors of Stanford Alumni Association. She did her internal medicine residency in the Harvard Hospital System in Boston and her cardiology and cardiac electrophysiology fellowships at the Hospital of the Medical College of Pennsylvania and the Lankenau Medical Center.
Dr. Hernández is Board Certified by the American Board of Cardiovascular Disease and Clinical Cardiac Electrophysiology. She is also the Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine, Sidney Kimmel Medical College, Thomas Jefferson University. She is a Fellow of the American College of Cardiology and Fellow of The College of Physicians of Philadelphia. Serving as a clinical cardiac electrophysiologist on the medical staff of Main Line Health System for over 25 years, Dr. Hernández specializes in managing patients with heart rhythm disorders and has played an active role in cardiac arrhythmia clinical research including drug, device and catheter ablation therapies. As of July 1, 2026, Dr. Hernández retired from clinical cardiology practice but continues to contribute as Emeritus Staff, focusing on research initiatives and the Women's Heart Program, among other projects. She is co-founder and serves as the Medical Director of Lankenau Heart Institute’s Women’s Heart Initiative, supporting awareness, education, and prevention of heart disease in women within the community and in Main Line Health System. She is also a Clinical Assistant Professor at the Lankenau Heart Institute.
In June 2024 she received the Wenger Awards for Excellence in Clinical Practice Women Heart National Organization in Washington, DC. She was the recipient of the AHA Philadelphia Chapter’s 2014 Por Tu Corazón Ambassador Award for her volunteer work educating Latina women and the Hispanic community. Dr. Hernández is a member of professional and nonprofit community organizations. They include board member of Congreso de Latinos Unidos in Philadelphia, member of the Women's Nonprofit Leadership Initiative, member of the Board of Governors of the Philadelphia American Heart Association, and Stanford Alumni Association Philadelphia Chapter. She is married to Richard L. Davis, PHD ‘86 and has one daughter Samantha I Davis ‘19, both physicists.
Linus Ho
MD '91 Med, PHD '91 Int
Dr. Linus Ho is a medical oncologist, researcher, and entrepreneur based in Houston, Texas. He currently serves as Chief Medical Officer at Empiri, a biotechnology company developing automated in vitro assays to predict patient responses to cancer therapeutics, and Chief Scientific Officer at Hub Biosciences, a pharmaceutical start‑up advancing enhancer RNA–based therapeutics.
Dr. Ho graduated with highest honors from the University of Texas at Austin, earning a B.S. in Chemistry and a B.A. in Zoology. He received his M.D. and Ph.D. in Cancer Biology from Stanford University, followed by an internal medicine residency at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and a hematology/oncology fellowship in the combined Brigham and Women’s/Dana‑Farber Cancer Institute program. During his fellowship, he completed a postdoctoral research fellowship in the laboratory of Kevin Struhl at Harvard Medical School.
Dr. Ho began his faculty career at Dana‑Farber Cancer Institute before moving to The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, where his work focused on molecular oncology, translational research, and the clinical care of patients with gastrointestinal malignancies. He has served as principal investigator and co‑investigator on numerous clinical trials and has published extensively in peer‑reviewed journals. Dr. Ho is board‑certified in both internal medicine and medical oncology.
In addition to his clinical and research training, Dr. Ho earned an MBA from the Jones Graduate School of Business at Rice University, strengthening his expertise at the intersection of oncology and innovation. Outside of work, he enjoys traveling with his wife, Rosa (M.D. ’93), as well as reading, cycling, and playing the piano.
Benjamin Douglass Hoehn
PHD '05, MD '08
Benjamin Douglass Hoehn, MD, PhD, is the Vice President of Neurology at BlueRock Therapeutics, leading clinical development for the company's neurology pipeline, including the Phase 3 ExPDite-2 trial of bemdaneprocel in Parkinson's disease. He joined BlueRock in 2026, after a notable career in pharmaceuticals and medical devices across North America, Europe, and Asia Pacific.
Dr. Hoehn earned his MD and PhD in Neuroscience from Stanford University, focusing on neuroprotection in stroke models. His residency in Neurosurgery was completed at the University of Virginia, followed by a fellowship at Dongguk University in Korea, where he initiated a molecular imaging and cerebral ischemia research program. With over 15 years in the biopharmaceutical industry, he played a key role in the FDA approval of Istradefylline and has led clinical programs at companies such as Johnson & Johnson and UCB Pharmaceuticals.
In addition to his corporate roles, Dr. Hoehn founded Neuroaxs LLC, a consulting firm specializing in clinical development and translational strategy. He is dedicated to mentorship, having lectured at Pomona College, advised students preparing for medical school, and founded an annual neuroscience award there. Dr. Hoehn also actively participates in Stanford's admissions efforts and supports underrepresented students through initiatives like SMASH.
