The Founder
Nirosh Mataraarachchi
4th year medical student - UCSF SOM
Nirosh is a 4th year medical student at UCSF. He has an extensive background in both teaching and education as well as a deep-rooted desire to serve at-risk populations. During his first year of medical school, he was motivated by the UCSF curriculum on addressing racial injustice and health disparities within underserved and marginalized communities. His simultaneous passion for teaching and building health literacy then kickstarted the vision to create a health education program that would benefit younger generations that arise from communities that are particularly at risk, to address those specific health disparities.
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Given his interest in Cardiology and how Cardiovascular Disease remains the #1 cause of death in the world, it felt only fitting to create an early pipeline program like Cardiac Camp.
Coming from an immigrant household with no formal education and little English comprehension, Nirosh recognized the privileges that both he and others from similar backgrounds did not have. As a result, Cardiac Camp was created to always be both accessible and equitable. One of the core tenants of Cardiac Camp that Nirosh implemented is that Cardiac Camp will not only be free to apply and attend but accepted students will also be provided a stipend to attend, further offsetting any financial barriers that high school students from target populations may face (such as having to work during the summer). Furthermore, the cohort of accepted high school students will arise from communities that are disproportionately affected by Cardiovascular Disease. Thus, Black and Latino students will make up the majority of every cohort.
Through his leadership, he recruited several peer medical students to establish the foundations of Cardiac Camp such as admissions, outreach, and mentorship, while simultaneously leading the curriculum development for the first Camp. Nirosh further obtained all the funding for the inaugural Camp so that every student was provided a stipend, stethoscope, notebooks, pens, and a t-shirt. He remains as a Board Advisor for each new Board of Directors to provide guidance and insight, while allowing new medical student leaders to expand and strengthen the impact of Cardiac Camp.
2024 Board of Directors
Pearl Omo-Sowho
Co-Lead Director
Stephanie Hu
Co-Lead Director
Isabelle Vu
Admissions & Outreach
Co-Director
Neal Mukherjee
Curriculum Development Co-Director
Daniel Zhang
Admissions & Outreach
Co-Director
Nwamaka Ijeh
Curriculum Development Co-Director
Guistinna Tun
Mentorship Co-Director
Chitoh Yung
Media Director
Amartya Dave
Admissions & Outreach
Co-Director
Rachel Huynh
Curriculum Development Co-Director
Kennedy Baskin
Admissions & Outreach
Co-Director
Mahika Nayak
Mentorship Co-Director
Past Team Members
2023 Board of Directors
Jessica Ainooson
Co-Lead Director
Elizabeth Raby
Co-Lead Director
Lejla Pepic - Curriculum Development Co-Director
Denalene (Maria) Tiu - Curriculum Development Co-Director
Ethan Tanchoco - Curriculum Development Co-Director
Dafna Erana - Admissions & Outreach Co-Director
Leslie Schneider - Admissions & Outreach Co-Director
Emily Taketa - Admissions & Outreach Co-Director
Ahllain Santos - Media Director
Jessica Ainooson - Mentorship Co-Director
Samra Agezew - Mentorship Co-Director
2022 Board of Directors
Nirosh Mataraarachchi
Founding Director + Curriculum Development Co-Director
Brandon Chu - Curriculum Development Co-Director
Mohamed Hisham Sideek - Curriculum Development Co-Director
Sara Varadharajulu - Curriculum Development Co-Director
Brandon Alford - Admissions & Outreach Co-Director
Rafael Lopez - Admissions & Outreach Co-Director
Jess Shodipo - Admissions & Outreach Co-Director
Jessica Ainooson - Mentorship Co-Director
Samra Agezew - Mentorship Co-Director