UCSF Faculty
Harry Adynski, PhD, RN, PMH-BC
Assistant Professor | UCSF School of Nursing
Dr. Harry Adynski is an Assistant Professor in the UCSF School of Nursing whose interdisciplinary research integrates nursing, psychology, public health, and epidemiology to examine the social and biological drivers of mental health and well-being among children, adolescents, and their families. Through an international collaboration with Dr. Karina Huus and the Children, Health, Intervention, Learning, and Development (CHILD) Research Group at Jönköping University in Sweden, his work has examined mental health and school attendance disparities among sexual and gender minority youth. Dr. Adynski and Dr. Huus received the 2026–2027 UCSF Center for Global Nursing Research Seed Award to examine substance use risk profiles among Swedish adolescents and their relationships with mental health, school environments, and other social determinants of health, strengthening international nursing research collaboration between UCSF and Jönköping University.
Charisse Ahmed, PhD, RN
Assistant Professor | UCSF School of Nursing
Dr. Charisse Ahmed is an Assistant Professor in the UCSF School of Nursing and a Research Fellow with the Southern African Institute for Policy and Research in Zambia. An emerging leader in global mental health, her work focuses on trauma-informed, community-based approaches to address sexual- and gender-based violence among children and adolescents. She co-founded Mind Changers–Pals 4 Life (MCP4L), a youth-led advocacy and research advisory group, and co-designed Mpata Yathu, a church-based mental health intervention for adolescent girls and young women addressing the intersection of HIV, mental health, and gender-based violence. Dr. Ahmed received the 2025-2026 UCSF Global Nursing Research Seed Award through the Center for Global Nursing (CGN) to advance her work on community-engaged HIV and mental health interventions in Zambia.
David Alfon, MSN, FNP-BC, NEA-BC
Unit Director | UCSF Health
David Alfon is the Unit Director for the Central Resource Group at UCSF Health. With nearly two decades of nursing experience, he has been deeply engaged in innovation, technology, global health, and continuous process improvement.
David began his career in international humanitarian aid and refugee health, working with NGOs in Switzerland, Egypt, and Turkey. He holds multiple board certifications in critical care, emergency, neuroscience, stroke, informatics, and advanced executive leadership, as well as advanced practice certifications in family and emergency medicine.
At the UCSF Center for Global Nursing (CGN), David serves as faculty for the Introduction to Cultural Humility Course and leads the CGN Journal Club, fostering meaningful discussions in global health and culturally responsive care. He was also a member of CGN’s inaugural cohort of Clinical Global Scholars.
Stella Bialous, DrPH, RN, FAAN
Professor | UCSF School of Nursing
Dr. Stella Bialous has over 30 years of experience in tobacco and cancer control, working both nationally and internationally. Her work focuses on addressing tobacco use, a leading cause of death and health disparities, and includes extensive collaboration with the World Health Organization and other global partners on implementing the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. She has contributed to the development of key documents on tobacco, cancer, and non-communicable disease (NCD) control and has worked with organizations such as the WHO and the National Cancer Institute. Dr. Bialous has been a faculty member at the UCSF School of Nursing for more than a decade, where she continues to advance nursing leadership in policy, advocacy, and cancer prevention. She also served as President of the International Society of Nurses in Cancer Care from 2014 to 2018.
Adam Cooper, DNP, RN, NPD-BC
Director | UCSF Health
Dr. Adam Cooper is the Director of Nursing Continuous Improvement and Nursing Research at UCSF Health. He also serves as the Director of the UCSF JBI Center and Co-Director of Global Programs within the UCSF School of Nursing Leadership Institute, supporting leadership development and evidence-based practice (EBP) programs. He received a Doctorate in Nursing Practice (DNP) from the UCSF School of Nursing and holds national certification in both Nursing Professional Development and EBP. Dr. Cooper is passionate about continuous/quality improvement and EBP, and leads and teaches programs at UCSF, nationally, and globally.
