MSC DEI Liaison and Working Group

Call for Working Group Members - apply by June 15, 2023

MSC DEI Key Terms

2022-2023 MSC DEI Liaison - Breyanna Dulaney

2021-2022 MSC DEI Liaison - Tanisha Verneus

Tanisha Verneus is a fourth-year medical student at the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University. She received her bachelors degree in Health and Human Biology from Brown University in 2018. She previously served as the 2020-2021 MSC Member-at-Large, during which she helped to create the MSC subspecialty interview series. This year, Tanisha is excited to continue working with the MSC to integrate her love of anesthesiology with her passion for diversity and inclusion, medical education and pipeline development. As the Inaugural Diversity and Inclusion Liaison, Tanisha hopes to empower students who come from underrepresented backgrounds in anesthesiology. She aims to work with the MSC leadership to identify areas in which underrepresented trainees can be better supported in their journey to a career in anesthesiology and create resources highlighting the importance of a diverse workforce. Outside of medicine, Tanisha's hobbies include practicing yoga and reading memoirs.

DEI Working Group Members

Kwasi Aboagye

Kwasi Aboagye is from Ghana but grew up in Seat Pleasant, MD. He attended Prince George's Community College for two years then transferred to the University of Miami where he majored in Medical Anthropology. He then received his masters in Biomedical Science from Barry University. He currently attend the Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University in the class of 2023. He is excited to merge his new found love for anesthesiology with his life long passion for DEI work.

Cameran Burt

Cameran is a fourth-year medical student at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. He was born in Atlantic City, NJ but mostly grew up outside of Baltimore, MD. He attended the University of Maryland, College Park for undergrad and did a year of clinical research before starting medical school. Outside of medicine he enjoys road cycling, cheering on Philadelphia sports teams, and spending time with family and friends.

Reem Hamoda

Reem Hamoda is a fourth-year student at the Pritzker School of Medicine. She received her undergraduate degree from the University of Pittsburgh and a Master of Public Health in Epidemiology at Emory University. Reem is highly engaged in UiM mentorship and advocacy at the Pritzker School of Medicine, particularly in UiM student recruitment and promoting health equity across the pre-clinical and clinical curriculum. Additionally, she conducts funded research on racial-ethnic and gender-based disparities in access to kidney transplantation. Reem is committed to achieving the DEI working group's mission to improve the pipeline to anesthesiology for UiMs. Reem hopes to pursue a career in anesthesiology and critical care; her long-term career goal is to work at multiple levels of the healthcare system to reduce disparities in perioperative care and improve equity in critical care quality and outcomes.

Ashley Henderson

Tiffie Keung

Tiffie Keung is a third-year medical student at MSU. She grew up on the island of Guam, moved to LA for college, did 7 gap years in the LA area, and then moved to Michigan for medical school. She is a proud non-traditional, first-generation student. Her passion for helping underserved communities originates from her upbringing in Guam, where she observed poor healthcare access, high poverty rates, and high rates of cardiovascular disease. She is passionate about learning about health disparities and health equity through policy, advocacy, research, and community engagement. During medical school, she was involved in AMA, APAMSA, and SNMA. She hopes to continue uplifting those who are underrepresented in medicine and working to diversify anesthesiology as a specialty and the healthcare workforce as a whole.

Brian Lee

Brian Lee is currently a fourth-year medical student at Albany Medical College in Albany, New York. He graduated from Union College with a B.S. in Biological Sciences and Sociology with a minor in Chemistry. Brian has had a passion for advancing equity through both physical and discursive activism. As a member of the ASA MSC DEI Working Group, Brian is excited to help foster communities of anti-racist and inclusive future anesthesiologists as they train towards serving diverse patient populations. In the future, Brian hopes to integrate his passion for diversity and inclusion with anesthesiology by providing anesthesia in marginalized communities both domestically and internationally. Outside of medicine, Brian enjoys playing soccer, catching up with friends over coffee, and journaling.

Claudia Mort

Claudia M. Mort (she, her) is a Mexican American first generation fourth-year medical student at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine. Her passions include Obstetrics Anesthesiology, health equity, and writing about language services in healthcare. Before medical school, she completed her formal medical interpreter training and served as a Spanish-English medical interpreter in various community clinics and non-profits. She currently services for Gold Humanism Honor Society and for Women In Anesthesiology as their WIA Junior Chapter Liaison and WIA Medical Student Component Co-Founder and Co-President.

Zelle Ndika

Zelle Ndika, a first-generation Cameroonian-American, was born and raised in Prince George's County, MD. She attended Towson University, where she majored in Molecular Biology, Biochemistry & Bioinformatics. She is currently a student doctor at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. Zelle possesses years of experience with service to her local community and church. This involvement has heightened her awareness of social dilemmas and institutional barriers faced by marginalized populations, as well as communities of poverty. Zelle finds joy in providing tools for success to the disadvantaged and advocating for marginalized population, with the ultimate goal of order building strong foundations of health and creating longitudinal impact within these communities. As a budding physician, Zelle hopes to tackle health disparities and social injustices in order to improve patient outcomes, well-being and quality of life. She believes a key element to DEI is effective decision-making that is inclusive of all patient populations. This includes being able to reflect and speak on patient experiences, being resourceful enough to ask pertinent questions, and having difficult conversations which allow individuals of different backgrounds to relate to one another. She enjoys serving as a dependable resource to others, and is excited and motivated to help others recognize the profound role that social determinants play in the sustainability of life for patients.

Chiemela Ohanele

Chieme Ohanele is a current MD/PhD student at Emory. She loves advocacy and DEI work and is excited to participate in the working group! In her free time, she loves to roller skate, read, and watch reality tv.

Ankith Reddy

Ankith Reddy is a current medical student at UTMB School of Medicine. He is passionate about anesthesiology, academic medicine, healthcare equity and diversity. During his free time, he loves to dance!

Genesys Santana

Genesys Santana is a first-generation college graduate, who graduated from the University of Central Florida with a bachelors degree in biotechnology and Imperial College London with a masters degree in genomic medicine. She is currently a second-year medical student at the Case Western Reserve University Program. Genesys is particularly interested in promoting a form of personalized medicine in the field of anesthesiology that considers the genomic, socioeconomic, and cultural diversity of patients when delivering care. She is excited to form part of the inaugural ASA MSC Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Working Group's efforts to diversify the field, so that anesthesiologists represent the patient population they serve, and ensure quality improvement. In her spare time, Genesys enjoys printmaking, hot power yoga and watching old TV shows like All in the Family and The Jeffersons.

Jane Yang Xu

Jane Xu is originally from Berkeley, California. She received her bachelors degree in Cultural Anthropology and Neuroscience at Dartmouth College in New Hampshire, and she is currently a 3rd-year medical student at Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth. Jane is excited to be a member of the first ASA MSC DEI Working Group as it combines her interests of anesthesiology, medical education, and diversity and inclusion. With the Group, she hopes to improve access to opportunities for medical students, especially those who are underrepresented, to explore anesthesiology as a potential career. She aims to build connections with national affinity groups and develop resources that promote the importance of increasing diversity in anesthesiology. In her free time, Jane enjoys trying new recipes and sharing meals with her friends and family.