The promotions of Jennifer Blaha, MBA; Clare Lee, MBA; Lisa Maqueira; and Alen Voskanian, MD, MBA, represent an intentional investment in leadership capacity to meet Cedars-Sinai’s core mission of delivering the highest-quality care to patients in Los Angeles and beyond.

“These four leaders exemplify the operational excellence and strategic acumen required to deliver on our care vision,” said Peter L. Slavin, MD, president and CEO of Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and Cedars-Sinai Health System. “Collectively, these promotions expand the portfolio of responsibilities held by leaders who have shown, time and again, that operational excellence and exceptional patient care are complementary priorities.”

Blaha, senior vice president of Surgical Services, joined Cedars-Sinai 17 years ago from GE Healthcare, where she served as a senior consultant, and has since risen through senior operational roles across the institution before being named vice president of Operations in 2018.

In her new role, she will oversee the service lines of Neurosurgery, Neurology, Orthopaedics, Surgery, Transplant and Urology, along with Peri-Procedural Services, including Anesthesia and OR Operations.

Blaha has built a strong record of improving clinical quality, patient satisfaction and operational efficiency across the surgical service lines she now leads. She was one of 22 healthcare leaders selected nationally for the Carol Emmott Fellowship, a competitive program advancing women in healthcare leadership.

Lee, senior vice president of Medical Services, brings 34 years of healthcare experience, including 21 years at the executive level, to her new role. She joined Cedars-Sinai in 2018 as vice president of Operations. Prior to Cedars-Sinai, Lee was chief operating officer at Dignity Health Mercy General Hospital in Sacramento and vice president of Operations at Houston Methodist.

In her new role, she will oversee the service lines of Medicine, OB/GYN, Pediatrics and Psychiatry, along with Imaging, Lab and Pathology, and Emergency Services. Over her career, she has transformed clinical operations within the service lines under her purview, cultivating strong leaders and driving significant improvements across clinical and operational areas.

Maqueira, senior vice president of Finance and chief revenue cycle officer, joined Cedars-Sinai in 2011 as director of Professional Billing and Revenue Cycle Services, leading the transformation of professional billing operations. She was promoted to vice president of Revenue Cycle and Managed Care Operations in 2016, taking on expanded responsibility for managed care operations and contracting, professional compliance, government incentives, and centralized scheduling for Cedars-Sinai Medical Network.

Maqueira was named vice president of Finance and chief revenue cycle officer in 2022, leading the organization’s integrated revenue cycle strategy across hospitals and physician networks. With 33 years of revenue cycle experience, she has consistently delivered stronger collections, improved charge capture and greater operational efficiency. In her new role, she is accountable for setting and executing a strategic vision to advance exceptional patient and provider experience while strengthening financial performance.

Voskanian, senior vice president and chief operating officer of Ambulatory Clinics, joined Cedars-Sinai in 2018 from VITAS Healthcare, where he was regional medical director. He served as medical director of Cedars-Sinai Medical Group and later as vice president and chief operating officer of Cedars-Sinai Medical Network.

A practicing physician who continues to care for patients, Voskanian has helped lead ambulatory strategy and the growth and integration of specialty practices, contributing to substantial growth in weekly patient volumes during his tenure as chief operating officer. Working closely with clinical and administrative leaders, he has also advanced a dyad leadership model that strengthens collaboration, improves operational performance and supports physicians and staff in delivering high-quality care.

Read more from Cedars-Sinai Stories and Insights: New Cedars-Sinai CEO Shares Vision for Growth and Priorities

Cedars-Sinai will continue as the organization's Official Healthcare Partner, reaffirming its commitment to supporting the health, performance and recovery of beach volleyball athletes throughout California.

Founded in 1962, the nonprofit hosts nearly 1,000 tournaments annually across more than 20 California locations, serving approximately 8,000 active members spanning youth, amateur and elite competition.

“Our continued partnership with the California Beach Volleyball Association reflects Cedars-Sinai’s commitment to helping athletes stay healthy,” said Mark Vrahas, MD, chair of Cedars-Sinai Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine. “Together, we’re giving players of every age and skill level access to expert care that helps prevent injuries, supports recovery and keeps them enjoying the sport they love.”

Through the collaboration, Cedars-Sinai Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine will provide athletes with access to orthopedic specialists, sports medicine physicians and injury prevention resources designed to help players perform safely and recover effectively.

Beach volleyball places unique demands on the body, requiring explosive movement, agility and endurance. Cedars-Sinai sports medicine physicians regularly treat shoulder, knee, ankle and hand injuries, while emphasizing evidence-based injury prevention strategies that help keep competitors in the game.

“Whether treating professional athletes or weekend competitors, our goal is always the same: helping patients return safely to the activities they love,” said Joshua Scott, MD, orthopedic specialist at Cedars-Sinai Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine. “We're excited to continue working with the association to provide guidance on injury prevention, performance optimization and comprehensive musculoskeletal care throughout the season.”

A nonprofit organization, the California Beach Volleyball Association is dedicated to nurturing, promoting and growing the sport through organized tournaments and opportunities for players of all ages and abilities to compete. The organization has helped grow the sport and foster healthy competition for generations of athletes.

“CBVA has been putting on tournaments on California sand for more than 60 years, and keeping our players healthy has always been part of our job,” said Kathy Hubbell, the group’s executive director. “Partnering with Cedars-Sinai gives our athletes—from the kids just learning to bump and serve to the dedicated weekend players who never miss a tournament—access to real experts when they need them. That kind of support is hard to find for a sport like ours, and it makes a difference.”

Read more from Cedars-Sinai Stories and Insights: Proper Precautions Can Net Safety Benefits for Beach Volleyball Players

The designation from the condition’s oldest patient organization is awarded to programs with the infrastructure and experience needed to provide high-quality care to people with pulmonary hypertension, a type of high blood pressure that occurs in arteries of the lungs.

Pulmonary hypertension can make it difficult for blood to circulate through the lungs, forcing the heart to work harder. In severe cases, the condition can lead to heart failure. People with pulmonary hypertension often need care from several specialists.

The Cedars-Sinai Pulmonary Hypertension Clinic includes six physicians and one nurse practitioner. The pulmonary hypertension program combines cardiology and pulmonology, which allows patients to access multidisciplinary care from experts in the disease. Providers care for more than 250 patients each year and address multiple aspects of the disease, including diagnosis, medication management, symptom control and disease progression.

“At Cedars-Sinai, pulmonary hypertension specialists collaborate with colleagues in rheumatology, congenital heart disease, critical care medicine, lung transplantation and other specialties to create treatment plans tailored to patients,” said Yuri Matusov, MD, assistant professor of Medicine at Cedars-Sinai. “We are proud to care for an extraordinarily diverse patient population, some of whom come from very far away for their care.”

The association noted several outstanding aspects of the Cedars-Sinai Pulmonary Hypertension Clinic including:

• A team that collaborates and provides timely evaluation and management of people who are hospitalized and continues to provide consistent care when they leave the hospital.
• Monthly conferences with specialists in the Southern California region that allow for the review of complex pulmonary hypertension cases, knowledge-sharing and regional care coordination.
• For people with advanced disease, access to top-notch heart, lung and thoracic transplant programs.
• A research program led by doctors investigating potential treatments.

“We are honored for our clinic to have received this designation, the highest recognition available to pulmonary hypertension programs in the United States,” said Dael Geft, MD, assistant professor of Cardiology in the Smidt Heart Institute at Cedars-Sinai. “Ultimately, the greatest reward is helping our patients live longer, healthier and more fulfilling lives.”

Read more on the Cedars-Sinai Newsroom: Unique Cell-Based Approach for Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension Shown to Be Safe

The “Best Place to Work for Disability Inclusion” designation from the 2026 Disability Index recognizes organizations for workplace policies and practices that support disability inclusion, while the “Healthcare Equality Index” label from the Human Rights Campaign Foundation recognizes healthcare organizations that demonstrate a commitment to equitable, inclusive care for LGBTQIA+ patients, visitors and employees.

“These recognitions reflect our commitment to ensuring our people and our communities experience Cedars-Sinai in a way that aligns with our values and our mission,” said Nicole Mitchell, chief diversity, inclusion and wellbeing officer at Cedars-Sinai. “We are proud to once again be recognized but also recognize that this work is never finished.”

The Cedars-Sinai Newsroom spoke with Mitchell about what these recognitions mean and how inclusion continues to shape the organization's culture, workplace and patient care.

What do these recognitions represent for Cedars-Sinai?

These recognitions are meaningful because they reflect years of intentional work and accountability. They are not about receiving an award or checking a box. Instead, they are an external reflection of our commitment to creating an environment where people feel seen, supported and able to thrive.

More importantly, they reinforce our commitment to ensuring our people and our communities experience Cedars-Sinai in a way that aligns with our values and our mission to elevate the health status of the communities we serve. When people experience belonging, trust and inclusion, it strengthens our culture and helps us deliver the exceptional care that is at the heart of our mission.

How do inclusion and accessibility affect Cedars-Sinai's commitment to providing the highest level of patient care?

At Cedars-Sinai, inclusion is not separate from our mission. It is connected to how we care for patients, support our workforce and engage with our communities.

This work is reflected in everything from leadership development and employee education to accessibility initiatives and the everyday interactions people have across our organization. It also includes programs and resources that help our employees build community and help our caregivers provide more inclusive, affirming care. Ultimately, it's about creating environments where people can fully participate and where their lived experiences are valued and respected.

While these recognitions acknowledge important progress, what matters most is the experience people have every day when they walk through our doors—whether as patients, family members, employees, physicians, learners or community members.

What are some examples of how these values are reflected in the experiences of our patients, workforce and community?

For patients and families, inclusive care helps build trust, strengthen communication and create meaningful partnerships in healthcare decisions. When people feel heard, respected and understood, they are more empowered to participate in their care. That commitment is reflected in ongoing efforts to create welcoming, affirming care experiences, provide education that equips caregivers to meet the diverse needs of patients, and foster an environment where every individual feels valued and respected.

For our workforce, belonging means creating a culture where employees can contribute fully, share different perspectives and feel supported in doing their best work. Employee resource groups—including Supporting Purposeful Accessibility, Community and Equity [SPACE] and Pride, Respect, Inclusivity, Solidarity and Meaningful Support [PRISMS]—play an important role in building community, elevating lived experiences and helping us better understand the needs of employees with apparent and non-apparent disabilities, LGBTQIA+ employees, and allies.

We know this work is a team effort. Inclusion cannot live within one office or one department. It must be reflected in our systems, our decisions and our daily practices across the organization.

How does Cedars-Sinai ensure that inclusion remains part of our culture and daily operations?

One of the strengths of our Office of Diversity, Inclusion and Wellbeing is that we approach this work every day through both a strategic and human lens.

The frameworks provided through the Disability Index and Healthcare Equality Index help us measure progress and identify opportunities to continue growing. But lasting change happens when inclusion becomes part of how we lead, collaborate, make decisions and care for one another every day.

We remain focused on strengthening education, creating opportunities for connection and belonging, increasing accessibility, and embedding inclusive practices into how we show up for our patients and one another. Our goal is not simply to achieve or maintain recognition. It is to continue building an environment where people feel they belong because inclusion is part of who we are as an organization.

Read more from Cedars-Sinai Stories and Insights: Residency Programs Move Toward Greater Diversity

In this new senior leadership position, Thadhani will oversee the academic and clinical enterprises at Cedars-Sinai, further unifying the organization's care delivery, research and education missions. He will lead a broad team of leaders, including department chairs, institute directors, executive vice deans, vice deans and chief medical officers.

Thadhani succeeds Shlomo Melmed, MB, ChB, who served as dean of the Medical Faculty and executive vice president of Medicine and Health Sciences for 28 years. Melmed will transition to the role of dean emeritus of the Medical Faculty and executive adviser to Cedars-Sinai President and CEO Peter L. Slavin, MD.

“Dr. Thadhani is the ideal leader to succeed Dr. Melmed,” Slavin said. “His extensive background in organizational leadership, commitment to clinical medicine and academic excellence and robust scientific record position him to advance every dimension of our enterprise.”

Thadhani most recently served as executive vice president of Clinical Affairs and chief medical officer for Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and Cedars-Sinai Health System. In his new role, he will retain oversight of clinical quality and safety, medical affairs, and medical standards of care for the medical center and health system, while assuming additional responsibility for all academic and education programs, including Cedars-Sinai Health Sciences University and the Burns and Allen Research Institute.

Thadhani began his career at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School. He served as vice dean for Research and Education at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center from 2017 to 2019 before returning to Harvard as professor of medicine and serving as chief academic officer and dean for Faculty Affairs at Mass General Brigham and Harvard Medical School.

In 2022, he was named executive vice president for health affairs at Emory University as well as vice chair of the Emory Healthcare Board of Directors and executive director of Emory’s Woodruff Health Sciences Center, which includes Emory’s schools of medicine, public health and nursing.

Thadhani is the author or co-author of more than 300 scientific manuscripts published in leading academic journals, including The New England Journal of Medicine, The Lancet and the Journal of the American Medical Association.

A leading expert in nephrology and preeclampsia, one of the leading causes of maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality, Thadhani played a central role with Cedars-Sinai collaborators in developing the first Food and Drug Administration-approved test to predict the condition.

His research contributions have earned recognition at the highest levels of science and medicine. Earlier this year, he was elected a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), following his election last year to the National Academy of Medicine.

“I am deeply honored to step into this role at such a pivotal moment for Cedars-Sinai,” Thadhani said. “I am grateful to Dr. Melmed for the extraordinary foundation he has built, and I look forward to working closely with our talented leaders and faculty to forge the next chapter of our academic and clinical mission.”

Read more from the Cedars-Sinai Newsroom: Physician-Scientist Ravi Thadhani, MD, MPH, Named AAAS Fellow

Shehata is a cardiac electrophysiologist, a doctor who specializes in diagnosing and treating problems with the heart’s electrical system. He has experience with a broad spectrum of heart rhythm disorders and also cares for people with heart failure and survivors of cardiac arrest.

“Over the past two decades, Dr. Shehata has emerged as a nationally recognized cardiac electrophysiologist and academic leader,” said Susan Cheng, MD, MMSc, MPH, chair of the Department of Cardiology in the Smidt Heart Institute. “His leadership will mean continued progress in this important field.”

As a researcher, Shehata has led groundbreaking clinical trials for new types of pacemakers and other technologies for treating heart rhythm disorders. He also studies ways that AI can be used to personalize care.

Shehata’s most recent research includes a trial of a new treatment for atrial fibrillation, which occurs when the upper chambers of the heart beat out of sync with the lower chambers of the heart. The treatment, pulsed field ablation, targets heart cells involved in an abnormal heart rhythm. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved several pulsed field ablation systems, including one studied by Shehata and other researchers, in 2024.

Shehata and colleagues have also studied leadless pacemakers, miniature devices that attach to the heart muscle and that, unlike traditional pacemakers, don’t require a battery and wires.

As division director, Shehata will oversee a program that provides research-backed care and trains new heart rhythm specialists. The program offers a two-year fellowship to medical school graduates seeking advanced knowledge and skills in electrophysiology.

“Through his leadership of the Interventional Electrophysiology Laboratory and the Clinical Cardiac Electrophysiology Fellowship Program, Dr. Shehata has expanded access to advanced therapies and enhanced the training of future electrophysiologists,” said Eduardo Marbán, MD, PhD, executive director of the Smidt Heart Institute and the Mark S. Siegel Family Foundation Distinguished Professor.

Shehata earned his medical degree from the University of California, San Diego, School of Medicine. He completed internal medicine residency training at UCLA and his cardiology fellowship training at Cedars-Sinai, where he was chief fellow. He also completed advanced fellowship training in cardiac electrophysiology at Cedars-Sinai. He served as faculty at UCLA before being recruited to join the cardiology faculty at Cedars-Sinai, where he is a professor of Cardiology.

U.S. News & World Report rates the Smidt Heart Institute a top 10 cardiovascular center in the U.S. and #1 in California.

Read more from Cedars-Sinai Stories and Insights: New AFib Treatment Helps Dad Regain His Heart Rhythm

An accomplished neurotologist and skull base surgeon, Miller joined Cedars-Sinai in 2021 and serves as director of Neurotology for the Cedars-Sinai Acoustic Neuroma and Lateral Skull Base Surgery Center. Her expertise includes otology, neurotology, cochlear implantation, vestibular schwannoma and acoustic neuroma care, lateral skull base surgery, Ménière’s disease, and hearing restoration.

“My vision is to continue to develop each of our subspecialties to the highest standard of rigorous academics and education paired with clinical excellence,” said Miller, also the inaugural LuEllen Margaret Edwards Chair in Otology and Neurotology. "Every patient who comes to us deserves care from a team that is both deeply trained and fully committed to outstanding outcomes, and every trainee deserves an environment where they can grow into an exceptional clinician."

As an initial priority, Miller has hired Cedars-Sinai’s first otolaryngology PhD researcher to help lead the development of a hearing regeneration lab.

"We are delighted for Dr. Miller to step into the role of division director," said Cristina R. Ferrone, MD, chair of the Department of Surgery at Cedars-Sinai. "Her expertise as a surgeon, dedication to education and clear vision make her an ideal leader for this team. We look forward to the many ways she will strengthen patient care and mentor the physicians of tomorrow."