At CGN, Dr. Cooper is working with the CGN Director, Dr. Rebecca Silvers, and the Tongan Ministry of Health in a Quality Improvement Fellowship to uplift nursing and improve health outcomes in Tonga.
Adam Leonard, PhD(c), MPH, CPNP
Assistant Adjunct Professor | UCSF School of Nursing
Adam Leonard is an Assistant Adjunct Professor at the UCSF School of Nursing and a PhD candidate at Johns Hopkins University whose research and teaching focus on infectious diseases, implementation science, and health systems strengthening. His doctoral research applies epidemiological methods to evaluate the impact of youth-friendly health services on tuberculosis and HIV outcomes among youth living with HIV in Central and East Africa.
Adam serves as faculty for CGN’s Certificate in Global Nursing and co-leads the Global Nursing Internship Program. As a recipient of the 2026–2027 UCSF Center for Global Nursing Research Seed Award, he is partnering with Emmanuel Manirafasha, MPH, BSN, RN, to explore patient and provider perspectives on integrating nurse-led mental health services into HIV care in rural Rwanda.
Rebecca Silvers, DNP, CPNP-AC
Director | UCSF Center for Global Nursing; Assistant Clinical Professor | UCSF School of Nursing; Nurse Practitioner | UCSF Health
Dr. Rebecca Silvers is an advanced practice nurse and global health leader specializing in emergency, critical, and operative care and health system development. She holds advanced degrees in nursing from McGill University and Vanderbilt University, with a focus on quality improvement, education, and global health. She holds a clinical appointment as a Pediatric Critical Care and Neurosurgery Nurse Practitioner at UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospitals.
Dr. Silvers brings a breadth of experience, having worked with partners in more than 30 countries. As the Founding Director of the UCSF Center for Global Nursing, she works to advance nursing leadership, education, and quality improvement worldwide. She also serves as the Nursing Lead for UCSF’s World Health Organization Collaborating Centre for Emergency, Critical, and Operative Care, where she facilitates new partnerships and mentors nurses across the globe in their journey toward leadership and health system transformation.
Lisa Thompson, PhD, RN, FNP
Professor | UCSF School of Nursing
Dr. Lisa Thompson is a Professor in the UCSF School of Nursing with more than 25 years of expertise in global environmental health research. Her work focuses on reducing environmental exposures and improving health outcomes in resource-variable settings, with particular expertise in household air pollution from solid fuel cookstoves. Dr. Thompson is a co-investigator on the Household Air Pollution Intervention Network (HAPIN) trial in Guatemala, part of a large multi-country randomized controlled trial examining the health effects of reducing household air pollution. Her research also examines behavioral interventions addressing environmental health challenges, including plastic waste management in low- and middle-income countries. Dr. Thompson is a Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing and has received international recognition for her contributions to nursing and environmental health research.
Global Faculty
Joe P. Davies, BSN, RN
Liberia; NCD Nurse Coordinator | Partners In Health Liberia
Joe P. Davies is the Non-Communicable Disease (NCD) Nurse Coordinator for Partners In Health Liberia. In this role, he oversees PEN-Plus clinical activities in Maryland County, expanding access to care for patients with severe chronic NCDs such as type 1 diabetes, rheumatic heart disease, and sickle-cell disease.
Before joining Partners in Health, Davies worked with the Liberian Ministry of Health, where he supported the integration of NCD services into primary care. His work focuses on training and mentoring healthcare workers in PEN-Plus implementation and strengthening nursing capacity for NCD management in rural settings.
In 2025, Joe received a UCSF Center for Global Nursing Research Seed Award for his study titled “Prevalence of Diabetes Mellitus in Maryland County, Liberia: A Community-Based Study.” His research aims to generate local data to inform national strategies for diabetes screening and management and to strengthen community-based approaches to chronic disease care.
