Department Wellness Directors

Minh Tran, MD

Dr. Minh Hai Tran is a Neuroanesthesiologist and the Wellness Director for the anesthesiology department at UCSD. She obtained her medical degree with honors at the University of Sydney Australia, is a Fellow of the Australian and New Zealand Royal College of Anaethetists (FANZCA), Fellowship at Addenbrookes Hospital, Cambridge United Kingdom, and is board certified from the American Board of Anesthesiologists (ABA). She joined UCSD in 2014 for an Internal Medicine internship followed by anesthesia residency and has been on faculty since 2018. She is passionate to support effective communication and system improvements that will provide a workplace environment that grows and meets the needs of physicians. She is an avid traveler, with a love of food, wine and dance.

UC San Diego Department of Anesthesiology

Susanna (Annie) Shaw, MD

Dr. Susanna (Annie) Shaw is a board-certified physician with a background in pediatric critical care and pediatric anesthesia. She holds certifications from the American Board of Anesthesiology and the American Board of Pediatrics. Dr. Shaw received a Doctor of Medicine degree from George Washington School of Medicine and specialized training in pediatric critical care at Children’s National Medical Center. She furthered her training through an anesthesia residency at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. Dedicated to the wellbeing of young patients, Dr. Shaw completed a Pediatric Anesthesia Fellowship at Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford. She is currently an Assistant Professor of Anesthesia at the University of San Diego Health, where she specializes in pediatric anesthesia as well pediatric critical care and pediatric burn management at UCSD's nationally recognized burn center.

UC San Diego Department of Anesthesiology

Sabrina Owens, MD, MPH

Sabrina Owens, MD, MPH, is a family medicine doctor dedicated to practicing the full breadth of primary care for patients of all ages, including newborns, adolescents, adults and seniors. She provides preventive care, as well as treatment of acute and chronic disease. She has a special interest in mental health issues, ACEs (Adverse Childhood Experiences) awareness, family planning and women's health, prevention of sexually transmitted infection (STI) and PrEP (Pre-exposure prophylaxis) treatment for those at risk for HIV.

Dr. Owens firmly believes that the patient and family are active members of the care team. She holds their opinions and concerns vital while developing a treatment plan.

Having a particular interest in cross-border health issues, Dr. Owens has provided education and care as a volunteer in Tijuana, Mexico. She also has coordinated sex education sessions, including contraception and STI prevention, for UC San Diego students.

Dr. Owens has been recognized for her service with multiple awards. She is a member of the Gold Humanism Honor Society which recognizes physicians who provide excellence in clinical care, leadership, compassion and dedication to service.

Before joining UC San Diego Health, Dr. Owens cared for patients at Family Health Centers of San Diego.

Dr. Owens completed her residency training in family medicine at Scripps Mercy Hospital in Chula Vista where she received the Resident Award for Scholarship from the North American Primary Care Research Group (NAPCRG). During her residency, she developed and adapted curriculum to promote resident training in diversity, equity and inclusion.

She earned her medical degree from UC San Diego School of Medicine, where she was the mentorship program coordinator and received leadership awards. Dr. Owens also holds a Master of Public Health degree from UC Los Angeles.

She is a member of American Academy of Family Physicians, San Diego Academy of Family Physicians and Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine. Dr. Owens also speaks Spanish.

In her free time, she enjoys mentoring, Latin dancing, traveling, hiking, baking and spending time with family.

UCSD Primary Care

Brianne Daniels, DO

Brianne Daniels, DO, is a Staff Physician in the UCSD Department of Dermatology specializing in Dermatopathology. She believes physician and care-giver well-being is mission critical for excellent patient care. She has pursued multiple avenues of additional training to help her better contribute to wellness endeavors, including her work as a life coach as well as the Stanford Well MD/Well PhD Wellness Director's Course. She contributes to the annual Dermatology Department Faculty Retreat and ongoing departmental wellness initiatives. Dr. Daniels is looking forward to working collaboratively within UCSD as well as the greater UC system, and beyond, to bring forth effective and efficient wellness interventions for all students, staff, and faculty. As a native Californian and product of the UC education system, she cherishes the opportunity to contribute and innovate in this space.