Elizabeth Joyce
Post Doc ’05 and '07
Dr. Elizabeth A. Joyce is an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at the University of California at San Francisco School of Medicine and the director of the Microbiology Teaching Laboratory. She holds a joint appointment in the Department of Cell and Tissue Biology in the UCSF School of Dentistry. Dr. Joyce earned her BS in Microbiology from Cornell University and her PhD in Molecular Microbiology from Tufts Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences. She did her Post doctoral training in bacterial pathogenesis in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at Stanford University School of Medicine. She serves on the Integrated National Board Dental Examination Test Construction Team and has mentored over 20 preprofessional students.
At UCSF, she teaches microbiology and immunology in the Schools of Medicine and Pharmacy and co-directs the foundational sciences stream in the School of Dentistry. A recipient of multiple teaching awards—including the ADEA/John Greene Society Distinguished Faculty Award, the Haile T. Debas Excellence in Teaching Award, and the 2025 Academic Senate Distinction in Teaching Award—she is passionate about helping students apply foundational science concepts to clinical contexts and is known for her commitment to learner-centered, clinically integrated instruction.
Jak Knowles
MD ’08
Dr. Jak Knowles, MD is a seasoned veteran of the life science industry, where he has worked as an entrepreneur, operator, and investor. Jak most recently served as Co-founder, President & CEO of Affini-T Therapeutics, a clinical-stage immune oncology company developing T-cell therapies against oncogene driver mutations. Prior to launching Affini-T, Jak served as Co-founder and Chief Business Officer for Metagenomi, a next-generation gene editing company based in Emeryville, CA. As an investor, Jak served as Head of Health Investment team at Leaps by Bayer, a corporate venture capital fund, and started his career in biotech VC with MPM Capital. Prior to joining Bayer, Jak served as CEO of CytoSen Therapeutics, developing Natural Killer immune cell therapies for hematologic malignancies. In 2016, Jak co-founded and launched Exonics Therapeutics (acquired by Vertex), an in vivo CRISPR gene-editing company working on Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, serving as President and interim-CEO. Jak has served on the Board of Directors for Affini-T, Century Therapeutics, Exonics, Metagenomi Technologies, and Pyxis Oncology.
Jak graduated from Stanford University School of Medicine in 2008 with a focus on biomedical research and has an undergraduate degree in Biology from Binghamton University.
Bernd Kutzscher
’71, MD ’80
Dr. Kutzscher is a 34-year boarded private practice ophthalmologist, and now Chief of Comprehensive Ophthalmology, California Pacific Medical Center, San Francisco as well as Associate Clinical Professor, Dept of Ophthalmology at UCSF. For three decades he has served as an international & local volunteer eye surgeon for those in need with groups such as Hospital de la Familia, San Marcos, Guatemala; Orbis International (Flying Hospital), Surgical Volunteer, Vietnam; Clinic by the Bay (free San Francisco clinic) and Rotacare Free Clinic, Seton Medical Center (Co-Founder). He has served on the American Academy of Ophthalmology, Public Information Committee, and has been an SUSOM Ophthalmology instructor as well as serving on the Stanford Medical Staff in Ophthalmology. He is an American Academy of Ophthalmology, Fellow, 1990 and was American Board of Ophthalmology, Board Certified, in 1989. He is married to Marilyn Kutzscher, MD and they have three children who have pursued careers in medicine. He loves whitewater rafting, downhill and cross-country skiing, bicycling, and the San Francisco ballet and symphony.
Kimberly Lee
’97, MD ’03
Dr. Lee is an otolaryngologist/facial plastic and reconstructive surgeon in private practice in Beverly Hills, CA. She is an Assistant Clinical Professor in Head and Neck Surgery at UCLA and Attending Physician at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. She graduated from Stanford University with Honors in Biological Sciences and Honors in Humanities, as well as Phi Beta Kappa and Academic Distinction, and was awarded the prestigious Dinkelspiel Award for her contributions as a campus leader while at Stanford. Dr. Lee completed her MD degree at Stanford followed by residency in Otolaryngology/ Head and Neck surgery at UCLA, where she was Chief Resident. Dr. Lee completed her fellowship training in Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. Dr. Lee has over a decade of hands-on clinical experience including establishing and managing a medical practice, training other plastic surgeons and injectors as a national trainer on behalf of pharmaceutical companies Galderma and Allergan, serving as a clinical advisor for medical device companies, and serving as a medical expert for numerous media outlets. She is a Committee Member for both the Women in Facial Plastic Surgery and Face to Face, a pro bono organization through the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery dedicated to assisting victims of domestic violence. In addition to her professional accomplishments, she is an avid golfer who enjoys traveling, the fine arts, and spending time with her twin sons.
Alicia Levey
PhD ’08
Dr. Alicia Levey is currently a Venture Partner in Versant’s San Francisco office where she is focused on both investing and new company creation. Dr. Levey has an established track record as a company creator, operator, and deal maker. She was most recently the President and COO at Pionyr Immunotherapeutics and was instrumental in the company’s collaboration and partial acquisition by Gilead Sciences and eventual merger with Ikena Oncology. Prior to Pionyr, Dr. Levey served as both a member of the Versant Investment Team as an Operating Principal and as the business development lead for portfolio companies as CBO of Tempest Therapeutics (TPST) and VP of Business Development for the Inception Sciences drug discovery engine. During this time, she was a key contributor to multiple Series A investments including Novira, Audentes, and Therachon. Before moving to early biotech, Dr. Levey worked as a Consultant and later a Project Leader in The Boston Consulting Group. Dr. Levey earned a Ph.D. in Cancer Biology from the Stanford University school of medicine where she focused on the development of novel activity-based inhibitors and probes in the laboratory of Dr. Matthew Bogyo.
Aditi Mallick
MD ’13
Aditi Mallick, M.D. is the Chief Medical Officer at Hopscotch Primary Care, a network of independent, value-based primary care hubs serving rural communities and small towns. In her role, she leads the clinical team, oversees care delivery, and is responsible for clinical strategy and VBC and patient outcomes. Prior to Hopscotch, Dr. Mallick served in a variety of senior leadership roles at the Center for Medicaid and CHIP Services, including Chief Medical Officer of Medicaid and CHIP, Director of the Office of Minority Health (CMS’ Health Equity office), and Director of Clinical Strategy, focusing on advancing policies for the over 150 million Americans who rely on CMS insurance programs. Prior to CMS, Dr. Mallick led the COVID-19 Response Command Center for the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) where she focused on ensuring equitable access and improving outcomes for historically marginalized populations. Before NCDHHS, Dr. Mallick was an Engagement Manager in the healthcare practice at McKinsey & Co. where she worked closely with a range of healthcare stakeholders across the public and private sectors – including state Medicaid agencies, provider organizations, managed care organizations, and other payors. Her prior federal experience also includes serving as a Senior Medical Advisor in the Office of the Administrator at CMS, Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services. She earned her A.B. with honors from Harvard College, her M.D. from Stanford University School of Medicine, and completed internal medicine residency at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School.
Carol Miller
BA ’70, MD ‘75
Dr. Miller, BA'70, MD'75, is a first-generation college graduate from Kansas City, MO, and the first African American from Kansas City to graduate from Stanford. She completed her internship, residency, and fellowship in pediatrics and neonatology in San Francisco in 1980. Dr. Miller then worked for eight years as a nursery attending and in a primary care practice focused on the long-term care of high-risk infants discharged from the NICU in San Francisco.
In 1988, Dr. Miller joined the faculty at the University of California, San Francisco as the first African American non-volunteer faculty member in the Department of Pediatrics. She retired in 2018 and currently holds the position of Emerita Professor on Recall, responsible for inpatient Newborn Nursery Care, serving as medical director of the newborn screening program, and teaching and mentoring medical students and residents. Five years ago, she took a part-time role as Medical Consultant for the Maternal & Child Unit within Marin County Health & Human Services, where she helped design and launch an intensive home visiting program for families.
Dr. Miller has received multiple awards for her contributions to teaching, mentoring, and clinical care, including UCSF's MLK Award and the Exceptional Physician Award. She has been actively involved in initiatives aimed at increasing diversity in medicine and has mentored pre-med and medical students throughout the Bay Area. Dr. Miller has served on several Boards of Directors and Advisory Boards, including Larkin Street Youth Services and the Physicians Medical Forum. Her family includes her husband Ron Miller and their adult son and daughter, as well as one grandson.
Lauren Popov
BA ‘09, PhD ‘16
Lauren Popov, Ph.D. is a forward-thinking investor and Research & Development leader with a passion for translating cutting-edge science into transformative biotech companies.
As an Associate at Westlake BioPartners, Lauren supports new venture investments and portfolio companies across a variety of therapeutic areas and modalities. She was previously Senior Director of Translational Biology at Novome Biotechnologies, discovering and developing microbial based medicines for metabolic and inflammatory diseases and serving as an alliance manager for external research collaborations. Her work advanced programs from pre-clinical through Phase 2 studies.