Miller earned her bachelor’s degree from Harvard University and her medical degree from Harvard Medical School. She completed her surgical internship and residency in head and neck surgery at UCLA, followed by fellowship training in neurotology and skull base surgery at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD). Prior to joining Cedars-Sinai, Miller served as director of the Center for Balance and Falls at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), where she led clinical and research initiatives. She also spent seven years as an associate at the House Ear Clinic.

Miller succeeds Gene Liu, MD, in the role of division director.

“Over the course of his years at Cedars-Sinai, Dr. Liu made outstanding contributions to the Department of Surgery, and we are grateful for his leadership,” Ferrone said. “Through his recruitment of 19 surgeons across the network and the establishment of the ENT residency, he provided a strong foundation of excellence in the academic and clinical footprint of the division for Dr. Miller to build on.”

Read more from the Cedars-Sinai Newsroom—TODAY: Treating Hearing Loss Can Protect Your Brain From Cognitive Decline

“Cedars-Sinai is proud of its rich Jewish heritage and its ongoing collaborations with medical centers in Israel,” said Cedars-Sinai President and CEO Peter L. Slavin, MD. “It is part of our overall commitment to the Jewish value of Tikkun Olam, healing the world through our actions.”

One of Cedars-Sinai’s longest and most productive collaborations has been with Sheba Medical Center outside Tel Aviv. The relationship began as a collaboration aimed at advancing cardiovascular medicine and the field of minimally invasive heart interventions.

Cedars-Sinai is now working with Sheba’s ARC Center for Digital Innovation to advance digital health technologies and AI-driven solutions for healthcare challenges. The two institutions also have established a program to enhance the perioperative care of patients with inflammatory bowel disease through tailored dietary, mental health and physical therapy interventions.

Investigators from the two institutions are studying stem cells at the International Space Station to determine how microgravity affects the biology of cells or may enhance manufacturing of stem cells in space.

Cedars-Sinai staff members are engaged in other projects throughout Israel. Among other efforts, teams are:

• Implementing the Sheba inflammatory bowel disease program at Emek Medical Center in northern Israel and at Assuta Ashdod Medical Center in the southern part of the country.
• Working on joint fellowship training programs in oncology, gynecology and endocrinology with Ichilov Hospital in Tel Aviv, where Cedars-Sinai also is engaged in joint data science and AI research programs as well as educational conferences for regenerative medicine, computational sciences and other specialties.
• Collaborating on several joint projects with scientists at the Weizmann Institute of Science in central Israel, including one that employs CAR T cells to treat solid cancers.
• Teaching, mentoring and performing complex surgeries. Hand surgeon David Kulber, MD, partnered with colleagues at Sheba Medical Center earlier this year to perform surgery on injured soldiers, using biologic joint reconstruction techniques he pioneered at Cedars-Sinai.

“We have a deep bench of projects with our partners in Israel,” said Shlomo Melmed, MB, ChB, executive vice president of Academic Affairs and dean of the Medical Faculty at Cedars-Sinai.

A delegation of Cedars-Sinai physicians and leaders last year visited several peripheral Israeli hospitals in the cities of Ashkelon, Nahariya and Safed. The group discussed opportunities to pursue educational and training collaborations and knowledge exchanges. The visitors also learned about the hospitals’ triage systems for major incidents.

Harry Sax, MD, vice chair of the Jim and Eleanor Randall Department of Surgery and the associate dean of Cedars-Sinai’s International Academic Programs, said the “first-hand experience will help better prepare teams back in Los Angeles for responding to unexpected events."

Read more from Cedars-Sinai Stories and Insights: Cedars-Sinai Pioneers a New Era for AI Education

The deployment of OpenEvidence reflects Cedars-Sinai’s broader strategy to use AI tools and technologies to safely improve care precision and produce better patient outcomes.

Through this partnership, Cedars-Sinai physicians, nurses, pharmacists and therapists can ask clinical questions and retrieve medical literature that is relevant to an individual patient’s health profile. The AI tool can help answer clinical questions by linking the latest scientific findings with a patient’s prior procedures, comorbidities, medications, allergies and other health data recorded over time.

Cedars-Sinai also plans to incorporate its own care pathways, protocols and best practices into the OpenEvidence enterprise platform. This will enable Cedars-Sinai clinicians to view current medical literature alongside Cedars-Sinai-specific guidance for delivering safe, high-quality care.

“Integrating OpenEvidence into our electronic health records allows clinicians to look at the latest medical evidence in the context of a patient’s medical history and individual health data, giving physicians and other healthcare professionals a more complete and actionable understanding at the moment of care,” said Shaun Miller, MD, MBA, chief health informatics officer at Cedars-Sinai.

Patient information from the electronic health record will be used only to support care decisions for individual patients and will not be stored by OpenEvidence or used for any other purpose.

“Medicine is not practiced in the abstract. It is practiced on individual patients with unique histories and complexities,” said Daniel Nadler, CEO and founder of OpenEvidence. “This partnership with Cedars-Sinai establishes a new standard: clinical AI that doesn’t just retrieve information but interprets the world’s medical knowledge in the context of the specific patient. We are building a tool that aligns cutting-edge evidence with real-world care to drive better outcomes.”

OpenEvidence is one example of Cedars-Sinai’s broader AI strategy, which aims to streamline and improve patient care, reduce administrative burden on clinicians and educate the workforce about the evolving uses of these technologies.

For example, Cedars-Sinai is using AI to help nurses and other care team members document patient care in real time, analyze and produce reports from echocardiograms, and predict which of two available chemotherapy options for pancreatic cancer would be more effective for an individual patient.

Miller said it is critical to deploy fair, appropriate, effective and safe tools that provide tangible benefits to the roughly 1 million patients treated at Cedars-Sinai each year.

“We want to create a coherent, secure AI ecosystem rather than isolated pilots, and we approach all AI integration carefully,” Miller said.  

Before any AI system goes live at Cedars-Sinai, it goes through a specially designated committee that reviews tools prior to deployment and audits their impact. The committee includes data scientists, clinical experts, administrative leaders and other specialists specific to the particular area under review.

This oversight process is designed to ensure new tools meet Cedars-Sinai’s guidelines for human oversight and verification of AI-generated output, data privacy, and protection of patient health information and intellectual property.

“We see artificial intelligence as an opportunity to rethink how we deliver care and run our operations,” said Mouneer Odeh, MA, chief data and artificial intelligence officer at Cedars-Sinai. “As technologies like OpenEvidence become part of how we work, our strategy centers on improving workflows while supporting the people who do the work.”

AI, Odeh said, is advancing at an incredible pace.

“We are constantly evaluating new technologies with cautious optimism, so we can safely deliver better experiences for our patients and care teams while providing exceptional care to the communities we serve,” he said.  

Cedars-Sinai Health Sciences University is advancing groundbreaking research and educating future leaders in medicine, biomedical sciences and allied health sciences. Learn more about the university.

Preparation was at the center of the 2026 Emergency Care in Sport (ECS) Conference in Woodland Hills, where nearly 200 sports medicine professionals, athletic trainers and healthcare leaders gathered for a two-day immersive training focused on emergency response.

Hosted by the Los Angeles Rams, the National Football League (NFL), and Cedars-Sinai, the conference combined expert-led instruction with hands-on, scenario-based training designed to prepare clinicians and athletic staff to respond to critical situations on the field.

“Sport is unpredictable, and when emergencies happen, there’s no time to hesitate,” said Casey Batten, MD, co-director of Nonoperative Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine at Cedars-Sinai Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine, head team physician for the Rams, and chief medical officer for the LA28 Olympic and Paralympic Games. “This training is about building muscle memory so that when something goes wrong, teams can respond immediately, confidently and in a coordinated way.”

The conference featured a multidisciplinary lineup of national leaders in sports medicine and emergency care, including Reggie Scott, senior vice president of Sports Medicine and Performance for the Rams; Allen Sills, MD,  chief medical officer for the National Football League; and Ron Courson, associate athletic director for Sports Medicine at the University of Georgia.

Through panel discussions and interactive demonstrations, speakers and session leaders emphasized the importance of Emergency Action Plans, proper medical oversight, access to essential equipment, and involving trained sports medicine experts at all levels of sport—from youth leagues to professional teams.

A highlight of the conference was the presentation of the inaugural Dr. Greg Elkins Memorial High School Team Doctor of the Year Award, recognizing exceptional dedication to the care and safety of student-athletes.

The award honors the legacy of Greg Elkins, MD, a nationally prominent and widely respected sports medicine physician known for his decades of service to high school athletes and his leadership in shaping national sports medicine policy.

Elkins Award recipient Clarence Shields, MD, a Cedars-Sinai orthopedic surgeon, was honored for his pioneering work in expanding access to care for underserved student-athletes in Los Angeles.

A Los Angeles native, Shields graduated from Creighton University School of Medicine, completed his orthopedic surgery residency at Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center, and fulfilled his fellowship training in sports medicine at the then–Kerlan-Jobe Orthopaedic Institute. He later served as president of the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine and as a longtime team physician for the Los Angeles Rams.

In 1994, Shields founded Team HEAL—Helping Enrich Athletes’ Lives—a program that provides athletic training services and healthcare resources to high schools in underserved communities. Today, the program serves more than a dozen schools and 2,800 student-athletes annually and has helped more than 30,000 young athletes since its inception.

“Dr. Shields’ leadership reminds us that sports medicine is about more than treating injuries—it is about protecting futures,” Batten said. “By founding Team HEAL, Dr. Shields expanded access to care for underserved communities and connected local high schools with volunteer physicians who have made a lasting difference in the lives of student-athletes.”

 Read more from Stories and Insights: How to Prevent Sports Injuries in Young Athletes

 

The project, which includes investigators from UCLA, the University of Southern California (USC), and the University of Münster in Germany, is funded by a three-year, $9 million grant from Aligning Science Across Parkinson’s, in partnership with The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research.

In the debilitating neurodegenerative condition, one of the major problems is that brain cells producing dopamine—the chemical in the brain that helps nerves coordinate muscle movement—die more rapidly than normal. As these cells die off, patients experience tremor, stiffness, and movement and balance issues.

“We think that Parkinson’s disease is caused by a combination of genetic traits in the patient and environmental exposures—especially to certain pesticides and air pollution,” said Clive Svendsen, PhD, executive director of the Cedars- Sinai Board of Governors Regenerative Medicine Institute and one of the principal investigators of the study. “It seems the genes load the gun while the environment pulls the trigger. With this grant, we will generate lines of stem cells from people living in a pesticide-treated area in the San Fernando Valley and attempt to figure out why some developed Parkinson’s and some did not.”

Svendsen said that only about 5%-10% of Parkinson’s disease cases are caused by a single genetic mutation, and evidence is building that mutations in many other areas of the genome may also contribute to disease.  

“If you have mutations in an array of different genes, we know that increases your risk for developing Parkinson’s,” Svendsen said. “We are trying to determine which of those genetic vulnerabilities interact with pesticides—and how. If we can figure that out, we can begin to think about new approaches to treatment.”

The team will recruit groups of relatives—some who developed Parkinson’s disease and some who did not. Investigators will reprogram participants’ cells to create induced pluripotent stem cells, which they can then turn into dopamine-producing neurons that replicate the brain cells at risk in Parkinson’s patients. They will then expose those cells to the pesticides or air pollution present where the participants live.

“By investigating how the environment and a person’s unique genetics interact to drive Parkinson’s, this team is uncovering the diverse biological drivers of the disease,” said Sonya Dumanis, PhD, managing director of ASAP. “This is exactly the kind of bold, integrative science the Collaborative Research Network is designed to accelerate. With a better understanding of these disease mechanisms, we can lay the groundwork for new, personalized therapeutics and better outcomes for Parkinson's patients."

 The investigators’ theory is that the dopamine neurons generated from people with Parkinson’s disease will die more quickly after pesticide exposure than the neurons from family members exposed to the same pesticides or air pollution who did not develop the disease.

“If that turns out to be the case, we can compare the genetic makeup of those individuals, and the proteins their genes express, and try to figure out what triggered the development of Parkinson’s disease in some of them but not others,” Svendsen said.

Cedars-Sinai Health Sciences University is advancing groundbreaking research and educating future leaders in medicine, biomedical sciences and allied health sciences. Learn more about the university.

Priselac led Cedars-Sinai for more than 30 years as president and CEO and served in the same role for Cedars-Sinai Health System since its creation in 2017. During his tenure, Cedars-Sinai significantly expanded the scope and quality of its clinical, educational, research and community benefit programs.

Priselac retired in 2024 and transitioned to emeritus status in 2025. Shortly after, Cedars-Sinai established the Thomas M. Priselac Center for Innovation in Performance Improvement and the Thomas M. Priselac Administrative Fellowship to foster the next generation of healthcare leaders.

“I am honored to receive this recognition from the Academy,” Priselac said. “I share this achievement with the entire Cedars-Sinai community, including the Board of Directors, our clinical and management leaders, and the staff who made Cedars-Sinai the organization it has become.”

The Academy, chartered in 1780, was established to recognize accomplished leaders in academia, the arts, industry, journalism, philanthropy, policy, research and science, and to engage them in addressing significant challenges facing the nation.

Under Priselac’s leadership, Cedars-Sinai evolved from a respected regional hospital into one of the nation’s highest-regarded academic health systems, broadening its services to reach more patients locally and internationally.

Priselac also greatly expanded Cedars-Sinai’s focus on medical research and education, leading to the creation of Cedars-Sinai Health Sciences University.

Throughout his tenure as president and CEO, Priselac focused on improving the health of the region’s historically marginalized communities, establishing partnerships with local community organizations to strengthen them and those they serve.

“For more than three decades, Tom dedicated his talent, passion and excellence to Cedars-Sinai, building one of the most dynamic academic medical institutions in the country,” said Peter L. Slavin, MD, president and CEO of Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and Cedars-Sinai Health System. “This noteworthy recognition from the Academy emphasizes his remarkable tenure and fierce dedication to our patients, colleagues, the Los Angeles community and beyond.”

Throughout his career, Priselac has been a leader in healthcare on the local, state and national levels. He is a past chair of the of the Association of American Medical Colleges and served as chair of the American Hospital Association. He is also a past chair of the California Hospital Association and of the Hospital Association of Southern California.

Priselac’s health policy work includes serving on the advisory board of the USC Schaeffer Center for Health Policy and Economics, the RAND Social and Economic Policy advisory board, and the National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine Roundtable on Quality Care for People with Serious Illness.

Priselac’s civic engagements have included serving as a member of the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce board, the Southern California Leadership Council and the Civic Alliance. He has received numerous awards for his leadership in healthcare and his commitment to improving the health of historically marginalized groups, including the American Hospital Association’s Distinguished Service Award, the Charles R. Drew University Board of Trustees Medal of Honor, the National Center for Healthcare Leadership Healthcare Leadership Award and B’nai B’rith International’s National Healthcare Leadership Award.

Priselac holds the Warschaw/Law Endowed Chair in Healthcare Leadership at Cedars-Sinai and is also an adjunct professor at the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health.

Cedars-Sinai Health Sciences University is advancing groundbreaking research and educating future leaders in medicine, biomedical sciences and allied health sciences. Learn more about the university.

The May 3 panel discussion, “Informing Innovation: Emerging Medicine and Jewish Ethics,” begins at 9 a.m. and features experts focusing on the latest advancements in genetic and genomic testing, as well as gerotherapeutics—drugs that target the biological processes of aging.

“What was once considered science fiction is now real, and as scientific and medical innovation accelerate, the question is no longer just what’s possible—but what’s responsible,” said Rabbi Jason Weiner, PhD, senior rabbi and director of the Spiritual Care Department at Cedars-Sinai. “As a faith-based institution, we believe it’s essential to explore the science and its ethical, moral and theological implications. This event creates space for those conversations so people can make more informed decisions about their health.”

Topics Include:

• What research shows about emerging “anti-aging” therapies

• Clinical trials targeting the root causes of aging—and the potential impact on cancer, dementia, heart disease and other conditions

• The difference between evidence-based medicine and widely marketed but unproven products

• What genetic testing can and cannot reveal

“Advancements in genomic technologies have bolstered the promise of solving medical mysteries, predicting future health risks, and advancing personalized medicine,” said Joyce So, MD, PhD, chief genomics officer at Cedars-Sinai and a speaker at the event. “But that promise also raises ethical and theological questions. Asking those questions now helps ensure we use these powerful tools wisely.”

So’s presentation will explore direct-to-consumer genetic testing, genetic discrimination, privacy and confidentiality concerns, predictive testing without clear treatment options, and disparities in access to—and understanding of—genetic information.

James Kirkland, MD, PhD, director of the Center for Advanced Gerotherapeutics at Cedars-Sinai, will address common misconceptions about longevity science, including the gap between promising research and proven therapies. He also will discuss lifestyle interventions being studied now and how emerging gerotherapeutic approaches could reshape clinical care in the next decade.

“If scientists can safely slow the fundamental processes of aging, the impact could extend across many diseases at once,” Kirkland said. “Early clinical trials are already exploring how conditions linked to aging, such as Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia, begin developing long before symptoms appear. If these approaches prove safe, the next step could be preventing disease in people at high risk.”

Kirkland also will share his team’s research into removing damaged “aging” cells or preventing them from releasing harmful substances that contribute to disease and decline later in life.

Other event speakers include Rabbi Elan Segelman, U.S. rabbinic director of PUAH; and internationally known Torah scholar Rav Asher Weiss Shlit”a, who will give the keynote address.

