People

People List

  • Haley Plattner, MD

    Fellow

    Rush University

    I am currently a chief resident and the incoming simulation fellow at Rush University Medical Center. I have been drawn to Simulation as an effective tool for training medical professionals to become better clinicians, team members, and proceduralists in a risk-free environment. During both my medical school and residency training, I have sought to be involved in designing simulation experiences. This includes organizing a SimWars competition for our Emergency Medicine Interest Group in medical school. During residency I also designed a model for practicing a resuscitative hysterotomy, a procedure lab for practicing dislocation reductions and wrote communication cases to train residents in effective on-shift teaching methods with medical students . As chief resident this year in my program, I have also been involved in curriculum design for our residency and have planned our didactic calendar for the academic year. I have prioritized lecture content relevant to learning the practice of medicine and covered board-preparation  materials for my fellow residents. Each of these experiences has invigorated my passion for teaching and finding effective ways to practice and improve skills that are needed in the practice of emergency medicine .

    I am running for the fellowship position on the Simulation Academy Executive Committee as I am passionate about helping simulation as an educative strategy become more accessible to Emergency Medicine Residencies and Medical Schools. In this position I would be an advocate for medical students, residents, and programs to have even more access to simulation materials through the SAEM Simulation Academy. I would advocate for expanding access SimWars access to medical students and continue making SimWars more accessible for residents as well. I would also work to implement a mentorship program for those interested in simulation in their career to connect medical students and residents with those already in the field.

  • Danier Ong, MD

    Fellow

    University of California, Davis

    My name is Danier Ong, and I am a current medical education and simulation fellow at the University of California, Davis. I completed my residency training at Saint Louis University, where I also served as chief resident. I previously served as Vice Chair of the Emergency Medicine Residents Association Simulation Committee in 2023-2024 and in 2024-2025. I have been a member of SAEM Simulation Academy since residency and had the privilege of receiving the SAEM25 Annual Meeting Attendance Scholarship.

    The Simulation Academy has played a pivotal role in my own development through mentorship, community, and professional growth. If elected, I will work to strengthen the Simulation Academy’s position as a leading national organization for residents and fellows in simulation. My goal is to expand its outreach as the premier platform for simulationists, particularly targeting sim-interested residents and simulation fellows. I plan to lead efforts to streamline and standardize career development resources, ensuring that early-career simulationists have clear, consistent pathways and mentorship to build strong professional foundations.

    To achieve this, I plan to develop a structured topic framework for monthly meetings to provide consistent, high-yield content throughout the year. I also aim to create a centralized online repository of career resources that covers key topics such as building a simulation portfolio, finding mentorship, and navigating academic or community career pathways. Finally, I aim to expand outreach to young or emerging simulation programs using social media to highlight the breadth of our community and ensure that every trainee, regardless of institutional resources, feels connected and represented within the Academy.

    Through these initiatives, I hope to strengthen the Simulation Academy’s role as the driving force for excellence, innovation and inclusivity in simulation.

  • Meagan Barry, MD, PhD

    Treasurer

    Brown University

    It is with great enthusiasm that I ask you to consider my candidacy for Treasurer of GEMA for a second term. Currently, I am an Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine at Brown University, in Providence, RI, where I work closely with many present and past GEMA Executive Committee Members. My training includes a Diploma in Tropical Medicine & Hygiene (DTM&H) from the Gorgas Memorial Institute of Tropical and Preventive Medicine and the Certificate of Knowledge in Clinical Tropical Medicine and Travelers' Health (CTropMed) from the American Society of Tropical Medicine & Hygiene. My background includes experience in philanthropic organizations as a former member of the Baylor Research Advocates for Student Scientists, a group dedicated to improving health through science, scholarship, and innovation. My research focuses on global infectious diseases and maternal-child health.

