Oriane Longerstaey, MD

Secretary

The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University

Dr. Oriane Longerstaey is an assistant professor of emergency medicine at Brown University. I attended medical school at the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California. I completed my residency in Emergency Medicine at Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte, NC and my fellowship in global emergency medicine at Brown University. My academic work is centered around Armenia, where my family is from and am the associate program director for the first emergency medicine residency in the country.

Now that I have transitioned to a faculty position, I want to become more involved in our GEMA and support those looking for a career in global emergency medicine. This work has given me opportunities I did not even know existed as a medical student. I would like to reach out to students at all points of training and provide exposure to the type of career you can build for yourself in emergency medicine.

Tierra Smith, MD

Secretary

University of Florida

Thank you for consideration for the secretary position. I believe I would be an exceptional candidate for GEMA secretary due to my organizational skills and attention to detail. My previous leadership roles include being chief resident and serving on the GME Housestaff Council. Since becoming an assistant professor with the University of Florida, I served as core faculty for the advanced emergency ultrasound fellowship. During that time, I worked closely with the global health section to develop ultrasound training curricula and training programs with our international partners. I believe these roles have given me the necessary experience to serve as GEMA secretary. If selected, I will be dedicated to helping further the mission of the GEMA.

Meagan Barry, MD, PhD

Treasurer

Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University

As treasurer, I will promote GEMA’s mission by growing our membership base, particularly among our global colleagues, and doubling our efforts for global engagement. I bring a unique background that will benefit the role of GEMA treasurer. As an assistant professor of emergency medicine at Brown University, Providence, RI, I work closely with many present and past GEMA executive committee members. I received my Medical Doctorate (MD) and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) from Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas. During this time, I was a member of the Baylor Research Advocates for Student Scientists, a philanthropic group dedicated to improving health through science, scholarship, and innovation. During my residency in emergency medicine at the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, I served on the SAEM RAMS board as a member-at-large. I stayed at Brown for fellowship in global emergency medicine, during which time I completed a Diploma in Tropical Medicine & Hygiene (DTM&H) from the Gorgas Memorial Institute of Tropical and Preventive Medicine. Additionally, I have a Certificate of Knowledge in Clinical Tropical Medicine and Travelers' Health (CTropMed) from the American Society of Tropical Medicine & Hygiene. My work focuses on global infectious diseases and maternal-child health. During my tenure as treasurer, I will be an advocate for academic Global Emergency Medicine within SAEM. I will strive to represent and support the incredible diversity of research that our members accomplish while growing our membership base and strengthening global partnerships.

John Austin Lee, MD, MPH

Treasurer

Indiana University

I have enjoyed being a GEMA member for a number of years now, and this year am serving as the GEMA treasurer. Having learned the financial aspects of SAEM and GEMA, I hope to continue in this role for next year, and continue to serve the academy and GEMA executive board. As we continue to prioritize using GEMA funds to benefit the membership, I am looking to further grow our financial base and international engagement with GEMA and SAEM.

Thaer Ahmad, MD

Member-at-Large

Advocate Christ Medical Center

It would be my absolute pleasure to join the GEMA executive committee as a member-at-large. I am passionate about global health and have spent a considerable amount of time in the field volunteering, lecturing on the subject in various emergency departments and medical schools, and interfacing with global heath and humanitarian NGOs.
I have mostly worked in refugee health and conflict response, and would love to bring more of that perspective to the committee.

I believe the GEMA executive committee is primed to facilitating increased collaboration between medical education institutions to provide more opportunities and experiences to trainees. I believe this is the key to creating a pipeline of future leaders in global health, more research opportunities, and most importantly more successful and impactful projects.

Ultimately, I look to serve to the assembly and want to be a member that helps promote and contribute to growth, development, and sustainability. Most of my global health work has centered around the needs of supporting local healthcare workers via training, resources, or professional growth.

Priya Arumuganathan, MD

Member-at-Large

University of Pennsylvania

As a global emergency medicine (EM) fellow and MPH candidate at the University of Pennsylvania, I am dedicated to advancing emergency care worldwide through a blend of academic rigor, hands-on international experience, and commitment to health equity. My work spans diverse educational roles, including course director for the Perelman Medical Student Botswana Simulation Training, where I guide learners in key global health principles and essential skills for resource-limited environments. As core faculty for the certificate program in emergency medicine (Pakistan), I support the training of non-EM-trained physicians by teaching foundational EM concepts and developing individualized support curricula. Additionally, my role as visiting faculty at the University of Botswana allows me to mentor residents in academic research and ePOCUS certification, helping to empower the first generations of EM-trained physicians in the country.

