Rising Stars Program UC Irvine School of Medicine recognizes future leaders. Home About About > Rising Stars Program Recognizing Excellence A joint effort by UC Irvine School of Medicine and UCI Health, the UC Irvine Rising Stars program recognizes junior faculty who exemplify the university’s tripartite mission to Discover, Teach and Heal. Since its revitalization in 2024, the program has honored nine exceptional individuals who have demonstrated unmatched contributions to clinical innovation, groundbreaking research and community service. These leaders represent the future of academic medicine at UC Irvine. Institutional Recognition All Rising Stars recipients are honored at semi-annual luncheons held at the Podlich Family Conference Center. Their achievements are highlighted in UC Irvine marketing, communications and advancement materials to showcase the caliber of faculty excellence at UC Irvine School of Medicine and UCI Health. Honoring Our Latest Recipients Learn more about the newest faculty recognized through the UC Irvine Rising Stars program. Meet the Latest Recipients Rising Stars Recipients Spring 2026 Crystal M. Glover, Ph.D. Department: Neurology Ryan P. Gibney, MD Department: Emergency Medicine Fall 2025 Shruti Gohil, MD, MPH Department: Medicine (Infectious Diseases) Erlinda Rose Chulie Ulloa, MD, MSc Department: Pediatrics (Infectious Diseases) Fall 2025 Rising Stars Announcement Meet the Fall 2025 Rising Stars Faculty Spring 2025 Yulian Khagi, MD, MBA Department: Medicine (Hematology/Oncology) Zhina Sadeghi, MD, FRCS Department: Urology Spring 2025 Rising Stars Announcement Fall 2024 Edward C. Kuan, MD, MBA Department: Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery Valery Vilchez Parra, MD Department: Surgery (Colon and Rectal Surgery) Fall 2024 Rising Stars Announcement Spring 2024 Yarah Haidar, MD Department: Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery Lindsey Spiegelman, MD, MBA Department: Emergency Medicine Areg Grigorian, MD Department: Surgery (Trauma, Burns and Critical Care) Spring 2024 Rising Stars Announcement