Kristel Montano
University of New Mexico School of Medicine
Associate Professor of Pediatrics
PDWS: Integrating Basic Science and Clinical Medicine: From Curriculum to Classroom to Learner Assessment Part 1
PDWS: Integrating Basic Science and Clinical Medicine: From Curriculum to Classroom to Learner Assessment Part 2
University of New Mexico School of Medicine
Associate Professor of Pediatrics
PDWS: Integrating Basic Science and Clinical Medicine: From Curriculum to Classroom to Learner Assessment Part 1
PDWS: Integrating Basic Science and Clinical Medicine: From Curriculum to Classroom to Learner Assessment Part 2
Khiet Ngo
Northeast Ohio Medical University College of Medicine
Associate Dean for Clinical Education
PDWS: Integrating Basic Science and Clinical Medicine: From Curriculum to Classroom to Learner Assessment Part 1
PDWS: Integrating Basic Science and Clinical Medicine: From Curriculum to Classroom to Learner Assessment Part 2
Focus Session: Teaching Students to Fail Well: Applying the Science of Productive Failure
Khiet D. Ngo, DO, MS, is Associate Dean for Clinical Education and Associate Professor of Pediatrics at the Northeast Ohio University (NEOMED) College of Medicine. He has keen interests in helping faculty, medical students, and residents understand and apply the science of learning, the principles of productive struggle/failure, and the principle of cognitive integration to promote adaptive expertise. He is an active member of the International Association of Medical Sciences Educators (IAMSE), Directors of Clinical Skills, and Aquifer Science. Ongoing interests include cognitive integration. the learning sciences, professional identify formation, and the application of artificial intelligence for customizing individual learning and coaching.
Northeast Ohio Medical University College of Medicine
Associate Dean for Clinical Education
PDWS: Integrating Basic Science and Clinical Medicine: From Curriculum to Classroom to Learner Assessment Part 1
PDWS: Integrating Basic Science and Clinical Medicine: From Curriculum to Classroom to Learner Assessment Part 2
Focus Session: Teaching Students to Fail Well: Applying the Science of Productive Failure
Khiet D. Ngo, DO, MS, is Associate Dean for Clinical Education and Associate Professor of Pediatrics at the Northeast Ohio University (NEOMED) College of Medicine. He has keen interests in helping faculty, medical students, and residents understand and apply the science of learning, the principles of productive struggle/failure, and the principle of cognitive integration to promote adaptive expertise. He is an active member of the International Association of Medical Sciences Educators (IAMSE), Directors of Clinical Skills, and Aquifer Science. Ongoing interests include cognitive integration. the learning sciences, professional identify formation, and the application of artificial intelligence for customizing individual learning and coaching.
Diego Niño
IAMSE Professional Development Committee Chair
Professional Development Committee Chair
PDWS: AI Foundations & Tool Exploration
PDWS: Advanced Applications in Health Professions Education
Focus Session: A Toolkit for Integrating AI into Medical Education
Diego F. Niño, MD, PhD, brings over a decade of experience in academic medicine and health professions education, specializing in the application of artificial intelligence in medical education, educational technology integration, and professional development. He serves as Vice-Chair of the International Association of Medical Science Educators (IAMSE) Professional Development Committee, is an inaugural member of both the IAMSE Artificial Intelligence Community of Growth and the International Advisory Committee for Artificial Intelligence in Medical Education (IACAI), and is a member of the AAMC Principles for the Responsible Use of AI in and for Medical Education Review Committee, where he co-authored foundational frameworks for AI integration in medical education. As a scholar and lead faculty facilitator for the Harvard Macy Institute's Technology and AI: Transforming Health Professions Education course and Program Developer and Lead Faculty Facilitator for IAMSE Professional Development Workshops on AI in Health Professions Education, he prepares educational leaders worldwide to effectively integrate emerging technologies into their teaching practice. He also serves on the USMLE Physiology and Cell Biology Test Material Development Committee for the National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME). His scholarship focuses on developing innovative active learning strategies and creating interactive educational tools that leverage emerging technologies and AI to optimize learning outcomes. As an accomplished educator and mentor, he has guided multiple medical students and junior faculty members while presenting his work and delivering workshops at national and international conferences on AI in medical education.
