An Army medic turned emergency medicine physician from southern California and a psychiatrist from Fresno, who is answering the call for more mental health professionals in California, are among approximately 100 residents and fellows who are completing training this year at the UCSF School of Medicine Regional Campus in Fresno (UCSF Fresno). Some of the graduating residents and fellows have trained at UCSF Fresno for five or more years and started during the COVID-19 pandemic.
UCSF Fresno celebrated the graduates on Thursday, June 12, at Fresno City College’s historic Old Administration Building Auditorium. More than 500 people, including the graduates, their family and friends, and faculty and staff, attended the ceremony, which also commemorated UCSF Fresno’s 50th anniversary.
“I am delighted to celebrate this joyous occasion because of the incredible achievement it represents for our graduates,” said Jose M. Barral Sanchez, MD, PhD, UCSF Fresno Vice Dean, who was appointed in February and started on May 1, 2025. “You are graduating in a special year – this is UCSF Fresno’s 50th anniversary.
For five decades, UCSF Fresno’s mission has been to train physicians, expand access to care, and improve health,” Dr. Barral Sanchez added. “You will forever be a part of UCSF Fresno’s legacy.”
With support from the Veterans Administration and the California Legislature, UCSF Fresno was established in 1975 as a graduate medical education campus of the UCSF School of Medicine. The regional campus has grown significantly since then and is now the largest contributor to the physician workforce in the region.
The UCSF Fresno Class of 2025 includes residents in eight medical specialties, fellows in 14 sub-specialties, residents in an Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery dental program, and physician assistants in an Emergency Medicine Postgraduate Training Program. Graduates from the Community Medical Centers General Dentistry Residency Program also participated in the commencement ceremony.
“Our community is strengthened by the energy, innovation, and talents of our trainees at UCSF Fresno. Their extraordinary contributions deepen our long-standing mission of improving the health of the San Joaquin Valley,” said Stacy Sawtelle Vohra, MD, Assistant Dean for Graduate Medical Education and Designated Institutional Official at UCSF Fresno.
The recipient of the 2024 Kaiser Award for Excellence in Teaching, Gregory Simpson, MD, Division Chief, Dermatology, UCSF Fresno, delivered the keynote address. He offered words of wisdom, pointed out how being an attending is like being a parent in some ways, and answered a question he’s often asked about whether he would encourage his own children to go into medicine.
“Without a moment of hesitation, I say absolutely, ‘yes’, it’s a chance to make the world a better place,” he said. “You work and study your entire life for that really hard moment when you get to shine — whether it be a surgery or a diagnosis or a treatment plan or just offering a shoulder to cry on — and it was all worth it.”
He concluded by encouraging the graduates to pause for a moment to be proud of themselves.
“I want all the graduates to take a moment tonight and look in the mirror, forget all your worries for a moment, and just be proud of yourself. You did it, and you’re ready,” said Dr. Simpson.
Highlights:
- 100% of graduating Psychiatry residents are staying in California for the second year in a row. Nearly one in seven adults in the state experiences mental illness, and one in 26 has a serious mental illness, according to the California Health Care Foundation.
- 50% of graduating Emergency Medicine residents are staying in the Valley; 40% are staying at UCSF Fresno as faculty.
- 40% of Family and Community Medicine graduates are staying in the Valley.
- Almost 40% of Internal Medicine graduates are staying in the Valley.
- UCSF Fresno’s first Endocrinology fellow is graduating this year and is staying to join the faculty in the division. Almost half of the adults in Fresno County show signs of prediabetes, according to a UCLA Center for Health Policy Research study.
- Nearly 25% of graduating fellows are joining the faculty at UCSF Fresno or are continuing their medical education in another UCSF Fresno fellowship.
- Nearly 40% of graduates are staying in the Central Valley to provide care, teach the next generation, or continue their education.
- About 60% of graduates are staying in California.
Among the graduates:
While serving as a medic in the U.S. Army, Delvin J. Akins II, MD, from southern California, found deep purpose in caring for others in high-stakes situations. He was promoted six times in seven years in the military, served as a staff sergeant leading other combat medics, and was a Non-Commissioned Officer of the Year candidate. But becoming a physician felt out of reach. Thankfully, senior leaders recognized his commitment and discipline and encouraged him to take his training further. Today, Dr. Akins is completing a four-year residency program in Emergency Medicine at UCSF Fresno and is staying on as faculty.
Mandeep K. Gill, DO, originally from Bellingham, Washington, is the first fellow to graduate from UCSF Fresno’s two-year Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism Fellowship. After graduation, she will join the faculty in the Endocrinology fellowship program as part of Inspire Health Medical Group. According to a GoodRX report, nearly 70% of U.S. counties lack access to an endocrinologist. Dr. Gill completed residency training in Internal Medicine at UCSF Fresno prior to entering the fellowship program.