    As the current GEMA Treasurer, I have been honored to support GEMA by crafting and managing a balanced budget that supports the mission of our Academy and the incredible ongoing work of our members. Over the past year, I have gained experience with the SAEM budgetary cycle and GEMA’s financial management needs. I have advocated on behalf of our Academy for ongoing support of our key programming despite challenging economic times and ensured full utilization of GEMA’s budget to not leave any “money on the table.” Additionally, I have promoted the involvement of our colleagues from LMICs, including through the administration of scholarships for SAEM membership. If elected again, I will continue to be an advocate for academic Global Emergency Medicine within SAEM. I will strive to represent and support the incredible diversity of work that our members accomplish while continuing to advance GEMA’s mission through growing our membership base, particularly among our global colleagues, and doubling our efforts for global engagement.

  • Tierra Smith, MD

    Secretary

    University of Florida

    Thank you for consideration for the secretary position. I believe I would be an exceptional candidate for GEMA secretary due to my organizational skills and attention to detail. My previous leadership roles include being chief resident and serving on the GME Housestaff Council. Since becoming an assistant professor with the University of Florida, I served as core faculty for the advanced emergency ultrasound fellowship. During that time, I worked closely with the global health section to develop ultrasound training curricula and training programs with our international partners. I believe these roles have given me the necessary experience to serve as GEMA secretary. If selected, I will be dedicated to helping further the mission of the GEMA.

  • Oriane Longerstaey, MD

    Secretary

    Brown University

    In addition to being the current secretary for GEMA, I am an assistant professor of emergency medicine at Brown University and the Associate Program Director for the Armenian Unified Emergency Medicine Residency in Armenia. I went to medical school at the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Carolinas, completed residency at Carolinas Medical Center and fellowship at Brown University. My current work for GEMA includes facilitating GEMA sponsorship for Pulse articles, documentation during Ex-Co and membership meetings, and working on the transition to the new GEMA website. This has been my first experience on the GEMA board and I have enjoyed working with the rest of the Ex-Co on growing our international membership and opportunities for colleagues in low- and middle-income countries. I would like to continue in this position to continue supporting this work and build more opportunities for GEMA members within SAEM.

  • Vinay N. Kampalath, MD, DTM&H

    President-Elect

    University of Pennsylvania

    It is with great enthusiasm that I put forth my candidacy as president-elect for the Global Emergency Medicine Academy (GEMA) for 2025-26. Presently, I am an assistant professor at the University of Pennsylvania/Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, where I am a pediatric emergency medicine physician and global health researcher.

    I first joined GEMA in 2020, amid the pandemic, when I felt deeply unsure of my future as a global health practitioner and researcher. Joining GEMA at that juncture injected excitement and optimism into my career, and I soon found a passionate community where I could both learn about cutting-edge advances in global emergency medicine and contribute to knowledge production. I found a community that was receptive to my ideas on how to grow GEMA, and I founded the Humanitarian Taskforce shortly after joining. The HTF, which now has over 130 members, has since grown into one of the most popular subgroups of GEMA, and we now have an active community that has produced countless webinars and SAEM pulse articles and is now working on several projects to help generate evidence in the humanitarian space. I am grateful that GEMA leaders gave me space for my ideas to flourish.

    In the years since joining, I have been the co-chair of the Pediatric Emergency Medicine Subcommittee and have served on the GEMA ExCo for the last two years as Program Committee Liaison and IT/Social Media Chair. In these roles, my main focus has been supporting and promoting the work of GEMA members at our Annual Meeting and on our social media platforms.

    As president-elect, I intend to provide all members with a space where they have the agency to shape the future of global emergency medicine. This is particularly important for medical students, trainees, members from LMICs, and junior faculty. I intend to use my position as president-elect to catalyze collaboration opportunities for GEMA members not only within the larger SAEM community but also with external organizations, such as IFEM, AFEM, CUGH, and humanitarian and global health organizations. I also hope to encourage networking opportunities between members and to promote GEMA webinars, particularly as they pertain to career development and research in global emergency medicine.

    I believe that with my experience in leadership within GEMA and SAEM, combined with my passion for global emergency medicine will make me an excellent candidate for the position of president-elect. Thank you for considering me for this position!

