Leadership in Action: Alumni, Faculty, Staff, and Student Milestones

Sandra Weiss Receives 2026 Ada Sue Hinshaw Nurse Scholar

Sandra Weiss, PhD, RN, FAAN, professor, received the 2026 Ada Sue Hinshaw Nurse Scholar Award from the Friends of the National Institute of Nursing Research (FNINR). This preeminent award recognizes a senior scientist for their substantive and sustained program of science. Weiss' groundbreaking research has profoundly influenced advances in disease prevention and health promotion for very young children and pregnant women. Weiss was honored with the award during the FNINR NightinGala, Oct. 7 in Washington, D.C.

3 people in formal clothes posing at a celebration. — *Glenn-Milo Santos, PhD, MPH, and Marianne Biangone, PhD, RN, FAAN, celebrate with Weiss (center) during the NightinGala event.*

Glenn-Milo Santos.

Glenn-Milo Santos Receives UCSF Chancellor Principles of Community Award

Glenn-Milo Santos, PhD, MPH, professor and associate dean for research, received the 2026 UCSF Chancellor Principles of Community Faculty Award for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, and Intersex Leadership. The award recognizes Santos' outstanding commitment and service to eliminating barriers and creating opportunities at UCSF. Drawing from his lived experience, Santos has advanced LGBTQI+ health through his research while mentoring the next generation of researchers. Watch a video about Santos’ work and research.

Erica Sedlander Advocates for Fertility Research on Capitol Hill

Erica Sedlander, DrPH, MPH, assistant professor, traveled to Washington D.C., Sept. 30-Oct. 1 to meet with members of Congress and their staff in support of the Optimizing Postpartum Outcomes Act and to advocate for increased federal investment in fertility research. Sedlander participated in the trip as a member of the 2025-26 cohort of the UCSF Science and Healthcare Advocates for Research Policy (SHARP) program. Led by UCSF’s Community and Government Relations and Office of Research, SHARP is a professional development program for UCSF faculty to develop science policy and advocacy skills to become health and biomedical research policy leaders.

A woman posing with the U.S. Capitol Building in the background.

Lila Sheira, PhD, MPH

Lila Sheira Named Emerging Women's Health Research Scholar

Lila Sheira, PhD, MPH, assistant professor, has received a UCSF Emerging Women’s Health Research Scholar Award in recognition of her exceptional promise in conducting impactful clinical or translational research focused on women’s health. As part of the award, Sheira will deliver a research presentation at the 2026 UCSF Women's Health Research Symposium, Oct. 30. The theme of the symposium is "Building and Sustaining a Clinical Research Career in Women's Health."

Jarmin Yeh Elected to Gerontological Society of America Section Leadership

Jarmin Yeh, PhD, MPH, MSSW, associate professor, has been elected as vice chair-elect of the Social Research, Policy and Practice section of the Gerontological Society of America. Yeh's term begins Jan. 1, 2027.

Jarmin Yeh, PhD, MPH, MSSW

Nine people standing in front of a conference sign and balloon arch. — Pictured front row, from left: Monica Getahun, research program director, UCSF School of Medicine; Christen Said, program manager, UCSF Institute for Global Health Sciences (IGHS); Liu; Address Malata; Susie Welty, academic program manager, IGHS; Bialous; and Ouner. Back row, from left: Harris and Michael Deynu, UCSF PhD Nursing student.

Faculty Engage at 9th Annual Africa Interdisciplinary Health Conference

Jerry John Ouner, PhD, RN, FAAN, associate professor, organized the 9th Annual Africa Interdisciplinary Health Conference, Aug. 17-18 in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. This year's theme was “Bridging Disciplines to Address Dual Burden of Infectious and Non-Communicable Diseases in Africa." Faculty representatives from the School of Nursing included Stella Bialous, DrPH, RN, FAAN, professor; Orlando Harris, PhD, MPH, FAAN, associate professor; and Jenny Liu, PhD, MPP, MA, professor and director of the Institute for Health & Aging. During the conference, Liu co-led a highly successful session on the Collaborative International Research Project (PF5) funding mechanism. The session brought together 13 investigators across eight institutions to pursue funding opportunities and launch new research partnerships across five global health tracks.

Celebrating Our Alumni

Congratulations to the following School of Nursing alumni who recently received national accolades:

Christopher Lance Coleman, PhD '96, MPH, FAAN, has been named the new dean of the Howard University College of Nursing and Allied Health Sciences.
Annika Ehrlich, DNP '23, MS '14, FNP, was recently named a fellow of the American Headache Society in recognition of her significant contributions to headache medicine across clinical excellence, research, education, and service to the society.
Natalie Ingraham, PhD '16, MPH, received the 2026 Best Article Award from the American Sociological Association's Body and Embodiment Section for the article "'It's Like Having an Uncontrolled Situation': Using Body Maps to Understand the Embodied Experiences of People With Hidradenitis Suppurativa, a Chronic Dermatological Condition."
Eunyoung Lee, PhD '08, RN, FNP, was honored with the 2026 Distinguished NP Award from the Virginia Council of Nurse Practitioners.
Maria O'Rourke, PhD '80, RN, FAAN, is the recipient of the Lifetime Achievement/Living Legend Award from the Association of California Nurse Leaders (ACNL) and the DAISY Foundation.
Carmen Ward-Sullivan, PhD '17, RN, was also recognized by ACNL with the Contributions as a Humanitarian Award.
Allison Webel, PhD '09, RN, FAAN, has been named the new dean of the University of Michigan School of Nursing.
Jian Zhang, DNP, MS '92, FAAN, former CEO of Chinese Hospital, has written a new book, Pressure and Possibility: How Difference Becomes a Source of Strength in Leadership. In the book, Zhang reflects on her more than three decades of leadership through crisis, change, uncertainty, and transformation. The book, which will publish in January 2027, is now available for pre-order.

Community Shares Expertise at National, International Events

A strong UCSF School of Nursing (SON) contingent attended the Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing’s 37th Research Congress in Toronto, Canada, July 15-18. SON representatives included Harry Adynski, PhD, RN, PMH-BC, assistant professor, who presented “Evaluation of School-Based Sexual and Gender Minority Mental Health Intervention”; Jerry John Ouner, PhD, RN, FAAN, associate professor, who presented “The Impact of COVID-19 on the Mental Health and Well-being of Black and Latinx Nurses in California” and co-facilitated the workshop "Nursing Beyond Borders: Ethics, Trust, and Relational Safety in Global Practice”; and OiSaeng Hong, RN, PhD, FAAN, professor, who presented “Lived Experiences of Noise Exposure and Hearing Loss Among Native Americans” and participated in Sigma’s global leaders forum.
Faculty from across the SON shared their expertise and engaged with colleagues working to advance the global HIV response during the 2026 International AIDS Conference, July 26-31 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Attendees from the SON included Charisse Ahmed, PhD, RN, assistant professor; Glenda Baguso, PhD, MPH, RN, assistant professor; Stella Bialous, DrPH, RN, FAAN, professor; Orlando Harris, PhD, MPH, FAAN, associate professor; Jenny Liu, PhD, MPP, MA, professor; Jerry John Ouner, PhD, RN, FAAN, associate professor; Lila Sheira, PhD, MPH, assistant professor; and Lauren Suchman, PhD, assistant professor.
Carol Dawson-Rose, PhD, RN, FAAN, dean and professor, and Maria Yefimova, PhD, RN, associate professor and lead nurse scientist at UCSF Health, were invited to join nurse leaders from across the country at the Johns Hopkins School of Nursing's Workforce 2.0: Powering Hospital Care in an AI-Enabled Era event Sept. 24-25, in Washington, D.C. Leaders across health care, academia, and policy came together to examine how artificial intelligence is reshaping the nursing workforce.
Pamela Dudzik, MPP, program analyst, and Courtney Gordon, DNP, NP, geriatric and palliative care specialist at UCSF Health, represented the Home-Based Care Learning Collaborative ECHO, a program co-created by Laura M. Wagner, PhD, RN, FAAN, professor, at the Gerontological Advanced Practice Nurses Association Conference Sept. 24-26 in Orlando, Florida.
At the invitation of Howard W. Brodie, United States ambassador to the Republic of Finland, OiSaeng Hong, PhD, RN, FAAN, professor, attended an Aug. 19 reception at the U.S. embassy in Helsinki, Finland, commemorating the U.S.-Finnish exchanges and the 80th Anniversary of the Global Fulbright Program. Hong is a recipient of the Fulbright-Saastamoinen Foundation Distinguished Chair in Health Sciences and is currently conducting her Fulbright research project in collaboration with a multidisciplinary team at the University of Eastern Finland.
Xinxin Huang, MEd, teaching, technology, and innovation manager, and instructional designers Konstantina Seni, MA, and Peter Wright, MA — all of SON's Educational Technology and Curricular Innovation Hub — presented on Oct. 8 at InnovateED, an annual virtual education and technology conference hosted by the Stanford Center for Continuing Medical Education. The conference included presentations on topics like AI in education, digital tools, and adult learning.
Mary Anne Israel, DNP, RN, CPNP-PC, associate professor, presented at the 2026 Conference of the Association of Clinicians for the Underserved, July 26-29 in Washington, D.C. Her presentation, "Increasing Primary Care Workforce in Medically Underserved Areas: Supporting APRN Students' Transition to Practice," highlighted the work she leads as part of the Underserved Coalition for Bay Area Advanced Practice Training Program.
Jeremiah Mock, PhD, MSc, professor, presented at the California Friday Night Live (FNL) Youth Summit, Oct. 10-11 in Garden Grove, California. The FNL Youth Summit convenes youth leaders from across California to strengthen leadership skills and elevate youth voice. Mock's presentation aimed to increase teens' knowledge and understanding of the tobacco-nicotine and cannabis industries' emerging strategies, tactics, and newest products.
Andrew Penn, MS, PMHNP, professor, presented several talks on psychedelics and psychiatry at the 39th Annual Psych Congress, Sept. 15-19 in New Orleans, Louisiana. The topic is drawing growing national interest as recent federal action seeks to accelerate the development and FDA review of psychedelic therapies for certain mental health conditions
Students, faculty, and alumni of the PhD in Sociology program gathered in New York for the American Sociological Association Annual Meeting, Aug. 7-11. Members of the UCSF community delivered more than 25 presentations, won several awards, and were elected to new leadership positions in the organization. Together, these accolades underscore the PhD in Sociology program's position as a national leader in medical sociology and science and technology studies.

Celebrating Preceptors

August Preceptor: Betza Kunkel

Betza Kunkel, MD, is medical director of behavioral health and psychiatry at CommuniCare+OLE. Kunkel has precepted for the School of Nursing for over six years. "Betza shares her knowledge, clinical expertise, and passion for psychiatric mental health nursing and serves as an excellent role model," says Jane Abanes, PhD, DNP, PMHNP, assistant professor and coordinator of the Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner specialty.

"Leadership in psychiatric care requires immense patience and Dr. Kunkel demonstrates it effortlessly every day," says Leonel Perez, RN, current student in the BSN Entry to DNP pathway and Kunkel's current precept.

Read more about Kunkel on the Preceptor Portal.

