The WIMHS Fellowship opportunity (formerly the WIMHS Scholarship program) is an innovative development program designed to promote excellence in women’s careers in biomedical sciences along with developing women leaders in the UC Davis schools of health.

 Read about the experience of past scholars in the WIMHS Fellowship program.

2019-2020 WIMHS scholar

As the 2019-2020 WIMHS fellow, I had the opportunity to address some of the critical issues that are holding women physicians back from achieving their full potential through education, research and collaboration with leadership. I was also able to improve my leadership skills through mentorship and WIMHS driven programs and activities.


 D. Aizenberg, M.D.


Debbie A. Aizenberg, M.D.

Associate Professor
Department of Otolaryngology / Head and Neck Surgery
University of California Davis Medical Center

2017-2018 WIMHS scholar

The WIMHS mentee program is an incredible opportunity for an academic physician and I am honored to be selected. As co-chair for the Department of Psychiatry’s Society for Women in Academic Psychiatry (SWAP) for the past 6.5 years, I was eager for the opportunity to engage with WIMHS beyond participation in WIMHS activities.

My experience with SWAP is that it has been a valuable resource and outlet for women in our department and as a WIMHS mentee, I hope to explore interest and need for similar endeavors throughout our health system, as well as support the existing mission and objectives of WIMHS.

Through mentorship and experience as a WIMHS mentee, I know that I will become a more effective leader and educator. I hope that through my example and my mentorship of others that we may continue to grow the recruitment, advancement, and retention of women faculty in UC Davis Health.

I look forward to the next 18 months and working with my mentorship team!


Shannon Suo, M.D., DFAPA

Shannon Suo, M.D., DFAPA

Health Science Associate Clinical Professor
UC Davis Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
Co-Director UC Davis Train New Trainers Primary Care Psychiatry Fellowship
Vice Chair, Diversity Advisory Committee
Co-Chair, Society for Women in Academic Psychiatry
Co-Instructor of Record, Doctoring 3

2016-2017 WIMHS scholar

My experience as WIMHS Scholar helped me improve my understanding of leadership in academic medicine, improved my own leadership skills, and helped me network with current and future leaders.

As part of my experience, I received regular mentoring from WIMHS leadership, contributed to programmatic planning for WIMHS events, assisted with outreach to junior faculty and trainees, authored two articles for the WIMHS blog, and participated in advisory committee meetings to provide input on our health system’s new strategic plan, to ensure that it paid attention to the recruitment, retention, and advancement of women.

I synthesized lessons learned and best practices derived from the 2016 UC-Wide Health Sciences Leadership Development Conference and co-authored a manuscript entitled “Leadership Development and Inclusion Excellence at Academic Health Centers: Best Practices from a University of California System-Wide Conference” with Drs. Villablanca, Freischlag and Acosta.

The manuscript identifies key strategies for leadership development, diversity, and inclusion in academia and how we can help leverage the success of future diverse leaders.


Ulfat Shaikh, MD, MPH

Ulfat Shaikh, M.D., M.P.H., M.S.

Professor of Pediatrics, UC Davis School of Medicine
Director for Healthcare Quality and Clinical Quality Officer, UC Davis Health Practice Management Board

The focus of Dr. Shaikh’s work is on developing interventions to translate evidence-based guidelines and recommendations into clinical practice, with the goal of delivering high quality care. She mentors students, trainees and clinicians on implementation research and quality improvement initiatives, and teaches quality improvement methods to current and future clinicians.

2012-2014 WIMHS scholar

I am an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and a faculty member of the UC Davis MIND Institute. I received a Ph.D. in neuroscience in 2003 and have spent the last 15 years establishing a program of research to evaluate prenatal risk factors for neurodevelopmental disorders, such as autism and schizophrenia. My research group focuses on how changes in the maternal-fetal immune environment may alter fetal brain development and increase the risk of these and other neurodevelopmental disorders.

In addition to my neuroscience focused research, I have developed a strong interest in supporting women’s careers in science and medicine. I’ve been an active member of the WIMHS program since joining the faculty in 2008 and was selected as the first WIMHS faculty mentee in 2012. Under the mentorship of WIMHS co-founders, Drs. Amparo Villablanca and Lydia Howell, I learned about the history of UC Davis WIMHS and how these programs can improve recruitment and retention of female faculty by providing opportunities for networking, mentorship, sponsorship and career development.

I am particularly proud of the quarterly WIMHS Blog which I created and maintain, as well as our paper published in Academic Medicine in 2014 “Women in academic medicine and health sciences (WIMHS): Innovation and change at the UC Davis School of Medicine”. In 2012 I was selected to participate in the AAMC Early Career Women Faculty Leadership Development Seminar and I have recently completed the Mid-Career Seminar as well.

I am truly grateful for the opportunity to serve as the first WIMHS faculty mentee and for the continued mentorship and opportunities that have resulted from this experience. I am a firm believer in “paying forward” the skills and knowledge I have gained through our WIMHS program and especially enjoy working with the next generation of women in science and medicine.

For the past six years I have served as a co-instructor for a freshman seminar entitled “Women in Science and Medicine” that highlights contributions of women and prepares the next generation for challenges they may face. I also regularly participate in career development seminar series for graduate students and postdoctoral fellows and always look forward to sharing my WIMHS experiences with trainees.


Melissa D. Bauman, Ph.D.

Melissa D. Bauman, Ph.D.

Associate Professor Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences