Medical Justice in Advocacy fellows

The American Medical Association (AMA) and the Satcher Health Leadership Institute (SHLI) at Morehouse School of Medicine are pleased to announce the selection of 10 outstanding physician-leaders as the third cohort of fellows for the AMA-SHLI Medical Justice in Advocacy Fellowship.

The fellows were selected from a highly selective and competitive pool of applicants from across the United States and represent a diverse field of medical professionals in multiple specialties. Following in the footsteps of the first and second cohorts, the fellows will receive specialized training and mentorship from health equity experts and trailblazers.

Founded on the principles of servant leadership, justice and collaboration, fellows will generate and exchange solutions and implement health equity projects that inform policy to ensure optimal health for all. The fellowship equips and empowers fellows to be part of the next generation of advocacy leaders, by driving meaningful policy and structural changes that produce equity and justice in the communities they serve.

The third cohort AMA-SHLI Medical Justice in Advocacy Fellowship will run from Sept. 2024–Nov. 2025.

Makunda Abdul-Mbacke, MD

Makunda Abdul-Mbacke, MD, is a practicing obstetrician-gynecologist, founder and CEO of Piedmont Preferred Women's Healthcare, and attending physician at UNC Rockingham Hospital. She has dedicated her career to the improvement of women’s health and is deeply committed to addressing increasing rates of maternal morbidity and mortality in low resource communities.

Sonia Eden, MD

Sonia Eden, MD, is a board-certified neurosurgeon. She is passionate about health equity and is a founding member of the American Society of Black Neurosurgeons, where she also serves as President. Dr. Eden is an Aspen Institute health fellow and continually performs health equity research in the neurosurgery space.

Stephanie Eng, MD

Stephanie Eng, MD, is an assistant professor of psychiatry at Weill Cornell Medicine. As a resident, she became interested in providing care to urban, underserved populations experiencing various systems of inequity that increased their psychological morbidity and mortality. Her research focuses on the effects of implicit bias on clinical decision-making.

Christina Gomez-Mira, MD

Christina Gomez-Mira, MD, is a family medicine primary care provider and medical director of two rural clinics at a Federally Qualified Health Center. She is working to address inequities through collaboration with Latine leaders and community organizations to address health and substandard housing for the Latine/farm worker community. 

Felisha Gonzalez, MD

Felisha Gonzalez, MD, is an emergency medicine resident at Boston Medical Center with an interest in how patient identity impacts health outcomes. Her research focuses on the impact of race and other social identities on restraint use for patients within the emergency department and bias in evaluation of medical students.

Salmaan Kamal, MD

Salmaan Kamal, MD, is a fellow at the University of California, Los Angeles National Clinician Scholars Program, a fellowship committed to addressing the largest inequities in the U.S. health care system. He is passionate about improving care for people with a history of incarceration, homelessness and substance use disorder.

Allana Krolikowski, MD, FAAFP

Allana Krolikowski, MD, FAAFP, is the chief medical officer for Jericho Road Community Health and clinical assistant professor in family medicine at the University at Buffalo. Her work focuses on comprehensive primary care, maternal child health and health care capacity building to advance health equity and access in under-resourced global communities.

Surya Pierce, MD

Surya Pierce, MD, is an associate professor of family and community medicine at the University of New Mexico School of Medicine. In addition to teaching a wide variety of learners, his professional interests include the intersection of contemplative practices (such as meditation), medicine and social justice.

Whitney Sambhariya, MD, PhD

Whitney Stuard Sambhariya, MD, PhD, is an ophthalmology resident at the Wilmer Eye Institute at Johns Hopkins Hospital. She is passionate about advancing equity through policy and research. She recently advocated for a review of current FDA policy that prevents men who have sex with men from donating corneal tissue.

William Weber, MD, MPH

William Weber, MD, MPH, is an assistant professor of emergency medicine at Rush University Medical Center. He helped found the Medical Justice Alliance, a national organization that trains volunteer physicians to provide medical reviews to advocate for the health of individuals in carceral settings.

For additional information on the fellowship and to follow the fellows’ activities, visit Medical Justice in Advocacy Fellowship program page.