2023 School of Medicine Dean’s Excellence Awards celebrate outstanding achievements

The School of Medicine has announced the 2023 Dean’s Excellence Awards, recognizing faculty and interdisciplinary teams for their outstanding achievements.

The annual awards celebrate excellence in diversity, clinical care, research, and mentoring, as well as team excellence in clinical care and inclusion.

“Congratulations to our 2023 awardees, who exemplify our school’s commitment to achieving excellence in all our mission areas and living our values of trust, kindness and inclusion,” said Susan Murin, School of Medicine Interim Dean. “We are thankful for their leadership and dedication to transforming lives throughout our community.”

2023 Dean’s Excellence Award Recipients

Dean’s Award for Excellence in Diversity

Erin Stephany Sanchez is an associate clinical professor in the Department of Internal Medicine and an associate program director for the Internal Medicine Residency Program. Due to her recruitment efforts, more than 80 percent of her students are from communities under-represented in medicine, and the majority now practice in low-resource communities.

Dean’s Award for Excellence in Clinical Care

Kwan Ng, director of the Comprehensive Stroke Center and an associate professor in the Department of Neurology, was recognized for his outstanding achievements in providing high-quality clinical care and community-oriented patient services. Under Ng’s leadership, UC Davis Medical Center was certified as a Comprehensive Stroke Center by The Joint Commission.

Dean’s Award for Excellence in Research

Andreas Bäumler, a distinguished professor in the Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, was recognized for his research, mentorship and contributions to the field of microbiome research. Bäumler recently received a 2024 Cultivating Team Science seed grant and was elected as an American Association for the Advancement of Sciences fellow.

Dean’s Award for Excellence in Mentoring

Crystal Ripplinger, the Vice Chair for Research and Administration and a professor in the Department of Pharmacology, was recognized for her work as a mentor and commitment to providing ongoing opportunities for career development and advancement.

Dean’s Award for Team Excellence in Clinical Care

Children’s Hospital Pediatric Endocrine Team
The Children’s Hospital Pediatric Endocrine Team provides consistent, compassionate, culturally sensitive, and patient-oriented services to meet the needs of underserved communities. Led by Dennis Styne, Division Head of Pediatric Endocrinology, the multidisciplinary team was recognized for delivering community programs, clinical research, outpatient care and ongoing education about caring for and managing diabetes mellitus.

Lung Cancer Integrated Service Line
The Lung Cancer Integrated Service Line, led by Director of Thoracic Oncology Jonathan Riess, provides leading-edge care by integrating digital, AI and telehealth technologies for screening and detection. The team was recognized for its exemplary achievements in integrating services, enhancing patient care and advancing lung cancer treatment.

Dean’s Award for Excellence in Team Inclusion

GI Quality Improvement Program Team
Led by gastroenterologist Ronald Hsu, a cohort of fellows started a project to increase colorectal cancer screening rates in underserved communities. By distributing translated brochures and providing fecal immunity tests, they increased the screening rate from 19.5% to 42.2%. The team has expanded its screening program to four additional clinics and translated brochures into more than a dozen languages.