“Informing Innovation: Emerging Medicine and Jewish Ethics” will take place from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Harvey Morse Auditorium, 8701 Gracie Allen Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90048.

Attendees are encouraged to register at csethicssymposium.com.

Media

To arrange an interview, contact Kristin Reynolds at 424-241-8108 or marykristin.reynolds@cshs.org.

In renewing the accreditation, AAALAC International commended Cedars-Sinai on strong institutional support of “an excellent program” and cited several of the program’s qualities:

• A knowledgeable and engaged Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC), which ensures that animal research complies with federal regulations
• Thorough training of Comparative Medicine staff, who are responsible for the care of animals and facilities, and who provide technical support to investigators
• Extremely clean and well-maintained animal facilities
• A strong veterinary care program with an experienced attending veterinarian
• A collegial team approach

“We are honored that AAALAC International continues to recognize Cedars-Sinai’s commitment to maintaining the highest quality in its animal care and use program,” said Jeffrey A. Golden, MD, executive vice dean of Research and Education and director of the Burns and Allen Research Institute at Cedars-Sinai. “This important achievement is made possible by concerted efforts across our institution.”

Participation in accreditation is voluntary. The process included an internal review, followed by an on-site assessment of the animal care and use program by AAALAC evaluators, during which they visited multiple labs and spoke with many lab members about their critical role in animal care at Cedars-Sinai.

“Maintaining this important accreditation requires collaboration among many teams,” said Ajay Sagar, associate director of Animal Research Programs Compliance. “The effort is led by the Department of Comparative Medicine, and also includes the IACUC and the offices of Research Compliance and Integrity, Plant Operations and Research Administration, as well as the Cedars-Sinai research community at large.”

With reaccreditation secured, program leaders continue to plan updates and improvements.

“We are working on new training programs for investigators, a centralized repository for training records, and improvements in managing animal breeding colonies,” said Sandra Duarte Vogel, DVM, executive director and attending veterinarian in the Department of Comparative Medicine at Cedars-Sinai. “We will continue to support our institution’s research efforts by looking to the future.”

Cedars-Sinai Health Sciences University is advancing groundbreaking research and educating future leaders in medicine, biomedical sciences and allied health sciences. Learn more about the university.

The organization, one of the world’s largest general scientific societies and publisher of the Science family of journals, has awarded fellowships since 1874.

The distinguished lifetime honor recognizes Thadhani’s pioneering work in the field of nephrology and in the study of preeclampsia, a leading cause of maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality. He played a leading role in developing the first Food and Drug Administration-approved test to predict preeclampsia.

“Dr. Thadhani is an internationally respected leader in clinical and translational research,” said Peter L. Slavin, MD, president and CEO of Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and Cedars-Sinai Health System. “His visionary work strengthens Cedars-Sinai and extends beyond our healthcare system to the broader medical and research community.”

Thadhani is among nearly 500 scientists, engineers and innovators who have been elected a 2025 Fellow for their scientifically and socially distinguished achievements throughout their careers.

Thadhani joins the ranks of several Cedars-Sinai faculty who have been honored, with the most recent being Shlomo Melmed, MB, ChB, executive vice president of Medicine and Health Sciences and dean of the Medical Faculty at Cedars-Sinai, who was elected in 2025.

“I feel immensely grateful to have a career dedicated to serving patients and science,” Thadhani said. “My work and life have been enriched by the countless mentors, colleagues, trainees and mentees who have collaborated alongside me—people and experiences for which I am deeply thankful.”

Thadhani began his career at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School. He served as vice dean for Research and Education at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center from 2017 to 2019, then returned to Harvard as professor of Medicine and chief academic officer, and dean for Faculty Affairs at Mass General Brigham.

In 2022, Thadhani was named executive vice president for Health Affairs at Emory University, vice chair of the Emory Healthcare Board of Directors and executive director of Emory’s Woodruff Health Sciences Center, which includes Emory’s schools of medicine, public health and nursing.

He returned to Cedars-Sinai in October 2025, rejoining the team involved in this research: Anders Berg, MD, PhD, vice chair of Clinical Pathology; S. Ananth Karumanchi, MD, professor of Medicine and director of the Renovascular Research Center; and Sarah J. Kilpatrick, MD, PhD, chair of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

Shortly after his return to Cedars-Sinai, Thadhani was elected to the National Academy of Medicine, one of the highest honors in the fields of health and medicine.

He has been inducted into several additional honor societies, including the American Society for Clinical Investigation, the Association of American Physicians, the American Epidemiological Society, and the American Clinical and Climatological Association.

Thadhani is the author or co-author of more than 300 scientific manuscripts that have been published in The New England Journal of Medicine, The Lancet, the Journal of the American Medical Association and other top-tier academic journals.

Cedars-Sinai Health Sciences University is advancing groundbreaking research and educating future leaders in medicine, biomedical sciences and allied health sciences. Learn more about the university.

Throughout her career, Cheng has maintained National Institutes of Health funding for research aimed at uncovering the drivers of cardiovascular aging. She has authored more than 450 scientific studies, many appearing in high-impact journals, including JAMA, Circulation and The New England Journal of Medicine.

Cheng identified differences in how males and females develop elevated blood pressure and demonstrated how people vary in their responses to COVID-19 vaccines over time. Her research has garnered multiple awards and contributed to Cedars-Sinai’s reputation as an international leader in biomedical sciences.

“Dr. Cheng is the perfect leader to build and enrich our already flourishing Department of Cardiology,” said Shlomo Melmed, MB, ChB, dean of the Medical Faculty and executive vice president of Medicine and Health Sciences. “We welcome her to this academic leadership role and look forward to the contributions she will make in strengthening the Smidt Heart Institute.”

Cheng, who succeeds Christine M. Albert, MD, MPH, has served on the editorial boards of major professional journals and on leadership committees for the American Society for Clinical Investigation, the American Heart Association and the American College of Cardiology.

She founded the largest COVID-19 clinical research program on the West Coast at the outset of the pandemic in 2020. More recently, she has led research to investigate the public health effects of the 2025 Los Angeles wildfires.

Cheng has mentored dozens of junior faculty members in cardiology, anesthesiology, neurology, obstetrics and oncology, taking special pride in advising early-career investigators as well as high school and college students.

“I look forward to supporting the Smidt Heart Institute’s talented clinicians and researchers as they work to improve the lives of those affected by cardiovascular disease,” Cheng said.  

Cheng received her bachelor’s degree from Harvard College and her medical degree from McMaster University in Canada, as well as a master of medical science degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a master of public health degree from Harvard University. She completed her internal medicine training at Johns Hopkins University and cardiology training at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, where she served as associate director of the Cardiovascular Imaging Core Laboratory.

In her new role, Cheng will lead strategic clinical, research and educational growth for the Department of Cardiology. As the new department chair, she will hold the Stephen R. Corday, MD, Distinguished Chair in Cardiology.

“Dr. Cheng has strengthened our institution and made many meaningful contributions through her research laboratory since joining Cedars-Sinai seven years ago,” said Eduardo Marbán, MD, PhD, executive director of the Smidt Heart Institute and the Mark Siegel Family Foundation Distinguished Chair. “We are excited for her to continue developing our world-class cardiology department.”

Read more from the Cedars-Sinai Newsroom: Cedars-Sinai Reports Heart Attacks, General Illness Spiked After LA Fires

In this role, Kruse will lead the medical infrastructure supporting Paralympic athletes in Milan—whose medical needs are often complex due to underlying health conditions—along with their coaches and staff.

The Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games will take place from March 6 to March 15, 2026. 

“Dr. Kruse’s deep understanding of elite sport and athlete-centered care makes him uniquely qualified to lead medical operations for Team USA’s Milan Village Sports Medicine Clinic at the Paralympic Games,” said Jonathan Finnoff, chief medical officer of the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee. “His experience supporting athletes with complex medical needs, combined with his leadership across multiple Olympic and Paralympic Games, will be invaluable in delivering world-class care.”

Kruse’s appointment reflects his two decades of experience caring for elite athletes and his deep roots in the Olympic and Paralympic Movement. A former competitive gymnast, Kruse competed on the U.S. Senior National Team for four years. He served as a team physician for USA Gymnastics from 2008 to 2024. He served as part of the Olympic Games medical staff in Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020. In 2020, he became USA Gymnastics’ medical director, overseeing athlete care through the Olympic and Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024.

At Cedars-Sinai, Kruse practices primary care sports medicine and non-operative orthopaedics, with clinical expertise in musculoskeletal injuries, sports concussion, ultrasound-guided procedures and the medical needs of athletes. He also brings specialized insight into treating gymnasts and dancers—experience informed by his collegiate athletic career as a six-time All-American, NCAA Team Champion and captain of the gymnastics team at the University of California, Berkeley.

Much of Kruse’s current work also focuses on preparations for the LA28 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Alongside Casey Batten, MD, chief medical officer for LA28, Kruse serves as Senior Medical Advisor, helping the LA28 Organizing Committee plan medical services for athletes, staff, officials and spectators.

“Dr. Kruse brings an exceptional combination of clinical skill, firsthand athletic experience and medical leadership within the Olympic and Paralympic Movement,” Batten said. “His expertise will be essential in supporting Team USA at Milano Cortina 2026 and as we continue to build a world-class medical system for the LA28 Games.”

Kruse also is a member of the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Medical Network, through which Cedars-Sinai provides care for Team USA athletes as they prepare for national and international competitions leading to the LA28 Games.

Kruse is available to speak to media about:

• Medical planning and operations for Team USA at the Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games
• Olympic & Paralympic athlete health, safety and performance
• Common injuries and medical challenges in Paralympic and adaptive sports
• Differences in care for Paralympic versus Olympic athletes
• Paralympic and adaptive sports medicine and emerging care models

To arrange interviews, contact Melissa Vizcarra at 719-502-5001 or melissa.vizcarra@cshs.org.

“I am honored to join Regional Policy Board 9 during such an important era for healthcare,” Croft said. “As technology and AI continue to evolve and transform healthcare, I hope to work with my Regional Policy Board colleagues to utilize these tools to further strengthen hospitals, while remaining focused on our highest priority—exceptional patient care.”

The AHA is a national nonprofit organization that represents and supports hospitals, health systems and their patients. Its regional policy boards facilitate dialogue among the AHA, its members and state hospital associations, helping to shape key advocacy efforts and policy recommendations. 

Regional Policy Board 9 consists of healthcare leaders from AHA member hospitals and health systems across California, Alaska, Hawaii, Nevada, Oregon and Washington. The board meets three times annually and collaborates throughout the year to address pressing healthcare challenges. Croft’s appointment, which began on Jan. 1, is effective through Dec. 31, 2028.

“Bryan Croft will make a great addition to AHA’s Regional Policy Board 9 in its work to support innovative and effective policy solutions for the many challenges hospitals face today,” said Carmela Coyle, president & CEO of the California Hospital Association. “Bryan brings years of hospital experience and a willingness to ask the tough questions that drive conversations forward.”

Said Sean Barry, AHA regional executive for Region 9, “Bryan brings deep experience navigating California’s complex healthcare policy environment through his leadership at Cedars-Sinai. He offers keen insights and asks questions others don’t always think to ask. His perspective will be an important asset as we advocate for hospitals and health systems across the region.”

As executive vice president and chief operating officer of Hospital Operations, Croft leads the day-to-day operations of Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, overseeing service line and clinical support services with the goal of ensuring the delivery of high-quality, effective and efficient patient care. He also serves as CEO of Cedars-Sinai Marina del Rey Hospital.

“Croft’s drive for healthcare innovation will be very helpful to the deliberations of the board,” said Peter L. Slavin, Cedars-Sinai’s president and CEO. 

“Croft’s participation on the Regional Policy Board reflects both his expertise and Cedars-Sinai’s leadership as the Regional Emerging Special Pathogen Treatment Center for Region 9,” Slavin said. “Bryan’s experience leading continuous improvement initiatives ensures our region is represented by an individual with the expertise and commitment needed to advance healthcare preparedness.”

Croft joined Cedars-Sinai in 2010 as vice president of Operations and was promoted to senior vice president of Operations in 2017. He has been instrumental in advancing Cedars-Sinai’s operations and developing clinical programs and services, working collaboratively with department chairs, senior management and medical staff.

His leadership accomplishments include operational and strategic oversight of the Smidt Heart Institute at Cedars-Sinai and the Cedars-Sinai Marina del Rey Hospital replacement facility, and expansion and establishment of new clinical programs.

Croft earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Texas Tech University and a master’s degree in healthcare administration from Trinity University.

Read more on Cedars-Sinai Stories & Insights: Investments in Emergency Care

Melmed has decided to transition to the role of dean emeritus of the Medical Faculty and executive adviser to the president and CEO at the end of 2026, or after a new dean is recruited. He will continue to serve as a distinguished professor of Medicine, conduct research and maintain his clinical practice as co-director of the Cedars-Sinai Pituitary Center. He also will continue to hold the Helene and Philip Hixon Distinguished Chair in Investigative Medicine.

“Cedars-Sinai has emerged as an international leader in medical innovation and translational scientific discovery under Dr. Melmed’s leadership,” said Peter L. Slavin, MD, president and CEO of Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and Cedars-Sinai Health System. “His trailblazing contributions have helped turn Cedars-Sinai into a major force in academic medicine.”

Since being named dean in 1998, Melmed has steadily grown the size of Cedars-Sinai’s faculty—expanding it from about 100 to more than 900 currently. During this nearly three-decade period, he raised annual research expenditures from about $30 million to $580 million. Cedars-Sinai now ranks among the top 10 non-university hospitals nationwide receiving research funding from the National Institutes of Health. At the same time, research space at Cedars-Sinai has grown from 90,000 square feet to 670,000 square feet. A new research building under construction on the Cedars-Sinai campus will add to this extraordinary growth.

Melmed has fostered major advances in interdisciplinary research, expanded clinical programs by creating new departments and institutes and strengthened graduate medical and research education. He established Cedars-Sinai Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences and more recently, Cedars-Sinai Health Sciences University.

“We are a stronger and more focused organization because of Dr. Melmed’s influence,” Slavin said.

Melmed is an internationally recognized physician-scientist whose research has transformed the understanding of pituitary biology and endocrine disease. His laboratory has been consistently funded by NIH since 1980. He has published and lectured on pituitary disease internationally and led the top professional societies in his field while mentoring dozens of trainees now holding prominent positions of their own.

He is a Fellow of the American Association for Advancement of Science, Master of the American College of Physicians and recipient of prestigious national and international endocrinology awards. He edits the major endocrinology textbooks and was editor-in-chief of the widely respected Endocrinology and Pituitary journals.

Melmed also is an elected member of the Association of American Physicians and American Society for Clinical Investigation. He served on the Endocrine Society Council, as president of the International Society of Endocrinology and as president and a founding member of the Pituitary Society. Additionally, he is a member of the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine’s Independent Citizens’ Oversight Committee.

He said he looks forward to transitioning into his new role assisting Slavin and Cedars-Sinai leadership.

“Serving Cedars-Sinai and our community have been the highlight of my career in academic medicine,” he said. “I am truly honored and excited to open the next chapter.”

Read More From Cedars-Sinai Newsroom: Cedars-Sinai’s Shlomo Melmed, MB, ChB, Elected AAAS Fellow

These outcomes place the medical center at the top of rankings recently released by the Center for International Bone and Marrow Transplant Research (CIBMTR). Cedars-Sinai is one of just seven adult transplant centers out of 176 in the U.S. where patient survival after transplant is significantly better than predicted.

“We have a carefully chosen approach to pretransplant conditioning and graft-versus-host disease prevention for our patients, which plays a vital role in our strong survival outcomes,” said John Chute, MD, director of the Division of Hematology and Cellular Therapy at Cedars-Sinai Cancer. “We also have a dedicated system for keeping patients in touch with their care team, which helps identify problems before they become serious.”  

The greatest risk to stem cell transplant patients is during the first 100 days after transplant, said Ronald Paquette, MD, clinical director of the Stem Cell and Bone Marrow Transplant Program at Cedars-Sinai Cancer.  

“We have modified our pretransplant regimens and post-transplant care to minimize toxicity to the patients and give them the best chance for a successful recovery,” Paquette said. “We also are careful to select stem cell donors who can provide the best-quality stem cell and immune cell recovery.”

An allogeneic transplant uses stem cells from a donor, rather than the patient’s own cells, and Paquette said the approaches to these transplants are specific to each institution.

Along with a uniform approach to pretransplant therapy, Chute and Paquette attributed Cedars-Sinai’s top ranking to the frequent use of younger half-matched donors—often a child or grandchild of the patient—to get patients to transplant more quickly.

“In addition to that, there is no replacement for the people who take care of the patients, from the transplant coordinators to the physicians, nurses and advanced practice providers,” Chute said. “The dedication of our team provides that crucial element that yields the best possible results for our patients.”

Chute and Paquette are currently exploring stem cell transplant for patients who would once have been thought “too old” for the procedure.

“Age 75 used to be the upper limit, but that was arbitrary,” Paquette said. “We have transplanted several patients over age 75 and all are doing well so far. We are hoping to learn more about the biology of transplant via these patients, to learn about the pluses and minuses of doing transplants in patients this age. We want to learn not only how to extend their survival but also how to maximize their quality of life.”

Cedars-Sinai Health Sciences University is advancing groundbreaking research and educating future leaders in medicine, biomedical sciences and allied health sciences. Learn more about the university.

