Program Leadership

Troy A. Johnston, MD

Troy A. 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 residents 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 a Clinical 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 a Professor of Pediatrics and general pediatrician in the Division of General Pediatrics at UW. She is passionate about providing general outpatient pediatric care for all ages at the UW Roosevelt Pediatric Care Center and supporting families at the UW Newborn Nursery. She also mentors and teaches medical students and previously served as faculty in the UW School of Medicine Colleges program. Her interests include addressing health equity and reducing disparities through advocacy, 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. As a Washingtonian since age 4, she spent 10 years on the East Coast before returning home for residency at UW. You can find her with her two daughters and husband biking, hiking, running, enjoying our wonderful local and national parks, and advocating for climate justice.

Fuki M. Hisama, MD

Fuki M. Hisama, MD, (she/her) 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.

Lilian 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, 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 Vice Chair of Education for the Department of Pediatrics and Associate Clerkship Director for Inpatient Pediatrics. She is a Clinical Associate Professor of Pediatrics in the Division of Hospital Medicine. She serves as a faculty advisor for the Residency Diversity Committee (DComm) and is the Faculty Coordinator for the funded visiting elective for students underrepresented in medicine.   Her educational interests include medical student education, diversity recruitment in pediatrics, and cultural humility training. She enjoys mentoring and advising learners at all levels. In her spare time, she loves watching sports, enjoying local restaurants, 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 that supports residency recruitment. She is a Clinical Associate Professor in General Pediatrics and Sports Medicine/Orthopedics and serves as Medical Director for the Athletic Training Program. She served as a former executive 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 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.

Amy Schumacher, MD (she/her)

Amy Schumacher, MD, serves as Associate Program Director, Alaska Track, and Medical Director of Specialty Pediatrics at the Alaska Native Medical Center. She’s been involved in the Alaska Track since the original exploratory meetings, then serving as Southcentral Foundation site director. In 2014, she started co-directing the track. She also works as liaison to the CINHS and CITC Head Start Programs and the Kusilvak Career Academy health team.

Tracy Seimears, MD, MEd

Tracy Seimears, MD, MEd, (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 that Seattle has to offer. She loves kayaking and exploring the outdoors.

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.

Hannah Tully, MD, MSc (she/her)

Tara Wenger, MD, PhD

Tara Wenger MD, PhD, (she/her) is an Associate Program Director for our combined Peds/Genetics 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..

Executive Residents

Isabella Dahlgren, MD

Bella Dahlgren, MD, (she/her) is a Pediatric Executive Resident and Acting Instructor at the University of Washington Department of Pediatrics. She grew up in Gig Harbor, Washington. She studied Psychology at Loyola Marymount University, before returning to Washington to join the University of Washington School of Medicine’s Spokane cohort. She fell in love with Pediatrics as a WRITE student in a small clinic in Western Montana. As a resident, she was a part of the REACH – Toppenish pathway, spearheaded the annual patient remembrance event, and helped initiate a curriculum for delivering serious news to pediatric interns. She intends to pursue a career that includes both primary care and palliative care. Outside of work, she enjoys outdoor concerts, vegetarian cooking, family drama TV shows, not playing ball sports, and cute coffee shops.

Julia Hadley, MD

Julia Hadley, MD, (she/her) is a Pediatric Executive Resident and Acting Instructor at the University of Washington Department of Pediatrics. She grew up in Massachusetts and completed a post-baccalaureate at Goucher College before attending the Warren Alpert Medical School at Brown University. Within pediatrics, she has an interest in rural medicine, community health, and advocacy. During residency, Julia was a member of the Alaska Track, a primary care track that includes a year of training in rural Alaska with a focus on expanding healthcare access to indigenous communities. She was also a Co-Director of Health Equity Rounds and served as a member of the Resident Education Committee (ResComm). Outside of work, she enjoys hiking, climbing, cooking, playing pickleball, and exploring independent bookstores.

