Our Faculty
Gerardo Moreno, MD, MSHS
Chair and Professor
Dr. Gerardo Moreno is Professor and Chair of the Department of Family Medicine, he is an elected member of the National Academy of Medicine, and the current Board Chair for the American Board of Family Medicine (ABFM). He Director of UCLA PRIME-LA (Program in Medical Education) which focuses on Leadership and Advocacy for underserved communities. He is a clinician investigator and his current research focuses on studying effective healthcare delivery in communities for uninsured vulnerable populations including undocumented residents and older adults. His areas of expertise include diabetes in older adults, the evaluation of health system and community level interventions for vulnerable populations, physician workforce diversity, social and structural determinants of health, language-based disparities in healthcare, and medical education programs. Dr. Moreno has published clinical guidelines on diabetes among older adults and studies that have increased our understanding of health disparities and the social determinants of health, and has published on other important issues addressing physician workforce diversity, family medicine, and medical education. Dr. Moreno has a continuity clinic and trains family medicine residents and UCLA medical students. He serves on the NIH Clinical Aging study section (NIA-C).
Dr. Moreno is principal investigator of a multi-year evaluation of a novel primary care coverage program for low-income uninsured and undocumented patients receiving care in 23 community health centers across 21 California counties. He has published clinical guidelines on diabetes among older adults and studies that have increased our understanding of health disparities and the social determinants of health, and has published on other important issues addressing physician workforce diversity, family medicine, primary care and medical education. He served as an associate editor for the Annals of Family Medicine and now serves on the journal’s Board of Directors. Dr. Moreno earned his MD at the UCLA School of Medicine, a Master of Science in Health Services from the UCLA School of Public Health and completed a post-doctoral research fellowship in the Robert Wood Johnson (RWJ) Foundation Clinical Scholars Program at UCLA.
Michelle A. Bholat, MD, MPH
Clinical Professor and Vice Chair of Clinical Affairs
Dr. Michelle Bholat is Professor and Vice Chair, Clinical Affairs in the UCLA Department of Family Medicine and Co-Director of the UCLA International Medical Graduate Program. Dr. Bholat graduated from the University of California, Irvine College of Medicine and completed a family medicine residency at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, a public academic safety net hospital in Los Angeles County. She earned her Master of Public Health degree from UCLA in Health Policy and Management. From 1995 to 1999, Dr. Bholat served as Medical Director and Associate Residency Program Director of the Wilmington Family Health Center followed by three years as the Director of Clinical Operations for the UCLA Department of Family Medicine and Chair of Ambulatory Care Services for the UCLA Health Systems Westwood. Between 2000 and 2002, she served as liaison between the UCLA Department of Family Medicine and Olive View/UCLA Medical Center in developing a family medicine training site for the UCLA Family Medicine Residency Training Program. Further, she served as transition manager for the merger of the UCLA and Santa Monica Family Medicine Residency Programs.
Up until recently, Dr. Bholat has served as one of the five Commissioners on the LA County Board of Health and is a field surveyor for The Joint Commission Bureau of Primary Health Care. In addition to her clinical and educational work, she serves as site director for grant projects related to chronic disease care as well as clinical trials related to substance abuse. She is a former fellow of the National Hispanic Medical Association (NHMA) and active member of NHMAs California chapter.
Steven Shoptaw, PhD
Professor and Vice Chair of Research
Dr. Steven Shoptaw is Professor in Family Medicine and Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, and Vice Chair for Research in Family Medicine at UCLA. He is a licensed psychologist and Director of the UCLA Center for Behavioral and Addiction Medicine. His research portfolio focuses on the medical treatment of addiction and HIV prevention in the context of addiction. The research Dr. Shoptaw conducts is translational, meaning he works with basic science researchers and with clinicians to study the ways that drugs of abuse, especially methamphetamine, affect biological processes relevant to HIV transmission.
Dr. Shoptaw energetically pursues research, clinical, and policy efforts to bring novel and high-impact solutions to deliver culturally-competent care for persons affected by addictions and HIV. These solutions have ranged from addressing housing issues for homeless persons living with HIV and concomitant substance use or mental health disorders, to evaluating the impact of using a mobile medical unit to initiate and maintain medication for persons with opioid use disorders who are living with HIV. In addition to his extensive research portfolio, Dr. Shoptaw maintains a limited clinical psychology practice at UCLA, treating patients with severe substance use and mental health disorders.
Denise K. Sur, MD
Clinical Professor and Vice Chair of Education
Dr. Denise Sur is Vice Chair for Education in Family Medicine at UCLA, and Director of the department's Family Medicine Residency program. She joined UCLA in 1991 and teaches UCLA medical students and residents across multiple venues. Her areas of academic and clinical interest include immunizations in primary care, women's health, and care of underserved patients. Her personal interests include balancing her life as a wife and mother of four with her professional interests. Dr. Sur received her BA from UC Berkeley in Biology and her MD from the University of California, Davis.
Martin A. Quan, MD
Professor Emeritus and Vice Chair of Academic Personnel
Dr. Martin Quan is Professor Emeritus of Clinical Family Medicine and Vice Chair of Academic Personnel in the Department of Family Medicine. Dr. Quan is a former program director of the UCLA Family Practice Residency Program and currently serves as Director of the Office of Continuing Medical Education for the medical school. He received his medical degree from the UCLA School of Medicine, where he also completed his family medicine residency. In practice for more than 20 years, Dr. Quan was named as one of Los Angeles Magazine’s Top Doctors in 2018.
