Directors
Troy Johnston, Md
Troy Johnston, MD (he/him) is the Interim Pediatric Residency Program Director. He is a pediatric cardiologist who specializes in interventional catheterization and has worked at Seattle Children’s Hospital for over 20 years. During that time he has worked extensively in pediatric graduate medical education, including starting the pediatric cardiology fellowship and subsequently serving as fellowship program director for 15 years. He works closely with the pediatric resents during the cardiology elective and has been a clinical coach of residents since the program was initiated. Outside of work he enjoys spending time with his wife, three adult daughters, dog, and two cats. He enjoys going to the gym, photography, and skiing.
Sabreen Akhter, DO
Sabreen Akhter, DO (she/her) is a pediatric emergency physician and Associate Professor of Pediatrics. She has been active in leading efforts to center equity, justice, and anti-racism in her work through leading the pediatric residency’s Health Equity Track, leading the Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI) Committee for faculty and fellows in the Department of Pediatrics, as well as leading efforts focused on improving equity within the Division of Emergency Medicine. She is interested in narrative writing and using storytelling for advocacy and has been published in various national publications. She loves art, nature, food, bad television, and spending time with her family and community.
Hannah Deming, MD
Hannah Deming, MD (she/her) is an Associate Program Director and Director of Residency Recruitment. She is an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics in the Division of Pediatric Bioethics & Palliative Care at the University of Washington. She is passionate about medical education, focusing on communication skills and supporting residents around hard clinical events and the challenges of medical training. Clinically, Hannah spends her time on the inpatient pediatric palliative care team and the neurodevelopment clinic at Seattle Children’s Hospital. She strives to empower and advocate for all families navigating serious illness or medical complexity. Outside of work, Hannah enjoys exploring Seattle’s playgrounds with her daughter, trying new restaurants, and traveling.
Elena Griego, MD
Elena Griego, MD (she/her) joined as an Associate Program Director in 2020. She is an Associate Professor of Pediatrics in the Division of Pediatric Hospital Medicine at the University of Washington. She is passionate about partnering with residents in clinical and non-clinical settings and uses these experiences to promote curriculum and faculty development focused on improving teaching and assessment in the clinical setting. Clinically, she spends her time caring for hospitalized children at Seattle Children’s Hospital and strives to ensure every patient and family receives timely and equitable care throughout their hospitalization. Outside of work, she enjoys attending local sporting events (Sounders, Seahawks, etc), spending time on (or near) the water, cooking for friends, discovering new dog parks with her pandemic puppy Zia, and exploring the food scene in Seattle.
Mollie Grow, MD, MPH
Mollie Grow, MD, MPH (she/her) is an Associate Program Director, Director of the Continuity Clinics, and is faculty with the REACH Advocacy Pathway. She is an Associate Professor of Pediatrics and general pediatrician in the Division of General Pediatrics at the University of Washington. She is passionate about providing general outpatient pediatric care for all ages at the Roosevelt Pediatric Care Center and supporting families at the UW Newborn Nursery. She also mentors and teaches medical students with the UW School of Medicine Colleges program. Her interests include promoting healthy childhood weight, early childhood relationships, and equity, diversity, and inclusion in care. She loves working with residents to discern their own path and find fulfillment in their pediatric careers. You can find her with her two daughters and husband biking, hiking, enjoying our wonderful local and national parks, and advocating for climate justice.
Fuki M. Hisama, MD
Fuki M. Hisama, MD, has been a Genetics Program Director since 2011 and is Associate Director of the Combined Pediatrics-Medical Genetics residency. She is a Professor in the Division of Medical Genetics and Medical Director of the Genetic Medicine service at the University of Washington Medical Center. Her research interests are in rare, undiagnosed genetic diseases, progeroid syndromes, and precision medicine. She leads the UW NIH T32 postdoctoral fellowship in Medical Genetics, and has received awards for outstanding mentorship of faculty, residents, and medical students. She has served in numerous national leadership positions to advance education, clinical care, and diversity, equity and inclusion for the American Board of Medical Genetics, the American College of Medical Genetics, the American Society of Human Genetics, and the American Academy of Neurology. When she is not working, she enjoys hiking with her husband and dog, reading, and dining in Seattle restaurants.