My commitment to global health is deeply personal. As the daughter of immigrants displaced by the Sri Lankan Civil War, I am driven to promote health equity and improve healthcare access for marginalized communities. This dedication extends to my roles as fellow representative for the Global Emergency Medicine Fellowship Consortium (GEMFC) and as an associate scholar with the Penn Center for global health, where I emphasize mentorship, sustainable capacity building, and empowerment of emerging global health leaders.

If elected as member-at-large, I would be honored to support GEMA’s mission by fostering mentorship, promoting international engagement, and contributing to sustainable growth in global emergency medicine. I look forward to collaborating with GEMA’s diverse community to make quality emergency care accessible for all.

Joseph Ciano, DO, MPH, MS

Member-at-Large

University of Pennsylvania

I am applying to be a member-at-large of the GEMA executive committee for the 2025-2026 academic year. I have been a member of GEMA since July 2020 and have found the academy helpful in seeking mentorship and community among other like-minded global health professionals. GEMA has also provided me with opportunities to be engaged in projects in global health to which I otherwise would not have had access. If chosen for the member-at-large position, my aim is to assist other members of the executive committee in meeting the mission of GEMA, help other GEMA members engage in projects, obtain access to education on relevant topics, and find mentorship and community.

Emma G. Cortes, DO

Member-at-Large

Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University

I am a dual-specialty physician in emergency medicine and family medicine, global emergency medicine fellow at Brown University, and have been a part of GEMA as co-chair for the AI/AN committee and the SAEM program committee liaison. My goal is to continue to help GEMA be the premiere organization for education, collaboration, and support in global emergency medicine in a way that is equitable and accessible. I currently have initiatives to help promote GEMA among junior learners both through media engagement and through virtual educational sessions. I want to continue to advance these initiatives to help them grow, and to implement new initiatives as our relationship with Indian Health Services strengthens. I aim to increase our opportunities for research, education, and outreach within AI/AN communities and indigenous communities worldwide. I am running for this position of member-at-large because I strive to help GEMA keep its true principles in its mission to promote emergency medicine worldwide.

Nicole Irgens-Moller, MD

Member-at-Large

Stanford University

I am a pediatric emergency medicine clinical assistant professor at Stanford University with over 16 years experience in global health. My journey began in 2008 with community outreach in Mali and expanded to include epidemiologic research in El Salvador, patient care in Ecuador and Guatemala, and now focuses on medical education in Pakistan, Rwanda, and Mexico, both in-person and virtually. I am committed to sustainable global health, believing involvement should not be limited to those who can get on a plane.

My longest partnership is with the University of Global Health Equity in Rwanda, where I have the honor of teaching and mentoring future global health leaders. This work enables year-round engagement in global health and the development of virtual curricula accessible anywhere and anytime. I also prioritize addressing health disparities at home; one of my most rewarding projects was an APP-funded grant to create an adolescent health curriculum on reproductive health and vaping cessation for the Fort Berthold Reservation in North Dakota. I am passionate about enhancing pediatric preparedness within all health systems, including our own.

I would be a valuable addition to the GEMA team as I bring a pediatric perspective to global emergency medicine. Dr. Leff and Dr. Kampalath are doing a phenomenal job heading the pediatric EM committee, and I think I would be a valuable collaborator and pediatric voice on the executive committee.

Catalina Gonzalez Marques, MD, MPH

Member-at-Large

Brigham and Women's Hospital

As member-at-large I would work to serve the membership of Global Emergency Medicine Academy (GEMA) members. One of my main goal would be continuing to work towards GEMA becoming a more inclusive academy. Aim to work with the Ex-Co to continue to find pathways and areas of collaboration with our international colleagues, especially those from LMICs that can bring such valuable lived experience to the GEMA community. I would also support the executive committee in promoting the work of GEMA across SAEM and increase collaboration with other academies.

Andrew Louis Stricklin, MD

Member-at-Large

UT Southwestern

I am a graduate of the Texas A&M University College of Medicine, completed my emergency medicine residency at University of Texas Health San Antonio, where I served as a chief resident my senior year, and following residency, I completed a fellowship in global health and public health there as well. Since graduating, I have become an assistant professor in the Department of Emergency Medicine at the University of Texas Southwestern and is a member of the Emergency Disaster and Global Health (EDGH) division, where I assist in training disaster/global health fellows, and participate in global health projects and research. My area's of focus since joining the faculty at UT Southwestern have been emergency medicine development and disaster risk reduction in Nepal, public health response to the COVID-19 pandemic, and public health system resiliency to nuclear disasters. I have been a member of SAEM for years, and have presented at previous annual meetings. If elected, I would like to foster an environment that promotes better communication, improve initiatives that further the advancement of education and research, aids in funding global health for trainees and young faculty, which can often be difficult for them to obtain.

