Meet the Leadership Team

Our leadership team includes practicing pediatricians, researchers, chief residents and administrative staff who are dedicated to the wellbeing and success of every resident.

Kira Molas-Torreblanca, DO, MPH

Program Director

Kira Molas-Torreblanca is program director for the UCI-CHOC Pediatric Residency program and a pediatric hospitalist at Children’s Health of Orange County. She has a master’s degree in public health from UCLA. She completed her residency training at the University of Nevada, where she served as a chief resident. Dr. Molas-Torreblanca then assumed the role of the assistant residency program director before relocating to California with her family, where she was a hospitalist at Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles for 11 years, serving as the Pediatric Hospital Medicine Fellowship program director. She has completed advanced training in educational scholarship, and her research interests include curriculum development, simulation, and qualitative methodology. Dr. Molas-Torreblanca has presented numerous workshops at national conferences on topics such as feedback and evaluation, learning climate, and trainee autonomy. She recently graduated as part of the inaugural cohort of the Academic Pediatric Association’s Advancing Pediatric Leaders Program.

Dr. Molas-Torreblanca is currently serving a three-year elected term on the American Academy of Pediatrics Section of Hospital Medicine’s Executive Committee. Her other clinical interests include health promotion, community health sciences and health equity in the realm of medical health literacy. Dr. Molas-Torreblanca grew up in Palm Desert, California, and currently lives in Long Beach with her husband (also a pediatrician), their two teenage children and their cavapoo puppy named Ruby. She is an avid fan of LA sports teams, and in her free time, if she is not cheering for one of them, you will often find her enjoying the churros at Disneyland.

Sandeep Dhadvai, MD

Associate Program Director

Sandeep Dhadvai is an associate program director at the UCI-CHOC Pediatric Residency program and is an outpatient general pediatrician at both UCI and CHOC clinics. He was born and raised in Phoenix, Arizona, and moved outside of Philadelphia to get his bachelor of science degree in psychology at Haverford College. He then returned to Arizona for medical school at the University of Arizona College of Medicine - Phoenix. Dr. Dhadvai then couples-matched to and completed his residency training in the UCI-CHOC Pediatric Residency program, where he stayed on as a chief resident for an additional year. He has a passion for teaching, medical education, newborn care, wellness initiatives, and both recruitment and admissions in the residency program. Outside of work, Dr. Dhadvai enjoys hiking, traveling, board games, comic books, reading at the beach, his new hobby pickleball and spending time with his wife, dog and two cats.

James Korb, MD

Associate Program Director

Jim Korb is an associate program director for the UCI-CHOC Pediatric Residency program. At CHOC, he is the director for academic affairs, with responsibility over visiting medical students, residents and fellows, as well as the development of fellowships at CHOC. He is also the director for CHOC’s continuing medical education program. Dr. Korb completed his medical school training and residency at UCLA, and he was an assistant program director for the Pediatric Residency program at UCLA for 11 years. From 2001 to 2013, he was the program director of the Pediatric Residency program at CHOC. Among his many interests are medical education, dermatology and children’s books. Outside of work, Dr. Korb and his wife have a lifetime goal to see every National Park in the United States. (They are up to about 30). He is an avid cook, and along with Dr. Wong, has been cooking for resident retreats for many, many years.

Jennifer Green Lusk, MD, FAAP

Associate Program Director

Jennifer Lusk is an associate program director for the UCI-CHOC Pediatric Residency program. She received her medical degree from Georgetown University. After finishing residency training at CHOC, Dr. Lusk served as chief resident. She now works as a pediatric hospitalist at CHOC, remains heavily invested in residency training and education, and has received multiple faculty teaching awards. She is the chair of the Clinical Competency Committee, providing guidance on resident performance. She also holds multiple positions in hospital administration and serves as program director for the UCI Pediatric Hospital Medicine Fellowship program at CHOC. 

David Michalik, DO

Associate Program Director

David Michalik is a clinical professor at UCI and specializes in pediatric infectious diseases at Miller Children’s and Women’s Hospital Long Beach, where he has been practicing since 2007. He received his medical degree from Western University of Health Sciences, then completed a pediatric residency at Cleveland Clinic Children’s Hospital and a pediatric infectious diseases fellowship at Columbia University Medical Center. He is actively engaged in research projects involving HIV, Kawasaki disease and infections of ancient civilizations. Dr. Michalik spends his free time body surfing, hiking and entertaining his goldendoodle Scully.

