Sajeev Kohli

2018 Grand Prize in Global Healthcare at the International BioGENEius Challenge

Erin Smith

2019 Forbes 30 Under 30
2018 Intel International Science and Engineering Fair Winner

Krithik Ramesh

2019 Gordon E. Moore Award Winner, International Science and Engineering Fair

Gitanjali Rao

2020 TIME Top Young Innovator
2019 Forbes 30 Under 30
2018 EPA Presidential Award
2017 Discovery 3M Young Scientist Challenge Winnerker Award for Basic Medical Research

When 7th grader Gitanjali Rao heard about the water crisis in Flint, Michigan, she was inspired to help and dove right into research. She designed a compact device called “Tethys” to detect lead in drinking water with the aid of a mobile app. In 2017, she was named “America’s Top Young Scientist” and was awarded the $25,000 top prize from Discovery at the 3M Young Scientist Challenge. She was named in the Forbes 2019 “30 Under 30” list of breakthrough scientists, received the TCS Ignite Innovation Student Challenge Top “Health” Pillar Prize for a solution to diagnose prescription opioid addiction at an early stage, and was awarded a grant by the National Science Teaching Association to implement an anti-cyberbullying solution. In addition, she is a subject of the Marvel Hero Series on Disney+ that highlights young leaders who make a difference in our communities. Ms. Rao was a Delegate to the 2019 Congress of Future Medical Leaders.

James Allison, Ph.D.

2018 Nobel Prize in Medicine or Physiology
2017 Wolf Prize
2014 Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences
Regental Professor and Chair, MD Anderson Cancer Center

James Allison, Ph.D., is a professor of immunology at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. Dr. Allison received the Nobel Prize in Medicine or Physiology for his discovery of a breakthrough therapy in the fight against cancer. By stimulating the inherent ability of our immune system to attack tumor cells Dr. Allison established an entirely new principle for cancer therapy. In 1994–1995, Dr. Allison studied a known protein that functions as a brake on the immune system. He realized the potential of releasing the brake and thereby unleashing our immune cells to attack tumors. He then developed this concept into a new approach for treating patients. His discoveries have led to new treatments for even the deadliest of cancers.

Gary Kaplan, D.O.

Founder, Kaplan Center for Integrative Medicine
Chronic Pain and Illness Specialist

A pioneer and leader in integrative medicine, Dr. Kaplan is often regarded as the “physician of last resort.” He successfully treats patients from around the world who have run out of options and second opinions.

Dr. Kaplan is the founder and medical director of the Kaplan Center for Integrative Medicine and author of Total Recovery: A Revolutionary New Approach to Breaking the Cycle of Pain and Depression.

He is one of only 19 physicians in the country to be board-certified in both Family Medicine and Pain Medicine and is board-certified in Medical Acupuncture. He has been a consultant at NIH and from 2013–2018 served on the Advisory Committee to the Health and Human Services on ME/CFS.

A clinical associate professor in the Department of Community and Family Medicine at Georgetown University School of Medicine, Dr. Kaplan chaired a program on Autoimmune Encephalopathy of Infectious Etiology in conjunction with Georgetown in June 2019.

He is currently working on a book for patients and practitioners on the role of the immune system in chronic pain, depression, chronic fatigue syndrome, and post-treatment Lyme disease.

J. Craig Venter, Ph.D.

2009 Presidential National Medal of Science
Decoded the Human Genome

James P. Rathmell, M.D.

Department Chair for Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine at Brigham and Women’s Health Care
Harvard Medical School Professor of Anesthesia

Dr. Rathmell is a nationally-recognized pain medicine expert who devotes his time to his clinical practice, research, education, as well as trials examining the effectiveness of new and emerging treatments for pain. He lectures widely internationally to students, medical professionals, and members of the public. Dr. Rathmell currently serves as President of the American Board of Anesthesiology and an Executive Editor for Anesthesiology. He has published extensively, including the second edition of his Atlas of Image-Guided Intervention in Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine.

Ferid Murad, M.D., Ph.D.

1998 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine
1996 Lasker Award for Basic Medical Research

Michael Sasevich, M.D.

Chairman Cardiothoracic Surgery at Doctors Medical Center, Modesto, CA

Dr. Sasevich is a board-certified heart surgeon who specializes in heart surgery, heart transplants, and artificial hearts. In his daily practice as a heart surgeon, he frequently sees cases dealing with heart transplants, heart disease, coronary artery disease, heart valve blockages, and heart failure. He received his MD from the University of Arizona and soon after began an advanced fellowship at Cedars-Sinai in Los Angeles. He later moved to Oklahoma City, where he served as a Cardiothoracic Surgeon for many years. He now practices in Southern California, Dr. Sasevich is the proud father of a Delegate to the Congress of Future Medical Leaders in 2019 and an Alumni Delegate in 2020.