Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging (DEIB) House Staff Council
Our Vision
Founded in April 2023, the BWH DEIB House Staff Council was established to create a safe, respectful, and supportive home for all members of all BWH departments to advance the principles of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) with a primary focus on enhancing the experience of Underrepresented in Medicine (URiM), LGBTQIA+ members, and other historically marginalized community members. Through intentional and strategic initiatives, partnerships, innovation, and education, the DEIB House Staff Council will focus on mechanisms to support and empower the BWH diverse trainees to:
- Recruit, retain, and promote diverse trainees, faculty, and staff (Recruitment & Retention)
- Create a sense of belonging and community amongst and across affinity groups (Internal Community Building)
- Advocate for social justice through local community service and advancing care for our underserved populations (Social Justice, Community Service, & External Community Building)
- Utilize innovative methodologies to describe and advance DEIB education and research at BWH to impact the clinical training climate and equip our trainees and faculty with the tools needed to achieve health equity (Research, Health Equity, and Quality Improvement)
Our Mission
The mission of the BWH DEIB House Staff Council is to create a diverse and vibrant clinical training environment for all BWH departments where all members thrive and reach their utmost potential to benefit the community we serve.
Want to get involved or learn more? Fill out the General Interest form below or contact us: bwhcdi@bwh.harvard.edu
BWH DEIB House Staff Council General Interests & Working Groups Form
DEIB House Staff Council:
Leadership Team
Hometown: Humboldt, Tennessee, USA
Medical school: University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine
Undergraduate school: University of Tennessee
Cody Sain, MD (he/him/his)
DEIB House Staff Council Chair
PGY-3 Anesthesiology
As a descendant of American Chattel Slavery and a proud Black American, Cody deeply appreciates his cultural heritage and the struggles faced by his ancestors. As a queer individual hailing from the South, he also brings a unique perspective and an understanding of the challenges faced by marginalized communities. Cody is passionate about inclusion and equity within anesthesiology and increasing the recruitment and retention of underrepresented individuals in academic medicine. Cody’s clinical interests include acute pain management, obstetric anesthesiology, and palliative care, recognizing the importance of compassionate and comprehensive healthcare across various patient populations. Cody has a strong passion for combatting systemic racism as a vocal advocate for his underrepresented peers and mentees nationwide.
Cody was drawn to a leadership position with the Diversity House Staff Council due to his deep-rooted desire to advance workplace psychological safety for all marginalized trainees. Cody’s professional journey has been underscored by a drive to enhance diversity, equity, and inclusion and work towards belonging for minorities throughout medicine and justice for our patients. To improve health equity, having underrepresented voices in healthcare is crucial. It is no secret that minority patients benefit from more effective care when treated by minority physicians. Cody’s goal is to utilize his career to improve minority representation in academic medicine and pursue a career as an academic anesthesiologist who continues to advance DEIB initiatives at the community and scholarly levels.
Cody is a determined, powerful advocate for a more inclusive and supportive environment in medicine. His diverse background and commitment to social causes make him an invaluable asset to our team as we strive for a better, more equitable future.
Beyond his professional pursuits, Cody is a self-proclaimed Beyoncé Stan and appreciates the cultural impact artists can have on the world through music, innovative artistry, and creative self-expression.
Hometown: Orlando, Florida, USA
Medical school: University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine
Undergraduate school: University of Chicago
Abena Appah-Sampong, MD (she/her/hers)
Black/African-American Affinity Group Chair
Research, General Surgery
Abena Appah-Sampong is a second year research resident in the Brigham and Women’s general surgery residency program. She received her medical degree from the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine. She is currently obtaining her Master’s in Public Health at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Abena is passionate about advancing health equity in medicine and advocates for spaces of inclusion and belonging for Black and other racially minoritized physicians. Her hobbies include making pottery, weightlifting, singing, and spending time with friends.
Hometown: Ottawa, Canada
Medical school: Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
Undergraduate school: McGill University
Marcia Lange, MD (she/her/hers) Black/African-American Affinity Group Associate Chair PGY-2, Medicine
I am PGY-2 internal medicine resident at Brigham & Women’s Hospital. I grew up in Canada and went to McGill University for my undergraduate studies. For medical school, I crossed the boarder and attended the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. I love connecting with people and especially supporting those most under-represented in medicine. In my free time, I enjoy cooking, finding the best restaurants in Boston, reading a good book, and generally spending as much time in the sun as possible. I look forward to being a member of this years DEIB HS Council!