Candice Taylor Lucas, MD, MPH, FAAP

Associate Program Director

Candice Taylor Lucas is an associate program director for the UCI-CHOC Pediatric Residency program. She is also a co-director for the UCI 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 UCI School of Medicine and UCI Pediatric Exercise and Genomics Research Center. She is 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. Dr. Lucas 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. Her public health and research interests address physical activity promotion, early childhood obesity prevention and health inequities. As associate program director, her areas of focus include primary care and community-engaged training opportunities, advocacy, diversity, inclusion and health equity. Outside of work, Dr. Lucas enjoys spending time with family and friends, playing with her sons, dancing, basketball and writing poetry.

Hillary Zieve, MD, FAAP

Associate Program Director

Hillary Zieve is an associate program director for the UCI-CHOC Pediatric Residency program and practices general pediatrics at CHOC Clinica Para Niños and CHOC Boys & Girls Club Clinic in Santa Ana, California. She received her medical degree from UCI School of Medicine, and completed residency and served as a chief resident at the UCI-CHOC Pediatric Residency program. Dr. Zieve currently sits on the board of the AAP Orange County chapter as a member at large and co-chairs the Young Physician Committee. She is also the chapter’s representative for early career physicians. Dr. Zieve is the cofounder and faculty mentor of Team KiPOW OC, an academic-community partnership that mentors students in Title I schools about nutrition and physical activity. She is passionate about primary care and preventive medicine, more specifically pediatric obesity management, nutrition and healthy weight loss. She lives in Irvine with her husband, two children and dog. 

Mojan Azarmi, MD

Chief Resident

Mojan Azarmi is a chief resident for the UCI-CHOC Pediatric Residency program. She attended medical school at California Northstate University College of Medicine and completed her pediatric residency training at UCI-CHOC. She continued as chief resident due to her passion for teaching and desire to continue working with learners at all stages. After her chief year, Dr. Azarmi plans to work in an academic hospital as a pediatric hospitalist. In her free time, she enjoys hiking with her husband and serving as a human couch for her cat.

Judy Chen, MD

Chief Resident

Judy Chen is a chief resident for the UCI-CHOC Pediatric Residency program. Originally from the East Coast, she moved to Cleveland to complete her undergraduate studies at Case Western Reserve University, where she majored in nutritional biochemistry and metabolism. She went on to complete medical school at Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine. Dr. Chen came to Orange County to do her pediatrics residency and stayed after finishing to do a chief year. She is planning to practice academic hospital medicine and intends to be involved in medical education. She chose to do a chief year because she enjoys mentoring both residents and medical students and is looking for ways to optimize the learning environment. In her free time, she loves going to the beaches of Orange County and paddleboarding, as well as exploring all the amazing food options of Southern California.

Veronica Melendez

Residency Coordinator, UCI

Veronica Melendez is the residency coordinator for the UCI-CHOC Pediatric Residency program. She received her bachelor of science degree in healthcare administration from California State University, Long Beach. Mrs. Melendez was a pediatric residency coordinator at Miller Children’s Hospital in Long Beach before becoming a residency coordinator for both the UCI and UCI-CHOC Pediatric Residency programs in 2010. She likes to read, dance, play sports and spend time with her family.

Maria Espitia

Assistant Residency Coordinator, UCI

Maria Espitia is a residency coordinator assistant for the UCI-CHOC Pediatric Residency program. She joined the program in 2014, bringing with her a variety of corporate and office management skills. Previously, she served as a human resources assistant and accounting assistant at USA National Title Company. She enjoys shopping for great deals and spending time with her family.

Sabrina Harris

Assistant Residency Coordinator, Scheduler, UCI

Sabrina Harris joined the program as a temporary administrative assistant in February 2020 and was hired full-time in January 2021. She has an extensive background working in administration, office management and accounting, supporting large nonprofit organizations and small business environments. She is a team player and approaches all aspects of her position and any job with a positive, hardworking mindset. She enjoys going to church, roller-skating and spending time with her family.

Patty Peña

Residency Coordinator, Miller Children's

Patty Peña is the residency coordinator for the UCI-CHOC Pediatric Residency at Miller Children’s Hospital in Long Beach. She joined the GME team at Long Beach Memorial/Miller Children’s Hospital in June 2023. She worked in public health for the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program while pursuing her degree in sociology from UCLA. Ms. Peña has more than 15 years of experience working in healthcare facilities. She worked as a research assistant at UCLA and a residency program coordinator at Harbor—UCLA in Torrance, California. She loves dancing, traveling, spending time with family and friends, and shopping—especially when she gets bargains.

Frank Cruz

Education Coordinator, UCI