Lillian Ho, MD
Lilian Ho, MD (she/her) is an Associate Program Director and works primarily with the Primary Care Alaska Track. Clinically, Lilian works as a pediatric hospitalist providing care to infants and children at the Alaska Native Medical Center in Anchorage, AK, in addition to traveling for pediatric field clinics in Kodiak and Bethel. She also instructs medical students as part of the UW School of Medicine Colleges program. Her professional interests include medical education, medical transports, and career mentorship and coaching. She is a novice skate-skier, intermediate sourdough bread baker, and indoor plant and vegetable gardener. She spends most of her free time photographing adventures with her goldendoodle, Roma (Instagram @alaskadood).
Abena Knight, MD
Abena Knight, MD (she/her) is the Associate Clerkship Director for Inpatient Pediatrics and a Clinical Associate Professor of Pediatrics in the Division of Hospital Medicine. She serves as a Faculty Advisor for the Residency Diversity Committee and is the Faculty Coordinator for the funded visiting elective for students underrepresented in medicine. She is the new Associate Vice Chair of Education for the Department of Pediatrics, which includes a focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion. Her educational interests include medical student education, diversity recruitment in pediatrics, and cultural humility training. She enjoys mentoring and advising trainees at all levels. In her spare time, she loves watching sports; enjoying local restaurants and concerts; and spending time with her family and friends.
Krystle Perez, MD, MPH
Krystle Perez, MD, MPH (she/her) is an Associate Program Director for the Pediatric Residency Program and works clinically in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. She finds so much joy in her work: working with the tiniest, most resilient humans and their families, as well as working with and learning from the amazing residents and fellows. After growing up in Florida and training at the University of North Carolina, she somehow found her way to the unfamiliar Pacific Northwest to continue global health work. Just as she is inspired by the beautiful and diverse landscapes of the region, she finds similar inspiration from the diverse residents that she has had the distinct privilege to work alongside in the NICU. She finds it reassuring to personally know future leaders in this imperfect world. Krystle is honored to call Seattle Children’s/UW home, where colleagues with different backgrounds and experiences strive to do better and be better for newborns, children, adolescents, and families globally.
Celeste Quitiquit, MD
Celeste Quitiquit, MD (she/her) is an Associate Program Director and Director of residency recruitment. She is a Clinical Assistant Professor in General Pediatrics and Sports Medicine/Orthopedics and serves as Co-Medical Director for the athletic training program. She served as a former chief resident for our program and rejoined the UW community after completing fellowships in sports medicine and medical education in 2014. Her professional interests include injury prevention, community advocacy, diversity recruitment, and implicit bias. Celeste grew up locally in south king county and now raises her family there. She loves spending time outdoors with her husband, three young children and extended family.
Jarrad Matthew Scarlett, MD, PhD
Jarrad Scarlett, MD, PhD, (he/him) is an Associate Program Director and Director of the Research Track for the pediatric residency program. He is an Associate Professor in the Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology and Co-Director of the UW NIH T32 postdoctoral Gastro-Intestinal and Liver Disease Training Program. His research interests focus on gut-brain signaling in the pathogenesis of obesity and diabetes and he is a Principal Investigator in the UW Medicine Diabetes Institute. He is dedicated to training and mentoring learners at all levels including undergraduate students, medical students, residents, fellows, and faculty. When he is not in the laboratory or hospital, he enjoys outdoor activities including fishing and hiking, playing soccer, watching sports, and spending time with his wife and two children.
Tara Wenger, MD, PhD
Tara Wenger MD, PhD (she/her) is an Associate Program Director and Director of the Research Track for the pediatric residency program. She is an Associate Professor in the Division of Genetic Medicine and is the Associate Medical Director of Inpatient Genetic Services. Her research interests focus on improving outcomes for hospitalized patients with genetic disease through clinical introduction of newly developed methods of genetic testing and precision medicine therapies. She is passionate about mentorship of resident and fellow pediatrician scientists and is a member of the National Physician-Scientist Training Collaborative Workgroup. She is an associate editor for the American Journal of Medical Genetics and a consulting editor for GeneReviews. When she is not in the hospital, she enjoys spending time with her husband and daughters, exploring the great outdoors of the Pacific Northwest, raising backyard chickens, and trying out new recipes using fruits and veggies from local Farmers Markets and veggie co-ops.
Amy Schumacher, MD
Amy Schumacher, MD (she/her) I trained in Madison, WI (medical school and residency) and moved in 2000 to Anchorage, where my husband, Greg, was repaying Air Force scholarship. We were seeking a vibrant outdoor playground with a wintry component- and found it!- prompting extension from a 3 year tour to now 20 years as Alaskans. Trail runs, hikes, skiing and fishing draw us outside to continually explore new areas with our growing family: Gus, Rudy and Heidi and our 2 pointers, Greta and Lucy.
