Meet the Leadership Team

Kira Molas-Torreblanca, DO, MPH, FAAP

Program Director

I am the program director for the UC Irvine-CHOC Pediatric Residency program and a pediatric hospitalist at CHOC. I have a master’s degree in public health from UCLA and completed my residency training at the University of Nevada, where I served as a chief resident. After residency, I assumed the role of assistant residency program director before relocating to California with my family, where I was a hospitalist at Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles for 11 years, then subsequently serving as the Pediatric Hospital Medicine Fellowship program director. I have completed advanced training in educational scholarship and healthcare leadership, and my research interests include curriculum development, simulation and qualitative methodology. I have presented numerous workshops at national conferences on topics such as feedback and evaluation, learning climate and trainee autonomy. I recently graduated as part of the inaugural cohort of the Academic Pediatric Association’s Advancing Pediatric Leaders Program and was the recipient of the Golden Apple Award as part of the UC Irvine School of Medicine 2024 Achievement Awards, which is given to a clinical faculty member for outstanding teaching.

I am currently serving a three-year elected term on the American Academy of Pediatrics Section of Hospital Medicine’s Executive Committee. My other clinical interests include health promotion, community health sciences and health equity in the realm of medical health literacy. I grew up in Palm Desert, California, and currently live in Long Beach with my husband (also a pediatrician), our two teenage children and our cavapoo puppy named Ruby. I am an avid fan of Los Angeles sports teams, and in my free time, if I am not cheering for one of them, you will often find me enjoying the churros at Disneyland.

Amy Gaultney, MD, MTS

Associate Program Director — Advising & Mentoring

I am an associate program director for the UC Irvine-CHOC Pediatric Residency program and a pediatric rheumatologist at CHOC Hospital in Orange County. As an expert in pediatric rheumatology, I care for babies, kids and teens with a wide variety of rheumatologic conditions. I specialize in pediatric lupus, juvenile idiopathic arthritis, vasculitis and other rare rheumatologic diseases. My research interests include medication adherence in rheumatologic disease, patient reported outcomes and medical ethics.  

James Korb, MD

Associate Program Director — Program Evaluation

I am an associate program director for the UC Irvine-CHOC Pediatric Residency program. At CHOC, I serve as the director for academic affairs, with responsibility over visiting medical students, residents and fellows, as well as the development of fellowships at CHOC. I am also the director for CHOC’s continuing medical education program. I completed medical school training and residency at UCLA, and was an assistant program director for the Pediatric Residency program at UCLA for 11 years. From 2001 to 2013, I was the program director of the Pediatric Residency program at CHOC. Among my many interests are medical education, dermatology and children’s books. Outside of work, my wife and I have a lifetime goal to see every national park in the United States. (We are up to about 30). I am an avid cook and have been cooking for resident retreats for many, many years.

Jennifer Green Lusk, MD, FAAP

Associate Program Director — Assessment & Professionalism

I am an associate program director for the UC Irvine-CHOC Pediatric Residency program. I received my medical degree from Georgetown University. After finishing residency training at CHOC, I served as chief resident. I now work as a pediatric hospitalist at CHOC, where I remain heavily invested in residency training and education, and have received multiple faculty teaching awards. I am the chair of the Clinical Competency Committee, providing guidance on resident performance. I also hold multiple positions in hospital administration and serve as program director for the UC Irvine Pediatric Hospital Medicine Fellowship program at CHOC.

David Michalik, DO

Associate Program Director — Scholarship

I am a clinical professor at UC Irvine School of Medicine and have been working in infectious diseases and HIV for over 18 years. In addition to my clinical practice, I am actively engaged in medical education and research in several medical fields. During my free time, I enjoy spending time outdoors.

Candice Taylor Lucas, MD, MPH, FAAP

Associate Program Director — Wellness & Belonging

I am an associate program director for the UC Irvine-CHOC Pediatric Residency program. I am also a co-director for the UC Irvine School of Medicine’s mission-based program Leadership Education to Advance Diversity—African, Black and Caribbean (LEAD-ABC), a health sciences associate clinical professor and a general pediatrician with the UC Irvine School of Medicine and UC Irvine Pediatric Exercise and Genomics Research Center. I am from Southern California and completed undergraduate training at UCLA, graduate training in the UCLA School of Public Health and medical school at the Keck School of Medicine at USC. I returned to UCLA for pediatric residency and served as a chief resident and subsequently went to NYU/Bellevue Hospital Center to complete an academic general pediatric fellowship with a focus in primary care research and clinical investigation. My public health and research interests address physical activity promotion, early childhood obesity prevention and health inequities. As associate program director, my areas of focus include primary care and community-engaged training opportunities, advocacy, diversity, inclusion and health equity. Outside of work, I enjoy spending time with family and friends, playing with my sons, dancing, basketball and writing poetry.

Hillary Zieve, MD, FAAP

Associate Program Director — Curriculum

I am an associate program director for the UC Irvine-CHOC Pediatric Residency program and practice general pediatrics at CHOC Clinica Para Niños and CHOC Boys & Girls Club Clinic in Santa Ana, California. I am the co-director of the residency's Primary Care Pathway as well as the co-director of the UC Irvine/CHOC Health Equity, Anti-Racism, Trauma-informed care (HEARTi) Program. Within the School of Medicine, I am the co-founder and now faculty mentor of Team KiPOW OC, a school-based, behavioral change program which mentors students in Title 1 schools about nutrition and physical activity.

I received my medical degree from the UC Irvine School of Medicine and completed residency and served as a chief resident at the UC Irvine-CHOC Pediatric Residency program. I am a past board member of the AAP Orange County Chapter 4 and was awarded the AAP-OC’s Young Pediatrician of the year in 2019.

I am passionate about medical education, primary care, breast-feeding medicine, childhood nutrition and physical activity. I live in Orange County with my husband and three children and enjoy watching college football, weight lifting and riding my Peloton.

Clarisse Casilang, MD, FAAP

Director of Advocacy

I am the advocacy track director and co-director of the ACT rotation for the UC Irvine/CHOC Pediatric Residency program and serve as a UC Irvine School of Medicine assistant clinical professor. I am currently an attending physician at CHOC, where I serve as the community pediatrics lead physician, directing CHOC's Wellness on Wheels community outreach program. I am also an integrative and functional medicine fellow at the UC Irvine Susan Samueli Integrative Health Institute. I completed training at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) as a Pincus Global Health fellow in the Dominican Republic from 2017–2019. I received specialized training in medical journalism (through the nationally syndicated ABC News Medical Unit in New York City) and in public health advocacy (through AAP-California).

I am currently serving as President-elect of the American Academy of Pediatrics – OC chapter. I was named the AAP-OC Young Physician of the Year in 2023 and Champion Provider for Orange County in 2023, 2024 and 2025. I am passionate about using my skills in medical communication, mobile health and advocacy to improve access to care, to promote health and wellness, to inform public health policy and to be a voice for our most vulnerable communities. I am also a home chef, marathon runner, Formula 1 enthusiast and avid world traveler.

Daniel Kang, MD, MEd, FAAP

Director of Recruitment & Retention

I am the director of recruitment & retention for the UC Irvine-CHOC Pediatric Residency program and practice pediatric hospitalist medicine at Rady Children’s Health, formerly CHOC Children’s. I am the co-director of the ACT rotation and oversee the medical education track. I received my master's of education in the health professions and certification in evidence-based teaching from my alma mater, Johns Hopkins University.

I was a middle school science teacher in inner city Baltimore prior to a career in medicine. As a SoCal native, I returned to the area and completed my residency training at UC Irvine, where I served as chief resident. I was an associate program director, then interim program director for the UC Irvine/CHOC residency program, and now help support residency and fellowship programs at UC Irvine as an assistant dean for graduate medical education. I am a strong advocate for resident education and scholarship and provide academic coaching for residents. I am committed to recruiting outstanding applicants who are aligned with our program’s vision to “Discover. Teach. Heal.”

Outside of work, I enjoy spending time with my wife and two children. I am a self-proclaimed amateur foodie and love discovering new places to eat — all recommendations are welcome.