Marilia Díaz, MSN, RN, FCCM
Puerto Rico; Unit Manager | Hospital Auxilio Mutuo
Marilia Díaz manages the multidisciplinary intensive care unit (ICU) at Hospital Auxilio Mutuo in San Juan, Puerto Rico. In this role, she oversees clinical operations, quality improvement initiatives, and professional development for the ICU nursing team. Prior to her current position, she worked as a bedside nurse in the hospital’s surgical ICU, where she developed expertise in critical care and interdisciplinary collaboration.
In addition to her leadership role, Díaz is a part-time nursing professor at Sacred Heart University in Puerto Rico, where she has been teaching since 2008. Her academic work focuses on clinical excellence, leadership development, and preparing the next generation of critical care nurses. Díaz’s professional goals center on empowering nurses as leaders within interdisciplinary health teams. She currently serves as President-Elect of the Congreso del Consejo Centroamericano y del Caribe de Terapia Intensiva (COCECATI), where she contributes to advancing intensive care nursing across Latin America and the Caribbean.
Melesi'i Inu Ki Ha'angana Filise, MSN, MEd, RN
Tonga; Chief Nursing Officer | Ministry of Health
Melesi’i Inu ki Ha’angana Filise serves as the Chief Nursing Officer for the Ministry of Health in Tonga, where she leads the country’s largest healthcare workforce and oversees national initiatives to strengthen nursing and midwifery services. With more than three decades of experience, she is recognized for her leadership in advancing the quality, safety, and professional development of nursing across all levels of care. Prior to her current role, Filise spent 12 years as a nursing lecturer at the Queen Salote Institute of Nursing and Allied Health, where she contributed to curriculum design and capacity-building programs for the next generation of Tongan nurses. Passionate about education and workforce development, she continues to advocate for nursing leadership, professional advancement, and equitable access to quality health services throughout Tonga and the Pacific region.
Filippo Gatti, MS, BSN, RN
Italy; Health Coordinator | International Committee of the Red Cross
Filippo Gatti is an experienced global nurse leader and humanitarian health professional with extensive expertise in emergency response, health systems strengthening, and workforce development in complex settings. As the former Chief Nurse for the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), he led global nursing strategy and operations across conflict and disaster zones, overseeing capacity building, clinical governance, and nursing workforce safety initiatives in more than 80 countries.
Gatti’s career reflects a deep commitment to advancing nursing leadership and strengthening health systems in fragile contexts. He has collaborated with ministries of health, academic institutions, and multilateral partners to develop frameworks for emergency nursing mentorship programs.
MaryJoy Kaimuri, PhD, MSc, BSN
Kenya; Dean of the School of Nursing | Meru University of Science and Technology
Dr. MaryJoy Kaimuri is the Dean of the School of Nursing at Meru University of Science and Technology in Meru, Kenya. In this role, she provides academic and strategic leadership to advance nursing education, strengthen faculty capacity, and prepare the next generation of nurses to address the country’s evolving health priorities.
Dr. Kaimuri also serves as the Vice President of Watson Caring Science Kenya, where she promotes the integration of human caring theory into nursing education and practice. Her leadership has been recognized nationally for her contributions to curriculum development, mentorship, and the establishment of innovative nursing education and capacity-building programs.
She is an active member of the UCSF Center for Global Nursing (CGN) Advisory Council, where she contributes to advancing global nursing leadership and collaboration. Her research focuses on non-communicable diseases, clinical mentorship, and reproductive health, with an emphasis on evidence-based approaches to improving nursing practice and patient outcomes in Kenya.
Si Lee, RN
Laos; Director of Nursing | Lao Friends Hospital for Children
Si Lee, RN, is a nurse leader with extensive experience in pediatric acute care, nursing education, and health systems strengthening in the Lao People’s Democratic Republic. He serves as the Director of Nursing at Lao Friends Hospital for Children (LFHC) in Luang Prabang, where he leads nursing operations, clinical education, and quality improvement initiatives across the hospital. LFHC is a 50-bed inpatient pediatric hospital and the only pediatric referral center in Northern Laos, providing no-cost acute care services and outpatient care and serving more than 30,000 children annually.
