Career and Professional Development Leadership Program (PhD students)
The goal of the Career and Professional Development Leadership Program is to foster a cohort of PhD students with deep knowledge and training in career and professional development. These leaders then serve as liaisons, facilitators, peer advisors, and an advisory body for the Office of Career and Professional Development’s programs and services. Participants lead quarterly peer mentoring groups on career/professional development topics; and develop new career and professional development initiatives, such as creating tailored resources/programs for BIPOC students/scholars; international students/scholars; and social and population scientists.
Applications take place in the late spring/early summer; the program runs from approximately August through June each year. See the 2025 application and please contact David Blancha with any questions.
Trase Aguigam, UCSF Graduate Division
Hello! My name is Trase, and I am from Hanford, California, in the San Joaquin Central Valley. I am a Ph.D. candidate in the Gross and Narlikar labs in the Tetrad Graduate Program here at UCSF. My research involves using biochemistry and dynamic structural biology methods to address outstanding questions in the field of RNA processing. I graduated from UCLA in 2020 with a degree in Molecular Biology and African American Studies. Outside the lab, I serve on the Outreach Committee of the UCSF chapter of Black Excellence in STEM (BE-STEM) and enjoy teaching, reading, and playing basketball. As an OCPD intern, I look forward to helping people explore and work toward their career and professional goals!
Matt Arvedson, UCSF Graduate Division
Matt is a PhD Candidate in the Biomedical Sciences program at UCSF, and is a member of Dr. James Gardner's lab at the UCSF Diabetes Center. Matt's research is focused on immune tolerance in the context of transplant and autoimmunity. Matt is passionate about teaching and mentoring, and has mentored high school students through the UCSF Science and Health Education Partnership. He also serves on the BMS Curriculum Committee, where he works to improve the educational experience of BMS students at UCSF.
Matt is excited to be a part of the OCPD team, and is especially interested in improving resources to help first year students make important decision during graduate school.
Jaysón Davidson, UCSF Graduate Division
Jaysón Davidson is currently a PhD candidate in the Pharmaceutical Sciences and Pharmacogenomics program at University of California San Francisco (UCSF). At UCSF, he is a member of Dr. Atul Butte’s lab, where he intends to develop methods to effectively stratify the differences in disease and drug response outcomes between populations with different social determinants to improve overall healthcare quality and equity. Jaysón primarily studies treatment utilization, and health outcomes of Type 2 Diabetes patients that are treated within the UC-Health system. He recently published a perspective piece titled: “From Genes to Geography, from Cells to Community, from Biomolecules to Behaviors: The Importance of Social Determinants of Health,” which describes the impact of using Social determinants of health in real-world evidence studies. Jaysón’s main aspirations of scientific impact doesn’t just involve research, but it involves effective communication of science to communities of color in which his research affects the most. He believes that Science Communication is the bridge that will connect scientists to everyday people to translate important findings in a digestible and useful way.
While at UCSF, Jaysón has been selected as a UCSF-Stanford FDA CERSI Diversity scholar, NIGMS-IMSD program affiliate, and UCSF BE-STEM Co-president. Outside of UCSF, Jaysón is an E-Board Member of BlackinChem 501(c)3. He earned his B.S. in Biochemistry at Hampton University, and was initiated into the Beta Chi Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. while playing Division I football and leading the team as captain.
Check out Jaysón’s networking video guide!
Jocelyne Fadiga, UCSF Graduate Division
Salut! My name is Jocelyne and I grew up in Abidjan, the capital of Côte d’Ivoire, West Africa. I am a first-generation immigrant and scientist and very proud of it. I have now lived in the United States for over a decade and cherish the unique perspective on life being an immigrant and nonnative speaker (French is my first language) affords me. I enjoy cooking for others, solitude, poetry, music, going to the beach and deep conversations. Here, I have been fortunate to make plenty of friends, who have become family eventually, and tell me my food is delicious – part of what keeps me cooking and sharing. I am excited to join the OCPD team and hope to be a wonderful addition to an already amazing group of people-oriented folks, dedicated to helping others thrive professionally.
Daniela de Sousa Moura, UCSF Department of Neurology
I'm a Postdoc in Neuroscience and an intern at OCPD. My project in the lab is to investigate adult neurogenesis regulation by the Serotonergic system. As an international scholar living in the US for over 3 years now, I`m exploring a new world of possibilities in my career. At OCPD I expect to direct this exploration in a supportive and collaborative environment while bringing my own background and improving the experience for other international students as well.
Exploring different views of the world (or different careers) is extremely exciting to me but can also be very challenging, I believe OCPD is the right place to do that. In my free time, I like trying new foods, traveling, camping, or just exploring the city.
