Leadership Team | UC Davis School of Medicine

School of Medicine Leadership Team

  • Susan Murin, M.D., M.Sc., M.B.A.

    Interim Dean, School of Medicine

    Murin is the Interim Dean for the UC Davis School of Medicine. In her role, she leads the school in its mission areas of education, research, clinical care, and community. Murin oversees one of the nation’s top research, academic and medical training institutions, with more than 3,100 faculty and staff, 460 students, and 818 trainees in graduate medical education. She also oversees 25 departments and 15 centers.

    Read biography
  • Kim Elaine Barrett, Ph.D.

    Vice Dean for Research

    Barrett is the Vice Dean for Research and distinguished professor of physiology and membrane biology at the UC Davis School of Medicine. Barrett is advancing an innovative vision for the future of research at the School of Medicine that emphasizes collaboration to transform health.

    Read biography
  • Brenda K. Betts

    Assistant Vice Chancellor, Health Sciences Development and Alumni Relations 

    Betts is the Assistant Vice Chancellor for Health Sciences Development and is responsible for all fundraising and alumni relations activities within the School of Medicine.

    Read biography
  • Colleen E. Clancy, Ph.D.

    Associate Vice Chancellor, Academic Personnel

    Clancy is Associate Vice Chancellor for Academic Personnel and a professor of pharmacology. The Office of Academic Personnel oversees School of Medicine and Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing academic personnel-related activities.

    Read biography
  • Anuurad Erdembileg, M.D., Ph.D., M.A.S.

    Assistant Dean, Research
    Director, School of Medicine Office of Research

    Erdembileg administers several Office of Research units and support programs involving subjects such as grant facilitation, research operations, and bridge and matching funds. He oversees an annual research operating budget of $10 million.

    Read biography
  • Tonya Fancher, M.D., M.P.H.

    Vice Chair, Workforce Diversity
    Associate Dean, Workforce Innovation and Education Quality Improvement

    Fancher is a professor of general internal medicine and serves as the Vice Chair for Workforce Diversity and Associate Dean of Workforce Innovation and Education Quality Improvement.

    Read biography
  • Jorge A. García, M.D., M.S.

    Associate Dean, Diverse and Inclusive Learning Communities

    García is a Health Sciences clinical professor of Internal Medicine and the inaugural associate dean for Diverse and Inclusive Learning Communities at the UC Davis School of Medicine (SOM).

    Read biography
  • Susan Guralnick, M.D.

    Susan Guralnick, M.D.

    Associate Dean, Graduate Medical Education

    Guralnick serves as the Associate Dean for Graduate Medical Education, in addition to being a professor of pediatrics.

  • Mark Henderson, M.D.

    Associate Dean, Admissions
    Vice Chair for Education, Department of Internal Medicine

    Henderson serves as Associate Dean for Admissions and Vice Chair for Education for the UC Davis School of Medicine, and is a professor of internal medicine.

    Read biography
  • Sharad Jain, M.D.

    Associate Dean, Students

    Jain is the Associate Dean of Students at the School of Medicine, providing leadership, support and innovation for the development and implementation of all student affairs programs.

    Read biography
  • Jana Katz-Bell, M.P.H.

    Senior Assistant Dean, Strategic Initiatives

    Jana Katz-Bell is the senior assistant dean for strategic initiatives at the Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing and the UC Davis School of Medicine. She oversees programs that bridge the two schools while collaborating with UC Davis Health.

    Read biography
  • Larisa Kure, M.P.A.

    Executive Assistant Dean, Administration and Finance

    Larisa Kure is the executive assistant dean for administration and finance in the School of Medicine, Office of the Dean. As a key strategic partner to the dean, Kure oversees and leads the planning and achievement of major initiatives in budget development and implementation, fiscal and business operations, physical resources management, information technology, research administration policy formulation, and organizational development.

    Read biography
  • Kristin Olson, M.D.

    Associate Dean, Curriculum

    Olson is the Associate Dean for Curriculum, while also serving as an associate professor in the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine.

    Read biography
  • Chong Porter

    Associate Vice Chancellor, Advancement

    Porter is the Associate Vice Chancellor for Health Sciences Development and Alumni Relations, responsible for enhancing the culture of philanthropy at UC Davis Health and expanding donor support through alumni relations and community engagement.

    Read biography
  • Gurmeet “Roy” Rai, M.B.A.

    Assistant Dean, Medical Education

    Rai oversees all administrative aspects of the medical education programs, such as outreach/pipeline programs, Undergraduate Medical Education, Graduate Medical Education, the Center for a Diverse Healthcare Workforce, and student and resident diversity.

    Read biography
  • Luis Fernando Santana, Ph.D., F.A.H.A.

    Vice Dean for Basic Sciences
    Chair, Department of Physiology and Membrane Biology
    Interim Chair, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine

    Santana is the inaugural Vice Dean for Basic Sciences, professor and Arline Miller Rolkin Endowed Chair in Physiology and Membrane Biology, and the Interim Chair of the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine. He also serves as co-director of the Academic Research Careers for Medical Doctors (ARC-MD) program.

    Read biography
  • Brent Seifert, J.D.

    Assistant Dean, Academic Personnel

    Seifert oversees the academic advancement process, faculty professional and leadership development, and human resource management strategies with overall responsibility for the recruitment, development and retention of highly qualified academic scientists and clinicians.

    Read biography
  • Mark Servis, M.D.

    Vice Dean, Medical Education

    Servis is responsible for all aspects of undergraduate medical education, including medical school admissions, financial aid and student wellness. He also works closely with faculty on curriculum.

    Read biography
  • Ruth Shim, M.D., M.P.H.

    Associate Dean, Diverse and Inclusive Education

    Shim is the Luke and Grace Kim Professor in Cultural Psychiatry and Professor of Clinical Psychiatry in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the University of California, Davis. She also serves as Associate Dean of Diverse and Inclusive Education at the University of California, Davis School of Medicine. Shim’s research focuses on mental health disparities and inequities, and she provides clinical psychiatric care in the UC Davis Early Diagnosis and Preventative Treatment Clinic.

    Read biography
  • Steve Telliano

    Assistant Vice Chancellor, Strategic Communications

    Telliano serves as the Assistant Vice Chancellor of Strategic Communications, overseeing the overall strategy and professional staff in media relations, marketing, brand management, digital outreach and internal communications.

    Read biography
  • Hendry Ton, M.D., M.S.

    Associate Vice Chancellor, Health Equity, Diversity and Inclusion

    Ton is the Associate Vice Chancellor for Health Equity, Diversity and Inclusion; a clinical professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, and director of education at the UC Davis Center for Reducing Health Disparities.

    Read biography
  • Sandhya Venugopal, M.D.

    Associate Dean, Continuing Medical Education

    Venugopal serves as the Associate Dean for Continuing Medical Education, and also directs the heart station/ECG laboratory in the Division of Cardiology.

    Read biography
  • Ted Wun, M.D.

    Associate Dean, Clinical and Translational Research
    Director, Clinical and Translational Science Center

    Wun is the Associate Dean for Clinical and Translational Research at the School of Medicine. He is also the director of the UC Davis Clinical and Translational Science Center, and chief of the Division of Hematology and Oncology.

    Read biography