Lauren completed her Postdoctoral Fellowship at UC Berkeley, and she received her Ph.D. from Stanford University School of Medicine, where she studied microbiology and immunology. She received a B.A. in Human Biology with honors from Stanford University.
Johnny Powell
MD Candidate, Student Representative
Johnny G. Powell, originally from Greensboro, North Carolina, is an MD/MBA candidate and Knight-Hennessy Scholar at Stanford University School of Medicine and Stanford Graduate School of Business. He graduated cum laude from Harvard University with a bachelor’s degree in chemistry and a minor in psychology. At Harvard, Johnny led youth mentorship programming in Boston and Japan, conducted research in the natural and social sciences, and shadowed hospital physicians in Spain. After graduating, he worked as an Associate Consultant at Bain & Company on healthcare and social impact projects. Passionate about health equity, Johnny also served as Research Coordinator for the All of Us Research Program, a National Institutes of Health initiative to increase diversity in health care research, at University of Chicago Medicine. In his free time, he enjoys weightlifting, watching sports, and volunteering with local community-based organizations.
Rachel Rizal
MD ’16, Fellow ‘16
Dr. Rachel Rizal is a physician, educator, and innovator who leads international initiatives in health education and medical career mentorship, aiming to expand access to public health knowledge while training future healthcare leaders. She graduated cum laude from Princeton University with a major in Public & International Affairs and pursued a Fulbright Scholarship, collaborating with organizations such as the World Health Organization and the Philippine Cancer Institute to enhance preventative care and health education. She then earned her M.D. at Stanford School of Medicine, followed by an emergency medicine residency at Harvard.
Dr. Rizal's work focuses on innovation in health and pre-medical education. At Princeton, she partnered with a nutritionist to develop local TV programs on nutrition education. During her Fulbright, she led the Philippines’ first HIV awareness campaign, which raised funds for the country's first public HIV clinic. At Stanford Medicine, she collaborated with the Khan Academy to create influenza education videos that amassed over 100,000 views.
Dr. Rizal aims to transform the college-to-medical school-to-physician pipeline and enhance health education globally. She co-authored the book "Cracking Med School Admissions: Advice from Students Who've Been There" and serves as a premed advisor at seven universities, including Stanford and Princeton. Additionally, she created Casper Edge, the first AI-powered test preparation platform for the CASPer situational judgment test, now used by students worldwide. Rachel lives in San Francisco and enjoys hiking, traveling, and exploring local cuisines.
Jacob Rosenberg
MD ’16, PhD ’16
Dr. Rosenberg is currently a Translational Medicine Expert in the Global Health Division at Novartis, leading the early clinical development of multiple investigational therapeutics for malaria and other global health diseases. He continues to care for patients at Massachusetts General Hospital.
Dr. Rosenberg completed MD and PhD training at Stanford from 2009 to 2016, during which he was actively engaged in the Stanford community as a CCAP representative and teaching assistant for multiple courses. After graduation, he relocated to Boston for internal medicine and infectious disease training at Massachusetts General Hospital and Brigham and Women’s Hospital. Dr. Rosenberg then transitioned to junior faculty in the MGH Department of Infectious Diseases and held the position of instructor at Harvard Medical School, with research focused on precision medicine and tuberculosis immunology.
In 2024, Dr. Rosenberg joined Merck as a clinical director in the immunology therapeutic area, followed by a move to the Novartis Global Heath therapeutic area in 2026. He remains grateful for the education he received at Stanford and maintains close connections with friends and mentors from the university.
Thomas Satterwhite
BA ’00, MD ’07
Dr. Thomas Satterwhite obtained his bachelor’s degree (Human Biology with Honors) and Medical Degree at Stanford University. He remained at Stanford Hospital to complete his residency in Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery. His expertise in facial surgery was further refined with the completion of a craniofacial fellowship in Miami, FL under the tutelage of Dr. S. Anthony Wolfe. Dr. Satterwhite has presented nationally and internationally in plastic, reconstructive, craniofacial, and gender affirming surgery with more than 80 podium presentations over the years; and he has authored more than 50 peer-reviewed research articles and book chapters. He’s heavily engaged in numerous international and national organizations including the World Professional Association for Transgender Health and the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. He is a peer reviewer for multiple well-respected journals, and he is on the Editorial Board for the Journal of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. Dr. Satterwhite performs the full spectrum of gender affirmation surgical care in a private practice setting in San Francisco, CA since 2014 where he and his partner physicians at Align Surgical Associates provide comprehensive care in all aspects of gender affirming surgery for transmen, transwomen, non-binary, and gender diverse individuals. He is an Adjunct Clinical Assistant Professor in the Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery at Stanford Medical Center.
