Diane Ju, M.D. she/her | Wellness Chief Resident

Medical School: University of California, Irvine

Diane was born in South Korea but lived most of her life moving throughout Southern California. She studied Human Biology at the University of California Irvine, where she completed her undergraduate and medical school training, while discovering her passions in women’s health and medical education. She then travelled to the Rio Grande Valley to embark on her residency training caring for the unique border population in Southern Texas, while trying to learn as much Spanish as she could. Her life as a temporary Texan came to a halt in 2023, as she now returns back to the West Coast to embark on a new adventure in Portland and complete her final year of residency training. She is interested in an academic career that will enable her to continue her passions in teaching and mentorship. Outside of medicine, she loves to travel, explore nature, hike, rock climb, be a foodie and adrenaline junkie, scuba dive, play board games, spend time with her husband/family/friends, and play with Oden, her orange tabby cat that she is allergic to.

Katie Fitch, M.D. she/her  | Education Chief Resident

Medical School: Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University

Katie grew up in nearby Eugene, Oregon. She attended Bowdoin College where she majored in History, minored in Spanish, and completed a pre-med concentration. After graduating, she returned to Eugene where she spent several years doing research in an auditory neuroscience lab and completed a biology degree at the University of Oregon. During that time, Katie worked as an EM scribe and scribe trainer, as well as a volunteer Spanish medical interpreter at a local clinic for the underserved. She attended medical school at Brown University, where she revived her love of history by creating and teaching a medical history course. She also worked as a peer tutor, volunteer interpreter and occasional freelance artist/cartoonist. Outside of medicine, she enjoys bouldering, hiking, watercolor painting, and is a novice birder. Katie is ecstatic to be returning to my beautiful home state to train at OHSU.
 

Ally Gallagher, M.D. she/her | Administrative Chief Resident

Medical School: Oregon Health and Science University

Ally is originally from Sacramento, CA but also claim the Northeast as her own, as she spent her early childhood in Boston, MA and undergraduate years at Dartmouth College. She studied political science, played collegiate soccer and met her husband John, an Oregonian, who introduced her to the beautiful PNW. With their two young daughters and rescue pup, Baker, they have called Portland home for 8 years. Ally enjoys regular trips to the zoo, picnics in the Rose Garden, road-trips to Cannon Beach (clam chowder and cold beer included), leisurely afternoons wandering Powell’s books and long walks/runs through her SW neighborhood. As a medical student passionate about women’s health and education, Ally conducted various cost-effectiveness analyses in operative vaginal deliveries. She also worked as an instructor for Saturday Academy, taught her own acute care curriculum to Portland area high-school students. She looks forward to continued investment in women’s health research, advocacy and education and feels fortunate to be joining such an incredible group of colleagues!
Ally’s favorite part of living in Portland is getting the best of both worlds - a vibrant, approachable city with world-class outdoor adventures at our fingertips! From the Oregon coast, to Mt. Hood, to the myriad of trails only steps from downtown, there is so much to explore on a sunny day. Post outdoor spoils, there are endless impeccable breweries, bakeries, coffee houses and bookstores to enjoy.

Brianna Byers, M.D. she/her | Advocacy Chief Resident. Inverness Jail Chief

Medical School: Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth

Brianna was born and raised right outside Seattle in Everett, Washington. She studied Biology + Medical Anthropology at the University of Washington, and spent 4 years teaching eighth graders in Chicago before beginning medical school at Dartmouth. Growing up, she spent a lot of time riding horses, training dogs, playing volleyball, and reading books. She still loves all of those activities, but does more book reading than anything else these days. While they are mostly medical texts, she is also trying to read a book from every country. OBGYN has seemed like a good fit for her personality for a long time, and her experiences with the incredible faculty at Dartmouth solidified her desire to practice at an academic hospital. Brianna loves the physiology at the core of this specialty, the challenge presented by the breadth of knowledge an OB-GYN must retain, and the opportunities for advocacy associated with reproductive justice. Right now, she can imagine herself becoming a generalist and working in an academic center such as OHSU so that she can continue to be a part of medical education, which is something she thoroughly enjoys. That being said, she is open to the idea of fellowship, especially MFM.

