Dr. Rafael Ortega Announces New Assistant Deans for the BUSM Office of Diversity and Multicultural Affairs

The search committee for a new Associate Dean for Diversity and Multicultural Affairs chaired by Kenneth Grundfast, MD, in their deliberations, recommended expansion of the scope of the Office of Diversity and Multicultural Affairs to recognize the needs of other groups within the School of Medicine for support.

Rafael Ortega, MD, the newly appointed BUSM Associate Dean for Diversity and Multicultural Affairs, is pleased to announce the appointment of the following assistant deans for diversity and multicultural affairs:

Lawrence Chin, MD, FACS is BUSM Professor and Chair of the Department of Neurosurgery and Chief of Neurosurgery at BMC. He received his medical degree from the Medical School of the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor and completed his residency in neurosurgery at the University of Southern California at Los Angeles. He is board certified in neurological surgery.

Douglas Hughes, MD is BUSM Professor of Psychiatry and Director of Medical Student Education. He received his medical degree from the University of Missouri, Columbia, and completed his residency in psychiatry at Tufts-New England Medical Center. He is board certified in psychiatry with special interests in research in violence, suicide, and emergency psychiatry.

Alexander Norbash, MD is BUSM Professor and Chair of the Department of Radiology and Chief of Radiology at BMC. He received his medical degree from the Medical School of the University of Missouri in Kansas City, and completed his residency in radiology at the University of Pittsburgh and post residency at Stanford University. He has a Master of Healthcare Management from Harvard University and is board certified in diagnostic radiology and diagnostic neuroradiology.

The new members join Dr. Ortega and Assistant Dean for Diversity Samantha Kaplan, MD, MPH, Assistant Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology, to create a strong team to carry out the mission of the office to promote diversity and cultural competency among students, faculty, and staff of the School of Medicine.

They bring a wealth of experience and heterogeneity, and they represent our commitment to enrich our teaching and learning environment by including individuals of varied backgrounds and perspectives.