“Dr. Corman exemplifies the values and vision of Huntington Health and Cedars-Sinai Health System,” said Peter L. Slavin, MD, president and CEO of Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and Cedars-Sinai Health System. “His commitment to clinical excellence, innovation and patient-centered care will strengthen Huntington’s role as a trusted partner in advancing the health of the communities we serve.” 

Dr. Corman brings exceptional leadership experience and a deep dedication to healthcare quality, innovation and patient-centered care. Since joining Huntington in May 2023 as chief clinical officer, and serving as interim president for several months, he has connected with physicians, clinical teams and stakeholders to align practices that promote quality outcomes and patient experiences. 

“Dr. Corman has earned the trust and respect of our medical staff through his thoughtful, collaborative approach and consistent focus on patient care,” said Wafaa Alrashid, MD, chief of staff at Huntington Hospital. “His leadership reflects a deep understanding of both clinical practice and the patient experience, and we are confident in his ability to guide Huntington forward.” 

With more than two decades of clinical and executive leadership—including roles as chief clinical officer and medical director at Virginia Mason Franciscan Health—Dr. Corman is recognized for his strategic insight, collaborative leadership style and unwavering commitment to excellence. A board-certified urologist, he has performed more than 2,000 minimally invasive surgeries, published in leading journals such as the New England Journal of Medicine and served as a clinical professor for more than 20 years. 

“Dr. Corman’s proven track record in clinical excellence and strategic leadership makes him the ideal choice to lead Huntington Health,” said Paul Johnson, chair of the Huntington Health board of directors. “On behalf of our entire board of directors, we are thrilled to welcome him to this post.” 

As president, Dr. Corman will focus on quality care, patient experience and strengthening Huntington’s role as a trusted local institution within Cedars-Sinai Health System. His leadership will guide Huntington into its next chapter of innovation and community partnership. 

Read more on the Cedars-Sinai Newsroom: After the Wildfires—Huntington Health Expands Lung Care

A follow-up to a successful inaugural event in 2024, the symposium sought to advance the practical deployment of artificial intelligence in healthcare. Attendees from more than 40 institutions explored how to implement AI within clinical settings during the Dec. 12-13 event while addressing critical regulatory and ethical considerations.

“The event was designed to offer a road map to help health systems innovate, implement and integrate AI technologies to improve patient outcomes,” said Sumeet Chugh, MD, vice dean and chief artificial intelligence health research officer at Cedars-Sinai and co-chair of the symposium. “By convening experts from around the world, we created opportunities to exchange ideas, tackle challenges and accelerate the safe and effective use of AI in healthcare.”

The partnership between co-hosts Cedars-Sinai and UHN emphasizes the importance of global collaboration in a rapidly changing technological landscape.

“UHN is proud to partner with Cedars-Sinai and co-host this collaborative international symposium dedicated to advancing artificial intelligence in medicine,” said Barry Rubin, PhD, program medical director of UHN’s Peter Munk Cardiac Centre and symposium co-chair. “Our goal at UHN is to integrate AI and digital tools to improve patient outcomes and enhance the precision, speed and personalization of treatment.”

During a fireside chat, Peter L. Slavin, MD, president and CEO of Cedars-Sinai Health System, and Kevin Smith, PhD, president and CEO of UHN, discussed the need to maintain strong organizational culture while leveraging AI to enhance care delivery.

“In a time when forces are pulling countries and people apart, partnerships like these are essential,” Slavin said.  “AI should not only improve efficiencies but also ensure equity in care and democratize access to information for patients.”

Smith also emphasized his hope for AI to transform care delivery without jeopardizing culture.

“Culture is our bedrock,” Smith said. “We strive to integrate AI into our workflows to improve lives, outcomes and efficiencies—without changing the culture of our unique medical center.”

The event featured panel discussions and debates on pressing topics that included data privacy, the need to train future clinicians on AI documentation tools, and the challenges of data usage and commercialization.

“Provocative topics and debates were purposeful,” Chugh said. “To answer tough questions, we first have to stimulate the conversations that will address these challenges.”

Cedars-Sinai and UHN have committed to reconvening for the third annual symposium in December 2026, continuing their shared mission to lead the global conversation on responsible AI integration in medicine.

Read More From the Cedars-Sinai Newsroom: Cedars-Sinai Strengthens AI Foundation, Accelerates Momentum

As a highlight of the symposium, Armando E. Giuliano, MD, division director of Breast Surgical Oncology in the Jim and Eleanor Randall Department of Surgery at Cedars-Sinai, will receive the William L. McGuire Memorial Lecture Award in recognition of his significant contributions to the field of breast cancer research.

“It is a great honor to receive the 2025 McGuire Award,” Giuliano said. “We’ve made tremendous progress in the surgical treatment of this disease, and I am especially grateful to the brave patients who participated in the trials that helped us develop new standards of care and improve the lives of patients with early metastatic breast cancer.”

Giuliano was instrumental in refining sentinel lymph node biopsy for breast cancer in the early 1990s, sparing many women from more invasive breast cancer surgery. This technique identifies and removes only the first lymph node where cancer is most likely to spread to determine whether removing additional nodes is medically necessary.

Through two large multicenter trials, ACOSOG Z0010 and ACOSOG Z0011, Giuliano and team validated the technique that led to establishing the less-invasive sentinel lymph node biopsy as the standard of care, as opposed to axillary lymph node dissection, which removed most or all nodes and is associated with increased surgical complications. The findings from these trials transformed surgical management of breast cancer.

“The pioneering contributions Dr. Giuliano has made to breast oncology have not only changed the field, but they have directly and positively impacted the lives of millions of women worldwide,” said Cristina Ferrone, MD, chair of the Department of Surgery at Cedars-Sinai. “It is a privilege to work alongside Dr. Giuliano, and I wholeheartedly congratulate him on this well-deserved honor.”

Giuliano, the Linda and Jim Lippman Chair in Surgical Oncology, associate director of the Samuel Oschin Comprehensive Cancer Institute and co-director of the Saul and Joyce Brandman Breast Center—A Project of Women’s Guild, will present his award lecture on Wednesday, Dec. 10, at 9 a.m. CT.

Additional Cedars-Sinai experts attending the meeting:

Yuan Yuan, MD, PhD, director of Breast Oncology and medical director of Breast Cancer Research, will present data on how patient-derived organoids—tiny groups of cells—can guide therapy in patients with metastatic breast cancer. She also will present research on AI-driven H&E slides predicting triple-negative breast cancer patients’ response to therapy, as well as data from an ongoing clinical trial of a novel PD1-VEGF bispecific antibody for early-stage triple-negative breast cancer.

Stephen Shiao, MD, PhD, professor of Radiation Oncology and radiation oncology director of the Breast Oncology Disease Research Group, will participate in a plenary talk regarding a randomized trial of no-, low- or high-dose preoperative radiation with pembrolizumab and chemotherapy in node-positive, HER2-negative breast cancer. He can also discuss the potential of GLP-1 receptor agonists in combination with radiotherapy to improve overall survival in triple-negative breast cancer. Luxi Chen, MD, who will present a poster detailing this research at the conference, is a recipient of a San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium Young Investigator Award.

Scheduling interviews:

To schedule an interview with a Cedars-Sinai expert, please contact:

Jillian Scholten | 949-244-2561 | jillian.scholten@cshs.org

Read more in Cedars-Sinai Discoveries: Abreast of Trends in Cancer

Eduardo Marbán, MD, PhD, executive director of the Smidt Heart Institute at Cedars-Sinai, will give the George E. Brown Memorial Lecture at the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions 2025 in November in New Orleans. The Association created this lecture in 1935 to honor the memory of clinician and researcher George E. Brown, MD, and every year selects a distinguished scientist to share advances in cardiovascular science. Marbán will present “Discovery Arc From Cell Therapy to Novel Noncoding RNA Drugs.” Marbán’s laboratory was the first to isolate and culture human heart cells capable of repairing damaged tissue.

Also at Scientific Sessions, Jennifer Van Eyk, PhD, director of Basic Science Research in the Barbra Streisand Women’s Heart Center, will be honored with the 2025 Council on Basic Cardiovascular Sciences Distinguished Achievement Award.

Van Eyk, the Erika J. Glazer Chair in Women’s Heart Health, is an international expert in clinical proteomics, the study of proteins in the body and how diseases affect those proteins. Her work has shown that proteins surpass genes as a source of real-time insights on what’s happening—and what is going to happen—inside the body. Much of her research focuses on how heart disease affects men and women differently at the molecular level.

“It is a privilege to see Dr. Van Eyk honored by the Association for nearly three decades of work in cardiovascular research,” said Marbán, the Mark Siegel Family Foundation Distinguished Chair. “This recognition reflects her profound impact on science and patient care, and we commend her for her commitment to excellence as she continues to pioneer earlier detection for conditions such as cardiovascular disease.”

Among Van Eyk’s most recent efforts is the development of remote blood sampling, which allows people to mail in samples for analysis and leads to faster, more personalized health assessments.

“This award highlights the incredible progress we’ve made in using proteomics to understand heart disease,” said Van Eyk, director of the Advanced Clinical Biosystems Research Institute and professor of Cardiology, Biomedical Sciences and Pathology and Laboratory Medicine. “By studying proteins, we’re moving closer to detecting conditions like heart failure before symptoms appear. Our goal is to make early diagnosis as simple as mailing in a blood sample.”

Ananth Karumanchi, MD, professor of Medicine and director of the Renovascular Research Center, is the recipient of the Association’s 2025 Excellence Award for Hypertension Research—one of the highest honors in the field. Karumanchi, the Medallion Chair in Vascular Biology, received the Excellence Award for Hypertension Research at the American Heart Association Hypertension Scientific Sessions in September in Baltimore. The award honors scientists whose work has significantly advanced understanding and treatment of high blood pressure and related conditions.

Karumanchi’s work focuses on hypertension during pregnancy. His particular focus is preeclampsia, a serious blood pressure condition that can be fatal and increases a woman’s risk of heart disease, heart failure and stroke later in life. He is currently leading an international team studying how the placenta impacts heart health in mothers and infants. The project builds on Karumanchi’s earlier work, which pinpointed a protein in the blood that could help doctors detect preeclampsia earlier.

“I’m honored to have received this award from the American Heart Association,” Karumanchi said. “It underscores the dedication of our team as we work to better understand and treat hypertension and preeclampsia and improve cardiovascular health for mothers and babies.”

Jiun-Ruey Hu, MD, MPH, a fellow in interventional and structural cardiology in the Department of Cardiology, has also been selected as an Association award recipient. He will be recognized at this year’s Scientific Sessions as the winner of the 2025 Kidney in Cardiovascular Disease Educational Tools Contest.

Hu mentored a medical student (Sara Pollanen) in creating a digital tool to help clinicians treat patients with cardiorenal syndrome, a complex condition involving the heart and kidneys. Hu previously won the award from the Association in 2022 while completing his first fellowship at the Yale School of Medicine.

“The Cedars-Sinai Health Sciences University congratulates our faculty members on their well-deserved recognition from the American Heart Association,” said Shlomo Melmed, MB, ChB, executive vice president of Medicine and Health Sciences and dean of the Medical Faculty. “Their prestigious honor awards and novel discovery presentations reflect the finest in cardiovascular science and clinical care.” 

The 2025 Scientific Sessions meeting is chaired by Joanna Chikwe, MD, the Irina and George Schaeffer Distinguished Chair in Cardiac Surgery in the Smidt Heart Institute.

Cedars-Sinai Health Sciences University is advancing groundbreaking research and educating future leaders in medicine, biomedical sciences and allied health sciences. Learn more about the university.

“Cedars-Sinai Cancer is uniquely placed to offer expert specialty care to patients of all ages with these complex cancers,” said Leo Mascarenhas, MD, director of the Adult and Pediatric Sarcoma Program and the Division of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology at Cedars-Sinai Cancer. “We are one of just three centers in California providing both pediatric and adult sarcoma care.”

As associate director of the Sarcoma Program, Hu provides care for patients at Cedars-Sinai and its affiliate, Huntington Cancer Center, and leads research and teaching initiatives.

“Sarcoma is relatively rare and can come in many forms,” Hu said. “A general oncologist might see only a handful of cases over a decades-long career. As a sarcoma specialist, it is so satisfying to work with these patients and to have the experience and expertise to deliver the care they need. They are so grateful that someone understands what they are dealing with.”

Hu earned his medical degree at Uniformed Services University. He completed his residency training in internal medicine at William Beaumont Army Medical Center in El Paso, Texas, and his fellowship in hematology and oncology at Madigan Army Medical Center in Tacoma, Washington. He also served as military commander of the 325th Combat Support Hospital in Independence, Missouri.

“As an oncologist in the military, you basically see everything,” Hu said. “You see a lot of young patients, and sarcoma is more prevalent in the young population, so we saw a fair amount of sarcoma. After success in building sarcoma programs at other institutions, I was excited for the opportunity to help expand the program at Cedars-Sinai.”

In addition to Hu and Mascarenhas, a leading pediatric hematologist-oncologist and sarcoma expert, the program includes Joseph Schwab, MD, director of Spine Oncology in the Department of Orthopaedics and a specialist in managing sarcomas of the spine. The growing program also includes Earl Brien, MD, surgical director of the Sarcoma Bone Tumor Program.

The program offers multidisciplinary care with the latest diagnostic techniques, including liquid biopsy and the identification of genetic and molecular abnormalities in tumor tissues that can help guide treatment decisions.

“Sarcomas have interesting genetics and our cancer predisposition program is investigating those that might have inherited risk,” Mascarenhas said. “We have expertise in genetic testing and counseling, and also are investigating factors that contribute to risk of developing sarcoma in childhood through adolescence, young adulthood and adulthood.”

Cedars-Sinai sarcoma patients also have access to a variety of clinical trials, including cooperative national studies and investigator-initiated trials unique to Cedars-Sinai, Mascarenhas said.

“The growth of our Sarcoma Program, and the growth of Cedars-Sinai Cancer as a whole, reflects our institution’s commitment to caring for the patients in our community and beyond,” said Robert Figlin, MD, interim director of Cedars-Sinai Cancer. “As patients’ need for care expands, so will the care that we offer.”

Cedars-Sinai Health Sciences University is advancing groundbreaking research and educating future leaders in medicine, biomedical sciences and allied health sciences. Learn more about the university.

The Disability Index, a collaboration between the American Association of People with Disabilities and Disability:IN, rates organizations on their disability inclusion policies and practices.

“Disability inclusion is a vital part of our strategy to drive innovation and create a workplace where everyone can thrive,” said Nicole Mitchell, chief diversity, inclusion and wellbeing officer at Cedars-Sinai. “Earning this recognition reflects our ongoing commitment to ensuring people with both apparent and non-apparent disabilities feel supported and valued and empowered to contribute their best.”

The benchmarking tool is used by hundreds of companies worldwide to measure progress across six categories: culture and leadership, enterprise-wide access, employment practices, community engagement, supplier inclusion, and responsible procurement.

Cedars-Sinai continues to strengthen its disability inclusion through employee-driven initiatives such as the Supporting Purposeful Accessibility, Community, and Equity (SPACE) employee resource group. SPACE is a supportive community for employees with disabilities and their allies, fostering dialogue, advocacy and awareness.

In observance of National Disability Employment Awareness Month, the SPACE group hosted an interactive workshop on setting healthy boundaries to support wellbeing, productivity and respect in the workplace. Cedars-Sinai is also celebrating the contributions of employees with disabilities and promoting opportunities to learn more about fostering inclusive workplaces through in-person and virtual events.

Read more in Discoveries Magazine: New Fellowship Is Rooted in Mission

Ruppin comes to Cedars-Sinai from the National Cancer Institute, where he was founding chief of the Cancer Data Science Lab.

“We are delighted to welcome Dr. Ruppin to Cedars-Sinai as a prestigious senior scientist enriching our cancer discovery programs,” said Shlomo Melmed, MB, ChB, executive vice president of Medicine and Health Sciences and dean of the Medical Faculty. “We continue to recruit the highest-quality faculty dedicated to translational research and advancing leading-edge cancer diagnosis and care.”

The Translational Research Institute will support Ruppin’s endeavors and offer what Ruppin calls a “golden opportunity” to work with the diverse patient populations served by Cedars-Sinai Cancer. His goal is to test, in clinical trials, the methods he has been developing.

“The Translational Research Institute is committed to establishing Cedars-Sinai as a global leader in translating scientific discoveries into life-changing patient care, and Dr. Ruppin’s work dovetails perfectly with this mission,” said Ze’ev Ronai, PhD, professor of Surgery and Biomedical Sciences and director of the institute.

Ruppin is developing artificial intelligence-based approaches to match patients to the best treatments in a personalized manner, which may complement existing approaches that identify molecular alterations in tumor cells. Currently, many cancer patients do not have their tumors sequenced in-depth because the process is expensive, available only at major academic medical centers and takes several weeks—which can cause treatment delays.

Ruppin’s approach, which will complement traditional laboratory techniques, uses digital images of tumor histopathology slides, thin slices of tumor tissue routinely obtained from patient samples so they can be examined beneath a microscope.

“We have discovered that by applying AI prediction tools to these slides, which have been the backbone of cancer diagnosis for 100 years, we can infer key parts of the molecular information that could be yielded by traditional sequencing—but without the associated time or expense,” Ruppin said.