Olivia Nolan, M.D. she/her | Clinical Practice Chief Resident

Medical School: Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons

Olivia was born and raised in Santa Cruz, CA, attended UC Berkeley for college, double majored in French and Molecular and Cell Biology. She worked in administration for a research center on campus after graduation, and devoted herself to baking, running, crafting, and volunteering with the Berkeley Free Clinic. This latter interest evolved into a passion for women’s and transgender health and convinced Olivia that her future was in medicine. In medical school, she worked with Q Clinic, a student-run clinic that provides primary care to the LGBTQ+ population in New York City, and learned firsthand the importance of inclusive gyn primary care. Between her work at Q Clinic and my Scholarly Project in trans health, Olivia also discovered an interest in teaching and curriculum development that she hopes to continue to pursue in her career. Her interests also include contraceptive management, trauma-informed care, and advocacy.
Portland Favorites: As a California transplant returning to the West Coast from NYC; I am most excited about the lovely hiking trails around Portland. I’m also excited about getting to eat my favorite vegan BBQ sandwich at Sweet Hereafter!

Katie Hansen, M.D., M.P.H. she/her | Administrative Chief Resident

Medical School: University of Texas at Austin Dell Medical School

Katie grew up in Gresham, OR, and will graduate with an M.D./M.P.H. from UT Austin's Dell Medical school. She received her B.S. in Biology from Seattle University and my M.S. in Biology from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Prior to medical school, Katie spent time teaching high school science in Bolivia and working both as a medical assistant and a physical therapy tech in Austin. Her primary interests in Ob/Gyn are related to reproductive health and family planning. She founded Dell Med's Medical Students for Choice chapter and went on to serve on the MSFC international board of directors from 2017-2020. During med school Katie worked with the Texas Policy Evaluation Project on research related to postpartum contraception provision among low-income women in Texas. In her free time Katie enjoys running, dance, and exploring the National Parks. She is thrilled to be returning to Oregon for her training at OHSU!
My favorite part about living in Portland is having easy access to spectacular mountains and trails for backpacking, snowshoeing, running, etc... That, and vote-by-mail, a small but definitely underrated perk of living in Oregon! 

Madeline Bach, D.O. she/her | Education Chief Resident

Medical School: Touro University California College of Osteopathic Medicine

Madeline grew up in San Jose, California. She studied Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics at UCLA before embarking on a (short-lived) career as a protein engineer of immuno-oncology drugs. Realizing that her true interest lay not in the creation of these therapeutics but in the human narrative of the individuals they would affect, she went on to pursue medical school at Touro California College of Osteopathic Medicine. It was there that she first became passionate about women’s health education and prevention-focused medicine while researching cervical cancer screening and HPV vaccination in Taiwan. She graduated from medical school with a certificate in Global Health and was elected to the Gold Humanism Honor Society.  In her spare time, Madeline enjoys hiking, exploring coffee shops, and picnics in the park with her pup. Madeline is a PGY3 transfer from Texas and is very excited to experience the culinary scene and 4 seasons of the PNW!

Alyssa Hersh, M.D., M.P.H. she/her | Administrative Chief Resident

Medical School: Oregon Health and Science University

Alyssa grew up in Portland and earned bachelor's degrees in public health and international studies from Oregon State University. Prior to medical school, she worked at Planned Parenthood as a clinic assistant, which solidified her commitment to pursuing a career in women’s health. Alyssa loves to travel and studied Spanish in Argentina and Ecuador. During medical school, she conducted clinical and epidemiological research in Colombia and Mexico. At OHSU, she completed a joint M.D./M.P.H. program, learning to be a physician with a population health lens. Research was an important focus of Alyssa’s during medical school and she has a special interest in decision analysis. She plans to pursue a career in academic medicine and looks forward to working with medical students as a resident. In her free time, Alyssa enjoys bringing loved ones together to share food and wine, exploring Portland’s famous culinary scene, and walking her dog with her husband, AJ. Alyssa is thrilled to continue training at OHSU!

