School of Medicine News - A Community-Based Medical School for the 21st Century

"I Have a Dream... Deferred" Reflects Upon MLK's Address

UCR SOM Staff — Mon, 09 Feb 2026 00:00:00 -0800

More than 200 students, faculty, staff and guests attended a thought-provoking keynote lecture by Gabrielle Pina, DO, FAAP, titled “I Have a Dream… Deferred” on Wednesday, February 4, 2026 as part of the UCR School of Medicine’s celebration of Black History Month. The event was held in partnership with UCR African Student Programs and sponsored by the School of Medicine Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. Photos from the event can be found here.

“It’s up to us to tell those stories”: Comms at the UCR SOM

Erika Klein — Thu, 05 Feb 2026 00:00:00 -0800

When UC Riverside medical student Jonathan Ogbogu recently received a $10,000 external scholarship, the UCR School of Medicine featured the story on the SOM News website and shared the announcement on social media.

Faculty and Staff Receive Awards at February Town Hall

UCR SOM Staff — Wed, 04 Feb 2026 00:00:00 -0800

The UCR School of Medicine presented the 2025 Faculty and Staff Awards during its Town Hall meeting on Tuesday, February 3, 2026. In total, six people received awards, which included values in action, the staff diversity, equity, and inclusion award, and clinical faculty awards. Award presenters included:

CHC Announces 2026 Mini Grant Recipients

Center for Healthy Communities — Mon, 02 Feb 2026 00:00:00 -0800

The UCR School of Medicine Center for Healthy Communities (CHC) has announced the recipients of its annual Community Medicine and Population Health Mini-Grants Program for 2026. The program funds up to two community health and population medicine initiatives per year and has awarded more than $60,000 to over the past seven years.

Amplifying Excellence with Strategic Initiatives: Katherine Browder and Allie Mosby

Erika Klein — Wed, 14 Jan 2026 00:00:00 -0800

Growing up in southwest Virginia, Katherine Browder, assistant dean of Strategic Initiatives and chief of staff of the UCR School of Medicine, frequently saw friends and neighbors who were unable to access quality medical care for their families. The experience awakened her strong sense of fairness. “Anything I can do to level that playing field to help build more fairness is important,” she said.

Ogbogu Receives Scholarship from Association of Black Cardiologists

UCR SOM Staff — Thu, 08 Jan 2026 00:00:00 -0800

UC Riverside medical student Jonathan Ogbogu, class of 2028, has received a $10,000 scholarship from the Association of Black Cardiologists (ABC), a Washington, DC-based organization that leads initiatives to close gaps in cardiovascular outcomes through advocacy, education, research, and mentorship.

Building Representation in Medicine: Joslyn Santana, Class of 2027

Erika Klein — Tue, 23 Dec 2025 00:00:00 -0800

At the 2025 National Hispanic Medical Association (NHMA) conference in June, a man from the audience congratulated UC Riverside School of Medicine student Joslyn Santana and her mother after Santana received an award. “He said, ‘When I see your daughter go up there, I can see my daughter,’” Santana recalled. “It’s a reminder that representation is so important, because you never know what younger generations are watching and are able to see themselves in a different way because of you.”

Improving Multiple Sclerosis Research, and Treatments, in the Inland Empire: Mahsa Khayat-Khoei, MD

Erika Klein — Tue, 16 Dec 2025 00:00:00 -0800

As a medical student, Mahsa Khayat-Khoei, MD, found neurology complex and interesting, but also somewhat intimidating. “You get to study neurons and different diseases that affect different areas of the brain, but there was no treatment, which was disappointing,” recalled Khayat-Khoei, now a fellowship-trained neuroimmunologist at UCR Health.

SOM Mentorship Program Concludes Its 2025 Cohort, Looks to 2026

UCR SOM Staff — Fri, 12 Dec 2025 00:00:00 -0800

The UCR School of Medicine's Mentorship Program wrapped up its 2025 cohort with an end of year luncheon on Dec. 3, 2025. The mentorship program was created in 2024 and is held during the calendar year, serving as a cornerstone for staff development and professional growth, by providing employees with an opportunity to learn from SOM leadership and discover new possibilities for their careers.