Ronald Brooks, PhD
Assistant Professor
Dr. Ronald Brooks is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Family Medicine who has been involved in HIV-related research and has provided training and technical assistance to providers involved in HIV medical care and prevention services for over 15 years. He is the principal investigator of the Health Resources and Services Administration, Special Projects of National Significance, Evaluation and Technical Assistance Center (ETAC) for the Use of Social Media to Improve Engagement, Retention, and Health Outcomes along the HIV Care Continuum Initiative which leads a national multi-site implementation and evaluation study. He is also PI of an NIMH R21 grant examining Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP)-related stigma among Black and Latino men who have sex with men (MSM). In addition, he serves as a Co-Principal Investigator on a California HIV/AIDS Research Program-funded research study evaluating the use of social media in identifying and linking Latino MSM to HIV medical care and prevention services, and as Co-Investigator of the ETAC for the SPNS Outreach, Access and Retention among Latino/a Populations initiative. Dr. Brooks has extensive experience in providing training and technical assistance to multiple target populations (e.g., health departments, community-based organizations (CBO), and health clinics), and is committed to undertaking social and behavioral research that will facilitate the adoption of biomedical HIV prevention strategies among minority MSM and other marginalized populations.
Phillip Brown, MD
Assistant Clinical Professor
Dr. Phillip Brown received his BA from the University of San Francisco and his MD from Howard University. He completed a residency in Family Medicine at UCLA, after which he stayed on as chief resident and then joined the department faculty. His areas of academic interest include endocrinology, mental-health related disorders, and musculoskeletal injuries. In his free time he enjoys going to comedy shows, watching movies, playing ultimate frisbee, and volleyball. He is on a forever quest for the best pasta, tacos, and dessert in LA.
Blanca S. Campos, MD
Volunteer Assistant Clinical Professor
Dr. Blanca Campos is Assistant Professor with the Department of Family Medicine, the UCLA International Medical Graduate (IMG) Program, and the UCLA Family Medicine Residency Program. Dr. Campos was born in Belize and is fluent in both English and Spanish. She completed her medical education in Costa Rica at the Universidad Autonoma de Ciencias Medicas (UCIMED) and her residency in Family Medicine with the UCLA Family Medicine Residency Program.
Before starting her residency in Family Medicine. Dr. Campos was part of the UCLA IMG program Class of 2008. She enjoys working with underserved patients and prior to returning to UCLA worked for 3 years at NECC-Wilmington Family Health Center, a federally-qualified health center that provides primary care services in underserved communities. Dr. Campos enjoys teaching and has been working as an instructor with the UCLA IMG program to prepare them for Family Medicine residency in California. She also enjoys working with the Family Medicine residents in the outpatient setting, is a Family Medicine Specialist, and practices out of the UCLA Family Health Center in Santa Monica.
Neha Chande, MD, MHS
Assistant Clinical Professor
Dr. Neha Chande joined the UCLA Department of Family Medicine as a Health Sciences Assistant Clinical Professor in 2016. She completed her residency in Family Medicine and fellowship in Preventive Medicine and Population Health at UCLA. Her clinical interests include practicing full-spectrum inpatient and outpatient Family Medicine, providing care to underserved communities, preventive medicine including provision of vaccines, public health, and global health. She also enjoys teaching residents and medical students in the clinical setting. In addition to attending and practicing in the department’s University Family Health Center and Mid-Valley Comprehensive Health Center, Dr. Chande is also on staff at the recently re-opened Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Hospital in South-Central Los Angeles. Prior to arriving at UCLA, she attended the University of California, Berkeley where she earned her BA in Public Health after which she completed her Masters degree in Epidemiology at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. She received her medical training at the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine in Richmond, VA, where she participated in a program focusing on primary care in underserved communities. In her free time, she loves reading novels, getting outdoors, finding the perfect brunch place, traveling, and spending time with family and friends.
Joy Chudzynski, PsyD
Clinical Psychologist
Dr. Joy Chudzynski is a licensed Clinical Psychologist at UCLA’s Center for Behavioral and Addiction Medicine in the Department of Family Medicine. She provides short-term, evidence-based treatments for a range of psychological and substance use problems within a primary care setting. She also works with UCLA Sports Medicine where she conducts assessments and provides psychological services for athletes. Dr. Chudzynski conducts clinical trainings on evidence-based practices with substance users for mental health and substance abuse treatment agencies throughout Southern California and maintains a small private practice focusing on clients with co-occurring disorders.
Dr. Chudzynski earned her doctorate in Clinical Psychology from Pepperdine University and completed a post-doctoral fellowship at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, where she specialized in Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy and Dialectical Behavior Therapy. Areas of expertise include Motivational Interviewing, the neurobiology of drug abuse, CBT and DBT interventions, and trauma-informed treatment with co-occurring disorders.
Brian Donohoe, MD
Associate Physician Diplomate
Dr. Donohoe is a Primary Care Sports Medicine physician within the Departments of Family Medicine and Orthopaedic Surgery. He specializes in the diagnosis and management of non-surgical orthopedic issues, caring for athletes and active individuals of all ages and levels. He is considered an expert in musculoskeletal ultrasound and has expertise in minimally invasive orthopedic procedures, including ultrasound-guided joint injections (knee, hip, shoulder, wrist, elbow, and ankle).