Erin Nacev, M.D., M.P.H. she/her

Medical School: University of Wisconsin SOM

Erin grew up on the Olympic Peninsula in Silverdale, WA. She studied at Swarthmore College in Pennsylvania, spending her Junior year in Buenos Aires, Argentina. After college, she moved to San Francisco to serve two AmeriCorps terms at a Department of Public Health family health center, where she worked as a health coach and helped start a patient advisory council. During medical school at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, she was a member of the Training in Urban Medicine and Public Health and spent her clinical years in Milwaukee. Here, she worked with the Sixteenth Street Community Health Center Department of Environmental Health on a longitudinal community project, including her MPH capstone related to  lead screening during pregnancy. She also served as President of the International Board of Directors of Medical Students for Choice, sitting on the board from 2018-2021. Her research interests center on reproductive health services, education and policy, and health disparities. Outside of medicine, she enjoys spending time with her husband and daughter, cooking and baking, walking her lab mix Rosie, and doing crossword puzzles.

Megan Fuerst, M.D., M.P.H. she/her

Medical School: George Washington University SOM

Megan is originally from a small town in Ohio and stayed within the Midwest to attend the University of Notre Dame for her undergraduate degree. She frequently worked internationally in Eastern Uganda during her undergrad and completed a 1-year fellowship in South Africa before starting her MD/MPH at George Washington (GW) University. During medical school she directed GW’s student-run free clinic and helped teach sexual education to middle-school students. She was also elected to  the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Society and the Gold Humanism Honor Society. Megan completed her MPH in Epidemiology during medical school so she could take her love of statistics to another level and is excited to continue quantitative research in her OB/GYN career. Her interests include adolescent healthcare, health policy, family planning, and trauma-informed care.

Sarena Hayer, M.D., M.Sc. she/her

Medical School: Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University

Sarena Hayer was born in England and grew up in Los Angeles. She received her BA in Economics at Barnard College and attended the London School of Economics and SOAS, University of London for graduate school where she studied Medical Anthropology and Gender Studies. She is interested in embodied experiences in accessing reproductive healthcare and technologies, intersections of agency and wellbeing, and disparities in reproductive health outcomes. During medical school, she volunteered at a free clinic providing gynecologic care for uninsured patients, participated in street outreach and medical navigation for patients experiencing homelessness, and completed a qualitative research project on young women’s experiences accessing contraception in Khayelitsha, South Africa. In her free time, you can find her reading, cooking vegetarian dinners, traveling, snowboarding, running, trying to learn how to surf, and spending time with her little brother!

Rachel Madding, M.D. she/her

Medical School: Sidney Kimmel College at Thomas Jefferson University

Rachel grew up in Burlingame, CA. She attended Middlebury College where she majored in Environmental Studies, Sociology, and Anthropology, minored in global health, and played Varsity soccer. After graduating, she worked as a medical assistant in an OB/GYN office and fell in love with prenatal and postpartum care. She moved to Philadelphia to complete a post-bacc program at the University of Pennsylvania and then attended Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University. As a medical student, she spent a summer doing clinical rotations in Medellín, Colombia, and worked as a volunteer Spanish interpreter at Puentes de Salud, a non-profit that provides free healthcare services to underserved populations. She was very involved in curriculum development and is passionate about medical student and resident education. In her fourth year she developed an appreciation for clinical research and studied the impact of COVID-19 on the care of patients with gynecologic malignancies. In her free time, Rachel enjoys running, exploring new places, listening to live music, eating cheese, fluid acrylic painting and walking her dog Charlie. She is excited to return to the West Coast and begin the next chapter as a member of  the incredible OHSU OB/GYN community.

Annie Cathcart, M.D., Ph.D. she/her

Medical School: Harvard Medical School

Annie grew up in Spokane, Washington. She graduated summa cum laude from Harvard College with a major in Chemistry before matriculating in the Harvard/MIT MD-PhD program. During her PhD training, she combined her chemistry background and interest in oncology to develop new peptide cancer therapeutics under the mentorship of Professor Loren Walensky. She discovered a love for women’s health in the Harvard-MIT Health Sciences and Technology medical school program and is thrilled to continue clinical training in OB/GYN and research in Gynecologic Oncology at OHSU. In her free time, Annie loves to spend time with her husband, son, and dog and enjoy the beautiful outdoors. She is ecstatic to return home to the Pacific Northwest for her residency training!

