University of California-Irvine

Founded 2023

Chapter Leadership

Faculty Chair

Theresa Chin, MD

Theresa Chin is Associate Professor of Surgery within the Divisions of Emergency General Surgery and Trauma, Burns and Critical Care. She completed her medical School at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, VA and Residency at the University of Colorado, where she also received her master's in public health . She did a burn/trauma critical care fellowship at the University of Washington and Harborview Medical Center. She serves on several committees including ACS Committee on Trauma, American Burn Association, and Association of Academic Global Surgery. 

Resident Chair

Naomi Devico Marciano, MD

Volunteer Chair

Valery  Vilchez, MD 

Dr. Valery Vilchez Parra serves as Assistant Professor of Surgery in the Division of Colon and Rectal Surgery at University of California at Irvine, CA. Vilchez Parra earned her medical degree from the University of Zulia Faculty of Medicine in Maracaibo, Venezuela. She completed her residency in General Surgery at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation in Ohio, followed by fellowship training in Colon and Rectal Surgery at the UCI School of Medicine. Her time is split between patient care, teaching and research including developing clinical trials and translational work.  

Research Chair

Oliver  Eng, MD

Oliver Eng, MD, FACS, FSSO, is a surgical oncologist and an Associate Professor in the Division of Surgical Oncology at the University of California, Irvine, where he is Program Director of the Complex General Surgical Oncology Fellowship. He is a double board-certified surgeon and surgical oncologist who focuses on the treatment of peritoneal metastases and in complex cytoreductive surgery and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC).

Faculty Leads:
Steven Mills, MD
Jeffry Nahmias, MD

Resident/Student Leads:
Michelle Hough
Mennatalla  Hegazi
April  Carlson
Flora Park
Olamide Sonuga
Kylie Callan
Bradley Roth
Juan Hoyos
Surina Khurana
Radhika Palta
Tania Pettitt
Adrienne Cosentino

 

Highlights of Current Work and Projects

Projects:

Gun Violence Awareness

Health Career Collaborative 

Lestonnac Free Clinic Surgery center 

Electric bicycle safety-locally in OC, CA and with national ACS 

Prior authorizations-with CMA and CA ACS Advocacy 

Prehospital blood-with CA ACS Advocacy and CMA 

Stop the Bleed education-CA ACS Advocacy 

Human Trafficking and increased awareness among healthcare providers-CA ACS Advocacy 

Ongoing Research: 

Tattoo Removal for high risk population looking at long term outcomes of violence recidivism, safety, employment  

Mental Health Outcomes after traumatic injury 

Trauma Survivors Network participation and long term outcomes 

Electric bicycle safety including education and policy 

Human trafficking education development for healthcare providers 

Development of a Hospital Based Violence Intervention Program