Rachna Subramony, MD

Dr. Rachna Subramony is currently a full-time physician in the Department of Emergency Medicine at UCSD. She is passionate about clinical medicine, Emergency Ultrasound, medical student education, and physician well-being. She serves as the Wellness Co-Director for the Emergency Department. Her goal is to promote the professional fulfillment, resilience, and well-being of the faculty by utilizing discussion groups and creating a culture of respect and open bidirectional communication. She hopes to conduct further research in physician well-being to help identify root causes of burnout and pursue change. To prioritize safe patient care and help all our physicians perform optimally, she also serves on the Medical Staff Physician Well-Being Committee with the goal of early interventions and providing appropriate resources for treatment, rehabilitation, and monitoring for physicians struggling with medical, cognitive, mental health or substance abuse that could be a threat to providing quality patient care. To promote patient safety and attainment of the highest quality of clinical care, she also serves as a Physician Enhancement Program (PEP) mentor and has received training in peer support and have been recognized as a Tier 2 Peer Supporter to help serve and maintain the health and wellness of our UCSD family. 

UC San Diego Department of Emergency Medicine

Chad Osborne, MD

Chad Osborne, MD, is a board-certified family medicine doctor at La Jolla Family and Sports Medicine. He provides primary care for children and teens as well as younger and older adults, including preventive care and treatment of acute and chronic diseases. Dr. Osborne enjoys talking to patients about preventive medicine, a healthy diet, good sleep, self health monitoring,  and exercise. He has special interest in sports and musculoskeletal medicine, sleep medicine, and medical informatics. His wellness focus is on improving usability and provider efficiency in the electronic medical record as well as optimizing workflows in the clinical environment to best suit the needs of patients, physicians, and staff. He also has goals of improving collaboration and communication between primary care and specialty departments. He currently serves as the EMR (Epic) champion for the department of Family Medicine. 

As an Associate Professor of Family Medicine, Dr. Osborne is highly involved in training medical students and residents at UC San Diego School of Medicine. He earned his bachelor's degree in Kinesiology from San Diego State University and his medical degree at UC San Diego School of Medicine. Dr. Osborne completed his residency training at the Mount Carmel Family Medicine Residency Program in Columbus, Ohio. Prior to joining UC San Diego Health, Dr. Osborne practiced medicine and served as an assistant residency program director at a community hospital in Ohio.

Dr. Osborne's interests outside of work include surfing, mountain biking, skiing, snowboarding, racquetball, squash, basketball, as well as playing in a band and riding dirt bikes with his twin boys. 

UC San Diego Department of Family Medicine

Arthi Balu, MD

Joe Diaz, MD (DWD Committee Chair)

Joseph Diaz grew up in San Antonio, Texas, and received his MD from UT Health San Antonio in May 2015. He completed his internal medicine residency training at UCSD in June 2019 and is board certified in internal medicine. He is currently an Assistant Clinical Professor in the division of General Internal Medicine; associate medical director for the UCSD UPC primary care clinic site in La Jolla; and wellness committee co-director for the division of General Internal Medicine and the Department of Medicine. His interests include providing high quality care in the primary care setting; teaching medical students and residents; and devising ways to mitigate provider burnout. Outside of work, he enjoys ocean swimming, surfing, playing soccer, running around beautiful San Diego, and has an inexplicable fascination with Napoleonic era geopolitics.

UC San Diego Department of Medicine

Arvin Wali, MD, MAS

Arvin R. Wali, MD, MAS, is a fellowship-trained comprehensive neurosurgeon specializing in conditions of the brain, spine, peripheral nerves, and their associated vascular and skeletal structures. He provides advanced neurovascular care, including minimally invasive, catheter-based interventions for ischemic stroke, carotid artery disease, cerebral aneurysms, arteriovenous malformations, tumor embolization, and subdural hematomas, as well as minimally invasive and robotic spine procedures.

He believes the ultimate goal of neurosurgery is to help patients return to their families and communities, enabling them to live meaningful, fulfilling lives. Passionate about the prevention, diagnosis, and definitive treatment of neurological disease, Dr. Wali strives to be a surgeon-scientist who partners with healthcare professionals, community leaders, and policymakers to improve human well-being, functionality and health.

As an assistant professor of neurological surgery at UC San Diego School of Medicine, Dr. Wali is deeply involved in the education of medical students, residents and fellows. He has authored over 70 peer-reviewed publications, with research interests that span health equity, health economics and optimizing neurosurgical outcomes. He holds a Master of Advanced Studies (MAS) in clinical research from a joint program between the National Institutes of Health and UC San Diego. He applies big data analytics and decision science to enhance the precision and effectiveness of neurosurgical care.