Miriam Hernandez-Zepeda, M.D. she/her

Medical School: Oregon Health and Science University

Miriam grew up in a small town on the coast of Oregon called Brookings. She attended the University of Portland where she double majored in Biology & Spanish and got the opportunity to study abroad in Granada, Spain. Before starting medical school, Miriam worked as a medical scribe at Legacy Health and a barista at Sisters Coffee Company. Miriam has always valued community. She has a special interest in promoting culturally sensitive care and advocating for underserved populations. During medical school, she volunteered with several programs that provided mentorship to underrepresented  high school students interested in the medical field, and she also participated in the Virginia Garcia mobile clinics that provided healthcare to farmworkers. Miriam is very excited to be staying at OHSU to begin her career in women's health.

Ellie Schmidt, M.D. she/her

Medical School:  Oregon Health and Science University

Ellie Schmidt, a Portland native, graduated from Colgate University where she studied economics and played division 1  soccer. After graduation, she was hired by Colgate as an Investment Analyst for the university’s endowment, a post she held for 3 years. Ellie then pivoted to medicine after completing a post-baccalaureate program at Johns Hopkins. In addition to her stint in the world of finance, before medical school, Ellie served as a birth and postpartum doula. Highlights from medical school at OHSU include presenting cost-effectiveness research at SMFM, testifying at Portland’s City Hall in support of access to reproductive healthcare, and playing on an intramural soccer team with her classmates. She is a member of AOA and the Gold Humanism Honor Society. While not at the hospital, Ellie likes to spend time outside, mostly on mountains and on rivers. She feels very fortunate to be continuing her medical training at OHSU.

Gabriella Go, M.D. she/her

Medical School: University of Texas Medical School at Houston

Gabriella was born in Houston, Texas but spent her early childhood in Singapore and Thailand. She returned to Houston to continue primary school and then attended The University of Texas at Austin, where she obtained a BSA in Biology and minor in French. Over the years, she has had the opportunity to travel to Kenya and Uganda partnering with local organizations as well as challenge her lingual ability living in France. Her love for delicious food and diverse culture brought her back to Houston where she received an MD and Global Health Certificate at McGovern Medical School. Fueled by her desire to address health equity and passion for women’s health, she then completed the first two years of her OB/GYN residency caring for a predominantly Spanish speaking border population in South Texas. Although Texas will always be home, she is excited for this next adventure to continue her training at OHSU. When she isn’t at the hospital, you can find her exercising, traveling, attempting to be a foodie, and playing with her rescue dog.

Jeanne Shi, M.D. she/her

Medical School: New York Medical College

Jeanne was born in the lovely Vancouver, Canada, then moved to Louisville, then Philly, and then to North Carolina where she studied Neuroscience at Duke University. After undergrad, she spent a transformative year as a life skills counselor working with homeless youth in Philly. She got her MD at New York Medical College and helped lead the Center of Human Rights in putting together medical affidavits for asylum seekers and trafficking victims. She continued to work with undocumented patients at the border during intern year in the Rio Grande Valley, TX. Outside of work, she is an avid photographer of nature and cities, enjoys cooking, hiking, and climbing. She is super excited to explore the great outdoors, coffee shops, and breweries in Portland with her spouse and golden retriever puppy!

Emily Wolverton, M.D. she/her

Medical School: University of Colorado SOM, Denver 

Emily grew up in rural Colorado near the mountains. She attended the University of Denver and studied abroad in Denmark which sparked her interest in health systems and global health. After college, she moved to Guatemala for a semester to learn the Spanish language and about health systems in Central America. Emily's enthusiasm for community engagement and education led her to spend the other six months working as a middle school teacher and high school volleyball coach in her hometown. Throughout medical school at the University of Colorado, she continued to pursue her passions by regularly volunteering as a Spanish interpreter, a peer tutor/mentor, and a non-profit advisory board leader. Outside of medicine, Emily is an outdoor enthusiast; she soaks up every moment outside whether it be on a hiking trail, road bike, ski slope, grass volleyball court, or even a rooftop patio. She enjoys cooking and trying new healthy recipes, though she is known for her chocolate chip cookies and banana bread. Looking forward, Emily hopes to work as a generalist in a rural health setting and continue to advocate for improved sexual health education and the advancement of reproductive rights.

