The UCSF School of Medicine John A. Watson Faculty Scholar Fund was established in 2015 to support the recruitment and retention of faculty who share our commitment to diversity and/or focus on health equity, anti-discrimination, and health and healthcare disparities. 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.
2025 Class of John A. Watson Faculty Scholars
Christopher Brunson, MD
Assistant Professor, Radiology and Biomedical Imaging
D. Nyasha Chagwedera, MD, PhD
Assistant Professor, Psychiatry
April Edwell, MD, MAEd
Assistant Professor, Pediatrics
Rony A. François, MD, PhD
Assistant Professor, Dermatology and Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center
Meghan Hewlett, MD, MPH, MS
Assistant Professor, Emergency Medicine
Tanisha Hill-Jarrett, PhD
Assistant Professor, Neurology
Carmen Kilpatrick, MD
Assistant Professor, Psychiatry
Angela Suen, MD
Assistant Professor, Medicine
Josie Urbina, MD
Assistant Professor, Obstetrics, Gynecology & Reproductive Sciences
Rama Yakubu, MD, PhD
Assistant Professor, Laboratory Medicine
2024 Class
Brittany Bryant, DSW, LCSW
Assistant Professor, Psychiatry
Lennox Byer, MD
Assistant Professor, Neurology
Maria Castellanos, MD
Assistant Professor, Pediatrics
Herbert Castillo Valladares, MD, MHS
Assistant Professor, Dermatology
Caitlin Collins, MD, MPH
Assistant Professor, Surgery
Arielle Klepper, MD, PhD
Assistant Professor, Medicine
Daisy Leon-Martinez, MD, MAS
Assistant Professor, OB/Gyn
Marilyn D. Thomas, PhD, MPH
Assistant Professor, Medicine
Adrian Tomes, MD
Assistant Professor, Family & Community Medicine
Kenshata Watkins, MD
Assistant Professor, Emergency Medicine
2023 Class
Kwame Adjepong, MD
Assistant Professor, Neurology and Palliative Medicine
Oscar Aguilar, PhD
Assistant Professor, Microbiology & Immunology
April Bell, PhD, MPH
Assistant Professor, Family & Community Medicine
Christi Butler, MD
Assistant Professor, Urology
Waru Gichane, PhD, MSPH
Assistant Professor, OB/Gyn
Camille Jackson, MD, MPH
Assistant Professor, Surgery
Melanie Molina, MD, MAS
Assistant Professor, Emergency Medicine
Lucy Ogbu-Nwobodo, MD, MS, MAS
Assistant Professor, Psychiatry
Michael Waul, MD
Assistant Professor, Dermatology
2022 Class
Ashraf Abugroun, MBBS • (video interview)
Assistant Professor, Medicine
Chase Anderson, MD • (video interview)
Assistant Professor, Psychiatry
Katherine Brown, MD, MAS • (video interview)
Assistant Professor, OB/Gyn
William Brown, III, PhD, DrPH, MA • (video interview)
Associate Professor, Medicine
Willieford Moses, MD • (video interview)
Assistant Professor, Surgery
Yolanda Tinajero, MD • (video interview)
HS Clinical Instructor, OB/Gyn
Charles Windon, MD • (video interview)
Assistant Professor, Neurology
Ana Velazquez Manana, MD, MSc • (video interview)
Assistant Professor, Medicine
2021 Class
Paola Betancur, PhD • (video interview)
Assistant Professor, Radiation Oncology
David Booth, PhD • (video interview)
Assistant Professor, Biochemistry
Melissa Coleman, MD • (video interview)
Assistant Professor, Surgery
Carlo Condello, PhD • (video interview)
Assistant Professor, Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases
Margareth Del Cid, PhD, MS • (video interview)
Assistant Professor, Psychiatry
Julius Oatts, MD • (video interview)
Assistant Professor, Ophthalmology
Angela Rivers, MD, PhD
Associate Professor, Pediatrics
Carolyn Sangokoya, MD, PhD • (video interview)
Adjunct Instructor, Pathology
Samuel Washington, MD, MAS • (video interview)
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.