Inspired by her family, mentors, and her own desire to create change, Cecilia Rangel-Garcia, MD, MPH, is completing a four-year residency program in Psychiatry at UCSF Fresno. After graduation, Dr. Rangel-Garcia, who is from Fresno, will stay in the Central Valley to complete a Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Fellowship at UC Davis in Sacramento. All six graduating psychiatry residents at UCSF Fresno are staying in California, where nearly 1 in 7 adults experience mental illness and 1 in 26 has a serious mental illness.
Growing up in Fresno, Liliana Samano, MD, noticed very few Latino physicians. As a child, Dr. Samano understood that by becoming a physician, she could help make health care more accessible. According to the American Association of Medical Colleges, in 2022, about 6% of physicians in California were Latino, where the Hispanic/Latino population is about 39%. With her parents as inspiration, she set out to become a physician. This year, Dr. Samano is completing a four-year residency program in Emergency Medicine. After graduation, she is staying in the community to work at Clovis Community Medical Center.
In addition to the presentation of the graduates, several honors were awarded:
Jeff Thomas, MD, Chief Medical Quality Officer, Community Regional Medical Center, presented the Community Medical Centers Resident and Fellow Awards and Teaching Awards:
Outstanding First-Year Resident: Campbell Veasey, MD, MSPH, UCSF Fresno Emergency Medicine Residency Program
Outstanding Resident or Fellow Teacher: Lala Grigori, DMD, UCSF Fresno Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Residency Program
Community Health System Teaching Excellence Award: Robert Julian III, DDS, MD, FACS, Professor, UCSF Fresno Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery (OMFS)
Outstanding Non-Physician Teacher: Kaitlyn Loi, PharmD, BCP, Community Regional Medical Center
Naman Jain, DO, Internal Medicine Resident and Resident Council Member, presented the Leon S. Peters Resident and Fellow Awards:
Leon S. Peters Resident of the Year: Victoria Ford, MD, UCSF Fresno Pediatrics Residency Program
Leon S. Peters Fellow of the Year: Ahmed Zaidi, DDS, MD, UCSF Fresno Head and Neck Oncology and Microvascular Reconstruction Fellowship
Wessel Meyer, MD, FACEP, MBChB, UCSF Clinical Professor, UCSF Fresno, and Acting Chief of Staff, Fresno VA, VA Central California Health Care System, presented the VA ICARE Award:
VA ICARE Award: Ashleigh Wong, DO, UCSF Fresno Internal Medicine Residency Program
Pamela Kammen, MD, President, Fresno Madera Medical Society, presented the Steven N. Parks Leadership Award:
Steven N. Parks Leadership Award (FMMS): Cecilia Rangel-Garcia, MD, UCSF Fresno Psychiatry Residency Program
Eyad Almasri, MD, Assistant Dean for Research at UCSF Fresno, presented the Borba Resident, Fellow, and Faculty Research Awards:
Borba Faculty Research Award: Laxmi Ghimire, MD, Health Sciences Assistant Clinical Professor, UCSF Fresno Department of Pediatrics, Pediatric Cardiology
Borba Fellow Research Award: Faisal Nasrawi, MD, UCSF Fresno Department of Medicine, Pulmonary and Critical Care Fellowship
Borba Research Award, Kadee-Kalia Tamashiro, MD, UCSF Fresno Surgery Residency Program
Stacy Sawtelle Vohra, MD, Assistant Dean for Graduate Medical Education, UCSF Fresno, presented the Outstanding Program Director Award
Outstanding Program Director Award: Kathryn Bilello, MD, Health Sciences Clinical Professor, Program Director, UCSF Fresno Pulmonary Critical Care Fellowship Program, UCSF Fresno Department of Medicine
Jose M. Barral Sanchez, MD, PhD, Vice Dean, UCSF Fresno, announced the Henry J. Kaiser Award for Excellence in Teaching:
Kaiser Award for Excellence in Teaching: Liana Milanes, MD, Health Sciences Associate Clinical Professor, UCSF Fresno Department of Family and Community Medicine
As a regional campus of the UCSF School of Medicine, UCSF Fresno carries out its training and patient care through a network of affiliated partners, including Community Health System, VA Central California Health Care, Inspire Health Medical Group, United Health Centers of the San Joaquin Valley, and many other clinical sites.
UCSF Fresno is committed to developing an outstanding physician workforce that reflects Valley communities and improves patient care and access to health care in the region and state. Offering Valley students, medical residents, and fellows opportunities to complete their education and training in the San Joaquin Valley increases the likelihood they will stay to practice where they are needed. The goal is to recruit and train highly skilled clinicians and patient advocates who will remain in the region and in California.