Dr. Wali completed his fellowship in endovascular neurosurgery, neurosurgery residency and medical degree at UC San Diego School of Medicine.

Outside the operating room, Dr. Wali is a devoted father to two young boys and a proud supporter of his wife, Dr. Milli Desai, an obstetrician-gynecologist. A Kashmiri American and native Californian, Dr. Wali brings a multi-cultural approach to understanding that each patient has unique needs. He is committed to community engagement, wellness, and channels his lifelong study of philosophy, arete, self-actualization, and self-realization in each patient interaction. As faculty neurosurgeon at UC San Diego, he is committed to advancing neurosurgery through high-quality clinical care and research, teaching, and growing with the next generation, and giving back to the community that shaped and inspired him.

UC San Diego Department of Neurological Surgery

Natalie Guido-Estrada, MD

Dr. Natalie Guido-Estrada is a neurologist at Rady Children's Hospital-San Diego and an associate clinical professor in the department of neurosciences at UC San Diego. She serves on the Doctor Wellness committee at Rady Children's Hospital and is the Wellness Director for the Department of Neurosciences at UCSD.  Dr. Guido-Estrada is board certified by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology with special qualifications in child neurology. She is also certified by the United Council for Neurological Subspecialities in Headache Medicine. Dr. Guido-Estrada received her undergraduate degree from Stanford University and her medical training at UC Davis. She completed her pediatric neurology residency at Phoenix Children's Hospital and her pediatric neurology fellowship at The Barrow Neurological Institute at Phoenix Children's Hospital.

Dr. Guido-Estrada practices as a general child neurologist, providing care for a variety of neurological disorders in both the hospital and clinic settings. Additionally, she specializes in treating complex headache patients and has a procedure clinic at Rady Children's for Botox injections for the treatment of chronic migraines. She is the co-director of the Rett Syndrome Multidisciplinary Clinic and also serves as the Neurology Division Education Liaison. Dr. Guido-Estrada is active in the curriculum creation and clinical teaching for UC San Diego medical students, visiting medical students and other medical specialty residents and fellows who complete rotations in neurology. She is a member of the Child Neurology Society, the American Academy of Neurology and the International and American Headaches Societies.

UC San Diego Department of Neurosciences

Laura Delcore, MD

Assistant Clinical Professor, Division of Obstetrics and Gynecology (Generalist)

Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences

UC San Diego Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences

Pratibha S. Binder, MD

Dr. Pratibha Sareen Binder is a gynecologic oncologist and an associate professor at UC San Diego specializing in the surgical and systemic treatment of gynecologic cancers. She is a fellowship-trained specialist with a master’s in clinical investigation from Washington University in St Louis. Her work includes instructing the next generation of physicians and conducting research to improve surgical outcomes and patient satisfaction with their cancer care. 

In addition to being a dedicated educator and researcher, she is extremely passionate about practicing medicine and developing unique relationships with her patients. She recently accepted the role of the Medical Director for Oncology Wellness for UC San Diego Oncology and Moores Cancer Center in hopes to rekindle the same passion for medicine in her colleagues by improving their wellness and work-life balance.

After rigorous education, medical training, and a demanding profession, Dr. Binder was able to experience some of the emotions that lead to physician burnout. In the pandemic, she was then able to focus on what Wellness meant for her and what she needed to do to seek and fulfil it. She is now a dedicated advocate for professional well-being. As a trained Physician Peer Supporter, she provides confidential guidance to colleagues navigating the complexities of modern medicine, working closely with hospital teams to integrate psychological safety into critical event responses. She is expanding her formal knowledge with rigorous leadership training, including the “Leading the Way to Wellness” program and the Sanford Compassionate Communication Academy Fellowship.

As Medical Director for Oncology Wellness, Dr. Binder hopes to bridge the gaps between frontline clinicians and institutional leadership. She is currently spearheading a data-driven Department Wellness Plan that translates feedback from the annual Physician Wellness Survey into measurable structural improvements. By fostering a culture of transparent communication and sustainable infrastructure, she ensures that the voices of oncology providers are not only heard but are foundational to the organization’s mission.

Catherine Liu, MD, PhD

Catherine Y. Liu, M.D., Ph.D., is a board-certified ophthalmologist who specializes in reconstructive and cosmetic surgery of the face, with special emphasis on the eyelid and periorbital region. She is one of a select number of surgeons worldwide to have completed an American Society of Ophthalmic Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (ASOPRS) fellowship, with specialty training on the reconstruction of the eyelid, orbit, and lacrimal system.

