People

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.

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.

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.

Vinay N. Kampalath, MD, DTM&H

President-Elect

University of Pennsylvania

It is with great enthusiasm that I put forth my candidacy as president-elect for the Global Emergency Medicine Academy (GEMA) for 2025-26. Presently, I am an assistant professor at the University of Pennsylvania/Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, where I am a pediatric emergency medicine physician and global health researcher.

I first joined GEMA in 2020, amid the pandemic, when I felt deeply unsure of my future as a global health practitioner and researcher. Joining GEMA at that juncture injected excitement and optimism into my career, and I soon found a passionate community where I could both learn about cutting-edge advances in global emergency medicine and contribute to knowledge production. I found a community that was receptive to my ideas on how to grow GEMA, and I founded the Humanitarian Taskforce shortly after joining. The HTF, which now has over 130 members, has since grown into one of the most popular subgroups of GEMA, and we now have an active community that has produced countless webinars and SAEM pulse articles and is now working on several projects to help generate evidence in the humanitarian space. I am grateful that GEMA leaders gave me space for my ideas to flourish.

In the years since joining, I have been the co-chair of the Pediatric Emergency Medicine Subcommittee and have served on the GEMA ExCo for the last two years as Program Committee Liaison and IT/Social Media Chair. In these roles, my main focus has been supporting and promoting the work of GEMA members at our Annual Meeting and on our social media platforms.

As president-elect, I intend to provide all members with a space where they have the agency to shape the future of global emergency medicine. This is particularly important for medical students, trainees, members from LMICs, and junior faculty. I intend to use my position as president-elect to catalyze collaboration opportunities for GEMA members not only within the larger SAEM community but also with external organizations, such as IFEM, AFEM, CUGH, and humanitarian and global health organizations. I also hope to encourage networking opportunities between members and to promote GEMA webinars, particularly as they pertain to career development and research in global emergency medicine.

I believe that with my experience in leadership within GEMA and SAEM, combined with my passion for global emergency medicine will make me an excellent candidate for the position of president-elect. Thank you for considering me for this position!

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Taylor Burkholder, MD, MPH

Development and Grants Officer

University of Southern California

Developing partnerships and procuring additional fundings is a critical need for Global Emergency Medicine Academy's (GEMA) growing reach and impact. Opportunities like the SAEMF/GEMA Research Pilot Grant, ARMED scholarship, and GEMA/AWAEM Travel Scholarship, are some of the most tangible ways that GEMA can fulfill its mission to advance academic emergency medicine by improving the global delivery of emergency care through research, education, and mentorship. I hope to work with GEMA and SAEM leadership to develop partnerships that will allow us to fund more opportunities like these, through creative approaches to fundraising. I have previously served GEMA in various roles--treasurer, IT chair, resident/fellow representative, and DEI committee co-chair--and plan to bring my experiences from these roles into the development and grants officer position. I have also represented GEMA on the SAEMF grants committee for three years, lending me a unique perspective on the types of work GEMA already funds. Thank you for your consideration.

Corlin Jewell, MD

Member-at-Large

University of Wisconsin

My name is Corlin Jewell and I think that I would be an exceptional addition to the Clerkship Directors in Emergency Medicine (CDEM) executive committee. I have been a passionate educator since medical school and have served on a number of national and local educational organizations. Currently, I am the director of medical student education for the Department of Emergency Medicine at the University of Wisconsin and prior to this, I served as the assistant clerkship director for 3 years. During this time, I have guided multiple cohorts of EM-bound students through the match process. I have also served on the school's educational policy and curriculum committee and have substantial practical experience with educational administration that will make me a valuable addition to the CDEM executive committee. I am in the process of completing a Master's of Health Professions Education (MHPE) at UIC and feel that this would add a substantial amount of educational theory background that will help me to contribute to the committee's mission. Furthermore, I am a great team player and have successfully collaborated on many national group efforts in scholarship as well as multiple committees (ASC-EM, SAEM Education Committee, SAEM Fellowship Approval Committee, CORD Track Chair). Overall, I think my experience will prove extremely helpful to CDEM and I would be thrilled to serve on the executive committee.