Photo credit: Inspire Health Medical Group
Almost half of the adults in Fresno County show signs of prediabetes, according to a UCLA Center for Health Policy Research study. Recognizing the need to address endocrine disorders in the San Joaquin Valley, UCSF Fresno started a two-year Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education-accredited Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism Fellowship in 2023. Two years later, the first fellow in the program is graduating and is continuing to provide care for local patients.
“There is a critical need for more endocrine specialists in the area, not only for diabetes management but for all conditions managed by endocrinologists including thyroid disease, obesity management, along with bone, pituitary, adrenal, and reproductive disorders among many others,” said Shreela Mishra, MD, program director for the Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism Fellowship.
Mandeep K. Gill, DO, originally from Bellingham, Washington, is the first fellow to graduate from UCSF Fresno’s Endocrinology Fellowship. She is among the approximately 100 residents and fellows who are completing training at UCSF Fresno this year. After graduation, she is staying at UCSF Fresno to join the fellowship program’s faculty as part of Inspire Health Medical Group.
Dr. Gill is staying at UCSF Fresno because of the unmatched opportunity to work with multifaceted patient populations and the wide spectrum of pathology and health conditions encountered at UCSF Fresno’s clinical affiliate sites.
Fellows in the program currently train at the Veterans Administration Central California Healthcare System hospital in Fresno for inpatient and outpatient training, at Inspire Health Medical Group Endocrinology clinic, and at United Health Center’s ambulatory care clinic in Fresno.
The opportunity to train the up-and-coming generation of physicians is also a benefit.
“I look forward to deepening my clinical experience and working closely with medical students and residents,” she said. “I am especially excited to continue working and learning alongside my mentors.”
Dr. Mishra said the goal of the fellowship program is to train knowledgeable and compassionate endocrine specialists who will provide exceptional patient care for individuals with endocrine disorders.
“Our program provides a strong clinical training environment in a variety of clinical settings with dedicated faculty, and encourages scholarly activity for all our fellows, including quality improvement and clinical research projects,” said Dr. Mishra. “Fellows train in key endocrine procedures, including ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration of the thyroid, interpretation of continuous glucose monitoring data, and insulin pump management.”
Drs. Mishra and Gill agree. The diversity of learning environments provides a well-rounded perspective on how endocrinology is practiced across different health care systems.
This exposure enhances adaptability, understanding of different patients’ perspectives, and an appreciation for resource variation in patient care. Most importantly, it prepares the learner to independently and confidently practice in any given environment, said Dr. Gill.
The expert care provided by UCSF Fresno’s endocrinology specialists benefits local patients. Dr. Gill recalls a young patient with a recurrent, rare, and complex condition. In consultation with her attendings (faculty), Dr. Gill obtained additional diagnostic imaging for the patient, which led to the discovery of undetected tumors. Through a collaborative, multidisciplinary approach, the patient was referred to a highly experienced surgeon who successfully performed an operation to remove tumors. After that, the patient did not need any form of hormone replacement afterward.
Prospective fellows may apply to the UCSF Fresno Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism Fellowship through the Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS) for the upcoming academic year. For the 2026-2027 Academic Year, the program will accept two PGY-4 fellows through the National Resident Matching Program. For more information, email [email protected]
A new study by UCSF Fresno researchers found implementation of a rapid test for gonorrhea and chlamydia (GC) significantly decreased the under- and overtreatment of these sexually transmitted infections in female patients seen in a hospital emergency department.
The study examined under- and overtreatment rates for two 70-week periods, before and after the hospital implemented a rapid, 90-minute nucleic acid amplification test (NAAT) for GC. Most hospital emergency departments (ED) use a test for GC that has a 24- to 48-hour turnaround time. Thus, the ED provider must guess at the result, and as a result, there are high undertreatment and overtreatment rates. The retrospective study, published in the Journal of Emergency Medicine online in March 2025, found that with the 90-minute test, undertreatment for the STIs went from 37% to 19%, and overtreatment went from 27% to 17%.
The study found that implementation of the rapid test prevented one patient from undertreatment for every five to six patients who were infected, and saved one patient from overtreatment for every eight to 12 patients who did not have GC.
The study looked at the pre-intervention and post-intervention time periods from 2017 to 2020 at Community Regional Medical Center (CRMC), in Fresno, said Brian Chinnock, MD, principal investigator of the study and UCSF Clinical Professor of Emergency Medicine at UCSF Fresno. CRMC implemented a 90-minute rapid NAAT test in the fall of 2018.
In real life, by using the 90-minute test “at our emergency department (CRMC), on average, with that intervention, per day, we’re preventing a patient from getting treated with an unnecessary antibiotic,” Dr. Chinnock said. The results also indicate that it means one or two patients per week who have chlamydia or gonorrhea are given antibiotics, who otherwise would leave the emergency department without treatment.