He completed his Sports Medicine fellowship training at UCLA, where he served as team physician for Santa Monica High School and assistant team physician for UCLA Athletics, the Los Angeles Lakers, and the Los Angeles Dodgers. Dr. Donohoe completed his residency training in Family Medicine at UCLA, where he was also named Chief Resident. He received his medical degree from David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and his undergraduate degree from University of California, San Diego, where he was a member of the NCAA Men’s Water Polo team. He is a member of the American Medical Society for Sports Medicine, American College of Sports Medicine, and American Academy of Family Physicians.
Tom Donohoe, MBA
Assistant Clinical Professor
Tom Donohoe is an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Family Medicine, and is director of the UCLA/Pacific AIDS Education and Training Center (AETC), a collaboration among the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, the USC Keck School of Medicine, and Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science and administered through UCLA. AETC seeks to integrate high-quality, comprehensive patient-centered and person-focused HIV care, and aims to improve health outcomes, especially in marginalized and disenfranchised communities including, but not limited to, people with mental illnesses and substance use disorders, the homeless or unstably-housed, recently incarcerated, LGBTQ+, immigrants, and communities of color.
Patrick Dowling, MD, MPH
Professor Emeritus
Dr. Patrick Dowling is the Immediate Past Chair of the Department of Family Medicine at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. A graduate of the Medical College of Ohio and the University of Michigan School of Public Health, Dr. Dowling completed his residency training in Family Medicine at Cook County Hospital, Chicago, and is board certified in Family Medicine, Preventive Medicine and Public Health.
Prior to joining UCLA as the first permanent Chair of Family Medicine in 1998, Dr. Dowling directed Family Medicine Residency training programs at Cook County Hospital in Chicago, Brown University and at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center. He has served on the National Advisory Council of the National Health Service Corps, as a Commissioner of Public Health for Los Angeles County, and is presently a member of the Board of the Drew University of Medicine and Science.
A common thread in his career has been the linkage of graduate medical education to underserved communities as a means to improve access and reduce health outcomes disparities. His belief that health care is a unique social good and a human right was crystallized during his service as Medical Director of the United Farm Workers of America Clinics (UFW) under Cesar Chavez in California’s Coachella and Imperial Valleys during the 1970s.
Calvin Duffaut, MD
Assistant Clinical Professor
Dr. Calvin Duffaut joined UCLA as an Assistant Clinical Professor of Family Medicine and Orthopaedic Surgery after completing his Sports Medicine specialty training with UCLA in 2016. He received his medical degree from the University of Southern California and completed his residency in Internal Medicine and Pediatrics at LAC + USC Hospital. Dr. Duffaut earned his bachelor’s degree at UC San Diego where he played on the intercollegiate basketball team. He plans to further pursue research in the area of depression among intercollegiate student-athletes. In his position at UCLA, Dr. Duffaut cares for sports medicine patients of all ages and also provides primary care services at the UCLA Family Health Center. He also serves as the team physician of El Segundo High School. Dr. Duffaut is a member of the American Medical Society for Sports Medicine, American College of Sports Medicine and the American Academy of Pediatrics.
Karen Duvall, MD, MPH
Adjunct Assistant Professor
Dr. Karen Duvall is Adjunct Assistant Professor in the Department of Family Medicine. She was Director of the Preventive Medicine Residency Training Program for eight years. Recently she helped develop and direct a new Population Health fellowship in the Department. Dr. Duvall is currently involved in developing a 3-year medical school curriculum that will lead directly into the Family Medicine Residency Program. Dr. Duvall received her BA from Johns Hopkins University, MD from the University of Arizona, and MPH from the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health. She completed her residency training in general preventive medicine and public health at UCLA, followed by a fellowship in clinical nutrition. She is a Fellow of the American College of Preventive Medicine. Dr. Duvall's research interests have included reducing the risk of breast cancer through preventive measures such as nutrition and healthy lifestyle as well as designing non-invasive detection methods that may identify women at high risk for developing breast cancer. Currently she is involved in research studying the microbiome of the breast.
Yulsi Fernandez Montero, MD
Assistant Clinical Professor
Dr. Yulsi Fernandez Montero is Assistant Clinical Professor. She graduated with BS in Biology and earned her medical degree at UCLA. Dr. Fernandez Montero also completed residency in Family Medicine at UCLA and after graduating, completed a PGY 4 Chief Resident year, and stayed on with the department to complete her Addiction Medicine Fellowship. As a medical student, she was part of the PRIME-LA program where she completed a masters degree in public health in addition to her MD degree. Dr. Fernandez practiced primary at MLK Community Hospital for several years before joining the faculty at UCLA.
Lillian Gelberg, MD, MSPH
Professor
Dr. Lillian Gelberg, MD, MSPH is a family physician, professor, and experienced health services researcher in the Department of Family Medicine at the UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine, the Department of Health Policy and Management at the Fielding School of Public Health, and the Office of Healthcare Transformation and Innovation of the VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System. She is an elected member of the National Academy of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences. Dr. Gelberg has been PI or co-PI on over $38 million of research funding, published over 150 peer-reviewed papers, and mentored over 100 young investigators. She has worked with low-income diverse patients of our federally qualified community health centers and homeless populations including Veterans and their families, and is advancing the national agenda to end homelessness and to promote healthy lifestyle change via integration of prevention into primary care - to reduce risky substance use, obesity and other metabolic diseases.