Dr. Liu completed her undergraduate degree at the University of Pennsylvania. She then earned an M.D. and Ph.D. in Cell Biology from Albert Einstein College of Medicine. After a transitional year internship at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, she completed her ophthalmology residency at the University of California, Irvine. She then completed her specialty training in oculofacial plastic surgery at the Illinois Eye and Ear Infirmary.

David Granet, MD

David B. Granet, M.D. MHCM FACS FAAP is the Anne F. Ratner Professor of Ophthalmology and Pediatrics, Vice Chair of the Viterbi Family Department of Ophthalmology at UC San Diego where he is the Director of the Abraham Ratner Children’s Eye Center at the Shiley Eye Institute.  The author of over 170 articles and book chapters, he is the founder of the International Pediatric-Ophthalmology Internet discussion group, a past Chair of the Section on Ophthalmology for the American Academy of Pediatrics and co-editor of their book on Ophthalmology for the Pediatrician.  He has run a fellowship training program for both North American and International trainees for over 20 years and currently serves as a Program Advisor for the UC Irvine Customer Experience Course.

Dr. Granet is a graduate of the Yale University School of Medicine where he was a President of his class. He selected New York University Medical Center for his residency in ophthalmology where he served as a chief resident.  Dr. Granet subsequently completed a special two-year fellowship in pediatric ophthalmology and ocular motility disorders at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.  He also completed a Master’s degree in Health Care Management at Harvard University.

Kenneth Vitale, MD

Anthony Magit, MD

Anthony Magit is a Clinical Professor of Otolaryngology and the Medical Director for the UCSD Office of IRB Administration. Dr. Magit specializes in Pediatric Otolaryngology, having graduated the UCSD School of Medicine prior to completing his residency at Duke University and a fellowship in Pediatric Otolaryngology at Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh. Dr. Magit joined the UCSD faculty in 1992 and has served as the Rady Hospital Chief of Staff and the Director of the UCSD Human Research Protections Program. He academic interests include telemedicine, research ethics and clinical ethics. He is currently the Chair of the Rady Children’s Hospital Physician Well Being Committee. Dr. Magit’s interests outside of work include hiking and traveling with his wife, as well as spending time with his two grown children and granddaughter.

UC San Diego Department of Otolaryngology

Farnaz Hasteh, MD

I have been working at the UCSD pathology department for 15 years now and I am truly grateful for having had the opportunity to serve our patients and teach and mentor the next generation of doctors and pathologists. As someone who has always been health-minded and cares about the wellbeing of my colleagues, I was selected as the new wellness ambassador/director on behalf of the Department of Pathology. I have initiated multiple projects to not only make the work area more pleasant but also to do my part in helping to reduce the causes of physician burnout.

UC San Diego Department of Pathology

Maryam Pezhouh, MD, MSc

Ami Doshi, MD

Dr. Ami Doshi is a palliative medicine physician and pediatric hospitalist at Rady Children's Hospital-San Diego. She serves as Vice Chair for Faculty Development and the Well-Being Director for the Department of Pediatrics, in which she is Clinical Professor in the Division of Hospital Medicine.

Dr. Doshi is actively involved with the education and mentorship of pediatric fellows and residents from UC San Diego and the Navy Medical Center San Diego as well UC San Diego medical students. Her academic interests are in palliative medicine, communication, and physician well-being. She has created and disseminated curricula for trainees and attending physicians to foster primary palliative care and communication skills, and to promote compassion in medical students and continues to find joy in teaching compassionate communication and applying these skills to her clinical and faculty development work.

After earning her undergraduate degree in psychobiology at the University of Southern California, Dr. Doshi completed her medical training at University of California, Irvine and continued her pediatric residency at UC San Diego, where she completed her pediatric hospital medicine fellowship. She completed her palliative medicine training through Harvard School of Medicine’s Program in Palliative Care Education and Practice. She was formerly the inaugural Galinson Family Endowed Chair in Palliative Care and is a recipient of the Doris A Howell Award for Advancing Palliative Care.

She is motivated by empowering her patients, colleagues and trainees to grow, thrive, and fulfill their potential and live their best life.