The study also examined under- and overtreatment rates at a control hospital, Clovis Community Medical Center (CCMC), where the standard 24-hour test was in use for the two 70-week time periods under review. The over- and undertreatment rates at CCMC remained substantially unchanged, at 37% and 40%, respectively, Dr. Chinnock said. CCMC has since changed to the 90-minute rapid test
It was especially pertinent to conduct the study in Fresno County, where rates of chlamydia (704.9 per 100,000) in 2023 and gonorrhea (204.4 per 100,000) are higher than in California (489.7 per 100,000 for chlamydia and 189.7 for gonorrhea). Nationwide, the two STI rates are 492.2 and 179.5 per 100,000, respectively.
The rapid test gives physicians information they need in time to provide appropriate treatment for patients who test positive for the STIs and to reduce the overuse of antibiotics for patients who test negative, he said.
“It’s been known in emergency medicine for a long time that the standard test we have had for gonorrhea or chlamydia takes more than 24 hours to come back. So, you’re not going to get a result during the time frame that the patients are there in the emergency department, and the emergency department physician has to do what is called ‘empiric therapy,’ which means guessing – giving your best guess at it.”
Taking guesswork out of treatment is important in two ways, Dr. Chinnock said. “We want to reduce the undertreatment number so that gonorrhea and chlamydia – this epidemic we are still in – does not keep going. And we don’t want to be doing a lot of overtreatments because the more you overtreat, then eventually antibiotic resistance goes up quicker. There are already not many drugs that can treat gonorrhea, and if we make the current antibiotics resistant, that’s going to be a huge problem. In addition, patients are subjected to the additional cost and antibiotic side effects of an unnecessary antibiotic treatment.”
The rapid test is expensive, but Dr. Chinnock said the study shows it is probably a new, better standard of care, and emergency departments should consider implementing it. “I think the majority of emergency departments in this country have the old test, which is still the 24-hour test, and you’re guessing at the results. Unfortunately, our best estimates don’t do very well compared to testing.”
Any study has limitations, and Dr. Chinnock said the biggest limitation is that this is a retrospective study, meaning you’re looking back at previous data and things that happened. “It’s always possible that when you are collecting the data that it wasn’t done properly, but we list how we did it, and we took a lot of time to make sure we got the correct data,” he said.
The study also labeled a case as undertreatment if the patient left the emergency department without treatment, even if the patient was called back and received care. “So, you could say, ‘Well, what if they were called back and got the correct treatment?’ But the whole point of this is that you should not have a process that relies on calling back patients,” Dr. Chinnock said. “First of all, it’s very resource-intensive, it requires a lot of extra money and time to have someone make the call back, and it’s not reliable. We have so many patients whose telephone numbers have changed, and the numbers they give us are lines that are not in service. It’s just not the best way to do it.”
Additional UCSF-Fresno co-authors of the study are Gilbert Ramirez, MD, a UCSF Associate Clinical Professor of Emergency Medicine; Gayle Kouklis, MD, a UCSF Volunteer Clinical Instructor of Emergency Medicine; and Christopher Teran, MD, a UCSF-Fresno Emergency Medicine resident who was a San Joaquin Valley Program in Medical Education (SJV PRIME) medical student at the time of the study. Informatics was through Community Health System, and UC Merced provided biostatistics support.
Established in 1975, UCSF Fresno is celebrating 50 years of training doctors and improving health in the San Joaquin Valley this year. A regional campus of the UCSF School of Medicine, UCSF Fresno offers training in eight medical residency programs, one dental surgery residency program and 20 Accreditation Council on Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) and non-ACGME sub-specialty fellowships. UCSF Fresno plays a vital role in expanding access to health care in the Valley, training physicians and medical students for the region and state, conducting research that addresses regional health issues, and academically preparing students from the San Joaquin Valley to pursue careers in health and medicine.
The Veterans Hospital in Fresno was UCSF Fresno’s first home five decades ago, bonding two organizations with a shared mission to care for veterans and to train future physicians.
UCSF Fresno’s longstanding partnership with VA Fresno Medical Center dates back to 1975 when UCSF Fresno was established with support from the California Legislature and the VA to address the severe physician shortage in the San Joaquin Valley.
Through this partnership, the VA has recruited specialists and welcomed residency and fellowship programs. And today, UCSF Fresno is the largest academic physician training program between Sacramento and Los Angeles.
Wessel Meyer, MD, UCSF Clinical Professor at UCSF Fresno, and acting Chief of Staff at the VA Central California Health Care System, oversees health profession training education, including UCSF Fresno residents and fellows at VA Fresno Medical Center.
“The affiliation with UCSF Fresno is what allows us to provide world-class care to our veterans,” said Dr. Meyer. “That strong academic affiliation provides us with cutting-edge technology, the latest evidence-based guidelines, and our ability to directly affect the outcomes of our veteran patients as a result.”