Ruppin’s lab has successfully validated this approach in breast cancer, comparing molecular data from patients whose tumors have been sequenced in the traditional way with the tumor data inferred by his computational tools, and is now studying its application in other cancer types.

“Collaboration and translational science are central to improving patient outcomes,” said Cristina R. Ferrone, MD, chair of the Jim and Eleanor Randall Department of Surgery. “We must attack cancer in a multidimensional way and Dr. Ruppin’s expertise in deep-learning approaches adds another dimension to our arsenal.”

Ruppin earned his medical degree and a PhD in computer science from Tel Aviv University, where he served as a professor of Computer Science and Medicine. He has also served as a professor of Computer Science and director of the Center for Bioinformatics and Computational Biology at the University of Maryland, before moving to the National Institutes of Health.

A fellow of the International Society for Computational Biology, he received an NCI Director’s Award for his work on precision oncology in 2022, the DeLano Award for Computational Biosciences from the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology in 2023, and an NIH Director’s Award for developing new computational paradigms for precision oncology in 2024.

“Cedars-Sinai Cancer has a longstanding commitment to bringing precision oncology to as many patients as possible—here and around the world,” said Robert Figlin, MD, interim chair of Cedars-Sinai Cancer. “We’re proud to have Dr. Ruppin join us and to support his work.”

Cedars-Sinai Health Sciences University is advancing groundbreaking research and educating future leaders in medicine, biomedical sciences and allied health sciences. Learn more about the university.

“This is a major breakthrough for patient safety in California,” said Rita Shane, PharmD, Cedars-Sinai vice president and chief pharmacy officer. Shane helped craft the new law’s language regarding medication reviews when high-risk patients are discharged from a hospital.  

Shane said it is essential to review the discharge medication list to make sure that the medications patients take home are correct since the medications they were on prior to hospitalization may need to be changed or discontinued if new treatments have been added.

The new law closes a gap in patient safety and will lead to pharmacist-led medication reviews for high-risk hospital patients when they are discharged. Studies of the medication review practice at discharge—already implemented at Cedars-Sinai for years—demonstrate dramatically lower errors, by as much as 60%.

A Personal Experience With Medication Error

The issue of patient safety has always been a priority for Shane, but it became personal in 1998 when her father was admitted to a hospital for cancer that had metastasized to his brain.

As his condition worsened, Shane’s father was transferred from one hospital to another. In this transition of care, the new hospital did not review his medication list, leading to the abrupt discontinuation of a medication, which triggered an extreme side effect.

“I saw firsthand the negative impact medication reconciliation errors could have on patient care,” Shane said. “From then on, I made it my mission to prevent this from happening to other families.”

Advocacy in Action

In 2018, 20 years after her father’s passing, Shane helped draft and pass a state bill that requires pharmacy staff to review medication profiles for high-risk patients upon admission at acute-care hospitals with more than 100 beds.

The new legislation focusing on medication reviews when patients are discharged serves as a bookend to her original advocacy work.

When combined, the two laws are expected to better protect patients and minimize the risk of medication errors, which present a growing risk due to what Shane calls the “poly problem.” The term refers to the increasing number of patients who have multiple chronic diseases and who often need treatment by multiple physicians and are prescribed multiple drug therapies. 

“These errors are not intentional,” Shane said. “But there are so many moving parts, the errors can, unfortunately, be introduced, which threatens patient safety and can lead to what should be avoidable hospital readmissions.”

Shane said she is already receiving inquiries about the legislation from hospital pharmacists at healthcare centers outside California who want similar measures adopted in their home states. She hopes to someday see these policies enacted nationwide.

Read more from Cedars-Sinai Magazine: How to Manage Multiple Prescriptions

“We continue to expand the number of clinicians, surgeons and physician-scientists coming together to address the most challenging heart conditions,” said Eduardo Marbán, MD, PhD, executive director of the Smidt Heart Institute. “As our program grows, we remain committed to delivering care guided by extensive research.”

Fetal Cardiology

Mark Sklansky, MD, is a leader in fetal echocardiography, the detailed evaluation of the heart prior to delivery. He is medical director of Pediatric and Fetal Cardiology Outreach in the Smidt Heart Institute and Guerin Children's, where he uses ultrasound to identify heart conditions before birth and brings his expertise to the broader community.

Prenatal detection of heart problems allows fetal cardiologists, in partnership with obstetricians, maternal-fetal medicine specialists and neonatologists, to create a treatment plan for when the baby is born. In some cases, pediatric cardiac interventionalists, working with maternal-fetal medicine specialists, can perform a minimally invasive procedure to correct the heart defect before birth. In other cases, newborns can undergo lifesaving surgery or catheter-based therapies within hours after delivery.

Prior to joining Cedars-Sinai, Sklansky founded the Children’s Heart Center at UCLA where he was also chief of Pediatric Cardiology. He has authored or co-authored more than 100 scientific papers, including the American Heart Association’s scientific statement on the diagnosis and treatment of fetal cardiac disease.

Cardiac Surgery

Laura DiChiacchio, MD, PhD, is director of Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation, a form of life support that temporarily does the work of a person’s heart or lungs.

DiChiacchio also directs the Ex Situ Perfusion Program. Under DiChiacchio’s leadership, the team uses specialized machines to keep donor organs alive outside of the body and to improve the function of thoracic organs following transplantation. The team also conducts translational research on thoracic organ recovery and reconditioning. 

DiChiacchio is a cardiac surgeon who focuses on adult heart and lung transplantation. DiChiacchio completed a fellowship in thoracic transplantation and mechanical circulatory support in the Smidt Heart Institute Department of Cardiac Surgery and a fellowship in cardiothoracic surgery at the University of Utah.

Organ Preservation

As director of Heart and Lung Protection and Management, Yoshikazu Suzuki, MD, procures donor organs for patients awaiting transplant, ensuring safety and reliability through each step. He uses the latest technologies to ensure organs are well-preserved, and he is tasked with creating an accessible database of donor hearts and lungs.

Previously, Suzuki was clinical associate professor in the Division of Cardiovascular Surgery at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.

Pediatric Interventional Cardiology

Stephen Nageotte, MD, is an interventional cardiologist, an expert in using minimally invasive procedures to diagnose and treat children and adults born with a heart condition. These procedures involve using a thin, flexible tube called a catheter to view the heart and repair anatomical abnormalities, such as narrowed blood vessels or an unclosed hole in the heart. Nageotte directs the Congenital Catheterization Laboratory in the Smidt Heart Institute and Guerin Children’s. 

Nageotte joins Cedars-Sinai from Loma Linda University Children’s Hospital, where he was director of the Pediatric Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory and an associate professor. Nageotte also conducts research and has authored several peer-reviewed papers on congenital heart disease and treatments.

The Smidt Heart Institute’s cardiology, heart and vascular surgery programs are rated in the top 10 in the U.S. and #1 in California by U.S. News & World Report.

Read more from the Cedars-Sinai Blog: Why Accreditation Matters in Choosing a Congenital Heart Program

An internationally respected leader in clinical and translational research, Thadhani is known for his groundbreaking work in nephrology and preeclampsia, a leading cause of maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality. Thadhani recently rejoined Cedars-Sinai after serving as vice dean for Research and Education at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center from 2017 to 2019.

“We congratulate Dr. Thadhani on this well-earned recognition by the National Academy of Medicine,” said Peter L. Slavin, MD, president and CEO of Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and Cedars-Sinai Health System. “This prestigious honor is a testament to Dr. Thadhani’s enduring commitment to academic medicine, research, and patient care, and the transformative impact of his work in nephrology and maternal health.”

Thadhani is the fourth Cedars-Sinai physician elected to the academy. He joins Ophir Klein, MD, PhD, executive director of Cedars-Sinai Guerin Children’s and executive vice dean of Children’s Health; David Rowitch, MD, PhD, deputy director for Research at Guerin Children’s; and Slavin.

In its announcement, the academy cited Thadhani “for visionary leadership at three academic health centers and for pioneering research leading to the first FDA-approved test to predict preeclampsia.”

Thadhani served previously as executive vice president for Health Affairs at Emory University. Prior to Emory, he was a professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School and chief academic officer and dean for Faculty Affairs at Mass General Brigham.

As vice dean for Research and Education at Cedars-Sinai, Thadhani worked with colleagues to produce groundbreaking research predicting which pregnant women are at risk for a severe form of preeclampsia. The Cedars-Sinai team—with the support of Shlomo Melmed, MB, ChB, executive vice president of Medicine and Health Sciences and dean of the Medical Faculty—also developed the nation’s first-ever preeclampsia diagnostic test approved by the FDA.

Thadhani has rejoined the team involved in this research: Anders Berg, MD, PhD, vice chair of Clinical Pathology; S. Ananth Karumanchi, MD, professor of Medicine and director of the Renovascular Research Center; and Sarah J. Kilpatrick, MD, PhD, chair of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

“Election to the National Academy of Medicine is a tremendous honor and a highlight of my career,” Thadhani said. “This recognition also extends to my dedicated colleagues, who share a commitment to advancing research that improves lives. I am deeply grateful.”

Read more on the Cedars-Sinai Blog: How To Navigate a High-Risk Pregnancy

Widely known as a pioneer in robot-assisted colorectal surgery, Pigazzi performed the world’s first robot-assisted tumor removal for rectal cancer more than 20 years ago. He has continued to advance the colorectal surgery field with his expertise in robot-assisted, laparoscopic and open surgical techniques to treat complex colorectal conditions such as recurrent and metastatic colorectal cancer.

Pigazzi brings to Cedars-Sinai a rich history of surgical leadership. Most recently, Pigazzi was division director of Colorectal Surgery at New York-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center. He also was executive director for Surgical Services, vice chair of Clinical Network, and professor in the Department of Surgery at City of Hope Orange County.

In his new role at Cedars-Sinai, Pigazzi will concentrate on developing the academic colorectal practice, opening novel clinical trials and advancing translational research.

“Cedars-Sinai’s new Faculty Division of Colorectal Surgery will continue to build best-in-class, patient-centered care by staying on the forefront of the latest surgical techniques, clinical trials and clinical practices,” said Cristina Ferrone, MD, chair of the Department of Surgery at Cedars-Sinai. “Under Dr. Pigazzi’s esteemed leadership, we will also enrich our training programs as we develop the colorectal surgical leaders of tomorrow.”

In addition to his clinical practice, Pigazzi is involved in many significant research initiatives, including a translational research effort investigating the role dietary sugars play in the development of colorectal cancer. His extensive publication record includes more than 150 peer-reviewed articles and 16 book chapters. 

“Dr. Pigazzi’s innovative clinical work and research discovery for colorectal cancer aligns perfectly with our commitment to providing leading-edge expertise and care for our Cedars-Sinai Cancer patients,” said Robert Figlin, MD, interim director of Cedars-Sinai Cancer.  

Pigazzi earned both his medical and doctoral degrees at Boston University School of Medicine. He then completed his general surgery residency at New York-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical College, followed by advanced fellowship training in minimally invasive surgery at Hackensack University Medical Center and in colorectal surgery at the University of California, Irvine.

“I’m grateful for the opportunity to bring my passion to this leadership role in the Department of Surgery at Cedars-Sinai,” Pigazzi said. “I look forward to growing the division to be the best in the region in terms of clinical, research and academic excellence.”

Read more on the Cedars-Sinai Blog: Taking the Fear Out of Colon Cancer Screening

So brings more than 15 years of leadership experience in research and clinical care to her new role. She will spearhead Cedars-Sinai’s growing genomics initiatives and serve as a strategic leader for the integration of genomics into clinical practice while overseeing genetics and genomics services across the Cedars-Sinai Health System.

“We are excited to welcome Dr. So to Cedars-Sinai, knowing her exceptional expertise and leadership in clinical genetics will be a significant asset to the burgeoning prenatal, pediatric and adult genetics programs,” said Shlomo Melmed, MB, ChB, executive vice president of Medicine and Health Sciences and dean of the Medical Faculty at Cedars-Sinai. “Her appointment will ensure Cedars-Sinai remains at the forefront of genomic endeavors, benefiting and transforming the lives of our patients.”

So has joined Cedars-Sinai from the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), where she was chief of the Division of Medical Genetics and medical director of Adult Genetics. She was also director of the institution’s designation as a National Organization for Rare Disorders Rare Disease Center of Excellence. During her tenure, she developed a comprehensive genetics program that included the launch and rapid growth of UCSF’s Adult Genetics and Preventive Genomics Clinic; the expansion of multidisciplinary specialty services in cardiovascular, neurogenetic and cancer genetics; and the implementation of innovative e-consult and telehealth services to improve access to genetic care.

So earned her bachelor’s degree with high distinction in molecular biology and molecular genetics and her medical degree from the University of Toronto. She completed her medical genetics residency at the university’s Hospital for Sick Children and earned her doctorate in molecular genetics from the Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics in Berlin and completed a postdoctoral research fellowship in psychiatric genetics at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health in Toronto.

“I am honored to join Cedars-Sinai as the inaugural chief genomics officer to advance the fields of genetics and genomics with the goal of enhancing patient care and health outcomes,” So said. “Together with our talented team of investigators and clinicians, we will push the boundaries of what is possible in genomic medicine for the benefit of our patients, their families and the wider community.”

So’s current research focuses on optimizing genetic diagnosis and treatment strategies for adults with complex neurodevelopmental, neuropsychiatric and neurological conditions. She also is deeply committed to quality and continuous improvement in the delivery of genetics and genomics clinical services.

“Dr. So’s appointment reinforces our commitment to advancing precision medicine and making leading-edge genomic care accessible to all our patients through all stages of life,” said Ophir Klein, MD, PhD, executive vice dean of Children’s Health and executive director of Guerin Children’s. “We are excited to expand our research and clinical capabilities under her leadership.”

Read more on the Cedars-Sinai Blog: Do Children Need Genetic Testing?

Accreditation was granted in May 2025, less than six months after the PhD in Health AI program was submitted for review. It is the first in the U.S. to be embedded in a hospital and the first to combine interdisciplinary academic training with hands-on clinical data experience, giving students opportunities to develop AI solutions that could improve diagnostics, patient care and healthcare delivery.

“Accreditation is a meaningful milestone for the PhD in Health AI program,” said Graciela Gonzalez-Hernandez, PhD, director of the program and professor and vice chair for Research and Education in the Department of Computational Biomedicine. “It signifies that the highest standards of academic excellence and innovation are at the heart of our curriculum, and it signals to prospective students, as well as our faculty and partners, that we’re pioneering a new kind of doctoral training with quality and rigor.”

In their report, commission evaluators praised the program for integrating doctoral-level learning into real-world work experiences and for offering extensive academic resources and support services for students’ coursework and research.

“Our Health Sciences University continues to evolve, with our newest PhD program enabling us to train the next generation of AI experts specifically focused on healthcare,” said Jeffrey A. Golden, MD, executive vice dean of Research and Education, director of the Burns and Allen Research Institute, and the Linda and Jim Lippman Distinguished Chair in Academic Medicine at Cedars-Sinai. “As AI is poised to rapidly transform medicine, accreditation for the PhD in Health AI program helps further reflect and reinforce our commitment to shaping the future of healthcare.”

The PhD in Health AI program aims to attract applicants from diverse fields beyond healthcare, including computer science, engineering, math and gaming. Through an active-learning and structured mentoring model, students will gain exposure to real-world clinical environments and collaborate closely with clinicians and scientific investigators.

In addition to laboratory rotations with Cedars-Sinai’s AI research faculty, the program also includes clinical rotations—rare for nonmedical PhD students—to help participants understand how clinical information is generated and used.

“We look forward to welcoming our first cohort of exceptional students this week—each with a strong technical background and a shared commitment to improving healthcare,” Gonzalez-Hernandez said. “Throughout their time at Cedars-Sinai Health Sciences University they will engage with faculty, clinicians and each other to meaningfully and ethically apply AI in real clinical settings. They will graduate with a deep understanding of real-world healthcare challenges, positioning them for successful careers in academic research, industry, healthcare innovation, and public policy.”

Cedars-Sinai’s Health Sciences University was established in 2024. The university offers other graduate degrees, including a PhD in Biomedical Sciences, Master of Science in Health Systems and Master of Science in Magnetic Resonance in Medicine.

The university also is home to several professional training programs, including nondegree educational certifications, formal trainings, internships and other ongoing opportunities to benefit students and professionals at all career levels.

Read more in Cedars-Sinai Discoveries Magazine: Next Generation Health Education

“These highly accomplished physician-scientists are more than clinicians; they are professors, mentors and supporters of all trainees studying at Cedars-Sinai,” said Jeffrey Golden, MD, executive vice dean for Research and Education at Cedars-Sinai. “Their unique yet complementary leadership roles will further advance our academic health system and bring continued excellence to our Health Sciences University.”

Katznelson, vice dean of Medical Education, and Goldhaber, vice dean of Graduate Education, sat down with the Cedars-Sinai Newsroom to discuss their shared vision for preparing generations of academic scientists, physician leaders and allied health professionals.

What does the role of vice dean of Graduate Education encompass?

Goldhaber: I am responsible for overseeing, strengthening and expanding the educational programs offered by the Cedars-Sinai Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences. Our programs serve more than 300 scientists in training, ranging from master’s and PhD students to advanced postdoctoral fellows in dozens of scientific research disciplines. I also have oversight responsibility for our clinical scholars and physician-scientist training programs, as well as high school, undergraduate and graduate research programs for visiting students from around the world.

