About Us

ˈad-və-kə-sē per the Oxford Online Learners Dictionary is:

  1. ​advocacy (of something) (formal) public support that somebody gives to an idea, a course of action or a belief

  2. ​support, advice and help given to people, often with special needs or aims, who are unable to speak for themselves


Mission statement

We envision UACT to be a vehicle for physicians at all levels of training and across disciplines to marshal our energies as agents of change. We have a shared vision of physicians who, using our expertise and our platform, can engage in action that will contribute to shifts in policy at the institutional, community, local and national levels. Our unifying principle is our commitment to addressing structural inequities and barriers to equitable care for our patients and communities in collaboration with and informed by community partners.


Who we are

We are UCLA residents, fellows, and faculty members from multiple specialties who share a desire to improve advocacy education and opportunities for trainees. We started planning UACT: An Advocacy Collaborative in January 2020 as a vehicle for physicians at all levels of training and across disciplines to marshal our energies as agents of change. We conduct activities that help connect and coordinate residents and faculty across disciplines, educate and empower residents to become effective advocates, and raise awareness of advocacy efforts on specific issues. Our unifying principle is our commitment to addressing structural inequities and barriers to equitable care for our patients.


Resident Leaders

Abigail Arons, Education Coordinator, Med-Peds PGY-4

Teresa Chen, Education Support, Ophthalmology PGY-3

Rose Chuong, Communications + Events Coordinator, Pediatrics PGY-2

Charlene Gaw, Community Outreach + Advocate on Call Coordinator, Emergency Medicine PGY-2

Grace Kim, Chief Coordinator, Pediatrics PGY-3

Rohit Mukherjee, Community Outreach Coordinator, Psychiatry PGY-2

Gurpreet Seehra, Communications + Events Coordinator, Pediatrics PGY-2


Department Liaisons

Cardiology: Ruth Hsiao, Fellow

Emergency Medicine: Ashley Vuong, PGY-4

Family Medicine: Thalia Nguyen, PGY-2 & Olivia Ishibashi, PGY-3

General Surgery: Kevin Blair, PGY-5

Internal Medicine: Alina Kung, PGY-3

Medicine/Pediatrics: Adrianna Stanley, PGY-3

Neurology/Child Neurology: Maya Ayoub, PGY-3

OB/GYN: Catie Gliwa, PGY-4

Ophthalmology: Teresa Chen, PGY-2

Pediatrics: Allison Farfel, PGY-3 & Judy Oranika, PGY-3

Reproductive Endocrinology: Holly Mehr, Fellow

VA Psychiatry: Chan Young Park, PGY-2


Faculty Advisors

Nupur Agrawal, MD, MPH, Clinical Instructor, Internal Medicine and Pediatrics

Eraka Bath, MD, Vice Chair for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion, Associate Professor, Psychiatry

Enrico Castillo, MD, MSHPM, Associate Program Director, Assistant Professor, Psychiatry

Rochelle Dicker, MD, MPH, Professor of Surgery and Anesthesia, Vice Chair, Surgical Critical Care, Vice Chair Injury Prevention and Control Committee for the ACS Committee on Trauma

Lisa Gantz, MD, Clinical Instructor, Pediatric Residency Program, Pritzker Center Child Health and Wellbeing Fellow

Cambria Garell, MD, Associate Program Director, Assistant Clinical Professor, Pediatrics

Christina Harris, MD, Associate Program Director, Associate Clinical Professor, Internal Medicine

Alice Kuo, MD, PhD, Professor and Chief, Internal Medicine and Pediatrics

Ashley Lewis Hunter, MD, MSHPM, Assistant Clinical Professor, Internal Medicine

Latisha Sharma, MD, Associate Clinical Professor, Neurology

Stacey Weinstein, MD, Assistant Clinical Professor, Internal Medicine and Pediatrics

Hijab Zubairi, MD, MPH, Assistant Clinical Professor, Internal Medicine and Pediatrics