Joshua Goldman, MD, MBA
Associate Clinical Professor
Dr. Josh Goldman is Associate Clinical Professor of Family Medicine and Orthopaethic Surgery. He serves as the Director of the UCLA Sports Medicine Fellowship, the Associate Director of the UCLA Steve Tisch BrainSPORT program, and the Associate Director of the Orthopedic Institute for Children's Center for Sports Medicine. He is a team physician for the UCLA Department of Intercollegiate Athletics, providing care for the football, men's soccer, and women's water polo teams. He has also served as a physician at the United States Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, CO and the Association of Volleyball Professionals Tour in Manhattan Beach, CA. Dr. Goldman’s research interests include concussion in sport, training load and injury, and youth sports. He received both his medical degree and Master in Business Administration from the University of Southern California, completed residency training in Family Medicine at UCLA, and received his Sports Medicine specialty training at UCLA. He is a member of the American Medical Society for Sports Medicine, American College of Sports Medicine, and American Academy of Family Physicians.
Timothy McCajor "Cage" Hall, MD, PhD
Assistant Clinical Professor
Timothy McCajor “Cage” Hall, MD PhD, is a psychiatrist and anthropologist and Health Sciences Assistant Clinical Professor of Family Medicine. Dr. Hall grew up on a family farm in the San Joaquin Valley and in the Monterey Bay area and then studied medieval history and literature at Harvard University. He attended medical school at UCSD, where he also earned a PhD in psychological anthropology working with Tanya Luhrmann and Roy D'Andrade. He did postdoctoral work in Human Development at the University of Chicago for two years before coming to UCLA for residency in general psychiatry. He initially joined Family Medicine for postdoctoral training in Addiction Medicine in 2011.
Ironically, Dr. Hall initially went to medical school to be a psychiatrist, but for a while seriously considered Family Medicine instead, as the whole-patient, comprehensive approach of primary care resonated with him deeply. He has been very happy working as a psychiatrist in Family Medicine, supervising Family Medicine residents in their behavioral medicine rotations, and co-managing patients with their primary care physicians.
Clinically, Dr. Hall sees adult and older adult patients for general psychiatry concerns at the Family Health Center and at UCLA’s Center for AIDS Education and Research (CARE). Dr. Hall has carried out ethnographic and mixed-methods fieldwork in Prague, Czech Republic since 1999, looking at processes of sexual identity development and mental health concerns among gay and bisexual men. In Los Angeles he has an ongoing mixed-methods project since 2011 looking at sexual identity, substance use, and HIV risk factors among men who have sex with men (MSM) who do not identify as “gay”. He also participates as clinical staff on studies through the UCLA Vine Street Clinic. Clinical and research interests include bipolar and other mood disorders, personality disorders, dual diagnosis, sexuality and sexual identity, and HIV.
Joy Hao, MD, PhD
Assistant Clinical Professor
Dr. Joy Hao is Assistant Clinical Professor in the Department of Family Medicine with a particular focus on addiction medicine. She earned her medical degree and doctorate from New York University, did her residency at Montefiore Medical Center at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, and a fellowship at Beth Israel Medical Center. She is board certified in both Internal Medicine and Addiction Medicine.
Keith Heinzerling, MD, MPH
Associate Clinical Professor
Dr. Keith Heinzerling is Associate Clinical Professor in Family Medicine. He received his BA in Human Biology and his MD from Stanford University, and completed residency in Internal Medicine/Primary Care at NYU Medical Center and Bellevue Hospital where he was Chief Resident in Medicine. He then completed the UCLA Robert Wood Johnson Clinical Scholars Program, during which he obtained an MPH from the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health.
Amanda Honsvall Hoefler, MD
Associate Physician Diplomate
Dr. Amanda Honsvall is a Primary Care Sports Medicine physician within the UCLA Departments of Family Medicine and Orthopedic Surgery, Division of Sports Medicine. Dr. Honsvall joined the UCLA Division of Sports Medicine after first working as a Sports Medicine physician within the University of Minnesota Department of Orthopedics, where she cared for patients of all ages with orthopedic injuries, served as medical director for the USA Cup International Youth Soccer Tournament and assisted in the care of the UMN Gophers Women's Basketball team. Dr. Honsvall received her medical degree from the University of Minnesota and completed her residency in Family Medicine at the University of Minnesota Methodist Hospital. As a resident, she was honored as an AMSSM Resident Scholar for her dedication and contribution to Sports Medicine. She received her Sports Medicine fellowship specialty training at UCLA, where she served as team physician for Santa Monica High School and assistant team physician for the UCLA Department of Intercollegiate Athletics, the Los Angeles Lakers and the Los Angeles Dodgers. She specializes in diagnosis and treatment of non-surgical orthopedic issues and injuries among athletes and active people of all ages. Her clinical and research interests include musculoskeletal ultrasound and ultrasound-guided procedures, orthobiologics, injury prevention and treatment, youth sports and youth physical activity promotion. She is a member of the American Medical Society for Sports Medicine, American College of Sports Medicine and American Academy of Family Physicians.
Olivia Ishibashi, MD, MPH
Associate Physician Diplomate
Dr. Olivia Ishibashi is a board-certified family physician who practices in Santa Monica, California. Her areas of clinical focus are geriatrics, preventive care, chronic disease management, primary care procedures, and medical education.