  • Thaer Ahmad, MD

    Member-at-Large

    Advocate Christ Medical Center

    I serve as Assistant Program Director and Global Health Director at Advocate Christ Medical Center. I completed my residency in Detroit at St. John and earned my MD from Rush University Medical College. My academic and clinical work is complemented by leadership roles in medical ethics, antibiotic stewardship, and global health education. I am an active member of SAEM’s Global Emergency Medicine Academy and have contributed to research and publications focused on trauma-informed care, ethics, and international emergency response. As well as participated in GEMA's WHO TOT course.

    In addition to my academic roles, I have been deeply involved in medical humanitarian relief and have served as a board member for multiple humanitarian organizations. My work includes global health capacity building projects and emergency response efforts in low-resource and crisis settings. These experiences have shaped my commitment to equity, resilience, and innovation in emergency care.

    I believe in SAEM’s mission of advancing academic emergency medicine through inclusive leadership, global collaboration, and mentorship. If elected, I aim to strengthen and increase opportunities for global health engagement, support emerging leaders in academic EM, and advocate for sustainable and ethical emergency care globally.

  • Priya Arumuganathan, MD

    Member-at-Large

    University of Pennsylvania

    As a global emergency medicine (EM) fellow and MPH candidate at the University of Pennsylvania, I am dedicated to advancing emergency care worldwide through a blend of academic rigor, hands-on international experience, and commitment to health equity. My work spans diverse educational roles, including course director for the Perelman Medical Student Botswana Simulation Training, where I guide learners in key global health principles and essential skills for resource-limited environments. As core faculty for the certificate program in emergency medicine (Pakistan), I support the training of non-EM-trained physicians by teaching foundational EM concepts and developing individualized support curricula. Additionally, my role as visiting faculty at the University of Botswana allows me to mentor residents in academic research and ePOCUS certification, helping to empower the first generations of EM-trained physicians in the country.

    My commitment to global health is deeply personal. As the daughter of immigrants displaced by the Sri Lankan Civil War, I am driven to promote health equity and improve healthcare access for marginalized communities. This dedication extends to my roles as fellow representative for the Global Emergency Medicine Fellowship Consortium (GEMFC) and as an associate scholar with the Penn Center for global health, where I emphasize mentorship, sustainable capacity building, and empowerment of emerging global health leaders.

    If elected as member-at-large, I would be honored to support GEMA’s mission by fostering mentorship, promoting international engagement, and contributing to sustainable growth in global emergency medicine. I look forward to collaborating with GEMA’s diverse community to make quality emergency care accessible for all.

  • Nicole Irgens-Moller, MD

    Member-at-Large

    Stanford University

    I am a pediatric emergency medicine clinical assistant professor at Stanford University with over 16 years experience in global health. My journey began in 2008 with community outreach in Mali and expanded to include epidemiologic research in El Salvador, patient care in Ecuador and Guatemala, and now focuses on medical education in Pakistan, Rwanda, and Mexico, both in-person and virtually. I am committed to sustainable global health, believing involvement should not be limited to those who can get on a plane.

    My longest partnership is with the University of Global Health Equity in Rwanda, where I have the honor of teaching and mentoring future global health leaders. This work enables year-round engagement in global health and the development of virtual curricula accessible anywhere and anytime. I also prioritize addressing health disparities at home; one of my most rewarding projects was an APP-funded grant to create an adolescent health curriculum on reproductive health and vaping cessation for the Fort Berthold Reservation in North Dakota. I am passionate about enhancing pediatric preparedness within all health systems, including our own.

    I would be a valuable addition to the GEMA team as I bring a pediatric perspective to global emergency medicine. Dr. Leff and Dr. Kampalath are doing a phenomenal job heading the pediatric EM committee, and I think I would be a valuable collaborator and pediatric voice on the executive committee.

  • Joseph Ciano, DO, MPH, MS

    Member-at-Large

    University of Pennsylvania

    I running for the member at large position in GEMA.