UCSF Fresno proudly serves veterans in the Valley. Residents and attending faculty provide patient care at the VA, which broadens residency and fellow training. Every year, residents and fellows from the Department of Family and Community Medicine, the Department of Medicine, Psychiatry, and Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery rotate at the VA, providing care for more than 29,000 veterans.
“The VA has established programs and resources specifically designed to address the broader needs of veterans beyond their immediate medical complaints,” said Stacy Sawtelle Vohra, MD, assistant dean for Graduate Medical Education and designated institutional official at UCSF Fresno. “This prioritization of holistic, patient-centered care contributes significantly to the education of our future physician workforce.”
Dr. Meyer said, “We’ve seen significant growth in the services we provide to our veterans. From primary care to specialty care, surgical care to mental health care, and part of that growth is because of the fact that we are affiliated with UCSF Fresno.”
Roman Roque, DO, MPH, completed a four-year residency program in Psychiatry at UCSF Fresno and graduated in 2024. After graduation, he joined the VA Central California Health Care System's Substance Use Disorders Program as a staff psychiatrist and also serves as an assistant clinical professor with the UCSF Fresno Department of Psychiatry.
“The department is a place where it felt like people really cared about you personally and professionally, but also, the work that we do here is making an impact on the community, even as a resident. So, it was easy for me to picture myself being here right after residency,” said Dr. Roque.
Dr. Roque said the Psychiatry resident training at the VA is structured with intention and includes medicine and neurology rotations in the first half of the internship year, followed by months of emergency psychiatry, consultation psychiatry, and inpatient psychiatry. The training then continues for a year of outpatient clinics in general mental health, geriatric psychiatry, and addiction.
This year, the VA is celebrating its 75th anniversary, and in collaboration with UCSF Fresno, it is exploring more opportunities to expand and support the growth or initiation of training programs, including fellowships.
Established in 1975, UCSF Fresno is celebrating 50 years of training doctors and improving health in the San Joaquin Valley this year. A regional campus of the UCSF School of Medicine, UCSF Fresno offers training in eight medical residency programs, one dental surgery residency program and 20 Accreditation Council on Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) and non-ACGME sub-specialty fellowships. UCSF Fresno plays a vital role in expanding access to health care in the Valley, training physicians and medical students for the region and state, conducting research that addresses regional health issues, and academically preparing students from the San Joaquin Valley to pursue careers in health and medicine.
UCSF Fresno’s success and growth are a direct result of the dedication and inspiration of our faculty, staff, residents, fellows, students, alumni, partners, donors and friends. In each issue of Focus, we introduce you to the people who contribute to the greatness of UCSF Fresno through informal interviews.
In this issue, we feature Jose M. Barral Sanchez, MD, PhD, Vice Dean for the UCSF School of Medicine Regional Campus in Fresno.
Dr. Barral Sanchez joined UCSF on May 1, 2025, from the Kaiser Permanente Bernard J. Tyson School of Medicine (KPSOM), where he served as the inaugural Chair of Biomedical Science and founding Co-Director of the MD-PhD Program with Caltech since 2018. He previously held leadership roles at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, including Senior Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and Vice Chair of Neuroscience, Cell Biology & Anatomy.
What is your hometown? Where did you go to medical school? Do you have additional training or education?
I was born and raised in San Luis Potosi, San Luis Potosi, Mexico. It is a beautiful city located in the heart of the Mexican high plateau, where I went to high school. Then, I went to Monterrey, Mexico, for medical school at the “Tec de Monterrey”. After that, I obtained a PhD in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas, and then pursued post-doctoral training at the Max Planck Institute for Biochemistry in Martinsried, Germany.
Why did you choose UCSF Fresno and why did the Vice Dean position appeal to you?
I chose UCSF Fresno because of the people and the opportunity to have a broader impact on the community. The fact that UCSF School of Medicine Dean Talmadge E. King, Jr., MD, elevated this leadership position to Vice Dean reflects UCSF’s commitment to the Central Valley and allows our educational program here in Fresno to have representation at the Dean’s Cabinet. As a Vice Dean, I can consistently advocate for Fresno and the Central Valley at the highest levels of leadership in the UCSF School of Medicine. We have a lot to offer in terms of education, patient care, and research opportunities to the wider academic community, including UCSF.
What has your experience been like at UCSF Fresno so far?
I have been consistently impressed by the degree of talent and commitment I have observed in trainees, faculty, staff, and leadership here in Fresno. People take time to learn about each other, and they genuinely care about each other. I feel extremely welcomed by the community.
You have been involved in teaching learners in your previous roles. What plans do you have for getting involved in teaching at UCSF Fresno?
I’ll teach anything our clerkship and program directors want me to teach! In all seriousness, I feel that teaching really energizes me, and I have taught a wide variety of subjects. I particularly enjoy teaching anatomy, neuroscience, and biochemistry. So, if anyone needs me to teach anything related to the autonomic nervous system, I am your guy.