Dr. Ishibashi grew up in a multicultural, multigenerational family in Los Angeles that ultimately sparked her interest in geriatric and community medicine. She went to Stanford University for her undergraduate studies in Human Biology, then received the Rotary Ambassadorial Scholarship to complete a Graduate Certificate in Experimental Medicine from McGill University in Montreal, Quebec. Following her graduate studies, she returned to Southern California to work in both the public and private health sectors. She then completed her medical degree and earned a Master of Public Health (MPH) at UCLA’s David Geffen School of Medicine through the Programs in Medical Education in Leadership and Advocacy (PRIME-LA) program.
During her leisure time, she takes pleasure in spending quality moments with her expanding family, exploring new restaurants, and unwinding at the beach.
Daniel T. Lee, MD
Clinical Professor
Dr. Daniel Lee is a Clinical Professor of Family Medicine at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. He has been on the full-time faculty of the UCLA-Santa Monica Family Medicine Residency Program since 1994 and the Associate Program Director since 2015. Dr. Lee graduated from Baylor University with a BS in Physical Education in 1987 and he received his medical degree from the University of Texas-Southwestern Medical School in 1991. He completed his residency training at the UCLA-Santa Monica Family Medicine Residency Program in 1994. Additionally, Dr. Lee obtained a MA in Christian Apologetics from Biola University in 2002. In addition to practicing and teaching the full-scope of Family Medicine to residents and medical students, Dr. Lee holds several other positions at UCLA. He is the Associate Director of the Primary Care College for the 4th year medical students at UCLA. He is the faculty advisor for the Family Medicine Interest Group at the medical school. Dr. Lee is a long-standing member of the Pharmacy, Therapeutics, and Nutrition Committee and the Medical Staff Executive Committee at the Santa Monica-UCLA Medical Center. Dr. Lee has published numerous articles in primary care journals and textbooks. Furthermore, he occasionally does manuscript reviews for the American Family Physician journal and serves as an expert reviewer for the Medical Board of California. He enjoys many sports and he used to coach his son and daughter's various sports teams until they grew up. Of all sports, he enjoys playing tennis the most. He also guest speaks at various churches around Southern California whenever he gets a chance.
Michael J. Li, PhD
Assistant Professor
Dr. Michael Li is Assistant Professor in the UCLA Department of Family Medicine and the Center for Behavioral and Addiction Medicine (CBAM). They serve as a Project Director on multiple studies under CBAM Director Dr. Steven Shoptaw while developing their own research on the role of stress biology in the links between social adversity, substance use, and HIV in sexual minorities of color. Dr. Li received a bachelor degree in biological sciences from UC Irvine, a master of public health from Cal State Fullerton, and a PhD in Preventive Medicine from the University of Southern California. They also served as a postdoctoral fellow at CBAM prior to being promoted to a faculty position.
Rose Maly, MD, MSPH
Professor Emeritus
Dr. Rose Maly is Professor Emeritus of Family Medicine. She received her BS in Biological Sciences and BA in Philosophy from UC Irvine. She earned her MD from the UC Irvine College of Medicine and an MSPH from the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health. Dr. Maly did her residency in Family Medicine at UCLA, followed by a fellowship in Geriatric Medicine at UCLA. Her honors include the New Investigator Award from the American Geriatrics Society and appointments as a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Generalist Physician Faculty Scholar and as an American Cancer Society Research Scholar for which she was the first to receive a research grant in excess of $2 million dollars from the American Cancer Society. Her research focus is on patient-physician communication and its impact on health-related quality of life and functioning, cancer survivorship, as well as quality of care. She has used a new diagnosis of breast cancer as a paradigm to highlight elements of patient-physician communication that are key in impacting these outcomes during a particularly vulnerable period in a patient's illness experience. Dr. Maly passionately believes that the patient-physician relationship itself is one of the most healing aspects of medical practice. She has focused her research on special patient populations including the medically underserved, ethnic minorities, and the elderly that may suffer disproportionately from the consequences of poor patient-physician communication. Dr. Maly has a continuity practice in Geriatric Medicine at UCLA and teaches Doctoring courses for medical students which target topics not typically covered in a traditional medical school curriculum, including medical ethics, health care disparities, complementary and alternative medicine, and hospice and palliative care that are nonetheless critical to excellence and humanity in the practice of medicine.
Robert Maurer, PhD
Clinical Psychologist
Dr. Robert Maurer is a clinical psychologist and a behavior scientist with the UCLA Family Practice Residency Program. He received his BA from UCLA and his Masters and Ph.D from the University of Houston in 1972. He is also an Associate Clinical Professor at the UCLA School of medicine. His presentations o success have reached audiences as diverse as corporations, hospital patients and staff, theatrical companies, government agencies, and the US Navy. He has served as a consultant to Walt Disney Studios, the US Air Force, Canyon Ranch Health Spa, Habitat for Human, and BP. Dr. Maurer has appeared on ABC’s 20/20 in connection with his work on conflict resolution. A Los Angeles Times article profiled Dr. Maurer’s seminars on creativity and change, entitle, “One Small Step can Change Your life” was published in the fall of 2004. It is currently available in ten languages. Dr. Maurer has won the Navy’s civilian award for his course on negotiation skills. He has published articles in medical textbooks on suicide assessment and male stress.
Spencer McCaffrey
Associate Physician Diplomate
Dr. McCaffrey was born at UCLA and raised in Santa Monica. She received her undergraduate degree from Oberlin College and then moved to Philadelphia to get her medical degree from Temple University School of Medicine. After 12 amazing years on the east coast, she made her way back west to complete her residency in Family Medicine at UCLA. She is now fortunate enough to continue working at the offices where she completed residency, seeing her own patients and helping to teach both the residents and medical students. Her interests include medical education and teaching, geriatrics and addiction medicine. When not at work you can find her at the beach, hiking or biking around town.