    I currently work clinically at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and in rural Montana at Crow/Northern Cheyenne Hospital under the Indian health services system. I serve as the current cochair to the American Indian/Alaskan native health GEMA committee. In addition to these roles, I serve as the assistant program director of an emergency medicine physician training course in Durgapur, India (Masters in emergency medicine certification course), I work as a content contributor and author for the IFEM – endorsed international emergency medicine education project, and Editor for the Global EM Literature Review (GEMLR), among other projects, nationally and globally.

    If chosen in this role, I hope to support my fellow Ex-co members through my networking and experience in other leadership positions, improve collaborations between GEMA and other SAEM groups, and help increase LMIC members and partnerships.

  • Chase C. Westra, MD

    Member-at-Large

    Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai

    After participating in the Global Emergency Medicine Academy (GEMA) throughout training, I’m looking for more committed and consistent involvement early in my academic career. Thus far, I've attended HTF, decolonization, and BEC subcommittee meetings and completed the BEC TOT course at my first SAEM conference. Soon after, I traveled to Nairobi with a group of collaborators I’d met at the conference to teach the WHO BEC course to graduates of the University of Nairobi School of Medicine. I am now working with subcommittee leaders to help facilitate the BEC TOT course at next year’s conference in Philadelphia. As a member of the executive committee, I hope to offer perspective and advocacy for resident and young physician career development through involvement in the academy. This group has offered invaluable opportunities for networking and project collaboration, and I hope to continue gleaning academic skills and savvy from the incredibly prolific and inspiring group of members involved in GEMA.

  • Catalina Gonzalez Marques, MD, MPH

    Member-at-Large

    Brigham and Women's Hospital

    As member-at-large I would work to serve the membership of Global Emergency Medicine Academy (GEMA) members. One of my main goal would be continuing to work towards GEMA becoming a more inclusive academy. Aim to work with the Ex-Co to continue to find pathways and areas of collaboration with our international colleagues, especially those from LMICs that can bring such valuable lived experience to the GEMA community. I would also support the executive committee in promoting the work of GEMA across SAEM and increase collaboration with other academies.

  • Andrew Louis Stricklin, MD

    Member-at-Large

    UT Southwestern

    I am a graduate of the Texas A&M University College of Medicine, completed my emergency medicine residency at University of Texas Health San Antonio, where I served as a chief resident my senior year, and following residency, I completed a fellowship in global health and public health there as well. Since graduating, I have become an assistant professor in the Department of Emergency Medicine at the University of Texas Southwestern and is a member of the Emergency Disaster and Global Health (EDGH) division, where I assist in training disaster/global health fellows, and participate in global health projects and research. My area's of focus since joining the faculty at UT Southwestern have been emergency medicine development and disaster risk reduction in Nepal, public health response to the COVID-19 pandemic, and public health system resiliency to nuclear disasters. I have been a member of SAEM for years, and have presented at previous annual meetings. If elected, I would like to foster an environment that promotes better communication, improve initiatives that further the advancement of education and research, aids in funding global health for trainees and young faculty, which can often be difficult for them to obtain.

  • Shering Torres, MD

    Medical Student/Resident Representative

    The Ohio State University

    My name is Shering Torres. I am a first-generation Guatemala-American and current PGY2 in emergency medicine (EM) at The Ohio State University. Throughout my childhood, I spent frequent workdays alongside my parents and members of their Spanish-speaking humanitarian ministry traveling between Southern California and both Mexico and Guatemala. The primary objective of our group was to provide emotional, spiritual and monetary support to underserved communities where even basic living amenities were a privilege. These trips were impactful and demonstrated the vital role that socio-economic factors play in determining equitable health outcomes. Collectively, these experiences left a lasting impression and encouraged me to continue to seek opportunities to engage in international service. While in college, I had the opportunity to participate in multiple humanitarian mission trips to Guatemala that involved helping organize health clinics within local, rural pueblos. During medical school, I continued to serve the small, rural community of Lake Atitlan, Guatemala. Our efforts involved helping to raise funds for the preservation of local, natural resources accessed by nearly two-million Guatemalans. My goal, as a resident representative, is to ensure Global Emergency Medicine Academy (GEMA) continues to be a source of support and collaboration for emergency medicine residents aspiring to be global health leaders within all communities, both domestic and international. It is my commitment to work on behalf of emergency medicine resident colleagues to ensure that GEMA continues to facilitate connections for advancing professional excellence in the global health community.