IAMSE Professional Development Committee Chair
Professional Development Committee Chair
PDWS: AI Foundations & Tool Exploration
PDWS: Advanced Applications in Health Professions Education
Focus Session: A Toolkit for Integrating AI into Medical Education
Diego F. Niño, MD, PhD, brings over a decade of experience in academic medicine and health professions education, specializing in the application of artificial intelligence in medical education, educational technology integration, and professional development. He serves as Vice-Chair of the International Association of Medical Science Educators (IAMSE) Professional Development Committee, is an inaugural member of both the IAMSE Artificial Intelligence Community of Growth and the International Advisory Committee for Artificial Intelligence in Medical Education (IACAI), and is a member of the AAMC Principles for the Responsible Use of AI in and for Medical Education Review Committee, where he co-authored foundational frameworks for AI integration in medical education. As a scholar and lead faculty facilitator for the Harvard Macy Institute's Technology and AI: Transforming Health Professions Education course and Program Developer and Lead Faculty Facilitator for IAMSE Professional Development Workshops on AI in Health Professions Education, he prepares educational leaders worldwide to effectively integrate emerging technologies into their teaching practice. He also serves on the USMLE Physiology and Cell Biology Test Material Development Committee for the National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME). His scholarship focuses on developing innovative active learning strategies and creating interactive educational tools that leverage emerging technologies and AI to optimize learning outcomes. As an accomplished educator and mentor, he has guided multiple medical students and junior faculty members while presenting his work and delivering workshops at national and international conferences on AI in medical education.
Grace Park
Carle Illinois College of Medicine
Clinical Associate Professor
PDWS: Integrating Basic Science and Clinical Medicine: From Curriculum to Classroom to Learner Assessment Part 1
PDWS: Integrating Basic Science and Clinical Medicine: From Curriculum to Classroom to Learner Assessment Part 2
Carle Illinois College of Medicine
Clinical Associate Professor
PDWS: Integrating Basic Science and Clinical Medicine: From Curriculum to Classroom to Learner Assessment Part 1
PDWS: Integrating Basic Science and Clinical Medicine: From Curriculum to Classroom to Learner Assessment Part 2
Kirsten Porter-Stransky
University of South Carolina School of Medicine Greenville
Associate Professor
PDWS: Establishing, Sustaining, and Evaluating the Impact of Outreach and Service-Learning on Preclinical Student Professional and Personal Development
Kirsten Porter-Stransky, PhD, is an assistant professor in the Department of Biomedical Sciences at Western Michigan University Homer Stryker M.D. School of Medicine. She graduated from Sweet Briar College and earned her doctorate in biopsychology from the University of Michigan. After completing a short postdoctoral position at the Medical University of South Carolina, she joined Emory University School of Medicine as a postdoctoral fellow, where she received a Ruth L. Kirschstein Postdoctoral Individual National Research Service Award from the NIH. She has taught neuroscience classes at Oglethorpe University and the University of Michigan. In her current role at WMed, Dr. Porter-Stransky serves as the basic science course director for the Behavioral Medicine course and the Advances and Perspectives in Medicine course and is the neuroscience and behavioral health thread director. She also serves as co-chairperson of the Women in Medicine and Science (WIMS) group at WMed. Her scholarship focuses on medical education, neuroscience, and behavior. She just accepted a position at the University of South Carolina School of Medicine in Greenville within the Department of Biomedical Sciences.