Hometown: Old Bridge, New Jersey, USA
Medical school: Charles R. Drew University/David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA
Undergraduate school: Drexel University
Katherina Tanson, MD (she/her/hers)
Black/African-American Affinity Associate Chair
PGY-2, Internal Medicine/Pediatrics
Dr. Katherina Tanson is currently a PGY-2 in the combined Internal Medicine and Pediatrics residency program at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Boston Children’s Hospital. She is a proud first-generation Ghanaian American and originally from Central New Jersey (yes, it does exist!). She completed her undergraduate education at Drexel University in Philadelphia, PA. Afterward, she relocated to Los Angeles, CA, where she earned her M.D. degree from the Charles R. Drew/UCLA Medical Education program. With only twenty-eight students, this program uniquely focuses on addressing healthcare disparities while fostering leaders in medicine.
During medical school, Katherina served as Co-President of the Student National Medical Association (SNMA) and played a key role in implementing several new projects. Notably, she helped create the David Geffen School of Medicine Black Lives Matter white coat pin and SNMA Safe Spaces to facilitate honest and open dialogue within the Black medical community. She also spearheaded the URiM resident-medical student mentorship program and initiated the development of a medical student research database for those interested in health services and disparities research.
Her clinical interests include primary care, benign hematology, and transitions of care for patients with complex medical and social needs. In her free time, she enjoys cycling classes, attending concerts, and spending time with her nieces and nephews. Excited to join the DEIB HS Council, Katherina aspires to amplify the voices of URiM trainees at BWH and to continue boldly advocating for a diverse and inclusive community.
Hometown: El Segundo, California, USA; Kandy, Sri Lanka
Medical school: Harvard Medical School
Undergraduate school: Johns Hopkins University
Sashini Godage, MD (she/her/hers)
Disadvantaged Backgrounds Affinity Group Co-Chair
PGY-2, Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine
Sashini was born in Kandy, Sri Lanka, and moved to California with her family when she was nine years old. Currently, she is a second-year BWH anesthesiology resident. Sashini is passionate about drawing attention to individuals in the physician workforce who come from disadvantaged backgrounds as a unique and often-forgotten underrepresented population in academic medicine. She is involved in DEIB research, including work that focuses on workplace stressors for individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds in medicine. Through her work, she hopes to facilitate the acknowledgment of this community in DEIB efforts. When not in the hospital, Sashini enjoys tackling complicated recipes, expanding her plant collection, and trying out new Boston restaurants.
Hometown: Centreville, Virginia, USA
Medical school: Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
Undergraduate school: University of Pennsylvania
Mary Sun, MD, MSc, MA (she/her/hers)
Disadvantaged Backgrounds Affinity Group Co-Chair
PGY-2, Psychiatry
Dr. Mary Sun is a first-generation physician who cares deeply about refugee/immigrant, low-income, and sexual and gender minority communities. She is currently a Child Track resident in Psychiatry at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital/Harvard Medical School, with interests at the intersection of cross-cultural psychiatry, trauma-spectrum disorders, and digital health equity. She earned her MD and MSCR from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, her MA in Software Engineering from Harvard University, and BA and BSE from the University of Pennsylvania and the Wharton School. Before medicine, she worked in software development and was a performing artist. Outside of medicine, Mary can be found reading, making music, and climbing big hills.
Hometown: Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
Medical school: Medical College of Wisconsin
Undergraduate school: Marquette University
Javier Mora, MD (he/him/his)
Latinx/Hispanic/Spanish-Origin Affinity Group Chair
PGY-4, Radiation Oncology
Hometown: Valera, Trujillo, Venezuela
Medical school: Universidad Central de Venezuela – Dr. Luis Razetti School of Medicine
Ardel J. Romero Pabón, MD (he/him/his)
Latinx/Hispanic/Spanish-Origin Affinity Group Associate Chair
T32 Fellow, Cardiovascular Imaging, Radiology
Hometown: El Paso, Texas, USA
Medical school: Paul L. Foster School of Medicine Texas Tech University Health Science Center
Undergraduate school: University of Texas at El Paso
Andres Santos, MD, PhD (he/him/his)
Latinx/Hispanic/Spanish-Origin Affinity Group Associate Chair
PGY-5, Neuropathology
Dr. Andres Santos is a Mexican-American who was raised in the border town of El
Paso, Texas. He is a bicultural and bilingual aspiring neuropathologist
currently doing research in viral immunotherapies for treating brain tumors
such as glioblastoma. Dr. Santos’s additional interests include modifying
current residency training programs, which are designed to educate English
speakers only and underutilize the potential impact bilingual residents can
have on local, national, and international healthcare initiatives for achieving
health equity. He aims to create educational interventions to improve
Latinx/Hispanic/Spanish-Origin trainees’ medical vocabulary and prepare them to
communicate efficiently with patients and other Spanish-speaking providers in
the U.S. and other Spanish-speaking countries. He strongly believes these
interventions will help promote diversity among the BWH residents and expand
BWH’s global medicine efforts to countries in Latin America.