  • Adebisi Adeyeye, MBBS, MSc

    Medical Student/Resident Representative

    Mayo Clinic

    I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to have assumed my role as the Medical Student/Resident Representative of SAEM GEMA for the 2025 tenure while simultaneously beginning residency training last year. Leaving my home country of Nigeria to pursue advanced training in emergency medicine in the United States has made the past six months profoundly transformative. This period has been marked by rapid growth, both as a physician and as a leader, and my continued engagement with GEMA has been instrumental in keeping me grounded in my values while preserving a global perspective as I train within the U.S. healthcare system.

    Beyond this personal and professional growth, I am especially proud of the opportunity to actively contribute to GEMA’s mission. Over the past six months, I have worked closely with the executive team to advance initiatives centered on global health education, mentorship, and equity, with a particular focus on medical students and residents. Through this role, I have been able to meaningfully support GEMA’s efforts to expand global health knowledge, awareness, and engagement across the trainee community.

    Notably, I led the GEMA mentorship initiative through implementation, facilitating the pairing of medical students and residents within the SAEM community with experienced global health mentors. This initiative was designed to foster sustained mentorship, professional development, and exposure to diverse career pathways in global emergency medicine. In addition, I am currently collaborating with RAMS to develop sessions aimed at increasing the involvement of the resident community with GEMA and strengthening support structures and expanding opportunities for residents and medical students within the organization. I have also actively contributed to the work of the Equity and Global Health Subcommittee and the Humanitarian Subcommittee, supporting ongoing projects and contributing ideas toward research development.

    As I apply to continue in this position for a second tenure, my goal remains unchanged: to further advance global emergency medicine education and research within SAEM GEMA and to continue working toward equitable, meaningful, and sustainable impact in emergency medicine worldwide.

  • Taylor Burkholder, MD, MPH

    President-Elect

    University of Southern California

    With immense gratitude to GEMA for years of academic support and opportunities, I am running for President-Elect to contribute to the academy’s efforts to strengthen our global academic mission and amplify diverse voices that are more representative of our global community. Over the past 8+ years, I have served in multiple GEMA executive committee roles—including Resident Representative, IT Chair, Treasurer, and Grants & Development officer—and represented GEMA on the SAEM Foundation Grants Committee, reflecting my longstanding commitment to advancing our academy’s vision and connecting us with the larger SAEM organization. I am eager to put those experiences and connections to use alongside the GEMA leadership.

    Echoing recent strategy brainstorming by our membership at the Annual Meetings, my priorities include expanding inclusive membership with LMIC representation, further developing GEMA’s research and educational resources, fostering equitable partnerships, and enhancing networking and career development opportunities for our members. Together, I believe we can continue to grow GEMA as the leading global platform for innovation, scholarship, and partnership in global emergency care.

    About me:
    I’m an associate professor at the University of Southern California and the Director of Academic Programs at the USC Institute on Inequalities in Global Health. My research interests include health service delivery interventions in resource-limited settings, health and human rights, and the governance of access to emergency care globally. I teach courses on pre-departure training and the responsible, ethical practice of global health to medical and public health students at USC.

    Education & Training:
    MD/MPH: Tulane University
    Residency: Denver Health
    Fellowship in Global Emergency Care: University of Colorado
    Translational Research Career Development (KL2) Program: USC

