Diversity & Inclusion
Who We Are
PDI is led by Dr. Horace DeLisser, Associate Dean for Diversity & Inclusion, and Assistant Deans Dr. Cindy Christian and Dr. Roy Hamilton. All are available to students weekly during their PDI office hours.
All faculty in the Program for Diversity and Inclusion are involved in meeting the goals of the program as well as providing mentoring, advice and support for students and student groups.
Staff support for PDI's goals are provided by Erika Dawson, Associate Director, and Dorothy Harris, Administrative Coordinator.
Horace DeLisser, MD
Associate Dean for Diversity & Inclusion
delisser[at]pennmedicine.upenn.edu
More about Horace DeLisser, MD
Undergraduate Education:
- Temple University
Medical School Education:
- University of Pennsylvania
Interests:
- Leukocyte-endothelial and endothelial-endothelial cell interactions
- Chronic pulmonary vascular disease
- Ethics
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Cindy Christian, MD
Assistant Dean for Diversity & Inclusion
christian[at]email.chop.edu
More about Cindy Christian, MD
Undergraduate Education:
- Bucknell University
Medical School Education:
- Albany Medical College
Interests:
- Child abuse and neglect
- Pediatrics
- Medical Education
My career at PSOM and CHOP has been diverse and extremely satisfying professionally. As a pediatrician who specializes in child abuse and neglect, I have had important responsibilities in helping to protect some of society’s most vulnerable children locally and through state and national efforts. As an Assistant Dean in the Program for Diversity and Inclusion at PSOM, I have had the great pleasure of working with our enthusiastic and talented students, supporting their community volunteer work, and helping to support their career aspirations.
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Roy Hamilton, MD, MS, FAAN
Assistant Dean for Diversity & Inclusion
roy.hamilton[at]uphs.upenn.edu
More about Roy Hamilton, MD, MS, FAAN
Undergraduate Education:
- Harvard University
Medical School Education:
- Harvard Medical School
Other Graduate Education:
- MIT (Master’s in Health Sciences & Technology)
Interests:
- Diversity in academic medicine
- Cognitive neurology
- Cognitive neuroscience
- Neuroplasticity
- Noninvasive brain stimulation
Diversity shapes the contours of my life. As a person of mixed African American and Asian heritage, diversity is woven into my genealogy. As a former Jehovah’s Witness turned secular humanist who is raising a beautifully multi-ethnic Jewish family, diversity of ideas and ideals is etched into my spirit and informs my guiding beliefs. Moreover, as the only member of my working class family to become a physician, the first black member of my family to attend college, and the only child in a generation of Hamiltons to complete high school, my career development has been marked by a profound appreciation of the ways in which my experiences and upbringing differ from those of many of my peers. For all of these reasons, I am especially interested in helping those students who feel that their racial, ethnic, cultural, spiritual, or socioeconomic backgrounds pose special challenges for them as they navigate the arduous but ultimately rewarding path to becoming physicians.
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Erika Dawson
Associate Director
edawson[at]upenn.edu
More about Erika Dawson
Undergraduate Education:
- West Chester (PA) University
Other Graduate Education:
- University of Pennsylvania (MS Ed, Intercultural Communication)
Interests:
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Diversity & Inclusion Student Advisory Committee (DISAC)
An essential component of the PDI is DISAC, a student advisory group composed of representatives from each class and our core cultural affinity groups. DISAC ensures that the voices of students are represented and serves as a means of communication between Perelman administration, cultural affinity groups, and the medical student body.
PDI works closely with the PSOM Admissions and Financial Aid and Student Affairs, as well as collaborates with the Office of Inclusion and Diversity and the Alliance of Minority Physicians (AMP).