Julio Meza, MD
Assistant Clinical Professor
Dr. Julio Meza is an Addiction and Family Medicine physician in the Department of Family Medicine, and is director of the department's Fellowship Program in Addiction Medicine.
Dr. Meza was born and raised in El Salvador, and graduated Cum Laude from Universidad Evangelica de El Salvador. After graduating from medical school, he was accepted into a surgical residency and completed an internship at the Hospital Militar Central in El Salvador. He left El Salvador to pursue his dream of becoming a U.S. licensed family physician. In Los Angeles, Dr. Meza worked as a medical assistant instructor and program director, training students in San Fernando, North Hollywood and Los Angeles. He then joined UCLA and completed his residency in Family Medicine and then a Fellowship in Addiction Medicine. Dr. Meza enjoys working with patients from all backgrounds and provides non judgmental compassionate care.
Emily M. Miller, MD
Assistant Clinical Professor
Dr. Emily Miller is Assistant Clinical Professor in the departments of Family Medicine and Orthopaedic Surgery. She joined the UCLA Sports Medicine Fellowship program in July 2017 after completing her family medicine residency at Lancaster General Hospital in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. While there she served as a chief resident and completed a sports medicine area of concentration. She received her medical degree from Temple University School of Medicine in Philadelphia and her undergraduate degree from Barnard College in New York City where she was a dancer. As part of her fellowship, Dr. Miller assisted as a team physician in the care of the UCLA Department of Intercollegiate Athletics and as the team physician for Beverly Hills High School. Her research interests include youth physical activity participation, dance medicine, and medical education. Dr. Miller was also the AMSSM Education Committee Fellow Liaison for the 2017-2018 year.
Aurelia Nattiv, MD
Clinical Professor
Dr. Aurelia Nattiv is a Clinical Professor in the UCLA Departments of Family Medicine, Division of Sports Medicine and Non-Operative Orthopaedics, and in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery. She has served as the Director of the UCLA Metabolic Bone and Osteoporosis Center for over 20 years, and sees patients in the areas of osteoporosis across the lifespan, and sports medicine, with an emphasis on women's sports medicine. Dr. Nattiv's primary areas of research and publications have been in the area of the female athlete triad (disordered eating, amenorrhea and osteoporosis), as well as stress fracture risk factors and prevention, and osteoporosis management. She speaks nationally and internationally, and publishes extensively in these areas.
In addition to serving as a team physician for the UCLA Department of Intercollegiate Athletics since 1994, Dr. Nattiv has served as a team physician and consultant for USA Track and Field, USA Gymnastics and the United States Olympic Committee at several international venues, and is the current USA Track and Field Research Co-Chair. Dr. Nattiv has served as Chair and first author of the American College of Sports Medicine Position Stand on the Female Athlete Triad and has also co-edited a book entitled The Female Athlete. She has served as an elected member of the Board of Directors for the American College of Sports Medicine, as well as two terms for the American Medical Society of Sports Medicine, and recently received the honor of the AMSSM Founders Award. She currently serves as the President of the Female Athlete Triad Coalition, and is on the editorial board for the British Journal of Sports Medicine, and reviewer for multiple journals.
Dr. Nattiv received her medical degree at Washington University School of Medicine and completed her residency in Family Medicine at the Sonoma County Community Hospital in Santa Rosa, California. She received her sports medicine fellowship training at the UCLA Primary Care Sports Medicine Fellowship Program, and has been an integral faculty member for the fellowship training program over the last two decades.
Jeremy Ng, MD
Assistant Clinical Professor
Dr. Ng is Health Sciences Assistant Clinical Professor in the Department of Family Medicine, Division of Sports Medicine at UCLA. Dr. Ng serves as the Associate Lead Primary Care Team Physician for the Los Angeles Dodgers. His professional interests include performance medicine, performance coaching, optimizing performance in the heat and concussion management. Dr. Ng is a team physician for the United States Soccer Federation. He was team physician for the 2017 FIFA Men’s Under-17 World Cup and several CONCACAF championships from the U15 to U20 level. He is on the medical advisory board for the Korey Stringer Institute. Dr. Ng has USA Track and Field Level II coaching certifications in Sprints/Hurdles and Jumps. He worked for Bommarito Performance Systems’ NFL Combine Preparation Program as both a performance coach and physician. There he helped design and lead speed/movement and film review sessions. Later, he was the team physician for IMG Academy’s NFL Combine Preparation Program. In total, approximately 140 players were selected in the NFL Draft.
Dr. Ng received his medical degree from Boston University School of Medicine, completed his emergency medicine residency at Albert Einstein Medical Center, and his primary care sports medicine fellowship at the Combined University of Pennsylvania/Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia program.
Arthur N. Ohannessian, MD
Associate Clinical Professor
Dr. Arthur "Art" Ohannessian is Associate Clinical Professor in the Department of Family Medicine, and Associate Program Director for the UCLA Family Medicine Residency Program. Dr. Ohannessian obtained his medical degree from the University of California San Diego (UCSD) School of Medicine in 2008. He completed his specialty training in Family Medicine at UCLA and subsequently joined the UCLA Family Medicine Residency Core Faculty in 2011. He serves as the Site Director and Lead Physician for the UCLA Family Medicine Clinic at the Mid-Valley Comprehensive Health Center in Van Nuys. He is a full-time clinician and educator who practices full spectrum Family Medicine in both the inpatient and outpatient settings, including obstetric care. He is active member of the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) and has served in multiple leadership roles at the state and national level. He currently serves on the Board of Directors for the California Chapter of the AAFP and is a member of the National AAFP Commission on Education. His academic interests include providing primary care services to underserved communities and developing healthcare related legislative policy. He is actively engaged in community advocacy through service projects at UCLA and is the Director of Project HEAL (Health Education and Leadership) at UCLA. During his free time Dr. Ohannessian enjoys playing basketball, attending live concerts, and is a devout supporter of UCLA Athletics.