Tracy Seimears, MD, M.Ed
Tracy Seimears, MD, M.Ed (she/her) joined as an Associate Program Director in 2022. She is an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics in the Division of Pediatric Hospital Medicine at the University of Washington. She believes deeply in the power of education to develop conversations and advance health equity for patients, families, and all members who work at Seattle Children’s Hospital. She serves as the faculty advisor for Seattle Health Equity Rounds. Clinically, she enjoys providing equitable care for children who are hospitalized. Outside of work she enjoys time outdoors with family and friends and eating all the food Seattle has to offer. She loves kayaking with her dog Clifford.
Richard Shugerman, MD
Richard Shugerman, MD, (he/him) has had the joy of working with pediatric residents for more than 30 years. He currently serves as the Director of the Pediatric WWAMI program, which has undeniably been one of the most distinctive and coolest parts of our residency for 50 years. Richard is passionate about helping residents and faculty to connect with their own inner wisdom to find the best answers to the questions they are trying to answer. He loves cooking, wake surfing, skiing, and spending time with family and friends. He is incredibly grateful to live in such a beautiful city, state, and region and to be part of such an amazing Department of Pediatrics.
Administration
Scott Olson, MHA
Scott Olson (he/him) is the Residency Program Manager. He was raised in the Seattle area and completed undergraduate studies at the University of Washington. He first joined the program in 2008 as a program coordinator. During that time, Scott returned to the University of Washington to earn a Master of Health Administration. After a period managing fellowship programs in the Heart Center, Scott returned to the residency program in 2021 to fill the manager role. He is passionate about applying QI methods to make improvements in medical education, resident well-being, and health equity. Outside of work, Scott enjoys cooking, biking, and family time with his husband, their son, and foster children they’ve had the opportunity to care for.
Lauree Herrmann
Lauree Herrmann (she/her) serves as the Program Management Specialist. She has worked in a variety of capacities at Seattle Children’s since she started in 2010, but finds her work with the pediatric residents the most rewarding. She works extensively with the Clinical Competency Committee, intern orientation, lunch conferences, special events and day-to-day workings of the residency program. She comes to Seattle by way of North Carolina, where she graduated from Meredith College. She enjoys volunteering with cancer patients and their families, as well as exploring all that Seattle (and the great Pacific Northwest) has to offer. She has been known to design a weekend getaway for residents and would love to help you discover the Emerald City, as well.
Theresa Vu, MFA
Theresa Vu (she/her) is one of the pediatric residency coordinators. She previously worked in the Orthopedics and Sports Medicine department at Seattle Children’s. She currently works with the Diversity Committee and continuity clinics and on special events, and helps with daily on-goings of the residency program. She grew up in Spokane WA and received her BFA at the University of Washington and her MFA at New Mexico State University. She was an instructor at Bay Area colleges for nearly 10 years before moving back to Washington in 2012. In her free time, she enjoys hiking all over the PNW, knitting socks, and working in her garden.
Crystal González-Guzmán
Crystal González-Guzmán (she/her) is one of the pediatric residency coordinators. She joined the GME in 2018 and served as an Intern Scheduler prior to joining the coordinator team. Crystal is involved in resident recruitment, intern retreat, special projects, and the daily operations of the residency program. She grew up between Zacatecas, Mexico and Leavenworth, WA before graduating from the University of Washington, Bothell. During her free time, she enjoys concerts, power lifting, cooking, and going to soccer games.
Current Executive Residents
Isabella (Bella) Dahlgren, MD
[she/her]
Hometown: Gig Harbor, WA
Undergrad: Loyola Marymount University, Los Angeles, CA
Medical School: University of Washington (Spokane WWAMI!)
About Bella: Among her favorite things are outdooor concerts, long chats with friends, vegetarian cooking, family drama TV shows, and drinking beer in beautiful places. She loves outdoor activities but you won’t find her too close to organized sports — she has limited hand eye coordinations and says things like “I just hope both teams have fun!”. Fun fact, her husband Ryan is a rising chief at his residency program too!
Plans after Executive Resident Year: Work in primary care for some number of years and then complete a Pediatric Palliative Care fellowship. “Someday dreams” are to help make palliative care a normal part of caring for any child who is suffering including those with eating disorders and psychiatric diagnoses, and to provide in-home palliative care to kids with medical complexity.