University of South Carolina School of Medicine Greenville
Associate Professor
PDWS: Establishing, Sustaining, and Evaluating the Impact of Outreach and Service-Learning on Preclinical Student Professional and Personal Development
Kirsten Porter-Stransky, PhD, is an assistant professor in the Department of Biomedical Sciences at Western Michigan University Homer Stryker M.D. School of Medicine. She graduated from Sweet Briar College and earned her doctorate in biopsychology from the University of Michigan. After completing a short postdoctoral position at the Medical University of South Carolina, she joined Emory University School of Medicine as a postdoctoral fellow, where she received a Ruth L. Kirschstein Postdoctoral Individual National Research Service Award from the NIH. She has taught neuroscience classes at Oglethorpe University and the University of Michigan. In her current role at WMed, Dr. Porter-Stransky serves as the basic science course director for the Behavioral Medicine course and the Advances and Perspectives in Medicine course and is the neuroscience and behavioral health thread director. She also serves as co-chairperson of the Women in Medicine and Science (WIMS) group at WMed. Her scholarship focuses on medical education, neuroscience, and behavior. She just accepted a position at the University of South Carolina School of Medicine in Greenville within the Department of Biomedical Sciences.
Carolina Restini
Michigan State University
Associate Professor
PDWS: Establishing, Sustaining, and Evaluating the Impact of Outreach and Service-Learning on Preclinical Student Professional and Personal Development
Focus Session: AI-Enhanced Assessment and Clinical Reasoning in Health Sciences: Designing Questions and Bots for Deep Learning
Focus Session: Navigating Integrated Curriculum Challenges
Associate Professor and Thread Director of Pharmacology at Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine, where she also serves as Director of the Foundry for Innovative Research and Education (FIRE). With more than 20 years of experience in pharmacology education and research, she integrates foundational and clinical pharmacology through active learning, mentorship, and community-based scholarship. Her initiatives connect education, bench research, and patient care via outreach and health literacy programs serving under-resourced populations, street medicine teams, and secondary school learners. Dr. Restini’s work advances service-driven medical education, guiding students and faculty in developing and assessing outreach programs that foster professional growth, empathy, and social accountability in healthcare.
Michigan State University
Associate Professor
PDWS: Establishing, Sustaining, and Evaluating the Impact of Outreach and Service-Learning on Preclinical Student Professional and Personal Development
Focus Session: AI-Enhanced Assessment and Clinical Reasoning in Health Sciences: Designing Questions and Bots for Deep Learning
Focus Session: Navigating Integrated Curriculum Challenges
Associate Professor and Thread Director of Pharmacology at Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine, where she also serves as Director of the Foundry for Innovative Research and Education (FIRE). With more than 20 years of experience in pharmacology education and research, she integrates foundational and clinical pharmacology through active learning, mentorship, and community-based scholarship. Her initiatives connect education, bench research, and patient care via outreach and health literacy programs serving under-resourced populations, street medicine teams, and secondary school learners. Dr. Restini’s work advances service-driven medical education, guiding students and faculty in developing and assessing outreach programs that foster professional growth, empathy, and social accountability in healthcare.
Amina Sadik
Touro University Nevada College of Osteopathic Medicine
Professor of Medical Biochemistry, Clinical Nutrition and Culinary Medicine
PDWS: Quantitative Research in Medical Education
PDWS: Mixed-Methods in Health Sciences Educational Research
Dr. Sadik is a professor of foundational sciences at TUNOCM. She has been conducting national and international workshops on qualitative and mixed-methods research in medical education for over 15 years. She employed these methodologies in assessment, evaluation and mentoring which resulted in several presentations and publications.
Touro University Nevada College of Osteopathic Medicine
Professor of Medical Biochemistry, Clinical Nutrition and Culinary Medicine
PDWS: Quantitative Research in Medical Education
PDWS: Mixed-Methods in Health Sciences Educational Research
Dr. Sadik is a professor of foundational sciences at TUNOCM. She has been conducting national and international workshops on qualitative and mixed-methods research in medical education for over 15 years. She employed these methodologies in assessment, evaluation and mentoring which resulted in several presentations and publications.
