The UCSF School of Medicine Dean’s Diversity Fund was established in 2015 to support the recruitment and retention of faculty who share the university’s commitment to diversity and service to culturally diverse and medically underserved populations. Each year eight faculty members are selected. Those faculty who are selected will be named the John A. Watson Scholars in honor of John A. Watson, PhD, a pioneer for diversity, an inspiring mentor, and a noteworthy scientist whose service to the UCSF School of Medicine spanned forty-six years.
2022 Class of John A. Watson Faculty Scholars

Ashraf Abugroun, MBBS
Assistant Professor, Medicine
Chase Anderson, MD
Assistant Professor, Psychiatry
Katherine Brown, MD, MAS
Assistant Professor, OB/Gyn
William Brown, III, PhD, DrPH, MA
Associate Professor, Medicine
Willieford Moses, MD
Assistant Professor, Surgery
Yolanda Tinajero, MD
HS Clinical Instructor, OB/Gyn
Charles Windon, MD
Assistant Professor, Neurology
Ana Velazquez Manana, MD, MSc
Assistant Professor, Medicine
2021 Class
Paola Betancur, PhD
Assistant Professor, Radiation Oncology
David Booth, PhD
Assistant Professor, Biochemistry
Melissa Coleman, MD
Assistant Professor, Surgery
Carlo Condello, PhD
Assistant Professor, Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases
Margareth Del Cid, PhD, MS
Assistant Professor, Psychiatry
Julius Oatts, MD
Assistant Professor, Ophthalmology
Angela Rivers, MD, PhD
Associate Professor, Pediatrics
Carolyn Sangokoya, MD, PhD
Adjunct Instructor, Pathology
Samuel Washington, MD, MAS
Assistant Professor, Urology and Epidemiology
Allison Williams, PhD
Assistant Professor, Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology
2020 Class
Mohamed Adam, MBBS
Assistant Professor, Surgery
Patience Afulani, PhD, MD, MPH • (video interview)
Assistant Professor, Epidemiology and OB/Gyn
David Bayne, MD, MPH • (video interview)
Assistant Professor, Urology
Asmara Gebre, RN, CNM • (video interview)
Assistant Professor, OB/Gyn
Tatiana Kelil, MD • (video interview)
Assistant Professor, Radiology
Sor Piawah, MD, MPH • (video interview)
Assistant Professor, Medicine
Roberto Ruiz-Cordero, MD • (video interview)
Assistant Professor, Pathology
Mark Terrelonge, Jr., MD, MPH • (video interview)
Assistant Professor, Neurology
2019 Class
Christopher Bartley, MD, PhD • (video interview)
Chief Resident, Psychiatry
Tasce Bongiovanni, MD, MPP • (video interview)
Assistant Professor, Surgery
Rosny Daniel, MD • (video interview)
Assistant Professor, Emergency Medicine
Marlene Martin, MD • (video interview)
Assistant Professor, Medicine
Ashley McMullen, MD • (video interview)
Chief Resident, Medicine
David L. Pennington, PhD • (video interview)
Assistant Professor, Psychiatry
Paul Wesson, PhD • (video interview)
Assistant Adjunct Professor, Epidemiology & Biostatistics
Sara Whetstone, MD, MHS • (video interview)
Assistant Professor, OB/Gyn
2018 Class
Tara Collins, MD, MPH • (video interview)
Assistant Professor, Psychiatry
Jose Gurrola, II, MD • (video interview)
Assistant Professor, Otolaryngology
Jenna Lester, MD • (video interview)
Assistant Professor, Dermatology
Juan Carlos Montoy, MD • (video interview)
Assistant Professor, Emergency Medicine
Anthony Muiru, MD • (video interview)
Assistant Professor, Medicine
Brenda Oiyemhonlan, MD, MHSA, MPH • (video interview)
Assistant Professor, Emergency Medicine
Gaetan Pettigrew, MD • (video interview)
Clinical Instructor, OB/Gyn
Isabel Rodriguez-Barraquer, MD, PhD • (video interview)
Assistant Professor, Medicine
Javier Villanueva-Meyer, MD • (video interview)
Assistant Professor, Radiology
2017 Class
Maria Garcia, MD, MPH, MAS
Assistant Professor, Medicine
Shawn Hervey-Jumper, MD
Associate Professor, Neurological Surgery
Cassie Kline, MD
Assistant Professor, Pediatrics
Biftu Mengesha, MD
Assistant Professor, OB/Gyn
Marissa Raymond-Flesch, MD, MPH
Assistant Professor, Pediatrics
Lamercie Saint-Hilaire, MD
Assistant Professor, Family & Community Medicine
Wagahta Semere, MD, MHS
Assistant Professor, Medicine
Arthur Wood, MD
Assistant Professor, Anesthesia
2016 Class
Kayla Enriquez, MD
Assistant Professor, Emergency Medicine
Roneesha (Starr) Knight, MD
Assistant Professor, Emergency Medicine
Kate Lupton, MD
Associate Professor, Medicine
Leticia Rolon, MD
Assistant Professor, Medicine
Manuel Tapia, MD, MPH
Clinical Instructor, Family & Community Medicine
Stanley Vance, Jr, MD
Assistant Professor, Pediatrics
Sofia Verstraete, MD
Assistant Professor, Pediatrics
Will Vincent, PhD, MPH
Assistant Professor, Medicine
2016 Class of John A. Watson Faculty Scholars, left to right: Will Vincent, John A. Watson, Talmadge E. King, Jr., Kayla Enriquez, Roneesha (Starr) Knight, Manuel Tapia, Leticia Rolon, Kate Lupton, Stanley Vance, Jr., Sofia Verstraete
2015 Class
Matthew Bucknor, MD
Assistant Professor, Radiology
Valy Fontil, MD, MAS
Assistant Professor, Medicine
Christina Mangurian, MD, MAS
Associate Professor, Psychiatry
Lionel Metz, MD
Assistant Professor, Orthopaedic Surgery
Meghan Morris, PhD, MPH
Assistant Professor, Epidemiology and Biostatistics
Jessica Opoku-Anane, MD
Assistant Professor, OB/Gyn
Lynn Ramirez, MD
Assistant Professor, Pediatrics
Sarah Alba-Nguyen, MD, MPH
Assistant Professor, Medicine
Charlene Swift, MD, PhD
Assistant Professor, Anesthesia
2015 Class of John A. Watson Faculty Scholars, left to right: Valy Fontil, Lionel Metz, Sarah Schaeffer, Meghan Morris, John A Watson, Talmadge E. King, Jr., Charlene Swift, Christina Mangurian, and Matt Bucknor.