Favorite Seattle Activity: Urban hike and a picnic! Highly recommend the Washington Park Arboretum and Lake Washington Boulevard Trail. Also paddle boarding in Lake Union.
Julia Hadley, MD
[she/her]
Hometown: Needham, MA
Undergrad: Connecticut College
Post-Bac: Goucher College
Medical School: Brown University Medical School
About Julia: Julia is the co-director of Health Equity Rounds as well as a representative on the on the INCLUDE Curriculum team and Resident Education Committee (ResComm). She is also a member of the Alaska Track and is passionate about primary care and working with underserved communities in both rural and urban areas. Outside of work she enjoys cooking, playing boardgames, reading and exploring all the hiking that Washington and Alaska have to offer.
Plans after Executive Resident Year: Still deciding between primary care, hospitalist or emergency medicine!
Favorite Seattle Activity: Running (but probably actually walking) around Green Lake, picking ridiculous amounts of blackberries, tackling an endless list of hikes and finding all the best food Seattle has to offer!
Chinenyenwa (ChiChi) Mpamaugo, MD, MPH
[she/her]
Hometown: Fort Washington, MD
Undergrad: Columbia University in the City of New York
Medical School: University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
About ChiChi: ChiChi was raised and completed her schooling on the East Coast but ventured out the PSW for residency. Prior to residency she received her Master’s in Public Health and has a passion for advocacy, which has continued into residency as one of the AAP representatives. She has also had an interest in research having done years of work at NIH prior to medical school, she has continued to do research in cardiology during residency and was even able to present at a European conference in Switzerland. She has been involved as a co-lead for Seattle Health Equity Rounds and you might recognize her from a Residency Diversity Committee (DComm) event where she has helped with recruitment and is now doing work within the community. Outside of work ChiChi enjoys dressing up and grabbing brunch with a friend, working out, or playing flag football.
Plans after Executive Resident Year: Deciding between fellowships in PICU, Cardiology or some combination of the two.
Favorite Seattle Activity: Boating on Lake Washington, Taking trips both near and far to ski with my ski family, Exploring different wineries and tasting rooms in WA state, Going for a walk, or run at the many lakes and parks in the city.
Sruti Pisharody, MD
[she/her]
Hometown: St. Louis, MO; Morton, IL; Cary, NC
Undergrad: Duke University
Medical School: Duke University School of Medicine
About Sruti: I spent much of my childhood in Illinois and Kerala, India, though I now call North Carolina home. I attended Duke University for both medical school and undergrad, where I studied evolutionary anthropology and first became interested in One Health perspectives and applications in global health.
A Bharatanatyam dancer, I also perform and teach Bollywood, Indian folk, and fusion dance forms. I enjoy wildlife photography and travel; I practice yoga, paint, hike, read, and would love to learn woodworking at some point.
William (Will) Porter, MD
[he/him]
Hometown: Marietta, GA
Undergrad: Rhodes College
Medical School: Baylor College of Medicine
About Will: I grew up outside Atlanta, GA and have been slowly trekking across the country ever since! After stopping in Memphis at Rhodes College (Roll Lynx!), I made my way to Houston for med school at Baylor where I picked up my canine buddy Luke (a “medium-sized sweet lab mix” as far as my landlord is concerned) before migrating up to the Pacific Northwest. I have been labeled a peacemaker by enthusiasts of the enneagram, and I take every opportunity to embrace the hobbies of my friends from rock climbing to terrarium building. I love playing soccer and running with my pup, and though I’ve been trying to watch less of The Office and read more books lately, it’s still a work in progress. I am hoping to use my training to integrate mental healthcare into primary care for underserved children and adolescents.
Rising Executive Residents
Phanith Touch, MD
(he/him)
Undergrad: University of Washington
Medical School: University of Washington School of Medicine
About Phanith Phanith Touch, MD is a 1.5 generation, Khmer American and an inaugural pediatric resident physician in the Health Equity Track. He is the outgoing Co-Director of Seattle Health Equity Rounds and current Co-Director for the Residency Diversity Committee’s Visiting Sub-Internship Program. An aspiring community organizer, Phanith serves on the board of directors of two community organizations that bridge the intergenerational gap between youth and elders through cultural preservation and health equity work among marginalized communities in King County. He aspires to build trusting relationships that centers community voice and ownership. He has a deep appreciation for stories, writing, and literary works written by community leaders or about Asian American diasporas.