Holly Tabor
PhD ’02
Holly Tabor received her PhD at Stanford in 2002 where she chose to focus her research on genetic epidemiology and embarked on what has been a career-long passion for interdisciplinarity, and bridging ideas, methodologies, and perspectives. After completing her PhD, she worked for four years as a Senior Scientist at the Stanford Human Genome Center, collaborating with the Division of Cardiovascular Medicine in the Department of Medicine and the Department of Genetics.
In 2005, she was one of the inaugural ethics postdoctoral fellows at the Stanford Center for Bioethics and also received training as a clinical ethicist, applying ethics scholarship and training to helping health care providers, patients and families navigate ethical challenges in hospitals. She has worked as Assistant Professor in the Division of Bioethics in the Department of Pediatrics at University of Washington and at the Treuman Katz Center for Pediatric Bioethics at Seattle Children’s Hospital.
In 2016, she returned to Stanford as an Associate Professor in the Department of Medicine and Associate Director for Clinical Ethics and Education at the Stanford Center for Biomedical Ethics. She teaches every medical student and PA student the “ethics thread” of required sessions and serves as Co-Course Director of the Responsible Conduct of Research course, taken by almost every graduate student and postdoctoral fellow in the School of Medicine.
Holly is a recipient of the Stanford School of Medicine Henry J. Kaiser Award for Excellence in Preclinical Teaching, the Stanford Faculty Women’s Allyship Award, and the Stanford Medicine Outstanding Community Engaged Faculty Award.
Raymond Tsai
MD ’13
Dr. Raymond Tsai is a Family Medicine physician working in California’s Central Valley. He currently serves as Vice President, Advanced Primary Care for The Purchaser Business Group on Health, a nonprofit coalition of some of the largest employers and public purchasers in the nation committed to improving care quality, ensuring health equity, and reducing health care costs. In his current role, he collaborates with member employers and public purchasers, who collectively provide health coverage for 21 million Americans and their families, to ensure access to the best quality primary care and improve our overall healthcare system. Prior to this role, Dr. Tsai spent around 7 years providing executive medical leadership for a private company’s philanthropic mission to improve health outcomes for its agricultural workers and the communities in which they live in mostly rural and traditionally underserved areas in Central California. Raymond received his MD from Stanford in 2013, during which time he served his class for 4 years as Social Chair for Stanford Medical Student Association. He completed his residency in Family Medicine at UCLA and is also Board Certified in Clinical Informatics. Prior to medical school he obtained his B.A. in Music: Vocal Performance from UC San Diego, and MS in Health Policy and Management from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Raymond has also worked at the World Health Organization, as well as in New Orleans establishing school-based health centers after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. One of his favorite hobbies include carving pumpkins, which is a skill he cultivated as part of the anatomy lab competition at Stanford.
Monica Wiemer
’00, MD ’06, Resident ’09, Fellow ’15, MS ’15
Dr. Monica Eneriz Wiemer is a practicing pediatrician and the Vice President of People and Culture at the Palo Alto Foundation Medical Group. She leads her medical group’s strategies and initiatives on diversity, equity, and inclusion. She previously chaired the department of pediatrics at Good Samaritan Hospital in San Jose. Dr. Wiemer graduated from Stanford with a BA in Human Biology. She received her MD at Stanford and completed her pediatric residency at Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital.
As a Stanford fellow in academic general pediatrics, she studied the impact of language and literacy barriers on children’s health outcomes and completed a MS in health services research. As a Stanford medical student, Dr. Eneriz Wiemer served as president of the Stanford American Indigenous Medical Students, was an active member of the Latino Medical Student Association, and coordinated the Stanford University Minority Medical Alliance, a student organization dedicated to increasing diversity in medicine.
She lives in San Jose with her husband, Mike (BS ’00, MS ’01, PhD ’07) and their two children. She enjoys hiking and backpacking, gardening, and distance running.
Brenda Yu
PHD ’25, MD Candidate
Brenda is a MD student at Stanford University. Before coming to Stanford, she earned a BS in Biological Sciences and BA in Psychology from the University of California, Merced. She then graduated with her PhD in Biophysics in 2025 from Stanford, studying methods for noninvasive targeted drug delivery with nanotechnology. Now in medical school, she is investigating early markers of hand osteoarthritis in Dr. Amy Ladd’s lab. Outside of academics, she is serving as the Asian Pacific American Medical Student Association co-chair, the Surgery Interest Group co-lead, and the REACH Postbaccalaureate Program Administrator. In her free time, she enjoys dancing, weightlifting, and exploring new restaurants.