What does the role of vice dean of Medical Education encompass?

Katznelson: I am responsible for all aspects of medical education, including Cedars-Sinai’s Graduate Medical Education, Continuing Medical Education, the Women’s Guild Simulation Center for Advanced Clinical Skills, the Chuck Lorre Allied Health School and the Medical Library, as well as medical student rotations from local, national and international institutions.

What are the priorities for Graduate Education and Medical Education?

Goldhaber: We currently have a Basic and Translational Sciences PhD program with four tracks along with a new PhD in Health Artificial Intelligence. Aside from our two master’s programs, in health systems and magnetic resonance medicine, we are adding new programs in regenerative medicine and translational immunology. We anticipate broadening our educational portfolio with additional master’s and certificate programs in the near future.

We would also like to make it easier for our clinical trainees, residents and fellows focusing on patient care to enroll in our degree and certificate programs as part of their preparation for careers in academic medicine. To help fund these students, we are instituting more organized and streamlined support systems for our faculty to submit training grants to the National Institutes of Health and elsewhere.

Additionally, we are focused on improving our ability to provide federal financial aid to our students, continuously refreshing the curriculum within our existing programs, and providing our faculty with more robust and formal training in the most up-to-date and evidence-based teaching techniques.

Katznelson: I am dedicated to building an infrastructure for medical education, including growing education technology; providing mentorship to our students, residents, fellows and faculty; advising on curricular development and teaching; enhancing medical education research; and creating a community fostering career development in medical education. Strategic planning will be at the heart of my work this year, which focuses on engaging the medical education community in devising the necessary medical education infrastructure, including forming a teaching academy.

Together with Dr. Goldhaber, we will be engaging our medical trainees in research by creating more opportunities, as well as advancing options for scholarly education, as an integrated component of their clinical training.

How do you envision these programs will grow over the next five years?

Goldhaber: My hope is to double the number of programs and students—including clinical trainees—from what we have today, and to continuing building the Cedars-Sinai Health Sciences University recognition internationally.

Katznelson: I hope to foster and strengthen the medical education community at Cedars-Sinai. Within five years, we look to have a university that ties together our medical and graduate education programs, with an infrastructure that includes support for our education community. Through this effort, we will strive to have an community that fosters innovation in education and translational sciences, both locally and internationally.

What excites you most about serving as vice dean of Graduate Education?

Goldhaber: I hope that as a leader here, I can serve the students and faculty so that they can exceed their own expectations, which translates into amazing cures for patients everywhere.

What excites you most about serving as vice dean of Medical Education?

Katznelson: There are so many opportunities at Cedars-Sinai. As a top medical center in the nation, we are committed to strengthening all aspects of education and research, and to continuing to offer training positions to the highest-tier candidates for our residency, fellowship, as well as master’s and PhD programs. I am excited to work in an academic medical center fully envisioning and committed to achieving this future.

Cedars-Sinai Health Sciences University is advancing groundbreaking research and educating future leaders in medicine, biomedical sciences and allied health sciences. Learn more about the university.

The class of 2025 of Cedars-Sinai Health Sciences University are the trailblazing biomedical students who made Cedars-Sinai history earlier this month when they became the university’s inaugural graduates.  

At the 13th Commencement Ceremony, the university’s Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences awarded 24 degrees—four doctorates of philosophy in biomedical and translational sciences and 20 master’s degrees of science in health systems.

“You are the first graduating class of the new Cedars-Sinai Health Sciences University, and we are confident that your class and subsequent classes will have a profound impact on the future of medicine and healthcare around the world,” said Peter L. Slavin, MD, president and CEO of Cedars-Sinai and the David and Meredith Kaplan Presidential Chair.

"I encourage all of you to tackle big problems in the work that lies ahead of you and to use the skills that you have developed here, as well as your own ingenuity, to make progress pushing the frontiers of knowledge forward and improving healthcare and the wellbeing of humanity as a result," Slavin said.

Looking ahead, Slavin continued, "This is the beginning of a new chapter in your career. Your tenacity, diligence and capabilities inspire us, and we’re very hopeful about the exciting professional careers you’ll be having in the years to come. Never stop pushing the envelope of what’s possible.”

In his address, Shlomo Melmed, MB, ChB, executive vice president of Medicine and Health Sciences and dean of the Cedars-Sinai Faculty, began his remarks by quoting American astronomer and planetary scientist Carl Sagan: “Somewhere, something incredible is waiting to be known.”

Melmed turned the audience’s attention to something incredible that occurred just weeks ago—the discovery of possible signs of life on a distant exoplanet dubbed K2-18b.

“Today we experience pandemics, inequity, misinformation and warped moral clarity,” Melmed said. “And yet, after training at Cedars-Sinai, we are confident that you are uniquely endowed to enrich our world. Your future foretells radiant promises of personalized medicine, gene editing, synthetic biology, neural engineering and overall enrichment of the human condition.”

Mark Ellie De Boton Alonzo, PhD, the Class of 2025 Speaker, talked about how he came to Southern California as a teenager from his native Philippines. His doctoral journey was an unlikely one, having hit academic rock bottom in his freshman year of college.

His sisters, both registered nurses, encouraged him to move forward. Alonzo rebooted his academic career, going on to earn a bachelor of science in microbiology and a master’s in biological sciences.

“And today, here I am giving a graduation speech, and I’ve just received my diploma that says PhD in biomedical and translational sciences,” said Alonzo.

Alonzo concluded, “As graduate students, failures and uncertainties have been our constant companions. Still, we moved forward. We adapted. We learned. We embraced these failures and hardships.” Adding, “So I stand before you not to offer words of wisdom, but to remind you that you already carry this wisdom through your lived experiences.”

The Class of 2025 of Master of Science in Health Systems Graduates includes Victoria Lucy Amran, Arlet Arratoonian, DDS, Melissa Chavez, Audrey Cho, Harpriya Chugh, Jeffry Glenning, Rajalakshmi Govalan, Ann Elizabeth Haker, Odette Chida Ibarra, Brett Johnson, Anxhela Kote, Mariel Aileen Buenavista Lansangan, Brent Di Meo, Jennifer Poole, DO, MS, Jaclyn Rangel, Landon Scott, Marina Sorace-Ferreyo, JD, Dominic Rachel Dawson Soto, Nirosha Herath Mudiyanselage Tilakaratna, MBBS, and Gao Xi.

Doctor of Philosophy in Biomedical and Translational Sciences Graduates includes Mark Ellie De Boton Alonzo, Michael Diaz, Nancy Morones and Peter Tuan Ngoc Nguyen.

Cedars-Sinai Health Sciences University is advancing groundbreaking research and educating future leaders in medicine, biomedical sciences and allied health sciences. Learn more about the university.

The new fund is Cedars-Sinai’s third international venture initiative, deepening the organization’s commitment to investing in novel healthcare technologies worldwide to enhance patient care. Cedars-Sinai leaders made the announcement in June at healthcare innovation conference HLTH Europe 2025.

“At Cedars-Sinai, we are dedicated to advancing innovations that improve patient care while making healthcare more efficient and cost effective. With Coronet Netherlands, we are building new global partnerships to access leading science, accelerate clinical translation and help bring breakthrough technologies to patients faster,” said James D. Laur, JD, chief executive of Intellectual Property and Health Ventures at Cedars-Sinai, and co-founder of the Cedars-Sinai Accelerator.

Coronet Ventures Netherlands will focus on early-stage health technology and biomedical startups working on innovations targeted for the U.S. market, investing $50 million over the next decade. Through its relationship with Cedars-Sinai, the fund will be able to connect startups with vast clinical data to test and verify new technology, launch pilot programs and test products. Cedars-Sinai will likewise benefit from the innovations developed by the Dutch startups.

The fund is part of Cedars-Sinai Technology Ventures, which accelerates the translation of research and early-stage innovations into real-world healthcare by connecting scientists, entrepreneurs and investors with the U.S. market—ultimately driving advancements that will benefit patients at Cedars-Sinai and around the world. It previously established two other international investment funds—Coronet Ventures and Coronet Ventures Singapore. Building partnerships is key to its mission.  

“This partnership allows us to create a platform with underlying capital that also offers deep clinical validation and commercialization support to help healthcare and biotechnology companies scale more quickly into the U.S.,” said Nirdesh K. Gupta, PhD, managing partner of Cedars-Sinai Intellectual Property Company.

The new venture fund builds on four years of collaboration between Cedars-Sinai Technology Ventures and Dutch innovators. Since 2021, Cedars-Sinai Technology Ventures has met with startups from the Netherlands to explore opportunities with the Cedars-Sinai Accelerator—a Technology Ventures subsidiary that supports early-stage companies with mentorship and a $100,000 investment.

Two Dutch startups have already participated in the accelerator program: HealthPlus.ai, which uses electronic health records and artificial intelligence to predict patients’ infection risk and assist with early medical intervention, and Syntho, which uses artificial intelligence to generate synthetic healthcare data used by medical researchers. Syntho has since completed a pilot program with Cedars-Sinai and is in discussions to collaborate with the organization’s Artificial Intelligence Lab.

Read more on the Cedars-Sinai Blog: A Technology Transfer Office Success

The prestigious national honor bestowed annually by the medical association recognizes Sanchez’s outstanding contributions to pediatric medicine, his leadership in advancing health equity and his unwavering dedication to the Hispanic community. And Sanchez himself credits his Hispanic cultural roots and values for leading him to a career in medicine.

“It is truly humbling to be recognized by the National Hispanic Medical Association,” said Sanchez, who is also the director of Pediatric Medical Genetics at Guerin Children’s. “Growing up in a Hispanic household, I learned that the foundation of healing is planted at home and nurtured by trust, respect, culture and faith. As a clinical scholar and physician-scientist, I am reminded every day that our work reaches far beyond the clinic.”

Sanchez will be recognized at the association’s 28th annual conference, “Uniendo Voces: Advancing the Future of Latino Health,” on June 7 in Anaheim, California. Established in 1994, the nonprofit organization represents more than 50,000 licensed Hispanic physicians in the United States.

“At Guerin Children’s, ensuring that children and families from California and beyond receive personalized, inclusive care is a top priority,” said Shervin Rabizadeh, MD, MBA, deputy director of Guerin Children’s and chair of the Department of Pediatrics. “Sanchez has played a leading role in developing culturally responsive pediatric genetic services.”

Sanchez said the award highlights the importance of integrating cultural understanding into every aspect of medical care.

“As pediatric geneticists, we care for some of the most vulnerable members of our community— children and families navigating rare and complex conditions,” said Sanchez. “By building trust, improving access and mentoring the next generation of clinicians, we help create a healthcare system that not only treats disease but honors the unique culture, stories and heritage of all patients.”

Sanchez’s leadership roles are wide-reaching. Most recently, he was named as the Advisory Committee Chair for the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics Engage, Equip, and Empower (E3): Genomics Pathways Program. The program seeks to inspire and prepare the next generation of leaders in genetics and genomics by providing early exposure to the field to high school, community college and undergraduate students from underrepresented backgrounds.

“Sanchez’s work reflects Guerin Children’s mission to improve bench-to-bedside healthcare for all communities,” said Ophir Klein, MD, PhD, executive vice dean of Children’s Health and executive director of Guerin Children’s. “This award is a fitting tribute to his compassion, expertise and commitment to care for our youngest patients.”

Read more on the Cedars-Sinai Blog: Do Children Need Genetic Testing?

 In 2021, Emerson and a team of Cedars-Sinai surgeons performed the world’s first robotic lung transplant. Since then, the medical center has completed the most robotic lung transplants in the world. The innovation uses tiny incisions to reduce pain, complications and recovery time.

Emerson, associate professor of Cardiac Surgery in the Smidt Heart Institute at Cedars-Sinai, will further strengthen and unify the thoracic and abdominal transplant arms of the Comprehensive Transplant Center, which ranks among the top 10 in the U.S. by volume. Emerson was also recently appointed program director of the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education thoracic surgery residency and fellowship programs at Cedars-Sinai, an important role overseeing the education and training of junior surgeons. 

“Dr. Emerson’s leadership helped guide our teams to perform more transplants in 2024 than we ever have before, all while achieving exceptional patient outcomes,” said Irene Kim, MD, director of the Cedars-Sinai Comprehensive Transplant Center and the Esther and Mark Schulman Chair in Surgery and Transplantation Medicine.

Emerson will continue as associate surgical director of Heart Transplant and Mechanical Circulatory Support, director of Robotic Cardiac Surgery, and director of the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education Fellowship Program. In addition, Emerson is on the editorial board of The Annals of Thoracic Surgery.

“It’s an honor to help give the opportunity for a longer life to the many people around the world who are desperate for a heart or lung transplant, as well as those patients in need of specialized cardiac surgery,” Emerson said.

Emerson’s research lab focuses on advanced machine perfusion techniques that better preserve and reduce damage to organs before they’re transplanted, which can boost success rates and improve the rates of transplants. His most notable contributions include a landmark study of lung transplantation for end-stage COVID-19 lung disease, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, and a national analysis of how devices that assist the heart called LVADs can improve outcomes in older adult patients, published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. Additionally, Emerson and Cedars-Sinai colleagues are leading the creation of a multi-institutional registry to better understand the benefits of robotic lung transplant.

“Dr. Emerson has been a remarkable colleague and role model for the cardiac surgery team,” said Joanna Chikwe, MD, professor and chair of the Department of Cardiac Surgery and the Irina and George Schaeffer Distinguished Chair in Cardiac Surgery in the Smidt Heart Institute. “He also is a patient, kind and gifted teacher, training many surgeons who have gone on to lead successful transplant programs.”

Emerson’s research has been published in more than 100 peer-reviewed publications and journals, including the New England Journal of Medicine, Circulation, Journal of the American College of Cardiology, Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, The Annals of Thoracic Surgery, European Journal of Cardio-Thoracic Surgery, The Journal of Heart and Lung Transplantation, and Circulation: Heart Failure.

Emerson earned his undergraduate degree and medical degree from the University of Washington. He completed his general surgery residency at Georgetown University Hospital and completed fellowships in cardiothoracic surgery and thoracic transplantation at Cedars-Sinai. He joined the Cedars-Sinai faculty in 2019.

Read more on the Cedars-Sinai Blog: The Wait for a New Heart

, whose research into sudden cardiac arrest has led to novel methods of predicting the usually fatal condition, has been promoted to vice dean and chief artificial intelligence health research officer at Cedars-Sinai.

Chugh was also honored recently with the Heart Rhythm Society’s 2025 Distinguished Scientist Award for clinical science. The award was presented April 26 during Heart Rhythm 2025 in San Diego. 

“This award recognizes Dr. Chugh’s dedication to understanding sudden cardiac arrest and preventing this deadly emergency,” said Eduardo Marbán, MD, PhD, executive director of the Smidt Heart Institute at Cedars-Sinai.

The Distinguished Scientist Award is given to an investigator who has made a lasting impact on patient care and the field of heart rhythm research. Chugh has dedicated his career to improving prediction and prevention of sudden cardiac arrest, a heart rhythm disorder that causes the heart to stop and often leads to instant death. He has published more than 275 scientific papers.

“I’m grateful to the Heart Rhythm Society for this recognition of our work and accept it on behalf of my colleagues and mentees at Cedars-Sinai,” said Chugh, the Pauline and Harold Price Chair in Cardiac Electrophysiology Research. “Our team is motivated to make a real impact on this deadly condition.”

According to the American Heart Association, more than 356,000 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests occur each year in the U.S. Nearly 90% of them are fatal.

Chugh’s team discovered a new method for identifying the best candidates for the implantable defibrillator, a lifesaving intervention. They also combined data from emergency responders, medical records and biological samples to predict imminent sudden cardiac arrest within hours to days of warning symptoms. Their work has improved identification of people at risk and led to the term “near-term prevention” of sudden cardiac arrest.

Chugh is also a leader in artificial intelligence research, which he has harnessed to improve prediction of sudden cardiac arrest.

In his new role as vice dean and chief artificial intelligence health research officer, Chugh will oversee the translation of AI research into clinical trials and patient care. He will lead the new Artificial Intelligence in Medicine Research Center (AIMRC), which will help departments and institutes incorporate AI into their research.

“Dr. Chugh is a foremost investigator in both heart rhythm and AI research,” said Jeffrey Golden, MD, executive vice dean for Research and Education at Cedars-Sinai. “His use of AI to assess the risk for sudden cardiac arrest has the potential to advance the field and save lives. We are eager for him to broaden his AI research experience to all areas of clinical care at Cedars-Sinai.”

In 2024, Chugh received the Distinguished Scientist Award for clinical science from the American College of Cardiology. He is a member of the American Society for Clinical Investigation and the Association of American Physicians, and is past president of the Association of University Cardiologists and the Cardiac Electrophysiology Society.

Cedars-Sinai Health Sciences University is advancing groundbreaking research and educating future leaders in medicine, biomedical sciences and allied health sciences. Learn more about the university.

The four newly named leaders have extensive expertise in surgical and nonsurgical sports medicine, enhancing patient care for athletes at all levels.

“Cedars-Sinai continues to build a world-class sports medicine program, and we are thrilled to recognize these outstanding leaders,” said Mark Vrahas, MD, chair of Cedars-Sinai Orthopaedics. “Their combined expertise, passion for treating athletes and commitment to innovation will further elevate our ability to provide leading-edge care to patients at all levels of competition.”