Monica Plesa, MD
Associate Clinical Professor
Dr. Monica Plesa joined the UCLA Department of Family Medicine in June 2013. Born and raised in Southern California, she graduated from UCLA with a BS in psychobiology and a minor in Spanish. After working for a non-profit for two years, she attended medical school at Albany Medical College in New York. She returned to UCLA to complete her residency in Family Medicine. After graduating in 2012, she stayed on with the department to complete a PGY 4 Chief Resident year, during which time she focused on improving resident education by implementing simulation center training. Dr. Plesa enjoys working closely with medical students and serves as the MS3 Clerkship Director for UCLA Family Health Center. Her medical interests include women’s health, pediatrics and procedures. Outside of work, she likes to eat good food, travel, and spend time with friends and family.
Amy Richards, MD
Assistant Clinical Professor
Dr. Amy Richards is Assistant Clinical Professor in the Department of Family Medicine. She graduated from Massachusetts Institute of Technology with BS in Biology and attended medical school at David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Sciences. Dr. Richards completed residency in Family Medicine and fellowship in Addiction Medicine at UCLA.
Michael Rodríguez, MD, MPH
Professor Emeritus
Dr. Michael A. Rodríguez, MD, MPH is Professor Emeritus in the Department of Family Medicine at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, past founding chair of the UCLA Global Health Minor, founding director of the Health Equity Network of the Americas, Co-Director of the UCLA Firearm Violence Prevention Center, and founding director of the UCLA Blum Center on Poverty and Health in Latin America. Dr. Rodríguez is published widely in the areas of research that include, ethnic/racial and immigrant health equity, gun and intimate partner violence prevention, and primary care systems. He has consulted for the World Health Organization, UNICEF, the Pan American Health Organization, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Institute of Medicine. He is also a Board Member for Blue Shield of California, and the Latino Coalition for a Healthy California. Dr. Rodriguez mentors and teaches UCLA faculty and trainees in a wide range of disciplines. Dr. Rodriguez completed his undergraduate training at the University of California, Berkeley; received his medical degree from the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA; completed his residency from the UC San Francisco's Family Medicine Residency Program; received his Master of Public Health degree at the Johns Hopkins University School of Hygiene and Public Health; and was a Robert Wood Johnson Clinical Scholar at Stanford University.
Derjung Mimi Tarn, MD, PhD
Professor
Derjung Mimi Tarn, MD, PhD is Professor of Family Medicine at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and a practicing family physician. Dr. Tarn’s career is marked by a passionate commitment to advancing primary care research, with a particular focus on preventive health, medication adherence, and physician-patient communication. Her recent endeavors center on bolstering the utilization of preventive health services among older adults and improving clinical trial participation among underserved older adults. Dr. Tarn employs a multi-faceted approach in her research, using both qualitative and quantitative research methods, including audio recordings of office visits, semi-structured interviews, focus groups, and surveys. Recognized for her outstanding contributions, Dr. Tarn is the recipient of the Family Practice Excellence in Research Award from the California Academy of Family Physicians and has received an Honorable Mention for the Society of Teachers in Family Medicine (STFM) Best Paper Award. Her research has been featured through Distinguished and Extended Paper talks at meetings of the Society of Teachers in Family Medicine and North American Primary Care Research Group. Dr. Tarn’s research is supported by grants from the National Institutes of Health, Patient Centered Outcomes Research Institute, and Federal Drug Administration.
Dr. Tarn earned B.S. and M.S. degrees in Biological Sciences from Stanford University, an M.D. from New York Medical College, and a Ph.D. in Health Services from UCLA. She honed her expertise through advanced research training via the National Research Service Award (NRSA) Primary Care Research and UCLA Specialty Training and Advanced Research (STAR) fellowships at UCLA.
Marissa S. Vasquez Machuca, MD, MBA
Associate Clinical Professor
Dr. Marissa Vasquez is Associate Clinical Professor in the Department of Family Medicine, Division of Sports Medicine at UCLA. Dr. Vasquez serves as the Primary Care Head Team Physician for the LA Dodgers. Dr. Vasquez has been a life-long recreational and competitive swimmer. She received her medical degree from Temple University School of Medicine in Philadelphia. She completed her residency training in family medicine at White Memorial Medical Center in Los Angeles, and her fellowship in primary care sports medicine at Kaiser Permanente Los Angeles Medical Center. In 2018, she earned her executive MBA degree with a Certificate in Marketing from the UCLA Anderson School of Management. She was awarded the “Best and Brightest Executive MBAs for 2018” recognition.
Before joining UCLA Health, Dr. Vasquez was the Sports Medicine Fellowship Director and Division Chief for Sports Medicine at Kaiser Permanente in Los Angeles. She served as a physician ambassador for the Permanente Medical Group where she earned the Physicians Exceptional Contribution Award, which is the most prestigious award in the partnership. She was also the Lead Physician for the 2015 Special Olympics World Games, held at UCLA, and the Primary Care Head Team Physician for Occidental College.