Hometown: Charleston, South Carolina, USA
Medical school: Johns Hopkins School of Medicine
Undergraduate school: Clemson University
Megan F. Hunt, MD (she/her/hers)
LGBTQIA+ Affinity Group Chair
PGY-4, Anesthesiology
Megan is a proud member of the LGBTQIA+ community and one of the anesthesia department Chief Residents. She is a passionate advocate for equity in medicine with prior political advocacy involvement in access to HIV care, women’s health funding and gender affirming care policies. She is working with the Center for Gender Affirming Surgery (GAS) to optimize the anesthesia experience for patients. Her research efforts are focused on anesthesia techniques for GAS, ECMO, and operative pulmonary intervention strategies in pregnancy. Outside of medicine, she has a lively 4-year old German Shepard mix, is working on perfecting her espresso technique, and enjoys running the many greenspaces in Boston.
Hometown: White Plains, New York, USA
Medical school: Dartmouth
Undergraduate school:
Brown
Sand Mastrangelo, MD (they/them/theirs)
LGBTQIA+ Affinity Group Associate Chair
PGY-1, Psychiatry
Sand is a passionate advocate for health and social equity and excited to be part of the BWH DEIB House Staff Council. After graduating college, they taught high school English and bilingual education in Denver, Colorado and eventually completed a postbaccalaureate pre-medical program prior to medical school. Before joining BWH, Sand trained in orthopaedic surgery at the University of Pennsylvania where they developed a nuanced appreciation of the intersection of orthopaedic trauma and psychiatric disorders. Sand’s academic interests include LGBTQ+ and gender-affirming psychiatry, social determinants of mental health, and medical education with a focus on historically underrepresented students in medicine. As a member of the LGBTQIA+ affinity team, they hope to contribute a unique, bi-institutional/specialty perspective and facilitate an expansive and inclusive learning environment for all trainees.
Hometown: Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
Medical school: University of Minnesota
Undergraduate school:
University of San Diego
Jillian Wothe, MD (she/her/hers)
LGBTQIA+ Affinity Group Associate Chair
PGY-2, Surgery
My clinical interests include minimally invasive approaches to acute care surgery and abdominal wall hernias. My hobbies include walking around Jamaica Pond and going to Costco. Excited to foster connection & community, celebrate queer culture, and promote DEIB initiatives.
Hometown: Buffalo, New York, USA
Medical school: Upstate Medical University
Undergraduate school: Stony Brook University
Cameron Bosinski, MD, MS (he/him/his)
Native American Affinity Group Chair
PGY-4, Anesthesiology
Dr. Bosinski is a CA-2 in the research track at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. During residency, he has made contributions to research, education and advocacy. He serves as a contributor to the International Anesthesia Research Society (IARS) Daily Dose, which highlights the important takeaways from the IARS annual conference. In addition, he is the webmaster for the Early-Stage Anesthesia Scholars (eSAS), which serves as a community for emerging researchers in anesthesiology. Over the past year, he has published two articles on medical education, specifically regarding medical school clerkships and bedside procedures performed by residents. Recently, Dr. Bosinski was involved in a multi-institutional collaboration that emphasized the importance of pipeline programs for increasing the diversity of the medical field. This work culminated in a two-day Health Equity Conference that brought together leaders in Native American healthcare to discuss their impact on this subject. This is a continuation of his work with the Association of American Indian Physicians to bring a Preadmission Workshop (PAW) to Upstate Medical University.
Hometown: Chicago, Illinois, USA
Medical school: University of Illinois at Chicago
Undergraduate school:
Washington University in St. Louis
Jackie Anyaso, MD, MBA (she/her/hers)
Social Justice & Community Service Chair
PGY-2, Emergency Medicine
My name is Jackie Anyaso and I am one of the Emergency Medicine PGY-2 residents this year. I am Nigerian by heritage, but was born and raised in the city of Chicago. As a child, I was heavily involved in my local Boys and Girls Club and was involved in a number of pipeline programs throughout middle school and high school. I attribute much of my success today to these organizations, and it is why I am particularly passionate about community engagement and the mentorship of underrepresented minorities in medicine. I’m eager to learn more about the larger Boston community and strategize ways BWH can better integrate into it this year. When I am not working, you can find me either leisure reading, spending time with family/friends, or traveling.
