Past Chair: Amritpal Singh
Amritpal was born in a rural region of Punjab, India and have lived in the San Joaquin valley ever since immigrating to the US. This is the region that provided a home and better living opportunities to him and his family which is why he wishes to give back and serve the valley population as a physician. His desire is to give back and serving others stems from the core principles of his faith in Sikh religion which also defines him as an individual, his personality, and identity that he will continue to embrace moving forward in his profession.
His interest in medicine developed over time coming from a family of farmers and immigrants. He has personally witnessed how people working hard manual labor jobs, outdoors, or in the fields compromise their personal health; often putting it at risk. Amritpal has met Punjabi-speaking members of family and some immigrants from other valley communities who have struggled to receive quality healthcare due to the language barrier. Therefore, by returning to the valley as a physician, he wishes to help eliminate such healthcare barriers, improve access to and quality of healthcare for the San Joaquin population. This is also why he attended UC Merced for undergrad because it allowed him to understand the healthcare disparities of this region through different volunteering and clinical experiences.
Chair: Maria (Denalene) Tiu
Maria Denalene Tiu was born and raised in Fresno as the daughter of hard-working immigrant parents from the Philippines. She attended University High School and continued her education at UCSD. There, she earned a B.S. in human biology with a minor in psychology. She also did research on the gut microbiome and earned a M.S. in biology. She is passionate about working with children with disabilities and has frequently volunteered in special education classes in both Fresno and San Diego. In her free time, she loves to sing, crochet, and spend time with her loved ones and dogs.
Denalene was first exposed to the health field when she was volunteering in her mother's dental office in Reedley. She saw first-hand the health disparities that exist in the Central Valley, particularly the lack of primary care physicians that were able to refer young patients to dentists. While she was teaching patients how to brush their teeth, she realized the importance of connecting with the community to prevent negative health outcomes. As part of the SJV-PRIME program, she hopes to learn more about the health inequities that exist in the Central Valley to better advocate and care for local patients.
Vice Chair: Seshaan Ratnam
Seshaan was raised in Fresno, Ca for the majority of his life after his parents immigrated to the Central Valley from Sri Lanka. He attended Clovis North High School and began his college education at Clovis Community College. He later transferred to the University of California, Los Angeles where he received his bachelor's degree in Psychology.
Growing up, Seshaan witnessed the barriers affecting healthcare that disproportionately affected the Central Valley. From the lack of primary care physicians to the growing opioid crisis, Seshaan knew he wanted to return to the Valley that had done so much for him and his family. He utilized his experience as a yoga/mindfulness instructor, and training in Success Over Addiction and Relapse (S.O.A.R) to work with different community-based organizations in the Central Valley. He was able to provide mental health and addiction resources to marginalized communities lacking access to healthcare during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Seshaan is excited to be a part of the SJV PRIME Program where he hopes to gain valuable experiences and training from both his community and his fellow peers. He hopes to improve health equity, promote patient advocacy, and destigmatize mental health and substance use disorders within the Central Valley.
Treasurer: Charis Hoppe Turner
Charis grew up in Merced, California, where she spent most days swimming to beat the Central Valley heat. Her water affinity led her to UC Santa Barbara, where she studied Cell & Developmental Biology and competed on the swimming team. Originally working in public health research, Charis decided to pursue medicine after meeting physicians who inspired her to change routes. Through volunteering in free clinics and abroad in Ethiopia, she witnessed health disparities but also saw how excellent medicine can change not only people's lives, but entire communities. Her inspirations for medicine include her Lola, an immigrant and nurse, her parents, a pastor and a high school teacher, as well as the many educators and coaches that raised her. As part of SJV PRIME, she aims to become a physician who brings high-quality care to the very people who have shaped her into the person she is today.
She is currently a Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation resident physician at Washington University.
Secretary: Jacob Perez-Stringer
Jacob is a small, rural town boy who was told he didn’t have the grades to become a nurse when enrolling to the local community college. He developed a passion for science in college and now he's here–an M.D. candidate at UCSF. He loves animals, he tries to spend a lot of his time outdoors/being active, he enjoys interacting with people, he rarely takes himself seriously, and he plays sports whenever/wherever he can.
He is currently a Emergency Medicine resident physician at UCSF Fresno.