Si began his career at LFHC in 2015 as an inpatient and emergency nurse and has progressed into senior leadership roles, including Nurse Anesthetist and Manager of Nursing Education. He brings extensive knowledge in pediatric care and a strong commitment to strengthening the nursing workforce, providing clinical leadership, education, and professional development for more than 80 nurses, with a focus on advancing safe, high-quality pediatric and emergency care within the national health system
Daniel Maweu, MScN, MPH, RN
Malawi; Clinical Nursing Education Specialist | University of Global Health Equity
Daniel Maweu is a Clinical Nursing Education Specialist at the University of Global Health Equity (UGHE) Centre for Nursing & Midwifery in Rwanda. A dedicated nurse-midwife and reproductive health educator, he brings over 15 years of experience in clinical midwifery, perioperative nursing, and nursing education across Kenya, Malawi, Rwanda and Liberia.
Before joining UGHE, Daniel served with Partners In Health (PIH) in multiple leadership roles, including Midwifery Coordinator and Educator in Liberia, UCSF-GAIN Mentorship Project Lead, and Maternal and Child Health Workforce Development Specialist in Malawi. He has also contributed to nursing and midwifery governance through the Liberian Board for Nursing and Midwifery, helping develop national curricula, accreditation policies, and clinical training guidelines. Daniel is passionate about maternal health systems strengthening and champions respectful, dignified maternity care while advancing nursing leadership and education across Africa. and midwifery leadership as a pathway to health equity.
Evelyne Mvungu, MCHN, APN, RN
Kenya; Nurse Manager | Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital
Evelyne Mvungu is an Advanced Practice Nurse and the Nurse Manager of the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital in Eldoret, Kenya. With more than two decades of neonatal nursing experience, she leads a multidisciplinary team and works across bedside care, education, and unit management.
Evelyne is a strong advocate for quality and patient safety, developing and implementing evidence-based protocols in neonatal resuscitation, infection prevention, thermoregulation, and family-integrated care. She mentors nurses through simulation-based training and bedside coaching, using audit and feedback to promote continuous improvement. Evelyne also serves as an Adjunct Lecturer in the MSN Neonatal Program at Kabarak University, where she teaches advanced assessment, preceptorship, and supports curriculum development.
Josephine Nabulime, MSN, RN
Uganda; Critical Care and Emergency Care Nurse Manager | Mulago National Referral Hospital
Josephine Nabulime is a Critical Care and Emergency Care Nurse Manager at Mulago National Referral Hospital in Kampala, Uganda. With more than 20 years of experience in emergency and critical care nursing, she currently leads a team of over 30 nurses in the hospital’s Accident and Emergency Unit, providing high-quality, patient-centered care in one of the busiest emergency departments in the country. As a recipient of the 2026–2027 UCSF Center for Global Nursing Research Seed Award, she is partnering with Atwine Fortunate, PhD, RN, to examine how frequent ward rotations influence nurses’ clinical competence in critical care units at Mulago National Referral Hospital, with the goal of informing workforce strategies that strengthen specialized nursing care.
Nabulime also works with the World Alliance for Lung and Intensive Care Medicine (WALIMU), an organization focused on improving the quality of clinical care delivered by health workers across Uganda. In this role, she supports training, mentorship, and the implementation of best practices in emergency and critical care. In 2025, Nabulime served as the national nursing lead for Uganda’s Monkeypox response, coordinating clinical preparedness and infection prevention efforts across health facilities. Her leadership continues to strengthen emergency response capacity and advance nursing excellence across the country.
Bhawana Regmi, PhD(c), RN
Nepal; Assistant Professor in Nursing | Kathmandu University School of Medical Sciences
Bhawana Regmi is an Assistant Professor of Nursing at the Kathmandu University School of Medical Sciences (KUSMS) and a Nurse Manager in the Adult and Medical Intensive Care Unit at Dhulikhel Hospital, Kathmandu University Hospital, Nepal. She brings extensive clinical and academic experience, having previously served as a nursing instructor specializing in medical-surgical nursing, mental health nursing, and critical care.
