Greetings from the team!

You may be wondering who’s on the team and how we use an anti-racist and justice equity lens to consult with researchers and community partners to build strong foundations, lasting partnerships and begin to build trust.

Synergy Challenge Opportunity written with colorful abstract arrows, lines, squares. and circles surrounding the text.
University of Michigan School of Public Health researchers recently published an essay in the American Journal of Public Health (AJPH) examining the synergies between the principles of anti-racism and community-based participatory research (CBPR). 

 

Group of 7 people in an office smiling.
CTSI Staff and Faculty
from left: Saji, Tung, Erica, Rana, Kevin, Roberto, Mike and others on zoom

Our Mission

At the heart of our mission is building strong and lasting partnerships between UCSF and communities that promote civic engagement, foster community health and wellbeing, and prioritize health equity and justice. Furthermore, while enhancing the environment for high-quality education, patient care, research, and employment, we must prioritize successful collaboration, genuine partnership, trust building, and collaboration. Communities are the trust experts and must be true partners in all aspects of the work, as their expertise is invaluable in amplifying our mission to support mutual learning, create opportunities for meaningful participation, and dismantling systems of oppression.

 

Group of 9 people huddle together smiling outside with trees and string lights hanging in the background.CTSI team at reception celebrating AVCR-IDEA office opening.

Our Vision

To actively improve the quality of life of and promote health equity throughout our communities by cultivating, sustaining and advancing strong collaborative partnerships that model excellence in community and University engagement.

Much of the work of bringing together patients and community members with UCSF is done by the Center for Community Engagement (CCE) housed in the Office of Community and Government Relations. CCE supports a range of education and training initiatives, as well as the UCSF Anchor Institution Initiative that seeks to hold the university accountable for leveraging its economic power to improve the health and welfare of the Bay Area communities in which it sits.

 

Headshot of a woman smiling.

Helen Arega, MA

In another life, I'm pretty sure I was someone’s grandma. If I won the lottery tomorrow, I’d work for National Geographic and travel the world. What’s most inspiring is the resilience of Black and Brown communities around the world.

Headshot of a woman with a red shirt smiling.

Rana Barar, MPH

If I won the lottery tomorrow, I’d start a really cool cocktail bar. What’s most inspiring are the folks serving their communities day in and day out.

 

Headshot of a man in a suit smiling.

Jairo Ceballos, MPH

I'm pretty sure I was a horse in another life. If I won the lottery tomorrow, I’d start an environmentally friendly and sustainable ranching business. And, you know, keep working here. What’s most inspiring is being surrounded by likeminded folks that see equity at the center of systemic health.

Headshot of a man with glasses wearing a suit smiling.

Kevin Grumbach, MD

If I won the lottery tomorrow, I would fund a campaign for primary care for all. What’s most inspiring, other than Steph Curry, is the multitude of unheralded good people who each in their own way strive to make the world a better place.

 

Headshot of a woman with a purple top and scarf smiling.

Paula Fleisher, MA

In another life, I'm pretty sure I was a fig tree. The most inspiring part of my work - aside from helping potential research partners find each other and discover common passions and commitment – is supporting partnerships in which institutional roles are amenable to transformation in the service of optimal community health.

 

 

Headshot of a man wearing a pink shirt smiling.

Saji Mansur, MPH

If I won the lottery I would become a professional tourist wandering the world enjoying the different cultures and eating in excess.

 

Headshot of a man wearing a red sweater smiling at a beach.

Michael Potter, MD

In another life I’m pretty sure I was a photojournalist. If I won the lottery tomorrow, it would mean that I would have actually bought a ticket! What’s most inspiring are the people I get to meet and work with.

Headshot of a man wearing a blue suit smiling.

Tung Nguyen, MD

I'm pretty sure I was a musician in another life. If I won the lottery tomorrow, I’d start a foundation to address social determinants of health. And, you know, keep working here. What’s most inspiring is I get to work with passionate, compassionate, and highly skilled people from all walks of life.

 

 

Headshot of a man wearing a pink button shirt smiling with trees in the background.

Roberto Vargas, MPH

I am most inspired by humble leaders who are of service to those most challenged to succeed.

Headshot of a woman wearing a dark blue denim top smiling.

Aimee Williams, MPH

In another life, I'm pretty sure I was a house cat. If I won the lottery tomorrow, I’d start an advocacy organization for people with chronic
illness. What’s most inspiring is being part of a community that is dedicated to health equity.

 

Headshot of a woman wearing a dark blue blazer smiling.

Erica Wong

In another life, I’m pretty sure I was an ombudsman of a cult or team building lead at a summer camp. If I won the lottery tomorrow, I’d start a bedding company that sold duvet covers with zippers on 4 sides and magnetic corner ties. The most inspiring part of the work is working alongside thought leaders inside and outside the institution who call out a broken system, work towards a paradigm shift, and break the social contract of what it means to be part of a renowned academic medical institution.

 

 

 

 

Funding for this website was provided by a PCORI Engagement Award (for ASPIRE); UCSF School of Medicine strategic planning funding; and the UCSF Clinical and Translational Science Institute Community Engagement Program.

The UCSF Clinical and Translational Science Institute (CTSI) is part of the Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA) program funded by the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) (Grant Number UL1 TR001872). The content of this website is solely the responsibility of CTSI and does not necessarily represent the official views of the NIH.