Sara Phillips, M.D., M.P.H. she/her

Medical School: University of Washington SOM

A Hawai’i-born, PNW-transplant, Sara grew up in a medically-underserved, rural farming community on Kaua’i. She is an Indigenous scholar and disparities researcher focused on centering reproductive justice and health equity. She holds a BA in Indigenous Health and Biomedical Sciences from the University of British Columbia, an MPH from Harvard and an MD from the University of Washington, where she was elected into the Gold Humanism and Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Societies. Sara plans a career as a clinician scientist, being a stalwart advocate for the health of underserved communities through mixed methods research, clinical practice, and public health interventions. Sara’s current research uses qualitative methods to identify bright spots and targets of intervention for addressing gaps in care postpartum. Outside of medicine, Sara enjoys figure skating, finding treats at her local farmer’s market, exploring cafes, bakeries, and restaurants, and spending time with her partner and her family, most especially watching her niece and nephews play sports.

Kim Schaefer, M.D., M.Sc. she/her

Medical School: Harvard Medical School

Kim grew up in Honolulu, HI, and moved from paradise to Harvard College where she studied neurobiology and global health/health policy. Through working in labs and internationally, she developed a deep appreciation for the centrality of maternal care in building strong communities. Venturing further afield, she interned at WHO in Geneva and earned an MSc in Global Health Science from the University of Oxford, during which time she lived in Guangzhou, China, studying risk factors for gestational diabetes. She returned to Harvard for medical school and a Master in Public Policy, driven to better understand structural and systems-level barriers in reproductive health care. There, she co-led the HMS Medical Students for Choice chapter, served on the Massachusetts Medical Society Committee on Maternal and Perinatal Welfare, and studied the effects of patient language preference in pregnancy. She gets excited (and frustrated) thinking about health insurance and is currently working on protecting adolescent confidentiality regarding insurance communications in Hawai’i. Beyond medicine, Kim is a running and marathon enthusiast and also enjoys traveling, hiking, crosswords, live music, and (attempting to play) ukulele. She cannot wait to explore Portland’s trails and food scene and is thrilled to join the OHSU community!

Astha Mittal, M.D., M.P.H. she/her

Medical School: Texas A&M University HSC COM

Astha has basically lived as a nomad all her life, traveling from Bombay to Little Rock, AR at the age of 12 and changing over 12 cities so far (Portland is #13). She went to Rice University for undergrad where she fell in love with psychology and then went on to get a Masters of Public Health in Community Health and Health Policy. She then went to Texas A&M for medical school. Outside of medicine Astha loves reading, learning new languages, cooking new recipes, and obsessively designing trip itineraries. Hit her up if you ever need a hearty bowl of soup or hugs!

Sophie Weinstein, M.D., M.P.H. she/her

Medical School: Technischen Universität München Fakultät für Medizin

Sophie is a proud member of the Karuk Tribe. She received her Master's in Public Health from Johns Hopkins University and her Medical Degree from the Technical University of Munich, Germany. Growing up, Sophie spent her time between Bavaria, Germany, and the beautiful Klamath River in Northern California, which is her ancestral home. Before coming to the OHSU, she worked as a Research Associate at the Johns Hopkins Center for American Indian Health, where she served Indigenous peoples across the United States through culturally congruent and community-based public health practice. She is the creator and director of the Indigenae podcast, which centers Indigenous womxn's health and wellbeing in conversation with Elders, traditional practitioners, health care workers, activists, researchers, artists, and survivors. She has also served as Medical and Public Health advisor to the Karuk Tribe's COVID-19 Incident Management Team, where she was actively engaged in pandemic response and Tribal policy development. Outside of medicine, Sophie enjoys weaving traditional Karuk baskets and spending time with her husband, her enormous and loving family, and her dog. This year, she became a momma to her son, who is her pride and joy!

Christine Nguyen Dawson, M.D.  she/her

Medical School: University of Oklahoma COM

Christine grew up in Oklahoma City and moved out to the west coast to attend Stanford University for an undergraduate degree in Human Biology. For her gap year, she worked as a Course Associate in Human Biology at Stanford, teaching medical anthropology, developmental psychology, and environmental and health policy analysis before coming home to OKC for medical school at the University of Oklahoma. During medical school, she founded the Oklahoma Reach Out and Read volunteer group and the Environmental and Sustainable Health Group, volunteered at and lobbied for one of the state’s only family planning clinics, and led research projects in vaccine hesitancy and early literacy. She was also elected to the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Society and the Gold Humanism Honor Society. In her free time, she loves cooking, running, exploring coffee shops, and loving on her cat. She is ecstatic to be back on the West Coast with the OHSU OBGYN residency.