Community-engaged Research at the UCR SOM

Erika Klein — Mon, 08 Dec 2025 00:00:00 -0800

As a community-based medical school, the UC Riverside School of Medicine focuses not just on training future physicians but on collaborating with community members to improve health in the area. This effort extends to practicing community-engaged research, an approach in which investigators and community members work together to identify relevant research topics and conduct projects in their community.

UCR SOM Residency Now Underway at BVCHD

UCR SOM Staff — Wed, 03 Dec 2025 00:00:00 -0800

<em>This article was originally published on the Bear Valley Community Healthcare District website.</em> In a first-of-its kind program at Bear Valley Community Healthcare District (BVCHD), residents from the University of California, Riverside School of Medicine will have the opportunity to fulfill their emergency medicine residency rotation requirement at BVCHD.

UCR Health Sponsoring Metrolink Holiday Express

UCR SOM Staff — Tue, 25 Nov 2025 00:00:00 -0800

Shaping the SOM’s Story: Vladimir Oge, MPH

Erika Klein — Thu, 13 Nov 2025 00:00:00 -0800

A photo of the ribbon cutting for the UCR School of Medicine Education Building II captured the moment the building officially opened, but for Vladimir Oge, MPH, director of Strategic Initiatives (SI) at the SOM, the shot signifies much more. “That I contributed to something that truly is going to be part of the school's history, that there's only going to be one ribbon cutting ceremony for that building and I was there to help make it happen, was very memorable for me,” he recalled.

Dean's Postdoc to Faculty Program Award 2025

UCR SOM Staff — Fri, 07 Nov 2025 00:00:00 -0800

The UCR School of Medicine recently announced the 2025 winners of the Dean's Postdoc to Faculty Program Award. The award aims to support emerging principal investigators at the UCR SOM with the goal of developing independent academic researchers. Specifically, the award provides up to 50% of each winner’s salary for two years along with funds to attend one research conference in the U.S. per year.

UCR SOM Hosts Health Matters Forum Watch Party

Erika Klein — Fri, 07 Nov 2025 00:00:00 -0800

Empowering Future Physicians as a Role Model: Adolfo Aguilera, MD

Erika Klein — Tue, 04 Nov 2025 00:00:00 -0800

During an appointment several years ago, a longtime patient and Mexican immigrant told Adolfo Aguilera, MD, that she had recently become an American citizen but was unsure whether she wanted to vote. “I told her it's important to vote, that this is part of being a citizen of the United States so that your voice is heard and your voice is counted when decisions are being made,” said Aguilera, a physician at Riverside University Health System (RUHS) and director of clinical skills at the UC Riverside School of Medicine.

UCR SOM to Host Watch Party of Gubernatorial Forum on Healthcare

UCR SOM Staff — Tue, 28 Oct 2025 00:00:00 -0700

On November 7, 2025, leading candidates for California governor will meet for a forum hosted by UC Riverside to discuss health care challenges faced by state voters. The event, titled “Health Matters: A Conversation with California’s Next Governor,” is a nonpartisan forum organized by 11 California health-focused advocacy organizations committed to ensuring that every Californian has the opportunity to live healthy and well.

2025 Haider Biomedical Breakthrough Lecture Highlights Critical Health Effects from Salton Sea Dust

Stephen Roy Javier — Wed, 15 Oct 2025 00:00:00 -0700

For residents of the Imperial Valley living with asthma, there may be a surprising cause: dust from the nearby Salton Sea. David Lo, MD, PhD, distinguished professor in the Division of Biomedical Sciences at the UC Riverside School of Medicine, has focused on the local environmental issue in his recent research, which he presented at the 2025 Thomas and Salma Haider Biomedical Breakthrough Lecture on October 9.

SOM Hosts All Research Cores Symposium

UCR SOM Staff — Tue, 14 Oct 2025 00:00:00 -0700

New Training Course Empowers Community Partners to Take Active Roles in Research

UCR SOM Staff — Sun, 12 Oct 2025 00:00:00 -0700

Brandon Brown, PhD, a professor in the Department of Social Medicine, Population, and Public Health at the UC Riverside School of Medicine, has been conducting numerous community partnered research projects focused on HIV and the ethics of participant payment. Noting multiple barriers to community involvement as part of the research team, he collaborated with the Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative (CITI) Program to create The Community Research Partner Training Course. 