Plans after Executive Resident Year: Fellowship training in Pediatric Cardiology or Sports Medicine.
Favorite Seattle Activity: He enjoys many activities as long as it is in community, whether it’s an adventurous board game, hiking or backing trip, climbing session, or stroll through all the aisles of Costco.
Victor Hsiao, MD
(he/him)
Hometown: Redmond, WA
Undergrad: Princeton University
Medical School: Keck School of Medicine of USC
About Victor:
He grew up in Seattle and graduated from Princeton with his BA in biology with minors in computer science and engineering biology. He then attended medical school at the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California. During medical school, he spent a year in Taiwan working with youth in the foster care and juvenile detention systems. In residency, he has been in the Alaska Track and is grateful for the opportunity to be a member of the UW Pediatric Residency Program Director Search Committee and STREAM (Sustaining and Training for Resilience, Engagement, and Meaning), a HRSA-funded multi-site research collaborative to build multi-dimensional curriculum on topics including mental health, engagement in systems improvement, professional resilience, and joy and meaning in work. He is passionate about using a whole-person approach in his care for patients and the delivery of primary care in underserved communities, both urban and rural.
Plans after Executive Resident Year: Primary care, community-based work, youth mentorship.
Favorite Seattle Activity: Trying new restaurants and ice cream flavors, running and hiking, spending time with his family and church community
Dilara Onur, MD, MS
[she/her]
Hometown: Saratoga, California
Undergrad: University of California, San Diego
Masters: University of Southern California
Medical School: University of Arizona College of Medicine – Tucson
About Dilara: As a daughter of Turkish immigrants, international travel and family-style gatherings are what Dilara grew up doing and continues to enjoy. Engaging in creative and collaborative spaces brings her the most fulfillment. At work, this includes bumping music in the team room and dressing up for rounds. Outside of the hospital, it includes taking photos for residents/attendings and their families, cooking/baking for friends and co-workers, enjoying live music/theatre/sports. Professionally, Dilara is interested in trainee wellness, medical education/mentorship, and humanism in medicine.
Plans after Chief Year: Dilara will likely be applying to Palliative Care Fellowship (+/- Bioethics) with potential to do another fellowship afterwards. She would love to continue working with trainees/students in any way she can.
Favorite Seattle Activity: Combining the outdoors with food activity (e.g. big hike with brunch to follow, picnic at Golden Gardens, hosting dinners on my patio), dog parking with her pup Remy, road tripping across the state with her fiancé, Travis.
Ellie Pearlman, MD
[she/her]
Medical School: Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania
About Ellie! Ellie is a proud Midwesterner who loves living in the PNW/Alaska. She is a member of the Alaska Track (Fairbanks/South Central Foundation sites) and is passionate about community and primary care pediatrics. She has a background in healthcare design and hopes to apply that work towards improving pediatric care in the future. Outside of work, you’ll find her cooking pizza with her husband in their backyard, riding her bike around the city, or out hiking on the trails.
Plans after Chief Year: most likely community general pediatrics, but also considering hospital medicine. Only time will tell!
Favorite Seattle Activity: Riding her bike around Seattle and on local gravel trails, eating good food, running (especially if she can jump in the lake at the end), reading, crocheting and making Cyanotype prints.
Hannah Benjamin, MD
[she/her]
Hometown: San Diego, CA
Undergrad: Stanford University
Masters: University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus
Medical School: University of Colorado School of Medicine
About Hannah: You can call her Hannah, but some patients know her affectionately as “Dr. Bun-jamin,” thanks to the daily hairstyle! Within the residency, Hannah has been involved in the REACH pathway – Toppenish branch, where she has had the opportunity to work alongside an amazing group of co-residents and faculty dedicated to improving child health through community partnerships and advocacy. Clinically, she is passionate about serving Latinx families and communities (working towards language certification!), improving patient sleep in the hospital through QI, and becoming more involved in resident education in the NICUs. Outside of the hospital, you can find her cooking for friends and family, hosting dinner parties and pizza nights in her backyard, or exploring the outdoors with her husband, Connor, and their two pups, Winnie and River.
Plans after res exec year: Feeling super excited about pursuing a NICU fellowship!
Favorite Seattle activity: Sunset picnics at any of Seattle’s gorgeous parks or a mountain bike ride on a sunny day followed by a hazy IPA or Yonder cider with friends