Leah Sheridan
Northeast Ohio Medical University
Associate Dean for Medical Education
PDWS: Integrating Basic Science and Clinical Medicine: From Curriculum to Classroom to Learner Assessment Part 1
PDWS: Integrating Basic Science and Clinical Medicine: From Curriculum to Classroom to Learner Assessment Part 2
Northeast Ohio Medical University
Associate Dean for Medical Education
PDWS: Integrating Basic Science and Clinical Medicine: From Curriculum to Classroom to Learner Assessment Part 1
PDWS: Integrating Basic Science and Clinical Medicine: From Curriculum to Classroom to Learner Assessment Part 2
Thomas Thesen
Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth
Associate Professor
PDWS: AI Foundations & Tool Exploration
PDWS: Advanced Applications in Health Professions Education
Focus Session: Beyond Words: Voice-Native AI Patient Actors with Personality and Prosody Analysis for Diagnostic Reasoning and Communication Skills
Thomas Thesen, Ph.D. is an Associate Professor of Medical Education and Computer Science and serves as the Course Director for Neurology and Neuroscience at Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, USA. Research in his lab (https://geiselmed.dartmouth.edu/thesen/) focuses on developing open-access teaching tools for healthcare education using innovative technologies, such as Generative AI.
Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth
Associate Professor
PDWS: AI Foundations & Tool Exploration
PDWS: Advanced Applications in Health Professions Education
Focus Session: Beyond Words: Voice-Native AI Patient Actors with Personality and Prosody Analysis for Diagnostic Reasoning and Communication Skills
Thomas Thesen, Ph.D. is an Associate Professor of Medical Education and Computer Science and serves as the Course Director for Neurology and Neuroscience at Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, USA. Research in his lab (https://geiselmed.dartmouth.edu/thesen/) focuses on developing open-access teaching tools for healthcare education using innovative technologies, such as Generative AI.
Demidmaa Tuvdendorj
Drexel University College of Medicine
Associate Professor
PDWS: Beyond Satisfaction Ratings: Building a Comprehensive Program Evaluation
Focus Session: A New Era of Learning: Curricular Innovation for a Pass/Fail World
Demidmaa Tuvdendorj is an Associate Professor, Physiology Thread Director at Drexel University College of Medicine. She has been involved in medical and graduate education for more than a decade. She is actively involved in medical education scholarship, and her areas of special interest are curriculum development and assessment. She also devotes significant effort to mentoring students and junior faculty to help them develop leadership skills, as well as interest in educational scholarship.
Drexel University College of Medicine
Associate Professor
PDWS: Beyond Satisfaction Ratings: Building a Comprehensive Program Evaluation
Focus Session: A New Era of Learning: Curricular Innovation for a Pass/Fail World
Demidmaa Tuvdendorj is an Associate Professor, Physiology Thread Director at Drexel University College of Medicine. She has been involved in medical and graduate education for more than a decade. She is actively involved in medical education scholarship, and her areas of special interest are curriculum development and assessment. She also devotes significant effort to mentoring students and junior faculty to help them develop leadership skills, as well as interest in educational scholarship.
Peter Vollbrecht
Western Michigan University Homer Stryker M.D. School of Medicine
Associate Professor
PDWS: Establishing, Sustaining, and Evaluating the Impact of Outreach and Service-Learning on Preclinical Student Professional and Personal Development
Associate Professor in the Department of Biomedical Sciences and Co-Director of the Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program at Western Michigan University Homer Stryker M.D. School of Medicine. He directs the Nervous System course and co-directs the Medical Education Distinction Program, with a focus on curricular innovation and mentoring. He is also deeply engaged in the national pathway and bridge program community, currently serving as President-elect of the Association of STEMM Pathway and Bridge Programs (ASPBP) and co-directing the International Association of Medical Science Educators (IAMSE) Community Outreach, Research & Engagement (CORE) community of growth. His scholarship spans both neuroscience and education, including outreach initiatives designed to engage socioeconomically diverse youth and support pathways into the health professions. Dr. Vollbrecht has published on educational outreach, mentorship, and attitudes toward science in addition to his basic neuroscience research.