Chase C. Westra, MD

Member-at-Large

Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai

After participating in the Global Emergency Medicine Academy (GEMA) throughout training, I’m looking for more committed and consistent involvement early in my academic career. Thus far, I've attended HTF, decolonization, and BEC subcommittee meetings and completed the BEC TOT course at my first SAEM conference. Soon after, I traveled to Nairobi with a group of collaborators I’d met at the conference to teach the WHO BEC course to graduates of the University of Nairobi School of Medicine. I am now working with subcommittee leaders to help facilitate the BEC TOT course at next year’s conference in Philadelphia. As a member of the executive committee, I hope to offer perspective and advocacy for resident and young physician career development through involvement in the academy. This group has offered invaluable opportunities for networking and project collaboration, and I hope to continue gleaning academic skills and savvy from the incredibly prolific and inspiring group of members involved in GEMA.

Adebisi Adeyeye, MD

Medical Student/Resident Representative

University of Lagos

Being nominated for the medical student/resident representative of the SAEM Global Emergency Medicine Academy(GEMA) community is an honor for which I am most grateful.

My story begins from my home country of Nigeria where I attended the University of Lagos. During my time in medical school, I encountered the ‘Accident and Emergency’ (A&E) department and fell in love at first sight. The externally cluttered and chaotic atmosphere was calming for me and felt like home and this experience changed the trajectory of my career in medicine. Choosing to pursue emergency medicine at that time was one of the hardest decisions I ever made because the specialty did not exist in Nigeria and there were no formal educational or training opportunities yet.

I took the initiative of founding the first student-led emergency medicine (EM) interest group in West Africa, EMIG Nigeria, which catered to both students and early career doctors, offering structure, resources, mentorship and a community. Through our provision of supplementary educational resources leveraging international collaborations, FOAMed, and simulation resources, we have contributed to significant increase in the awareness and interest of emergency medicine as a career choice among students and doctors in Nigeria and witnessed several of our members commence training globally. Fortunately, EM residency training has also commenced in Nigeria a few years ago. Similarly, by serving as co-vice president of the African Federation of Emergency Medicine student group, I have actively engaged in global EM education efforts for undergraduate students in Africa and have supported the establishment of EMIGs in other countries.

Within SAEM and GEMA, I have actively engaged as a member over 3 years, supporting planning efforts, and contributing to the development of GEMA sessions at the SAEM annual conference on two occasions. My work with GEMA also includes being a recipient of the SAEM GEMA scholarship, contributing to a video on decolonizing emergency medicine from a student perspective, and publishing two articles in SAEM Pulse sharing insights from my experiences in Nigeria. I have also co-authored two global EM papers within the group.

The mission of SAEM GEMA to lead the advancement of academic emergency medicine by improving the global delivery of emergency care through research, education, and mentorship resonates deeply with me and captures the essence of my professional journey to date. My experiences so far have lent me a unique understanding of privilege and the lack of it, how diversity shapes the world, and the need to create structures that work for everyone. I earnestly look forward to bringing these experiences into this role.

As I transition into residency, I am excited about furthering my contribution to the work of global EM education and research particularly within SAEM GEMA to create equitable, impactful change in emergency medicine worldwide.

Shering Torres, MD

Medical Student/Resident Representative

The Ohio State University

My name is Shering Torres. I am a first-generation Guatemala-American and current PGY2 in emergency medicine (EM) at The Ohio State University. Throughout my childhood, I spent frequent workdays alongside my parents and members of their Spanish-speaking humanitarian ministry traveling between Southern California and both Mexico and Guatemala. The primary objective of our group was to provide emotional, spiritual and monetary support to underserved communities where even basic living amenities were a privilege. These trips were impactful and demonstrated the vital role that socio-economic factors play in determining equitable health outcomes. Collectively, these experiences left a lasting impression and encouraged me to continue to seek opportunities to engage in international service. While in college, I had the opportunity to participate in multiple humanitarian mission trips to Guatemala that involved helping organize health clinics within local, rural pueblos. During medical school, I continued to serve the small, rural community of Lake Atitlan, Guatemala. Our efforts involved helping to raise funds for the preservation of local, natural resources accessed by nearly two-million Guatemalans. My goal, as a resident representative, is to ensure Global Emergency Medicine Academy (GEMA) continues to be a source of support and collaboration for emergency medicine residents aspiring to be global health leaders within all communities, both domestic and international. It is my commitment to work on behalf of emergency medicine resident colleagues to ensure that GEMA continues to facilitate connections for advancing professional excellence in the global health community.