Amanda (Mandy) Hammel, MD, MBA

Chief Resident

I am a chief resident for the UC Irvine–CHOC Pediatric Residency program. I hold a joint MD/MBA from the UC Irvine School of Medicine and the Paul Merage School of Business. Throughout residency, I demonstrated strong leadership and a commitment to enhancing the residency experience. I served as a housestaff safety officer, chair of the Wellness Committee and chair of the Recruitment Committee. In my current role as chief resident, I am responsible for overseeing resident well-being, facilitating communication between residents, faculty and administration, managing scheduling and curriculum, and supporting clinical education and mentorship. I plan to pursue a career in outpatient pediatrics, with a focus on preventive medicine and population health. Outside of medicine, I enjoy traveling, hosting dinner parties and visiting Disneyland.

Cody Trepte, DO

Chief Resident

I am a chief resident for the UC Irvine-CHOC Pediatric Residency program. Being a SoCal native, I have aspirations to serve the SoCal community that helped mold me into the physician I am today. I completed my pediatric residency at UC Irvine-CHOC in 2025 and attended medical school at Western University of Health Sciences in Pomona, California. CHOC holds a strong place in my heart as the hospital cared for two of my late siblings. I aspire to be a leader in physician education as well as patient advocacy given my extensive experience from both sides of the aisle. I plan to stay in the area as a hospitalist or a general pediatrician after my chief year.

Outside of medicine, I love to spend time with my wife and puppy. I can also be found on a golf course searching for my less than ideal tee shot.

Alvin Yang, DO

Chief Resident

I am a chief resident for the UC Irvine-CHOC Pediatric Residency program. I completed my pediatric residency at UC Irvine-CHOC in 2025 and attended medical school at Western University of Health Sciences in Pomona, California.

Veronica Melendez

Residency Coordinator, UC Irvine

I am the residency coordinator for the UC Irvine-CHOC Pediatric Residency program. I hold a bachelor's of science degree in healthcare administration from California State University, Long Beach. Prior to joining UC Irvine in 2010, I served as the pediatric residency coordinator at Miller Children’s Hospital in Long Beach. In my free time, I enjoy reading, dancing, watching sports, and spending time with my family, friends and two goldendoodles.

Maria Espitia

Assistant Residency Coordinator, UC Irvine

I am a residency coordinator assistant for the UC Irvine-CHOC Pediatric Residency program. I joined the program in 2014, bringing a variety of corporate and office management skills. Previously, I served as a human resources assistant and accounting assistant at USA National Title Company. I enjoy shopping for great deals and spending time with my family.

Sabrina Harris

Assistant Residency Coordinator, Scheduler, UC Irvine

I joined the program as a temporary administrative assistant in February 2020 and was hired full-time in January 2021. I have an extensive background working in administration, office management and accounting, supporting large nonprofit organizations and small business environments. I am a team player and approach all aspects of my position and any job with a positive, hardworking mindset. I enjoy going to church, roller-skating and spending time with my family.

Veronica Le

Pediatric Health Education Coordinator, Miller Children's

I am the pediatric health education coordinator at Long Beach MemorialCare/Miller’s Children’s & Women’s Hospital. I joined MemorialCare in 2025, bringing a strong background in graduate medical education, office administration and finance. Prior to this role, I served as the assistant residency coordinator for the UC Irvine Family Medicine Residency program, where I supported residents and faculty in academic and clinical training.

Outside of work, I enjoy traveling and spending quality time with my family and friends.

Francisco (Frank) Cruz

Education Coordinator, UC Irvine

I am an assistant residency coordinator for the UC Irvine-CHOC Pediatric Residency program and education coordinator for the UC Irvine School of Medicine. I hold a bachelor’s of fine arts from California State University, Long Beach, and a master’s degree of fine arts from the California Institute of the Arts.

Outside of my work in medical education, I am an independent experimental filmmaker. My creative work has been featured at the Museum of Contemporary Art (Los Angeles), the Museum of Modern Art (New York), the Los Angeles Film forum and various independent galleries throughout the Los Angeles area. In my free time, I enjoy reading, hiking and spending quality time with my family.