Hometown: Boston, Massachusetts, USA
Medical school: Charles R. Drew University/David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA
Undergraduate school:
Bryn Mawr College
Georgina Dominique, MD (she/her/hers)
Social Justice & Community Service Associate Chair
PGY-1, Urology
Dr. Georgina Dominique graduated from Charles R. Drew University/David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA Medical Education Program. During medical school, she completed a research year in the Pelvic Medicine and Reconstructive Surgery division of UCLA Urology. As a native Bostonian and child of Haitian immigrants, she joined the BWH DEIB House Staff Council because she is eager to help propel efforts to further engage a diverse range of community members with the MGB. Her professional interests include global surgery and outcomes disparities. Outside of the hospital, she enjoys practicing yoga as well as spending time with family, friends, and her cat.
Hometown: Maryland, USA
Medical school: University of Maryland, Baltimore
Undergraduate school:
Bowie State University
Angelique Ealy, MD (she/her/hers)
Social Justice & Community Service Associate Chair
PGY-1, Psychiatry
Angelique’s academic journey began at Bowie State University, where she graduated summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Science in Biology. Prior to medical school, Angelique spent two years at the National Institutes of Health, where she was a Post Baccalaureate Research Fellow at the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. There, she investigated the genetic mechanisms of retroelements in fission yeast, enhancing the understanding of diseases caused by retroviruses. Angelique earned her medical degree from the University of Maryland School of Medicine. Here, she conducted research addressing power imbalances between community and academic research partnerships aiming to enhance power sharing, promote participation in research, and empower communities. While in medical school, Angelique also served as the President of the University of Maryland School of Medicine’s chapter of White Coats for Black Lives where she spearheaded initiatives that strengthened partnerships between Baltimore City communities and the medical school, creating lasting impacts on local health advocacy and education. Continuing her commitment to service, Angelique mentors students from underrepresented communities who aspire to careers in medicine, thus fostering more inclusive and equitable pathways to medicine. Angelique is excited to pursue her passion for service with the DEIB House Staff Council and looks forward to amplifying efforts which support a culture of equity and justice for providers and patients.
Hometown: Houston, Texas, USA
Medical school: Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine
Undergraduate school: Vanderbilt University
Ramael Ohiomoba, MD, MPH (she/her/hers)
Research, Health Equity, and Quality Improvement Chair
PGY-3, Internal Medicine
Ramael Ohiomoba is a third year in the Brigham and Women’s Hospital Internal Medicine residency program. She received her medical degree from Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. She is also a graduate of Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health, where she completed a Master of Public Health with a concentration in Epidemiology. Ramael’s prior research centered on the biological and social risk factors for cardiovascular health and the global transmission of disease. She is also passionate about improving access to healthcare and eliminating health inequities in resource limited communities. After completing residency, she will pursue cardiology fellowship.
Hometown: Naperville, Illinois, USA
Medical school:
Brown University
Undergraduate school: Brown University
Kelsey Brown, MD (she/her/hers)
Research, Health Equity, and Quality Improvement Associate Chair
PGY-2, Orthopaedic Surgery
Kelsey grew up in the suburbs of Chicago and completed her undergraduate and medical education in Providence. As the first physician in her family, she takes pride in being able to meet patients where they are in order to provide compassionate and equitable care. Her research interests lie predominantly in the global orthopedics space, however, she is also interested in identifying and addressing disparate experiences both in musculoskeletal care and orthopedic surgical training. Outside of medicine, she loves good food, traveling and spending time with her people.
Hometown: Dos Palos, California, USA
Medical school:
David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA
Undergraduate school: UCLA
Vanessa Nunez, MD, MBA (she/her/hers)
Research, Health Equity, and Quality Improvement Associate Chair
PGY-2, Internal Medicine
Hometown: Rijeka, Croatia
Residency: Brigham and Women’s Hospital
Internship: Duke University Medical Center-GME
Medical school: Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth
Undergraduate school: Mount Holyoke College
Faculty Advisor
Morana Lasic, MD, MEd
Interim Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer
Dr. Morana Lasic is an anesthesiologist, medical educator, diversity and wellness champion, and an Assistant Professor at Harvard Medical School. She received her B.A. from Mount Holyoke College, M.D. from Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth and M.Ed. degree from Harvard Graduate School of Education. Dr. Lasic’s clinical training includes a surgical internship at Duke University Medical Center and an anesthesiology residency at BWH. She is the Associate Program Director of the BWH anesthesiology residency program, Vice Chair for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the BWH Department of Anesthesiology, and a BWH Interim Chief Diversity Officer. She is dedicated to fostering a diverse and inclusive environment in healthcare and education.
Dr. Lasic is also the Medical Director of Peer Support at BWH, where she runs the program for all hospital departments and provides confidential support to peers impacted by challenging events in their medical practice. Her commitment to mentorship, teaching, clinician wellness, and community service has made her a valued leader in the medical field. She has received numerous departmental and hospital awards, including the 2021 Pillars of Excellence Award for Fostering Community and the Brigham and Women’s Hospital 2022 Professionalism Award.