Sarah Gallalee, MPH (she/her), UCSF Graduate Division
Sarah Gallalee is a PhD candidate at the UCSF Institute for Global Health Sciences and a graduate student researcher at UCSF’s Malaria Elimination Initiative. Sarah’s research is focused on risk factors for malaria and interventions to interrupt malaria transmission among high-risk populations. Among her research interests are improving disease surveillance systems and using geospatial methods to assess disease burdens and target data-driven interventions.
Sarah is excited to be a part of the OCPD team and working to support students and postdocs at UCSF on career and professional development.
Sarah earned her MPH from Columbia University and holds a Bachelor of Arts in Geography from the University of Vermont.
Healthcare Professional Development & Mentorship Program (Health Professional Students)
The Healthcare Professional Development & Mentorship Program provides highly individualized and structured cohort professional development training and mentorship to work-study students employed as Career Outreach Peers with our office. Each year, as budget resources allow, we invite one promising first or second-year student from each of the dentistry, medicine, nursing, pharmacy, and physical therapy programs to join a new cohort.
Participants learn, develop, and strengthen essential career skills in professional communication, leadership, self-advocacy, project planning, resource development, and teamwork through this program. Each year, they work closely with their supervisor to create and implement their own customized professional development plan—and they actually get paid to implement and disseminate their progress! By creating online career development resources based on their most valuable experiences, discoveries, and tips to share with other students, participants become recognized as active contributing leaders in their communities. This program also offers multiple opportunities for interprofessional outreach and community building, allowing students to actively build their professional brand and network while directly benefiting their specific communities. Throughout the program, students gain hands-on workplace experience and develop a robust skill set that prepares them for successful careers in patient-centered healthcare environments.
Applications for first-year students open in the summer. The program runs from approximately August through May each year, with the possibility of an extension into the following year/s. Please see our work-study Career Outreach Peer job description and register for our listserv for more information about applying to the program. Please contact OCPD Assistant Director, Health Careers, Anna Reeves with any questions.
Jada Co, UCSF Department of Physical Therapy
Hello! My name is Jada (she/her), and I am delighted to serve as a Career Peer Advisor with the OCPD team! I look forward to expanding the resources available to my peers to better assist their professional and academic goals.
I am a first year Doctor of Physical Therapy student here at UCSF. I am from Sacramento, CA, and I attended UC Davis for my undergraduate education where I obtained a B.S. in Neurobiology, Physiology, and Behavior. Prior to starting at UCSF, I was working as a physical therapy aide and personal trainer. I have experience with research, academic mentoring, and management/leadership positions, and I am excited to apply and share my skills with other health professional students to assist them along their professional development journey!
In my free time, I love to run, weightlift, read, and try out new vegan food around the city! I look forward to meeting you soon!
List of Jada's' Professional Development Resource Projects:
Luis Alvarez, UCSF School of Pharmacy
Hi! My name is Luis Alvarez (he/him/his), and I am a class of 2026 pharmacy student. I am from Houston, Texas, and I attended Carleton College where I earned a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and two minors in Biochemistry and Neuroscience. After graduating from college, I conducted research at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, Georgia before starting my journey at the UCSF School of Pharmacy.
During my free time, I love aquascaping, swimming, reading, hiking, and trying out new boba shops around San Francisco. I have some previous experience working as a student career assistant, so I'm excited to apply my skills, connect graduate/health professions students with professional resources, and enhance the student learning experience. I look forward to seeing you at the Student Success Center!
List of Luis' Professional Development Resource Projects:
Oscar Peng, UCSF School of Dentistry
Hello! My name is Oscar (he/him), and I am a part of the class of 2028 at UCSF School of Dentistry. I am from Arcadia, CA, and I graduated from the University of Southern California (USC), earning a Bachelor of Science in Biological Sciences with honors and minors in both Health Care Studies and Public Health.
During my time at USC, I worked and volunteered in several mentorship and peer roles, including working as a Supplemental Instruction (SI) Leader for organic chemistry, and volunteering as a camp counselor and Unit Leader for children affected by a parent's cancer through Kesem at USC. In my free time, I love meeting new people, going to the gym, bouldering, hiking, and trying new things! Overall, I am excited to be in this role as a Career Outreach Peer, and I look forward to advancing our community together!
List of Oscars's Professional Development Resource Projects:
Debbie Tan, UCSF School of Dentistry
Hi! My name is Debbie Tan (she/her), and I am a dental student in the Class of 2027. I am originally from Malaysia, but I grew up in Holland, Ohio. I graduated from the University of Michigan Class of 2022 where I majored in Biochemistry. During undergraduate, I worked as a research assistant, dental assistant and a peer supporter for a mental health text line. In my free time, I love to try new cafes, crochet, paint, play pickleball, and spend time with friends! I am very excited to serve as a Peer Advisor for OCPD to help my fellow peers achieve their career and professional goals!
List of Debbie's Professional Development Resource Projects:
