The UCSF School of Medicine Dean’s Diversity 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-racism, 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.

2023 Class of John A. Watson Faculty Scholars

2023 Watson Scholars

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
Watson Scholars class of 20222

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

Watson Scholar Class of 2021

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

2020 Class of Watson Scholars

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

 Class of 2019 Watson Scholars

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

John Watson Faculty Scholars
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 Watson Scholars
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.