Michael Banffy, MD, has been named chief of Sports Medicine at Cedars-Sinai. Banffy, an orthopedic surgeon specializing in joint preservation, complex cartilage restoration and advanced hip, shoulder and knee arthroscopy, has extensive experience working with professional athletes. He is a team physician for the Los Angeles Rams and an orthopedic consultant to Major League Baseball players and Loyola Marymount University Athletics. Banffy completed his orthopedic surgery residency at Harvard’s Massachusetts General Hospital and Brigham and Women’s Hospital and a fellowship in sports medicine at Kerlan-Jobe Orthopaedic Clinic.

Casey Batten, MD, and Joshua Scott, MD, have been appointed co-directors of Non-Operative Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine. Batten, the lead primary care sports medicine physician for the Los Angeles Rams, was recently named chief medical officer for the LA28 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Los Angeles. He is a primary care sports medicine specialist who focuses on the nonsurgical treatment of athletic injuries and illnesses. Batten earned his medical degree from the Medical College of Wisconsin. He completed his family medicine residency at the University of Tennessee and a sports medicine fellowship at the UC Davis/UC Berkeley Sports Medicine Program.

Scott is a primary care sports medicine physician who is the chief medical officer for the Los Angeles Galaxy soccer team. A former Division I NCAA track and field athlete, Scott completed his residency in pediatrics at the Medical University of South Carolina and fellowship in sports medicine at the University of South Carolina. He is a team physician for Angel City Football Club and a Venue Medical Officer for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in Los Angeles. 

Clarence Shields, MD, has been named medical director of Team HEAL (Helping Enrich Athletes’ Lives) at Cedars-Sinai. Shields, a past president of the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine, has dedicated his career to sports medicine and improving access to care for underserved student athletes. A longtime leader in the field, Shields has been an NFL physician and an orthopedic doctor for the Los Angeles Rams. He founded Team HEAL in 1994 to provide high school athletes with certified athletic trainers, injury treatment and preventive education. Since its inception, Team HEAL has supported more than 30,000 student athletes in Los Angeles.

Read more on the Cedars-Sinai Blog: Champions for Young Athletes

“Our four pillars are scientific discovery, biomanufacturing, education and training, and clinical trials,” said Clive Svendsen, PhD, executive director of the Board of Governors Regenerative Medicine Institute and professor of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at Cedars-Sinai. “We’ve made great strides in each over the past 15 years and now look forward to continuing to build on existing programs and to developing new ones.”

To that end, Helen Goodridge, PhD, will take on a new role as associate director of the institute, John Chute, MD, will become director of the Blood Program, and Dhruv Sareen, PhD, will become the chief biomanufacturing officer for the Cedars-Sinai Biomanufacturing Center, which creates clinical-grade cell products for regenerative medicine. The institute also will launch the Master of Science in Regenerative Medicine Program under the direction of Wafa Tawackoli, PhD, the institute’s director of Education and Training.

Svendsen noted that much of the institute’s growth has been enabled by the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM), a state agency providing funding to accelerate stem cell, regenerative medicine and gene therapy research, and the Cedars-Sinai Board of Governors, a group of philanthropic leaders who support clinical programs, biomedical research and community outreach.

Key Milestones

Key milestones since the institute was founded in 2010:

2011: The institute launches the Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell Core Facility, one of the first facilities in California dedicated to the production of induced pluripotent stem cells.

2012: Svendsen receives a $17.8 million grant from CIRM to develop a novel treatment for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as ALS or Lou Gehrig’s disease.

2018: An institute team advances organ-on-chip technology, which combines induced pluripotent stem cells and specially engineered laboratory devices to recreate biology outside the body. This work was highlighted on the cover of National Geographic.

2019: A CIRM-funded clinical trial to study a stem cell-based treatment for retinitis pigmentosa, an inherited eye disease with no cure, enrolls its first patient.

2020: The institute opens the Regenerative Orthobiologics Center to identify stem cell-based treatments for musculoskeletal injuries or disease.

2020: The institute opens the Cedars-Sinai Biomanufacturing Center, which houses clean-room cell production suites and process development rooms for producing the next generation of cell and gene therapies.

2022: Institute investigators send experiments on the first of four missions to the International Space Station to explore the possibility of producing large batches of stem cells in a low-gravity environment.

2022: The institute launches the Cedars-Sinai Alpha Clinic, part of a statewide network of CIRM-funded clinics that conducts cell and gene therapy trials focused on disorders with unmet medical needs.

2024: Cedars-Sinai opens the CIRM Shared Resources Laboratory for Advanced Stem Cell Modeling, which serves as a hub for the development of organ-chip technology.

A New Master’s Program

The introduction of the Master of Science in Regenerative Medicine Program within Cedars-Sinai’s Health Sciences University marks yet another milestone for the institute.

“Cedars-Sinai is a leader in regenerative medicine, stem cell biology research and biomanufacturing, and we are ready to educate the next generation of young scientists to contribute to this exciting field,” said Tawackoli. “We have robust programs for high school students, PhD students and postdoctoral fellows, and a Master of Science in Regenerative Medicine Program is a logical addition to our education portfolio.”

The 20-month program will accept four to six students in its first class, pairing each student with a specific laboratory and mentor in their second year. The curriculum will focus on three professional paths: biomanufacturing, academic research and clinical specialties. Deadline to apply is June 30, 2025.

“We plan to invite biotech industry professionals to share what kind of job candidates they are looking for, so our graduates are well trained for any of these three categories and have the upper hand in their job searches,” Tawackoli said. “This will also offer good preparation for those who plan to continue their education in medical or PhD programs.”

New Leadership Roles

In her new role, Goodridge, previously associate director of Discovery at the institute, will assist Svendsen with strategic planning for the institute’s next 15 years of milestones.

“This appointment gives me an opportunity to work with Dr. Svendsen and other institute leaders to shape the vision for the next 15 years,” Goodridge said. “I have been here to see the growth within the institute and at Cedars-Sinai as a whole. It is amazing how the field has evolved and exciting to think about where we will go next. I enjoy my research, but it is great to also be part of the big picture and to have had many opportunities over the years to collaborate both in the research space and across the institution.”

Chute, director of the Division of Hematology and Cellular Therapy at Cedars-Sinai, will now also direct the Blood Program in the regenerative medicine institute.

“The Blood Program is vital to our ongoing efforts to develop next-generation cellular and immune effector therapies for patients with blood diseases, cancers and immunologic diseases,” Chute said. “We’re interested in expanding the boundaries of CAR T-cell therapy, in which a patient’s own immune cells are trained to attack cancer cells. CAR T-cells are currently used to treat blood diseases, and we are developing novel CAR T-cells to eradicate solid cancers as well as targeting neurologic, immune and pulmonary diseases. With the clinical expertise we have in the Cedars-Sinai Division of Hematology and Cellular Therapy and the resources of the regenerative medicine institute, we are rapidly accelerating translational research and product development in this area. We aim to launch clinical trials of our novel cellular therapies within the next two years.”

Sareen, founding executive director of the Cedars-Sinai Biomanufacturing Center, is being promoted to chief biomanufacturing officer, a move Svendsen said reflects the leadership he has shown in building the center from the ground up.

“As the regenerative medicine institute grew, we established the biomanufacturing center to accelerate internal pipelines for translational medicine, using innovative cell therapy and cell manufacturing platforms we have developed,” Sareen said. “Our goal is to get some of these advanced therapies into clinical trials for patients with intractable diseases such as gastrointestinal cancers, autoimmune diseases and neurological diseases like ALS.”

Going forward, Sareen said he plans to work to deepen ties across academia, industry and government agencies to build a robust ecosystem to provide cell and gene therapies to the Los Angeles community and beyond.

“Over the past 15 years, Dr. Svendsen has developed a leading-edge institute that has attracted clinicians and scientists across all departments to Cedars-Sinai and created a unique environment for the growth of innovative stem cell treatments for our patient community,” said Shlomo Melmed, MB, ChB, executive vice president of Medicine and Health Sciences and dean of the Medical Faculty at Cedars-Sinai. “We anticipate great things during the institute’s next 15 years.”

Svendsen is also looking toward the future.

“Regenerative medicine is an emerging field and the future possibilities for using stem cells to both model and treat human disease here at Cedars-Sinai are endless,” he said. “I will devote my efforts to moving all this exciting research into clinical trials that we hope will bring new treatments to patients within our community and beyond and help fulfill the founding mission of Cedars-Sinai.”

Cedars-Sinai Health Sciences University is advancing groundbreaking research and educating future leaders in medicine, biomedical sciences and allied health sciences. Learn more about the university.

Michelle Kittleson, MD, PhD, director of Post Graduate Medical Education in Heart Failure and Transplantation, received the American College of Cardiology 2025 Distinguished Teacher Award. Richard Wright, MD, an advanced heart failure and transplant cardiologist and board chair of Pacific Heart Institute, an affiliate of Cedars-Sinai, received the Master of the ACC Award. And postdoctoral researcher Andrew Lin, MBBS, PhD, under the mentorship of Damini Dey, PhD, professor of Biomedical Sciences at Cedars-Sinai, is the co-recipient of the Jagat Narula Award for Outstanding Scholarship from JACC: Cardiovascular Imaging.

“Congratulations to Dr. Kittleson, Dr. Wright and Dr. Lin on this notable recognition from the ACC and JACC,” said Christine Albert, MD, MPH, chair of the Department of Cardiology and the Lee and Harold Kapelovitz Distinguished Chair in Cardiology. “We are proud of their substantial contributions to all aspects of cardiovascular medicine that encompass education, research and clinical care. It’s gratifying to see them receive recognition from their peers for their pioneering leadership in the field.”

The Distinguished Teacher Award recognizes a fellow of the ACC who has demonstrated innovative, outstanding teaching characteristics and compassionate qualities and has made major contributions to the field of cardiovascular medicine.

Kittleson, a professor of Cardiology, also is associate editor of the JACC. She is widely known as a participant in national educational efforts, including helping develop evidence-based cardiomyopathy and heart failure guidelines. She also is known for fostering an active and engaged social media community, sharing cardiology-related discussion points, questions and pearls of wisdom with followers.

“I’m humbled and grateful to be among the cardiovascular physicians and researchers nominated for and receiving this recognition from the American College of Cardiology,” Kittleson said. “Teaching is of great interest to me, and I consider it a privilege to teach new physicians as well as the public. As an academic medical center, we want our teaching to go far beyond the walls of Cedars-Sinai.”

The Master of the ACC Award honors fellows of the ACC who are consistent contributors to the goals and programs of the college and who have provided leadership in important college activities, serving with distinction for at least 15 years and providing leadership on various programs and committees.

Wright has served as president of the California Chapter of the ACC. He is a highly regarded lecturer and was co-author of the U.S. guidelines on management of patients with heart failure. He also is a previous recipient of the Specialist of the Year Award from the California Chapter of the ACC.

“The ACC is known for its pronounced focus on setting new standards in cardiovascular medicine,” Wright said. “I’ve enjoyed and learned much from my peers as part of the ACC over many years.”

Lin’s research focuses on coronary plaque phenotyping using coronary computed tomography and artificial intelligence techniques.

The Jagat Narula Award for Outstanding Scholarship was awarded to Lin and Márton Kolossváry, MD, PhD, based on their manuscript, “Coronary Plaque Radiomic Phenotypes Predict Fatal or Nonfatal Myocardial Infarction: Analysis of the SCOT-HEART Trial,” published in 2024 in JACC: Cardiovascular Imaging.

“I pursued cardiovascular research to be at the forefront of innovation and help advance evidence that improves care for patients with coronary heart disease,” Lin said. “I’m especially grateful to JACC for recognizing our research into ways to better predict heart attack risk.”

As the mentor for Lin and Kolossváry, Dey also expressed gratitude to JACC for recognition of their research and added, “We are committed to continuing important investigations into new ways of predicting and preventing heart attacks.”

ACC President Cathleen Biga, MSN, extended congratulations, saying, “These heart experts have each demonstrated exceptional work that will further the ACC’s mission to transform cardiovascular care and improve heart health for all.”

In addition to the awards presented at the ACC’s Annual Scientific Session, the California Chapter of the ACC named C. Noel Bairey Merz, MD, director of the Barbra Streisand Women's Heart Center, the 2024 Elliot Rapaport Cardiologist of the Year. Bairey Merz received the award at a Chapter meeting in January.

Cedars-Sinai Health Sciences University is advancing groundbreaking research and educating future leaders in medicine, biomedical sciences and allied health sciences. Learn more about the university.

The lifetime honor recognizes Melmed, the Helene A. and Philip E. Hixon Distinguished Chair in Investigative Medicine, for his decades of significant contributions to the field of endocrinology, particularly for revealing biological processes involved in pituitary tumorigenesis and control of hormone production and action.

“Over the course of decades, Dr. Melmed has been an outstanding physician-scientist and a true leader in the field of endocrine biology as evidenced by research from his laboratory that has led to fundamental and translational advances, a commitment to educating the next generation of investigators, and leadership of numerous professional societies,” said Peter L. Slavin, MD, president and CEO of Cedars-Sinai. “He is truly deserving of this honor and recognition.”

Melmed will be welcomed into the association during the annual Fellows Forum in Washington, D.C., on Saturday, June 7.

“I am both humbled by and grateful for this peer-recognized honor, which reflects the longstanding dedication of my laboratory team, including students, postdocs, fellows and colleagues, all engaged in the pursuit of new knowledge underpinning normal and disordered function of the pituitary gland and its hormones,” Melmed said. “The pituitary is indeed the master homeostatic conductor for maintaining cell communication, as well as developmental, metabolic, growth and reproductive homeostasis. I am proud of our contributions to furthering therapeutic advances for our patients with pituitary disorders.”

Melmed’s National Institutes of Health-funded laboratory and pituitary clinic have contributed to alleviating adverse impacts of pituitary failure and pituitary tumors, including prolactinomas, acromegaly, Cushing’s disease and non-secreting adenomas.

Melmed has been a leader at Cedars‑Sinai for more than 40 years and has been the health system’s chief academic officer since 1998. He has trained more than 80 physicians, scientists and graduate students who hold leading positions in academic endocrinology worldwide. He is an editor of Williams Textbook of Endocrinology, edits The Pituitary and was editor-in-chief of Endocrinology and of Pituitary.

Melmed is an elected member of the Association of American Physicians and American Society for Clinical Investigation. He served on the Endocrine Society Council, as president of the International Society of Endocrinology and as president and a founding member of the Pituitary Society. Additionally, he is a member of the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine’s Independent Citizens’ Oversight Committee.

Melmed is a master of the American College of Physicians and has been honored with the Pituitary Society’s Lifetime Achievement Award, the Transatlantic Medal and Dale Medal from the Society for Endocrinology, the Endocrine Society’s Clinical Investigator Award and Outstanding Scholarly Physician Award, and the Royal Society of Medicine’s Clinical Endocrinology Trust Medal.

He earned his medical degree with distinction from the University of Cape Town, South Africa, and is a diplomate of the American Board of Internal Medicine, certified in endocrinology and metabolism.

Cedars-Sinai Health Sciences University is advancing groundbreaking research and educating future leaders in medicine, biomedical sciences and allied health sciences. Learn more about the university.

Following a comprehensive national search, Cedars-Sinai has appointed David E. Cohen, MD, PhD, as the new chair of the Department of Medicine, effective July 1. Cohen, a longtime leader, scholar and mentor in academic medicine, has focused his research and clinical practice on obesity-related

“Dr. Cohen has dedicated his career to advancing the highest-quality clinical care, biomedical research, medical education and program building,” said Shlomo Melmed, MB, ChB, executive vice president of Medicine and Health Sciences and dean of the Medical Faculty. “He is admired by students and colleagues alike as a kind and patient teacher who leads by example. We wish Dr. Cohen every success as he guides our Department of Medicine to its next level of achievement.”

Cohen joins Cedars-Sinai from Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, where he is chief of the Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Endoscopy, and from Harvard Medical School, where he is professor of Medicine. He also previously was chief of the Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology and the Vincent Astor Distinguished Professor of Medicine at Weill Cornell Medicine and NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital.

“It is my honor to lead the Department of Medicine at Cedars-Sinai, among the most prestigious medical institutions in the world,” Cohen said. “I look forward to collaborating with faculty and staff as we provide the highest-quality care to patients and lead the innovative research that will improve their lives.”

For nearly three decades, Cohen led a successful National Institutes of Health-funded laboratory studying how fats control the way the liver processes nutrients and maintains the body’s energy balance, with a goal of finding new ways to manage obesity and related health problems, such as liver disease and Type 2 diabetes. He developed small molecules to help treat liver disease, diabetes and problems related to metabolic syndrome, which increases the risk of heart disease, diabetes, stroke and other conditions.

Cohen’s research has been published in prestigious peer-reviewed journals, including Nature Medicine, Nature Communications, Cell Metabolism, Journal of Clinical Investigation, Science Signaling, Hepatology and PNAS. He recently completed a five-year term as editor-in-chief of Hepatology.

Earlier in Cohen’s career, he was director of Hepatology at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and director of the Harvard-MIT Division of Health Sciences and Technology. He also held joint appointments in the departments of Medicine and Biochemistry at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York.

Cohen is the recipient of the American Liver Foundation Distinguished Scientific Achievement Award, the American Liver Foundation Research Prize, an American Liver Foundation Liver Scholar Award, an International HDL Research Award, a Hirschl Career Scientist Award and an NIH MERIT Award. He also was an Established Investigator of the American Heart Association.