Betza Kunkel, MD

Faculty Members Capture New Funding

Charisse Ahmed, PhD, RN, assistant professor, received a UCSF Society for Hellman Fellows Award for the project “HIV Care Disengagement Among Adolescent Girls and Young Women With Gender-Based Violence Histories in Zambia.” The award is $50,000.
Ifeyinwa Asiodu, PhD, RN, FAAN, professor, received an R01 award from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) National Institute of Nursing Research for the project “Increasing Donor human milk Engagement and Access (IDEA) Study.” The award is $856,016.
OiSaeng Hong, PhD, RN, FAAN, professor, has received a grant from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health for the project "Northern California Occupational Safety and Health Education and Research Center." The award is $277,297.
Jennifer James, PhD, MS, MSW, associate professor, received a UCSF Office of Opportunity and Outreach grant for the project “Anti Racism in Research (Pillar 7).” The award is $57,690.
Jenny Liu, PhD, MPP, MA, professor and director, received a World Bank Group grant for the project “Rare Disease Policy Framework Review and Economic Impact Analysis.” The award is $21,384.
Jeremiah Mock, PhD, MSc, professor, received a grant from the Sierra County Tobacco Use Reduction Program to collaborate on a training and technical assistance program to address tobacco and cannabis product waste. The award is $20,000.
Jerry John Ouner, PhD, RN, FAAN, associate professor, received an R01 award from the NIH National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) for the project “Identifying the Mechanisms of Water Insecurity on HIV Treatment Outcomes.” The award is $407,234. Ouner also received a supplement to his R01 award from the National Institute of Mental Health for the project “Identifying the Mechanisms of Water Insecurity on HIV Treatment Outcomes.” The award is $296,701.
Van Park, PhD, MPH, professor, received a grant from UC Davis for the project “Cognitive Health in Older Vietnamese Americans: Examining Biomarkers, Early Life Adversity, and Alzheimer's Risk.” The award is $1,163,213 and is funded by the National Institute on Aging.
Elena Portacolone, PhD, MBA, MPH, professor, received a UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center Engaged Research Award for the project “Improving Breast Cancer Care for Women Living Alone: A Community–Academic Partnership to Enhance Access, Experience, and Thrivorship.” The award is $25,000.
Glenn-Milo Santos, PhD, MPH, professor and associate dean of research, received a grant from Heluna Health for the project “Multi-Level Intervention Increasing PrEP Uptake and Persistence Among People Who Use Drugs.” The award is $234,297 and is funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse. Santos also received a grant from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism for the project “PATH: Psilocybin for Alcohol Treatment Among People Living With HIV.” The award is $754,267.
Lila Sheira, PhD, MPH, assistant professor, received a K01 award from the NIH NIMH for the project “Leveraging Implementation and Data Science to Improve Health: Strategies for Reducing HIV Incidence.” The award is $186,970.

In the News

Karen Barrett, PhD, assistant professor, was featured in The Conversation's July 29 article "What I Found When I Scanned the Brains of Kids Creating Tunes on the Piano," discussing what happens in the brain when people improvise music. Barrett also discussed the power of music on the Sept. 21 episode of the podcast Lifeslices with Steve Fisher.
Charlene Harrington, PhD, RN, FAAN, professor emeritus, shared her expertise on nursing home staffing in the New Bedford Light story “Half of All Nursing Homes in Massachusetts Are Understaffed,” distributed by The Associated Press.
Jennifer Jain, PhD, MPH, assistant professor, was featured by the NIH National Institute on Drug Abuse as part of its career spotlight series.
Andrew Penn, MS, PMHNP, professor, was interviewed on the role of psychedelics and nursing for Psychedelic Alpha's "The Psychedelic Practitioner Issue 6: Preparedness (People)," published Aug. 13.
Lisa Thompson, PhD, RN, FNP, professor, was featured in Inside Climate News' Aug. 16 article "Empowering Guatemalan Villagers Plagued by Plastics." The story highlights Thompson's work and research improving the health of women and children in Guatemala through plastic waste and combustion reduction.
Stacy Torres, PhD, assistant professor, shared her expertise in the Aug. 18 Shelterforce article "When a Community Grows Old Together" and also shared her expertise during Shelterforce's Sept. 16 webinar Housing in an Aging Society.