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Leadership and Staff at UC San Diego Health CIRM Alpha Stem Cell Clinic 

Team Members

The Alpha Clinic leadership and staff help launch and support regenerative medicine clinical trials at UC San Diego Health. They ensure the studies are performed in a safe and effective manner. UC San Diego Faculty and companies in industry can learn more about Alpha Clinic services here.

  • Catriona Jamieson, MD, PhD

    Catriona Jamieson, MD, PhD

    Director, Sanford Stem Cell Institute
    Director, UC San Diego Health CIRM Alpha Stem Cell Clinic
    Chief, Division of Regenerative Medicine
    Koman Family Presidential Endowed Chair in Cancer Research 
    cjamieson@ucsd.edu

  • Sheldon Morris, MD, MPH

    Sheldon Morris, MD, MPH

    Deputy Director and Data Management Lead, UC San Diego Health CIRM Alpha Stem Cell Clinic
    Clinical Professor, Medicine
    619-543-4761
    shmorris@ucsd.edu

    View the Meet the Expert video here

  • Karina Santos

    Karina Santos

    Assistant to Director, Catriona Jamieson, MD, PhD
    858-534-5099
    ksantos@ucsd.edu
  • Betty Cabrera, MPH, CCRC

    Betty Cabrera, MPH, CCRC

    Director of Clinical Operations, UC San Diego Health CIRM Alpha Stem Cell Clinic
    858-534-5932
    blcabrera@ucsd.edu
  • Vickie Sheckler

    Vickie Sheckler

    Lead Research Strategic Advisor, UC San Diego Health CIRM Alpha Stem Cell Clinic
    858-534-1364
    vsheckler@ucsd.edu
  • Gina Balzon

    Gina Balzon

    Regulatory Coordinator, UC San Diego Health CIRM Alpha Stem Cell Clinic
    858-246-2281
    gbalzon@ucsd.edu
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    Vicky Vardouniotis

    Regulatory Coordinator, UC San Diego Health CIRM Alpha Stem Cell Clinic
    858-246-1249
    vvardouniotis@ucsd.edu

  • Julissa Gonzalez, MS

    Julissa Gonzalez, MS

    Clinical Research Data Manager, UC San Diego Health CIRM Alpha Stem Cell Clinic
    858-822-4401
    jug004@ucsd.edu
  • Thuy Pham

    Thuy Pham

    Clinical Research Coordinator, UC San Diego Health CIRM Alpha Stem Cell Clinic
    858-249-3015
    ntp001@ucsd.edu

Trial Experts & Advisors 

At UC San Diego Health, a team of highly talented professionals with diverse fields of expertise safely accelerate the delivery of stem cell therapies to patients with unmet needs. The oversight and direction of these experts, and the physicians that care for our patients and their families, ensure that our clinical trials adhere to the highest standards. We invite you to meet the people who help our studies.