Western Michigan University Homer Stryker M.D. School of Medicine
Associate Professor
PDWS: Establishing, Sustaining, and Evaluating the Impact of Outreach and Service-Learning on Preclinical Student Professional and Personal Development
Associate Professor in the Department of Biomedical Sciences and Co-Director of the Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program at Western Michigan University Homer Stryker M.D. School of Medicine. He directs the Nervous System course and co-directs the Medical Education Distinction Program, with a focus on curricular innovation and mentoring. He is also deeply engaged in the national pathway and bridge program community, currently serving as President-elect of the Association of STEMM Pathway and Bridge Programs (ASPBP) and co-directing the International Association of Medical Science Educators (IAMSE) Community Outreach, Research & Engagement (CORE) community of growth. His scholarship spans both neuroscience and education, including outreach initiatives designed to engage socioeconomically diverse youth and support pathways into the health professions. Dr. Vollbrecht has published on educational outreach, mentorship, and attitudes toward science in addition to his basic neuroscience research.
Tracey Weiler
Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine Florida International University
Professor
PDWS: Establishing, Sustaining, and Evaluating the Impact of Outreach and Service-Learning on Preclinical Student Professional and Personal Development
Professor in the Department of Medical Education at Florida International University - Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine. She serves as the thread leader for Genetics, Faculty Academic Counselor for the MD students, and the Academic Program Director of the Graduate Certificate in Molecular and Biomedical Sciences. Dr. Weiler is the founding president of the Association of STEMM Pathway and Bridge Programs, an organization focused on developing and disseminating best practices, and supporting faculty and administration for these programs.
Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine Florida International University
Professor
PDWS: Establishing, Sustaining, and Evaluating the Impact of Outreach and Service-Learning on Preclinical Student Professional and Personal Development
Professor in the Department of Medical Education at Florida International University - Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine. She serves as the thread leader for Genetics, Faculty Academic Counselor for the MD students, and the Academic Program Director of the Graduate Certificate in Molecular and Biomedical Sciences. Dr. Weiler is the founding president of the Association of STEMM Pathway and Bridge Programs, an organization focused on developing and disseminating best practices, and supporting faculty and administration for these programs.
Jonathan Wisco
Boston University Aram V. Chobanian & Edward Avedisian School of Medicine
Associate Professor
PDWS: Evidence-Based Coaching Techniques to Help Preclinical Students Through the Learning Paradigm Shift from Memorization to Application
PDWS: Establishing, Sustaining, and Evaluating the Impact of Outreach and Service-Learning on Preclinical Student Professional and Personal Development
Associate Professor at Boston University Aram V. Chobanian & Edward Avedisian School of Medicine, Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology. He is co-Director for the preclinical curriculum, Principles Integrating Science, Clinical Medicine and Equity (PISCEs); and Director of the Laboratory for Translational Anatomy of Degenerative Diseases and Developmental Disorders (TAD4). Dr. Wisco is interested in the intersection of histopathology and anatomic pathology that informs structural imaging; functional activation of the brain during active learning; and the educational scholarship of teaching and learning, notably on the topics of curriculum design, faculty development, learning tools innovation, outreach/service-learning, inclusive learning environments, and equitable access for STEMM careers.
Boston University Aram V. Chobanian & Edward Avedisian School of Medicine
Associate Professor
PDWS: Evidence-Based Coaching Techniques to Help Preclinical Students Through the Learning Paradigm Shift from Memorization to Application
PDWS: Establishing, Sustaining, and Evaluating the Impact of Outreach and Service-Learning on Preclinical Student Professional and Personal Development
Associate Professor at Boston University Aram V. Chobanian & Edward Avedisian School of Medicine, Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology. He is co-Director for the preclinical curriculum, Principles Integrating Science, Clinical Medicine and Equity (PISCEs); and Director of the Laboratory for Translational Anatomy of Degenerative Diseases and Developmental Disorders (TAD4). Dr. Wisco is interested in the intersection of histopathology and anatomic pathology that informs structural imaging; functional activation of the brain during active learning; and the educational scholarship of teaching and learning, notably on the topics of curriculum design, faculty development, learning tools innovation, outreach/service-learning, inclusive learning environments, and equitable access for STEMM careers.