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Meet Our Leadership Team
Executive Council |
Evan Noch Co-Founder/Treasurer Dr. Evan Noch, Assistant Professor of Neurology and Director of Physician-Scientist Development at UT Southwestern, specializes in glioblastoma metabolism and is a co-founder of the American Junior Investigator Association to support post-graduate physician-scientist trainees. |
Jennifer Kwan Co-Founder Dr. Jennifer Kwan is an Assistant Professor of Medicine in Cardiovascular Medicine at Yale, where she leads translational cardio-oncology research focused on mechanisms of cardiotoxicity from cancer therapies, including immunotherapy-mediated myocarditis and the role of clonal hematopoiesis and somatic variants. Her work integrates AI, radiomics, and multi-omics approaches to predict cardiovascular outcomes and identify novel therapeutic targets. She is the recipient of NIH KL2 and R56 awards supporting this research. She is a co-founder of the American Junior Investigators Association, where she leads national studies, partnerships and advocacy efforts to advance physician-scientist careers and increase biomedical research funding. |
Nathan Chen Ambassador for Public Outreach Nathan Chen, Yale graduate and 2022 Olympic men’s figure skating champion, is pursuing a medical career as a physician-scientist while advocating for multicultural representation through his co-founding of Gold House. |
Alexander Obradovic Director of Data Management Dr. Aleksandar Obradovic, Associate Research Scientist at Columbia and resident physician at New York Presbyterian, develops innovative analytical tools for improving immunotherapy outcomes through understanding resistance mechanisms. |
Aisha Siebert Public Relations Chair Dr. Aisha Siebert, Clinical Fellow in Pediatric Urology at Boston Children's Hospital, leverages genomic tools for personalized medicine in pediatric urology and advocates for physician-scientist career development as a member of the American Junior Investigator Association. |
Alokkumar Jha Director of Early-Career Scientist Development Dr. Alokkumar Jha, Assistant Professor at Weill Cornell Medicine, integrates multi-omics and imaging data to study neurological and cardiovascular disease interactions, aiming to develop personalized treatments and therapeutics. |
Han Naung Tun Secretary Han Naung Tun, MBBS, MD, a clinician-scientist and fellow of both the American College of Cardiology (FACC) and the European Society of Cardiology (FESC), specializes in heart failure, cardiac imaging, and preventive cardiology. Affiliated with the University of Vermont's Larner College of Medicine, he is an award-winning researcher with numerous peer-reviewed publications and serves on multiple professional committees, including the European Association of Cardiovascular Imaging (EACVI) and the International Society for Telemedicine & eHealth. |
Katherine Hartmann Events Chair Dr. Katherine Hartmann is a Research Track Radiology Resident at the University of Pennsylvania. She earned her MD/PhD at The Ohio State University, studying genetic risk for coronary artery disease, and completed a Fulbright postdoctoral fellowship at the European Organization for the Research and Treatment of Cancer. Her work integrates molecular markers, big data, and imaging to better understand and study genetic risk of disease. |
Bianca Islam Executive Council Bianca is a physician-scientist focused on inflammatory bowel disease and colorectal cancer, dedicated to advancing research and improving patient outcomes. She is a strong advocate for diversity, equity, and inclusion, leading initiatives to increase representation in clinical trials and mentoring underrepresented trainees. Passionate about supporting early-career physician-scientists, she brings her experience and commitment to AJIA’s mission of advocacy, mentorship, and career development. |
Sorabh Singhal Executive Council Dr. Sorabh Singhal, Chief Resident in Psychiatry at the University of Colorado, is a physician-scientist dedicated to leveraging digital health innovations to improve care for individuals with mental illness. He joined AJIA to advance technology-enabled implementation science and support early-career physician-scientists during the transition between residency and junior faculty. |
Manasi Shah Executive Council Dr. Manasi Shah is a physician-scientist at Virginia Health Sciences at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, VA. Having trained at UT Southwestern, her research bridges basic and clinical sciences, focusing on the role of adipose tissue in the prevention of obesity, diabetes, and their complications. Dr. Shah is deeply passionate about protecting physician-scientist careers and advocating for the next generation of investigators through her leadership activities. |
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Board of Directors |
Evan Noch Director Assistant Professor of Neurology and Director of Physician-Scientist Development at UT Southwestern Dr. Evan Noch specializes in glioblastoma metabolism and is a co-founder of the American Junior Investigator Association to support post-graduate physician-scientist trainees. |
Jennifer Kwan Director Assistant Professor of Medicine at Yale Dr. Jennifer Kwan is an Assistant Professor of Medicine in Cardiovascular Medicine at Yale, where she leads translational cardio-oncology research focused on mechanisms of cardiotoxicity from cancer therapies, including immunotherapy-mediated myocarditis and the role of clonal hematopoiesis and somatic variants. Her work integrates AI, radiomics, and multi-omics approaches to predict cardiovascular outcomes and identify novel therapeutic targets. She is the recipient of NIH KL2 and R56 awards supporting this research. She is a co-founder of the American Junior Investigators Association, where she leads national studies, partnerships and advocacy efforts to advance physician-scientist careers and increase biomedical research funding. |
Moshe Levi Director Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular & Cellular Biology, Georgetown University Medical Center Dr. Moshe Levi is a physician-scientist whose research explores the renal, hepatic, and cardiovascular complications of obesity, diabetes, and aging. Trained as a chemical engineer and nephrologist, he integrates engineering principles and advanced imaging to study metabolism and disease mechanisms. He has authored over 200 publications, holds multiple NIH grants, and has mentored more than 36 MD and PhD trainees. Dr. Levi also serves as Chair of the Board of the American Physician Scientist Association and is recognized for his leadership in interdisciplinary research and collaboration. |
Mercedes Perez Director Associate Professor of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai Dr. Perez-Rodriguez leads the Affective and Cognitive Therapeutics (ACT) Lab, studying cognition, emotion, and social functioning in serious mental illness. Her NIH- and CDC-funded research aims to improve understanding and treatment of psychosis. A dedicated mentor and advocate for diversity, she co-directs NIMH-funded training programs and advances equity and inclusion in academic psychiatry. |
Heidi Jacobe Director Professor of Dermatology, UT Southwestern Medical Center Dr. Heidi Jacobe is a dermatologist and clinical scientist specializing in morphea and sclerosing skin disorders. She directs the Comprehensive Sclerosing Skin Disorders Clinic and Phototherapy Services at UT Southwestern, where she leads research on localized scleroderma and phototherapy-based treatments for inflammatory skin diseases. A Diplomate of the American Board of Dermatology, Dr. Jacobe has authored numerous publications and book chapters and serves on advisory committees for the Scleroderma Foundation and the Pediatric Dermatology Research Alliance. She has been consistently recognized among D Magazine’s Best Doctors and Best Doctors in America. |
Ekta Dang Director Founder and CEO, U First Capital Dr. Ekta Dang is a scientist-turned-venture capitalist and the Founder and CEO of U First Capital. With a PhD in Physics (Electronics), she began her career driving technology innovation and venture investments at Intel, where she led over 50 business and IP collaboration deals. Her deep scientific expertise informs her investments in frontier technologies, including AI, semiconductors, and enterprise software. She has achieved multiple successful exits—including Pinterest, Docusign, and Palantir—and advises Fortune 100 companies on innovation strategy. Dr. Dang is also a contributing writer for Forbes and VentureBeat and an advocate for diversity and inclusion in STEM and venture capital. |
Advisory Committee