Chinenyenwa Mpamaugo, MD, MPH

Chinenyenwa Mpamaugo, MD, MPH, (she/her) is a Pediatric Executive Resident and Acting Instructor at the University of Washington Department of Pediatrics. Growing up in Fort Washington just outside of Washington, DC, she worked at the NIH prior to starting medical school at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. Due to her interest in social determinates of health, she completed her master's in public health at the University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health. ChiChi has been a delegate to the Washington Chapter American Academy of Pediatrics, where she worked on water safety; has served on the leadership of the Residency Diversity Committee (DCOMM); and led a session in Seattle Health Equity Rounds focused on the experience of Black women in healthcare. She plans to do a pediatric cardiology fellowship in the coming year. Outside of work, she enjoys flag football, skiing, boating, travel, and trying out new rooftop restaurants.

Sruti Pisharody, MD

Sruti Pisharody, MD, (she/her) is a Pediatric Executive Resident and Acting Instructor at the University of Washington Department of Pediatrics at Seattle Children’s Hospital. She calls Cary, North Carolina her hometown and graduated from Duke University with degrees in Evolutionary Anthropology and Biology. She graduated from Duke University School of Medicine in 2020, before deciding to move across the country to live in the Pacific Northwest for residency. In residency, she participated in Health Equity Rounds as a member and co-director. In the REACH-Kisii program, she collaborated with Kenyan pediatrics colleagues and mentors to explore community practices of complementary feeding. She is also passionate about the intersection of climate change and child health and hopes to focus her career on advocacy and medical education. Outside of work, she loves hiking, paddleboarding, kayaking, cooking new vegan foods, and is a trained Bharatanatyam dancer.

William Porter, MD

Will Porter, MD, (he/him) is a Pediatric Executive Resident and Acting Instructor at the University of Washington Department of Pediatrics. He grew up in Atlanta, Georgia and attended Baylor College of Medicine before moving to Seattle to complete his pediatrics training. During residency, he participated in the REACH pathway and spent time working on a community health project aimed at improving teenage mental health in rural Washington. Within pediatrics, he has interests in mental and behavioral health, LGBTQ health, and community health. Outside of work, Will enjoys going on adventures with his dog including backpacking, paddleboarding, and exploring local parks in the city.

Support Staff

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 have 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 starting in 2010, but finds her work with the pediatric residents the most rewarding. She works extensively with the Clinical Competency Committee, intern orientation, recruitment, and day-to-day workings of the residency program. Lauree is currently participating in the Leadership Empowerment for Advancing Pediatric Education Specialists (LEAPES) program through the Association of Pediatric program Directors (APPD). She came 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.

Crystal Gonzalez-Guzman

Crystal González-Guzmán (she/her) is a Pediatric Residency Coordinator. She joined GME in 2018 and served as the 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, México and Leavenworth, Washington before graduating from the University of Washington, Bothell. During her free time, she enjoys concerts, power lifting, cooking, and going to soccer games.

Marciano Rodriguez

Marciano Rodriguez (he/him) is a Pediatric Residency Coordinator. He joined the GME in 2022 as the Health Equity Track Coordinator. In addition to his primary role, he provides support to the pediatric executive residents. He was born and raised in Nicaragua, and later moved to Seattle. He served in the United States Air Force before returning to Seattle to attend the University of Washington. Since graduating, he has worked in various healthcare administrative roles at different levels within organizations in the Seattle area. He enjoys watching the Huskies, Seahawks, and Sounders. He loves cooking, outdoor activities, and spending time with his two children and large extended family.

Amanda Soliai

Amanda Soliai (she/her) was born and raised in Anchorage, Alaska and is proud to be "Alaska Grown." She went to the University of Alaska Anchorage and graduated with a degree in Business Administration. She has had the pleasure of working with the Alaska Track for the last 10 years and loves creating new relationships and working with an adventurous group of residents in such a unique program. Outside of work, Amanda enjoys spending time with her family and trying new foods and activities. Her hobbies include coffee, crossfit, Costco, and puzzles.

Theresa Vu, MFA

Theresa Vu (she/her) is a Pediatric Residency Coordinator. She previously worked in the Orthopedics and Sports Medicine department at Seattle Children’s. She currently works with the Diversity Committee, continuity clinics, special events, and daily on-goings of the residency program. She grew up in Spokane, Washington before receiving 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.