UC San Diego Department of Pediatrics

Savita Bhakta, MD

A board-certified Psychiatrist, she has been a faculty member at the UC San Diego School of Medicine since 2015, working in DOP as an Associate Clinical Professor. She served at the UC San Diego School of Medicine as the Clinical Foundations Co-Director representing the Department of Psychiatry from 2017-2021. She is currently the Interim Medical Director of the UC San Diego Health's College Mental Health Program (CMHP) which provides comprehensive mental health care for UC San Diego college students.

She earned her medical degree and completed her psychiatry residency at Lokmanya Tilak Municipal Medical College and General Hospital (LTMMC & GH) in Mumbai, India, before moving to Yale University, New Haven for a postdoctoral research fellowship. She then completed her psychiatry residency training at Northwell Health/Hofstra University-Zucker Hillside Hospital in Glen Oaks, N.Y., before moving to San Diego for a Mental Illness Research, Education, and Clinical Center (MIRECC) fellowship at the VA San Diego Healthcare System.

Her clinical work now focuses on using mindfulness and yoga, in addition to psychotherapy and pharmacotherapy to empower her patients to achieve their optimal health. During her term as the Clinical Foundations Co-Director, she developed resilience-building and mindfulness curricula for first and second-year medical students. She trained the Practice of Medicine faculty to facilitate mindfulness and promote resilience among medical students in collaboration with the UCSD Mindfulness Center and the Sanford Institute. She has led team-building activities and conducted Professional development seminars for teaching faculty including case discussions to promote empathy and improve communication and active listening. She was impressed by the mindfulness practices in managing stress and became a certified Yoga teacher in 2019.

UC San Diego Department of Psychiatry

Karen Tye, MD

Karen Tye, MD, is a board-certified radiation oncologist who sees people with a variety of conditions such as breast cancer, skin cancer, gynecologic cancers and gastrointestinal cancers. She works closely with medical oncologists, surgeons, and other providers to provide comprehensive, multidisciplinary cancer care for her patients.

She has extensive experience in several high-precision radiotherapy techniques to improve survivorship and quality of life including accelerated partial breast irradiation (APBI), LINAC based and gamma knife based stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS), proton therapy including intensity modulated proton therapy (IMPT) with pencil beam scanning, stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT), high-dose rate interstitial and intracavitary brachytherapy, image-guided radiation therapy (IGRT), 3D-conformal radiotherapy, and electron therapy. These treatments may be used for a wide range of benign and malignant tumors.

Dr. Tye provides patient-centered care, prioritizing shared decision-making and evidence-based medicine to maximize benefits of treatment while minimizing side effects. Her nontraditional professional background and work across multiple regions of the United States inform a nuanced, individualized, and collaborative approach to her practice, focused on aligning treatments with her patients' goals and values.

She has coauthored numerous abstracts and peer-reviewed articles, and her work has appeared in leading academic journals such as International Journal of Radiation Oncology Biology Physics, Clinical Cancer Research and The Journal of Neuro-Oncology.

Dr. Tye completed residency training in radiation oncology at UC San Diego School of Medicine where she now serves as an assistant professor in the Department of Radiation Medicine and Applied Sciences, teaching medical students, residents and fellows.

Prior to rejoining UC San Diego Health, Dr. Tye was an assistant professor at Wake Forest University where she led the breast radiation oncology program. She earned her medical degree from University of Illinois College of Medicine. She also has a master's degree in biophysics and human physiology from Georgetown University.

Dr. Tye is an active member of several professional organizations, including the American Society for Radiation Oncology and the American College of Radiation Oncology, and research cooperative groups including NRG Oncology and Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology.

Outside of work, she enjoys swimming, surfing, golf, tennis, skiing, snowboarding, traveling, and spending time with her husband and two children.

UCSD Department of Radiation Medicine and Applied Sciences

Sean Tutton, MD, FSIR, FCIRSE

Sean Tutton, MD, is a board-certified diagnostic and interventional radiologist who specializes in the treatment of cancer and non-cancer related pathologic skeletal fractures. He treats multiple myeloma patients with skeletal fractures and cancer pain patients, as well as sarcoma patients and patients with desmoid tumors and aggressive (desmoid-type) fibromatosis. Dr. Tutton offers palliative interventional therapies, such as minimally invasive treatments for spine and pelvic fractures, which allow patients to achieve their best quality and enjoyment of life while on their cancer journey.

Prior to joining UC San Diego Health, Dr. Tutton was a professor in the Department of Radiology specializing in interventional radiology and interventional oncology at Medical College of Wisconsin. He is a professor at UC San Diego San Diego School of Medicine Department of Radiology in the division of interventional radiology.

Dr. Tutton completed his fellowship in vascular and interventional radiology and his residency in diagnostic radiology at Northwestern University in Chicago. He earned his medical degree at University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey. He is board certified in vascular and interventional radiology and palliative care.

Dr. Tutton is a member of many professional organizations, including the Society of Interventional Radiology, American Medical Association and American College of Radiology, as well as a founding member of the Society of Interventional Oncology. Additionally, he is a fellow in the Society of Interventional Radiology and Cardiovascular of Interventional Radiology Society of Europe.

Outside of work, Dr. Tutton enjoys family hikes, sailing, snowboarding and all forms of live theater.

Jennifer Berumen, MD

Dr. Jennifer Berumen is a board-certified general surgeon specializing in abdominal transplantation and hepatobiliary surgery. As an associate clinical professor of surgery at UC San Diego she performs adult and pediatric kidney and liver transplantations along with general surgeries in the transplant population.  She is the director of the living donor kidney program and the surgical director of the pediatric liver and kidney transplant programs at Rady Children's Hospital.

Dr. Berumen completed her two-year fellowship training in abdominal transplant surgery at Stanford University with a focus on pediatric liver and kidney transplantation and her general surgery residency training at UC San Diego. She earned her medical degree and her undergraduate degree in biomedical engineering from Tulane University.

Dr. Berumen is passionate about wellness and serves as an assistant program director in the general surgery residency program where we have implemented several wellbeing programs since starting the program in 2020.

Jessica Weaver, MD, PhD

Jessica L. Weaver, MD, PhD, is a board-certified surgeon who cares for people who have experienced traumatic injuries, such as a fall or motor vehicle collision, as well as those requiring elective or emergency surgery for general surgical issues, such as appendicitis, gallstones and hernias. She also provides elective general surgery consultations at the outpatient clinic in Hillcrest medical offices. 

As an assistant professor in the Department of Surgery, Dr. Weaver trains medical students, residents and fellows at UC San Diego School of Medicine. Her research focuses on finding ways to improve care for injured and critically-ill patients, with a particular interest in traumatic brain injury. Her research has helped advance knowledge on the causes of inflammation after brain death.

Dr. Weaver's work has appeared in medical and research publications, including the American Journal of Surgery, the Journal of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery, the Journal of Investigative Surgery, and the American Journal of Physiology-Lung Cellular and Molecular Physiology.
She has won awards recognizing her clinical and academic excellence, including the Star Research Award from the Society of Critical Care Medicine and the Critical Care Award from the American Association for the Surgery of Trauma.

Dr. Weaver completed a fellowship in surgical critical care at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine in Philadelphia. She completed her residency in general surgery at the University of Louisville School of Medicine in Louisville, Ky., where she earned a PhD in physiology and biophysics. Dr. Weaver holds a medical degree from the Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee. She is board certified in general surgery.

Amirali Salmasi, MD

Amirali Salmasi, MD, is a urologist with expertise in the management of genitourinary cancers in men and women, including bladder, prostate, kidney, ureteral, testicular, adrenal, and penile cancers. He provides a personalized, multidisciplinary approach to deliver the best possible treatment options (active surveillance, focal therapy, surgery, radiation, systemic treatments, or clinical trials) for his patients.

Dr. Salmasi performs advanced minimally invasive and complex open surgeries, such as robotic-assisted laparoscopic cystectomy, nerve-sparing prostatectomy, retro-peritoneal lymph node dissection, adrenalectomy, and partial nephrectomy.

He is also interested in translational research and clinical trials in urologic oncology, and his hope is to bridge the gap between the bench and clinical research. He has published over 50 articles in peer-reviewed journals.

Dr. Salmasi completed a urologic oncology fellowship at University of California, Los Angeles and a urology residency at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. As a first step towards a career in academic medicine and research, he also did a postdoctoral fellowship at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. He earned his medical degree from Tehran University of Medical Sciences and holds a master's degree in clinical research (MSCR) from UCLA Clinical and Translational Science Institute.

He is a member of the American Urological Association, the Society for Urologic Oncology and the American Society of Clinical Oncology.

In his spare time, Dr. Salmasi enjoys tennis, rock climbing and relaxing with yoga. He also loves cooking or dining out with his wife, and walking around the neighborhood with their rambunctious puppy.

UCSD Department of Urology