News Achievements Announcements

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Leadership Positions

Jesus Jimenez, MD, PhD

Jesus Jimenez, MD, PhD, has been appointed as the Director for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for Fellows and Postdoctoral trainees in the Department of Medicine. Dr. Jimenez grew up in southern California and completed his undergraduate degree in Molecular Biology at the University of California, San Diego. He joined the Medical Scientist Training Program and received his MD and PhD from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in the Bronx, NY. He then joined the Physician Scientist Training Program at Washington University/Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis where he completed internal medicine residency, cardiology fellowship, cardio-oncology fellowship, and post-doctoral training. In 2021, he joined the faculty as an Instructor in Medicine in the Cardiovascular Division. His research focuses on immunological mechanisms that underlie cardiac injury from cancer immunotherapies in an effort to develop innovative and preventive treatments. During his time at Washington University, Dr. Jimenez has actively participated in recruitment efforts of underrepresented minorities for medical school, residency, fellowship, and post-doctoral training. He is passionate and dedicated to supporting diversity and health equity initiatives, and to creating an inclusive climate for all trainees.

Felicia Gomez, PhD

Felicia Gomez, PhD, has been appointed as Co-Director for the newly established URiM Post-Baccalaureate program for the Oliver Langenberg Physician Scientist Training Program (PSTP) in the Department of Medicine. Dr. Gomez grew up in New Jersey and completed her undergraduate degree in Biology and Anthropology at Skidmore College. She then obtained a PhD in human evolutionary genetics at George Washington University. She completed post-doctoral fellowships in both Genetic Epidemiology and in Cancer Genomics at Washington University, and in 2021, she graduated from the Washington University Teaching Scholars Program. In 2018 she joined the faculty of the Department of Medicine as an Instructor in Medicine in the Oncology Division and was promoted to an Assistant Professor of Medicine on July 1, 2022. Her research is focused on the genomics of relapsed and refractory lymphomas. Dr. Gomez has several years of leadership experience in diversity, equity, and inclusion. She was Co-Chair of the Department of Medicine’s Trainee Inclusion and Cultural Awareness task force, and she is the current Co-Director of the Mentorship to Enhance Diversity in Academia (MEDA) program.

José Sáenz, MD, PhD

José Sáenz, MD, PhD, has been appointed as Co-Director for the newly established URiM Post-Baccalaureate program for the Oliver Langenberg Physician Scientist Training Program (PSTP) in the Department of Medicine. Dr. Sáenz grew up in Miami, Florida, and completed his undergraduate degree in Chemistry and French Literature at Cornell University. He then joined the MSTP program at Washington University, where he completed his medical degree and his PhD training in the lab of Dr. David Haslam. Dr. Sáenz then joined the PSTP at Washington University, where he completed his internal medicine residency, gastroenterology fellowship, and post-doctoral research training in the laboratory of Dr. Jason Mills. In 2020, he joined the faculty of the Department of Medicine as an Assistant Professor Medicine in the Gastroenterology Division. His research program is focused on infectious and genetic factors that regulate gastric epithelial homeostasis and tumorigenesis. Throughout his training, he has been involved in diversity and inclusion efforts. As a medical student, Dr. Sáenz was program coordinator for the Student National Medical Association, where he helped to organize and teach science lessons to local inner-city high schools throughout St. Louis. He has worked to recruit URiM students into both the MSTP, Internal Medicine Residency Program, Gastroenterology Fellowship program, and the PSTP at Washington University. He has served as an invited panelist at the Latino Medical Student Association National Meeting, and participated in the inaugural Mentorship to Enhance Diversity in Academia (MEDA) symposium.