You've only been on the job since May 1. What are the most challenging and rewarding aspects of your job so far?
Understanding the subtilities and the details of the affiliations that sustain our educational programs here in Fresno represents a learning curve for me. The most rewarding aspect so far has been the realization that all these players work together collaboratively for the benefit of our trainees and are aligned on the same goal: increasing the number and quality of health care providers in the Central Valley.
What is at the top of your professional to-do list right now? What is at the top of your personal to-do list?
Professionally, I need to keep listening to the needs and aspirations of our community. And we need to appoint a Chief Administrative Officer who will help us increase and strengthen collaborations to solidify our projects. These include increasing our research footprint, growing our graduate medical education capacity, and moving forward efforts to open a UC medical school in the San Joaquin Valley.
Personally, my main project is to move out of temporary housing and find a permanent home here in Fresno!
If they were to make a movie about your life, what actor would you cast to play your role? And why?
It could be Gael Garcia Bernal, because he has a very thick Mexican accent!
Cynthia Curry, MD, professor emeritus of pediatrics, sits in her Fresno office surrounded by case files and genetic data, but her focus is on one patient – a young woman whose medical mystery has consumed her for more than 20 years. Dr. Curry first saw the patient as an infant because she was experiencing seizures and unexplained developmental delays. As with many of Curry’s cases, decades of testing, dead ends, and scientific advances followed.
Now, a newly identified gene variant may finally hold the key to solving the decades-long puzzle. Blood samples have crossed the Atlantic to a research team in France, where scientists are investigating the possibility that they’ve found other patients with matching genetic defects and similar symptoms. This collaborative hunt for genetic patterns – comparing DNA sequences and clinical presentations across multiple cases – is the cornerstone of rare disease diagnosis. What began as a baffling local case has become a global effort, and Curry’s long-awaited answer may finally be within reach.
“Genetics is a puzzle, and you need a lot of patience,” says Dr. Curry, who has spent 49 years fine-tuning that critical skill as a pediatric geneticist in Fresno. “Time is your friend.”
Curry’s passion for genetic medicine is matched only by her deep commitment to the people of the Fresno community. These two forces have fueled her long career, inspiring her to practice well into her 80s. They’re also the impetus for her planned gift to the UCSF Fresno Department of Pediatrics. Through this gift, she hopes to advance the future of genetic medicine by supporting the recruitment and training of the next generation of geneticists to serve the San Joaquin Valley.
The Case That Changed Everything
Curry’s path to genetics wasn’t straightforward. Though genetics fascinated her in college, she initially pursued pediatrics – a more conventional path when genetics had yet to emerge as a medical subspecialty. Following several years in pediatric practice, she pursued genetic training at UCSF and began work as a geneticist in Fresno in 1976. One pivotal case galvanized her decision to devote her career to genetic medicine.
She was introduced to a young boy with shortened limbs, an unusual nose, hearing loss, and cataracts. The family had been to other specialists, who reassured his mother, then pregnant with her second child, that the new baby would likely be spared the same condition. Curry, who had seen another family with two boys similarly affected, was not as sure. She joined the parents in the delivery room and immediately recognized the same features in the newborn boy.
“I reported the case at a regional conference, and this launched this big academic adventure,” Curry recalls. The collaborative investigation involved researchers at UCSF, in Oregon and England, and in a genetics lab in Fresno. Eventually, they discovered that several missing genes on the short arm of the X chromosome were causing the condition. The findings were published in the New England Journal of Medicine, Curry’s second paper in this journal.
“It was this case that furthered my interest and pursuit of academic genetics,” she says. “That’s what genetics is – an academic adventure.”
Building a Program from Scratch
When Curry arrived in Fresno in 1976, there was no genetics infrastructure at Valley Children’s Hospital. She built the program from the ground up, eventually growing it to include two divisions with five physicians, 11 genetic counselors, and a cytogenetics laboratory – the most extensive genetics programs between San Francisco and Los Angeles.
Curry was a pioneer in the field, publishing over 140 articles and chapters and authoring a 2019 book, Genetic Consultations in the Newborn. She has also earned prestigious awards, including the American Academy of Pediatrics’ 2014 David W. Smith Excellence in Genetics and Birth Defects Education Award.
Curry has witnessed the dramatic transformation of genetics firsthand. She began her career in an era of paper records. There were few geneticists she could collaborate with, and she mailed letters to them, often waiting weeks for a response. She remembers the excitement of getting the first electronic medical records system.
“Much of what we do relies on finding others who might have the same defective genes. With computer technology came electronic databases and the ability to collaborate immediately with people worldwide. Breakthroughs happened as technology advanced, so I had to have a lot of patience and work to motivate families to hang in there with me, sometimes for years,” she says. “Like detectives in mystery novels, which I love to read, I don’t give up. I get a lot of satisfaction pulling at the threads and not giving up.”
Fervent Curiosity
Although the Valley Children’s Prenatal Diagnostic Program and cytogentics laboratory were closed in 2003, Curry remained dedicated to her community, now treating second- and third-generation families. She appreciates the invaluable support of Community Regional Medical Center (CRMC), Central California Medical Practice Group (CCMPG), and Community Health Partners (CHP). Approaching 50 years in practice, she shows no signs of slowing down, finding joy in helping individuals and families navigate the complexities of genetics.
“Patients often ask me when I’m going to retire,” she says with a smile. “But I failed retirement once already. I’m back doing what I enjoy most – making diagnoses, participating in clinical projects, and helping families adjust to genetic conditions. I like learning something new every day. There is so much variety, and I’m still having fun.”
A Legacy Gift for the Future
Curry’s lifelong commitment to genetic medicine and the Fresno community is unmistakable. Though she officially retired from UCSF in 2014, she continues to work full time seeing patients, mentoring students, and engaging in clinical research, and her vision for the future is clear. Through a planned gift to the UCSF Fresno Department of Pediatrics, Curry is helping ensure that genetic services continue and expand in the San Joaquin Valley.
“There is a dramatic need for more genetic services, particularly in Fresno,” she says, noting that half of her current referrals are now adults – a sign that genetic medicine has expanded beyond pediatrics.
As UCSF Fresno marks its 50th anniversary, Curry’s gift embodies the university’s mission to train future doctors in the San Joaquin Valley. It’s a strategic investment in the next generation of geneticists and a reflection of Curry’s unwavering belief in equitable health care. She hopes her gift inspires others to support pediatric genetics so families across the Valley will continue to benefit from the thoughtful, persistent advocacy that has defined her extraordinary career.
For information about supporting UCSF Fresno, visit fresno.ucsf.edu/give
Congratulations to Cecilia Rangel-Garcia, MD, MPH, for receiving the Steven N. Parks, MD, Leadership Award presented by the Fresno Madera Medical Society.
Congrats to all the award winners who were recognized at the 2025 Resident and Fellow Commencement.
Kudos to Caroline Render-Teixeira, MD, who was recently named program director for the Family and Community Medicine Residency Program effective July 1. Thank you to Sireesha Reddy, MD, for having served as program director. Dr. Reddy will continue as faculty.
Congratulations to Hebah Ghanem, MD, who was recently named program director for the Infectious Diseases Fellowship effective July 1. Thank you to Geetha Sivasubramanian, MD, for having served as program director. Dr. Sivasubramanian will continue as division chief of Infectious Diseases.
Congratulations to Joshua D. Kamimoto, PhD. Dr. Kamimoto was appointed director of the Clinical Research Center (CRC), effective May 15. Joshua will dev
elop, manage, and oversee the organizational, strategic, and tactical aspects of the clinical trial services organization while working closely with the Assistant Dean for Research to facilitate projects conducted in the CRC.
Kudos to UCSF Fresno and thanks to City Councilmember Miguel Arias, Mayor Jerry Dyer and all the City of Fresno Councilmembers for recognizing UCSF Fresno on our 50th anniversary and proclaiming May 22, 2025, UCSF Fresno Day in Fresno.
Congratulations to the UCSF faculty at UCSF Fresno who were honored with milestone service awards. UCSF Fresno proudly recognizes those who have reached a service milestone of five, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45 or 50 years.
40-Year Milestone
Katherine A. Flores, MD, was recognized for 40 years of service as of 2024, and the campus community celebrated her retirement on June 25. During her tenure, Dr. Flores founded the UCSF Fresno Doctors Academy and has inspired and motivated thousands of students who are now working as doctors and other health professionals in the Valley and beyond. She serves on numerous boards and associations, is a prominent figure involved in physician workforce issues across the state and the U.S. and has been recognized with several awards.
Randall Stern, MD, was also recognized for 40 years of service as of 2024.
