Phuong-Chi Pham, MD, FASN, Clinical Professor of Medicine, received her bachelor degree in Chemistry at Stanford University and medical degree at the University of California at Davis School of Medicine. She trained in Internal Medicine and Nephrology at Olive View-UCLA Medical Center, where she became full-time nephrology faculty in 1996.

Dr. Pham’s research interests include sodium disorders, kidney complications in patients with cirrhosis, clinical outcomes in renal transplantation, and the role of hypomagnesemia in patients with diabetes mellitus. She is the first to demonstrate a significant association between hypomagnesemia and a more rapid decline in kidney function in patients with diabetes mellitus type 2 compared to those with normal to high normal serum magnesium levels, a finding later confirmed by international researchers. Her research interests have led to over 70 publications of peer-reviewed articles and book chapters in well-known journals nephrology textbooks. Dr. Pham has also authored and co-edited a concise Nephrology and Hypertension Board Review book, released in fall 2016.

Golriz Jafari, MD, Assistant Clinical Professor of Medicine, received her bachelor degree in Biology from UCLA and medical degree at New York Medical College. She trained in Internal Medicine and Nephrology at Olive View-UCLA Medical Center.

Dr. Jafari is dedicated to teaching housestaff as well as educating patients regarding kidney disease and planning for renal replacement therapy. She organizes patient educational meetings in both English and Spanish entitled “Renal replacement therapy options” and “Living with kidney disease” alternating every other month. Dr. Jafari is also involved in speaking at various patient education symposia and community hospitals. Dr. Jafari’s interests include the management of chronic kidney disease, end-stage kidney disease, and renal replacement therapy. Her current research interest involves improving outcome in patients with advanced chronic kidney disease. She hopes to expand our current dialysis service to include outpatient dialysis care. Dr. Jafari has served on various quality improvement committees including the Dialysis Outcome Committee, ORCHID, and DHS Nephrology Workgroup.

Anita Kamarzarian, MD, Assistant Clinical Professor of Medicine, received her bachelor degree in Microbiology and Molecular Genetics at UCLA and medical degree at Tufts University. She trained in Internal Medicine and Nephrology at Olive View-UCLA Medical Center.

Dr. Kamarzarian is a highly experienced private nephrologist, who joined our Renal Division in 2014. She organizes clinical research and quality improvement projects for our fellows and provides them continuing feedback, support, and guidance. Dr. Kamarzarian has also served as the fellow-faculty liaison to ensure a healthy working environment and the best possible interactions between our nephrology fellows and faculty. Additionally, Dr. Kamarzarian has provided invaluable perspectives in the practice of nephrology in the private sector to our current fellows. Dr. Kamarzarian’s current research interest involves renal outcomes in diabetic patients receiving bevacizumab.

Susana Mendoza, MD, Assistant Clinical Professor of Medicine, received her medical degree at the Keck School of Medicine at USC. She trained in Internal Medicine and Nephrology at Kaiser Permanente Southern California in Los Angeles, CA.

Dr. Mendoza joins our renal division in 2016. Dr. Mendoza left her full-time staff nephrologist position at Kaiser Permanente Maui and Medical Director at the Rainbow Dialysis Unit to join the Los Angeles County Managed Care Services, where she will ensure that DHS fulfills its contractual and regulatory requirements and provides quality care and services to our managed care patients. Dr. Mendoza has provided our team with invaluable practice habits from the Kaiser Permanente model.

We also receive invaluable academic support from the Division of Nephrology and Hypertension at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and UCLA Kidney Transplant Program in training our fellows in kidney transplantation and critical care nephrology. Finally, we acknowledge Dr. Cynthia Nast, Chief of Pathology at Cedars Sinai Medical Center, Dr. Ramya Malchira, MD, our Olive View-UCLA Nephrology Fellowship graduate, and the entire OVMC-UCLA Radiology Division for their regular lecture series for our renal fellows.

Edgar Toscano, MD, Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine, received his training in nephrology at Olive View-UCLA Medical Center. Since graduation, he started his own successful and busy private practice in Los Angeles. He is medical director for a private dialysis unit, with an extension at North Hollywood/San Fernando Valley, where he serves as Director of the Outpatient Dialysis rotation for our fellowship program. He is also involved in teaching and supervising our fellows in both CKD clinics and inpatient consult service.

George A. Kaysen, MD, PhD, is professor of medicine from the University of California at Davis. He recently retired as a clinical faculty from UC Davis but continues to be involved in various research projects. We are honored to have him join our program as an attending in our weekly CKD clinics. His research interests involves the roles of nutrition and inflammation in establishing plasma protein composition and body composition in humans, albumin metabolism in nephrotic syndrome; regulation of hepatic gene express, mechanism of hyperlipidemia in renal disease, consequence and cause of inflammation in dialysis, effects of inflammation on vascular endothelial structure and function, and regulation of plasma protein composition.

Bassel Hadaya, MD, is clinical assistant professor of medicine. He received his training in both internal medicine and nephrology from the University of Southern California, Keck School of Medicine. He practices at Palmdale Regional Medical Center and regularly attends our CKD clinic to teach our housestaff and fellows.