  • Corlin Jewell, MD

    Member-at-Large

    University of Wisconsin

    My name is Corlin Jewell and I think that I would be an exceptional addition to the Clerkship Directors in Emergency Medicine (CDEM) executive committee. I have been a passionate educator since medical school and have served on a number of national and local educational organizations. Currently, I am the director of medical student education for the Department of Emergency Medicine at the University of Wisconsin and prior to this, I served as the assistant clerkship director for 3 years. During this time, I have guided multiple cohorts of EM-bound students through the match process. I have also served on the school's educational policy and curriculum committee and have substantial practical experience with educational administration that will make me a valuable addition to the CDEM executive committee. I am in the process of completing a Master's of Health Professions Education (MHPE) at UIC and feel that this would add a substantial amount of educational theory background that will help me to contribute to the committee's mission. Furthermore, I am a great team player and have successfully collaborated on many national group efforts in scholarship as well as multiple committees (ASC-EM, SAEM Education Committee, SAEM Fellowship Approval Committee, CORD Track Chair). Overall, I think my experience will prove extremely helpful to CDEM and I would be thrilled to serve on the executive committee.

  • Mark Olaf, DO

    Member-at-Large

    Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine

    My goal in joining the Clerkship Directors in Emergency Medicine (CDEM) executive committee is to serve the members of CDEM, the SAEM organization as a whole, and the specialty of emergency medicine as it relates to the education of medical students who will become the future of emergency medicine and all clinical medicine. Experience with CDEM has been focused on work within the curriculum committee, including a current project to modernize, renew, and revise the CDEM medical student clerkship curriculum. I have found the CDEM academy to be welcoming environment, and seek to welcome and include many others in the important work of the academy. Emergency medicine finds itself in a unique, challenging, and opportune time as our specialty faces a crossroads. My experiences in both the SAEM workforce committee as well as in the CDEM curriculum committee provide me with a unique perspective to help advance the education of our medical students and provide important contributions to our organization. My background as an educator and leader has prepared me to take this next important step.

  • Kellie LeVine McKenzie, MD
    Kellie LeVine McKenzie, MD

    Secretary

    Emory University School of Medicine

    I am a Medical Toxicology fellow with Emory Emergency Medicine, and am AWAEM’s current secretary. I completed my residency with Emory this past year. My undergraduate education was at Duke University, where I graduated in 2017 with a major in Biology and research honors, as well as minors in Chemistry and French. After a year in genomics research, I attended Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine. I graduated in 2022 with Honors with Distinction in research and as the school’s 2022 SAEM award recipient. My experience with SAEM, and more broadly, academic emergency medicine, includes involvement with SAEM and ACEP throughout medical school and residency. I was an ACEP Medical Student Scholar in 2021, and an SAEM Medical Student Ambassador in both 2020 and 2021. I was selected as a Lead Ambassador for the conference both years. I have gained additional meaningful leadership experience from my positions working with the national educational organization, Foundations of Emergency Medicine. I have served as AWAEM’s Resident Member, and this past year have been AWAEM’s Secretary. I hope to continue on in this role and further my career and personal development while staying on as a representative and voice for women in the field. I gained valuable experience through my role as AWAEM’s resident member, and have continued to grow as this past year’s secretary.

  • Trupti Dinesh Patel, DO

    Resident Member

    Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai

    I am excited to submit my candidacy for a committee position with the Academy for Women in Academic Emergency Medicine (AWAEM). I was first introduced to AWAEM as a medical student at SAEM, and since then have looked forward to becoming more involved. I believe that this role will allow me to act on my passion for advocating for women in our field and addressing the systemic barriers we encounter.

    Throughout my training, I have encountered the challenges women experience, including bias in clinical training and underrepresentation in leadership. My involvement in Academy for Diversity and Inclusion in Emergency Medicine (ADIEM), the EMPower DEI interest group at Sinai, and the women’s studies scholarly track at Sinai emergency medicine has deepened my commitment to fostering an inclusive and equitable environment.

    If elected, I will focus on initiatives such as establishing mentorship programs that connect residents with experienced faculty, advocating for policies that promote gender equity, and advocating for patients’ and physicians’ right to reproductive healthcare. These efforts aim to create a supportive community that empowers women in emergency medicine. Women now represent half of the medical student body and almost half of physicians, and I am dedicated to ensuring that our voices are heard and valued. Together, we can break barriers and create a more equitable future for women in academic emergency medicine.

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