He is a fellow of the American Gastroenterological Association and of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases, and an elected member of the American Society for Clinical Investigation, the Association of American Physicians and the Interurban Clinical Club.

Cohen received his medical degree from Harvard Medical School and the Harvard-MIT Program in Health Sciences and Technology, and a PhD in physiology and biophysics from Harvard University. He completed an internal medicine residency as well as gastroenterology and hepatology fellowships at Brigham and Women’s Hospital.

Read more in Cedars-Sinai’s Discoveries Magazine: The Worst Disease You’ve Never Heard Of

, a prominent cancer investigator and director of the Translational Research Institute at Cedars-Sinai, has received an Outstanding Investigator Award from the National Cancer Institute. This is the second time that Ronai has collected the award, which supports cancer researchers working on biomedical, clinical and behavioral innovations and discoveries.

The award, recognizing both past achievements and the promise of future work, comes with approximately $4.2 million over seven years to support Ronai’s continuing work to study how melanoma cells evade cancer therapies and the body’s immune system.

“Imagine the cancer as the navigation system in your car,” Ronai said. “We expect it to take the main highway, where we have therapies that can stop it from spreading. But instead, it finds side roads so that it can evade those therapies and metastasize. Melanoma is especially prone to spreading, and our biggest challenge in treating patients with this cancer is metastasis. We are working to find the side roads the disease is using so we can stop this spread and improve patient survival.”

Recently, Ronai has been studying rewired signaling in melanoma cells, and this will be much of his focus for the duration of the award. This rewired signaling, which has gone awry in cancer cells, interferes with the breakdown of old, damaged or abnormal cell components as well as the normal process of cell death.

“These rewired signals make cancer cells behave differently than normal cells would,” Ronai said. “The cells do not die; instead they survive therapies. One of the key components that our work will focus on is the role of these abnormal signals in life and death of cancer cells.”

In carrying out his work, Ronai plans to take full advantage of the unique cross talk that exists between clinicians and investigators at Cedars-Sinai.

“This cross talk allows close collaboration that benefits all parties engaged in cancer research,” Ronai said. “When I speak with Cedars-Sinai clinicians, I see that the ‘bench-to-bedside-and-back’ concept has truly come to fruition here.”

Shlomo Melmed, MB, ChB, executive vice president of Medicine and Health Sciences and dean of the Medical Faculty, said that teamwork between investigators and clinicians is essential to forging new paths in cancer prevention, treatment and precision medicine.

“This well-deserved award recognizes the value of Dr. Ronai’s outstanding research productivity and how well it dovetails with our mission to advance cancer care and improve outcomes for our patients,” Melmed said. “We look forward to the discoveries and innovations that are sure to ensue from these efforts.”

Ronai, who during his career has collaborated with investigators and clinicians across the country and internationally, believes that his work will have implications beyond melanoma.

“Over the past decade we have made important contributions to advance our understanding and treatment of prostate, breast and pancreatic cancer. I expect the work we do in the next few years will similarly lead to advances against a variety of cancer types,” Ronai said. “My hope is to redefine the future of therapy based on our discoveries.”

Cedars-Sinai Health Sciences University is advancing groundbreaking research and educating future leaders in medicine, biomedical sciences and allied health sciences. Learn more about the university.

The symposium will feature distinguished experts from Cedars-Sinai, The View Hospital and other international and regional institutions who are pioneering advancements in robotic surgery.

Building on the success of last year’s symposium on innovations in orthopedics, this year’s focus will be on the latest breakthroughs in robotic surgery and their transformative impact on healthcare. The event will cover a wide range of surgical subspecialties, with attendees gaining hands-on exposure to leading-edge technologies designed to enhance patient outcomes and surgical efficiency.

“Cedars-Sinai is excited to share our expertise in robotic surgery and present the leading-edge research and clinical advances,” said Harry Sax, MD, medical director of The View Hospital in affiliation With Cedars-Sinai, executive vice chair of the Jim and Eleanor Randall Department of Surgery, and associate dean of International Academic Programs at Cedars-Sinai. “Facilitating knowledge exchange between Cedars-Sinai physicians and our partners at The View Hospital will not only strengthen our ongoing collaboration but elevate the quality of patient care in Qatar and the entire region.”

The collaboration with Cedars-Sinai further underscores the commitment of The View Hospital leadership to foster global partnerships and advance medical knowledge. Cedars-Sinai has been named to the Honor Roll for the ninth consecutive year and tied for No. 1 in California and Los Angeles in U.S. News & World Report’s “Best Hospitals 2024-25” rankings. 

"As part of our positioning as an academic care healthcare institution, we are proud to host the 'Innovations in Robotic Surgery' symposium,” said Fatih Mehmet Gul, MD, CEO of The View Hospital. “This event reflects our dedication to bringing the latest medical technologies and best practices to the GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) medical community, fostering knowledge-sharing and collaboration to elevate patient care across the region."

Key highlights of the conference include insightful presentations, interactive panel discussions with industry experts, live demonstrations of state-of-the-art robotic surgical systems and networking opportunities with innovators pioneering the robotic surgery field.

As part of its commitment to fostering continuous professional development, the conference will provide attendees with 6.5 continuing medical education (CME) Category 1 credits from Qatar and 6.5 American Medical Association (AMA) PRA Category 1 credits.

For more information and registration details, please visit www.theviewhospital.com.

Read more on the Cedars-Sinai Blog: Leading the Way in Innovative Robotic Technologies to Improve Outcomes, Shorten Recovery Time

During Theodorescu’s tenure, Cedars-Sinai Cancer doubled its National Institutes of Health funding and dramatically expanded the scope and breadth of research. The Cancer team also increased the integration of services across a growing regional network of providers and deepened outreach initiatives with community partners to reduce disparities in cancer research and clinical care.

“Dr. Theodorescu, an internationally recognized bladder cancer scientist and clinician, has made invaluable contributions to the growth of Cedars-Sinai Cancer and the Samuel Oschin Comprehensive Cancer Institute,” said Peter L. Slavin, MD, president and CEO of Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and Cedars-Sinai Health System.

Theodorescu’s leadership of the Molecular Twin initiative continues to transform how investigators approach precision oncology and personalized cancer treatments for patients. He has led groundbreaking research into the relationship between the loss of the Y chromosome and cancer progression among older men.

“We thank Dr. Theodorescu for his outstanding contributions to our thriving Cancer enterprise and wish him every success,” said Shlomo Melmed, MB, ChB, executive vice president of Medicine and Health Sciences and dean of the Medical Faculty. “We look forward to watching his career flourish.”

Theodorescu will be stepping down Feb. 28. Robert Figlin, MD, deputy director of Cedars-Sinai Cancer, will serve as interim director while a national search for a new director is conducted. Cristina Ferrone, MD, chair of the Department of Surgery, will serve as interim co-director for cancer clinical services, and Ze’ev Ronai, PhD, will serve as interim cancer scientific director.

Read more from the Cedars-Sinai Blog: How a Molecular Twin Is Changing Cancer Treatment, Research

The Blood and Marrow Transplant Program in the Division of Hematology and Cellular Therapy at Cedars-Sinai Cancer was one of just 12 among 172 adult transplant programs where patient survival one year after transplant exceeded expectations, according to 2024 rankings from the Center for International Blood and Marrow Transplant Research. Survival rate at Cedars-Sinai was 90%, which far exceeded the expected survival outcome of 68%-83%.

“We’ve made a variety of changes during the past several years that have had a dramatic impact on our patient outcomes,” said Ronald Paquette, MD, clinical director of the Stem Cell and Bone Marrow Transplant Program at Cedars-Sinai.

One important change, Paquette said, was routine use of the chemotherapy drug cyclophosphamide after each transplant. This helps prevent graft-versus-host disease, which causes the patient’s immune system to attack the recipient’s organs.

“That one change, which has since been validated through published research, led to an almost immediate 20% improvement in one-year survival rates,” Paquette said. “What we have done since then has been to fine-tune our processes.”

These refinements have included an adjustment to the therapies used to prepare a patient for transplantation, which is called a conditioning regimen. The therapies in the conditioning regimen kill the cancer cells in the patient’s body, make room in the patient’s bone marrow for the transplanted stem cells to grow, and help prevent the patient’s immune system from attacking the new cells.

“There are many possible combinations, and we initially tried to match the conditioning therapy to each patient’s specific disease scenario,” Paquette said. “What we have learned by carefully tracking patient outcomes is that it is more important to choose a regimen that pairs well with the posttransplant cyclophosphamide. Some combinations caused excessive toxicities to the kidneys and the lungs. We have narrowed our conditioning regimens to two that we have found to work best.”

Another improvement has come from a gradual increase in the number of transplants using half-matched donors—often a child or an extended family member—rather than a donor with a perfectly matched tissue type.

“For these half-matched transplants, the donors are most often children, nieces, nephews or even grandchildren,” Paquette said. “The median age for our transplant patients is 68 to 70, and our half-matched donors might be 30 or 40 years younger than the recipient. We’ve found that younger donors yield substantially better outcomes than older donors, and now 85% of our transplants are performed using these half-matched donors.”

John Chute, MD, director of the Division of Hematology and Cellular Therapy at Cedars-Sinai Cancer, attributes these improvements and the resulting run of high rankings to Paquette and the stem cell transplantation team.

“This ranking is a great tribute to Dr. Paquette, and to our amazing physicians, administrative staff, nurse practitioners, nurses, and other members of the care team,” Chute said. “There are many working parts to the transplant process and our stellar outcomes wouldn’t be possible without the expertise of a number of different people who provide the attentive care our patients need.”

The transplant team continues to investigate avenues for further refining their process, Paquette said. They are working to develop options for offering transplants to a broader range of patients, and to better understand the interaction between stem cells and host bone marrow and the effects of intestinal bacteria on the transplant process.

“Our current process is producing great outcomes, and through strategic steps we are continuing to refine it,” Paquette said. “Through all of these efforts, we hope to learn things that will help us further improve therapies in the future.”

Cedars-Sinai Health Sciences University is advancing groundbreaking research and educating future leaders in medicine, biomedical sciences and allied health sciences. Learn more about the university.

Cedars-Sinai has been named a Center of Excellence in Rare Neuroimmune Disorders, one of only 21 worldwide and two in California recognized for advancing research in immune-driven disorders of the central nervous system and providing the highest-quality comprehensive patient care.

The designation is awarded by the Siegel Rare Neuroimmune Association (SRNA), the patient advocacy group formerly known as the Transverse Myelitis Association.

“We’re proud to be known as an exceptional center offering streamlined access to specialists highly trained in addressing the varied and specific needs of patients with rare neuroimmune disorders,” said Paula Barreras, MD, assistant professor of Neurology and director of the new Center of Excellence at Cedars-Sinai. “This meaningful recognition by an organization that works with patients and the medical community helps us offer more people navigating these difficult conditions the services they need, without delay.”

The Center of Excellence in Rare Neuroimmune Disorders at Cedars-Sinai provides multidisciplinary, patient-centered care for people with:

• Acute disseminated encephalomyelitis
• Acute flaccid myelitis
• Idiopathic transverse myelitis
• Infectious myelitis
• MOG antibody-associated disease
• Neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder
• Optic neuritis
• Neurosarcoidosis
• Paraneoplastic myelitis
  • Non-immune mimics of myelitis; vascular myelopathies; spinal cord stroke and spinal arteriovenous fistulas
  • Myelopathies of unclear cause

These often-complex disorders can affect the brain, spinal cord or optic nerve. Depending on the affected area, symptoms can range from muscle weakness, loss of balance and impaired vision to bladder or bowel incontinence and cognitive and communication changes.

“Because symptoms may span multiple physician specialties, patients who are not seen at a medical center with a multidisciplinary team are likely to experience delays on the road to an accurate diagnosis and treatment plan,” Barreras said.

Cedars-Sinai evaluates patients through comprehensive testing and imaging to pinpoint an accurate diagnosis. Patients are then connected with the appropriate on-site specialists and additional resources they may need, including social and neuropsychological services, help navigating insurance and medications, and physical therapy and rehabilitation.

Nancy L. Sicotte, MD, chair of the Department of Neurology and director of the Multiple Sclerosis and Neuroimmunology Program at Cedars-Sinai, as well as an expert in multiple sclerosis—a more common neuroimmune disease—said the designation also helps expand research and education efforts in rare neuroimmune disorders.

“Patients benefit because they have more opportunities to participate in research that can give them access to the most innovative treatments,” said Sicotte, the Women’s Guild Distinguished Chair in Neurology at Cedars-Sinai. “Our institution benefits from increased opportunities for research funding, and our research fellows benefit as they gain a greater understanding of the mechanisms of rare neuroimmune disorders and ways to improve outcomes for patients.”

In addition to Barreras and Sicotte, Cedars-Sinai’s specialist team for patients with rare neuroimmune disorders includes:

• Marwa Kaisey, MD, assistant professor of Neurology; multiple sclerosis specialist
• Omar Al-Louzi, MD, director of the Visual Outcomes Laboratory in the Department of Neurology; multiple sclerosis specialist with expertise in optic neuritis
• Swaraj Bose, MD, neuro-ophthalmologist and orbital surgeon
• Alexandra Dubinskaya, MD, urology specialist
• Mitzi Gonzales, PhD, neuropsychologist and director of Translational Research in the Jona Goldrich Center for Alzheimer’s and Memory Disorders
• Marcel Maya, MD, interventional neuroradiologist and co-chair of the Department of Imaging
• Christopher Boudakian, DO, medical director of the California Rehabilitation Institute
• Sadie Loera, social worker, Outpatient Neuroscience Department
• Laura Locke, NP, Department of Neurology
• Neurological rehabilitation team, including physical therapy, occupational therapy and speech therapy

“I’m thankful for our enthusiastic and knowledgeable team of clinicians, and I’m proud we can provide world-class care to patients,” Barreras said. “I’m also grateful for increased awareness for rare neuroimmune disorders, which will lead to advances in research and improved treatments. Our goal is to ensure patients are not jumping through hoops to access good care and experience a better quality of life.”

Read more from Discoveries Magazine: No Time for MS

“As we continue to develop, embrace and adopt new digital technologies, we identified new opportunities for growth within our informatics team,” said Craig Kwiatkowski, PharmD, senior vice president and chief information officer at Cedars-Sinai. “These strategic leadership appointments will further strengthen our ability to drive innovation and enhance integration of digital technology across Cedars-Sinai Health System.”

Chief Health Informatics Officer (CHIO)

Shaun Miller, MD, MBA, has been promoted to serve as Cedars-Sinai’s inaugural chief health informatics officer. In this role, Miller will oversee all clinical informatics and EIS training teams supporting physicians, nurses and other healthcare providers across Cedars-Sinai. He will continue his oversight of the Clinical Informatics Fellowship and collaborate with senior leadership to expand digital technology across the health system.

Miller, previously the chief medical informatics officer at Cedars-Sinai, has led numerous technology initiatives to improve patient outcomes. He played a key role in expanding virtual care models during and after the COVID-19 pandemic, including implementing telehealth solutions in CS-Link and launching CS Connect. Recently, he helped drive the evaluation and expansion of artificial intelligence (AI) in clinical settings and introduced AI scribes, augmented response technology and CS-Link-based solutions supporting quality and clinician wellness. He is a member of Cedars-Sinai’s AI Council, leads the AI-Physician Advisory Council and co-chairs the Advanced Physician Leadership Development Program.

Miller earned his medical degree and MBA from the University of California, Irvine. He is board-certified in internal medicine with a subspecialty certification in clinical informatics, and is a practicing hospitalist with Cedars-Sinai’s Inpatient Specialty Program.

Chief Nursing Informatics Officer (CNIO)

Lisa Stephenson, MSN, RN, NI-BC, is Cedars-Sinai’s new chief nursing informatics officer. In this critical role, Stephenson will lead the inpatient and ambulatory clinical operations optimization liaison teams and EIS training teams, support CS-Link and digital innovation projects, and optimize initiatives across Cedars-Sinai for nursing and clinical care support teams.

Stephenson has more than 20 years of nursing experience. She also has a master’s degree in nursing leadership and management from Walden University as well as an American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) certification in nursing informatics. She has worked in numerous clinical settings, including acute care, emergency medicine and home hospice, and has held the roles of quality outcomes coordinator and medical/surgical nurse manager.

Since 2011, Stephenson has worked in nursing informatics leadership including at the Mayo Clinic and Houston Methodist, where she was chief nursing informatics officer. She is actively involved in several professional organizations, including the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) Nursing Informatics Committee and the planning committee for the HIMSS Nursing Informatics Forum.

Chief Medical Informatics Officer (CMIO)

Yaron Elad, MD, has been named Cedars-Sinai’s chief medical informatics officer and will lead the physician informatics team.

Elad, a cardiologist with Cedars-Sinai Medical Group, is currently clinical chief of the Department of Cardiology in the Smidt Heart Institute at Cedars-Sinai. He was appointed associate chief medical informatics officer in 2022. He is board-certified in clinical informatics and is an Epic-certified physician builder.

Recently, he has focused on clinical applications of artificial intelligence such as ambient AI scribes, augmented in-basket response technology and AI-generated summaries in Epic.

“We are eager to see the many contributions of these three highly talented leaders as we build our clinical informatics and digital technology capacities,” Kwiatkowski said.

Read more on the Cedars-Sinai Blog: Simple Steps for Avoiding Healthcare Scams