Mark Olaf, DO

Member-at-Large

Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine

My goal in joining the Clerkship Directors in Emergency Medicine (CDEM) executive committee is to serve the members of CDEM, the SAEM organization as a whole, and the specialty of emergency medicine as it relates to the education of medical students who will become the future of emergency medicine and all clinical medicine. Experience with CDEM has been focused on work within the curriculum committee, including a current project to modernize, renew, and revise the CDEM medical student clerkship curriculum. I have found the CDEM academy to be welcoming environment, and seek to welcome and include many others in the important work of the academy. Emergency medicine finds itself in a unique, challenging, and opportune time as our specialty faces a crossroads. My experiences in both the SAEM workforce committee as well as in the CDEM curriculum committee provide me with a unique perspective to help advance the education of our medical students and provide important contributions to our organization. My background as an educator and leader has prepared me to take this next important step.

Kellie McKenzie, MD

Secretary

Emory University

I am a PGY-3 with Emory Emergency Medicine, and an incoming medical toxicology fellow with Emory/CDC. I am also the current resident member of Academy for Women in Academic Emergency Medicine (AWAEM) Executive Committee. My undergraduate education was at Duke University, where I graduated in 2017 with a major in biology and research honors, as well as minors in chemistry and french. After a year in genomics research, I attended Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine. I graduated in 2022 with honors with distinction in research and as the school’s 2022 SAEM award recipient. My experience with SAEM, and more broadly, academic emergency medicine, includes involvement with SAEM and ACEP throughout medical school and residency. I was an ACEP Medical Student Scholar in 2021, and an SAEM Medical Student Ambassador in both 2020 and 2021. I was selected as a lead ambassador for the conference both years. I have gained additional meaningful leadership experience from my positions working with the national educational organization, foundations of emergency medicine. I served as co-director of social media 2022-2024, and have recently transitioned to the foundations 1 development team.

I am running to be secretary for AWAEM because I want to continue to serve academic emergency medicine on a national level, and in particular, be a representative and voice for women in the field. I have unique experience in communications and committee work from my two years of involvement with FoEM, and have gained valuable experience through my role on this year’s AWAEM executive committee. The role of secretary would be a natural transition as I continue to grow my role within AWAEM, and develop my career as a leader in emergency medicine and experience with AWAEM leadership.

Trupti Dinesh Patel, DO

Resident Member

Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai

I am excited to submit my candidacy for a committee position with the Academy for Women in Academic Emergency Medicine (AWAEM). I was first introduced to AWAEM as a medical student at SAEM, and since then have looked forward to becoming more involved. I believe that this role will allow me to act on my passion for advocating for women in our field and addressing the systemic barriers we encounter.

Throughout my training, I have encountered the challenges women experience, including bias in clinical training and underrepresentation in leadership. My involvement in Academy for Diversity and Inclusion in Emergency Medicine (ADIEM), the EMPower DEI interest group at Sinai, and the women’s studies scholarly track at Sinai emergency medicine has deepened my commitment to fostering an inclusive and equitable environment.

If elected, I will focus on initiatives such as establishing mentorship programs that connect residents with experienced faculty, advocating for policies that promote gender equity, and advocating for patients’ and physicians’ right to reproductive healthcare. These efforts aim to create a supportive community that empowers women in emergency medicine. Women now represent half of the medical student body and almost half of physicians, and I am dedicated to ensuring that our voices are heard and valued. Together, we can break barriers and create a more equitable future for women in academic emergency medicine.

Taylor Giller, MD

Resident Member

Emory University

I am a second year resident at Emory University School of Medicine. I am applying for the position of Academy for Women in Academic Emergency Medicine (AWAEM) Resident Member because I believe in the core mission of AWAEM - that is, empowering and encouraging women within the exciting field of emergency medicine. Long before I entered medical school, it became obvious to me that having strong female mentors was going to be critical to my professional development. Now as a current resident, I have faced innumerable trials, as we all do. I truly could not have made it to this point in my career without the guidance of other women in emergency medicine and for that I am eternally grateful. Therefore, I would like to pay it forward to other women entering, or currently in, emergency medicine by contributing what I can to this incredible organization.

Lucia Lin, MD

Resident Member

Denver Health

My name is Lucia Lin, and I am a third-year emergency medicine (EM) resident at Denver Health. I currently serve as the lead for the Women in EM group, where I have organized multiple events over the years that bring together our community—including medical students, residents, and attendings—to discuss the challenges and triumphs of being a woman in this demanding field. Some of our previous themes have included "Saying Sorry," "Empowering Other Women," and "Women in the Resus Room." I believe that building a supportive community is essential, especially given the unique challenges women face in our field on a daily basis.