More faculty milestone awards:
30-Year Milestone
- Carolyn Chooljian, MD, Emergency Medicine, in 2024
- James Comes, MD, Emergency Medicine, in 2024
- James W. Davis, MD, Surgery, in 2024
- Helen Wong, MD, Medicine, Gastroenterology, in 2024
25-Year Milestone
- Loren I. Alving, MD, Neurology, in 2024
- Kathryn Bilello, MD, Medicine, Pulmonary Disease and Critical Care, in 2023
- Steven Stoltz, MD, Medicine, in 2023
20-Year Milestone
- Juan Ruvalcaba, MD, Family and Community Medicine, in 2024
- Aimee Abu-Shamsieh, MD, Pediatrics, in 2024
- Michael Tom, MD, Medicine, in 2023
15-Year Milestone
- Uzair Chaudhary, MD, Medicine, Hematology/Oncology, in 2024
- Wessel Meyer, MD, Medicine, in 2024
- Rawnica Ruegner, MD, Emergency Medicine, in 2024
- Jeanette Rylander, MD, Medicine, in 2024
- Susanne Spano, MD, Emergency Medicine, in 2024
- Rais Vohra, MD, Emergency Medicine, in 2024
- Hagop Afarian, MD, Emergency Medicine, in 2023
- Kenny Banh, MD, Emergency Medicine, in 2023
- Danielle Campagne, MD, Emergency Medicine, in 2024
- Vipul Jain, MD, Medicine, in 2023
- Cho Cho Khine, MD, Medicine, in 2023
- Armen Matirosian, MD, Orthopaedic Surgery, in 2023
10-Year Milestone
- Gail Ajanaku, MD, Medicine, in 2024
- Thianchai Bunnalai, MD, Pediatrics, in 2024
- Christopher Downer, MD, OB-GYN, in 2024
- Nathan Hoekzema, MD, Orthopaedic Surgery, in 2024
- Stutee Khandelwal, MD, Medicine, in 2024
- Manjit Singh, MD, Medicine, in 2024
- Michael Darracq, MD, MPH, Emergency Medicine, in 2023
- Kamell Eckroth-Bernard, MD, Surgery, in 2023
- Janice Kezirian, MD, Pediatrics, in 2023
- Ila Naeni, DO, Family and Community Medicine, in 2023
- Ivance Pugoy, Medicine, in 2023
- Rene Ramirez, MD, Emergency Medicine, in 2023
- Elbert Tun, MD, Medicine, in 2023
- Jeffrey Uller, MD, Emergency Medicine, in 2023
Five-Year Milestone
- Kulraj Dhah, DO, Family and Community Medicine, in 2024
- Karamjit Dhaliwal-Binning, MD, Medicine, in 2024
- Anil Ghimire, MD, Medicine, in 2024
- Daniel Kirsten, MD, Psychiatry, in 2024
- Alka Lamsal Ghimire, MD, Medicine in 2024
- Jeffrey Nahn, MD, Emergency Medicine, in 2024
- Arbi Nazarian, MD, Orthopaedic Surgery, in 2024
- Tim Nguyen, DO, OB-GYN, in 2024
- Richard Quan, MD, Pediatrics, in 2024
- Caroline Render-Teixeira, MD, Family and Community Medicine, in 2024
- Daa Xiao, MD, Family and Community Medicine, in 2024
- Varsha Babu, MD, Medicine, in 2023
- Jordan Beshore, DO, Emergency Medicine, in 2023
- Jason Gravano, PhD, Neurology, in 2023
- David Jeffcoach, MD, Surgery, in 2023
- Eyup Keles, MD, Pediatrics, in 2023
- Nicole Kopari, MD, Surgery, in 2023
- Lin Li, MD, PhD, Medicine, in 2023
- Jordan Lilienstein, MD, Surgery, in 2023
- Shreela Mishra, MD, Medicine, in 2023
- Almira Opardija, MD, Medicine, Infectious Diseases, in 2023
- Hiral Patel, DO, Medicine, in 2023
- Steven Ratcliff, DO, Medicine, in 2023
- Nitin Thinda, MD, Medicine, Cardiology, in 2023
- Antonio Toribio, MD, Medicine, in 2023
- John Tran, MD, Psychiatry, in 2023
- Jacquelyn Wagoner, DO, Pediatrics, in 2023
Kudos to the following UCSF Fresno staff members who were awarded UCSF School of Medicine Achievement Awards:
Individual Achievement Awards
- Lorena Davis, Orthopaedic Surgery
- Nicholas Dennie, Emergency Medicine
- Rebecca Miller, Surgery
- Anthony Sali, Graduate Medical Education
Team Achievement Award: Communications
- Barbara Anderson
- Lucero Benitez
- Brandy Ramos Nikaido
Kudos to the staff members who were recognized with Spot Awards:
- Angela Allison, April
- Summer Connery, April
- Stephanie Covacevich, April
- Trina Hughes, April
- Carmen Vargas, April
- Jeannette Naranjo, April
- Seeka Yang, April
- Shannon Kremer, February
- Jeanette Naranjo, February
Established in 1975, UCSF Fresno is celebrating 50 years of training doctors and improving health in the San Joaquin Valley this year. A regional campus of the UCSF School of Medicine, UCSF Fresno offers training in eight medical residency programs, one dental surgery residency program and 20 Accreditation Council on Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) and non-ACGME sub-specialty fellowships. UCSF Fresno plays a vital role in expanding access to health care in the Valley, training physicians and medical students for the region and state, conducting research that addresses regional health issues, and academically preparing students from the San Joaquin Valley to pursue careers in health and medicine.
