Alumni Profiles

Jessica Arzola, BSN, MPH
EdD Candidate, USC Rossier Doctor of Education Program.

Growing up in a working class immigrant household, college was an absolute dream. It was in my MPH program at UCLA where I learned about the correlation between health, socioeconomic status, and education. I am more motivated than ever to continue a career in healthcare and education with social justice in mind.

Neek LaMantia, DDS, MPH
Pediatric Dentist
My Kids Dentist, Scripps Pediatric Dentistry San Diego

Dental decay remains one of the most common chronic diseases affecting children and adolescents. Aside from chasing sugar bugs, I spend a lot of time teaching kids and parents about how to keep their mouths happy and healthy. I created a curriculum that highlights the balance between our diet and oral hygiene and am fortunate that my office allows time for outreach at local preschools and grade schools throughout San Diego county. We aim to make learning about oral health enjoyable, constructive and meaningful for all children by making goals to avoid tooth decay. 

Catherine Pham DDS, MPH
Pediatric Dentist
University of Southern California (Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry, Department of Pediatric Dentistry) and Children's Hospital of Los Angeles

I am a Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Dental Public Health & Pediatric Dentistry. I am currently a faculty attending for the pediatric dental residents and predoctoral dental students. With my MPH degree, I am able to use my skills to help residents with their research projects on pediatric oral health and dentistry. I am also an employee of Children's Hospital of Los Angeles where I provide dental care for a majority of underserved children in Los Angeles, especially the special health care needs population.

Melissa Contreras, O.D., MPH, FAAO
Clinic Director, Assistant Professor
Marshall B Ketchum University

Dr. Contreras is currently the Clinic Director at the University Eye Center at Ketchum Health Los Angeles, a full scope community optometry clinic serving South Los Angeles. The clinic’s provides access to specialty eye care including, pediatrics, specialty contact lenses, vision therapy, ocular disease management, low vision services as well as  primary eye care. Many of these services, including a simple pair of glasses that help patients function visually, are often cost prohibitive to some of our most vulnerable populations. Through their outreach, education and care, the doctors help provide good vision and health, from childhood on, to ensure people have one of the basic building blocks they need to thrive.

Maddie Deutsch, MD, MPH
Medical Director, UCSF Transgender Care, Associate Professor of Clinical Family & Community Medicine
University of California - San Francisco

I am the founding Medical Director for UCSF Transgender Care, a growing multispecialty clinical group at UCSF Medical Center.  I am currently the PI of a study of the implementation of workflows for the collection of sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI) data in clinical settings.  I am the Co-PI for a study looking at interactions between gender affirming hormones and antiretroviral medications used in HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), and I am a co-investigator on a study of longitudinal health outcomes in a multi-site transgender patient cohort.  I am on the Board of Directors of the US Professional Association for Transgender Health (USPATH) and am serving as the Scientific Chair for that organization's biennial conference in September, 2019 in Washington, DC. I was recently an invited presenter on the subject of gender affirming hormone management at the 1st International Symposium on HIV & Transgender People in Mexico City, Mexico.

Matthew Yu, DO, MPH
Assistant Clinical Professor - Family Medicine Residency
Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science
LAC-DHS Martin Luther King Jr. Outpatient Center

Following his training in the MPH-HP program, Matthew joined North Side Christian Health Center, a FQHC clinic system with a mission to provide holistic care that meets the social, physical, emotional and spiritual needs of a patient. To address the health disparities patients’ may face, he applies his Public Health training on a daily basis. This includes partnering with local non-profit and philanthropic organizations to invest resources with a strategic focus on addressing social determinants of health and promoting health equity. Current program planning goals include increasing access to long-acting contraceptive options and improving childhood asthma care. He is also actively involved in grant writing and application. Current grant implementation and evaluation efforts include the integration of behavioral health with primary care, Hepatitis C treatment to patients with restricted access and exploring innovative approaches that integrate pharmacists with primary care. He considers his experience at UCLA invaluable and is open to talking to prospective students about how his training has translated to working in medically under-served areas.

Published Master’s Project: Challenges for Adult Undocumented Immigrants in Accessing Primary Care: A Qualitative Study of Health Care Workers in Los Angeles County.