Dr. Vasquez conducts clinical research and has co-authored articles in the Clinical Journal of Sports Medicine. She serves on several committees for the American Medical Society for Sports Medicine. She has expertise in providing culturally responsive care and in presenting evidence-based research to communities with health disparities.
Daniel Vigil, MD
Clinical Professor and Division Chief
Dr. Daniel Vigil is Health Sciences Clinical Professor of Family Medicine and Orthopaedic Surgery and serves as Chief of the Divisions of Primary Care Sports Medicine for these departments at UCLA. He is also the Associate Head Team Physician for the UCLA Department of Intercollegiate Athletics. Dr. Vigil was a collegiate sprinter at Stanford, later earned his medical degree from Harvard, returned to California for his residency training in Family Medicine at Kaiser Permanente, then completed his Sports Medicine fellowship at UCLA.
After his Sports Medicine training at UCLA, Dr. Vigil established the Division of Sports Medicine and co-founded the Primary Care Sports Medicine Fellowship Program at Kaiser Permanente in Los Angeles. He then returned to UCLA where he now cares for Family Medicine and Sports Medicine patients of all ages, while supervising UCLA medical students, residents, and Sports Medicine Fellows. Dr. Vigil sees patients at UCLA in Santa Monica and also in his musculoskeletal medicine consultation clinic at the Mid-Valley Comprehensive Health Center in Van Nuys.
Dr. Vigil cares for Family Medicine and Sports Medicine patients of all ages, while supervising UCLA medical students, residents, and Sports Medicine Fellows. In addition to his patient care and teaching duties at UCLA, Dr. Vigil is the Medical Director of UCLA Health Sports Performance Powered by EXOS, a collaboration between UCLA Health and EXOS to provide training and nutrition programs for athletes to reach their peak performance. Dr. Vigil is also the Associate Head Team Physician and Director of Primary Care for the Los Angeles Lakers as part of a collaboration between the Lakers and UCLA Health. Outside of UCLA, Dr. Vigil has been a team physician for several USA Track & Field teams at international competitions including the World Championships, World Cup, Continental Cup and Pan American Games. He has also served as a physician at the United States Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista, CA. Dr. Vigil's research interests include heat illness and dehydration, overuse injuries and pre-participation screening, and the use of musculoskeletal ultrasound in the treatment of sports-related injuries. He has conducted research in these areas and has authored scientific articles, case reports, and book chapters in these and other areas of sports medicine.
David J. Wallenstein, MD
Associate Clinical Professor
Dr. David Wallenstein is a general internist who specializes in palliative care (the supportive treatment of patients with life threatening and terminal illnesses) and in chronic pain management. Dr. Wallenstein has an appointment in the Department of Family Medicine, and is also a physician with the UCLA Palliative Care Service and works with the Sarcoma Program. He is also medical director for the Skirball Hospice Program at the Jewish Homes of Los Angeles and an instructor and preceptor in the UCLA Family Medicine International Medical Graduate Program. Dr. Wallenstein began his career in end-of-life care as an AIDS volunteer in the early 1980s, trained in clinical social work and after a career as a clinical social worker, decided to attend medical school. A Westwood native who attended UCLA’s lab school, UES, and the Cate School in Carpinteria, he is a graduate of both the College of the University of Chicago and of the University of Chicago School of Social Service Administration and received his medical degree from the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Medicine. Dr. Wallenstein trained in internal medicine at the University of Illinois Hospital in Chicago and in anesthesiology at the Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore before completing a fellowship in pain medicine and palliative care under the direction of Dr. Russell Portenoy at Beth Israel Medical Center in Manhattan. In his leisure time, Dr. Wallenstein is an opera and classical music afficionado who rescues dogs and is involved in various aspects of animal welfare.
Timothy E. Weiss, MD
Associate Clinical Professor
Dr. Timothy Weiss joined the Department of Family Medicine in 2014. He was raised in Southern California, and attended UCLA where he majored in biology and minored in music history. He then attended medical school at Loma Linda University, then came back to UCLA for his Family Medicine residency. After residency, he completed a fellowship in Palliative and Hospice Medicine at UCLA. He now spends his time working on the UCLA inpatient palliative service, seeing patients in Family Medicine clinic as well as palliative clinic, and working as a team physician and Associate Medical Director at Skirball Hospice. He works closely with fellows in training through the UCLA Palliative and Hospice Medicine fellowship, and also works with residents in clinic and in the hospital. In his non-working life, he hikes, runs, listens to a lot of music, and watches the Dodgers.
Anita Wong, MD
Assistant Clinical Professor
Dr. Anita Wong joined the UCLA Department of Family Medicine in July 2018. She is from the Bay Area in Northern California, and graduated from UC Berkeley with a BA in Molecular and Cell Biology and a minor in Education. She then attended medical school at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, and remained at UCLA for her residency in Family Medicine, during which time she developed her passion for medical student and resident education. After graduating in 2014, she stayed at UCLA Family Medicine to complete a PGY 4 Chief Resident year. Her clinical interests include full spectrum inpatient and outpatient Family Medicine, with a focus on women's health, adolescent medicine, and outpatient procedures. She is currently working on developing a curriculum for the intern class and improving the resident research curriculum. Outside of work, she enjoys hiking, traveling, watching football and basketball, and experimenting in the kitchen with her fiance.