​​​​​​​Rachel Mnuk, M.D., M.P.H. she/her

​​​​​​​Medical School: University of New Mexico SOM

Rachel is a New Mexican hailing from Albuquerque where she attended UNM for her BS in Biology, her MPH in Epidemiology, and her MD. Her interest in family planning drove her towards public health and medicine. While completing her MPH, she researched the impact of abortion access and social stigma on patient outcomes. Prior to medical school, she worked in maternal child health epidemiology. During medical school, she developed an interest in trauma-informed care and assisted in developing UNM’s trauma-informed care curriculum for medical students. She also became interested in intimate partner and gender-based violence, exploring this both through research and medical school curriculum design. She is thrilled to further all these interests at OHSU. Whenever time allows, she can probably be found outside hiking and running or inside on the couch watching horror movies with her partner and her cats.

Samuel Melville, M.D. he/him

Medical School: University of Southern California Keck SOM

Sam grew up in Palo Alto, CA and attended UC Berkeley as an undergraduate. There, he studied Economics, completing research in health insurance and maternal health disparities, suffered through several losing seasons of Cal football as a radio commentator and worked as an EMT on an ambulance in Oakland. Before medical school, Sam worked as an analyst at a litigation consulting firm in London and a venture capital firm in Silicon Valley before deciding to dedicate his life to medicine and decreasing the gender inequities in healthcare and the workplace. While attending the Keck School of Medicine at USC, Sam served as a Gehr Healthcare Innovation Fellow and president of several healthcare policy and reproductive rights advocacy groups. Sam is a strong advocate for patients' right to choice and the fair distribution of healthcare resources. His current research interests involve new infertility treatments, preventing obstetric complications and cost analysis of surgical care. Beyond medicine, Sam enjoys backpacking trips, planting Bonsai trees, cooking for friends, listening to history podcasts, watching basketball and registering new voters!

Erica Qiao, M.D. she/her

Medical School: University of Washington SOM

Erica graduated with honors in Biology and Chemistry from the University of Washington. After graduation, she served in the AmeriCorps, focusing on reducing health barriers in rural communities. During this time, she also co-founded a pipeline program aimed to connect junior high and high school students with mentors and hands-on workshops within healthcare. Throughout medical school, she chose to train in rural and underserved hospitals, where she discovered her physician philosophy and passion for women's health, surgery, and improving access to care while caring for patients in these communities. She was elected as Class Vice President and actively participated in medical education, community service, and various research fields, including Cardiac MR Imaging, COVID-19, Palliative Care, and Surgical Outcomes. After graduation, she was elected into the Gold Humanism Honor Society by her classmates and received the Service Award. Erica is proud and ecstatic to continue her medical training in the PNW with the incredible OHSU and Oregon community! Outside of medicine, Erica finds joy in cooking and draws inspiration from Gordon Ramsey's passion for food and teaching. She enjoys spending time with her family, immersing herself in DIY projects, admiring the ocean, and all the wonders Oregon has to offer.

Caroline Braun, M.D. she/her

Medical School: Emory University SOM

Cally grew up in Charlotte, Vermont and stayed close to her Green Mountain home to attend Dartmouth College. There, she studied anthropology, bioethics, and global health and first became interested in reproductive justice through volunteering with Planned Parenthood. She then traded summits for skylines, moving to New York City to work under a state grant to increase breastfeeding accessibility and then to Atlanta to attend Emory University School of Medicine. At Emory, Cally connected her lifelong interest in caring for our planet with health and began working on research investigating the impact of climate change on pregnancy outcomes. Outside of the hospital, Cally loves to do anything outside, especially cross-country or downhill skiing (and maybe backcountry soon!), and already feels right at home in Oregon.

Katherine Bolten, M.D. she/her

Medical School: Northwestern University, Feinberg SOM

Kate was born in Michigan and grew up in both West Virginia and the greater Philadelphia area. She grew up moving several times and can confirm that home is where the heart (and friends and family) are! She studied bioengineering and Spanish at Temple University before moving to Chicago to study at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine. During medical school, her research efforts were directed towards medical education in OBGYN and assisted reproductive technology. Kate received a Nezhat Family Foundation Endometriosis Grant to create a surgical simulation for OBGYN trainees to practice retroperitoneal dissection techniques for stage 4 endometriosis resection and is excited to continue her work in medical education at OHSU. Kate is looking forward to exploring Portland’s cycling community, chowing down on some Tillamook, throwing dinner parties for her new co-residents, and checking out the PNW hiking scene. Kate, her partner Gavin, and her cheese-loving mini Australian shepherd are so excited to live in Portland and to join the OHSU community!

Leda Espinoza, M.D. she/her

Medical School: University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill SOM

Leda grew up in Emerald Hills, CA and moved to the east coast to attend Dartmouth College, where she studied Biology. After graduating, she spent a month hiking the John Muir Trail before moving to Boston, MA to join a research group that studies the long-term psychosocial outcomes of burn survivors. She attended medical school at the University of North Carolina, completing her third year rotations in the western part of the state at UNC’s branch campus in Asheville. As a medical student, she worked as a peer tutor, volunteer Spanish interpreter, and volunteer coordinator at UNC’s student-run free clinic. She hopes to be a generalist, providing inclusive and full-spectrum reproductive healthcare for folks through all different walks of life. Outside of medicine, she enjoys hiking, backpacking, climbing, baking sourdough bread, crossword puzzling with her partner, chatting up vendors at her local farmers market, and reading. She couldn’t be more excited to be joining the OHSU community!

Sara Grundy, M.D., M.P.H. she/her

Medical School: Duke University SOM

Sara grew up in Montpelier, Vermont before attending Wesleyan University where she majored in Neuroscience. During her gap years, she lived in Boston and worked in global health where she developed an interest community engagement and health policy, and developed an appreciation for the impact they can have on health outcomes of the most marginalized. Then after spending her entire life in New England, she moved to North Carolina to attend Duke for medical school. While there, she became interested in the intersection between incarceration and health after caring for many patients admitted from the local prison. She was moved by the connection to trauma, especially for incarcerated women, and founded an organization that provides health navigation and financial assistance to formerly incarcerated women in the Raleigh-Durham area. She also worked on research projects on shackling policies, lactation access in NC jails, and the prison system response to COVID-19. In her free time, she loves cooking, playing board games, trying new restaurants, live music, spending time with her husband and cats, and anything that gets her outside. She can’t wait to explore all the beautiful nature in and around Portland, take full advantage of the amazing food scene in the city, and join the community at OHSU!

Geffan Pearlson, M.D., M.S. she/her

Medical School: University of California, San Francisco SOM

Originally from Eugene, Oregon, Geffan is thrilled to return to the PNW for residency at OHSU. She attended Stanford University where she studied Human Biology with a minor in Modern Languages (Spanish and Arabic) and met her husband, JR. After college, she worked in family planning and abortion research in San Francisco while completing post-baccalaureate classes. She stayed in the Bay Area for medical school at the UC Berkeley-UCSF Joint Medical Program, and carried her passion for family planning into her master’s thesis research examining provider responses to patients requesting IUD removal. Geffan has a strong interest in medical education and participated in the Health Professionals Pathway. In her free time, Geffan enjoys living room dance parties with JR and their two kids and spending time outside. She also loves snuggling their cat, Jupiter (who does not enjoy the living room dance parties).

Carter Scott, M.D. he/they

Medical School: Washington University SOM, St Louis, Missouri

Carter was born in Mississippi and raised in Alabama. He studied public health at Tulane University in New Orleans, where he was heavily involved in sexual health promotion, sexual violence prevention, and peer health education. He also assisted with national HIV behavioral health research and counseling. It was at Tulane that they learned about the field of LGBTQ health, an area in which they hope to specialize. Carter then worked as a public health consultant in New Hampshire, where he specialized in clinical quality improvement and health systems emergency preparedness. He attended medical school at Washington University in St. Louis, where he continued research he began as an undergraduate in LGBTQ health, implicit bias, and medical curricular development. He also led a group facilitating health workshops for adolescents who are incarcerated. Carter is fulfilled by developing connections and strengthening their community, which they have done through LGBTQ organizing, mentoring premedical students, and founding an organization to support medical students with partners and families. He loves to cook, especially making nutritious food taste great.