Her research and professional interests focus on critical care nursing, non-communicable diseases, cardiovascular nursing, patient safety, and telehealth integration in nursing practice. Bhawana serves as Principal Investigator for the Essential and Emergency Critical Care (EECC) Readiness Study in Nepal, a collaborative research project with UCSF’s Center for Global Nursing and medical colleagues across Nepal, assessing facility preparedness for EECC delivery. Currently pursuing her PhD, she also serves as an Executive Member of the Society of Cardiothoracic and Vascular Nurses, Nepal, advancing nursing leadership and evidence-based practice in cardiovascular and critical care.
Jackie Rowles, DNP, MBA, CRNA
Indianapolis; President | International Federation of Nurse Anesthetists
Dr. Jackie Rowles is an Associate Professor of Professional Practice and Director of the Advanced Pain Management Fellowship at Texas Christian University. She is serving her sixth term as President of the International Federation of Nurse Anesthetists (IFNA).
Nominated by the International Council of Nurses (ICN), Dr. Rowles serves on the United Nations Global Surgery Learning Hub Project Content Committee as Vice Chair, advancing global perioperative education. She co-chairs the ICN Advanced Practice Nursing (APN) Health Policy Subcommittee and represents IFNA to the WHO Acute Care Action Network and the G4 Alliance.
A recognized global leader in nurse anesthesia and advanced practice, Dr. Rowles has co-edited multiple international publications, including The Voice for Global Anesthesia and Nurse Practitioners and Nurse Anesthetists: Evolution of the Global Roles. She was the catalyst for the development of the 2021 ICN Advanced Practice Nursing Guidelines: Nurse Anesthetist and continues to lead in shaping the global APN agenda.
Faith Sila, MSN, RN
Kenya; Clinical Nurse Education Manager and Acting Clinical Governance Manager | Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital
Faith Sila is the Clinical Nurse Education Manager and Acting Clinical Governance Manager at Moi Teaching & Referral Hospital in Eldoret, Kenya. She leads the development, implementation, and evaluation of clinical policies and education programs to advance quality, safe patient care, and nursing competencies. She brings over 15 years of experience in nursing practice, education, and research.
Faith also serves as a part-time lecturer at Moi University, Kabarak University, the East, Central, and Southern Africa College of Nursing and Midwifery, and the Moi Teaching & Referral Hospital College of Medicine. At her hospital, she is the Continuing Professional Development Administrator for the Nursing Council of Kenya and co-leads the Academic Model Providing Access to Healthcare (AMPATH) Nursing Working Group. She is actively engaged with various professional organizations, advocating for the advancement of nursing practices and professional development. Faith has authored 10 peer-reviewed publications and presented at 12 national and international conferences, advancing nursing practice and education.
Edna Tallam-Kimaiyo, PhD, MPH, RN
Kenya; Head of Community Health; Senior Lecturer | AMREF International University
Dr. Edna Tallam-Kimaiyo is a nurse leader, educator, and policy expert with extensive experience shaping nursing education and regulation across Africa. She currently serves as a Senior Lecturer and Head of Community Health at AMREF International University and is a valued member of the CGN Global Nursing Advisory Council.
Dr. Tallam-Kimaiyo served for nine years as Registrar and CEO of the Nursing Council of Kenya, where she led landmark regulatory reforms that earned the ICS Champions of Governance Award. A leading voice in advancing Advanced Practice Nursing (APN) in Africa, she has been instrumental in defining scopes of practice, accrediting training institutions, and strengthening faculty capacity.
Globally, she contributes to the International Council of Nurses through roles with the Global Nursing Leadership Institute (GNLI) and the ODENNA Project, and nationally she serves as Joint Secretary to Kenya’s Presidential Taskforce on Human Resources for Health.